The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-07-01
"A FAMOUS SCHOOL.
Established in the City Of Cork by
S ST. Finn Barr During the
sss Dark Ages.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF IRELAND.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF IRELAND,
Students From All Nations Re-
oeived Grat,itous Instruction
in the City on the Lee.
The school Of Cork, called also Loeb
Eirche, was founded A. d. 610, by St.
Finn Barr, first Bishop and Patron OF
Cork. The degree of perfection to which
the saint had brought it previous to his
death in the year G3O, made it the wonder
and admiration Of the Southern Kingdom
OF Desmond, and numbers of students
from Cork, Kerry and Tpperary, repaired
to it's halls, there to imbibe the priceless
treasures of philosophy and wisdom. In
their wake came the youth of Rome,
Gaul and Spain, for at that time but few
schools existed on the Continent. The
dismemberment of the Roman Empire
threw education completely into. the
background, says j. p. Hayes, in the
Cork Examiner, and the consequence
was that those who were desirous of
acquiring the blessings of education were
compelled 10 seek the shores Of Ireland
for that purpose, where, according to no
less an authority than the Venerable
Bede, they we're kindly received and sup
piled with food, clothing and their teach
ing gratis.
This was the golden age of Ireland,
when our island earned for itself the
glorious title of Insrlla Sanctorum ct
Doctorum. But if it was the golden age
of Ireland, it was also the dark age of
Europe, for the proud Empire of Rome
was just then tottering to it's fall 1t
was time when all Europe was con-
vulsed from the shores Of the German
Ocean and Bay of Terrors to the Steppes
Of Siberia and confines of the Gelestiel.
Empire, and from the placid Mare Mag
mum and sunny Euxine to the regions OF
ice which encompass the North Pole
Religion and learning, amidst all this
gloom and desolation, were entirely for
gotten. Mems minds were actuated by
no other desires than those of plumber
and spoliation. The churches and uni
versitles of the entire Continent fell q
prey to the rapacity Of the Cloths and the
Vandals, the Franks and the Huns; and
Rome, the proud metropolis OF the world,
quailed in terror before the triumphal
march of Attila, "the Scourge of God"
Tho outlying provinces of the Empire
were seized upon by the intrepid sons Of
the North; and the proud city itself was
beeieged by horde after horde OF savage
barbarians, and It's innumerabt g treasures
from every region of the then known
world treasures which it took over q
Thousand years to collect were borne
away to distant nations and portioned
out to upscrurulous adventurers, whose
swords were foremost in causing the gem
eral destruction.
But, in the midst of its darkness and
tribulation, Europe looked to the west
ward for light and assistance. It looked
wiatfully to glorious island in the lar
Mhuir, or Western Ocean, which shone
as with the brightness Of star above
the bedarkened horizon. And that island
was Ireland, the home Of philosophy and
wisdom, the devoted mother of saints
and Doctors of God." Yes, in It's hour
OF tribulation, Europe appealed to Ire
land for assistance, and we'll and truly
did Ireland respond to its appeal. Forth
went holy men IN scores from the schools
OF Armagh, Achad- Duirbchon (Gougane
Barra), Bangor. Clonmacnoise, Cork, and
Lismore, ''to restore. as the learned
CORES says, ''the efiulgent light of Chris
tianity over the bedarkened forests OF
Europe" Indeed, there is scarcely q
country from Naples to Christiana, from
Lisbon to Moscow, that does not owe
some Of it's civilization to the labors Of
the Irish monks fresh from-
Those great founts of love I
Iona, Bangor, Clonmacnoise,
Ardmacha and Lismore.
This is no idle boast; it is an established
fact. History records that one hundred
ssof them preached in Scotland, ffty-nine
in England, ninety-two in Germany,
seveaty-eieht in France, ffty-nine in the
15a%harlnndn kwarfv ziY in Zealand thif.