Saint Colman of Cammus Comghaill, October 30
October 30 presents us with the feast of yet another Saint Colman and of something of a mystery as to his precise identity, location and feastday. The Martyrology of Donegal records:30. B. TERTIO KAL....
View ArticleSaint Faolán of Fosses, October 31
The month of October ends with the commemoration of an Irish saint still remembered in Belgium - Faolán (Foillan, Feuillen, Pholien), who founded a monastery at Fosses and was a brother of the noted...
View ArticleSaint Finntina of Cluain Guithbhinn, November 1
The Irish calendars record the name of yet another of our obscure female saints on November 1. Alas, the earliest of these, the Martyrology of Tallaght, has a hiatus in the surviving manuscripts and...
View ArticleSaint Erc of Slane, November 2
November 2 is the feast of Saint Erc (Erk, Herc) of Slane, County Meath, a saint who features in the hagiography of Saint Patrick. In the account below, taken from his diocesan history of Meath, Father...
View ArticleSaint Muirdeabhair the Wise of Disert Muirdebra, November 3
On November 3 the Irish calendars commemorate Saint Muirdeabhair, whose memory still flourishes in County Limerick at the holy well associated with his name. A diocesan historian gives an account of...
View ArticleSaint Tigernach of Doire-Mella, November 4
November 4 is the feastday of Saint Tigernach of Doire-Melle. The Martyrology of Donegal records:4. G. PRIDIE NONAS NOVEMBRIS. 4.TIGHERNACH, of Doire-Melle. Mella was the name of his mother, and she...
View ArticleSaint Colmán of Glenn Delmaicc, November 5
November 5 is the commemoration of another Irish Saint Colmán, this one associated with a parish now called Dysart, but originally known as Glen Delmaic, as the Martyrology of Oengus records:A. Nonis...
View Article'The Prayers of the Saints I have Loved' -The Hymn of Cuimin of Connor
To mark the Feast of All the Saints of Ireland, here is a translation of the text of a hymn, attributed to Saint Cuimin of Connor. I first encountered this text through reading the entries for the...
View ArticleSaint Cronan of Bangor, November 6
November 6 is the feastday of Saint Cronan, a seventh-century abbot of Bangor, County Down. The entry in the Martyrology of Donegal reads:6. B. OCTAVO IDUS NOVEMBRIS. 6.CRONAN, Abbot, of Bennchor.to...
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Saint Florentius of Strassburg, November 7
November 7 is the commemoration of Saint Florentius (Florence), an Irishman who laboured in Strassburg, sometime in the sixth century. Below is an account of his life from Roísín Ní Mheara's study of...
View ArticleSaint Colum of Culbrim, November 8
On November 8 the Irish calendars record the feast of Saint Colum, associated with the locality of Cúil Bríuin. The Martyrology of Gorman records 'Colomb son of Aed the Bent' and the notes add 'of Cúil...
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Saint Benen of Armagh, November 9
November 9 is the commemoration of a member of Saint Patrick's household, Benen (Latinized Benignus), the psalm-singer. The Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman refers to 'bright Benignus a dear scion' on...
View ArticleSaint Áed mac Bricc of Rahugh, November 10
Although he may not be exactly a household name today in Ireland, November 10 is the commemoration of a saint of the Southern Uí Néill whom Kenny has described as 'one of the few Irish saints the basis...
View ArticleSaint Coirpre of Cuil Raithin, November 11
November 11 is the feast of Saint Coirpre (Cairbre, Carbreus), an early bishop of Cuil-Raithin, now anglicized as Coleraine, County Derry. His memory is recorded in the Martyrology of Donegal on this...
View ArticleSaint Cummain of Clonfert, November 12
November 12 is the commemoration of a 7th-century Irish saint who played an important role in the Paschal Dating Controversy - Cummain the Tall. Below is a paper written by Archbishop John Healy on his...
View ArticleSaint Lasair of Killesher and Aghavea, November 13
On November 13 we celebrate the feast day of the last of the handful of Irish female saints who has an extant written Life. The Life of Saint Lasair, however, is the least known and also the latest...
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Saint Constans of Lough Erne, November 14
November 14 is the feastday of a holy man of Lough Erne, Constans, who is described as a 'priest and anchorite' in the Martyrology of Donegal:CONSTANS, Priest and Anchorite, of Eo-inis, in Loch Eirne,...
View ArticleSaint Connait of Lismore, November 15
Among the saints commemorated on November 15 on the Irish calendars is Connait, an eighth-century abbot of Lismore. The Martyrology of Donegal records the date of his repose:15. D. DECIMO SEPTIMO KAL....
View ArticleThe Sons of Caelan, November 16
Another of the groups of saints commemorated on the Irish calendars occurs on November 16. The Martyrology of Donegal records:THE SONS OF CAELAN, of Mucurt-mór.The earlier Martyrology of Gorman speaks...
View ArticleSaint Duilech of Clochar, November 17
On November 17 we remember an early saint of County Dublin, Duilech (Doulach) of Clochar. The scholarly Anglican Bishop William Reeves read a paper to the Royal Irish Academy in 1859 on the church of...
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