Remarkably the first contact between Ireland and China occurred over 700 years ago. While the story is lost in the mists of time and woven into something of a myth historians believe that the journey did take place. Ireland was then a centre of monastic life and indeed during the Dark Ages kept learning and literature alive. It also sought to spread that light and to learn from others with missionary journeys which may have not only reached China but been the first to discover North America!

值得注意的是，爱尔兰和中国之间的第一次接触发生在700多年前。虽然这个故事迷失在时间的迷雾中，并编织成一个神话，但历史学家认为旅程确实发生了。爱尔兰当时是修道院生活的中心，事实上，在黑暗时代，爱尔兰保持着学习和文学的活力。它还试图传播这种光明，并通过传教士之旅向其他人学习，这些旅程可能不仅到达了中国，而且是第一个发现北美的人！

The first Irishman, and Irish missionary, to have visited China would seem to be the Friar known as ‘James of Ireland’ who accompanied his fellow Franciscan,  Odoric of Pordenone (1286-1331), on his travels around the world.

第一个访问中国的爱尔兰人和爱尔兰传教士似乎是被称为“爱尔兰的詹姆斯”的修道士，他陪同他的方济各会士，波代诺内的奥多里克（1286-1331）环游世界。

Odoric set out for China in 1318 and went via Constantinople, Armenia, Persia, Baghdad and India. Whether James was with him from the start or joined him along the way, we do not know, but James was with Oderic when he left India for China by way of Sumatra. They landed at Guangzhou and went on to Quanzhou, Hangzhou and Beijing where they spent three years. They were not the first Franciscans there and were able to stay in houses of their Order along the way. They returned to Italy in 1329 and the story of their travels attracted widespread attention. James outlived Odoric and probably had many good stories to tell.

奥迪尼克号于1318年启程前往中国，途经君士坦丁堡、亚美尼亚、波斯、巴格达和印度。詹姆斯是否从一开始就和他在一起，或者一路上加入了他，我们不知道，但是当詹姆斯离开印度前往苏门答腊前往中国时，他和他在一起。他们降落在广州，然后去了泉州，杭州和北京，在那里他们度过了三年。他们不是那里的第一批方济各会教徒，一路上能够住在他们的教团的房子里。他们于1329年回到意大利，他们的旅行故事引起了广泛的关注。詹姆斯比奥多里克活得更久，可能有很多好故事要讲。

Where he came from in Ireland, how he got to Italy and what he felt in China, we do not know though his willingness to travel and be part of an adventure are typical of the Irish tradition. If anyone can shed further light on James, please come forward!

他来自哪里，他是如何到达意大利的，以及他在中国的感受，我们不知道他愿意旅行并成为冒险的一部分，这是爱尔兰传统的典型特征。如果有人能进一步阐明詹姆斯，请挺身而出！