Starting in earliest Christian times, Peter O'Dwyer examines the development of the Catholic Church in Ireland and shows what Irish spirituality means. While dwelling on the phrase "the island of saints and scholars", he points out that it was, and still is, also "the island of sinners and scalliwags". He includes a fine collection of texts that show the mind of the people in each period of the history. In summary, Fr O'Dwyer quotes from a colleague, Michael Maher MSC: "In spite of the troughs and the crests in our people's spiritual life, in spite of the ironic combination of the drab and the magnificent that marks our religious history, the impression that we get from a glance at the past is one of a people who, although not always devoutly religious, very frequently practiced those virtues that bring light, meaning and happiness into people's lives. The ideals that kept successive generations from getting lost in the byways or detours in their journey to God must surely have some inspiration to offer us as we search for fresh directions on our journey of faith."
