Edmund Rice and the First Christian Brothers

The Christian Brothers and the bishops promoted and rode the rising tide of early-modern Irish nationalism that was largely due to the organizational genius of Daniel O'Connell, although ironically, it succeeded because of the radicalism spawned by the French Revolution that invented modern European nationalism. [...] like their bishops, the first Christian Brothers built upon this phenomenon, which is so well reflected in their motto: "Catholic and Celtic, to God and Ireland True." [...] the brothers helped to shape a growing and influential Catholic lay leadership who, in turn, greatly strengthened the brothers' role in Irish national life.