St Brendan

St. Brendan of Ardfert and Clonfert, known also as Brendan the Voyager and as Brendan the Navigator

"The Church in The British Isles will only begin to grow when She begins to again venerate Her own Saints" (Saint Arsenios of Paros †1877)

As a child he studied under St Ita and later under St Erc, who ordained him a priest in 512. He then built several monastic cells until 530 when he undertook his famous seven year voyage, possibly even reaching America. It is said that St Moluag accompanied him on this voyage.

Having founded another monastery c. 550 at Inis-da-druim (now Coney Island, County Clare), he travelled to Wales and then to the West of Scotland where Kilbrandon (near Oban) and Kilbrennan Sound are named after him.

He then returned to Ireland founding his most famous abbey at Clonfert, in 557. He died and was buried there in 577.

His feast is kept on 16 May