The earliest of the three saints of our combined parishes, St. Brendan's life spanned the end of the 5th century and a large part of the 6th.Much of it became the subject of myth and his fame spread throughout the Celtic world. Said to be born in Kerry (Annaghdown) in 484,of an ancient lineage, he studied under St. Ita and St. Erc, being ordained in 512. He built monastic cells at Ardfert and Shanakeel while others developed at Gallerus, Kil-malchedor, the Blasquet Islands, Coney island, Dysart, Killiney and Brandan Hill.

He visit Wales where he was a contemporary of St.Gildas, Iona, Kilbrandon (near Oban) and Kilbennan Sound. Other foundations became the Sees of Arfert, Annaghdown and Galway. The most famous was Clonfert where he died in the last quarter of the 6th century.

St. Brendan, with a band of followers, set out on his seven-year voyage to the promised land of the saints, which is variously designated Faroes, Canaries, Azores, Iceland, Green-land, Newfoundland and America. A monk wrote, 'Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis.'

Whatever legends later sprang up, he became a symbol in the Dark Ages, for a search for the light of truth and a missionary zeal for the spread of the Gospel. He might have visited King Alfred in Cornwall, St. Gildas at Llancarfan and founded a monastery at St. Malo. The stories of his voyages contain many references to fish listening to his words, the presence of white birds chanting the Office and the finding of holy springs. He probably died while visiting his sister Briga, abbess of a convent at Enach Duin, (Annaghdown).His feast day is 6th May and he is the patron of sea-farers and travellers.

There is greater historical proof of the life of St. Oswald. He was born into the Northumbrian Royal Family in 604, the son of Ethelfrith. When in 616 his uncle Edwin killed the king, the 12-year old Oswald with his brothers and sister fled to Scotand and at St. Columba's great Celtic monastery of Iona was converted to Christianity.

After the death of Edwin in 633 Oswald returned to Northumbria and was crowned king. The following year he fought and killed Cadwalla, king of the Welsh in the battle of Heavenfield, near Hexham. He later extended his kingdom southward and westward and invited St. Aidan to come from Iona to spread Christianity in this pagan area.

Throughout his eight-year rule Oswald established law and order, and fought physically and spiritually to benefit his people In 642 he led his forces against King Penda of Mercia at the battle of Maserfeld where he was killed and his body dismembered. His followers recovered his head and his brother, Oswy, sent the holy relics to Lindisfarne where it became an object of veneration during the life of St. Cuthbert.

He was canonised in 692 and his feast is kept on 5th August. During the Viking raids in 875the monks fled from Lindisfarne and carried their relics with them, including the body of St. Cuthbert, the head of St. Oswald and the Linldisfarne Gospels through many flights and wanderings over many decades. Eventually, after nearly 200 years they were interred in the new church at Durham.

Born into a noble Anglo-Saxon family in 634, he was sent at the age of eight to Bishop Aidan's school on Lindisfarne. Even as a child his prayers were often thought to be miraculously answered. Though serving under Oswald in defending Bamburgh Castle against the Mercians, he spent most of his youth as a shepherd, and after seeing Aidan's soul ascending to heaven in a vision as his teacher died, he vowed to become a monk.

He entered Melrose Abbey under Bishop Boisel in 651 and soon acquired a reputation for asceticism. Later he accompanied Bishop Eata when the latter founded a monastery at Ripon and he became guest master. They returned in 660 and during an epidemic, atMelrose on the death of bishop Boisel, Cuthbert became Prior. The Synod of Whitby in 664 adopted the Roman rather than Celtic form of Christianity but those who opposed them returned to Iona.

Cuthbert made long missionary journeys from Melrose to e.g. Coldingham where St.Oswald's sister was Abbess. In 669 Eata was made Bishop of Lindisfarne and took Cuthbert with him as Prior. His evangelising work continued to be based on Whitby decisions and ensured unity with other parts of the growing Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

In 676 he retired to the solitude of the Farne Islands but after eight years he was called to be Bishop of Hexham. He quickly changed sees with Eata and at Easter 685 he was consecrated Bishop of Lindisfarne. He resigned after a year, returning thankfully to his hermitage on the Inner Farne where he lived a life of isolation, prayer and penance. On 20th March 687 he died and was buried on Lindisfarne, his body remaining incorrupt and an object of pious devotion for the next century.

The Viking raids began in 793 and the first casualty was the monastery but his shrine was unmolested. After another eighty years of disturbance, the monks decided to move the body to the mainland and there followed nearly 200 years of flight and journeying round Northumbria, Yorkshire, Lancashire, with a rest of 110 years at Chester-le-Street. In 995 a miraculous sign indicated a place where, later, Durham Cathedral was built and this was chosen as the site for burial. Pilgrims flocked to Cuthbert's tomb which became famous as a place renowned for miracles. The Saint was reburied in 1104 behind the high altar; in 123-, the Chapel of the Nine Altars was built and a new shrine of marble and gilt alabaster was erected in 1372. The present tomb inscribed with the single word, 'Cuthbertus' dates from 1899.