The Irish standard., 1888-02-11
Why Not St. Brondan7


any of his honors they be given to the
source from which the great discoverer
drew inspiration or information. 1t is
true the Morse came to America 4oO
years before Columbus, but it was not
until late years that the world became
conyersant with their voyages, and
there is no evidence that Columbus
knew of them. lie had other very
natural sources of information through
the close race, religious and commercial
connections between Spain and Ireland,
and the chronicles of the latter country
will establish the fact that St. Brendan
came here in $40. and in the accounts OF
his voyage and explorations he is stated
to have made ifteen-days' journey
into the interior, until he came to
great river flowing from the north. St.
Brendan was a man Of great learning.
and aftes his return to Ireland founded,
among others, the celebrated abbey OF
Clonfert, which is said to have had at
one time no less than 5000 monks,
whose schools were frequented by stu
dents from the continent. St. Virgilius
(Feargal Or Farrell an Irish missionary
to Germany, and bishops of Saltzburg
in the eighth century, was one OF the
most learned men of his day, and the
first to advance the theory of the anti
podes and the sphericity Of the earth.
For this, on complaint Of st. Boniface.
he was summoned to Rome by Pope
Zachery, and his defense Of his position
was 80 satisfactory that proceedings
against him were quashed. The Abbe
Breshaur says that Virgilius proved to
the pope 'stilat the Irish had been &C
customed to communicate with trans
atlantic world.'' Virgilius certainly
knew of the voyage of his countryman,
St. Brendan, and there are to-day pre-
served IN the Imperial library at Paris
no less than eleven manuscripts, in date
ranging from the eleventh to the four
teenth century, IN proof of st. Brendan's
discovery. 1t was these accounts of
Brendan's voyage and Virgilius'
theory that induced Columbus to make
his voyage across the Atlantic; and it
IS curious, perhaps significant, fact
that it is recorded in an Italian work OF
the seventeenth century that the first
man of Columbus expedition to set foot
on American soil was an Irishman
named Patricius Maguirus. From st.
Brendan in $40 to Paddy Mcguire in
1892! IF any further proof is needed of
the Irish discovery of America, it is
found in the writings of the Morse
Sagas." upon which the Erickson claim
for recognition is based. The Morse
voyages were made ia the eleventh
century, and as the Norsemen had been
driven out of Ireland just prior thereto,
it is not hard to understand from
whence they drew inspiration as to a
Western land. The Morse Sagas'
give the honor of the earlier discovery
to Irishmen, for in their works they
call the country "Ireland it Mikla,'' or,
Great Ireland, and going down on the
cost "they found there" says Prof.
Rain, their translator, "a white people
different from the Esquimaux of the
North, having long robes or cloaks and
frequently bearing crosses in sort of
religious procession, and their speech
was Irish" These people were un-
doubtedly the offshoot of St. Brendan's g
mission Of 500 years previous. At no
time since have the footprints Of Paddy
Maguires been absent from American
soil, and to-day st. Brendan's country
men are found in every part of the land,
and why should they not claim for him
the honor, Patron Saint of America,
without waiting for the eanonization of
Erickson or Columbus? AS assistant to
Miss Brown in her work, suggest the'
Nun of Kenmare, at present in New
York, and as historian she is certain
to do full justice to the saint of her
native Kerry. II an arbitrator between
the ladies Is needed, might not our own
sage of Scandinayian-Ifish descent,
Ignatius Donnelly, fill the bill? Surely
our sturdy Irish-born congressman,
Judge Wilson. will not allow his COL
league, Knute Nelson, to gobble all
the pre- Columbian honors for his coun-
trymen in the coming celebration of
1892. Mac.
st. Paul, Feb.7.
A Town of Two Centuries Ago.
Just as the tourist down the river
of ST. Lawrence is about to enter. or