St. Brendan, typically called Brendan the Navigator, is one of the most famous of the Irish Saints. His fame comes largely from a journey he made across the Atlantic some 900 years before Columbus (fairly well established by folk lore and some ancient scholarly manuscripts). He was committed to spreading the word of God and undertook this voyage to do just that. Indications are that he landed somewhere in America (referred to as the “Isle of the Blessed” in the legends) and spent seven years there. After returning to Ireland, he established a monastery near the river Shannon. St. Brendan died in the year 577 at the age of 94. As might be expected, he is the patron saint of sailors/travelers.
