OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Saint Giallán of Killelan, September 6

Written by

Michele Ainley

in

,

September 6 is the feast day, or perhaps more accurately, one of the feast days of Saint Giallán. Canon O’Hanlon brings only a very brief entry:

St. Giallan. 

 In the Martyrology of Tallagh, we read, that veneration was given to Giallan, at the 6th of September. In that copy contained in the Book of Leinster, his name is to be found at the same date. Nothing more seems to be known regarding him.

Modern scholarship, however, can tell us a bit more. Professor Pádraig Ó Riain, in his 2011 Dictionary of Irish Saints reveals that the saint is associated with the County Kildare locality of Killelan, probably originally Ceall Ghialláin. The Giallán of this place is described in a scribal note found in the Martyrology of Tallaght at October 2 which refers to a Leinster prince called Oinmhe, a hostage with Saint Brigid of Kildare. He is then renamed Giallán, from the Irish word for a hostage giall. October 2 seems to be the main commemoration of Saint Giallán, but his name is recorded on September 6 in the Martyrology of Tallaght, although this is the only Irish calendar where it appears on this day.

 

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Comments

3 responses to “Saint Giallán of Killelan, September 6”

  1. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Dear M,May God's blessings continue to shower down upon you and may the Saints of Ireland, who owe you a great debt, intercede for you and yours unceasingly. Your two blogs are a constant source of information and edification and your post on St. Brigid and the little hostage is an invaluable contribution to ours.God bless you!

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  2. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Always a pleasure to share posts with my friends in the Diocese of Kildare. Appreciate your support and hope your readers will enjoy learning of this obscure saint and his link to Saint Brigid. Slán ages beannacht.

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  3. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Under “OINMHE, i.e. Gillán” this saint in also commemorated in the Martyrology of Donegal (p265)on Oct 2. But in the Martyrology of Tallagh (MOT), as John O'Hanlon states, he is recorded as Giallani on Sept 6th, but a latin version of his nickname “Oinmine ( J. Giallan) is mentioned in MOT on Oct 2.In the MOT index the Latin version Giallani is recorded for Sept 6th and Gillain for Oct 2.

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