which is sometimes mentioned as "the battle of the book."
The same tendency of the national character which
overstocked the Bardic Order, becomes again visible in
its Christian schools; and if we could form anything like
an approximate census of the population, anterior to the
northern invasions, we would find that the proportion of
ecclesiastics was greater than has existed either before
or since in any Christian country. The vast designs of
missionary zeal drew off large bodies of those who had
entered Holy Orders; still the numbers engaged as teachers
in the great schools, as well as of those who passed
their lives in solitude and contemplation, must have been
out of all modern proportion to the lay inhabitants of
the Island.

The most eminent Irish Saints of the fifth century were
St. Ibar, St. Benignus and St. Kieran, of Ossory; in
the sixth, St. Bendan, of Clonfert; St. Brendan, of
Birr; St. Maccartin, of Clogher; St. Finian, of Moville;
St. Finbar, St. Cannice, St. Finian, of Clonard; and
St. Jarlath, of Tuam; in the seventh century, St. Fursey,
St. Laserian, Bishop of Leighlin; St. Kieran, Abbot of
Clonmacnoise; St. Comgall, Abbot of Bangor; St. Carthage,
Abbot of Lismore; St. Colman, Bishop of Dromore; St. Moling,
Bishop of Ferns; St. Colman Ela, Abbot; St. Cummian,
"the White;" St. Fintan, Abbot; St. Gall, Apostle of
Switzerland; St. Fridolin, "the Traveller;" St. Columbanus,
Apostle of Burgundy and Lombardy; St. Killian, Apostle
of Franconia; St. Columbkill, Apostle of the Picts;
St. Cormac, called "the Navigator;" St. Cuthbert; and