Today the Irish calendars record a hermit who is credited with being among the first Christian believers in Ireland, and who features in the hagiography of Saint Declan of Ardmore. Saint Declan, along with saints Ailbe, Ciarán of Saighir and Ibar is part of the tradition of pre-Patrician saints of Munster. Whilst modern scholars are sceptical, nevertheless we know that Saint Palladius was sent in 431 ‘to those Irish believing in Christ as their first bishop’ which indicates that there was a community of Christians already present in Ireland. Unfortunately, the problems with trying to work out the chronology of the mission of Saint Patrick in relation to that of Palladius leaves the whole question of pre-Patrician saints an open one. The Life of Saint Declan dates to the later medieval period, by which time Saint Patrick was firmly established as the apostle to the Irish. It was also a time when the reform of the Irish Church presented an incentive for the Munster dioceses to assert their claims to precedence. Thus it is uncertain just how far back the tradition of pre-Patrician saints actually goes. Canon O’Hanlon takes up the story of Saint Mocelloc, who is claimed to predate the Palladian mission by almost a century:

This saint, originally called Celloc—or perhaps Cellan- had the endearing appellative, mo, prefixed to his name, according to a custom of our ancestors, when they wished to express great veneration for a person. He was one of the first converts to our holy faith in Ireland, having flourished before St. Patrick’s time, according to our ancient records. It is said, our saint was baptized, so early as A.D. 347 and in common with six other holy men, constructed separate cells in a place, called Magh-Scethe, which signifies,”the Plain of the Buckler,” near the present site of Lismore. Mocelloc lived as a hermit, in his cell or oratory, according to tradition, many years before the Gospel had been preached in these parts, by Saints Declan, Ailbe and Kieran. In common with other religious eremites of the place, Mocelloc is said to have had a vision, on the night of St. Declan’s birth, and that, in consequence, he predicted this infant’s future greatness, by declaring that the country and people around should one day be subject to his spiritual rule. After this prediction, the Acts of St. Declan state, that seven just men were baptized, in the name of the most Holy Trinity; and, afterwards, having constructed cells, they lived there in a religious manner. From whom they received baptism, or at what exact time, we are not informed. On St. Declan’s return from Rome, these seven eremites—among whom our saint was included—waited on him, and placed their cells, with their own persons, under his rule and direction. St. Declan’s habitation was at Ardmore, at present, the head of a parish, in the barony of Decies within Drum, in the county of Waterford…

To conclude this account, the Martyrologies of Tallagh, of Marianus O’Gorman and of Cathal Maguire, at this date, [March 7] have inserted the festival of Mocelloc. Besides, on this day was venerated Mocheallog, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal.

In the extracts below from Canon Power’s translation of the Life of Saint Declan which feature Saint Mocelloc, we find some standard hagiographical tropes. We first meet him in connection with the birth of Saint Declan, attended by celestial phenomena. Mocelloc and his fellow hermits then prophesy the future greatness of the newborn saint who they will later serve. In both extracts we see the use of sacred numbers – the hermit group numbers seven and this is the number of churches founded in their locality. Saint Declan, also in an echo of the scriptures, spends forty days in his birthplace:

There were seven men dwelling in Magh Sgiath, who frequently saw the fiery globe which it has been already told they first beheld at the time of Declan’s birth. It happened by the Grace of God that they were the first persons to reveal and describe that lightning. These seven came to the place where Declan abode and took him for their director and master. They made known publicly in the presence of all that, later on, he should be a bishop and they spoke prophetically:—‘The day, O beloved child and servant of God, will come when we shall commit ourselves and our lands to thee.’ And it fell out thus (as they foretold), for, upon believing, they were baptised and became wise, devout and attentive and erected seven churches in honour of God around Magh Sgiath….

….Once on a time Declan came on a visit to the place of his birth, where he remained forty days there and established a religious house in which devout men have dwelt ever since. Then came the seven men we have already mentioned as having made their abode around Magh Sgiath and as having prophesied concerning Declan. They now dedicated themselves and their establishment to him as they had promised and these are their names:—Mocellac and Riadan, Colman, Lactain, Finnlaoc, Kevin, etc. These therefore were under the rule and spiritual sway of bishop Declan thenceforward, and they spent their lives devoutly there and wrought many wonders afterwards.