When we were in Ireland my husband and I made a trip to Clonfert, the site where St. Brendan set up his monastery. It’s not so easy to get to, but I’m so glad we figured it out. This site turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip for me.
The church, the Cathedral of Clonfert, is part of the Church of Ireland. The cathedral was not open when were there, but truly the doorway is the most magnificent draw.
From Wikipedia: The earliest part of the church dates back to around 1180. Its doorway is the crowning achievement of Hiberno-Romanesque style. It is in six orders, and has an amazing variety of motifs, animal heads, foliage, human heads etc. Above the doorway is a pointed hood enclosing triangles alternating with bizarre human heads, and below this is an arcade enclosing more human heads.
You could truly stand here for a long time and still miss something. I brought home a small piece of stone that may have come from this doorway. It was on the ground. I promise.
St. Brendan is supposedly buried here. The cathedral is from a much later date and so is the marker at his grave.
If you’re not familiar with St. Brendan and his famous journey to what was probably North America, you can read about him here.
Such courage and such trust in God, to make that journey centuries before the Vikings.
