OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Category: Saints of Sligo

  • Saint Commaigh of Snamha Luthair, May 27

    May 27 is the commemoration of a female saint, Commaigh of Snamha Luthair. It seems that she is a member of an aristocratic family which produced a number of saints. Earlier scholars argued that the locality where this holy woman flourished was in County Sligo, but Canon O’Hanlon prefers to locate Saint Commaigh in County Cavan:

    St. Commaigh, Comagia, or Comaigh, Virgin, of Snawlooher, or Slanore, County of Cavan. [Sixth or Seventh Century.]

    At this date, the Martyrology of Tallagh records the name of this holy virgin, under the designation Commaigh, daughter of Eachdach, of Snamha luthair. The Bollandists have also a like entry, at the 27th of May, for Comagia of Snam-Luthir. It appears, that this holy virgin was daughter of Eochaidh, her father, and Aigleann or Ailgend, her mother. She was fifth in descent, by the father’s side, from Laeghaire, monarch of Ireland, in the time of St. Patrick. Her father was son to Ailill, son of Guaire, son to Lughaidh, son of King Laeghaire. Her brothers were St. Fintan, St. Lughaidh, and St. Coluin. Besides these uterine brothers, her father had been married to Ligach Bredmainech, by whom he had St. Fursey, St. Nainnidh, and St. Muiredach. The monastery at Snam-luthir had been founded, by the brother of St. Comaigh, a holy man named Columbanus, or Golman. It was supposed, by Colgan, that Snam-Luthir had been identical with a monastery, founded at Garbre Gabhra, otherwise Carbre Mor, in the maritime part of northern Connaught, and by a certain Columbanus, a holy man, who was son to Echad. In like manner, the Rev. Mervyn Archdall and Rev. Dr. Lanigan say, that Snam luthir was a monastery, in the present barony of Carbury, and county of Sligo. Another name for this territory is said to have been Carbremhor or Carbre Droma-Cliabh. This opinion has been most generally received. However, that place has been identified, by other writers—and notably by Rev. Dr. Reeves —with Snawlooher, or Slanore, a townland in the parish of Kilmore, barony of Upper Loughtee, and county of Cavan. Not a vestige of the old monastery now remains. There, however, various remains of mortality have been discovered, and it would seem the ancient religious foundation stood, also, some where about the beginning of the seventh century. St. Coluin, the brother of our saint, appears also to have lived—at least for a time—in this place… An abbey’s site is shown in a field, which is called the Abbey-field, in the western part of Snawlooher or Slanore townland. This contains about 130 acres, and it is situated a little south from Lough Oughter, on the west side of Kilmore parish. It appears, furthermore, that Cairbre Gabhra is now represented, by the modern barony of Granard, in the northeastern part of Longford County; while, this territory must have proceeded still farther towards the north, so as to include a considerable portion of Upper Loughtee, in the county of Cavan, since Snamh-luthir, Snawlougher, or Slanore, was within it. Veneration was given on this day, to Comaigh, Virgin, of Snamh Luthair, as we find entered, in the Martyrology of Donegal.

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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 Cróine, January 27

    January 27 is the feastday of an early female saint, Cróine, one of many Irish saints to have been recorded on the Irish calendars, but who has left no Vita to give further details of her life. As Canon O’Hanlon explains, there is even no certainty as to the locality in which she may have flourished, the Martyrology of Tallaght identifying her with Inuse Lochacrone which may suggest a County Sligo location, and the 19th-century scholar John O’Donovan placing her at Kilcroney, County Wicklow. The latest work on the Irish saints, Pádraig Ó Riain’s 2011 Dictionary of Irish Saints, places her instead at the County Carlow location of Ardnehue (Ceall Inghean nAodha) and sees her as one of three daughters of Aodh. Ó Riain acknowledges the confusion of this holy lady with others of the same name, including Cróine of Inis Cróine, who may be one of a number of possible doubles.

    St. Croine, Virgin, of Kill-Crony, in the County of Wicklow, or at Inishcrone, County of Sligo.

    A festival in honour of Croni of Inuse Lochacrone is entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 27th of January. The locality named is possibly identical with the present Inishcrone, near the River Moy, in Tireragh barony, county of Sligo. A strong castle of Eiscir-Abhann, stood here. Inishcrone town, with the ruined church and graveyard, is in the parish of Kilglass, and near the rocky shore, at Killala Bay. Again, there was a Cill-Cruain, now Kilcrone, an old church, giving name to a townland and parish in the barony of Ballymoe, in the county of Galway. We find that Croine, virgin, of Cill Croine, is recorded, likewise, in the Martyrology of Donegal, on this day. She is of the race of Máine, son of Niall. Her place has been identified with Kill-crony, in the county of Wicklow, and as giving no name to a modern parochial district, it may have been denominated from the establishment of a cell or nunnery here, by the present saint, while possibly clerical ministrations had been supplied by the religious community or pastor, living at Kilmacanoge, in remote times. More we cannot glean regarding this holy woman yet, we may conjecture, she must have flourished at a very early period.

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