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Updated: June 24, 2025
The church he founded had fallen on rather evil days since his death; and now Findian came to reform things in the light of what he had learned in Wales. He began by founding at Clonard a monastery on the Welsh plan. That was some twenty-two years before Geoffrey's date for the passing of Arthur.
Findian, according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, had come under the influence of three of the foremost of them: David, Gildas, and Catwg the Wise; who were perhaps great men, if we may judge by the results of their teaching, as Findian transmitted it to those that came after him. We have seen that Patrick opened no kind of golden age in Ireland, gave no impulse to civilization or letters.
We put 420 for a date to the Southern Renaissance in China, and 410 to the age that became Arthurian in Wales. The next thing in China is 527, and the coming of Bodhidharma; the next thing in Celtdom is 520, and the coming of Findian. He was an Irishman, and had been studying in Wales; where, certainly, there was great activity in churchly circles in those days.
If the surviving known Gaelic manuscripts were printed, they would fill nearly fifty thousand quarto volumes, with matter that mostly comes from before the year 800, and which is still not only interesting, but fascinating. * Encyclopaedia Britannica, article 'Ireland'; whence all re Findian and the colleges.
Here in this Iron Age's gloom and grime The Ford of Time, the waiting years, to hold, Cuculain came . . . . and from the Golden prime Brought light to save this world grown dark with crime.... Well; from the schools of Findian and his disciples missionaries soon began to go out over Europe. To preach Christianity, yes; but distinctly as apostles of civilization as well.
Fair play to him, he was dead before that war brought about the massacre of the monks of Bangor, who had marched to Chester to pray for the Briton arms. But when Findian went back to Ireland he found no such difficulties in his way.
By the time Camlan had been fought, and the Crest-Wave had left Wales, Findian had made a channel through which it might flow into Ireland, and in the five-forties the Irish illumination began. We must say a word or two as to the kind of institution he founded.
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