OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Category: Saints of Wexford

  • Saint Cuan of Airbhre, 10 July

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    A County Wexford saint, Cuan of Airbhre, is commemorated on the Irish calendars at July 10.  Canon O’Hanlon brings us the details:

    St. Cuain or Cuan, of Airbhre, in Hy Kinsellagh.

    At the 10th of July, the festival of Cuan is found in the “Feilire” of St. Aengus. A commentary annexed states, that he was Cuan Airbre in Ui-Cennselaig, and he is the same as Cuan of Maethail Broccain in Desi of Munster. This latter place, as we are told,  was in the deaconate of Killbarrimedin, in the diocese of Lismore, and where there was a church and a well dedicated to St. Cuan. The Martyrology of Tallagh registers a festival at the 10th of July, in honour of Cuain of Airbir, in h Cendselaigh. The Martyrology of Marianus O’Gorman has a similar identification, according to Father O’Sheerin, when furnishing some particulars regarding the present saint to the Bollandists, who allude to him at the present date. We are informed by Dr. O’Donovan, that Kilquan, in the county of Wexford, takes its name from a church dedicated to the present holy man. Tobar Cuan was situated five chains south-west from the ruins of Kilcowanmore, as we learn from the same gentleman. Notices of a religious man named Cuan are introduced in the Acts of St. Fintan of Dunbleisque, and Colgan thinks he must be identical with the present saint. At this date, in the Martyrology of Donegal, is recorded Cuan, of Airbhre, in Ui Ceinnsealaigh, in Leinster ; and he is the same, we are told, as Cuan, of Maethail Brogain, in Deisi Mumhan. Among many other saints bearing the same name, he is mentioned by Colgan. His place has been identified with Cuain Airbhre, in Hy Kinsellagh, a place now called Ballybrennan, at Kilcowanmore, barony of Bantry, and county of Wexford. This part of Ireland, it would appear, formerly abounded in silver.  The Kalendar of Drummond  has notices of St. Cuain, at the 10th of July.

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  • Saint Mosiloc of Cloonatten, July 13

    At July 13, Canon O’Hanlon has a notice for a County Wexford saint whose name appears on all of the calendars, but of whose life we otherwise have very few details. In the account below of Saint Mosiloc, I have transferred some of the original footnotes citing the calendar entries plus remarks by the Irish Ordnance Survey scholars, John O’Donovan and W. M. Hennessy, on the locality associated with the saint, into the text. There is a website dealing with the study of Wexford placenames here. Finally, please note that the Martyrology of Aengus records the saint at the 13th of July and not June as printed on page 224 of Volume 7 of The Lives of the Irish Saints:

    St. Mosiloc or Mothiolog, of Cloonatten, Parish of Kilmichael Oge, County of Wexford.

    The name of this holy man, as Siloc, is entered in the “Feilire” of St. Aengus, at the 13th of June. There he receives a high encomium. In the “Leabhar Breac” copy we have the following stanza, translated into English by Whitley Stokes, LL.D. :—

    “Sweet the name with splendour
    of Evangelus the sainted,
    with my Siloc of the kings,
    he went into the noble realm of peace.”

    In a commentary added, he is styled and identified as “my Siloc, i.e., of Cell Mo-siloc in Ui-Degad, in Ui-Cennseliag.” Hence, it should seem, that Siloc was simply his name, and it is entered Silog in the Calendar of Cashel. Veneration was given to Mosiloc Cluana Daethcain, at the 13th of July, as appears in the Martyrology of Tallagh. In Rev. Dr. Kelly’s edition of the Martyrology of Tallagh, this place is identified with Clonkeen, Queen’s County. His name and place are elsewhere differently entered. At this same date, we find in the Martyrology of Donegal, Mothiolog, of Cill Mothiolog, in Ui-Ceinnsealaigh, or Mothiolog, of Cluain Aithghin. This place is Cloonatten, in the parish of Kilmichael Oge, in the barony of Gorey, and county of Wexford. A note by O’Donovan says, “Mothiolog now corrupted to Kilmichaelog,” I find another note appended by William M. Hennessy to this ancient denomination, “Kilmokiloge or Kilmichaeloge, near Gorey, County Waterford,”(? Wexford). There is a curious old church in that locality. In the Kalendar of Drummond the feast of this saint is inserted, at the present date. Thus: “13 iii. Idus. In Hibernia Sancti Confessoris Mosiloc.”—Bishop Forbes’ “Kalendars of Scottish Saints”, p. 18. There is an entry of Mosilocus, at the 13th of July, in the work of the Bollandists. Father O’Sheerin supplied them with the notice inserted.

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  • Saint Finbarr of Inis Doimhle, July 4

     

    At July 4, the Irish calendars record the commemoration of a saint Finbarr, whom one of the genealogical sources records was related to Saint Brigid. As Canon O’Hanlon’s account below, however, makes clear, it proved difficult in the past to definitively identify the locality where our saint flourished, he himself plumps for a place in County Wexford. Finally, it should be said that everyone seems to agree that today’s saint is a distinct individual from the patron of Cork, whose feast is celebrated on September 25. There is also another Saint Finbarr commemorated on some of the calendars on September 10, in the Martyrology of Tallagh he is noted as Saint Finnbar Mac Bindi or Buidi:

    St. Finbarr or Fionnbharr, Abbot of Inis Doimhle, County of Wexford.
    [Sixth Century.]
    This holy man must have flourished in the early ages of the Irish Church, and on the father’s side he descended through a very illustrious line, from Feidhlimidh Rechtmar, or the Law-giver, King of Ireland. From the latter, he was twelve generations in immediate succession. This brings him one generation later than his illustrious relative St. Brigid, patroness of Ireland. He was son of Dalian, son to Liathan, son to Briun, son of Eoghan, son of Brechin, son of Artur Corb. He was brother to the sons of Aedh, of Ath-cliath. In the “Feilire” of St. Aengus, Findbarr of Inis Teimle is commemorated, on the 4th of July. There is a gloss, likewise, which states, that he belonged to the land of Ui Cennselaig, and that he lived among the Desi. Another gloss adds, that Inis Teimle has been derived from darkness, because such was the Isle, until the two sons of Aed of Ath Cliath, who were Findbarr and Barrfind, went thither.In the Martyrology of Tallagh at the 4th of July, we find entered the name of Finbarr, Abbot of Innse Domle. Marianus O’Gorman commemorates him, at this same date. The Rev. Alban Butler makes him the founder of a famous monastery in the Isle of Crimlen, and remarks, that he is not to be confounded with St. Finbarr, the first bishop of Cork. The Bollandists have noticed St. Finnbarr, Abbot of Inis-Doimhle, on the authority of Father O’Sheerin’s Irish Manuscripts; but, they seem incapable of distinguishing him from another St. Finnbarr, venerated on the 10th or 20th of September. He flourished probably some time during the sixth century. He was abbot in Inis Doimhle, between Ui Ceiunsealaigh and the Deisi. According to a learned Irish topographer, Inis Doimhle would appear to be the place now called Inch, situated in the barony of Shelmaliere, and county of Wexford. In the year 1840, some remains of the old church walls placed in this parish were visible, but they had been so entirely covered over with thorns and briars, that the length and breadth of the former building could not be measured. These ruins had an appearance of great antiquity, and the walls had been altogether built with very large stones. According to tradition, no interment had taken place there, since the middle of the last century. The present holy man is said to have founded a monastery, in the Isle of Drumlen, between Hy Kinsellagh and the Decies of Munster, according to a Manuscript of John Windale. According to another statement, the Irish Damhly of the old Irish Manuscripts was no other than the Insula Sancta Clara, now called Cape Clear Island. The Martyrology of Donegal, at this same date, registers him as Fionnbharr, son of Aedh. In the Irish Calendar belonging to the Irish Ordnance Survey Records, there is an entry of St. Fionabar, at the 4th of July. In Scotland he was venerated, on the same day. The feast of this saint is entered likewise, in the “Circle of the Seasons” at the 4th of July.
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