Author: Michele Ainley

  • Saint Torbach Mac Gorman of Armagh, July 16

     

    Canon O’Hanlon brings us details of an eighth/ninth-century Archbishop of Armagh, Torbach Mac Gorman, at July 16:

    St. Torptha, or Torbach Mac Gorman, Archbishop of Armagh.

    [Eighth and Ninth Centuries.]

    At the 16th of July, the Martyrologies of Tallagh, and of Donegal, register simply the name, Torptha. He was identical with a celebrated Archbishop of Armagh, whose father’s name was Gorman. He descended from the Kinel-Torbaich, i.e., the Hy Kellaich of the Bregian district, in the east of Meath. He was an admirable lector and abbot of Ard-Macha. He only sat for one year, after having been elevated to the primatial dignity. He is known as Torbach Mac Gorman. He departed this life, on the 16th of July, A.D. 807, or recte 812.

     

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

  • Saint Ronan, son of Magh, July 15

    Yesterday we looked at one of the many Irish saints called Colmán and saw that, despite having a patronymic appended to the recording of his name in the calendars, he could not be identified further. Today we are once again in this position with a saint called Ronan, son of Magh. Canon O’Hanlon can bring only the barest details:

    St. Ronan, Son of Magh.

    In the Martyrology of Tallagh, at this date, there is an entry Ronani mic Magi. Veneration was given to Ronan, son of Magh, at the 15th of July, as we find inserted in the Martyrology of Donegal.

     

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

  • Saint Ernin of Inis-Caoin, July 13

    July 13 is the commemoration of Saint Ernin of Inis-Caoin and the name of both the man and his locality are shared in common with a number of others. Canon O’Hanlon reckons the place in this case is to be found in counties Meath and Cavan. In the Lives of the Irish Saints he lists twenty-five saints with the name Ernin, most of whom, like today’s saint, are obscure figures. There is evidence though that at one time this saint was remembered in his locality by a pattern at a holy well dedicated to him:

    St. Ernin, or Arney, of Inis-caoin, now Inniskeen, Counties of Meath and Cavan.

    At the 13th of July, veneration was given to Ernin, of Inis-caoin, as appears in the Martyrology of Donegal. There are three distinct Inis-caoins, viz. : first, Inishkeen, on Lough Erne; secondly, another on Lough Melvin— both of these are in the county of Fermanagh—and thirdly, Inis-caoin-Deagha, or Iniskeen, in the county of Louth. But, the Enniskeen, or Eniskeen, with which the present saint appears to have been connected, was a parish located, partly in the baronies of Lower Kells and Lower Slane, in the county of Meath, but chiefly in the barony of Clonkee, in the county of Cavan. This old church of Eniskeen has been torn down and uprooted, save and except old crosses and numerous tombs, which serve to mark the resting-places of the faithful. No traces remain at present illustrative of the ancient worship. Here, the festival of St. Arney had been celebrated each 13th day of July. A holy well, dedicated to this saint, springs from the soil, and convenient to the burying-ground. It is now dried up, but stations used to be performed there, on the feast-day. It was called Toberarney. In the days of persecution, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass had to be celebrated on a large block of stone, outside the graveyard of Eniskeen. Anciently, this seems to have been the pedestal of a stone cross or a sanctuary terminus. Various other curious antique objects are in this parish. There is a notice of this saint’s festival, on the 13th of July, as furnished by Father O’Sheerin to the Bollandists.
    Content Copyright © Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae 2012-2015. All rights reserved.