CHAPTER XII.

THE SCHOOL OF CLONMACNOISE.

I.--ST. CIARAN OF CLONMACNOISE 258 Clonmacnoise 258 St. Ciaran at the School of Clonard 259 He goes to Aran 260 Visits St. Senan at Scattery 261 Founds Churches at Isell Ciaran and Hare Island, and the Monastery at Clonmacnoise 261 Origin of the Diocese of Clonmacnoise 262 Death of St. Ciaran 263 Festival of St. Ciaran 264 The Eclais Beg 265

II.--THE RUINED CHURCHES AT CLONMACNOISE 266 Round Tower 267 O'Rourke's Tower 268 De Lacy's Castle 269 Inscribed Tombstones 269

III.--THE SCHOLARS OF CLONMACNOISE 270 Grants to the School of Clonmacnoise 271 Colgan, or Colgu the Wise 272 Alcuin 272 The Ferleginds 273 The _Prayer of St. Colgu_ 273 _Scuap Chrabhaigh_ 274 Plundered by the Danes 274 Felim Mac Criffan 275

IV.--ANNALISTS OF CLONMACNOISE 276 Tighernach 276 _Chronicon Scotorum_ 278 Gilla-Christ O'Maeileon 279 _Annals of Clonmacnoise_ 279

V.--THE "LEABHAR-NA-H-UIDHRE" 280 Conn-na-m-Bocht 280

VI.--DICUIL, THE GEOGRAPHER 281 The _De Mensura Orbis Terrarum_ 281 His Learning 284 Irish Pilgrimage to Jerusalem 285 The "Barns of Joseph" 286 Dicuil's reference to Iceland 287 Love of the Ancient Irish Monks for island solitudes 288 Iceland and the Faroe Isles occupied by Irish Monks prior to discovery of these islands by the Danes 289 Dicuil's testimony that Sedulius was an Irishman 290