Saint Brendan, also known as “Brandan”, was born in the year 460 A.D. in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland.  He was a priest and a monk who was educated by Saint Ita and ordained by Saint Erc of Kerry.  He founded the Clonfert monastery and monastic school in County Galway, Ireland. Legend says that this community had at least three thousand monks, and that their rule was dictated to Brendan by an angel.

Many fantastic details have been added to this brief knowledge usually based on the fictional "Navigation" in which St. Brendan is described as searching for the Isles of the Blessed, touching the Canaries, and even discovering America. It is possible that he actually made visits to Scotland and Wales.

Saint Brendan died around the year 577 at Annaghdown, Ireland and is buried at Clonfert.

He is the patron Saint of boatmen, mariners, sailors, travelers, and watermen. His feast day is May 16th.