title: Saint Ciaran: The Tale of a Saint of Ireland
author:  Gary D. Schmidt 
description: Profiling the sixth-century Saint Ciaran of Saighir, first saint of Ireland, Schmidt (The Blessing of the Lord) piles on more information and ideas than his picture book can hold. On the one hand, the whole of Ciaran's life story, as presented here, appears to be ideal subject matter--from the falling star his mother seemingly swallows before his birth, to the bell Saint Patrick gives him in Rome (it will peal only when Ciaran reaches "the flowing spring of Saighir"), to his fellowship with wild animals. But the individual components of the story demand more attention than Schmidt allots. The phrasing itself raises questions: the boy Ciaran prays "to a God whose name had never been heard in Ireland" and "to the God whose name he did not know." Ciaran is somehow drawn to Rome, but Schmidt stops short of stating that he is answering a calling; readers may wonder how or why "Ciaran's eyes looked to the east." While the mixture of legend, history and faith follows Irish tradition, most readers will be hard pressed to make sense of it. The presentation, however, is quite handsome. Doney's (Red Bird) slightly hazy oil paintings depict a rugged green countryside of unspoiled beauty. His use of bright and dappled sunlight and cool shadow gives depth to the scenes here. All ages. (Apr.) <br />Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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  # The Latin and Irish Lives of Ciaran
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Anonymous
  
  
  This page formatted 2005 Munsey's.
  
  
  http://www.munseys.com
  
  THE LATIN AND IRISH LIVES OF CIARAN
  
  
    
  INTRODUCTION
  
  
    
  A HARMONY OF THE FOUR LIVES OF SAINT CIARAN
  
  
    
  THE FIRST LATIN LIFE OF SAINT CIARAN
  
  
    
  THE SECOND LATIN LIFE OF SAINT CIARAN
  
  
    
  THE THIRD LATIN LIFE OF SAINT CIARAN
  
  
    
  THE IRISH LIFE OF SAINT CIARAN
  
  
    
  ANNOTATIONS TO THE FOREGOING LIVES
  
  
    
  =APPENDIX=
  
  
    
  METRUM DE EO SIC
  
  
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      The Latin &Irish Lives of Ciaran
  
  
  Translations Of Christian Literature. Series V. Lives Of
  
  
  The Celtic Saints
  
  
  Translator: R.A. Stewart MacAlister
  
  
  
  
      
  
  Produced by Ted Garvin, Lesley Halamek and the Online
  
  
  Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  TRANSLATIONS OF CHRISTIAN
  
  
  LITERATURE. SERIES V
  
  
  LIVES OF THE CELTIC SAINTS
  
  
  THE LATIN &IRISH
  
  
  LIVES OF CIARAN
  
  
  By R.A. STEWART-MACALISTER
  
  
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  SOCIETY FOR PROMO