OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Author: Michele Ainley

  • Saint Máelodran, December 2

    On December 2 the Irish calendars commemorate Saint Máelodran, whom they associate with a locality in County Westmeath. His name first appears in the Martyrology of Oengus:

    G. iv. nonas Decembris.

    …with a number of martyrs, Mael-odran great, magnified should be implored.


    while the notes add:


    Máelodran, i.e. Máel-odran of Tuaim indbir or Druim Indbir in the west of Meath.


    The later Martyrology of Gorman adds in its notes that the saint is:

    of Tuaim Inbir, in the west of Meath, and he is a confessor.


    The Martyrology of Donegal repeats this information, but I have no further details about our saintly confessor.

    Content Copyright © Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae 2012-2015. All rights reserved.

  • Saint Mac Cainne, December 1

    We begin the month of December with the commemoration of a saintly bishop, Mac Cainne (Mac Coinne) who is also associated with a locality in the calendars. The Martyrology of Donegal records:

    1. F. KALENDIS DECEMBRIS. 1.

    Bishop MAC CAINNE, of Ath-da-laarg, by the side of Cenannus.

    The Martyrology of Gorman, in its entry for the day records ‘the great bishop Mac Cainne’ with a footnote adding ‘from Áth da laarg beside Cenannus’. 
    The earlier Martyrology of Oengus locates our bishop at ‘Áth dá loarc beside Kells’, which perhaps places him in County Meath.

    Content Copyright © Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae 2012-2015. All rights reserved.

  • Saint Toman, November 30

    We close the month of November with the commemoration on the Irish calendars of a saint named Toman or Tommán. The Martyrology of Donegal lists ‘Toman, priest’ at November 30 but somewhat confusingly, the Martyrology of Gorman refers to ‘womanly Tommán’, Toman bithea.  The translator had similarly rendered a reference to an Ultan bithí on May 24 as ‘womanly Ultan’. I am left wondering what is implied by this epithet, perhaps the saint is of a slender build or something like that. I could find no mention of him on the earlier Martyrology of Oengus. The name Toman/Tommán is shared by two other saints on the Irish calendars, a bishop commemorated on March 18 and Saint Toman//Tommán of Mungret on July 26.

    Note: This post, first published in 2015 was revised in 2022.

    Content Copyright © Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae 2012-2015. All rights reserved.