Saint Sinell, Son of Tighernach, January 12
January 12 is the feastday of a Saint Sinell about whom not a great deal is known as Canon O'Hanlon explains:St. Sinell, Son of Tighernach.The Martyrology of Donegal mentions, on this day, Sineall, son...
View ArticleThe Teaching and Sanctity of Saint Ite
Some fascinating glimpses of the teachings of Saint Ite and of the sanctity she manifested have been preserved in her Life. Here are a few examples taken from Dorothy Africa's translation of Vita...
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Inismacsaint
January 18 is the feast of a County Fermanagh saint who is also one of the lesser-known Twelve Apostles of Ireland, Ninnidh of Inismacsaint. An earlier post on his life can be found here, but below is...
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Saint Fechin of Fore, January 20
January 20 is the feast of Saint Fechin of Fore. An earlier post on his life, taken from the work of Archdeacon O'Rorke, can be found here. This year we can look at the account of Saint Fechin's life...
View ArticleSaint Flann of Finglas, January 21
January 21 is the commemoration of a County Dublin saint, Flann, Bishop of Finglas. Canon O'Hanlon tells us what is known of him:Flann Mac Laich, or Mac Lughdach, Bishop of Finglas, County of DublinA...
View ArticleSaint Guaire Mór of Aghadowy, January 22
January 22 is the commemoration of a northern saint, Guaire Mór of Aghadowy, County Derry. Canon O'Hanlon has this to tell us:St. Goar, Guarius, or Guaire Mór, of Aghadowy, County of Londonderry....
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A Seminar on the Shrine of Saint Manchan
24 January is the feast of Saint Manchan of Lemanaghan, a saint whose memory still flourishes today and whose name is most famously associated with the splendid shine preserved for veneration at the...
View ArticleThe Meeting of Paul and Brendan
In 2013 I looked at an Irish Saint Paul, assigned January 25 as a feast day by Colgan because this date was the commemoration of the baptism of Saint Paul the apostle. This Irish Paul was said to have...
View ArticleSaint Croine, January 27
January 27 is the feastday of an early female saint, Croine, one of many Irish saints to have been recorded on the Irish calendars, but who has left no Vita to give further details of her life. As...
View ArticleSaint Acobran of Kilrush, January 28
January 28 is the feast of Saint Acobran of Kilrush, about whom not a great deal appears to be known. We have already met this saint, for in a post on a trio of saintly brothers commemorated on 28...
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Saint Brigid, The Holy Patroness of Ireland, February 1
As February 1 is the commemoration of Ireland's national patroness, Saint Brigid of Kildare, below is a nineteenth-century article on her life, taken from a volume published in the United States in...
View ArticleSaint Lomman of Portloman, February 7
February 7 sees the commemoration of a saint associated with the locality of Lough Owel, County Westmeath - Lomman of Portloman. Canon O'Hanlon gives a particularly charming account of his own visit to...
View ArticleSaint Airennan of Tallagh, February 10
Below is an account of a saint commemorated on this day, Airennan, a successor at the monastery of Tallagh to its founder Maelruain. Canon O'Hanlon tells us what is known of him and speculates that...
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Saint Gobnait of Ballyvourney, February 11
February 11 is the feastday of Saint Gobnait (Gobnet, Gobnata) of Ballyvourney. A previous post on her life can be found here. Below is a charming account of the saint and her locality, taken from the...
View ArticleSaint Forannan of Clonard, February 12
February 12 sees the feast of an eighth-century abbot at the monastery of Clonard, County Meath - Saint Forannan. O'Hanlon has a brief entry on what is known of him:St. Forannan, Abbot of Clonard,...
View ArticleSaint Ossan of Rathossain, February 17
17 February is a date on which many saints are commemorated in the Irish calendars of whom Saint Ossan of Rathossain in County Meath is one of the lesser-known . In O'Hanlon's account below I find it...
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Saint Nuad of Armagh, 19 February
A ninth-century Archbishop of Armagh, Saint Nuad (Nuada or Nodtat), is commemorated on February 19. Canon O'Hanlon records:St. Nuad, St. Nuada or Nodtat, Archbishop of Armagh[Eighth and Ninth...
View ArticleA Prayer to Saint Odhran
February 19 is the commemoration of Saint Odhran, whom tradition remembers as Saint Patrick's charioteer and as a martyr who sacrificed his life for his master. Below is a prayer to Saint Odhran, taken...
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Saint David and Naas
March 1 is the feast of Saint David, the patron of Wales. Ireland, however, can also claim to have a long tradition of devotion to the Welsh patron and the parish church at Naas, County Kildare, is...
View ArticleSaint Foila of Killeely, March 3
A female saint of the west, Foila of Killeely, County Galway is commemorated on March 3. Canon O'Hanlon has this account of her:St. Foila or Foilenna, Virgin, and Patroness of Kill-faile now Killeely...
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