OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Category: Irish Saints

  • The Feast of the Dispersion of the Apostles, July 15

    On July 15 Canon O’Hanlon notes the recording, in the Martyrology of Aengus, of The Feast of the Dispersion of the Apostles. This feast marks the dispersal of the Holy Apostles to their various missionary destinations, but in some of the copies of Saint Aengus’s calendar a list of not only the biblical Twelve Apostles is appended, but also a list of the ‘Twelve Apostles of Ireland‘. This was a name given to a group of early saints, presented as students of Saint Finnian of Clonard, who themselves dispersed to various parts of Ireland to evangelise this country. Some of them are also credited with founding missions outside of Ireland. In the account below I have transferred the actual quotations from the Martyrology out of the footnotes and into the main body of Canon O’Hanlon’s text. I have also added some notes on the identities of the Irish Twelve:

    Festival of the Twelve Apostles.

    In the ancient Irish Church, on the 15th day of July, was celebrated the Festival of the Twelve Apostles, as we read in the “Feilire” of St. Aengus. In the “Leabhar Breac” copy is the following Irish rann, translated into English, by Whitley Stokes, LL.D.

    “The twelve Apostles who excel every number,
    before a countless host
    Jesus distributed them among Adam’s seed.”—

    There is an Irish stanza annexed, in which those Twelve Apostles are severally named. Thus translated into English :—

    “Simon, Matthaeus and Matthew,
    Bartholomew, Thomas, Thaddaeus,
    Peter, Andrew, Philip, Paul,
    John and the two Jameses.

    and succeeding it, there is another, enumerating the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. This is headed “XII. Apostoli Hiberniae,” and then follow these lines, thus translated into English:

    “The Twelve Apostles of Ireland :—
    “Two Finnens, two chaste Colombs,
    Ciaran, Caindech, fair Comgall,
    Two Brenainns, Ruadan with splendour,
    Nindid, Mobii, son of Natfraech.”

    This ancient Festival, styled the Separation of the Apostles of Christ for their Missions in various parts of the old world, has been often alluded to by the early Greek and Latin Fathers. The Bollandists, who place it at the 15th of July, have a learned disquisition on its origin and history, to which the reader is referred.

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    Notes on the Twelve Apostles of Ireland:

    Two Finnens – the two great Saint Finnians – Finnian of Clonard, ‘tutor of the saints of Ireland’ and Finnian of Moville.

    Two Chaste Colombs – Saint Columba of Iona and Saint Columba of Terryglass.

    Ciaran – Some lists include two Ciarans, both Saint Ciaran the Elder (of Saighir) and Ciaran the Younger (of Clonmacnoise).

    Caindech – Saint Canice or Kenneth of Kilkenny.

    Fair Comgall – Saint Comgall of Bangor.

    Two Brenainns – Saints Brendan the Elder (of Birr) and Brendan the Younger (the Navigator) of Clonfert.

    Ruadan with splendour – Saint Ruadhan of Lorrha.

    Nindid – Saint Ninnidh of Inismacsaint.

    Mobii – Saint Mobhí of Glasnevin.

    Son of Natfraech – Molaise of Devenish.

    Finally, it may be noted that the list of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland is preserved in various manuscripts which do not always tally. Some of the saints, not present on this list, can include Saints Senan and Sinell.

  • Saint Colman, Son of Aingen, July 14

    Another name to add to our list of Irish saints called Colman – Colman, Son of Aingen, commemorated on July 14. Canon O’Hanlon seems to have been aware only of the evidence from the Irish calendars, but Pádraig Ó Riain in his A Dictionary of Irish Saints has accessed genealogical sources to add some welcome extra details. These associate this Colmán, along with his two brothers Cúrnán and Mac Reithe, with Killeroran, County Galway. The trio were also remembered in the church of Ceall Mac nAinghin(e) in Ballymoe. But Canon O’Hanlon’s account below, taken from Volume VII of his Lives of the Irish Saints, refers only to the Irish calendars:

    St. Colman, Son of Aingen.

    In the Martyrology of Tallagh, the name of Colman Mac Andgein appears, at the 14th of July. The patronymic furnishes little clue to his family or descent, much less to his locality. He probably lived in or before the eighth century. In the Martyrology of Donegal,we have entered, likewise, Colman, the son of Aingen. On the authority of Father O’Sheerin, the Bollandists have inserted his festival at the present date.
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  • Saint Cruimther Fionntain of Cill-Airthir, July 13

    Canon O’Hanlon brings details of an interesting saint at July 13: Cruimther Fionntain of Cill-airthir. The epithet Cruimther or cruimhthear indicates that our saint was a priest. In his account below, taken from Volume VII of the Lives of the Irish Saints, Canon O’Hanlon first tries to find a locality which fits   with Cill-airthir and then introduces the speculation of Father J.F. Shearman, author of the Loca Patriciana, a study of places associated with Saint Patrick, that our Cruimther Fintan is to be identified with a Crubther Fintain mentioned in the Life of the Welsh saint, Cybi, and based on the Island of Aran. When I turned to the authoritative A Dictionary of Irish Saints by Pádraig Ó Riain, a somewhat different picture of our Priest Fintan emerges. Ó Riain places him in Killerr, County Roscommon and does not comment on Father Shearman’s Aran/St Cybi theory. Instead he refers to the Life of Saint Mochta of Louth where Fiontan is portrayed as a disciple of Saint Patrick who is torn apart by the demons his master battles during Lent on Croagh Patrick. Saint Patrick restores Fiontan, who doesn’t even have a scar from his ordeal. He then went on to become abbot of Killair.  So, a most interesting saint, even if we can only rely on hagiographical rather than historical sources for details of his life and career. Canon O’Hanlon appears to be unaware of the sources Ó’Riain has used, but the account of St Cybi’s difficult dealings with the man of Aran, even if he isn’t our man, is such a good story that I will publish it on the commemoration of the Welsh saint on November 8:

    Cruimther Fionntain, of Cill-airthir. 

    Happy must be the condition of Christian communities, where we find the good priest united with a pious people, and a faithful flock bearing reverence towards their holy pastor. A festival to honour Cruimther Fionntain, of Cill-airthir, appears registered in the Martyrology of Donegal at this date. There is a Killartery townland in the parish of Mayne, barony of Ferrard, and county of Louth; there is also a Killartry townland in the parish of Aghavea, barony of Magherastephana, and county of Fermanagh. These seem the only Irish denominations likely to correspond with the ancient nomenclature of his place, which does not appear to be known. The Rev. John Francis Shearman has identified the present Cruimther Fintan with a Crubther Fintain, who lived in the Island of Aran, and who is said to have chased St. Cybi and his companions Maclog and Cyngar, not only from that place, but even away from Ireland. This, however, is manifestly a legendary story. The Bollandists were furnished by Father O’Sheerin, with a notice of Fintanus Sacerdos de Kill airthir, for the 13th of July.

     

    Content Copyright © Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae 2012-2016. All rights reserved.