OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Author: Michele Ainley

  • Saint Lassar, July 23

    One of a number of Irish female saints with the name of Lassar (Lasair, Lasre, Lassara) is commemorated on July 23.  Canon O’Hanlon in his Lives of the Irish Saints initially seeks to associate this one with the locality of Killasseragh in County Cork. Lassar of Killasseragh is one of a trio of sisters whose memories are preserved in folk tradition within County Cork, where each was assigned the patronage of neighbouring parishes. One popular story was that angels made a road between the parishes so that the sisters could more easily communicate with each other. However,  in his Dictionary of Irish Saints, Pádraig Ó Riain argues that the County Cork Lassar is commemorated in the Martyrologies on May 7, the day after her sister Inneen of Dromtarriff. Thus although Canon O’Hanlon has plumped for Killasseragh as the locality associated with today’s Saint Lassar in the heading of his account, he has no firm basis for doing so, a fact he later concedes. Such are the complexities of dealing with homonymous saints that we may never know the precise identity of the holy woman commemorated on this day:

    St. Lassar, or Lasre, of Killasseragh, Parish of Kilmeen, County of Cork.

    At the 23rd of July, the name of Lasre is met with, in the Martyrology of Tallagh. St. Lassar’s day, although marked in the Calendar at the 23rd of July, seems to have been commemorated by stations at the 24th. The townland of Killasseragh, in the parish of Kilmeen, and barony of Duhallow, county of Cork, is called after this saint. It seems very probable, also, that another townland so called, in the parish of Ballynoe, barony of Kinnatalloon, in the same county, has derived its name from the present holy virgin. In the south-west of the county of Fermanagh, the ruins of an old church, with a holy well, dedicated to a virgin called St. Lassara, are still to be seen. It is now called Killassery. In the glen of the Marble Arch, where there are very remarkable caves, and on its western side—upon the brow of a hill not difficult of access—is shown St. Lasser’s cell. This is a souterrain. It has, however, no further connexion with a church in the neighbourhood, dedicated to the patron St. Lasser. Some inconsiderable remains of this old building yet exist. We do not undertake to say, that the foregoing localities are in any manner connected with the present St. Lassar; for, there are other saints bearing her name, and not distinguished by any special locality; but, we thought it not amiss, to place upon record here, information which may somewhat help towards a future identification, regarding one or other of the Lassars or Lassaras mentioned in our Calendars. The Martyrology of Donegal notes Lassar simply, at the 23rd of July.

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  • Saint Moroecha Mac Naeb, July 22

    On July 22 Canon O’Hanlon brings details of an Irish saint described as a ‘boy-saint’ in the seventeenth-century Martyrology of Donegal. I think this is the first time I have come across an Irish saint specifically recorded as a child. The memory of Saint Moroecha Mac Naeb is first preserved in the earliest of the surviving calendars, the late eight/early ninth-century Martyrology of Tallaght and his youthfulness prompts Canon O”Hanlon to sound very Victorian when musing on the nature of the Irish children of his own day at the end of the piece:

    St. Moroecha Mac Naeb, or Morecha, a Boy-Saint.

    It seems quite probable, that this holy child did not exceed the years of puberty, and that ” he was taken away lest wickedness should alter his understanding,  or deceit beguile his soul.” [Wisdom, c. iv., v. ii.] At the 22nd of July, a festival is  recorded in the Martyrology of Tallagh,  in honour of Moroecha Mac Naeb. Further particulars are hardly known concerning him. Again, the Martyrology  of Donegal registers him at the same date, as Morecha, a boy-saint. In our day, we have had a knowledge of the simple and guileless innocence of Irish children, whose good and almost sinless dispositions gave promise of a riper sanctity. Parents find real treasures in such children, and they are greatly open to censure, if the arch-enemy afterwards be allowed to destroy the working of God’s grace, in the souls of their dearest charge.

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

  • The Seven Bishops of Tamhnach Buadha, July 21

    On July 21 the Irish calendars record another of those interesting groups of saints, in this case seven bishops. It often happens that we do not have the names of the individuals who make up these sorts of groupings but the seventeenth-century hagiologist, Father John Colgan, suggested that our septet were brothers and preserved Latinized names for them. Canon O’Hanlon starts off his account by explaining the sacred significance of the number seven before getting into the details preserved in the sources of The Seven Bishops of Tamhnach Buadha:

    The Seven Bishops of Tamhnach Buadha.

    The mystic number of seven in relation to our Irish saints and ecclesiastics has been as frequently recorded in our ancient books, as it has been found so often noted in the Sacred Scriptures. When Noe was commanded to enter the ark with his family, God said to him: “Of all clean beasts take seven and seven, the male and female.” Pharaoh, in his dream, saw “seven kine, very beautiful and fat, come up from the river” and ” other seven also came up out of the river, ill and lean fleshed.” Again, God ordered Josue to go with his army in procession around Jericho during seven days, and on the seventh, “the priests shall take the seven trumpets,” etc. Then with reference to sacrifice, we read that Balaam said to Balac, King of Moab: “Build me here seven altars, and prepare as many calves, and the same number of rams, and they laid together a calf and ram upon every altar.” Again, when Ezechias purified the temple of God, profaned by the wicked King Achaz, “they went into the house of the Lord, and they offered together seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he-goats, for sin.” Examples of the same kind could easily be multiplied, but we have now to deal with an instance of seven Bishops in the Irish Calendars, and united on the same day for popular veneration. A festival, to honour Secht n Eps. Tamhnaighe, appears in the Martyrology of Tallagh. There were seven bishops, named respectively Saints Aidus, Diermit, Foebarchuo, Maclasrius, Manchinus, Tarchell, and Tinius, while these are said to have been seven brothers. They were sons of Muredac, son to Fochern, son of Dichull, son to Crimthann, son of Armedac, son to Senach, son of Aid Loga, son to Oscuon, son of Mienach, son to Lugad, son of Imchad, son to Fidchur, son of Eochod, son to Ennius Monchaoin, son of Ros, surnamed Rig-Foda, son of Fiacha Suighde, son of Feidhlemid Reachtmhar, founder of the Desies family. Colgan thinks those may be the seven bishops venerated at Tamnach-Buadha, on this day. Selbach enumerates twenty-three saints descending from Fiach Suighdhe, and venerated in our different Calendars. At this date, the Martyrology of Donegal records the Seven Bishops of Tamhnach Buadha [Bishop Tedda of Tamhnach.] We find seven bishops, the sons of one father, adds the Calendarist, while their names and history are among the race of Fiach Suighdhe, son to Feidhlimidh Reachtmhar, son of Tuathal Teachtmhar. There is an almost incredible number of Irish townlands, denominated Tamhnach—Anglice Tawny or Tawnagh either singly or in composition; yet, among these, it appears no easy matter to identify Tamhnach Buadha with any one of them. The ancient etymon probably has become obsolete among our modern local names. Under the head of Tamhnach Buadha, Duald Mac Firbis enters the seven bishops from Tamhnachbuadha, at July 21st.

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