OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Category: Saints of Roscommon

  • 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.

     

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  • Saint Gallus of Loch Techet, April 4

    At April 4, Canon O’Hanlon brings details of a lake-dwelling saint, Gallus of Loch Techet:

    St. Gallus, of Loch Techet, now Lough Gara, Counties of Roscommon and Sligo.

    A distinguished statesman has observed, that there is no greater folly being circulated on the earth, than a disposition to undervalue the records of the past, and to break the links, which united human beings of the present day, with the generations that had been called to their account. The Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 4th April, inserts the notice, Gall, Locha Teiget. This lake, at present, is known as Lough Gara, or Lough O’Gara, near Boyle, and on the borders of the counties of Roscommon and Sligo. The river Boyle has its source from this lake. We are informed, that St. Patrick, while in Connaught, resolved to visit Moylurg, and that passing through Bearnas Hua Noililla, or the gaps of Collooney, he moved onward towards the River Buill—now the Boyle—which takes its rise in Loch Techet.’ According to the Martyrology of Donegal, on this day was venerated Gallus, of Loch Techet, and in the Bollandists’ work  he is likewise commemorated.

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  • Saint Mughain of Cluain-Boirenn, December 15

     

    On December 9 we commemorated two of the daughters of Oilill, Feidhealm and Mughain. I mentioned then that Mughain has a second commemoration on December 15, at least in the locality of Cluain-Boirenn, which Pádraig Ó Riain identifies as possibly being modern Cloonburren, County Roscommon. It is only one of a number of localities associated with this holy lady, Ó Riain’s Dictionary of Irish Saints  lists various others, including Kilmoon in County Clare where traditional devotion continued at the holy well up until the early nineteenth century, even though a feast day was no longer remembered for the saint. The Martyrology of Donegal  records:

    15. F. DECIMO OCTAVO KAL. JANUARII. 15.

    MUGHAIN, Virgin, of Cluain-Boirenn.

    whilst the earlier Martyrology of Gorman notes:

    15. F.

    Mogain [1] against every great battle.

    [1] a virgin, from Cluain Bairenn.

    Reading Professor Ó Riain’s research leaves the impression that this holy woman was once an important saintly figure, even if today her reputation is much more obscure.

     

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