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The other three pages, for those who arrived here first, describe Saint Brendan's Cathedral in Clonfert, the Bishop's Palace and Yew Walk and that historic day that this little cathedral was included in the World Monuments Watch 2000 listing. Please join me on the full journey back in time to the 6th century and the Middle Ages and forward into the 21st century - each era highlights today's interest and is linked by a unique and beautiful 12th century Hiberno-Romanesque doorway. (Links below)

Saint Brendan was born in Ciarraighe Luachra, near Tralee in County Kerry in the Year of Our Lord 484. It is said Bishop Erc baptized him at Tubrid, near Ardfert. Saint Ita supervised his earlier education, and he completed his later studies under St. Erc, who ordained him as a priest in 512.

Better known as Brendan the Navigator, his love of the sea could have developed from his growing up years in a coastal town in the south of Ireland. He was very much a leader of men and attracted many followers. He is associated with a number of monastic sites close to the River Shannon and around the West Coast of Ireland.  He started monastic communities in Ardfert, and at Shanakeel or Baalynevinoorach, at the foot of Brandon Hill. This work took place over a period of almost 30 years and it was from Baalynevinoorach that it is said he embarked on his most famous of journeys - " to the Land of Promise " or the seven-year voyage, accompanied by 60 other monks. Brendan was a keen sailor as well as an avid missionary and his sea voyages brought him to Wales, Iona in Scotland as well as to France and other parts of mainland Europe.

This Ceramic Depiction  of Saint Brendan is to be  found in St. Brendan's  Catholic Church in Clonfert.

He was instrumental in starting monasteries in Kilbrandon near Oban and Kilbrennan Sound, both in Scotland. After a three year mission in Britain he returned to Ireland, where he started to move further north from his home county of Kerry. 

His fame as a missionary voyager soon spread and his monastery in Ardfert became a place of pilgrimage to hear his travelling tales. As a result, many religious houses were developed at Gallerus, Kilmalchedor, Brandon Hill, and the Blasquet Islands, in order to meet the needs of those students of the church and other visitors who came to him for spiritual guidance.

He established many of the diocesan centres in the south and west of our country. St. Brendan made his way to Thomond in Limerick and further north where he founded a monastery at Inis-da-druim about the year 550. This is more commonly known now as Coney Island, County Clare in the present parish of Killadysert. 

In Leinster he was active in places such as Dysart in Co. Kilkenny, Killiney, and Brandon Hill. He founded the Sees of Ardfert and of Annaghdown, and established churches at Inchiquin, County Galway, and at Inishglora, County Mayo. His most celebrated foundation was Clonfert in County Galway. Saint Brendan died in 577 in the convent of his sister Briga at Enachduin, now Annaghdown. He is said to be interred in a grave facing the front door of the Cathedral in Clonfert.

'Navigatio Sancti Brendani' is an account written by an Irish monk in the ninth or tenth century and describes the 7-year voyage of Saint Brendan. More than 100 medieval Latin manuscripts of this Voyage of Brendan still exist today with many pointers to the very real possibility that it was in fact Saint Brendan who discovered North America, some 900 years earlier than Columbus. 

The old Irish Calendars assigned a special feast for the "Egressio familiae S. Brendani", on 22 March; and St Aengus the Culdee, in his Litany at the close of the eighth century, invokes "the sixty who accompanied St. Brendan in his quest of the Land of Promise".

As has been mentioned already, he most certainly was a notable sailor and his many earlier voyages took him to Scotland where he founded a monastery on Arran, and Wales as well as Brittany in France. 

He is said to have met Saint Columba on Hynba Island in Scotland, and even to have gone to Brittany with Saint Malo, a Welsh monk. Of interest here is the town named after St Malo was the birthplace of Jacques Cartier, first European thought to set foot in Canada in 1534. It begs a further question if perhaps Brendan's voyage was well known at the time and Cartier followed in his footsteps.

He is said to have undertaken the voyage with sixty monks in search of the Isles of the Blessed. Brendan and his group of monks are reputed to have reached the coast of America on a 7-year voyage.  The writings of the monks about Brendan's journey report that the sailing monks kept monastic rule aboard their ships and met with many adventures and supernatural creatures in their travels.  These were special men, these men of the sea, and zealous missionaries who carried the Christian message. They sought the lands beyond the horizon, the wondrous realms to be revealed by God—the Promised Lands.

There is scant evidence of this western voyage but as recently as last year some interesting Irish artifacts containing Latin and Ogham inscriptions were unearthed in Groton, Connecticut. Where they came from we don't know - all we know is that they should not be there and could only have come from seafarers or very early travellers.

A sea journey, re-enacted by Tim Severin in 1977 called 'The Brendan Voyage' successfully sailed across the Atlantic in a currach built as it would have been in the 6th. Century, proving that the journey could have been done. I don't know that it will ever be proved beyond doubt but it certainly cannot be disproved beyond doubt either.

The President, Mary McAleese  with Bishop Edward Darling

On the 22nd. May 1999, the eve of the feast day of Saint Brendan, an Ecumenical Youth Service was held in the cathedral and attended by our President Mary McAleese and her husband.  This gave an opportunity for photographs highlighting the plight of the cathedral doorway and was reported by the local paper, the Connacht Tribune. They covered the service as well as the fundraising by the Foundation in the US, taking place for the much needed saving restoration work to be carried out.  The Cathedral, which is in use as a parish church, is the Cathedral Church of the Church of Ireland Diocese of Clonfert and is under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Kilaloe and Limerick. Dr. Edward Darling.

If anybody reading these pages ever gets the chance to come here and visit this most beautiful of ancient Irish churches with its doorway from over 8 centuries ago yet opening into the new millennium, please leave a donation towards the restoration work. Or if anyone is interested in donating towards the Foundation please contact Reverend Wayne Carney by email.

For those who have just joined me on this page why not go to the beginning of our travels and see some of the places in The Start of Our Journey through the West of Ireland. 

My Place Amongst the Stones gives the history of my company name, Moytura - a celtic heritage going back thousands of years. 

We journey to my own parish of Lackagh - a small village just 12 miles from Galway with a mighty big history. Learn all about the Battle of Knockdoe - one of Ireland's bloodiest of conflicts in the 16th century.

We then move on to take a quick jaunt around Galway City;  and to the heart of Connemara - with its wild and wonderful beauty. 

Visit Ireland's finest early monastic heritage centre in Clonmacnoise, County Offaly.

From there we journey south into County Clare and see The Burren - a place that has lain undisturbed since the Ice-age and of immense botanical, ecological and archaeological importance.

Come with me on my 'Famine Journey' which starts in Westport, and moves to Sligo, my Dad's County and the departure port for many of the 'Coffin Ships'. This part of my journey ends in Grosse-Île on a tiny island east of Quebec City. 

On this page you will learn some of the history of our Famine Refugees and find the final resting place of over 6,000 of my country folk who died within sight of their first freedom in over 300 years. This is where many of the Irish roots in North America started.

Our Journey moves on to other places on that visit to Canada where we see Quebec City and some of Ontario's lovely places and then to two of Canada's famous Catholic Shrines - Saint Anne de Beaupré and to Cap-de-la-Madeleine.

Finally, join me on my pilgrimage to a peaceful haven in a war-torn country in Medugorje in Bosnia-Hercegovinia. The other areas of my Web site can be found in the drop-down box below.

I have added links pages of other places related to the places we visit, links to leisure activities in Ireland i.e. golf, fishing, horse riding, sailing in Ireland, festivals, entertainment etc. and some of my friends' home pages. 

Don't forget to bookmark this page and return to take up on more of your journeys with me. Oh .. and please sign my Guestbook if you have enjoyed your travels. Go raith míle maith agat - thanks a million

Every now and then people send me stories, poems, or URLs to other Home Pages that I find very touching or uplifting, they can be found at the links below. Some will make you smile, maybe even laugh, some may make you cry or a little sad - but all will leave a little bit of a mark, if only for the few minutes you spend reading or listening to them. Enjoy - I call this section: