School: Dean Kelly Memorial (roll number 16639)
- Location:
- Athlone, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: D. Cahalene
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0748, Page 215
Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
See copyright details.
DownloadOpen data
Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Note: We will soon deprecate our XML Application Programming Interface and a new, comprehensive JSON API will be made available. Keep an eye on our website for further details.
On this page
- "Happy land of Saints and Scholars, home of piety and lore"
Did they call our favoured island in the distant days of yore
When the youth of the nations to her hospitable shore
Came to study in the schools of Holy Ireland
Then the emerald gem of Erin o'er the ocean flashed its light
Making many an error (?) darkened land with Learning's radiance bright
For as beacons on a mountain on a dark and dreary night
Shone the ancient Xian schools of Holy Ireland
Famed Clonard, Clonfert, and Bangor ye illume our story's pages
Clonmacnoise, Lismore, and Aran, blest abodes of Saint and Sage
Glorious is the tale your ruins tell to each succeeding age
Of the noble schools of Holy Ireland
There were priceless treasures open to the eager mind that sought
There was wisdom true imparted and ennobling lessons taught
And the crystal seas of Knowledge and the starry realms of thought
Were explored in the schools of Holy Ireland
How the tender mind is nourished her coming fruitful years will tell
Irish Youth(?) when bloom of manhood on your fearless brows shall dwell
Oh as fine as limpid waters gushing in the blessed well
Is the teaching of the schools of Holy Ireland(continues on next page)
