Benedictine monastery-'in the middle of the Cro of Iona (Croi Ia), without any legal right, and in despite of the family of Iona, so that he did considerable damage to the town (Baile). A hosting by the clergy of the north (of Ireland), viz., by Florence O'Carolan, the bishop of Tyrone, Maelisa O'Deery, bishop of Tyrconnell, and abbot of the abbey church of Saints Paul and Peter at Armagh, and by Aulay O'Ferghail, abbot of Derry, with a great number of the family of Derry and of the northern clergy beside; and, in obedience to the law of the church, they pulled down the monastery.'92 Although the right of the old Celtic community to remain in the monastery which had been rebuilt by Reginald was thus vindicated by the assistance of their Irish brethren, we hear no more of the Keledei at Iona. They probably adopted the Benedictine rule and became amalgamated with the monks; while the functionary formerly known as the Head of the Culdees was represented by the prior of Iona, whom we afterwards find in

the monastery.

the old

And thus the old Celtic Church came to an end, leaving Remains of no vestiges behind it, save here and there the roofless walls Celtic of what had once been a church, and the numerous old Church. burying-grounds to the use of which the people still cling with tenacity, and where occasionally an ancient Celtic cross tells of its former state. All else has disappeared; and the

92 Mainistir do dhenumh do Chelluch ar lar Croi Ia gan nach dlighedh, tar sarugadh muinnteri Ia, coro mill an baile co mor. Sloghadh, dno, le Cleirchibh Erenn .i. la Florent hua Cerballan la hEspuc tiri h-Eogain acus la Maelisa hua nDoirigh .i. Espuc tiri Conaill acus la hAbbadh Reiclesa Phoil acus Phetair in Ardmacha acus la h-Amalgaidh hua Cobthaidh acus sochaidhe mor do muinntir Doire acus sochaidhe mor do cleirchibh an tuaiscert coro sgailset VOL. II.

in mainistir do reir dlighidh na
hecailsi.-An. Ull. ; Reeves's Adam-
nan, ed. 1874, p. 351. Dr. R. suggests
that the glen in Iona called Gleann-
an-teampul may have been the site
of this monastery and taken its
name from it; but the passage
implies that the Baile, or town, was
situated in Cro Ia, and was injured
by it. It was probably near where
the parish church is situated, behind
which there are the remains of an
old burying-ground.

2 D

only records we have of their history are the names of the saints by whom they were founded preserved in old calendars, the fountains near the old churches bearing their name, the village fairs of immemorial antiquity held on their day, and here and there a few lay families holding a small portion of land, as hereditary custodiers of the pastoral staff or other relic of the reputed founder of the church, with some small remains of its jurisdiction.

CHAPTER X.

LEARNING AND LANGUAGE.

ONE of the most striking features of the organisation of the Character of the Irish early Monastic Church in Ireland and Scotland was its Monastic provision for the cultivation of learning and for the training Church for learning. of its members in sacred and profane literature; so that it soon acquired a high reputation for the cultivation of letters, and drew to it students from all quarters, as the best school for the prosecution of all, and especially theological, studies. The fathers and founders of this Monastic Church had, as we have seen, been themselves taught, some in the monastic school of Candida Casa, where they were trained in the rules and institutions of monastic life and in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, and others in the monasteries in Wales, presided over by David, Gildas and Cadoc, wise and learned men, where they were instructed in learning and religion, and studied with assiduity. The school of Clonard, founded by Finnian, who had himself been trained

1 S. Monenni disciplinis et monitis in Rosnatensi Monasterio, quod alio nomine Alba vocatur, diligenter instructus in virum perfectum scientia et moribus est provectus.-Vit. S. Tigernaci.

In monasterio præfato sub discipulatu illius permansit, et postquam vita atque doctrina ibi sufficientur floruit.-Vit. S. Enda.

In ejus sede quæ magnum vocatur Monasterium regulas et institutiones monasticæ vitæ aliquot annis

probus monachus didicit atque in
sanctarum Scripturarum paginis
non parum proficiens.-Vit. S.
Finniani, Colgan, A.SS., p. 438.

2 Cum S. Kannechus crevisset et perfectus esset sensibus voluit sapientiam legere et religionem discere. Perrexit trans mare in Britanniam ad virum sapientem ac religiosissimum Docum legitque apud illum sedule et mores bonos didiscit.Vit. S. Kannechi, c. 4.