OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Author: Michele Ainley

  • Saint Fethmec of Kiltoom, March 16

    On March 16 Canon O’Hanlon brings us this entry for Saint Fethmec of Kiltoom, a locality which he places near to Castlepollard, County Westmeath:

    St. Feithmech or Felmac, of Cill-Toama, now Kiltoom, County of Westmeath.

    The Bollandists very briefly notice this saint, at the present day, but they style him, incorrectly, Tetmechus Episcopus de Kill-tuama. On the 16th of March, we read in the Martyrology of Tallagh,  he record, Esp. Felmac o Cill Cuanda (no Tuama). From the prefix, we must regard this saint, as having been a bishop. Yet, we find simply, Feithmech, of Cill-Toama, set down in the Martyrologies of Marianus O’Gorman and of Donegal, as having been venerated on this day. Under the head of Cill Cuana, Duald Mac Firbis enters Fethmech, Bishop of Cill Cuana, i.e., Fethmech, Bishop of Cill Tuama, or (Cill) Toama. The former should now be written Kilquan, and the other Kiltoome. There are many places, in Ireland, bearing these names. The locality here indicated is thought to have been Kiltoom, near Castlepollard, county of Westmeath. During the eighth and ninth centuries, certain abbots of this place are recorded, in the Annals of the Four Masters; and, yet, we have not been able to find the present saint’s name among them.

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  • Saint Eoghan, March 15

    March 15 is the feast day of a Saint Eoghan, about whom no other information seems to be known. As the Bollandists note, this is a common name although the scholiast on the seventeenth-century Martyrology of Donegal tried to suggest that he may be Eoghan, the son of Saran, to whom the monastic rule of Saint Ailbhe was addressed, as Canon O’Hanlon reports below:

    St. Eugenius or Eoghan.

    The Martyrology of Tallagh enters a festival for S. Eugenius, simply, at the 15th of March. The Bollandists have merely the name, with an observation, that it is one often met with in the Irish Calendars. The Martyrology of Donegal this day records, Eoghan. “I think,” remarks the writer, “this is Eoghan, son of Saran, of Cluain Caolain, for whom Ailbhe, of Imleach lobhair, composed the very hard rule, which begins, ‘Say for me to the son of Saran,’ &c. For every other person of the same name, that is in the Martyrology, has some title, or church, which he possessed, except the Eoghan, who comes at this day.” In a subsequent page of the Martyrology of Donegal, Dr. Todd places Cluain  Coelain, in the county of Tipperary.
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  • Saint Flannan of Cill-Ard, March 14

    March 14 is the commemoration of Saint Flannan of Cill-Ard. As Canon O’Hanlon explains below, identifying both the holy man and his locality is difficult, as all we have to rely on is the recording of both in the Irish calendars, beginning with the earliest, the Martyrology of Tallaght:

    St. Flannan of Cill-Ard.

    On the 14th of March, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, we find the name of Flanan, Cille aird. Many places, called Killard, are known, in different parts of Ireland. The Bollandists, who barely notice St. Flannanus, at this date, also assert, that, probably, his Kill-aird—formerly called Druimard—was at Hy-Garchon, in Lagenia. For this statement, however, they quote Colgan’s authority, in his Acts of St. Aidus. Under either name, it is not to be found on the Ordnance Survey Maps for the county of Wicklow; although, it was called Killaird there, in the time of Colgan. There was a Cill-airidh—said to be known at present as Killerry, in the barony of Tirerrill, county of Sligo—where there appears to have been an ecclesiastical establishment, in the middle of the fourteenth century. The ancient name for Kilworth, in the county of Cork, is said to have been Cill Uird. Marianus O’Gorman and Cathal Maguire have notices of this saint, in their respective Martyrologies. Flannan, of Cill Ard, is mentioned in the Martyrology of Donegal, on this day. The time when he flourished does not appear to have been ascertained.

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