School: Clochar na Toirbhirte, Cill Mochua (roll number 15632)

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1. St Finbar (continued)

   

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   God ordained that his good work should commence in the bleak and lonely recesses of Gougane Barra. Nearby stood Amergin, the father of the illustrious saint, had his home, where the saint was born. Finbar's baptismal name was Lochan, but on account of his fair hair he was called Fionn Barra. He lived about the middle of the sixth century and got a good education. The first church then amongst twelve others that he founded was lone Gougane Barra, and there in that historic isle, in the centre of the farfamed lake, he breathed forth to his Divine Master his morning and evening matins, in blissful and soundless solitude, save the shrieks of a wild bird, or the eagle's scream from the shelving cliffs of Maloch.
   Finbar was destined by God to extend the noble sphere of his good works to a wider field, and again an angel's voice addressed him thus: "Finbar, it is not here your ressurrection shall be. As mortal life ebbs and flows towards the great tide of eternity so must thou proceed along the meandering course of yonder river till you comest to its forked course, as it widens seaward, and there great work awaits thee." So Finbar left his beloved home of seclusion and travelled till he arrived at Loch Eirce, the mouth of the Lee, and there on the site of the present Protestant Cathedral he founded his church and monastery.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   Mary Cahill

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Durrow, Co. Laois