Saints Feidhealm and Mughain, daughters of Oilill, December 9
The Martyrology of Onegus devotes its entire entry for December 9 to the praise of two daughters of Oilill (Ailill). whom it beautifully describes as 'the two suns of the east of Liffey':9. Comely are...
View ArticleSaint Scannlach of Ard Scannlaighe, December 10
December 10 is the commemoration of an obscure female saint of County Meath, Scannlach of Ard Scannlaighe. The Martyrology of Donegal records:SCANLACH, of Ard-Scanlaighe, in Cinel-Ardgail. She was of...
View ArticleSaint Fuinche of Abbeylara, December 11
December 11 is the feast day of an Irish woman saint, Fuinche of Abbeylara, County Longford. Ó Riain's Dictionary of Irish Saints identifies her as one of the four daughters of Feargna, all of whom...
View ArticleSaint Finnian of Clonard, December 12
December 12 sees the commemoration of one of our most important Irish fathers of monasticism - Finnian of Clonard, 'tutor of the saints of Ireland'. Below is a paper on the life of Saint Finnian from...
View ArticleSaint Columb of Terryglass, December 13
December 13 is the feast of a saint known for his ascetic life - Saint Columb of Terryglass, County Tipperary. Saint Columb (also known as Columba or Colman) was a disciple of Saint Finnian of Clonard,...
View ArticleSaint Cormac, December 14
On December 14 the later Irish calendars commemorate a Saint Cormac, described as a Bishop. The Martyrology of Gorman records his memory in poetic style: 'Cormac be on our behalf for indulgence' with a...
View ArticleSaint Mughain of Cluain-Boirenn, December 15
On December 9 we commemorated two of the daughters of Oilill, Feidhealm and Mughain. I mentioned then that Mughain has a second commemoration on December 15, at least in the locality of Cluain-Boirenn,...
View ArticleSaint Mo-beóc of Loch Garman, December 16
The Irish calendars agree in commemorating the feast of a Saint Mo-beóc or Bean on December 16. His precise identity though seems to be something of a mystery and the subject of some confusion with...
View ArticleSaint Crunnmael of Iona, December 17
The Martyrology of Oengus has a beautiful entry for December 17:17. May Victor's host protect usafter the triumph of a deed of valour,that we may attain splendid blissJesus, Mary's great Son.The...
View ArticleSaint Maignenn of Kilmainham, December 18
December 18 is the feast of a County Dublin saint, Maignenn (Maignan, Magnenn) whose name is still recalled today in the placename Kilmainham. Saint Maignenn is a fascinating saint whose Vita contains...
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The Life of the Holy Virgin Samthann
December 19 is the feast of Saint Samthann of Clonbroney and last year's post on her life can be found here. The Life of Samthann is known mainly from an early 14th-century manuscript, Rawlinson B.485....
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Saint Ursan of St Ursitz, December 20
On December 20 we commemorate an Irish saint who travelled to Europe with Saint Columbanus and laboured among the Alemanni in the Swiss Jura - Ursan 'The Bear Man'. Below is an account of his life by...
View ArticleSaint Ultan Tua of Clane, December 22
December 22 sees the commemoration of an Irish saint with an interesting Lenten discipline - Ultan Tua 'the Silent' of Clane, County Kildare. He is commemorated on the early Martyrology of Oengus:22....
View ArticleSaint Temnióc of Clonfert, December 23
23. The passion of eight hundred fair martyrs with sixty noble ones who were slain : with my Temnióc of the king- folk of truly good Clúain fertae.Thus does the Martyrology of Oengus read for December...
View ArticleSaint Iarlaithe of Tuam, December 26
Although his feast is now celebrated on June 6 in Ireland, the Irish calendars record the commemoration of Saint Iarlaithe (Iarlath, Jarlath) of Tuam at December 26. Below is an account of Tuam from...
View ArticleSaint Maedóc of Lismore, December 29
December 29 is the feast day of a saint of the monastery of Lismore, Saint Maedóc. In the Irish annals the successors to Saint Carthage of Lismore are sometimes styled as abbots and sometimes as...
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Irish High Crosses and the Baptism of Christ
On January 6 there is something of a divergence in the celebration of the feasts of the Epiphany between Eastern Christianity and that of the west. In the West, the Epiphany commemorates the...
View ArticleSaint Eargnat, January 8
The name of today's saint, Eargnat, appears under a number of variations in the sources. The entry in the Martyrology of St Oengus for January 8 records :The death of Ecimon,A bishop chaste and...
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Saint Thomian of Armagh, January 10
Today we commemorate Saint Thomian, a successor to Saint Patrick at Armagh, who was involved in the Paschal dating controversy. In his notes to the updated edition of Archdall's Monasticon Hibernicum,...
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Saint Suibhne of Iona, January 11
Among the saints commemorated on the Irish calendars for January 11 is a seventh-century abbot of Iona, Suibhne, the first of Saint Columcille's successors to bear that name. Colgan makes the point...
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