OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Author: Michele Ainley

  • Saint Mo-sacra, Abbot of Saggard, March 3

     

    The Irish calendars at March 3 commemorate Saint Sacer or Mo-sacra, abbot of Saggard, County Dublin. The Martyrology of Donegal records:

    3. F. QUINTO NONAS MARTII. 3.

    MOHSACCRA, Abbot, of Cluain-eidhneach in Laoighis, and of Tigh Sacra, in the vicinity of Tamlacht, and of Fionn-mhagh in Fotharta.

    O’Hanlon records what is known of him:

    This saint, variously named Sacer, Mo-Sacer, Mo-Sacra, Mothacra and Moacra, has his Acts given by Colgan, and more briefly still by the Bollandists. He was the son of Senan, son to Luachan, son of Roer, son to Loga Lethanglais, son of Conall Anglonn, son to Eochad, son of Fieg, son to Factna, son of Senchad, son to Olild, son of Maelcroc, son to Roderic, King of Ireland. He appears to have been called Sacer, from a Latin word, which expresses holiness of life, by which he had been distinguished; and, to this cognomen, the endearing term, Mo, was prefixed. However, Sacer not being a name in use amongst the ancient Irish, we must suppose it, as only secondary to a previous and more national one. This holy abbot appears to have flourished, before or about the middle of the seventh century, if we are to rely upon accounts, furnished by our Martyrologists, regarding his genealogy.

    He erected a monastery, afterwards called after him, Tegh-Sacra, or “the house of Sacer” and, over this foundation, he presided as abbot. The place is now known as Saggard, a small village, and the head of a parish, seven Irish miles S.W. from the Castle of Dublin. The site of Saggard’s ancient monastery and chapel is said to have been on a rise of the Dublin mountains, about one mile beyond the modern village. Saggard, at first bore the name of Tassagard. It is related, that Mo-Sacra also governed, for some time, Finn-magh monastery, at Fotharta, within the province of Leinster.

    [A parish at Tomhaggard, County Wexford, believes that its locality can be identified with Finn-magh:

    As is the case with many parishes and townlands, we find the name of Tomhaggard, as it is known to day, rendered in several forms in ancient charters and deeds. The earliest name of the place was probably “Fion-magh”, which name is mentioned in one or two old documents.

    The parish, however, derives its present title from Saint Mosacer, who succeeded St. Abban as Abbot of Camross and who, incidentally, was also patron of Saggart in Co. Dublin. Tomhaggard stems from the old spelling of ‘Tomhager’ which, in its uncorrupted form, meant “Tomb of St. Mosacer”. There is no extant tradition relating to the exact position of the burial-place of this saint in Tomhaggard. St. Mosacer died in 650 and the local patron day was on March 3rd.]

    Mo-Sacra assisted at a synod held, in the reign of Comgall, King of Ireland, about the year 695, and under the presidency of Flann, Archbishop of Armagh. At this council over forty bishops and abbots were present. Colgan had a copy of the Acts of that synod. Our saint is thought, also, to have been abbot, at Clonenagh ; but, it is more than probable, a Mosacra who had been abbot lived there, at a later period. He appears to have been confounded with our saint, in the Calendar of Cashel, which states, that Mo sacra lived, in the time of Neill Glandubh, King of Ireland. Mo-Sacra of Saggard must have died, however, during or before the reign of that monarch’s great-grandfather; since, he is mentioned, in the Festilogy of St. Oengus, which was written, after the year 792, or during Aedh Oirdnidhe’s reign. The festival of our saint was kept, on the 3rd of March, as appears from the Feilire of St. Oengus. His name is entered, at the same date, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, as Moshacra mac Senain of Tigh Thacra. The Calendars of Cashel, of Marianus O’Gorman and of Maguire have their relative notices regarding him. In the Martyrology of Donegal is set down on this day, Mohsaccra, Abbot, of Cluain-eidhneach or Clonenagh, in Laoighis, or Leix, and of Tigh-Sacra, or Saggart, in the vicinity of Tamhlacht, and of Fionn-mhagh in Fotharta. The Kalendar of Drummond, at the 3rd of March, notices the Natalis of Mo-Sacro and of Cele.
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  • Saints Slebhene and Suibhne of Iona, March 2

    There are no less than three abbots of Iona commemorated on March 2. Last year’s post looked at Saint Feargna Britt, now Canon O’Hanlon records the remaining pair, beginning with Saint Slebhene:

    St. Slebhene, or Slebhine, Abbot of Iona [Eighth Century]

    At this date, likewise, the Irish Church seems to have venerated another abbot of Iona. When or where he was born does not appear to have transpired; yet, we have sufficient proof, that he was of a well-known Irish race. The Martyrology of Donegal this day registers, Slebhene, son of Conghal. His father was Dubhduin, son to Slebhine, son of Seghine, son to Ronan or Cronan, son of Loam, who was the son of Fergus Cennfada or Duach, and of his wife, Erca, the daughter of Loam Mor. Thus was he in a right line descended from the race of Conall Gulban, son to Niall the Great. The holy man Slebhine seems to have lived under the discipline of Cilline Droicteach, who died abbot of Iona, on the 3rd of July, A.D. 752.

    The virtues and merits of Slebhine, no doubt, singled him out, among his brother monks, as worthy of succession. He was the fifteenth abbot of Ia, and soon after his accession, the death of Cillen, son of Congaile—probably his own brother—took place in Hy. During the period of Slebhine’s incumbency, the Columbian influence in Ireland seems to have been at its height, as may be concluded from the mention of the Lex Columcille having been enforced by Domhnall, King of Ireland, in A.D. 753, and also by Sleibene himself, A.D. 757. In the year 754, the Abbot of Iona visited Ireland; and, in the year 758, he returned thither. After the death of Fedhlimidh or Failbe, who discharged the duties of assistant abbot of Hy, Sleibne passed to the rewards of the just, A.D. 754, according to the Annals of Inisfallen. Those of the Four Masters, however, place his demise, at A.D. 762; while the Annals of Ulster have the year 766, and again, the Rev. William Reeves states, that he died, on the 2nd of March, A.D. 767, after an incumbency of fifteen years, over the celebrated monastery of Iona.

    St. Suibhne, Abbot of Iona. [Eighth Century]

    The pedigree of this holy man is not recorded; but, probably, he was born in Ireland, and of the Tirconnellian race. He seems to have discharged the duties of assistant abbot at Iona, during the lifetime of Slebhine, and in that capacity he visited Ireland, A.D. 765, or 766. On his death, the succeeding year, Suibhne succeeded to the full rule of the monastery, which only engaged his care for four years exactly, for he died, on the 2nd day of March, A.D. 772.

     

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  • Saint Baitan, Abbot of Clonmacnoise, March 1

     

    On March 1 the Irish calendars commemorate Saint Baitan, a seventh-century abbot of the monastery of Clonmacnoise. The entry in the Martyrology of Donegal reads

    1. D. KALENDIS MARTII. 1.

    BAOTAN, Mac Ua Corbmaic, abbot of Cluain-mic-Nois, A.D. 663.

    Saint Baitan (Boetan, Baotan, Buadan, Boedan, Baithan, Da-Buadoc) succeeded Aedlugh, whose death is recorded in the Annals at 26th of February, 651, as abbot of Clonmacnoise. Here is how one nineteenth-century writer described him:

    BAEDAN MAC UA CORMAIC,

    whose tribe was of the illustrious Conmaicne Mara family, succeeded in the Abbacy. Ware, Lanigan, and Lynch, in his MSS. history, style this holy man Baitan O’Cormac, ” first a Monk, then Abbot, and lastly Bishop of Clonmacnoise; a man of much piety and learning.” He is named in our Martyrologies, on the 1st of March; but there, as well as in our ancient Annals, receives only the title of Abbot. This is a strong confirmatory proof of the assertion with which we set out, namely, that Abbot and Bishop may here be taken as synonymous. This holy Bishop’s obit, is put down by some as having taken place in 663, and by others, in 660. About that year the plague, called Buidhe Connaill, began to rage in Ireland, and of it some of the most remarkable men of that time in Ireland died.

    Rev John Monahan, Records Relating to the Dioceses of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise (Dublin, 1886), 82.

    Canon O’Hanlon summarizes the evidence for Saint Baitan’s feast on the calendars:

    Baitan, Bishop of Cluan, is mentioned in the Martyrology of Tallagh, as having a festival on the 1st of March, which it appears was the date for his death. Marianus O’Gorman, and his Scholiast, as also Maguire, concur in their statements. We read, in the Martyrology of Donegal, that Baotan, Mac Ua Corbmaic, Abbot of Cluain-mic-Nois, was venerated on this day. The year 660 is assigned for the death of this holy abbot, by the Chronicon Scotorum, and by the Annals of Clonmacnoise; but, A.D. 663, according to the Annals of Ulster, and of the Four Masters.

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