OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

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  • Saint Colman and the Water Monster

    June 7 is the feastday of Saint Colman of Dromore. Below is an account of one of the stranger episodes in Saint Colman’s life, his encounter with a ‘water monster’. Such creatures are not unknown in Irish hagiography; the most famous encounter between a saint and a denizen of the deep is probably that of Saint Columba with a sea monster, recorded in Adamnan’s Life of Columba. The author here is our own Canon O’Hanlon, this time wearing his other hat as a writer of Irish folklore under the pseudonym Lageniensis, the Leinsterman. His concluding remarks suggest that he takes the entire matter of this creature very seriously, but perhaps a Leinsterman’s naivety about crocodiles can be forgiven in a country where we’ve never even seen a snake:

    Not far from the episcopal city of Dromore, flow the lazy deep waters of the River Lagan, and often the Patron Saint, Bishop Colman, rambled along its banks in prayer and meditation. Indeed, if tradition speak the truth, often he passed over it with dry feet. But, it was well known, a great water monster lurked beneath its surface, always in quest of prey. Notwithstanding the danger of approaching him, yet, an incautious and innocent young damsel went down the bank, and stood upon some stepping-stones to beetle her linen. The wily monster sailed slowly towards her, and before she was aware of his approach, he suddenly reared his huge head from the deep, opened his tremendous jaws, and at one gulp swallowed the poor maiden alive. Although her terror was very great, yet she had presence of mind to call out, “Oh, holy Colman, save me!” Her cry was heard by the saint, and he prayed to Heaven for her release. Some of the girl’s companions who stood on the bank, and who witnessed that fearful doom, set up shouts and screams. But St. Colman approached the river, and commanded the infernal beast to deliver up his prey. Then the girl he had swallowed was cast unharmed on the bank. There, to this very day, are shown the tracks of the holy bishop’s feet, and that path down to the Lagan is called “St. Colman’s road.” The monster of the deep was afterwards banished far off, and to the shores of the Red Sea; but whether he survives in the shape of a modern crocodile—they are said to live for centuries—and sheds tears for his past delinquencies, or whether he has been long buried in the sands of Egypt, must furnish matter for further inquiry, as history and tradition are alike silent on the subject.

    ‘Lageniensis’, Irish Local Legends, No. VIII, The Water Monster (Dublin, 1896), 26-27.

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  • Saint Colman of Oughval, May 15

    May 15 is the feast of a Leinster saint, Colman of Oughval. Below is an extract from the work of diocesan historian, Bishop Michael Comerford, on Saint Colman, his foundation at Stradbally, County Laois and his association with saint Columba:

    St. Colman-mac-ua-Laoigse, a disciple of St. Columba, founded a monastery here about the middle of the seventh century; this Saint’s feast was observed on the 15th of May, at which date he is entered in the Martyrologies of Tallaght and Donegal; in the latter it is given thus:- “Colman Mac ua Laoighse, of Tulach MacComhghaill, at Druimnitogha, i.e., at Nuachongbhail in Laoighse, of Leinster. He was of the race of Laoighsach LeannMor, son of Conall Cearnach.” In the life of St. Columba it is related that St. Columban of Oughaval, when leaving Iona, where he had lived some years in his youth under the spiritual care of St. Columba, full of anxious affection at his departure, he exclaimed:

    “O Saint of God! How can I live in my own country and confess my sins to thee?”
    Columba answered him:
    “Go to the holy man whom I see every Sunday night, standing with the angels before the tribunal of Christ.”
    The holy youth asked who was that saint. St. Columba answered:
    “Saint, indeed he is, and comely, and of your own kindred, with florid complexion and bright eyes, and a few grey hairs now beginning to appear.”
    The young man answered:
    “I know no such person in my country except St. Fintan of Clonenagh.”

    Adamnan relates also the following regarding the Vision of Holy Angels who carried off to Heaven the soul of the Saintly Bishop Colman Mac Ua Laoigshe:- Another time while the brothers were dressing in the morning and about to go to their different duties in the monastery, the Saint (Columbkille) bade them rest that day and prepare for the holy sacrifice, ordering also better fare for dinner, such as was given on Sunday. “I must,” said he, “though unworthy, celebrate today the holy mysteries of the Eucharist out of respect for the soul which last night went up to heaven beyond the sky and stars, borne thither by choirs of holy angels.” The brethren, in obedience to his command, rested that day, and after preparing for the sacred rites, they accompanied the saint to the church in their white robes as on festivals. And when they were singing the usual prayer in which St. Martin’s name is commemorated, the Saint, turning to the chaunters, said: “You must pray to-day for Saint Colman, Bishop.” Then all the brethren present understood that Colman, a Leinster Bishop, the dear, friend of Columba had passed to the Lord. A short time after, some persons who came from the province of Leinster, told how the bishop died the very night it was revealed to the saint.

    Rev M Comerford” Collections relating to the Dioceses of Kildare and Leighlin” Vol. 3 (1886)

    Content Copyright © Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae 2012-2015. All rights reserved.

  • St. Comman, of Tigh-mic-Fionnchain, May 8

    On May 8 the earliest of the Irish calendars, the Martyrology of Tallaght, at least in one of its surviving manuscripts, records the name of Saint Comman and associates him with a locality called ‘Tigh mic Fionnchain’. No further information about either is known, as Canon O’Hanlon explains:

    St. Comman, of Tigh-mic-Fionnchain.

    In the published Martyrology of Tallagh, we find no entry of the present saint, or of his feast. The copy of the Tallagh Martyrology, belonging to the Dublin Franciscan Convent, has a notice, however, at the eighth of the May Ides about Comman, while his place is denominated—probably as given in the later Martyrology of Donegal. The locality, denominated Tig-mac-Fionnchain, does not appear to be known; nor do we find any corresponding nomenclature for it, among the parochial or townland etymons, on the Ordnance Survey Maps for Ireland. The Bollandists  have a feast for Communus de Teghune Fendchain, sive de domo filii Fianthaim, but, it seems pretty certain, they have mispelled some of the letters in the original entry, drawn from the Tallagh Martyrology. The Martyrology of Donegal registers a festival, on this day, in honour of Comman, of Tigh mic Fionnchain.

    Content Copyright © Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae 2012-2015. All rights reserved.