Saint Conan, August 16
Canon O'Hanlon notes the entry of the name Conan in the Martyrology of Donegal at August 16. Without any further specifics this saint cannot be identified:St. Conan. At the 16th of August, the name...
View ArticleSaint Iero of Egmond, August 17
On 17 August we remember a ninth-century holy man who met a martyr's death at the hands of the Northmen, Saint Iero. Canon O'Hanlon has a very full account of the saint, dealing with his life, his...
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Saint Ernin Mac Creisin of Rathnoi, August 18
August 18 is the commemoration of a County Wicklow saint, distinguished by his patronymic, Ernin Mac Creisin. It is a blessing that he is so distinguished as there are at least two dozen other saints...
View ArticleSaint Solon, August 19
Canon O'Hanlon has an entry at August 19 for a reputed feast of a saint Solon, said to have been associated with the mission of Saint Palladius to Ireland. The source for this feast is the Scottish...
View ArticleSaint Brigid of Fiesole, August 20
Following on from yesterday's feast of Saint Solon, we can now examine another of the feasts noted by the Scottish hagiologist Thomas Dempster. In his Menologium Scotorum at August 20 he notes:In...
View ArticleSaint Masse, August 21
One of the many obscure Irish female saints is commemorated on August 21, but as is so often the case all we know of Saint Masse is the recording of her name on our calendars. For some reason the...
View ArticleSaint Gunifort of Pavia, August 22
August 22 is the feast day of an Irish holy man who flourished in Italy, Saint Andrew of Fiesole. It is also, however, the feast of yet another saint reputedly from Ireland remembered in that country,...
View ArticleSaint Eugene of Ardstraw, August 23
August 23 is the feastday of the episcopal patron of the diocese of Derry, Saint Eugene or Eogan of Ardstraw. I have previously posted an account of his life and some of his miracles here, but below is...
View ArticleSaint Gildard, August 24
Among the saints detailed at August 24 in Volume VIII of his Lives of the Irish Saints, Canon O'Hanlon brings us something of an historical mystery surrounding a Saint Gildard. The name of this saint...
View ArticleSaint Michan of Dublin, August 25
August 25 is the feast of a Dublin saint, Michan, a visit to whose church forms an essential part of any visit to the Irish capital. The fame of the church is centred on the mummified remains in the...
View ArticleSaint Fillan of Strathfillan, August 26
August 26 is a second feast day of Saint Fillan of Strathfillan. As I used a Scottish source for the post on his January commemoration, here I will bring Canon O'Hanlon's account from that date. But...
View ArticleSaint Aedhan, August 27
On August 27 the name of Saint Aedhan (Aidan) appears on the Irish calendars. However, as is so often the case, there are various holy men of this name recorded in our martyrologies so trying to...
View ArticleSaint Loarn of Achadh-Mor, August 30
August 30 is the commemoration of Saint Loarn of Achadh-mor. As Canon O'Hanlon explains below, he is said to have been an early disciple of Saint Patrick from County Mayo:St. Loarn, Priest, of...
View ArticleThe Irish Bishops of Lindisfarne
As the very last day of August sees the feastday of the Irish bishop of Lindisfarne, Saint Aidan, here is an account of his life, and that of his immediate successors, by Archbishop John Healy.THE...
View ArticleSaint Cuimmen of Drumsnat, September 1
September 1 is one of the feast days of Saint Cuimmen of Drumsnat, he seems to have a second commemoration at September 4. Canon O'Hanlon has this to say of the saint at September 1:St. Cuimmen, Son of...
View ArticleSaint Colum, September 2
The Martyrology of Donegal records the name of an otherwise obscure Irish holy man, Colum, Son of Blann, at September 2. Canon O'Hanlon can offer only the briefest of notices:St. Colum, Son of...
View ArticleSaint Colman of Kilclonfert, September 3
September 3 is the commemoration of a Saint Colman and a degree of confusion seems to have arisen over the name of his locality, with some sources calling it Druim ferta and others Cluain ferta. The...
View ArticleSaint Sarbile of Faughart, September 4
September 4 sees the commemoration of Saint Sarbile from the Faughart district of County Louth, which some hagiographical traditions claim to be the birthplace of Saint Brigid of Kildare. The Faughart...
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Hildegard of Bingen: Songs for Saint Disibod
The universal community of the saints was a genuinely felt reality in the lives of Hildegard and her nuns, not only as an example to follow but also as a source of inspiration and a focus of devotion....
View ArticleThe Death of Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise
XLIX. THE DEATH OF CIARAN35. Our most holy patron Kiaranus lived but for one year in his settlement of Cluain. When he knew that the day of his death was approaching, he prophesied, deploring the...
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