The Christian Druids

How did Ireland become Christian? How Christian did Ireland become? What happened to the pre-christian poet-philosophers, the druids? Why is the literature of the Irish language so poetic? How did the professional poets maintain such a high standing in Ireland for so long? What was it that made their poetic talent so awesome?

The Christian Druids tackles questions like these, and the title of the book itself gives the common core of the answers: the druids of Ireland creatively assimilated Christianity, John Minahane argues. To them, it seemed the most perfect form of druidism, theirs to adopt and to adapt. The masters of Irish had no feelings of inferiority towards the Latinists, whose new learning they were drawing upon. Without constructing heresies, they produced a distinctive form of Christianity, full of poetry, which dominated the rich literary culture in the Irish language.

Minahane quotes abundantly from this Christian-druidic culture, giving the original Irish with adjacent translations. Love-lyrics, satires, prophecies are drawn upon; political and personal protests; heroic tales; philosophical fragments; a death sentence; many riddles; contributions to a controversy on the nature of the Irish gods, and much more.

It is suggested also that, like Queen Maeve in the epic Táin Bó Cuailnge (“I never had any man without another man waiting in his shadow”), the Irish masters made their poem with another poem in its shadow. This is perhaps the book’s most controversial argument.

"One of the most influential books I've read on Irish history... it's an absolute gem."

Davy Patton, sculptor and astrophotographer.

“A delightfully readable and stimulating disquisition.”

- Risteárd Ó Glaisne, Studies

“Minahane takes on many of the heavyweights, past and present, of Irish academia, slashing at their views without mercy… His book will make many enemies (for it can hardly be ignored), but some friends too, perhaps. I enjoyed it more than many I have read in recent times….”

Deasún Breatnach, Irish Times

“The views propounded . . . are very, very seductive . . . A classic”

Bernard Rio, Gwern Azur, Ordos - revue d'études celtiques

"‘Christian Druids’: a phrase guaranteed to bring specialists out in hives."

Mark Williams, Ireland’s Immortals