OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Category: Irish Saints

  • Saint Colman of Clonard, February 9

    On February 9 Canon O’Hanlon brings us an entry on one of the many saints named Colman recorded in the Irish calendars. As with most of these homonymous saints, nothing is really certain about the life of Saint Colman of Clonard. The place name Clonard is most famously associated with the County Meath monastic foundation of Saint Finnian, but it is far from being the only locality with this name. It seems though that some of the sources depict our saint as the nephew of Saint Finnian, and the connection is further strengthened by the linking of this saint by the seventeenth-century antiquary, Sir James Ware, to an abbot of Clonard whose death in the year 700 was recorded by the Irish Annals:

    St. Colman, of Cluain Eraird, or Clonard, County of Meath.

    [Possibly in the Seventh Century]

    A stranger, viewing the towers, abbeys and monasteries, dispersed throughout the county of Meath, would be inclined to exclaim, “This was the land of saints, indeed!”  The present holy man is styled Mocolmoc, Cluana Iraird, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 9th of February. If what follows be correct, he must have been a nephew to the celebrated founder of Clonard, in the ancient territory of Meath; for, we are told, that Rioghnach, sister of Finnen, of Cluain Eraird was his mother. Her parents, therefore, seem to have been Fintan, descended from the family of Loschain, and her mother’s name was Talech. The present St. Colman must have lived, in that case, in the sixth century. According to the published Martyrology of Donegal, on this day was venerated, Colman, of Cluain Eraird. In Harris’ Ware, we read, that a Colman O’Heir died, on the 9th of February, A.D. 700.  I cannot find the  authority, for placing his death on the present date of the month; but, our Annals concur in stating, that Colman-Ua-hEire died Abbot of Clonard, in the year 700. It is possible, he may be identified, with the present St. Colman.

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  • Saint Ternoc the Anchorite, February 8

    Canon O’Hanlon has an entry on February 8 , for a saintly hermit who is associated with the area of the River Barrow:

    St. Trenog or Ternoc, Anchorite, on the West of the River Barrow.

    This holy man is entered, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 8th of February, as Ternoc, Anchorita. From the latter adjunct, we may suppose he lived a solitary life. A later record spells his name somewhat differently, and it also vaguely defines his place. In the Martyrology of Donegal, there is recorded, on this day, a festival, for St. Trenog, an Anchorite, on the west of the Bearbha. This was the ancient name for the River Barrow; yet, although conjectures may be offered, regarding various old churches and former religious sites, at the direction indicated, such a description is still too indefinite, to discover the exact position of that place, where St. Ternoc or Ternog passed his hermit-life.

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  • Saint Brigid, Daughter of Doma, February 7

    February 7 is the commemoration of another saint Brigid, this one known as the Daughter of Doma. Although her feast is well-attested on all the Irish calendars, nothing more is known of her life, as Canon O’Hanlon explains:

    St. Brigid, Daughter of Doma or Droma.

    The name of St. Brigid, daughter to Doma, Dioma, Domma, Droma or Drona, as variously written by different authorities, is set down in our Irish Calendars, at this day. Various distinct saints, called Brigid, are noticed in our calendars. In the Rev. Dr. Kelly’s version of the Martyrology of Tallagh, the present saint is called Brigit ingean Droma, on the 7th of February. At the same day, she is mentioned in the Martyrologies of Marianus O’Gorman and of Charles Maguire. It is stated, likewise, that Aengus the Culdee and Geoffrey Keating mention this saint. We read, in the Martyrology of Donegal, concerning Brighit, a daughter of Domma, as being venerated on this day. Her history is furthermore exceedingly obscure.

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