BBC4 broadcasts 2-part documentary on ancient Irish missionaries

[Michael]

Early medieval Britain passed through several cultural phases before it was imprinted by Anglo-Saxon culture. This story reviews the first of a 2-part documentary about the Irish missionaries who reintroduced Christianity to Britain after Rome's withdrawal.

Irish Christianity reached out to the Continent before it was finally crushed at a 7th century Synod (a conclave of bishops) where the Roman way was adopted throughout Britain.

THE IRISH contributed more to British culture than the British themselves, according to a new television documentary.

How The Celts Saved Britain aired this week on BBC4 giving a revealing insight into Britain’s unlikely rescue from cultural oblivion by its neighbour.

The BBC has already said that the series, of which part two airs next week, is provocative as presenter Dan Snow follows in the footsteps of Irish missionaries who brought learning and Christianity to Britain.

Snow himself has Celtic links: “My dad (TV and radio personality Peter Snow) was born in Dublin,” he says, “so in a way, I’m a kind of a Celt myself.”

But according to other Irish historians such as Peter Berresford Ellis, the period in question still remains largely unknown because the Irish influence was deliberately overlooked.

“The Irish influence during that period has been largely written out of history,” he said. “Some British people will be surprised that the Irish missionaries actually taught many of their ancestors how to read and write and people don’t know the extent to which Ireland influenced Britain in terms of education.”

Read the full article here.

The second part of the documentary will be shown on June 1.