The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-11-08
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Ci1Isf 1T Cathedral Who Discoverod Amsr
lea Il, f-r. oi nDus

CldHt. 1T Cathedral Who Discovered Amcr
lea B,f-r. oi mDus.
Nestling amid magnificent elms ana
Deechls, on a knoll overlooking the
shannon, in the very center of ireland.
stands n building. which, dating It's
foundation in the sixcn century, is now
approaching complete restoration. Sur
rounding Sit is a churchyard, the grave
stones OF which are in themselves mon
uments OF antiquity, and yet they are
infants in comparison with the small
but beautifulAstructure standing in Their
midst The building is Clonfert eathea-
raj.
Here our footsteps touch the TIRES
mold Of the dawn of Christianity in the
British islands While Anglia was still
wrapped in the darkness Of heathenism
the light Of the new religion had al
ready risen upon Hbernia; and ii WAS
here, on this very spot, that St Bren-
dan, nearly 400 years ago, laid the
foundations Of a monastery. Of which
the present cathedral is the successor.
Here in the chancel lie his bones, and
they have a jealous guardian in the
present rector Of the parish the Rev.
Canon McLarney,
The romance OF religion was never
better illustrated than in the career of
81. Brendan and the history Of the
cathedral which enshrines his remains.
The saint is known as "the navigator,
and he is the patron saint of sailors
He was born at Tralee, in Kerry, in the
year 4S1. AT an early period of his life
he crossed to Great Britain. and thence
/ to France, founding monasteries or
schools In his progress. But it was not
until 545 that he undertook the voyage
with which his name is chiefly asso-
! ciated. This event. which was called
'the Setting Sail of ST. Brendan and his
crew." was commemorated in the cal
endars of the Christian church on March
20 of every year for many centuries
afterwards.
Whittier did the saint sail, and what
did he discover? This is question
upon which light has only recently been
thrown. The late bishop of Iowa, at
meeting in Dublin few years ago, as
serted that St. Brendan not only LANDED
in America 900 years before Columbus
was born, but also evangelical portion
Of the country at that time. 1t is GER
tain that the voyage lasted altogether a
period of seven years.
The belief that ST. Brendan was the
first European to visit America resta
upon a number of isolated but signif-
cant facts. That the Ieelanders and the
Norsemen preceded Columbus is gener
ally admitted: and when Columbus re.
qulred information about his proposed
voyage he sought it in Iceland and Ire
land, One Of the sailors whom he toob
with him to America was an Irlshman
named Patrick Mcguire. Maritime In
tercourse between Ireland and Icelanc
was frequent from the earliest days o.
navigation To various voyagers from
time to time the great western continent
was known as ireland the Great" ur-
land ed Mlkla).
Prof. Rain, of Copenhagen, Is Of opin
ion that this Great Ireland Of the North
men was the country south Of Chesa
peake bay, including Carolina, Georgia
and east Florida. There is remark
able tradition preserved among th'
Shawnee Indians. who emigratsd mort
than century ago from west Florida tt
Ohio, that "Florida was once inhabited
by white men, who used ircn instrh
ments" Traces Of Irish origla hays
been observed among some Of the orig
inal tribes OF North and Tentral Amer
lea, which suggests presumption ths
those countries have been eolonizet
from Ireland at some remote period.
The history Of early Irish Christian
missions TO America affords anotha
proof OF that country having been dis