THE president's ADDRESS. 4l 



The lives of St. Senan, St. Kieran, St. Kea, show them to 

 have been incessantly on the move. No sooner had they 

 obtained a grant of land than away they went to solicit another 

 grant and found a new church. St. Brioc we find in Wales, in 

 Scotland, in Cornwall, and in Brittany. St. Oolumba is said to 

 have founded a hundred churches. This is certainly an 

 exaggeration. In Italy the Irish saints made foundations at 

 Bobbio, Taranto, Lucca, Faenza, and Fiesoli ; in Germany at 

 Erfurt, "Wiirzburg, Memmingen, Mainz, Cologne, and Eatisbon ; 

 in Switzerland at Constance, Reichenau, St. Gall, Bregenz, 

 Eheinau, and Dissentis. They settled at Salzburg. In the 

 Netherlands they were planted at Namur, Waulsort, Liege, 

 Hautmont, Soignies, and Malines. In France and Brittany they 

 were too numerous to be here named. 



Now, what was the particular object of this dotting of 

 establishments in all directions ? 



You must consider that there was no parochial system, and 

 that the old educational establishments of the Druids were 

 falling into disrepute. What Senan, Kieran, and a score of 

 others did was to seize on every occasion that presented itself of 

 forming a religious and educational centre in every clan and 

 sub-division of a clan, so as to be able to give to the people the 

 offices of religion and take into their own hands the training of 

 the young. 



There was none of that caprice in the matter which appears 

 on a superficial view. They acted with remarkable judgment, 

 and according to a predetermined system. All the foundations 

 were affiliated to the head establishments, and were called daltha 

 or pupil churches. By means of these a network of ecclesiastical 

 organisation was thrown over Celtic lands. Parishes, dioceses, 



built a fifth, tten lie made a settlement at Oill Caoine, then went to Fermoy and 

 made a seventh; then he passed again into Muskerry and founded an eighth. 

 Soon after he established a ninth at Clon Finglass, then away he went and 

 constructed a tenth, Clon Conbruin. No sooner was this done than he went into 

 Emly, again founding monasteries, how many we are not told. Then he went 

 into Leinster and established another, Gill Abbain. Then to Wexford, where he 

 established "multa monasteria et cellae." Not yet satisfied, he went into Meath, 

 and founded there two monasteries ; then the King of the Hy Cinnsellach gave up 

 to him his cathir or dun to be converted into a place for religion. This Abbot 

 must have been the founder of some twenty monasteries and cells. 



