OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Category: Irish Saints

  • Saint Fergus O'Huamaigh, July 5

    On July 5 Canon O’Hanlon brings a notice of a Saint Fergus, the recording of whose name seems to have been problematic for some of the Martyrologists:

    St. Fergus O’Huamaigh.

    In the Martyrology of Tallagh, a festival is entered at the 5th of July, in honour of Fergusa ohuamaigh. The Bollandists, at this same date, enter a Huamayus aliquis Fergussius, from the Manuscripts of Father Thomas O’Sheerin. They acknowledge, however, that such a name was not found on their own lists. The Martyrology of Donegal,  at the same date, records him as Ho Huimmigh, i.e., Fergus or Ferghass, as found in a distinct line, but evidently referring to one and the same person. The foregoing words, within brackets, had been entered, by the more recent hand.
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  • Saint Bolcán of Kilcooley, July 4

    On July 4 we have the commemoration of a County Roscommon saint, Bolcán, or Olcán. He seems to have been confused with a better-known namesake, Bolcán of Armoy, a saint associated with Saint Patrick:

    ST. BOLCAN OF KILCOOLEY, COUNTY OF ROSCOMMON.

    [PROBABLY IN THE FIFTH CENTURY.]

    WE cannot speak with much confidence regarding the present holy man’s history, although his place has been identified. The name Bolcan, of Cill Cuile, is inserted in the Martyrology of Tallagh, as having been venerated, at the 4th of July. It appears, that his name and festival are to be found in the Martyrologies of Marianus O’Gorman and of Charles Maguire. Indifferently he has been called Olcan, as well as Bolcan, by some writers ; and Colgan has thus confounded those names. He seems to have been referred to the times of St. Patrick, whose disciple he is said to have been. It was Colgan’s intention to have treated about St. Olcan, at the 4th of July. This is expressed, also, in his published work. The Bollandists have a  notice of him, at this date, but with many of the doubts expressed, and which intrinsically arise from the difficulty of distinguishing this individual saint.  He is known by the name Olcan of Kilmormoyle, alias Kilmoremoy or Kilmore, near the Moy. He is said to have been connected with the church of  Kilchule, in the territory of Siolmuiredhuigh. This was a parish church, in the diocese of Elphin. We are told, the present holy man was a disciple of  St. Patrick, and that he was probably the Oltcanus of Tirechan’s list. He was only a priest. But another account is given, about his having been that Olcan  mentioned in the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick. The holy Apostle had a disciple Olcan, about whom he had a vision, while that disciple was walking  along Traighe-eothuile, with Bronius and Macerca,  the sea-tides and tempest exposing them to great danger. From the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick we learn, that the spot, where St. Olcan received his Divine monition to establish a monastery, was called Killmor uachtair Mhuaidhe. This event happened, while the Irish Apostle had been engaged making his progress through the province of Connaught. The place, where St. Olcan’s foundation had been commenced, is at present called Kilmore-Moy, a parish which extends into the barony of Tireragh, in the county of Sligo, and into the  barony of Tyrawley, in the county of Mayo. It was also called Lia-na-monach, from the monks, who dwelt there, while we are told, that it likewise bore the name Cruimther Monach, or Olcan’s church. In Tirechan’s list of St. Patrick’s disciples, there is an Olcan, as also an Oltcan. Others think, that this  was apparently the holy man, called Volcan, by Jocelyn, and regarding whom we find the following account. St. Patrick had a disciple, named Volchanus, a man of great virtue, but specially distinguished by most remarkable obedience. Being desirous that his virtue, known only to God, should be manifested to the world, the saint, for the edification and example of others, commanded Volchan to go and build a church, wheresoever God would vouchsafe to provide him a place. Without delay, taking an axe on his shoulders, this man went his way. Seeing the alacrity and cheerfulness of  his obedience, St. Patrick said to him : “Do not despair, my most dear Volchan, of finding a place. Wheresoever thy hatchet shall fall, build in that place; for there thou shalt have increase of a great community.” After Volchan had walked all day long, and had engaged in prayer, towards evening, the axe slipped from his shoulder. In that place, therefore, the obedient Volchan built a monastery, wherein himself and many others lived and died in great perfection. The foregoing account of St. Volchanus building his church is incorrectly supposed, however, to have had reference to that time, when St. Patrick travelled through the northern parts of Ireland. Again, Volchanus is thought to be the same as Olcan, Bishop of Armoy, or Bolcan, whom so many other romantic incidents are related, by Jocelyn, and, also, by the authors of the Tripartite Lives of St. Patrick. After a holy life, St. Olchan or Bolcan, renowned for his miracles as well as for his virtues, rested in the Lord, and he was buried at his place, now known as Kilmore, near the River Moy. His relics remain at Kilmore, that is, “the great cell,” where his monastery stood. In the Martyrology of Donegal is entered Bolcan, of Cill Cuile, at this date. The Circle of the Seasons registers, at the 4th of July, St. Bolcan, Abbot.

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  • Saint Tírechán, July 3

    July 3 is the feast day assigned to one of Saint Patrick’s biographers- Saint Tírechán – at least on two of the later calendars. The one fact that speaks of something of the life of this holy man is that recorded by the anonymous early ninth-century scribe in the Book of Armagh version of Tírechán’s work:

    “Tirechán episcopus haec scripsit ex ore uel libro Ultani episcopi, cuius ipse alumpnus uel discipulus fuit.”

    “Bishop Tírechán has written this, based on the words and the book of bishop Ultán, whose fosterling and pupil he was.”

    Thus we learn that Tírechán  was himself a bishop and that he was a contemporary of Ultán of Ardbreccan, whose own biographical studies he had drawn upon.  This places him in the seventh century.

    Canon O’Hanlon’s account below is concerned with reconciling the chronology of Saint Tírechán’s life with those of other saints, but for a flavour of more recent scholarship and a much fuller picture of this holy man I recommend the article ‘Tírechán: Biography and Character Study’ by Terry O’Hagan, which can be read at the Royal Irish Academy’s Confessio website here.
    Writing in the nineteenth century, Canon O’Hanlon remarks that the general public will soon have a chance to read a translation of Tírechán’s work for themselves, for it was only in his lifetime that the works of not only Saint Patrick’s biographers but also of our national apostle’s own writings were made available to a wider audience. I have previously posted on the manuscript sources at my other site here and here.
    St. Tirechan, Bishop. [Seventh Century] 
    It is much to be regretted, that we know very little relating to the personal history of the present distinguished bishop, so much regarded in his day, and who was remarkable, doubtless, for his holiness of life, as for his proficiency in learning. Being one of St. Patrick’s early biographers should alone give him a special claim on our veneration. Marianus O’Gorman has an entry of Tirechan, at the 3rd of July, in his Calendar. It may be supposed, that Tirechan had been a native of Cashel or of its vicinity, if he is to be confounded with a Tirechan who had gone to Rome, and who at the entreaty of his mother was recalled, at a time when St. Fechin, Abbot of Fore, had visited that city, over which Moenach then ruled. Tirechan tells us himself, that he was the disciple of St. Ultan, who wrote the Acts of St. Patrick. He was bishop of Ardbrecain, and he died A.D. 665. In the Book of Armagh are found Latin annotations on the Life of St. Patrick by Tirechan, and which throw some light on the source whence his narrative had been drawn.  Like his master Ultan, this saint wrote the Acts of St. Patrick, in two books. We are informed in these, that he was a disciple of that holy Bishop, from whose lips or from whose book, he had composed his own work. He also tells us in it, that he was himself a bishop, but he does not state where his See had been. A copy of this Life of St. Patrick by Tirechan is extant in the Leabhar Arda Macha, or the Book of Armagh. This is quoted by Dr. Jeoffry Keating.  It has lately engaged the attention of an able and a learned editor, so that the reading public shall soon have an opportunity of becoming acquainted with its contents. These Acts were in possession of the learned Archbishop Ussher, who frequently quotes from them, in his valuable historic work, ” De Primordiis Ecclesiarum Britannicarum.” Extracts from them have also been reproduced, by the learned hagiologist, Father John Colgan. This interesting ancient memoir by Tirechan throws very considerable light on the early ecclesiastical history of Ireland, as also on the biography of the Irish Apostle. According to the chronology of Tirechan, he places the death of St. Patrick, at A.D. 436 from the Passion, or A.D. 469 from the Nativity of Christ. He states, likewise, that King Loiguire reigned two or five years after the Irish Apostle’s decease; while he supposes the total duration of that reign, to have been thirty-six years. A conjecture has been offered, that the present holy man complied with a request made by St. Fechin, Abbot of Fore, to visit his mother. This seems to come within the range of possibility. The times agree very well. Thus, Ultan died A.D. 655, and he was contemporary with St. Fechin, who departed this life, on the 20th of January, A.D. 664. The present saint was a bishop, and he is said to have ruled over the church of Ardbrecain. He is thought to have flourished, about the middle of the seventh century. On the 3rd of July, in the Martyrology of Donegal, appears within brackets the name of Tirechan.

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