10/12/2026
Columbus gets the holiday, but Ireland has an Atlantic voyage story of its own. ☘️⛵
St. Brendan the Navigator was a 6th-century monk from County Kerry. Legend says he and his crew sailed west in a currach, a wooden boat covered in ox hides, on a seven-year journey across the ocean. Along the way, they stopped on an island to celebrate Easter, lit a fire to cook... and found out the "island" was actually a whale!! 🐋
Pure legend? Maybe. But in 1976, explorer Tim Severin built a currach with the same techniques as they used back in the day, and sailed it from Ireland all the way to Newfoundland, which proved Brendan's trip was possible.
So be honest: had you ever heard of St. Brendan before today? 🍀