The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-03-17

of Kerry there rises precipitously out
of the ocean the bald mass of storm
beaten rock known as Skelligs Michael.
Towering to height Of $500 feet
above sea-level, its hooks and crannies
inhabited by myriads of sea-fowl. it
stands like a giant sentinel keeping
watch and ward over the western sea-
board. The hardy fisherman in his
trail curragh gives it wide berth;
for many q brawny fellow-toiler has
gone down to his death mid the giant
rollers that cvermore in calm or storm,
surge and roar round its craggy sides.
The skipper of the merchant vessel
stands at his wheel through the
watches of the night, anxiously await.
ing the fash from the lighthouse tower
to warn him of approaching danger.
To the captain of schooner or fishing
smack, brig OF hooker, the name of
Skelligs Michael bears note of terror
and destruction.
Yet. strange to say, this island, now
so wild and inhospitable, the favorite
breeding ground of gannet, and pufan.
and gull, was once the home Of n
lnonastic community. In their craving
for peace and quiet the Irish monks
of old we're wont to choose an abode
removed far as possible from the tur-
lnoil and 1ret of the world. There is
no island of considerable note along
our coasts which cannot boast of its
holy hermit, who sanctified its soil by
his vigils and prayers. And this barren
rock-some four acres in extent-is no
exception to the general rule. 1t was
an ideal place for such a hermitage.
Cut of from the mainland by nine
miles of turbulent seas. with COM
nunication possible only by the canoe
or coracle still commonly used by Irish
fishermen, there was small fear of dis
turbance from the outside world. Then.
too. a landing can be effected only
with the utmost difficulty. The his
torian Godfrey Heating states that one
Of the Sons of Milcsius. named 1rv, was
shipwrecked on attempting to land, and
lies buried in the island. He quotes
an old Irish poem of which the fol-
lowing Is a translation:
THE stout Amcrgin was in battle slain,
t1rv lost his life upon the western main;
Skelligs' high cliffs the heros bones
contain.
In the same wreck Arronan, too, was
lost,
Nor did his corpse e'cr touch Icrne's
coast"
The date of the foundation Of the
monastery is uncertain. 1t is known.
however, that the monks had estab-
lished themselves on the rock long be-
fore the ninth century. In the year
81: the fierce. piratical Danish vikings
swooped down on Skelligs Michael and
plundered the little monastery. The
raid is thus recorded in the Annals of
Innisfallen: 1.-THE Danes plundered
Skellig Michael and took the anchovites
that were in those places. and kept
them in captivity until they were
starved 10 DEATH"
Three times between 812 and $50
was the monastery sacked by these
,marauders. In that year it was re-
built, and continued for many GEN.
14o ep{rN nfro
by the Canons' Regulars Of st. Angus
tine. who had founded q monastery on
the shores of Ballinskellig's Bay.
Nothing now is left Of the original
monastery save the remains Of what
is known as the Abbey Of st. F'inian.
and six ruined cells. All during the
later Middle Ages. and until quite re-
Gently, 1t was renowned as 4 place of
pilgrimage. The holy season of Lent
wac the time chosen especially for
these pilgrlmages. During the forty
days which the Church devotcs to
penitential exercises, hundreds nocked
hither. not only from the mainland
near by, but from all parts Of Ireland.
and even from the continent. The
closing week of Lent has always been
observed with special solemnity by the
Church. Hence the custom sprang up
of spending this week on the rock-the
pilgrims devoting themselves wholly to
works of prayer and penance. The
Stations of the Cross remain to this
day, carved at various points OH the
face of the rocky wall. Priests from
the mainland assisted the monks In
conducting the religious exercises.
But even the vigors of fasting and
penance could not altogether hide q
certain element of romance to which
the circumstances surrounding these
pilgrtmages gave birth. 1t gradually
came about that tho youthful portion
of the population. far from regarding
the annual pilgrimage to Skelligs
Michael as an event Of grave spiritua
import. rather welcomed its approach
The week on the island broke thu
monotony of humdrum daily existence
gave those who took part an oppor.
tunity for forming new friendships
and led to many matrimonial alliance
And thus in time the place began t,
be looked upon as a sort of happ!
fo..H III. III 10 H>1&N