People walking on the streets of Dublin, Ireland

Why is Ireland Called The Land of Saints and Scholars?

Eminent for its history in Education and Catholicism—Ireland is called “The Land of Saints and Scholars”. Besides their warm and convivial nature, Irish people have an innate love of education and excellence.

After many dark days, Ireland’s revival started in the 5th century, when the Roman Empire was collapsing, and Europe’s institutions failed, resulting in serious social and intellectual decay. Despite the problems in Europe, Ireland’s institutions continued to evolve and grow without any interruption and offered the country superiority in religion, art, and intellect. This period is called “Ireland’s Golden Age”and it’s when the country earned the title “Insula Sanctorum et Doctorum”which translates to the Island of Saints and Scholars, hence the phrase.

Ireland in the Modern Era

Even today, Ireland is taking the lead in various research areas due to its inventions and the contributions of scholars in solving modern world problems. Ireland was also ranked 19thamong the 1332 world economies in the Global Innovation Index in 2021.

Here are some innovations that changed the world:

  • An accidental discovery of a cure for leprosy when Vincent Barry was looking for a solution to Ireland’s tuberculosis problem
  • John Joly invented the photometer that measures the light intensity and is also used in cancer treatment. He also discovered a way of producing colour photographs
  • Havok, a Dublin tech company that has contributed to the interactivity and realism in games from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo
  • The world’s first armoured tank was from Blackrock, Dublin

Besides these influential discoveries, Irish people go above and beyond when it comes to ingenuity in art, science, literature, technology, and music.

Ireland’s International Rankings for Education

According to UK Science and Innovation Network, here are Ireland’s international rankings for education:

  • 1stin Animal and Dairy
  • 1stin Immunology
  • 2ndin Agricultural Sciences
  • 2ndin Nanotechnology
  • 4thin Molecular Biology and Genetics
  • 5thin Materials Science
  • 5thin Neuroscience and Behavior
  • 6thin Basic Medical Research
  • 7thin Mathematics
  • 8thin Chemistry
  • 9thin Molecular Biology and Genetics

Saint Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland

Saint Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland, was a missionary who holdsa special place in Ireland’s cultural and religious history. He is one of the patron saints of Ireland who brought Christianity to the island, and people still celebrate his efforts and contributions on St. Patrick’s Day every year on 17th March (the date of his death).

Although Christianity was already established in Ireland, St. Patrick was the one who spread it far and wide. St. Patrick’s Day celebrates Irish culture where people enjoy music, dancing, special foods, parades, and all things green.

People celebrating St. Patrick's Day

 

You can take a heritage trip to Ireland to enjoy these festivities and visit the historical sites to experience the depth of Irish culture and heritage. My Ireland Family Heritage is a team of expert genealogists and tour guides who help people discover their Irish roots, identify ancestral townland, and reconnect with their distant familyin Ireland. We offer a free consultation so you can share your goals with us, and we can create a personalized trip for you. Call us to learn more.

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Customised Genealogy & Historical Tour

Review of My Ireland Heritage Tours Presented on Trip adviser Oct 2024 By • Family TomBarron2013 New York City, NY2

Once in a lifetime experience

Oct 2024 • Family

We highly recommend My Ireland Heritage for anyone who wants to learn and be guided to their Irish “roots” and much, much more. Sean Quinn and Ian Darragh of My Ireland Family Heritage have deep knowledge or the areas we wanted to visit in Meath, Sligo and Kilkenny. While we knew about one side of the family history back to 1690, there was nothing known about the other that arrived in the US in the 1870s.

Ian, Sean, and Nicola did thorough research on our localities and locations from which our ancestors left for America in 1849 and later. In addition, Ian and Sean did separate day-long “recons” in advance of our time with them, seeking out local people and the specific properties with maps and whatever records still available. Their results were absolutely outstanding! In both our cases, they found and took us to our still-existing cottages and shops from the early 1820s.

It was so enjoyable to be with Ian for three days and for a special day with Sean. Whether it was the Newgrange World Heritage sites 5,500 years old , the Battle of the Boyne 1690 , or the local cemeteries and churches of our ancestors. Ian was especially attentive to my wife throughout the travels after she twisted her ankle in a rain-soaked old cemetery.

Throughout the process of trip preparation over months to giving us the final, wonderful books of Meath and Sligo, Aisling was highly professional and responsive with all the many details. The bound books she prepared are treasures! Thanks to all for truly exceptional experiences.

Newgrange World Unesco Site 5500 years old
Battle of the Boyne 1690 AD
Customised Historical Tours Trim Castle
Entrance stone at Newgrange

Self Drive Product

Review of My Ireland Heritage Tours Presented on Trip adviser by Shelley L @ sjlively

Exceptional in every way!

Over the last few months of preparing for our trip, every single detail was meticulously attended, not only professionally, but helpfully, and in such a friendly manner, that I felt as if I knew Sean, Aisling and Ian before I even stepped off the plane.

The amount of work these wonderful people put into our personal history is mindboggling. My mother was an avid amateur genealogist, and had worked for decades to bring to light the trail our family took, but our resources are limited.

Sean knows exactly where to look, and was able to fill in so many gaps that had eluded us for generations. Some of the information he found, unbeknownst even to him, actually solidified the findings we had amassed over the years. Ours was a family in coal mining – I only found on our tour that they had originated from a mining area, and their arrival on the  border coincided exactly with the decline in the mining industry in County Wicklow.

I would have been overjoyed simply with the knowledge of why they left when they did, about 12 years before the famine. Breaking through our brick wall of great grandparents even farther back on the family tree was a dream come true, but to be able to set foot on not only the area they lived, and find that the house is still there was overwhelming. Seeing the family church and cemetery where our ancestors and extended family still rest is a truly moving experience.

The care taken by this company in each and every aspect of the journey cannot be overstated. Only about 2 weeks prior to my trip, Sean contacted me to let me know that he had also stumbled across some of my husband’s family name in the process and included them as well in his research. How often can anyone say that they not only got what they paid for, but more than they ever imagined? I can say that. They were even kind enough to answer a few follow-up questions after my return home, as I was so stunned on my tour with Ian that I didn’t think ask at the time.If you have the opportunity to make the trip to Ireland, contact My Ireland Family Heritage before you go.

If your family was there, Sean will go above and beyond to find them. Even without family, contact them anyway. Ian is a walking encyclopedia of history, and so fun to talk to. Aisling will make sure every “I” is dotted, and every “T” is crossed.  Thank you so much for the trip of a lifetime, and the opportunity to pass on everything we have discovered to future generations

The Consultation at Hotel / Office or by Phone opens all doors
Genealogy gets you off the Beaten Track to see the Real Ireland

Unique to Every Address with My Ireland Family Research