Mark+

<snip>I think Mike+ put his finger on the most remarkable thing about early
Irish Christianity: its extreme penitential nature.  I'm not sure any other
church produced anything like the Culdees, though perhaps the Desert Fathers
come closest.

From what I can tell, it was an intentional replication of the Desert
Fathers that drove men to places like Skellig Michael.  Again, I would point
you to "Celtic Spirituality" in the Paulist Press Western Spirituality
series.  As I mentioned to Mark+ off post, the one thing all the authentic
Irish writings emphasize is the very penitential nature of Irish
Christianity.  I don't think any of us would want to live by the directives
of the penitentials included in that book.

MLW+