OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Category: Irish Saints

  • Saint Lomman of Lough Gill, February 4

    February 4 is the feast of a 6th-century saint associated with the islands in Lough Gill, County Sligo. Canon O’Hanlon tells us that he was also a participant in the Synod of Dromceat, although not much else appears to be known of the life of Saint Lomman:

    St. Lomman, of Lough Gill, County of Sligo. [Sixth Century.]

    St. Loman was the son of Dalian, son to Bressail, son to Manius, son of Eochaid, son of Domnhail, son to Imchad, son of Colla Dacrioch. To this latter race he belonged. He was born, probably, in the earlier part of the sixth century, when Ireland so much abounded in holy men, and in learned teachers. We find him mentioned, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 4th of February, as Lomman. Here, this name is united, with that of another saint, Colman, Tamlachta Gluidh. This, however, is clearly a peculiarity, or a mistake of entry, on the part of a scribe. We cannot learn, that the Acts of this holy man have been preserved; but, from the Life of St. Farannan, we are informed, that he lived, towards the close of the sixth century. In the Martyrology of Donegal, is set down as having a festival, on this day, Lomman, of Loch Gile, between Cairbre and Breifne. The locality, in question, is the beautiful Lough Gill, lying between the counties of Sligo and of Leitrim, but chiefly within bounds of the former county. Probably, on one of its islands, our saint had erected his hermitage, about, or a little after, the middle of the sixth age. We find this saint had been a contemporary, with the renowned St. Columkille. He assisted, at the great Synod of Dromceat, which according to some writers was held, about the year 580, while others defer it, to A.D. 590. Here, our saint had the singular honour and happiness, no doubt, to welcome the great Apostle of Caledonia; but, it may be, that their acquaintance and friendship had not then been made for the first time.

    …It would seem, that the present saint had lived, probably for some considerable period of his life, on one or other of those islands where we now find the remains of churches on Lough Gill. When he died has not been exactly ascertained; yet, we have every reason to suppose, this occurrence took place, towards the close of the sixth, or about the commencement of the seventh, century.

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  • Saint Cuanan Ghlinne of Moville, February 3

     

     

    February 3 is the feast of an abbot of Moville, County Down, founded by Saint Finnian. Canon O’Hanlon tells us what is know n of him in Volume II of his Lives of the Irish Saints:

     

    St. Cuanan or Cuanna, surnamed Glinn, or Glinne, Abbot of Moville, County of Down. 
    [Eighth Century.]
     
    Where this holy man was born, we have no means left for discovering; but, probably, his birth took place, before the close of the seventh century. In reference to his festival, an entry in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 3rd of February, is, Cuanna (i Glinn) Ab. Maighi Bile. The latter place is now called Moville, in the parish of Newtownards, barony of Lower Ards, and county of Down. A festival, in commemoration of St. Cuanan Glinne, Abbot of Magh-bile, is registered, likewise, in the Martyrology of Donegal, at this day. On such points, nearly all our Calendarists agree. In the calendar, compiled by the Rev. William Reeves, he is also entered, among those holy men, living in the north-eastern part of Ireland. He ruled over this flourishing establishment, while it was in a high state of efficiency. The situation of his monastery was near the head of Strangford Lough, where St. Finian, surnamed Findbarr had founded it, towards the middle of the sixth century. Many other holy abbots preceded him, in the government of this celebrated establishment. His immediate predecessor appears to have been Colman, son of Murcon, who died in the year 731. It would thus seem, that the present holy man was superior of Moville, for about ten or eleven years.
     
    According to the records of the Irish Ordnance Survey, in the parish of Ballybrennan, or Ballycowanmore, alias Kilcowanmore, county of Wexford, there was a well dedicated to a St. Cuan, who was patron saint of the parish. This well was about one hundred yards south-west of the church; and, old people, in 1840, used to come there, on St. Cooaun’s Day, February 3rd, to pray for their friends. The old church of Kilcowan is now utterly ruined. It was about 40 feet in length, and 18 feet 6 inches in breadth. A large and much frequented graveyard surrounds this church…The parish lies within the barony of Forth. Here, too, a patron was held, on the present day. It is likely, therefore, that this holy man must have had some connexion with that place, although he seems to have departed to bliss, in the northern part of Ireland. This saint died, A.D. 742, according to one account [Annals of the Four Masters]; and, again, his death has been deferred to A.D. 746. [Annals of Ulster].

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  • Saint Columbanus of Ghent, February 2


    February 2 is the commemoration of a tenth-century Irish recluse at Ghent in Belgium. It seems, to judge from the footnotes to Canon O’Hanlon’s entry for Saint Columban, that he has been confused with his more famous namesake, Saint Columban (Columbanus) of Bobbio. It also seems that the saint is commemorated on the day of his enclosure as a hermit, February 2 in the the year 957, rather than on the day of his death, February 15. Canon O’Hanlon relies on the efforts of the seventeenth-century hagiologist, Father John Colgan, to uncover what was known about the Belgian Saint Columban and does not hesitate to give the Scottish calendarist, Thomas Dempster, short shrift for his attempts to claim our saint for his own country:

    ST. COLUMBAN, ABBOT AND RECLUSE, AT GHENT, BELGIUM.
    [TENTH CENTURY.]
    AS during his wanderings, the Trojan exile found the fame of his country extended, by the valour and toil of her chiefs, in far distant lands so, may the Irish pilgrim trace the labours of our saints, not alone on their own soil, but in the remote places of their adoption. At the 2nd of February, Colgan and the Bollandists have given St. Columban’s Acts, compiled from various sources and authorities. This saint, there can be little doubt, was a native of Ireland; and the Belgian writers agree on this matter Yet,  Dempster, with his usual effrontery, tries to make him a Scotchman, and he also assumes Columban was a writer. He says, that this saint always lived in Scotland, and he refers to Molanus, who has not a single word of what Dempster pretended to quote from him. So much for the credibility of Dempster’s statements. Regarding the family and origin of Columban, we have no authentic accounts. He is supposed to have been an emigrant from Ireland, either about the time when Forannan, with his twelve companions, left it for Belgium; or, subsequently, in the year 946, when it has been supposed, Saints Cathroe and Maccallan abandoned their native island, for the shores of the Continent. Yet, it is thought to be still more probable, that our saint had been the responsible leader of a missionary band. Colgan remarks, that as the mission of the two saints, already named, took place, about A.D. 946, as our saint was called an abbot, and as he became a recluse A.D. 957, it seems probable, he was rather the leader of a new missionary band, than a member of that circle of disciples, who followed Saints Cathroe and Macallan. Columban is related to have fled away from worldly honours. Neither does Colgan conceive it probable, that our saint remained as a private individual, under the rule of those holy men, for eleven intervening years, during which Macallan and Cathroe successively ruled over Wasor Monastery.  
    Columban was an abbot, either before leaving Ireland, or after his arrival on the Continent; however, having resigned that dignity, the holy man shut himself up as a recluse, in a cemetery, attached to a monastery at Ghent, on the 2nd of February, A.D. 957. He lived here, exercising most austere penance, for the short space of two years, in this city. His death took place, on the 15th day of February, A.D. 959, according to Sanders. He was buried in the Blessed Virgin’s crypt, before the altar of St. Andrew, at Ghent and, his tomb was a little retired from the entrance, under a stone arch. The name of this saint was invoked as a confessor, but not as a bishop, amongst other patrons of Belgium, in litanies, which were recited, during times of public necessity or calamity. It appears not possible to state more particulars regarding this saint; for, his Acts have either perished, or have not been published. Besides some few notices, recorded of Columban, and drawn from Belgian authors cited by him,  Colgan found other writers, relating matters respecting our saint, which were conformable neither to truth nor to credibility. Like the Apostle St. Paul, this holy man gloried in the testimony of a good conscience, living in simplicity of heart and in the grace of God. He passed away from the world, for which he felt no attachment, to enjoy the happiness of eternal life.


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