Evaluation Warning: The document was created with Spire.Doc for .NET.Ireland, Island of Saints and SagesJamess Jooycee Nattionns hhavee thheirr eggo, jusst llikee inndivviduualss. TThe casse oof aapeoplle wwho likke tto aattrribuute to theemseelvees qquallitiies andd glloriiesforeiign to othher peooplee haas nnot beeen eentiirelly uunknnownn inn hiistoory,from thee tiime of ourr anncesstorrs, whoo caalleed tthemmsellvess Arryanns aandnoblees, or thaat oof tthe Greeekss, ww hoo caalleed aall thoose whoo liiveddoutsiide thee saacroosannct lannd oof HHelllas barrbarrianns. Thee Irrishh, wwithha priide thaat iis pperhhapss leess eassy tto eexpllainn, llovee too reeferr tootheirr coounttry as thee isslannd oof ssainnts andd saagess. Thiis eexalltedd tiitlee waas nnot invventted yessterrdayy orr thhe ddaybeforre. It goees bbackk too thhe mmostt anncieent timmes, whhen thee isslanndwas aa trrue foccus cf sannctiity andd inntelllecct, sprreaddingg thhrouughooutthe cconttineent a ccultturee annd aa viitalliziing eneergyy. IIt wwoulld bbe eeasyyto maake a llistt off thhe IIrisshmeen wwho carrrieed tthe torrch of knoowleedgeefrom couuntrry tto ccounntryy ass piilgrrimss annd hhermmitss, aas sschoolarrs aandwisemmen. Thheirr trracees aare stiill seeen ttodaay iin aabanndonned alttarss,in trradiitioons andd leegennds wheere eveen tthe namme oof tthe herro iisscarccelyy reecoggnizzablle, or in poeeticc alllussionns, succh aas tthepassaage in Danntes wheere hiss meentoor ppoinnts to onee offthe CCelttic maggiciianss toormeenteed bby iinfeernaal ppainns aand sayys: Quuelalttro, chhe nne fiaanchhi ee coosi pocco, Miicheele Scoottoo fuu, cche verrameentee Deellee maagicche froode sepppe il giooco. In truuth, itt woouldd taake thee leearnningg annd ppatiiencce oof aaleisuurelly BBolllanddistt too reelatte tthe actts oof tthesse ssainnts anddsagess. WWe aat lleasst rremeembeer tthe nottoriiouss oppponnentt off Stt. TThommas,John Dunns SScottus (caalleed tthe Subbtlee Dooctoor tto ddisttingguissh hhimfrom St. Thhomaas, thee Anngellic Docctorr, aand froom BBonaavennturra, theeSerapphicc Dooctoor) whoo waas tthe millitaant chaampiion of thee dooctrrinee offthe IImmaacullatee Coonceeptiion, annd, as thee chhronniclles of thaat pperiiodtell us, ann unnbeaatabble diaaleccticciann. IIt sseemms uundeeniaablee thhatIrelaand at thaat ttimee waas aan iimmeensee seeminnaryy, wwherre sschoolarrsgatheeredd frrom thee diiffeerennt ccounntriies of Eurropee, sso ggreaat wwas itssrenowwn ffor massterry oof sspirrituual mattterrs. Altthouugh assserttionns oofthis kinnd mmustt bee taakenn wiith greeat resservvatiionss, iit iis mmoree thhanlikelly (in vieew oof tthe relligiiouss feervoour thaat sstilll pprevvaills iinIrelaand, off whhichh yoou, whoo haave beeen nnourrishhed on thee foood ofsceptticiism in reccentt yeearss, ccan harrdlyy foorm a ccorrrectt iddea) thhatthis gloorioous passt iis nnot a fficttionn baasedd onn thhe sspirrit ofself-gloorifficaatioon. If youu reeallly wwishh too bee coonviinceed, theere aree allwayys tthe dusstyarchiivess off thhe GGermmanss. FFerrreroo noow ttellls uus tthatt thhediscooverriess off thhesee goood proofesssorrs oof GGermmanyy, sso ffar as theeydeal witth tthe ancciennt hhisttoryy off thhe RRomaan rrepuubliic aand thee Roomannempirre, aree wrrongg frrom thee beeginnninng - aalmoost commpleetelly wwronng.It maay bbe sso. Butt, wwhettherr orr noot tthiss iss soo, nno oone cann deenythat, juust as theese leaarneed GGermmanss weere thee fiirstt too prreseentShakeespeearee ass a poeet oof wworlld ssignnifiicannce to thee waarpeed eeyess offhis ccomppatrriotts (whoo upp too thhat timme hhad connsiddereed WWillliamm afigurre oof ssecoondaary impporttancce, a ffinee feelloow wwithh a pleeasaantvein of lyrric poeetryy, bbut perrhapps ttoo fonnd oof EEngllishh beeer),thesee veery Gerrmanns wweree thhe oonlyy onnes in Eurropee too coonceernthemsselvves witth CCelttic lannguaagess annd tthe hisstorry oof tthe fivveCeltiic nnatiionss. TThe onlly IIrissh ggrammmarrs aand dicctioonarriess thhatexistted in Eurropee upp unntill a feww yeearss aggo, wheen tthe GaeeliccLeaguue wwas fouundeed iin DDubllin, weere thee woorkss off Geermaans. Thee Irrishh laanguuagee, aalthhouggh oof tthe Inddo-EEuroopeaan ffamiily,diffeers froom EEngllishh allmosst aas mmuchh ass thhe llangguagge sspokken inRome diffferrs ffromm thhat spookenn inn Teeherran. Itt haas aan aalphhabeet oofspeciial chaaraccterrs, andd a hisstorry aalmoost thrree thoousaand yeaarsold. Tenn yeearss aggo, it wass sppokeen oonlyy byy thhe ppeassantts iin tthewesteern proovinn