A History of Religion in Education in Ireland and its Culture

“‘No peace among the nations, without peace among the religions.”

Häns

Kung

There are few countries which has been marred by such a history of unrest due to political and religious

conflict. The first English invasion of Ireland dates as far back as to the 1100’s. The worst of these

rebellions, the 'Rebellion of 1641' and the Williamite War, occurred in the seventeenth century, and

resulted in severe subjugation of Irish Catholics. ‘The Troubles’ refers to a violent thirtyyear

conflict

that began with a civil rights march in Londonderry on 5 October 1968 and concluded with the Good

Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998. “At its heart lay two mutually exclusive visions of national identity

and national belonging. At the heart of the conflict lay the constitutional status of Northern 1 Ireland. The

goal of the unionist and overwhelmingly Protestant majority was to remain part of the United Kingdom.

The goal of the nationalist and republican, almost exclusively Catholic, minority was to become part of

the Republic of Ireland. Although this conflict was predominantly territorial conflict, religion also played

a dividing factor.

Throughout the history of civilization, religion, culture and schooling have often become intertwined. In

the Western tradition in both the monastic foundations of early Christian Ireland and in the cathedral

schools of medieval Europe, the pursuit of learning and worship often went together. In Ireland, the

Catholic Church has played a very prominent role in educating the children of our nation in a time when

the State was not in a position to provide it. The Irish national education system can be traced back to

1831. Lord Stanley founded the national education system, and originally envisioned...

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...or School Enrolment ’ (2011) Published

by the Department of Education and Skills, Ireland.

● “The Changing Faces of Ireland” Darmody, M. Tyrell, N. & Song, S. (2011) Springer

Publications.

● “Towards Mutual Ground: Pluralism, Religious Education and Diversity in Irish

Schools” (2012) Byrne, G. & Kiernan, P. COLUMBIA Press

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● “The Education Act: 1998.” Department of Education & Science: Government of Ireland.

http://www.irlgov.ie/educ/EducationActLeaflet/act%20says.htm#teachers

● http://www.educatetogether.ie/

● SESE Curriculum Committee. Science: Social, Environmental and Scientific Education

Curriculum. Dublin: Government Publications, 1999.

● http://www.childabusecommission.com/rpt/pdfs/ (The Ryan Report).

● www.ncca.ie

● “Openness With Roots: Education in Religion in Irish Primary Schools” Renehan, C.

(2014) Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

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