He was a native of Ireland, and founder and ruler of the renowned monastery of Bangor, where he is said to have governed no less than three thousand monks. In the year 598, anxious, like so many of his countrymen, to bring the blessing of the Christian Faith to Scotland, he left his native land to found a {79} monastery in Tiree. He was a great friend of St. Columba, and was one of that saint's companions in the journey to Inverness and the miraculous conversion of King Brude. St. Comgall did not remain permanently in Scotland; he died in Ireland, and was laid to rest at Bangor. The date of his death is given by Irish authorities as the 10th of May, but his feast has always been celebrated in Scotland on the 9th. The church of Durris, Kincardineshire, bore his name, and an annual fair, the only remains of his festival in Protestant times, was formerly held there on this day. 16--St. Brendan or Brandan, Abbot, A.D. 577. He was born in Ireland, and in early youth became the disciple of St. Jarlaath, of Tuam. He afterwards crossed over to Britain, and spent some years in the Abbey of Llancarvan, in Glamorganshire, where he is said to have baptised Machutus, whose name (under the French form of Malo), is cherished still as that of one of the apostles of Brittany. Returning to Ireland, St. Brendan founded several monasteries, the most important of them {80} being that of Clonfert, on the Shannon. He is said to have had as many as three thousand monks under him in his various foundations. The saint was also closely connected with Scotland, where he founded monasteries; it is thought that one was in Bute and the other in Tiree. His many dedications are an indication of Scottish devotion to him, Kilbrannan (Church of St. Brandan) in Mull, Kilbrandon in the Isle of Seil, Boyndie in Banffshire, Birnie in Moray and Kilbirnie in Ayrshire (where the saint's fair is held on May 28th--16th old style) are some of these. At Kilbirnie is St. Birnie's Well; another named after this saint is in Barra. Another fair, granted in 1474, was held on this day at Inverary (Argyllshire). There is a ruined chapel bearing his name on St. Kilda. St. Brendan's name is associated with wonderful narratives--probably dating long after his time--of his voyages towards the west; they possibly contain some little truth mixed up with much that is entirely fabulous. It is beyond doubt that St. Brendan and his companions in their missionary voyages sailed to {81} regions hitherto unknown to the mariners of the time; it has even been maintained that they actually touched the American shore. However this may be, the tradition of the discoveries of the saint, familiar to every country in Europe, kept in mind the possibly existing western land, and issued at last in the discovery of the American continent by Columbus.