Classic Studies on the Ancient Irish church offers a wealth of perspectives on the history of the early Irish Church and the lives of its saints. It offers valuable insight from noted nineteenth- and twentieth-century Celtic scholars and historians, such as Charles Plummer and Whitley Stokes, along with translations of Lives of Irish saints into Latin, Irish, Middle Irish, and English. The collection brings together fact and legend, poetry and prose, and historical and modern thought, delving into the past to illuminate the storied history of Christianity’s beginnings in Ireland.

This volume presents several essays by Patrick Francis Moran on the origin of the Irish church. Moran illustrates that the church, after years of persecution, came back full circle to its original position in relation to the Church of Rome, returning to the doctrines held in the earliest ages. Moran outlines modern theories regarding St. Patrick and discusses the sentiments of the early Irish church regarding Rome, its teachings on the Eucharist, its devotion to the Virgin Mary, and more.