The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-03-13

before the princes and chiefs of clans.
knowing that if he succeeded with one
chief his whole following would in
those early times change over to
Christianity.
1t is popularity considered that the
chief named Dicho, whom st. Patrick
baptized, was the first born of the
sons of Erin to the faith of Christ"
Nothing could be more erroneous, as
from passages in the works of st.
Chrysostom it has been asserted that
Christianity was in Erin long before
st. Patrick, and that the country hal
been visited from the earliest ages by
missionaries ~.
King Cormac Mart, who lived ana
reigned a century before st. Patrick,
was Christian, and st. Prosper ex-
pressly states that Palladius, who, like
Patrick, was a Christian, was sent to
the Irish, believing in Christ. (Vide
Life of ST. Patrick" by Father NJ. I.
O'Farrell, page 26) The facts are that
st. Palladius, with four others-Syl-
vester Benedict, Solinus, and August
ine-had landed in Ireland previous te
st. Patricll's departure from France
and had met with such success that
hopeful expectations were entertained
in Rome of the conversion Of the entire
island. But the Druids, as may be ex-
pected, were hostile to the new religion
and Influenced the king Of Lem
ster against Palladius, who t.ien be-
came the enemy Of the missionary.
Palladius was therefore driven out of
the country by the pagan priests who
saw their tenets confuted and their in
fiuence threatened with ruin, in much
the same manner as their brother
tianens Of ancient Rome envied the
Christians in the days of Trajan and
Tiberius.
Referring to the early civilization
of Ireland, Doctor Petrie, in his
learned work upon the round towers of
Ireland, quotes from a. very ancient
document showing that Ireland was
prosperous during Corn1acs time, and
| Just jud graent was distributed
throughout It by him, so that no one
burst wound a man in Ireland during
the short jubilee Of seven yes1s; for
Cornnac had the faith of the. one true
God according to the law, and said he
, would not adore stones and trees, but
Him who made them and had power
over all the elements--i. e.: The one
! true God in Him he would believe.:.
Essay on Round Towers, page $685.
King Conner MacNessa, who reigned
before Cormac, had also been told OF
the crucifixion Of Christ by Altus, and
the traditions Of Munster have present.
ed the names of four bishops, Kievan
Ailbe, Declan and Ibar, who preached
the gospel in the south, and who had
received their jurisdiction direct from
the pope long anterior to the days OF
st. Patrick. 1t is considered that the
first knowledge of Christianity was
brought to the southeastern shores OF
Ireland by merchants who frequented
Irish ports and which, according Ia
Tacitus. were more favorably situated
than those Of Britain. However, II
cannot be doubted" says Father o.
Farrell, that there were many persons
long before the arrival Of Saint Patrick
in different parts Of the country, but
especially along the southern and
southeastern coasts, who professed and
practiced the doctrines Of Christian
ity." From all these authorities II
would appear that Saint Patrick was
sent to perfect and complete the work
OF Ireland's conversion which earlier
and less successful missionaries had
! already commenced. That he thor
oughly accomplished his mission is
obvious from the firm hold which that
faith has since maintained in the his
tory and national life Of ireland.
| The shamrock Is as especially sym
1 holic Of Ireland as the ancient harp
which Moore says, "Once through
, Tara's halls it's soul Of music shed
! 1t is, also, owing to an. historical &C.
casion in the history Of his mission,
I closely associated with the name Of ST.
Patrick, for as he banished the snakes
from Ireland, so the tradition has de-
creed. that the little plant should grow
in perfection in the Green Isle. and in
no other spot on earth. Like the clover,
it is a three-leaved plant. growing
from single stem. and is botanically
considered distinct from both clover
and trefoil. The plant is the more
4 typical Of the faith OF 1rishmen be-
cause when demonstrating the ques-
/ ton of the Trinity. before gathering