Above : Painting Of Saint Columcille With Horse

Writing was one of their chief occupations, and it is to their industry that we owe the preservation of most of our ancient learning that has come down to us. They copied and multiplied manuscripts for their own use, or for presentation to others, and executed their work of transcription with the greatest care and artistic beauty. St. Columcille gave up whatever time he could spare from other labours to this work, and he is said to have made three hundred copies of the New Testament with his own hand. They gave up another portion of their time to the study of the Sacred Scriptures, the Fathers of the Church, classical literature, and other branches of learning. They had also the duty of giving instruction in the schools. A genuine and unselfish love of learning for its own sake was one of the characteristic features in the lives of our Irish Saints. Many of them were endowed with great literary gifts and made important contributions to letters. A number of them gained distinction as poets. Saint Fiac of Sletty, one of the earliest of the converts of St. Patrick, who was a nephew of the royal poet Dubhtach, and who had been trained by his uncle for the Bardic profession, was the author of a metrical life of the National Apostle, which is one of the most important works that we possess in connection with the early history of the Church in Ireland. Saint Sechnall composed a hymn in honour of St. Patrick, and also a beautiful Eucharistic Hymn vdiich is preserved in the Antiphonary of Bangor. Saint Columcille, who studied the art of poetry under the aged bard, Gemman of Leinster, has written poems in Irish and Latin. St. Columbanus sought refreshment from his labours as a missionary in the writing of playful Latin poems. Donatus, Bishop of Fiesole, has left us graceful Latin verses in praise of Ireland. TJltan, Cummain, and Colman were poets as well as Saints.