H. F. Berry in his 1904 paper on Kilcomenty wrestled with some of the difficulties thrown up by Canon O’Hanlon’s account:

This parish, which is situated in the barony of Owney and Arra, in the south-west comer of north Tipperary, is bounded on the north by the Shannon and the parish of Templeichally; south by the parish of Kilvellane; east by the parishes of Kilmastulla, Killoscully, and Kilnerath; and west by the county Limerick. It takes its name from cille= ‘cell’ or ‘church,’ and Commaneth, the name of the patron saint…

O’Donovan, in the course of one short letter, speaks of the patron saint of this parish as Cuimin fodha, Cumenad, and Cumenod, while in the Ordnance Survey the name takes the form of Cuminad. With all these variants before us, we must now consider what is most likely to have been the real name of the saint whose memory is still venerated in the district. In the letter indicated above— an Ordnance Survey letter— dated at Nenagh, 13th October, 1840, now in the Manuscript Room, Royal Irish Academy, O’Donovan names Cuimin fodha as the patron saint of Kilcomenty, adding, “The 18th March is still kept holy in the parish, in honor, as it is believed, of St. Comenad, but the 12th is his day, according to the Irish Calendars.” As a matter of fact, 12th November is St. Cuimin fodha’ s day, and the word “November” has been accidentally omitted in the original letter. O’Donovan thinks it probable that the parish was “transferred to some continental saint,” as, he alleges, was frequently the case in different parts of Ireland. This seems straining a point overmuch, as 18th March has been observed from time immemorial in the parish. One wonders why, in two of his references, O’Donovan makes the name end in ad and od, unless it were to retain some abbreviation of fodha. The country people invariably speak of the patron as St. Cummenat; and so much is known concerning St. Cuimin fodha, and his history, that very little consideration will show how unlikely it is that he was ever connected with Kilcomenty. The holy person, who, in addition to a cell, had a “bed” and well at the latter place, was probably a recluse or anchorite. St. Cuimin was Bishop and Abbot of Clonfert, a man of distinguished learning, and one who led a busy, active life, crowds of students being attracted to his famous school at Clonfert, He was the writer of the celebrated letter to the Abbot of Iona, on the Paschal controversy, which about the year A.D. 630 had reached its culminating point in dividing Christendom on the question of the correct computation of Easter. With a view to a proper study of this subject, he is recorded to have gone into strict retirement for a year, and to have chosen “Disert Chuimin in regione Roscreensi ” for his retreat. This place is near Roscrea, and the parish is called Kilcommin. Had St. Cuimin had any connexion with what is now known as Kilcomenty — an ideally lonely and isolated spot — he would naturally have resorted thither; but it seems clear that the cell, bed, and well were appropriated by quite another, one whom Canon O’Hanlon is compelled to speak of as “this almost unknown saint.”

An additional and very strong reason for differing from O’Donovan is to be found in the fact that the Martyrology of Donegal, under the date of 18th March, commemorates a saint named Coman, son of Ernan. This saint was a bishop, and came of the race of Conall Gulban, son of Niall. Were he the true patron of Kilcomenty, however, one is at a loss to account for the parish name appearing in any other form than that of Kilcoman.

It seems more likely that the form of the word ‘Kilcomenty’ indicates a female saint. The termination nat or net was anciently used as a diminutive in women’s names, e.g. Killasnet and Kilbegnet. The former represents a saint named Osnat, which signifies little fawn (os = ‘a fawn’); the latter place was so called from St. Becnat (bec = ‘small: extremely little body’). Dr. Joyce gives some other instances; and analogy justifies us in supposing that our saint may have been ‘little Comma.’ The Martyrology of Donegal mentions two saints named Comnat; but neither is commemorated on 18th March. St. Commaneth is not noted in the hagiologies.

St. Senan’s mother is found to be named Cumaina and also Comgella; and Cum in the former is the same as Com in the latter. The Calendar of Aengus does not mention Comgella as a saint; but Coma, daughter of Comgall, appears on 22nd January, while Comgella is made to be daughter of Ernach. Coman, who is mentioned by O’Hanlon on 18th March, is said to be son of Eman; the accounts of him are rather complicated, but we cannot fail to be struck by the coincidence of this Coman being son of Ernan, while Comgella’ s father was Ernach.

Some confusion appears to have occurred; but on a review of the apparently contradictory evidence, the truth seems to be that, while in some places a saint named Coman was revered on 18th March, a female saint Comanait was commemorated on the same day in the parish of Kilcomenty. Comanait is the ancient form of Commaneth, and the genitive of Comanait is Comnata; Kilcomenty in Irish, then, is Cill-Comnata….