St. Brendan of Ardfert and Clonfert, known also as Brendan the Boyager was born in Ciarraight Luachra, near the present city of Tralee, County Kerry in 484. He was baptized at Tubrid, near Ardfert, by Bishop Erc and for five years he was educated under St. Ita also known as “The Brigid of Munster.” He completed his studies under St. Erc who ordained him priest in 512. Between the years 512 and 530 St. Brendan built monastic cells at Ardfert, and at Shanakeel or Baalynevinoorach at the foot of Brandon hill. It was from here he set out on his famous voyage for the Land of Delight. The old Irish Calendars assigned a special feast for the “Egressio familiae S. Brendani,” on March 22^nd and St. Aengus the Culdee, in his Litany at the close of the eight century invokes “the sixty who accompanied St. Brendan in his quest of the Land of Promise.” Naturally the story of the seven years’ voyage was carried about, and soon crowds of pilgrims and students flocked to Ardfert. Thus, in a few years many religious houses were formed ag Gallerus, Kilmalchedor, Brandon hill, and the Blasquet Islands in order to meet the wants of those who came for spiritual guidance to St. Brendan.

Maps of Columbus’s time often included an island called St. Brendan’s Isle that was placed in the western Atlantic Ocean. Map makers of the time had no idea of it’s exact position but did believe it existed some where west of Europe. It was mentioned in a latin text dating from the ninth century titled Navigatio Santi Brendani Abatis (Voyage of Saint Brendan the Abbot). It described the voyage as having taken place in the sixth century. Several copies of this text have survived in monasteries throughout Europe. It was an important part of folklore in medieval Europe and may have influenced Columbus.

The account of Brendan’s voyage contained a detailed description of the construction of his boat which was not unlike the currachs still made in County Kerry today. Skeptics could not accept that such a fragile vessel could possibly sail in the open sea. Several passages in the legend also seemed incredible – they were “raised up on the back of sea monsters,” they “passed by crystals that rose up to the sky,” and were “pelted with flaming, foul smelling rocks by the inhabitants of a large island on their route.” They finally arrived at the beautiful land the called “Promised Land of the Saints.” They explored until they came to a great river that divided the land. The journey of Brendan and his fellow monks took seven years. The return trip was probably the longest part of the odyssey.

The account of St. Brendan’s voyage has been questioned by many since the story was first told. In 1976 a British navigation scholar named Tim Severin attempted to repeat St. Brendan’s voyage in a currach he constructed using details described by Brendan. His goal was to determine if the voyage described by Brendan and his fellow monks was possible. His route took him past Iceland, and Greenland and on to the Hebrides islands and finally landed them in Newfoundland in June of 1977. Tim’s voyage did not conclusively prove that St. Brendan made the voyage, but many of the natural sights along the way bore resemblance to the passages in the legend. Tim proved that a vessel constructed like the one St. Brendan would have used could make the voyage with the aid of prevailing winds. As to whether St. Brendan actually landed on North America, there is no concrete proof, however stone carvings that have been dated between 500 and 1000 AD have been discovered in West Virginia. The carvings are said to be Ogham which is the old Irish alphabet, and the nature of the text they state is Christian.

 St. Brendan is credited with sailing to many locations around northwest Europe spreading the Christian faith and founding monasteries. The larges of these is at Clonfert, County Galway. St. Brendan died in 577 AD at the age of 93 and is buried at Clonfert.