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Paige Green
Diane Godfrey
GCU 144
July 27, 2015
Religion Impacts on Ireland
Modern day Ireland is a unique country full of diversity and individuality. A major
example of this theme considers the variety of religious views. Starting off, Ireland was a
Christian based country but overtime has been introduced to other religions. Some of the
currently practiced faiths are Roman Catholic, The Church of Ireland and Presbyterian. Along
with a couple others, these three are by far the most popular in todays society.
Roman Catholicism was brought over to Ireland from Roman Britain migrants before the
fifth century. It made its biggest influence to Northern Ireland and then continued to be spread
throughout the territory. In 1536, The Church of Ireland was fully established near Dublin as a
reform breakoff of the Roman Catholics. There was major disagreement with Henry VIII
becoming the supreme head of the church and resulting of a new form of faith. The Presbyterian
Church was introduced to Ireland in 1610 from Scotland migrants. The up rise of this religion
started in a territory
called Ulster, or Northern Ireland, and can be found today all across the country.
Faith is a strong factor when considering the Irish culture. The numbers shown in the
table above are a great representation of how many people follow a form of religion. This major
percentage of activity shapes the way most of these families live every day. When there was
major disagreement in religious beliefs, around the 1800s, friends and families were torn apart.
Children were only sent to schools with teachers of the same religion and bought food from those

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of their church. This trend carried on for most of Irelands history. In todays world, segregation
of religions is not as defined but still exists in some parts.
One can find at least 50 forms of religion among the territories of Ireland, most of which
have some place of worship. Out of the three previously mention religions, only the Church of
Ireland has a sacred space within the boundaries. Most of the sacred places in Ireland are
located in Dublin, Ireland. The sacred places in Dublin include Christ Church Cathedral, St.
Marys Pro-Cathedral, St. Michigans Church, St. Patricks Cathedral, and Trinity College. The
majority of the rest of the sacred places are in an array of counties for example County Offaly,
County Meath, County Kerry, County Wicklow, County Louth, County Mayo, and County
Tipperary. (Cheser, B.) For Roman Catholics and Presbyterians, you can find sacred spots in
Jerusalem and Bethlehem in Israel because both religions are based of the Christian faith.
Irelands government and moral rule was greatly shaped by the major religions during the
rise of the country. Roman Catholics made up most of the political figures when writing the
constitution which is seen in the opening statement, In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from
whom is all authority and to whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be
referred. This faith does not shape the country and who they are today, but shows impact it once
had. Always being over 70% of the populations religion, Roman Catholics will always have a
great impact on the culture and government of the nation.
In any country, religion makes up a vast majority of its culture. In Ireland, one can see
how the formations of multiple religions create rebellions, reformations, and unity within the
people. The sense of having a higher power or a moral to live by allows human beings to
prioritize their lives. This country is a perfect example of how systems can evolve into creating

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an environment that suits personal beliefs. Whether it is through the education system or the
constitution, religion is everywhere. Without it, Ireland would not be where it is today.

Table 1 is a graph representing the number of people who associate

with the major religions of Ireland. Numbers continue to rise in all
categories. One of the most surprising growths is in the No Religion
column. http://www.dochara.com/the-irish/facts/about

Figure 1 is a map that represents the percentage of Catholics

to Protestants in Northern Ireland during 1991. Overall, there
was a larger majority of Roman Catholics across this territory.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Norther
n-irland-relig

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Figure 2 is a pie chart that is a visual

representation of the percentage of each
religion during 2006. With over 80% being
Catholic, any other religion was known as a
minority.
http://static.newworldencyclopedia.org/thumb/7
/79/Relig-ire-2006.PNG/275px-Relig-ire

Works Cited
Cheser, B. (n.d.). Religion in Ireland. Retrieved July 28, 2015, from
http://bcheserireland.weebly.com/culture-and-social-development.html
Irish Religion: Religions of Ireland. (2006). Retrieved July 28, 2015, from
http://proud2beirish.com/Religions-of-Ireland.htm
McFarland, M. (2015, January 31). Ireland: Introduction. Retrieved July 28, 2015, from
http://www.catholicsandcultures.org/ireland/introduction
Nolan, K. (2008, December 15). Fast Facts about Religion in Ireland. Retrieved July 28, 2015,

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from http://www.dochara.com/the-irish/facts/about-religion/