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Saint Muadhnat of Caille, January 6
Among the saints commemorated on the Irish calendars on January 6 is a County Sligo holy woman, Muadhnat of Caille. As Canon O'Hanlon explains below, she is one of three saintly siblings, the Daughters...
View ArticleSaint Brigh of Coirpre, January 7
January 7 is the feast of an obscure Irish holy woman, Brigh of Coirpre. She is one of the many who simply have their names recorded in the calendars at the date of their commemoration, but about whom...
View ArticleSaint Saran of Cuil-Creamha, January 8
The name of yet another of the many obscure Irish saints is found on the calendars at January 8, Saran of Cuil-Creamha. Canon O'Hanlon brings us the few details he can:St. Saran, of Cuil-creamha.Saran,...
View ArticleSaint Suibhsech of Tirhugh, January 9
The name of an otherwise obscure Irish holy woman, Suibsech of Tirhugh, is recorded in the Irish calendars at January 9. Canon O'Hanlon begins on a pious reflective note in his account below and places...
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Inis Chlothrann, Lough Ree: Its History and Antiquities
January 10 is the commemoration of Saint Diarmaid of Inis-Clothrann, an island in the midlands lake of Lough Ree. Canon O'Hanlon's account of this saint's life can be found here. Below is an 1899 paper...
View ArticleSaint Ernan of Cluain-deochra, January 11
An entry recording Saint Ernan or Ernin of Cluain-deochra on the 11th of January appears in the Martyrology of Tallaght. The entry from the Martyrology of Donegal reads as follows:11. D. TERTIO IDUS...
View ArticleSaint Laighne, January 12
Another name to add to our collection of obscure Irish saints is found on the calendars at January 12. In the case of Saint Laighne we have a patronymic, but knowing that he is the son of Garbhán does...
View ArticleSaint Sarán, January 13
On January 8 we had a commemoration of a Saint Saran of Cuil-Creamha, now on January 13 we have another saint of this name recorded on the Irish calendars. Today's saint, however, is designated as a...
View ArticleSaint Luigbhe of Inismore, January 14
An island saint is commemorated on January 14, Luighbhe of Inismore. Canon O'Hanlon, in his account below, feels that this holy man may be connected with another saint we have already met on the blog...
View ArticleSaint Breacc Fele of Bealach-fele, January 15
It is perhaps appropriate that the holy man we commemorate today is related to the people of Saint Ite of Killeedy, as January 15 is her feast day. Saint Breacc Fele, who also seems to have been known...
View ArticleSaint Fursey of Peronne, January 16
January 16 is the commemoration of one of the most important of the Irish missionary saints, Fursey of Peronne. His was a multi-faceted career and in the paper below, one of a series on Celtic...
View ArticleSaint Mica, January 17
We have the name of another of our obscure Irish female saints recorded on the calendars at January 17. The name and feast day of Saint Mica are the only details known, as Canon O'Hanlon explains:St....
View ArticleSaint Coppa, January 18
A female saint with possible Patrician associations is commemorated on January 18. Canon O'Hanlon records the speculation of the seventeenth-century hagiologist, Friar John Colgan, that Saint Coppa may...
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Saint Dunchadh Ua Brain of Clonmacnoise, January 19
January 19 is an alternative feast day for Saint Dunchadh Ua Braoin, a tenth-century Abbot of Clonmacnoise, whose death whilst on pilgrimage in Armagh was recorded in the Irish Annals. The date of his...
View ArticleSt Fechin of Fore and His Monastery
Below is an extract from a paper read to the Royal Society of Antiquaries in Ireland by a 19th-century Anglican writer, the Reverend George Stokes. Although this 1892 work examines the life of St...
View ArticleSaint Seighin of Cill-Seighin, January 21
The Irish calendars at January 21 record the name of Saint Seighin along with the church that bears his name. Canon O'Hanlon's account below illustrates the many difficulties in trying to narrow down...
View ArticleSaint Amhalghaidh, January 22
Another of the many obscure Irish saints, known only from the recording of his name in the calendars, is commemorated on January 22. Canon O'Hanlon brings us the name of Saint Amhalghaidh, regretting...
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Saint Lucán of Tamhnach, January 23
On January 23 the Irish calendars commemorate Saint Lucán of Tamhnach. The problem appears to be in identifying whether the locality associated with the holy man lies in the lakeland county of...
View ArticleSaint Baodán of Mostrim, January 24
Although his name comes first in the entries for native saints in the Martyrology of Tallaght at January 24, Saint Baodán (Batan, Buatan), is an obscure figure. Canon O'Hanlon's account below seeks,...
View ArticleTranslation of the Relics of Saint Brigid to Lisbon, January 25
January 25 marks the anniversary of the Translation of the Relics of Saint Brigid, in this case her head, to the Portuguese capital in 1588. Canon O'Hanlon points out that another Portuguese church...
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