, ▁ 1 8 1 0 ▁in ▁Fin lea , ▁County ▁Cla re , ▁Ireland . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁Tr inity ▁College , ▁Dublin . ▁ ▁S my th ▁initially ▁entered ▁a ▁community ▁of ▁teaching ▁brothers , ▁the ▁Brothers ▁of ▁the ▁Pres entation . ▁ ▁He ▁left ▁that ▁community ▁after ▁six ▁years ▁and ▁took ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁Clement ▁when ▁he ▁entered ▁Mount ▁M eller ay ▁Ab bey ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 8 . ▁ ▁He ▁prof essed ▁religious ▁v ows ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁C ister ci ans ▁of ▁the ▁Str ict ▁Observ ance , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Tra pp ists . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁ord ained ▁a ▁priest ▁at ▁the ▁ab bey ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 8 4 1 . ▁ ▁Father ▁S my th ▁founded ▁a ▁school ▁for ▁boys ▁at ▁Mount ▁M eller ay ▁and ▁another ▁school ▁developed ▁outside ▁the ▁ab bey ▁gates ▁for ▁girls . ▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁dev ast ation ▁brought ▁about ▁by ▁the ▁Great ▁Fam ine ▁in ▁Ireland ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁the ▁community ▁started ▁looking ▁for ▁a ▁place ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁ab bey ▁where ▁the ▁mon ks ▁could ▁farm ▁the ▁land . ▁ ▁A ▁place ▁near ▁Bed ford , ▁Pennsylvania ▁was ▁acquired ▁and ▁Father ▁S my th , ▁as ▁prior , ▁along ▁with ▁another ▁mon k ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁new ▁monaster y . ▁ ▁The ▁property ▁was ▁de emed ▁un su itable , ▁as ▁well ▁as