The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-01-14
Gel TIC LEARNING.|
THE HOLY MONKS OF IRELAND

THE HOLY MONKS OF IRELAND.
Left Many Indenble Marks Of their
Genius and Scholarship on
European Nations.
At q recent meeting of the New York
Gaelic Society the following admirable
lecture on .'Oeltic Influences on the Mid
Ole Ages: was delivered by. Rev. Henry
A. Brann:
LADIES AND GENrLEMEN,-G Generally,
when Z have to address an audience. the
audience does ot'know as much as my
self about the subject, and sometimes
the audience knows as much as do;
but, in this case, the audience knows
great deal more than myself. Thereis is
not known ais much as there should be
about the history Of our race, and par
icularly about the history Of it's inau.
ence on the rest Of Europe. There is,
however. an excuse for some of us net
knowing 90 much as we should about the
history OF our race. and those Of you who
have reached the age Of .48 or SO will
know atonce the excuse. 1 was born in
Ireland, like q great many Of you, and
spent few years Of my boyhood in an
Irish school. In that school we had
plenty Of books on grammar, geography
and mathematics; but there was not q
solitary book that treated Of Irish his
tory. Ths history OF Ireland was care
fully kept out Of school; and believe
that has been the experience OF those of
you who were brought up in Ireland
about fifty years ago. The English
Government deliberately and carefully
planned to blot out every spark Of ma
tional feeling from the country; and for
this reason the history Of the great wars,
battles and rbbellions, and every hing
that could keep alive the national spirit
was kept out OF Ireland. Now, thank
God, the history Of Ireland is beginning
70 be better known among tho people,
for it is taught in the schools. There is
one body OF men who deserve the credit
OF this. and that is the Christian Brothers.
With the study Of their history by the
young men cf Ireland the national spirit
OF Ireland has been revived, and the
more they have studied it, the more that
spirit has been intensified, until it has
almost resulted in the achievement Of
the Independence OF Ireland.
Ny subject treats Of the influence of
Celtic learning. and literature on the
Middle Ages; but Celtic literature is
chiefly Irish. That influence has never
been appreciated. Sometimes they toll
VI that We boast q good deal about Ire
land. The fact is, we do not boast half
enough shout the literature aud the
culture of Ireland up to the 18th, and I
might ray to the l4th century; for the
literature of Ireland did not stop with
the invasion Of the Danes. And yet,
when it comes to the historical part to
the recording Of this influence the
Germana and the French have done al
most 10 much as Irishmen. In nstudying
up this influence I have selected more
frequently authorities who we're not Irish.
For instances, OEanam, who was professor
Of history IN the University Of Paris, and
was alearned man, and great theolo.
9ian, wrote twenty five volumes on his
torical subjects. One Of those deals par
ticularly with what he calls Christian
Civilization" IN the sixth and seventh
centuries. He describes how the Monks
of the West. left the mark Of their genius
and scholarship GA France and Germany,
and other parts Of Europe. Another
writer to whom we are indebted for in
formation On the subject is Bishop
Greioht, Bishop Of st. Gall, in Switzer-
land, who wrote the history Of the Can
ton. In his writings he makes mention
OF Hagnus, whose work was 60 great,
and whose name was 60 well known,
that German novelists have made him
the hero OF stories, describing how the
Irish Abbot repelled from his monas-
terry the fierce Huns who we're bent on
destroying it, with np other. weapon than
hls oru ..< ..s5 .f
The sintl lyenoe pffs the Celtic literature
- so !, itsannot .ts sgg,er-
.slli aiity J, of Celtic 6tera-
.aturs s1s = q slr,yina I1 Tie old