The Early Irish Church: Some Essential Sources

Here are some of the more important primary sources relating to the early Irish church that are available in English translations. It's by no means exhaustive, but I've found these works to be interesting. They cover the period from around 590-880.

Columbanus, The Complete Works (Letters, Sermons, Poems, and Monastic Rules) [c.590-615]

Cummian, On the Easter Controversy [c.633]

Alieran, Mystical Interpretation of Jesus' Genealogy [c.650]

Anonymous, A Treatise on the Ordering of Creation [c.650]

Adomnan, On the Sacred Places [c.680]

Adomnan, The Life of Columba [c.680]

Blathmac, The Poems of Blathmac Son of Cú Brettan [c.800]

Sedulius Scottus, Commentary on the Pauline Epistles [c.840] (partial translation only)

Sedulius Scottus, On Christian Rulers [c.840]

Eriugena, The Division of Nature [c.850]

Eriugena, Hymns and Poems [c.850]



For secondary sources I recommend these key texts:

Thomas M. Charles-Edwards, Early Christian Ireland

James Kenny, The Sources for Early History of Ireland

Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, Early Medieval Ireland 400-1200

Kathleen Hughes, Early Christian Ireland: Introduction to the Sources

Catherin Thom, Early Irish Monasticism