Year 5 - History
St Patrick and Christianity in Ireland
Britain after the Romans: how did Christianity survive in the British Isles?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils develop their causal understanding by learning how Christianity survived in the British Isles following the departure of the Romans. They learn about how religion changed after the Romans left and the importance of Irish Christianity in this period.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe why Christianity grew stronger in Ireland in the 5th century.
Key Notes
- Although Christianity declined in Britain after the Romans left, it grew stronger in Ireland.
- Some people in Ireland had become Christian through contact with Roman Britain by the early 5th century.
- The actions of the Roman-British missionary, St Patrick, some time in the 5th century, spread the religion more widely.
- Risking martyrdom, he preached to the kings of north-east Ireland and set up churches.
- He recorded his life and missionary activities in his 'Confession' which is the main evidence we have for his life.
Vocabulary To Learn
- missionary: a missionary is a person sent on a religious mission, especially one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country
- convert: to convert means when someone changes their religious faith or other belief
- martyr: a martyr is a person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- It is widely believed that St Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
Although Christianity declined in Britain after the Romans left, it grew stronger in Ireland. Some people in Ireland had become Christian through contact with Roman Britain by the early 5th century.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'missionary'
a missionary is a person sent on a religious mission, especially one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: It is widely believed that St Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland. Correction: Christianity had reached Ireland through contact with Roman Britain and as a result some Irish people converted to the religion.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 5 History guide library.