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 Picture of Stained Glass Window at Church of St. Finnian, here 
he is blessing his students. St. Finnian of Clonard 
founded the Monastic School in Meath where all the "Cool Clerics" of Sixth 
Century Ireland went to study.  St. Finnian's most famous students became 
known as the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. The Catholic Encyclopedia lists them for you, I'd do that too, but then the 
Crossword Puzzle below would be Too Easy.  
  
 Okay I give up click here for 
the list Below is the entry on St. Finnian from the Saints.SQPN.com site
http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-finnian-of-clonard/  
  A pious youth, he founded three churches in
  
  Ireland while still a
  
  layman.
  
  Studied in
  
  Wales under
  Saint
  Cadoc of Llancarvan and
  Saint
  Gildas the Wise.
  
  Monk. Great admirer of
  Saint
  
  Patrick. Considered one of the great founders of
  
  Irish
  
  monasticism. Founded the
  monastery 
  at 
  Clonard,
  
  Meath,
  
  Ireland c.520 
  which lasted a thousand years, and was a training center for great
  
  Irish 
  saints. Spiritual teacher of
  Saint
  
  Columba of Iona,
  Saint
  
  Columba of Terryglass,
  Saint
  
  Ciaran of Clommacnois,
  Saint
  
  Brendan the Voyager,
  Saint
  Nathy,
  Saint
  
  Nennius, 
  Saint
  
  Ruadhan of Lorrha,
  Saint
  
  Daig MacCairaill, and others. Maintained close relations with the British
  
  Church. Often referred to as a
  
  bishop, there is no evidence he was ever so consecrated. Legend attributes many
  miracles 
  to him.
  
  Birds would gather around him because of his gentle holiness. Reported to 
  have cleared parasitic
  
  insects, worms and vermin from the island of Flathlom and the regions of 
  Nantcarfan. One story says that he fended off a party of
  
  Saxon raiders by causing an
  
  earthquake to swallow their camp.  Below is the entry on St. Finian of Clonard at CatholicOnline.org:
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=3368 
  The “Teacher of the Irish Saints.” He was born in Myshall, in County Carlow, 
  Ireland. Trained by Sts. Cadoc and Gildas in Wales, Finian returned to
  Ireland 
  where he built schools, monasteries, and churches. Clonard at
  Meath was 
  his most famous foundation, and under his direction it became a renowned 
  scriptural school. He is listed as a bishop, but it is possible that he was 
  not consecrated in the office.
  St. Columba 
  was one of his students, as he trained the “Twelve
  Apostles of 
  Ireland” at Clonard. He died there during a plague.     |