Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions

158 Old Irish Religions.
—
While professing a derivation from Spain, they have
ignored the fact that Iberian idolatry was well known.
They equally ignore the testimony of St. Patrick and other
missionaries in Erin, the writings of Irish Saints, and the
evidence of objects which are substantial witnesses.
Roman authors had no doubt of the presence of idols
among the Celtic inhabitants of Gaul ;
and any visitor to
Hotel Cluny, in Paris, can soon satisfy himself as to the
truth, by a glance at the images stored in that noble
museum of French history.
Vallencey said, " The Irish Druids were not idolaters,
had no graven images." O'Kearney admits that " the pure
monotheism of the Druids had dwindled down into a
vulgar polytheism, previous to the date of the Fenian era."
But O'Curry denies alike images, human sacrifices, and
sun-worship. Arthur Clive could write— " There is abundant
reason to suppose that there were no idols in use among
the ancient Irish, no carved representations of the
gods."
In the Museum Catalogue of the Irish Academy, it is
written— " The ecclesiastical chroniclers of the period, in
their zeal for the establishment of Christianity, would
appear to have altogether ignored the subject of pagan
worship." But Ennius distinctly records that when Patrick
went to Cashel, " all the idols fell prostrate."
In St. Patrick's Confession we read— "Whence is it that
in Ireland, those who never had the knowledge of a God,
but worshipped even filthy idols," &c. Petrie declares it
was " not unusual for St. Patrick to dedicate pagan monuments
to the true God." In the Fiacc Hymn it is said
" There was darkness over Erin, they adored things of
Faery." The Tripartite Life speaks of this adoration ; the
Confession says the adorers "shall unhappily fall into
eternal punishment."