Ireland has undergone a unique history of Christianization, which this book traces from its early beginnings to around the mid-7th century. The early Irish Church developed within a tribal society deeply rooted in Celtic traditions. The life circumstances of the three national saints, Patrick, Brigid, and Columba, vividly convey these Celtic roots. However, the emerging Christianity, with its numerous monasteries, also bears an Irish face, as it underwent a distinct development away from the Roman Empire and far from the Roman Church, earning Ireland the reputation of being an "island of saints.".