The Second Order interests us especially as in all probability the
monasteries owe their origin to its members. Whether St. Patrick
actually founded monasteries is uncertain. We know that he spent some
years at Lerins, the island monastery of the Mediterranean, but his
life was too full of missionary labours to have time for the foundation
and government of monasteries.[88] In strong contrast with the First
Order who were mainly foreigners, the Second Order of Saints were all
natives of Ireland. However, they came under the influence of British
monasticism in two ways. We have seen above that three British or
Welsh saints visited Ireland during this period, and indeed so did
several others.[89] Of equal importance is the fact that several Irish
saints visited Britain about this time. In South Wales there were two
centres of attraction, Llancarvon under St. Cadoc and Menevia under St.
David.[90] St. Finnian of Clonard, “the tutor of the Saints of Erin,”
was a pupil of St. Cadoc at Llancarvon, as was St. Cainnech. Maedoc was
a pupil of St. David’s, as were Modomnoc and Scuithin, while we hear of
Finnian of Clonard, Declan, Bairre and Senan as visitors there.[91] The
saints of the North of Ireland tended to gravitate towards a monastery
in the territory of the Niduari Picts, sometimes called Strathclyde, in
the South-west of Scotland. This monastery was called Whitern (Rosnat
in Irish sources). Among the Irish saints who visited Whitern are SS.
Enda, Tighernach, Eoghan of Ardstraw and Finnian of Movilla.[92]
INFLUENCE OF CLONARD MONASTERY:
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