The English, in their many attempts to destroy traditional Irish culture, enacted the Penal Laws of 1702-1719. In these laws it was stated that Catholics could no longer gather together in celebration of mass. What came from this attempt at religious suppression was the formation of secretive meetings under the protection of dense forests where a suitable large rock became the priest's altar. What the law actually accomplished was returning people to the land for their worship - for what greater cathedral is there than tall trees whose deep roots penetrate the belly of the earth and whose branches reach high toward the sky? Alive with the elementals the people of Ireland must have, once again, felt the sacredness and power of their land. Another part of the Penal Laws was the outlawing of Catholic teachers. The English created their own schools where only English was spoken and the old stories were banned. Hedg
e Schools sprang up - often taught by the revered Brehons - and the Irish language, history, and ancient stories were taught. This is the life-blood of a culture and must never be lost.
The English, in their many attempts to destroy traditional Irish culture, enacted the Penal Laws of 1702-1719. In these laws it was stated that Catholics could no longer gather together in celebration of mass. What came from this attempt at religious suppression was the formation of secretive meetings under the protection of dense forests where a suitable large rock became the priest's altar. What the law actually accomplished was returning people to the land for their worship - for what greater cathedral is there than tall trees whose deep roots penetrate the belly of the earth and whose branches reach high toward the sky? Alive with the elementals the people of Ireland must have, once again, felt the sacredness and power of their land. Another part of the Penal Laws was the outlawing of Catholic teachers. The English created their own schools where only English was spoken and the old stories were banned. Hedg
e Schools sprang up - often taught by the revered Brehons - and the Irish language, history, and ancient stories were taught. This is the life-blood of a culture and must never be lost.
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