IRELAND: A SACRED ISLAND BEFORE CHRISTIANITY

The Southwest Florida Archaeology Society invites you to join us at the IMAG for a free presentation by lecturer Alf Monaghan. Forget the myth of Ireland as a lonely island in the wild Atlantic Ocean. During the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, the Atlantic was a highway - linking the island to Iberia, the Mediterranean and the Near East. From time immemorial, mariners have moved goods, skills, stories; stone monuments, metalwork, religious beliefs and ritual across this sea road. This lecture traces archaeological finds, seafaring routes, and cultural ties that reveal a shared Atlantic heritage.  The result is a portrait of Ireland that is far from remote, with an ancient spiritual heritage, rooted in pre-Christian beliefs, which later blended with Christianity.

ABOUT THE LECTURER

Alf is an Irish native and is a graduate of University College, Dublin School of Business  and spent most of his life working on trade and economic development abroad. He spent a decade working for Enterprise Ireland - the Irish State Economic Development Agency - developing Irish exports in the manufacturing and internationally traded service sectors. He has been an advisor to governments, development agencies and business in the Middle East, South, and West Africa and spent 10 years in the Middle East in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt. It was here that he developed his interest in the trade links and religious influences between the Near East and Ireland. Alf and his wife Mary divide their time between Ireland and Southwest Florida.

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Host or Publisher Southwest Florida Archaeological Society