OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

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  • Saint Echlech, Cuimmein and Coemhan, August 14

    August 14 is the feast of a trio of brothers, the three sons of Daighre – Echlech, Cuimmein and Coemhan. Canon O’Hanlon suggests that they should be located within the County Kerry parish of Kilcummin and in his account provides a glimpse into the traditional pious practices of the Irish countryside. His source here is the Ordnance Survey scholar, John O’Donovan, who was writing in 1841. The letters of O’Donovan and his colleagues are an important source of information on the Irish saints as they record the existence of sites, devotional practices and traditions regarding the saints in the various places they visited. Often the dates they noted for pattern days can give a clue to the commemoration of the feast days of the saints in the local areas. In this case, however, the people seemed to have gathered at the holy well not on August 14 but on the eve of May 1:

    Saints Echlech, Cuimmein and Coemhan, three Sons of Daighre.

    In the Martyrology of Tallagh, Cummine, Caeman and Aicclig, are the names set down in separate lines and in the preceding order, but without any further designation of their parentage. In that copy, contained in the Book of Leinster, they are placed in like order. In the Martyrology of Marianus O’Gorman, these saints are commemorated at this date… There is a parish dedicated to a saint having the name of Cummein, and which is called Kilcummin. It is situated in the barony of Magunihy, County of Kerry. The old church belonging to this parish is situated on a ridge of fertile land, within the glebe of Kilcummin. In 1841, it measured on the inside 56 feet in length, and 19 feet 6 inches in breadth. Its side walls were 3 feet 5 inches in thickness, and 10 feet in height; being built of green unequally sized stones, cemented with lime and sand mortar. The west gable was destroyed nearly down to the ground; only 3 feet of its height then remaining, but the other walls were nearly perfect. The internal portion of the east window was disfigured, but its external part was in a state of excellent preservation. The window, measuring 5 feet 2 inches in height, and 11 inches in width, was pointed and formed of cut lime stone; the sill was 4 feet 8 inches, from the outside ground level. At the distance of 8 feet from an east gable, there was a window in the south wall. This had been destroyed on both sides, with the exception of one stone left on either external side, These were chiselled lime-stones, and the distance between them was only 7 inches. A rude representation of the head and face of St. Cummin—as is believed—was carved on brown sand stone, which projected from the wall, near the northern extremity of the east gable and on the outside. There was also a large graveyard attached to this church. In the townland of Gortnagowan, in the east division of this parish, there stood a caher or circular stone fort, called Caher-Crovderg, i.e., the Fort of the Red-handed. On the eastern side of it, a holy well lay, at which stations were performed by the peasantry, on May eve. They also drove their cattle into the fort, and made them drink the water of this holy well, which was believed to possess the efficacy of preserving their animals from all contagious distempers, during the ensuing year. Colgan thinks St. Coeman, a deacon, and a disciple of St. Patrick, to be identical with one of these saints. He was set over the church of Ard-lice, commonly called Sean Domhnach. In the O’Clerys’ Calendar of Donegal, we find the three sons of Daighre, Echlech, Cuimmein and Caemhan, had veneration given them at the 14th of August.

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  • Saint Lelia of Killeely, August 11

    August 11 sees the commemoration of a number of female saints, the most well-known of whom is probably Saint Attracta. We now turn to one of the other women saints remembered on this day, Saint Lelia, whose cult still persists even though not much is actually known of her individually, nor of the locality in which she flourished. Canon O’Hanlon assembles the evidence below:

    St. Lelia, Virgin, Dioceses of Limerick and Kerry.

    It is greatly to be lamented, that any clue to a recovery of the once well-known memorials of many an Irish saint cannot be better traced, at present. Thus, the pious Lelia, a Virgin, has been specially commemorated, in the Dioceses of Limerick, and of Kerry, from a former period. Her Acts are not discoverable, at the present time. Latterly, a Double Office, but of the Common Lessons, has been obtained, by authority of the Roman Pontiff, for her feast, at this date. An Office and a Mass have been extended, likewise, to the other Irish Dioceses. According to a local tradition, in Limerick, she was a sister to St. Munchin, Patron of the Diocese; and, it is said, her place is now known as Killeely. This parish is situated, partly within the North Liberties of Limerick City; but, chiefly does it lie, in the barony of Bunratty, and County of Clare. Near Killarney, this virgin is reputed to be the titular of an old church, which is now called Killilee. This latter local denomination is not found noted down, on the Irish Ordnance Survey Maps. Besides the foregoing places, there is a Killilagh parish, in the barony of Corcumroe, County of Clare. It seems likely enough, judging from the original compounds and the existing euphony of parts, that these places were formerly under this holy woman’s patronage, especially as her memory is partially preserved so vividly in peasant traditional lore, throughout the south-western parts of Ireland. Perhaps, indeed, we may be justified in associating them with scenes in the life-actions of the devout Lelia. However, her era and her locality have not been distinctly revealed to us; but, there is good reason for supposing, that she lived at a remote period, and most probably, she led a life of strict observance, if she did not preside over some religious institution, in the province of Munster. It may be possible, her name was connected with other places in Ireland. There is a parish, denominated Killely, or Killila, in the Barony of Ballaghkeen, County of Wexford. There is another Killily, or Killeely, partly in the Barony of Loughrea, partly in that of Kiltartan, but chiefly in that of Dunkellin, County of Galway. This latter place, especially, may have derived its name from St. Lelia. Perhaps, some legends of the people might give us a little more light, regarding her; but, it is to be feared, we are not likely to ascertain anything, which could satisfactorily restore her holy manner of living to our records. In Pustet’s new edition of the “Vesperale Romanum,” in the Supplement, will be found St. Lelia’s commemoration. It seems strange, that her name or festival does not appear, in our Irish Calendars or Martyrologies.

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  • Saint Feichin the Priest, August 2

    On August 2 we commemorate the memory of a Saint Fechin whose name first appears on the earliest of the Irish calendars, the Martyrology of Tallaght. His name was also associated with the office of priest, as Canon O’Hanlon explains:

    St. Fechine, or Feichin, a Priest.

    The name of St. Fechine, Priest, appears in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 2nd of August. Marianus O’Gorman has the Natalis of a saint this same day; and, he is probably the one called Fethchu in the Irish language, and Fethchuo in Latin, according to Colgan. He is called a Presbyter, but beyond this we have no further definite information regarding him. Also in the Martyrology of Donegal, we have the festival of Feichin entered, at the 2nd of August. In another Irish Calendar this holy man is called a Sagarth, meaning “a Priest.” This description probably designates the degree of Holy Orders he attained in the Irish Church.
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