Ambitious projects have been launched to celebrate the legacy of St Brendan the Navigator.
The early Christian missionary was born in Fenit in the 5th century and is best known for an epic voyage he reputedly made.
Some claim this voyage was across the Atlantic and that Brendan and his fellow monks were the first Europeans to reach North America.
Yesterday at Ardfert Cathedral, where Brendan established one of his monasteries, three major initiatives to celebrate the seafarer were launched.
Each is spearheaded by the Storied Kerry/ Ciarraí Scéalach organisation which has the backing and support of other bodies including Kerry County Council as well as community and voluntary groups.
Its chair Frank Lewis said two initiatives related to developing a centre where the story of Brendan can be told and an archive to hold the vast learning and research into Kerry’s patron saint.
The third initiative relates to exploring the message of Brendan for today and the challenge of what he represents in the 21st century.
Former Tánaiste Dick Spring will chair the teams that will oversee the three projects.
He said almost fifteen hundred years since his death, Brendan remains important.
