OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Category: Female Saints

  • Saint Coine of Kilkine, April 4

    April 4 is the commemoration of yet another of our obscure female saints, Coine of Kilkine, County Wicklow. The saint is referred to as Coine in the earliest of the Irish martyrologies and as Caoimhe in the latest. Caoimhe (pronounced ‘Keeva’) is the feminine version of the male name Caoimhin or Kevin, and thus tradition seeks to associate this holy woman with the great saint of Glendalough, also in County Wicklow. Saint Kevin’s hagiography seeks to provide him with various family members, all of whose names embody the same element as his own, caomh ‘fair’ – thus his father is called Caomhlugh, his mother Caoimheall, his brother Caomhán, so it is no surprise to find that today’s saint is said to be his sister. Canon O’Hanlon, having a dearth of information on this saint, concludes with some remarks on the veiling of women:

    St. Caemh, or Coine, Virgin, of Cill-Caoimhe, or Coine, probably Kilkine, County of Wicklow.

    The great ones of earth pass away from life obtaining human applause, often undeservedly bestowed;but, the good should be held, in each Christians grateful and affectionate remembrance, as the present holy woman deserved to be known in her day. On the 4th of April, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, we find her name and place inserted, as Coini i-Cillé Coine. The Bollandists have it, Coina de Kill-Coine. There is a Kilkine old church, in the parish of Ballykine, in the County of Wicklow. The present saint may have been the sister of St. Kevin, founder of Glendalough, and, it seems not improbable, that she lived in the place previously mentioned; or, at least, we do not find any nearer corresponding denomination, on the Irish Ordnance Maps.

    The old graveyard of the place is still much used, but only a few fragments of the old church walls are to be seen there; and the situation—a peculiarly retired one—lies within a well-wooded demesne, known as Whaley Abbey, near Avondale House and Demesne, as also, near the celebrated Meeting of the Waters.



    The festival, in honour of Caemh, Virgin, of Cill Caoimhe, was celebrated on this day, as we read, in the Martyrology of Donegal. The first successor of St. Peter, in his chair at Rome, had decreed, that all women should enter the churches, with their heads veiled, as a mark of respect for the holiness of God’s House. In after time, this veiling of pious females was peculiarly a distinctive usage of religious Virgins.

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  • Saint Bronagh of Kilbroney, April 2

     

    On April 2 we commemorate a County Down holy woman, Saint Bronagh of Kilbroney, who despite having no surviving written Life or other mention in the historical record, retains the devotion of the Irish people to this day. Her home territory is situated in a beautiful valley near the village of Rostrevor, and the local Catholic parish church preserves a bell associated with the saint, even though it was made some centuries later. This bell was hidden at some point, possibly to preserve it from destruction during the iconoclasm associated with the Protestant reformation, and was rediscovered during the nineteenth century. Canon O’Hanlon does not seem to be aware of the recovery of the bell in his account of the saint, taken from Volume IV of his Lives of the Irish Saints, but does mention another relic, the saint’s bachall, or staff:

    ST. BRONACH, VIRGIN, PATRONESS OF KILBRONY PARISH, COUNTY OF DOWN.

    Time was when the holy virgin, St. Bronach, gave a bright example of faith, and of devotion to her sacred calling, among those majestic mountains of Mourne, that rise within the modem parish of Kilbrony. Her period, however, does not seem to be known. She is called the Virgin of Glen-Seichis, which was an ancient name for the modern parish of Kilbrony, in the county of Down, also bearing the names of Glentegys, Clonfeys, Clonseys, and Kyllbronca, in ancient documents. This parish bears the name of Killowen, in addition to its many other denominations, from a district so called, which lies in its southern part. It is called, likewise, the church of Nister. This parish was merely a mensal one, belonging to the Bishop of Dromore, while we find that the Mc Keon family—and perhaps other families—styled themselves “servants of St. Bronach.” This church was called by the present name of Kilbrony, from Bronach, its patron saint, whose festival is placed by the O’Clerys, at the 2nd of April. In their Calendar, we find: “Bronach a virgin of Glionn-Seichis.”Of this parish, likewise, St. Bronach is the special patroness. She is called, also, Bromana, and her festival belongs to this day. The old church of this parish is situated, about half-a-mile north-east of that beautiful village, known as Rosstrevor, in the county of Down. This church is now a venerable ruin, and in the adjoining chapel-yard an ancient stone cross may be seen. The Kilbrony mensal consisted of certain lands, tithes and dues, which were appendant upon an office, known as that of St. Bromana’s baculus, in the church of St. Bromana, according to old documents. We find the place styled a Rectory and a Vicarage. The custody of a certain relic, said to have been possessed by our saint, and attended with some privileges, had been formerly assigned by the bishop of this diocese to a clerical keeper. In the church of Kilbrony, appears to have been preserved the baculus or crozier of St. Bronach; and, the guardianship of this relic was entrusted to an ecclesiastic, who farmed certain lands, tithes and dues, belonging to the bishop’s mensal in this parish. In a Taxation of all the Benifices in Dromore diocese, which took place in A.D. 1546, the Vicar of Killbronagh, now Kilbrony, was assessed at two marks. In the Martyrology of Tallagh, the patron’s name occurs, at the 2nd of April, as Bronach, Virgin. The Martyrology of Donegal this day registers, Bronach, Virgin, of Cill Sechis, as having a festival. The Rev. Alban Butler has a record of this holy woman, at the 2nd of April, and she is noticed, moreover, in the Circle of the Seasons. Likewise, that Calendar, compiled by the Rev. William Reeves, giving her name, festival and locality, may be mentioned, in this connexion.

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  • Saint Mella of Doire-Melle, March 31

     

    We close the month of March with the commemoration of Saint Mella, an abbess who embraced the religious life in later years, having borne two sons who themselves were saints. Canon O’Hanlon provides the details:

    ST. MELLA, ABBESS OF DOIRE-MELLE, COUNTY OF LEITRIM.

    [EIGHTH CENTURY]
    Some account of this holy woman is given by Colgan and by the Bollandists. St. Mella flourished, about the middle of the eighth century, in the northern parts of the Connaught province. This, has been inferred, from the circumstance of her son St. Tighernach’s death, having been recorded, at A.D. 805. The devout matron, by God’s holy decree, was the happy mother of two sons, whose names are found on record, in the pages of our Irish Martyrologies. These are named respectively, St. Cannech, a Priest, and St. Tigernach, an Abbot. Having been deprived of her husband, by death, she afterwards formed the resolution of embracing a religious life. St. Tigernach erected a religious house, near Lough Melve, —now known as Lough Melvin,—in the county of Leitrim, and within the diocese of Killmore. He left this establishment, in favour of his mother; and, he then retired to another monastery, named Kill-Acaidh, or “the church of the field,” the situation of which is unknown. St. Mella presided over a community of holy women, at the former place which, from her, took the name of Doire-Melle, which signifies, the “oak grove of Mella.” We are told, it had been situated in Rossinver parish, county of Leitrim, although the name is not known, at present. It is said, she ruled over her nunnery for many years; but, little more has transpired respecting her. She is supposed to have died, before the year 787, as her name occurs, in the Martyrology of Tallagh. In it we find inserted, Mella, at the 9th, and Doire Mella, added, at the 31st of March, to the same etymon. In the Martyrologies of Marianus O’Gorman, and of Cathald Maguire, there is a Mella, belonging to the church of Cluainai, set-down, for the 19th of March. But, she may have been a distinct person. The Martyrology of Donegal gives her this title of Doire Mella, on the 31st of January, when alluding to her son Cainneach; but, at the present day, it has no record of her feast. By her influence and authority, St. Mella awakened in the souls of her religious, as of her own two sons, the love and fear of God. This she effected, likewise, in the spirit of gentleness, forbearance, and true charity.

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