St Brendan (486-575)

Born in Ireland in 486 known as Saint Brendan the Navigator, he is remembered with extreme fondness for his great sea voyages, which captured the hearts and minds of the people his day and many in the ages since. The stories of his voyages read as part travelogue and part spiritual allegory. He was educated by Ita and ordained by Bishop Erc.

There is a wonderful legend of how he and his traveling companions landed on an small isle that turned out to be a great fish that waited paitently for them to complete their celibration of the Holy Euchurist. It is believed he may have made it as far as North America. He was also responsible for establishing several major monastic communities. Particularly Clonfert in Galaway where he was eventually buried.