Above : Initial “IN”, Book Of Kells

In early Ireland religious training and the study of letters were given at the same time. The Saints and their disciples the monks were the founders of the schools. The word ‘ sapiens’ so frequently employed in the early literature is applied to a learned man who was versed at once in sacred and profane literature. Other trainin; was only con­sidered useful as serving as an auxiliary to religious education. The liberal arts, study of ancieat languages and all profane culture was intended to prepare men for the study of the Divine mind con­tained in the Scriptures and traditions.

The School of Armagh was the oldest and one of the most celebrated of the schools of Ireland. It was founded by St. Patrick between the years 450 and 457 A.D. at the same time as the See of Armagh. A great number of students from other countries came to Armagh, attracted by the fame of its professors, and one of the wards into which the city was divided was known as the Trian Saxon or Saxon Third, because it was the residence of English students. Later in the century St. Bridget established her church and school at Kildare with St. Conlaeth as its first bishop and head, and Kildare soon became one of the greatest centres of religion and learning in Ireland. St. Finnian founded the School of Clonard in 520 A.D. and thither came as his pupils the Saints who were known as the Twelve Apostles of Erin—Ciaran of Saighir, Ciaran of Clonmacnoise, Brendan of Birr, Brendan of Clonfert, Columcille, Coluniba of Tir-da-Glass, Mobhi of Glasnevin, Rodan of Lorrha, Laserian, Canice of Aghaboe, Senanus of Innis-cathy and Ninnidh the Pious. St. Finnian is said to have had as many as three thousand pupils at Clonard. About twenty years after the foundation of Clonard, another St. Finnian founded the School of Moville. The great School of Bangor was founded by St. Comgall about the same time, and St. Bernard of Clairvaux describes it as a noble institution that was inhabited by many thousands of monks.