Ireland - the Land of Welcomes
‘Céad míle fáilte’ are the warm words that greet visitors to Ireland, meaning ‘100 000 welcomes’. The phrase is not in the widely spoken English language, but from the ancient Irish tongue of Gaeilge, which has been spoken for over 2500 years on the island and can provide a connection to people and places from the past. The hospitality of the Irish people is a virtue which is just as long standing, beginning in the prehistoric era.
It has been argued that the early welcoming of the Christian message in the 5th century was because of how it connected with the context and culture and yet offered something better than the current spirituality.(1) Early forms of Celtic mission and monastic communities growing from this, prized and practised the virtue of hospitality in a way which was infused and informed by their Christian faith.
Such hospitality continued to be extended throughout the history of Ireland, which is complex and marked by conflict. The impact and influence of Christianity on Irish culture and identity has been significant and sizable, but not straightforward. Crawford Gribben notes, ‘…the ‘land of saints and scholars’ has had a long and complex relationship with its dominant religion. Over the following fifteen centuries, the island of Ireland and the cultures of its peoples have been shaped and misshaped by their experience of Christian faith.’(2)
Since the early 20th century and after gaining independence from the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland has been predominantly Catholic in its religion, and this has been an important marker of national identity. To be Protestant was associated with Britain and seen as foreign and oppressive, or an unpleasant reminder of the conflict associated with the Troubles in Northern Ireland. A history stretching across 800 years still casts a shadow in the way of understanding yourself regarding who you are not, rather than who you are.
In the 21st century there have been fast paced and dramatic changes to wider society which mean that many are moving away from practising the Catholic faith, significantly influenced by widespread stories of abuse.(3 ) Sociologist, Gladys Ganiel, has described this movement in Transforming Post-Catholic Ireland, and found hopeful signs in what she terms ‘extra-institutional spaces’.(4) One example is churches from the evangelical stream of Christianity.
In 2018 research from Evangelical Alliance Ireland found over 500 evangelical churches outside of the mainstream denominations, which are often hidden from census data.(5) They found these churches were growing and vibrant and connected strongly to their communities in service. They also discovered that they were places of welcome to those who had moved to Ireland. 56.41% were ethnically mixed, 21.37% more than 80% Irish, and 18.8% more than 80% African. More recent figures show in the 2022 Census 12% of population were non-Irish.(6) In a country which is a mix of secular, post-Catholic, and spiritual, there is a hopeful, confident, and growing church which is culturally diverse and locally engaged in extending hospitality to others.
The practice of hospitality by these churches today invites Irish people to come and taste that the gospel still is good news. The welcome that these churches offer and the gracious invitation extended offer a place of healing from hurts caused by a church seen to be oppressive and making impositions and heavy demands of people. Creating a space to listen to stories and extend grace can be redemptive in a way that well worded arguments fail to match.
The rich diversity that is shown in these churches is often celebrated by leaders but can sometimes also provide grounds for lamenting a lack of connection with those from local Irish Catholic backgrounds. Could the picture of the table and the practice of hospitality help us see this seeming contradiction or competition more collaboratively and creatively?
The picture of the table is used by Jesus in Matthew 8.11 describing God’s kingdom where many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is the great feast in God’s kingdom that we anticipate in the future and yet is also seen in his church in the present, as the Gentiles are included. There is a wide welcome for many nations, peoples, tribes, and tongues.
This verse was actually one of the scriptures St Patrick included as foundational in arguing why he went beyond the bounds of civilization to the violent Irish, a key objection to his mission at the time. He included this in his Confession, which was studied by our church in 2025 as we joined with almost 200 others across the island as part of Patrickstory.(7) This was the second phase of a nationwide Irish evangelistic initiative called What’s the Story? The story of Patrick allowed us to answer three current questions. Who is God, really? What was I made for? Where do I belong? Connecting to the story of Patrick provided a helpful way to connect to the story of Jesus through a brother in the faith who lived before the reformation created Catholics and Protestants and allowed common ground. Many churches took part in parades and festivals, as well as opened their doors, or went out to town with a warm welcome and spirit of hospitality.
The picture of the table points to the welcome of our churches as we extend grace to others. It connects with a strongly relational culture in Ireland where hospitality continues to be prized and also offers a place to be known and loved in an increasingly lonely world. It can also confront some of the discrimination and even xenophobia present in our culture being a prophetic witness and signpost to God’s intercultural kingdom. Such a picture can also create space for people to belong, as I like to picture how many peoples from a beautiful breadth of backgrounds break down binary notions of ‘us and them’ as we are united together in Jesus. No longer are two parties sitting across the table throwing things at each other, now they belong around the table with others in a way that sees them side by side with Jesus at the centre.
To develop this hospitality around the table in the culture of churches will require a mutual humility, as those who are from Ireland recognise they are not only welcoming strangers, but neighbours or brothers and sisters, who might minister to them, as well as being ministered to. It will also require humility from those who have moved to Ireland to listen and learn about a new culture, and to be able to appreciate and enjoy some of the good it might offer as they learn its story. They might not be from here, but maybe they can be for here.
For our local church family, and many others, this is more than a picture but also a practice as we regularly share food around the table. The smells that come from the kitchen as everyone brings something to the table are usually a wonderful mix from around the world, but sometimes we set this aside to make the more local Irish breakfast or Irish stew as we all choose to honour the local.
Time and talk around the table would surely be welcome in a world which is increasingly polarised and fractured, and on an island with a troubled history of division. After all, ‘there is no strength without unity’- ‘Ní neart go cur le chéile.’
Colin Holmes
Pastor of Ferrybank Christian Community Church & Leader of ECM team in Ireland & Britain
Endnotes
Thomas Cahill, How the Irish Saved Civilization (Hodder & Stoughton 2003)
Crawford Gribben, The Rise and Fall of Christian Ireland (OUP Oxford 2021), 1.
Iona Institute Research - published in May 2025 - found only 27% of people have a favourable view of the Catholic Church overall, with 40% saying they have an unfavourable view. Of these 40% the biggest reasons for a negative view are 42% Abuse, 31% History / reputation, 17% old fashioned views, 14% control and influence on Ireland. https://ionainstitute.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Religion-and-Spirituality-in-Ireland-May-2025-02.pdf
Gladys Ganiel, Transforming Post-Catholic Ireland (OUP Oxford 2016)
Evangelical Alliance Ireland, Growing & Vibrant- https://www.evangelical.ie/growing-vibrant-eai-2018-church-survey/#:~:text=In%20contrast%20to%20the%20popular,in%20the%20coming%20five%20years.
CSO, Census of Population 2022 - Summary Results- Migration and Diversity. https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpsr/censusofpopulation2022-summaryresults/migrationanddiversity/
Confessio of St Patrick - https://patrickstory.ie/confessio-of-st-patrick/