Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-06-13
sseANCIENT SCHOOLS OF LlSMORE. sss

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 Who shall recount the glories O
 Lios Nor Mocuda-Lisinore of saln
 and sage, that hallowed seat of re
 ligion and sacred science, HOW so fall
 en and forgotten, though once st
 fourlshing and renowned throughou
 the whole western world? It ha!
 been the theme of many a chroniclel
 and poet; but, as yet, alas has found
 no great artist with genius to fabri
 cate and fashion the golden triptych'
 worthy to enshrine the glorious mem
 ories of its marvellous past-no writer endowed with inspiration to quicker that past and make 1t live forever immortal in the pages of time.
 We Irish are strangely neglectful ot our own. For Is 1t not strange thaI there has not yet appeared a history of the holy city of Carthage tht
 Wise? Is it not sad as well as strange that Mocuda should be SC little known, so little honored in bis own land-in his own city, which ht made forever illustrious by his hero ic virtues and sancity. It seems moi only sad and strange, but even as founding, when we remember his colossal greatness. How could he have been forgotten? Or why should he not be in eternal remembrance Far back ill the midst of centuries looms up the figure of Mochuda ol Carthage, amid the picturesque scenes on the banks of the Aba mor, and lo the sacred spot which he made his earthly abode, where he lived and h. bored so long for God, IS seen tc undergo transfiguratlon. It is crowned with the aureoie of fame surrounded with the brightest, purest halo: forever is it the Lismore of Mochuda. What a sublime and en- trancing figure to gaze upon? There Is Mochuda or Carthage, the great of sanctity. the light of whose transcendlng virtues, floods Lismore with glory; while around him cluster. like consultations, other brilliant lights of the sanctuary, who, catching the golden effulgence of his rays give added lustre to the scene. Thus is Lismore seen glorified in the first days of its history. And on, through the ages. mid the changing scenes of Scandinavian and Anglo Norman ascendancy, the monastery and schools of Lismore attracted pill grims and students from all the ends of the earth. SS. Cataldus, Cuaran, Cetfaidh, Maelduin-all labored in the school of Lismore.. St Celsius and St Malachy lived for a time in the old abbey. St Malachy was beloved of St Bernard, as was also his successor, St Gille Christ, bishop of Lismore. But let me briefly tell the story of Lismore's ancient university.
 In the summer of the year 635, St and large body of monks settled at Lismore, and founded n monastery, which soon became famed Europe as, a great studium generale. The rule of St Carthage Is one of the thirteen different mon- astic rules of the early Irish church, and is almost similar to that of the Cistercians. In the Litany of St Aengus, the Culdee, dating from 7S9, we find that ancient hagiologist, in- voking the "eight hundred monks yho settled at Lismore with Mocuda, every third of them favored servant ,f God" St Catal, or Catalans, sub patron of Tarento and Supino--for whom a new office and mass were approved by the sacred of rites, on May 24. lS92-was one of the first fruits of the infant university.
 Prince AlfrId of Northumbria made l circuit of Ireland, in 6S0, and spent some time studying at Lismore-the locality being of much interest to lim, inasmuch as his mother. Fina, was daughter of Cenfola MacCor- mac, Prince of Decies. The then bishop of Lismore was St Gotham, who died on January 22, 003.
 In SIP, during the reign of Fellmy, king of Munster, the Danes plundered Dnirinis-Mulana and Lismore- ,Iocuda. In s20 and Sa5, they again lacked the city of St Carthage. More of the abbey lands of Ilsmore are recorded in the years s31 md S33.
 The oldest inscribed stone In Lis nore cathedral chronicles the death if Colgan, an eminent ecclesiastic, whose obit occurred in S50. No great r tribute to his saintly character can ,e cited than the simple inscription n Irish which was carved on his cross, namely. "Beandact for
 nmain Colgain," which is Englished: A blessing on the soul of Colgan." indeed, 1t would be well if such sim ilicity in epitaphs were copied in the wentIeth century.
 Let 1t be well understood that long 'efore this period the schools of Lis nore brought scholars from every lime in the known world. Usher avs that Greeks, Romans. Gauls, English and Scotch came
 locking to Lismore. where, as St ,ede relates, they not only received but were also clothed and ed, and given the use of books-all The critical reader who rishes for details regarding Lismore. Till find such information in the rorks of John Juveris u5S9) and IoronI Q61D which are quoted by lsher. He may also. with profit, con- ult Bishop Healey's "Ancient Irish chools."
 Here. 1t Is as we'll to give a short ummary of school life in Lismore in be seventh century. and this the more s the haziest notions prevail on the ubject. It may he added that the lonastic system of teaching. and the ionastic halls of learning remained