OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Category: Female Saints

  • Saint Lassair of Donaghmoyne, April 18

     

    April 18 is the feast day of one of the many Irish female saints about whom we know little, Lassair of Donaghmoyne. In his Lives of the Irish Saints, Canon O’Hanlon recorded 14 female saints with the name of Lassar, most of whom, like the daughter of Eoghan commemorated today, remain shadowy figures. I did notice, however, that our holy woman is commemorated on the same day as the much more famous male saint Laserian/Molaise of Leighlin and checked Professor Ó Riain’s new Dictionary of Irish Saints for a second opinion. Sure enough he confirms that ‘both saints are likely to have originally represented the same cult’. He also quotes a note appended to the Martyrology of Donegal which effectively overturns Canon O’Hanlon’s identification of the holy woman’s church with that of Moyne in County Mayo. For the note records that the church of Donaghmoyne had two patrons, Ciar and Lasair, and Ó Riain argues that the church was actually
situated in the barony of Farney, County Monaghan. It is particularly interesting to note that just as our obscure female Lassair shares her commemoration with the famous male Laserian, her co-patroness Ciar may also be
commemorated on September 9, the feast of Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise. Below is Canon O’Hanlon’s brief account of Saint Lassair:

    St. Lassar, Virgin, daughter of Eoghan, of Maigin, possibly Moyne, in the County of Mayo

    This holy female appears, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 18th of April, as Lasar, daughter of Eccain of Maighin. From the same authority, the Bollandists enter Lassara filia Egani de Maigin. This locality, perhaps, was identical with the present Moyne, in the barony of Tirawley, and county of Mayo. A conventual establishment for religious women may have existed there, previous to the foundation of a Franciscan Monastery, early in the fifteenth century….The Martyrology of Donegal, registers the name of Lassar, virgin, and daughter to Eoghan, of Maighin, as having veneration paid her, at this date.

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  • 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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