Saint Finnian of Moville - Two Studies
September 10 is the feast of Saint Finnian of Moville. As I mentioned in the previous post on his life here, this holy man is the subject of much debate among the modern generation of scholars. A...
View ArticleSaint Cuimmen of Bangor, September 17
September 17 is the commemoration of an abbot of Bangor, County Down, whom Canon O'Hanlon believed was one of the victims of the great plague of the seventh century:St. Cuimmen, Abbot of Bangor, County...
View ArticleSaint Edilhun, Monk at Rathmelsigi, September 21
September 21 is the commemoration of one of the Saxon saints who came to Ireland as a student and sadly fell victim to the plague in 664. The story of Saint Edilhun (Æthelhun) is forever linked with...
View ArticleAdamnan, the Poor Scholar
September 23 is the feast day of Saint Adamnan, abbot of Iona and biographer of Saint Colum Cille. In the episode below we see this great saint not as the accomplished churchman but as a struggling...
View ArticleSaint Colman of Comhruire, September 25
September 25 is the feast day of yet another Irish Saint Colman, this one associated with the founding of a church at Uisneach Hill, County Westmeath. Canon O'Hanlon supplies the details, including a...
View ArticleThe Monastic Life and Miracles of St Colman-Elo
September 26 is the feast of Saint Colman of Lann-Elo, an account of whose life can be found here. In Volume IX of his Lives of the Irish Saints Canon O'Hanlon, mainly drawing on a Life preserved among...
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Cruach Mac Dara - Saint MacDara's Island
September 28 is the feast of a saint of the west of Ireland, Sinach Mac Dara, whose traditional island pilgrimage is still celebrated, although this takes place on July 16. I have been reading a number...
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Michael - 'one who is like unto God'
In this extract from a homily for the feast of Saint Michael preserved in the Leabhar Breac, the writer lays out the nine Orders and Grades among the angels and the ways in which they aid mankind. It...
View ArticleSaint Giallán of Killelan, October 2
October 2 is the second commemoration on the Irish calendars of a County Kildare saint, Giallán of Killelan. His earlier feast day is September 6 at which time I posted the following information...
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Saint Canice of Kilkenny, October 11
October 11 is the feast of Saint Canice (Kenneth, Kenny) of Kilkenny, on whose life I have already published a paper from The Irish Ecclesiastical Record, which can be read here. Below is another full...
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Saint Becc mac Dé, October 12
D.Wright, Druidism (1924)October 12 is the feast day of Saint Becc (Bec, Beg) mac De, whom the Irish Annals say was a sixth-century saint with a particular gift for prophecy. He is a well-known...
View ArticleSaint Colman of Stockerau, October 13
October 13 is the feastday of an 11th-century Irish martyr, Colman (Coloman) of Metz. I have previously published a paper on his life here, but below is the entry for the saint from Father John...
View ArticleSaint Riaghail of Muicinis, October 16
The Irish Calendars commemorate Saint Riaghail of Muicinis on October 16, a saint who may also have been honoured in Scotland. There he was later confounded with an eastern saint said to have brought...
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Saint Cubretan of Moville, October 17
October 17 is the commemoration of Saint Cubretan, a holy man associated with the County Down monastery of Moville. The Martyrology of Donegal records:17. C. SEXTO DECIMO KAL. NOVEMBRIS. 17.CUBRETAN,...
View ArticleSaint Moluainn of Killmologe, October 18
October 18 is the commemoration of a County Down saint, Moluainn of Killmologue in the Mournes. The Martyrology of Donegal records:18. D. QUINTO DECIMO KAL. OCTOBRIS. 18.MOLUAINEN, of Tamlacht, in...
View ArticleSaint Donatus of Fiesole, October 22
October 22 is the feast day of one of my favourites among the Irish saints who laboured in continental Europe: Saint Donatus of Fiesole. This wonderful man brought everything that was best about the...
View ArticleSaint Caidin of Domhnach Caoide, October 25
The feast of Saint Caidin is recorded in some of the Irish Martyrologies for 25 October. The table in the Martyrology of Donegal lists:Caoide, abbot, of Domhnach-Caoide, in Tir Eoghain, diocese of...
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Saint Abbán of Moyarney, October 27
One of the saints, commemorated on October 27 in the Martyrology of Oengus as 'Abbán an abbot fair and train-having', presents us with something of a mystery as to his identity. One problem is that as...
View ArticleSaint Ernach of Duneane, October 30
There is a considerable amount of confusion surrounding the identity of the saint commemorated at the County Antrim locality of Duneane on October 30. For although the calendars record the name of a...
View ArticleSaint Comán of Lismore, October 31
We close the month of October with the commemoration of an abbot of Lismore, County Waterford, a successor to the founder, Saint Carthage or Mochuda. The Martyrology of Donegal lists two abbots of...
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