The School of Tuam was founded by
St. Jarlath
Saint Jarlath, also known as Iarlaithe mac Loga (''fl.'' 6th century), was an Irish priest and scholar from Connacht, remembered as the founder of the monastic School of Tuam and of the Archdiocese of Tuam, of which he is the patron saint. N ...
. During the eleventh century, it rivaled
Clonmacnoise as the centre of
Celtic art.
It was founded when
St. Brendan
Brendan of Clonfert (c. AD 484 - c.577), is one of the early Celtic Christianity, Irish monastic saints and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. He is also referred to as Brendan the Navigator, Brendan the Voyager, Brendan the Anchorite, Br ...
told Jarlath to go eastward from
Cluainfois (now
Cloonfush) and where his wheel of his
chariot
A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...
should break on the journey "there you shall build your oratory, for God will that there shall be the place of your resurrection, and many shall arise in glory in the same place along with you". Soon after Jarlath departed Cluainfois, his chariot broke down on the site of the present
Protestant, formally
Catholic, cathedral in
Tuam where he built his church and monastic school.
After the death of St. Jarlath there is little in the national annals about the School of Tuam. There is reference in the "Four Masters", under date 776, to the death of an Abbot of Tuam, Nuada O'Bolcan. Under the same date in the "Annals of Ulster", there is reference to the death of
Ferdomnach of Tuaim da Ghualann. At the year 969 is set down the death of Eoghan O Cleirigh, Bishop of
Connacht, but more distinct reference to a Tuam prelate, is found in 1085, when the death of
Aedh O Hoisin is recorded. The "Four Masters" call him Comarb of Jarlath and
High Bishop of Tuam.
External links
School of Tuamfrom the ''Catholic Encyclopedia''
Irish culture
History of County Galway
{{Ireland-hist-stub