Absolutely correct. Shakers and movers like St Augustine and St Patrick had a huge influence. Excellent book entitled, “The Secret Gospel of Ireland - The Untold Story of how Science and Democracy Descended From A Remarkable Form of Christianity that Developed in Ancient Ireland” is a great source for explaining the migration and actions of the monks relative to the Church as well as the Kings/Queens.
A serious historian who wrote about the positive consequences that the Middle Ages brought to Europe was Brian Tierney (Cornell professor late 50’s and early 60’s).