OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Author: Michele Ainley

  • Saint Enan of Drumrath, August 19

    August 19 is the commemoration of Saint Enan of Drumrath.  Canon O’Hanlon’s account below presents this County Westmeath holy man as a friend to Saint Áed Mac Bricc of Killaire, an associate of Saint Brigid who exercised his famed prowess at curing headaches on her. It seems that Saint Enan also had a second feast day on September 18:

    St. Enan, Patron of Drumrath, County of Westmeath.
    [Sixth Century.]

    The present holy servant of God flourished so early as the sixth century. In the “Feilire” of St. Oengus, the festival for Enan of Droma Raithne is to be found entered, at the 19th of August. In a comment, we find an explanation, that Droma Raithne is the same as Druim Fota Talman, in the West of Meath, while he is said to have been Enan, son of Ernin, son of Cael, son of Aed, son of Artchorp, son of Niacorp. The published Martyrology of Tallagh registers a festival in honour of Enan, of Druimraithe, in Westmeath. A similar entry is to be found in the copy of that Martyrology contained in the Book of Leinster, at the xiv. of the September kalends. At the 19th of August, the Martyrology of Donegal also enters the festival for St. Enan of Druimrath. Postfixed to this Martyrology, there is a similar entry, in which the Martyrologium Genealogicum is quoted as authority, by the compiler of an alphabetical table. But, in a note, added by Dr. Todd to such statement, he says, in the copy of that treatise, as found in the Book of Lecan, there is nothing concerning Enan of Druimraithe, in Westmeath. Our saint is called Henan, in the Life of St. Aidus, of Killare, and there are different readings, for the name of this hermit, in the Codex Insulensis, and in the Salamancan Manuscript. The Bollandists allude merely to the present St. Henan or Enan, at the 19th of August; promising if further information were to be procured, that allusion should more fully be made to him, at the 18th of September, when, according to some Irish Calendars, he had another festival. It is stated, that he belonged to the race of Eochaidh Finnfua-thairt, from whom Brigid descends. If so, he was son of Ernin, son to Calius, son of Aid, son to Sanius, son of Arturus Corb. We are informed from other sources, how this saint lived the life of a hermit, and at a place, called Drumrath. Here he was visited by St. Aidus, or Aedh, surnamed MacBricc, a remarkable and holy prelate of the ancient Irish Church. He resided at Killare, or Killair, now a village, not far from the celebrated Hill of Uisneach, and supposed by Camden to have been the ancient Laberus, noted by Ptolemy.

    The place in which St. Enan or Henan dwelt is now known as Drumrath, or Drumraney. The Irish denomination of this locality means in English, the Ridge-Rath. It belonged to the Meath diocese, and it is situated in that part of Westmeath, formerly called Cuircne. According to Archdall’s statement, the place of this saint is identical with Drumraney, which lies about six miles north-eastwards from Athlone, in the Barony of Kilkenny West, County of Westmeath. Others locate it, in the adjoining barony, called Brawney. From Killare to Drumrath or Drumrany, the distance is not very considerable; and, from all we can learn, it is extremely probable, that a holy friendship and an intercourse had been kept up by St. Aid with his neighbour, St. Enan. Moreover, it seems not unlikely, that our saint had a small community under his charge, at the latter place. We are told, there is a holy well in this parish, near the churchyard, which is extensive. This well had been dedicated to St. Enan. When St. Aidus, Bishop of Killare, paid a visit to our saint, at Druimrath, he had nothing for the prelate’s refreshment but herbs and water. Seeing this condition of affairs, Aidus smiled, and said to the servant of Enan, “Go, brother, and bring us more palatable food.” Returning to a place indicated, the servant found it filled with all varieties of meat. On seeing and hearing these events, those who were present, at that time, cried out,”Wonderful is the Lord in His Saints.” Our national Hagiologist [i.e. Colgan] informs us, that the entertainer of St. Aidus was no other than the present St. Enan, also called Henan. It seems probable, that St. Aedh, surnamed Mac Bric, lived at Rahugh or Rathugh, a parish in the barony of Moycashel, and County of Westmeath, at that time; or he may have lived at Killare, in the barony of Rathconrath, in the same county. A famous monastery existed at Drumrath, when the ancient biographer of St. Aidus wrote, and it was built in honour of our saint; but, Archdall had no authority for assigning its erection, to the year 588. A monastery is said to have been founded here in honour of St. Enan, and sometime in the sixth century.

    In the Irish Annals, there is an account regarding the death of an Abbot of Druim-ratha; and, he flourished in the eighth century. But, as there was another Druim-ratha, in the district of Legny, in the province of Connaught, it cannot be asserted positively, that the individual noticed belonged to Drumrath, in Westmeath. We are told, that the festival of St. Enan used to be celebrated at Drumrany, on the Sunday after the 18th of September. Nevertheless, according to St. Oengus and Marianus O’Gorman, our saint’s festival was celebrated at Drumrath, on the 19th of August; although the same St. Oengus and the Tallagh Martyrology state, that his natal day was kept, on the 18th of September. There is no mention of our saint, however, at this latter day, in the copy of the Irish Calendar, formerly belonging to the Ordnance Survey Office, Phoenix Park, and now deposited in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy. However, the patron saint of Drumrany is said to have been St. Winoc, whose memory was celebrated there, on the 18th September. His day fell on that date, and his pattern was held on the Sunday following. His well is called Tober-Enain, and it lay in the townland of Drumrany, near the old church. It was “smothered up,” according to the phraseology of the country people, about the year 1817. The Oratory of Drumraithe was burned by the Ostmen, about the middle of the tenth century; while seven score and ten persons perished in it.This happened in the year 943; when, as the Annals of Clonmacnoise state, the Danes brought a great prey from Dromrahie. The churchyard solely remains, and now undistinguished by monastic ruins; however, the memory of St. Enan, even after such a lapse of time, is still reverenced by the faithful inhabitants of that vicinity.

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  • Saint Ernan of Tory Island, August 17

    August 17 is the feast of Saint Ernan, patron of Tory Island, County Donegal. As is so often the case, we have very little information on the actual life of the saint, so in his account below Canon O’Hanlon describes Saint Ernan’s island home and the peculiarities of its local customs. He mentions the researches of a contemporary antiquarian, Edmund Getty, for a direct link to his paper on Tory in the Ulster Journal of Archaeology, click here. Saint Ernan shares his name with at least two dozen others and so it is possible that he may also appear in some other sources, although not specifically identified.  One source which does name Saint Ernan is the sixteenth-century vernacular Life of Saint Colum Cille by Manus O’Donnell. Section 111 describes a visit to Tory Island by the great Donegal saint and concludes with the appointment of Ernan as his successor:

    Then Colum cille blessed the island and built a noble church there, and left a good church there, and left a good cleric of his household to succeed him in that place, to wit, Ernan of Tory.

    A. O’Kelleher and G. Schoepperle, eds. and trans., Betha Coluimb Chille (Illinois, 1918), p. 105.

    St. Ernan, of Torach, now Tory Island, County of Donegal.

    A festival to honour Ernan is inserted in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 17th of August. He is called the son of Colman, in the Sanctilogium Genealogicum. According to the O’Clerys, he sprung from the race of Eoghan, son to Niall. From Eoghan he was the fifth in regular descent. He was born, most probably, in the beginning of the sixth century, and in the northern part of Ireland. He became a disciple of St. Columkille. Isolated, as Tory lies out in the ocean, it seems to have a history, and dating from a remote period. In the beginning of the sixth century, it was occupied by the pagans, and it belonged to a chief, named Alild. This Island is in the parish of Tullaghobegly, and barony of Kilmacrenan, being about nine miles from the nearest part of the Donegal coast. On the way, a vessel passes three smaller islands, named Innisbofinn, Innisdooey—on which there is a cemetery—and Innisbeg. There are two villages on the Island ofTory; one called the East Town, and the other the West Town. This latter is the principal one, containing the Round Tower and the Ecclesiastical ruins. Steep rocks line the shores of this remote Island, which at certain times is inaccessible from the mainland; and a yacht or boat can only touch in a small cove, romantically situated and sheltered by cliffs, at a place called Port-Doon, from its proximity to an ancient Dun or stronghold. The Island of Tory is of very irregular shape; it is about three miles in length by one mile in breadth, in its widest part; its superficial contents being about 1,200 acres, of which 200 may be considered arable or pasture land. The soil is generally held by the inhabitants on the old “rundale” tenure; each tenant having a portion of every kind of land, but no one a permanent possession of any separate part. This almost inaccessible spot is one of the earliest places mentioned in the bardic history of Ireland, and it is the first referred to as being a stronghold of the Fomorian or African pirates, who made descents on the coasts of Ireland at a period so remote, that now it seems impossible to bring chronology to bear on it. In the accounts of those pirates, it is called Torinis, or “Island of the Tower;” in other tracts, it is Torach, or the “Towery;” while the inhabitants of the adjoining coasts of Donegal think it has derived this name from the tower-like cliffs, by which it is guarded on every side. This seems to be the correct explanation of the latter name ; for there are many lofty, isolated rocks on the opposite coast, and called by the natives tors or “towers.” A remarkably lofty one on the east side of this Island itself is called Tormor, or ” the Great Tower.” The Nemedians are also mentioned in connection with this Island, by the ancient bards and chroniclers. As we have already seen, St. Columba founded a church on Tory or Torry Island ; off the north-western coast of Donegal, about the middle of the sixth century. According to some accounts, he also founded a religious house beside it. Whether St. Ernan accompanied his master to this Island, in the first instance, does not appear ; but, he was selected to plant Christianity there, and afterwards he was recognised as the local patron. He was the first Abbot over the monastic establishment, on the Island of Tory or Torry.

    Beside the village of thatched cottages are the Round Tower and a ruined church. Of these, with other antiquities, the fullest description, and with admirable illustrations, have been given by Edmund Getty, M.R.I.A. Only the fragments of two very small churches were found there by Mr. Hills. After a careful examination of the Irish churches, this writer did not find except, perhaps, in one instance, the remains of seven churches only, in any one of eight particular places which had been visited by him. He therefore concludes, that the name “Seven Churches,” had no foundation in fact, and that its acceptance was only a fallacious popular opinion. The name of this saint is already recorded, in the Martyrology of Donegal, at the date, August 17th, as Ernan, of Torach. The historic memoranda of this very interesting Island is well set forth in the “Ulster Journal of Archaeology, by a gentleman of acknowledged antiquarian research.

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  • Saint Echlech, Cuimmein and Coemhan, August 14

    August 14 is the feast of a trio of brothers, the three sons of Daighre – Echlech, Cuimmein and Coemhan. Canon O’Hanlon suggests that they should be located within the County Kerry parish of Kilcummin and in his account provides a glimpse into the traditional pious practices of the Irish countryside. His source here is the Ordnance Survey scholar, John O’Donovan, who was writing in 1841. The letters of O’Donovan and his colleagues are an important source of information on the Irish saints as they record the existence of sites, devotional practices and traditions regarding the saints in the various places they visited. Often the dates they noted for pattern days can give a clue to the commemoration of the feast days of the saints in the local areas. In this case, however, the people seemed to have gathered at the holy well not on August 14 but on the eve of May 1:

    Saints Echlech, Cuimmein and Coemhan, three Sons of Daighre.

    In the Martyrology of Tallagh, Cummine, Caeman and Aicclig, are the names set down in separate lines and in the preceding order, but without any further designation of their parentage. In that copy, contained in the Book of Leinster, they are placed in like order. In the Martyrology of Marianus O’Gorman, these saints are commemorated at this date… There is a parish dedicated to a saint having the name of Cummein, and which is called Kilcummin. It is situated in the barony of Magunihy, County of Kerry. The old church belonging to this parish is situated on a ridge of fertile land, within the glebe of Kilcummin. In 1841, it measured on the inside 56 feet in length, and 19 feet 6 inches in breadth. Its side walls were 3 feet 5 inches in thickness, and 10 feet in height; being built of green unequally sized stones, cemented with lime and sand mortar. The west gable was destroyed nearly down to the ground; only 3 feet of its height then remaining, but the other walls were nearly perfect. The internal portion of the east window was disfigured, but its external part was in a state of excellent preservation. The window, measuring 5 feet 2 inches in height, and 11 inches in width, was pointed and formed of cut lime stone; the sill was 4 feet 8 inches, from the outside ground level. At the distance of 8 feet from an east gable, there was a window in the south wall. This had been destroyed on both sides, with the exception of one stone left on either external side, These were chiselled lime-stones, and the distance between them was only 7 inches. A rude representation of the head and face of St. Cummin—as is believed—was carved on brown sand stone, which projected from the wall, near the northern extremity of the east gable and on the outside. There was also a large graveyard attached to this church. In the townland of Gortnagowan, in the east division of this parish, there stood a caher or circular stone fort, called Caher-Crovderg, i.e., the Fort of the Red-handed. On the eastern side of it, a holy well lay, at which stations were performed by the peasantry, on May eve. They also drove their cattle into the fort, and made them drink the water of this holy well, which was believed to possess the efficacy of preserving their animals from all contagious distempers, during the ensuing year. Colgan thinks St. Coeman, a deacon, and a disciple of St. Patrick, to be identical with one of these saints. He was set over the church of Ard-lice, commonly called Sean Domhnach. In the O’Clerys’ Calendar of Donegal, we find the three sons of Daighre, Echlech, Cuimmein and Caemhan, had veneration given them at the 14th of August.

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