OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Category: Female Saints

  • Saint Muadhnat of Caille, January 6

    Among the saints commemorated on the Irish calendars on January 6 is a County Sligo holy woman, Muadhnat of Caille. As Canon O’Hanlon explains below, she is one of three saintly siblings, the Daughters of Nadfraich:

    St. Muadhnat, Virgin, of Caille, Drumcliffe, County Sligo.

    [Sixth Century.]

    In numerous instances, we find it was customary in the Irish Church to venerate, on the same day, saints of a particular family, community, or place. Nor is it probable, that all such persons could have died on that particular festival. It rather appears to have been a matter of convenience, thus to classify and unite them, for various good reasons. The present holy woman, and the other two virgins, who follow in order, are said to have been the daughters of Naidfraic, and sisters to St. Molaissius, Abbot of Devenish. The Martyrologies of Tallagh and of Marianus O’Gorman, as also a Commentator on St. Aengus, place the festivals of those pious sisters at the 6th of January. They were venerated at a place called Enac-ard. We find that Caille is said to have been the name of St. Muadhnat’s habitation. It seems to have been situated in Cairbre, and near Drum-cliabh. This was probably her natal place. It is now known as Drumcliffe, a parish in the barony of Lower Carbery, and county of Sligo.  It lies near the sea-shore, a little to the north of Sligo, and it is situated within the diocese of Elphin. A portion of its round tower here remains, as a proof of its ancient consequence. St. Columkille is said to have been the first founder of a religious establishment, at this place. From the sixth century, Drumcliffe had its abbatial succession, and the herenachy of the Church became limited in the eleventh century to the family of O’Beollain or O’Boland. To St. Columkille is attributed the poetic sentiment of attachment to this spot :—

    Beloved to my heart also in the West—
    Drumcliffe at Culcinne’s strand.

    Its situation is one of great attractiveness to the tourist, and yet in a district but little frequented.

    The present Protestant church stands on the site of an ancient religious establishment; while many relics of the past are observable throughout the parish. We are told that a religious house had been founded here by a St. Fintan, a disciple of St. Columba, at a place called Cailleavinde. This was probably the Caille, where St. Muadhnat’s Convent stood.

    St. Muadhnat is mentioned in the Martyrology of Donegal, as having had a festival on this day. She lived in the sixth century. In the table appended, she is also called Muaghneat, i.e., Mo-Aignes. In the published Martyrology of Tallagh, we find a notice at the 6th of January, Ingen Natfraich, in Enach-airdd. There is probably a mistake for Ingena, the plural form, and which relates to the festival of Natfraich’s daughters. Likewise, incorrectly joined, there is an entry together with St. Diarmaid, whose feast occurs this same day.

  • Saint Fiadhnat, January 4

    Another of the many obscure Irish female saints is commemorated on January 4. All we know of Saint Fiadhnat is the recording of her name in the Irish calendars, and in the absence of anything else to say Canon O’Hanlon sounds wonderfully Victorian as he complains about the number of females ‘addicted to idle or frivolous pleasures’:

    St. Fidnatan, or Fiadhnat, Virgin. 

    Numberless females are found in society addicted to idle or frivolous pleasures. Their lives are spent as a taper that wastes away its substance, giving little or only a very flickering light. The name of Fidnatan, virgin, is mentioned in the “Martyrology of Tallagh,” on the 4th of January. Besides this entry, Fiadhnat, the same virgin, is recorded on this day in the “Martyrology of Donegal.” The distinction of sanctity accorded her proves the genuine merits of her well-ordered life.

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  • Saint Sarbile of Faughart, September 4

    September 4 sees the commemoration of Saint Sarbile from the Faughart district of County Louth, which some hagiographical traditions claim to be the birthplace of Saint Brigid of Kildare. The Faughart area is also hailed as the birthplace of Saint Monnina of Killeavy. The Irish sources agree that Monnina was not the original name of this holy woman and most record that she was originally called Dareca. This comment on the Leabhar Breac copy of the Feilire of Oengus, however also notes “Moninne of Slieve Gullion, and Sarbile was her name previously. Or Darerca was her name at first…” So it seems there may be some confusion here. In Volume IX of his Lives of the Irish Saints Canon O’Hanlon provides the few details on the life of Saint Sarbile:

    St. Sarbile, Virgin of Fochart, County of Louth.

    As Mary, mentioned in the Gospel, loved to sit at the feet of Jesus, so do holy virgins desire that calm and rest, in which His voice is best heard speaking to their hearts. We find set down in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 4th of September, that veneration was given to Sarbile, Virgin of Fochairde, or Fochart, in the old district of Murtheimhne. This is now a level country in the present County of Louth. It extends from the River Boyne to the Mountains of Cuilgne, or Carlingford. The Martyrology of Donegal simply records the name Sarbile, of Fochard, at the same date. This may have been the St. Orbilia, Virgin, whose Acts Colgan had intended to produce at the present day, as we have gathered from the list of his unpublished manuscripts.

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