OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Author: Michele Ainley

  • Saint Baoithin of Ennisboyne, May 22

    May 22 is the feastday of a County Wicklow saint, Baoithin of Ennisboyne. The account below has been edited from that of Canon O’Hanlon in Volume V of his Lives of the Irish Saints:

    St. Baoithin, of Ennisboyne, County of Wicklow.
    [Seventh Century.]

    In the “Feilire” of St. Aengus, on the 22nd of May, the festival and name of Baethine Mac Findach are specially commemorated. The following is Dr. Whitley Stokes’ English translation:—”Ronan (the) Fair’s soul went to starry heaven, with the man bright, prolific, Baethine mac Findach.”— This holy man lived, it is said, in the seventh century. The name Baithin mic Finnach occurs, also, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 22nd of May. On the same authority, and on that of Colgan, the Bollandists notice Baithinus, son of Finnachus. According to the Martyrology of Donegal, Baoithin, son to Finnach, of Inis Baithin, in the east of Leinster, had veneration given him, on this day. By race, he was a Leinsterman; but, his father Findach is stated to have been a robber, in a commentary on that copy of St. Aengus’ “Feilire,” which is to be found in the “Leabhar Breac”. However, as the account given is quite improbable and legendary, we may dismiss it, and the other circumstances referring to our saint’s birth, which are beneath notice. We are told, elsewhere, that he descended from the race of Laoighsech Ceannmor, son to Conall Cearnach. Trea, daughter of Ronan, son to Colman, son of Cairpre, and a daughter to the King of Leinster, was his mother; while, the Scholiast on the “Feilire,” in the “Leabhar Breac,” calls her Cred, daughter of Ronan, King of Leinster, and in Dal Messincorb, moreover, he afterwards lived. This latter narrative seems to intimate, that Boethine had been born in or near Inis Boethine, and there, too, he probably spent his religious days, in retirement from all worldly concerns. This place, now known as Ennisboyne, sometimes called Ennisboheen, or Dunganstown, seems to have derived its denomination from him. This is now a parish, situated in the barony of Arklow, and county of Wicklow…

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  • Saint Brigid, Daughter of Diomman, May 21

    May 21 sees the commemoration of a Saint Brigid, described as the daughter of Diomman. Alas, it is not possible to discover any further details of her life or of when and where she flourished, as Canon O’Hanlon explains:

    St. Brigid, daughter of Dima, or Diomman.

    At the 21st of May, the Martyrology of Tallagh has a Brighit inghen Dimmain. The Martyrologies of Marianus O’Gorman and of Charles Maguire place her festival at this date. The Bollandists also notice Brigid, daughter of Dimanus, at the 21st of May. We have not been able to discover any documentary evidence, which might tend to throw light on that locality, with which she had been formerly connected, or where, after death, she had been specially commemorated. On this day, Brighit, daughter of Diomman, had veneration given her, as we read, likewise, in the Martyrology of Donegal.

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  • Saint Mac Laithbhe of Donoughmore, May 20

    May 20 sees the commemoration of yet another obscure Irish saint whose only memorial is the recording of his feast day on the Irish calendars. In the case of Saint Mac Laithbhe ‘son of Laithbe’ even the recording of an associated locality is of no help as ‘Donoughmore’ is too generic a place name in Ireland to assist in identifying him, as Canon O’Hanlon explains:

    St. Mac Laithbhe, of Donoughmore.

    At the 20th of May, we find a record of this saint, in the published Martyrology of Tallagh, as Mac Laithbhe Domnaighmoir. This latter word was the name of a place. Many localities, called Donoughmore, are known in various parts of our Island; so that it is difficult to discover that one, with which he had been connected. Marluithaes de Momech-mou is noted by the Bollandists, at the 20th of May, and for this feast, the Tallagh Martyrology is quoted;  but, we suspect, the reference has been taken incorrectly from that source. The Martyrology of Donegal,  on this day, registers Mac Laithbhe, of Domhnach-mor. as having been venerated.

    However, on May 27 we find the feast of Saint Eithearn of Donaghmore. He is associated with Domhnach-mór-mic-Laithbhe ‘the great church of the son of Laithbe’ near Slane, County Meath. It has been established that churches which include the word Domhnach (Lord), in their names are among the earliest in Ireland and are linked to the mission of Saint Patrick. It seems that Eithearn is the son of Laithbe described in the church’s title.  Slane is, of course, a locality with well-established Patrician credentials.  Pádraig Ó Riain, in his 2011 Dictionary of Irish Saints, suggests that as May 27 falls within the octave of the May 20 feast of Saint Mac Laithbe, that both days thus probably commemorate the same man, Eithearn, son of Laithbe. 

    Note: This post, first published in 2014, has been revised in 2022.

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