OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Category: Irish Saints

  • Saint Giallán of Killelan, October 2

    October 2 is the second commemoration on the Irish calendars of a County Kildare saint, Giallán of Killelan. His earlier feast day is September 6 at which time I posted the following information regarding him:

    Professor Pádraig Ó Riain, in his 2011 Dictionary of Irish Saints reveals that the saint is associated with the County Kildare locality of Killelan, probably originally Ceall Ghialláin. The Giallán of this place is described in a scribal note found in the Martyrology of Tallaght at October 2 which refers to a Leinster prince called Oinmhe, a hostage with Saint Brigid of Kildare. He is then renamed Giallán, from the Irish word for a hostage giall. October 2 seems to be the main commemoration of Saint Giallán, but his name is recorded on September 6 in the Martyrology of Tallaght, although this is the only Irish calendar where it appears on this day.

    The scribal note records how the prince was given as a hostage, first to another ruler and then subsequently to Saint Brigid, in order to secure the submission of his father:

    [OCTOBER 2]

    Onme (i.e. simul) or Omne son of the king of Leinster. And he was given as a hostage to the king of Leth Cuind, and he gave him into Brigit’s hand that she might on his account obtain submission a patre suo, et aliquo die dixerunt discipulae Brigitae ei: ‘ ’tis lovely the little hostage (giallán) is to-day,’ said they. ‘Giallán will be his name for ever,’ said Brigit. And that is the one who is in Cell Giallain in Ui Muiridaig.

    It seems that the little hostage made quite an impression on Saint Brigid and her household!


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  • Saint Colman of Comhruire, September 25

    September 25 is the feast day of yet another Irish Saint Colman, this one associated with the founding of a church at Uisneach Hill, County Westmeath. Canon O’Hanlon supplies the details, including a second entry for the saint from the Martyrology of Tallaght:

    St. Colman of Comhruire, now Kilcomreragh, at Uisneach Hill, County of Westmeath.

    [Seventh Century.]

    The name Colman, being a diminutive of Colum or Colm—a contraction for Columba—was very frequently applied to very many of our early Irish Saints. The name Colman, Comraire, appears in the Martyrology of Tallagh, as having veneration paid him, at the 25th of September. The like entry is in the Book of Leinster copy. The feast of Colman is entered in the Feilire of Marianus O’Gorman, at the 25th of September, and the commentator says, i.e., Colman Comhruire—rendered Colman of the Casket. Bronach, daughter to Miliuc, son of Buan, with whom Patrick was in bondage, is said to have been his mother. Again, it is related, that his mother was Galges, daughter of Aedh-finn or Hugh the White, prince of Hybruinn. He is said to have been the son of Fintan, and grandson of Finloga, prince of South Munster. His brother was the celebrated St. Fursa or Fursey, who preached and founded monasteries in England and France. Uisneach was in the parish of Killare, barony of Rathconrath and county of Westmeath. It is now known as Usnagh hill, and somewhere in its vicinity, Comhruire must be sought. This place was also called Comhraire-Midhe, and it is now known as Kilcomreragh, near the hill of Uisneach. The church there is said to have been founded early in the seventh century, by the present Saint. It seems likely he died during that period, or perhaps early in the eighth century. The death of Abbot Ferfio of Comhraire-Midhe, is recorded, at A.D. 757. Comraire monastery seemed not to have survived the Danish invasions. The history of St. Colman, and the year of his death, do not appear to be known. He is recorded in the Martyrology of Donegal, at this same date as Colman, of Comhruire, at Uisneach.

    Reputed St. Colman, Sci.

    The Martyrology of Tallagh, registers St. Colman, Sci., as having been venerated, at the 25th of September. In like manner, we meet such an insertion in the Book of Leinster copy. As we do not meet this distinctive entry in any other Irish Calendar, it seems to have been a superfluous notice, and only intended to commemorate the preceding saint.

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  • Adamnan, the Poor Scholar

    September 23 is the feast day of Saint Adamnan, abbot of Iona and biographer of Saint Colum Cille. In the episode below we see this great saint not as the accomplished churchman but as a struggling student who encounters King Finnachta and his entourage:


    Vignettes from the Lives of the Irish Saints: Adamnan, the Poor Scholar


    The sister of Finnachta invited him to come to her and feast in her dún for some days. It was before Finnachta, whom men called “The Festive”, was made Ard-Righ of Erinn. He set out with a great cavalcade, and as they journeyed towards Clonard of Meath, with laughter and light words, they came upon a young student who was trudging along the road with a small cask or churn on his back. The youth, on hearing the tramp of the horses,  made a hurried attempt to move off the road: but having struck his foot against a stone he fell, breaking the cask to pieces and spilling the milk with which it was filled. The cavalcade passed on at quick speed, and the student recovering himself set out among with them, and notwithstanding their speed and his own grief kept pace with them,  a fragment of the cask at his back, until at last he attracted the notice of the king, who smiled when he saw the excitement under which he laboured. Then the king accosted him and said: “We will make thee happy again, for we have sympathy with the unfortunate and the powerless. Thou shalt receive, O student,” said he, “satisfaction from me”. The youth (who was afterwards no less a person than the great scholar and divine, Saint Adamnan the founder of the Church of Rath-Botha, or Raphoe in Donegal, and Abbot of Iona after Columkill) then spoke to the king, whom he did not know at the time: “O good man,” said he, “I have cause to be grieved, for there are three noble students in one house, and there are three lads of us that wait upon them, and what we do is, one of us three goes round the neighbourhood to collect support for the other five, and it was my turn to do do this day; but what I had obtained for them has been lost, and what is more unfortunate, the borrowed vessel has been broken, while I have not the means of paying for it.”

    Then Finnachta ordered that full compensation should be made to Adamnan; and afterwards, when Finnachta was Ard-righ and the young scholar had the reputation of learning on him, the king brought him to Tara and made him his councillor. – Taken from O’Curry’s Translation of an old Irish MS.

    All Ireland Review Vol. 3, No. 2 (Mar. 15, 1902), p. 29

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