Medieval monks had ‘dramatic’ impact

Depictions of the antichrist, hell and the "end times" were often the work of Irish monks, a Cork-based research project has found. Medieval monks translated early Christian texts from Greek and Latin and created a rich tapestry of illustrated works, embellished with a dramatic value unique to Ireland. Speaking ahead of a lecture Medieval Visions of the End: The Irish Contributionat University College Cork (UCC) last night, Prof Bernard McGinn highlighted a fixation with dramatic depictions as Irish monks embellished early Christian material.