 Ireland's pre-Christian heritage fused with the [[Celtic Church]] following the missions of [[Saint Patrick]] in the 5th century.The [[Hiberno-Scottish mission]]s, begun by the Irish monk Saint [[Columba]], spread the [[Celtic Christianity|Irish vision of Christianity]] to [[pagan]] [[Anglo-Saxon England|England]] and the [[Frankish Empire]].These missions brought written language to an illiterate population of Europe during the Dark Ages that followed the [[fall of Rome]], earning Ireland the sobriquet, "the island of saints and scholars".