46 Ireland: Its Ancient Civilisation and Social Customs. 



which was handed down from father to son. The Olympian 

 games had their counterpart in Ireland at Telltown. The 

 aenachs or fairs were held annually, and sometimes triennially. 

 The games consisted of horse and chariot races, running and 

 wrestling, athletic games, and musical festivals. Christianity 

 was introduced into Ireland in the middle of the fifth century 

 but it is generally believed some slight knowledge existed of it 

 before that time. There was a Celtic Church in Britain long 

 before this, that the Irish must have known somewhat of. The 

 mission of Saint Patrick is well known, and his success in 

 christianising Ireland. His knowledge of the language and the 

 habits of the people, which he had acquired in captivity, eminently 

 fitted him for this mission. The Pagan laws which had been 

 in force up to the time of Patrick naturally clashed with the 

 more benign spirit of Christianity. Through the influence of 

 Saint Patrick they were modified and altered by a committee 

 appointed for that purpose, and had afterwards to be ratified by 

 a national convention, in which all classes were represented. 

 This was done, and the laws thus amended remained in force to 

 the beginning of the seventeenth century. Saint Patrick was 

 followed by Columba, who converted the Picts of Scotland. 

 Columbanus followed next. He was educated under St. Molaise, 

 in the island of Devenish, Lough Erne ; afterwards he came to 

 our own locality, to the great school of Bangor, and after re- 

 maining here for a length of time he decided on going as a 

 /nissionary to the Continent. When he left Bangor, towards 

 the end of the sixth century, he brought with him several 

 brethren, amongst whom was Gaulus, known afterwards as 

 Saint Gall, who founded a monastery in Switzerland, and 

 the town of that name still records the name of the Irishman 

 who over 1,200 years ago founded its monastery. Columbanus 

 and his Irish monks preached through Burgundy, went up the 

 Rhine in coracles to Switzerland, crossed over into Lombardy, 

 and founded a school and monastery in North Italy, at Bobbio. 

 This monastery remained all through the ages up to the year 

 1803, when it was suppressed by Napoleon on his invasion of 



