The Irish poet was almost certainly a descendant class of the druid (filidh); both used a poetic style of rhymed verses to retain knowledge.

The famous Hedge schools of 18th century Ireland came about when the class of poets turned to teaching in order to maintain the tradition.

A mural to the Hedge school-masters in Ardoyne, Belfast.

They educated the rural poor, teaching language, math, & even astronomy.

Teachers in Ireland were once known as 'poor scholars' & seen as responsible for passing on wisdom that stretched back to Gaelic antiquity.

"Homer's Iliad, Paradise Lost, the Old Testament, Ovid.. these books were in every peasant's cottage"

Education in Ireland circa 19-20th C.

By the 16th c. Hiberno-Latin was a second colloquial language among the Irish.

Visitors to Aran were astonished by 'Latin-speaking rustics'

Gráinne Ní Máille, sea queen of Connacht, meets queen Elizabeth I, 1593.

Their entire conversation was conducted in Latin.

Michaelmas marked the start of the term for an Irish bard. Until 25 March he would learn history, rhetoric & above all the Irish language. In order to pass, the student would sit in a dark room (for 24 hours) & compose his work. Reciting from memory, he was critiqued & ranked!

“The Celts thought of their gods as giants, and portrayed them as such. On grassy hillsides around Britain, huge figures, principally of horses and men, can still be seen cut into the chalk. These representations are largely thought to be pre-Roman in origin”

The Early Irish Christians, like the ancient Celts, also saw God as a giant.

Here on the Kells market cross, God is depicted as a gigantic warrior; Spear in hand, he leads the guardian deities of the Twelve tribes to battle.

17 March: feast of Saint Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland - Missionary, priest, first Bishop of Armagh, and patron saint of Ireland, where he died on this day in 493 AD.

"I saw a vision of the night..

A man named Victoricus coming from Ireland gave me a letter - 'The voice of the Irish'.. the voice of those around the wood of Foclut which is close to the Western Sea. And I was broken hearted."

- Confession of Saint Patrick

According to folklore, on the day of Judgement Christ will judge all other nations, while St Patrick will be the judge of the Irish.

The grave of St Patrick, Downpatrick.

“In Down, three saints one grave do fill, Patrick, Brigid and Columcille”.

The Life of Patrick recounts of how a miracle averted a war between the O'Neill & Ulster tribes over possession of the saints body. Instead, the body was placed into an ox-drawn cart, & under God's guidance they chose Downpatrick ('Patrick's fortress') as his resting place.

At the foot of Croagh Patrick, Ireland's holy mountain, Co Mayo.

Jonathan Swift in 1712 notes that Parliament in London is closed for St Patrick's Day & saw so many crosses in the Mall he thought all the world Irish!

Thomas Dingley on tour in the Kingdom of Ireland, 1681 - records wearing of green, shamrock, scenes of thanksgiving & drinking.

The medieval ruins of Turlough Abbey, Co Mayo. St Patrick began his ministry here in the year 441 AD.

St Patrick is said to have banished snakes from Ireland. This echoes Honoratus of France, who drove snakes from the island where he founded his abbey in the French Riviera. The young Patrick later trained at the abbey, the legend becoming assoc. with him.