OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

ALL THE SAINTS OF IRELAND

  • Saint Colmán of Glenn Delmaicc, November 5

    November 5 is the commemoration of another Irish Saint Colmán, this one associated with a parish now called Dysart, but originally known as Glen Delmaic, as the Martyrology of Oengus records:

    A. Nonis Novembris.

    do rath Dé ba forlán Colmán Glinne Delmaicc.

    very full of God’s grace was Colman of Glenn Delmaicc.

    5. Colmán from Glenn Delmaic in Mag Raigni in Ossory


    In his diocesan history of Ossory, Father William Carrigan locates our saint at the parish of Dysart:

    The church of Dysart, otherwise Dysartbeg, is situated on the grassy, low, sharp angle formed by the River Nore where it washes the rocky base of the Dysart ridge of hills. The Irish word Diseart pronounced (Deesharth) signifies a secluded place; and the site of Dysart church, hemmed in on three sides between the hill and the river, and approached by a gradual slope on the remaining side, is preeminently such…

    In Fitzrobert’s charter it is called Dysartmocholmoc, i.e., “Diseart Mocholmog”, the Dysart of St. Mo-Colm-óg or Colman. From this it is evident that St. Colman was the patron of the place. The saint is thus commemorated in the Feilire of Aengus, at Nov. 5th.:

    “Colman glined delmaic .”

    that is: Colman of Glenn Delmaic. The commentator on this passage in the Lebor Breac clearly identifies Glenn Delmaic with Dysart, of which we treat—the only “Disert in Mag Raigne “—thus : ” Colman of Glenn Delmaic, i.e. in Disert in Mag Raigne in Ossory, i.e.,” [here the commentator tries to explain’ the meaning of Glenn Delmaic—] “a sucking pig was found there. Or deil mnice i.e. a two year old pig. Or forms of wild pigs arose before him, and in Cell Matia Doncrder in Mag Itha he is.”

    Rev. William Carrigan, The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory, Volume IV (Dublin, 1905), 276-277.

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  • Saint Tigernach of Doire-Mella, November 4

    November 4 is the feastday of Saint Tigernach of Doire-Melle. The Martyrology of Donegal records:

    4. G. PRIDIE NONAS NOVEMBRIS. 4.

    TIGHERNACH, of Doire-Melle. Mella was the name of his mother, and she was the mother also of Cainnech the priest.

    We met the mother of Saint Tigernach on the commemoration of her feastday when Canon O’Hanlon recorded:

    Some account of this holy woman is given by Colgan and by the Bollandists. St. Mella flourished, about the middle of the eighth century, in the northern parts of the Connaught province. This, has been inferred, from the circumstance of her son St. Tighernach’s death, having been recorded, at A.D. 805. The devout matron, by God’s holy decree, was the happy mother of two sons, whose names are found on record, in the pages of our Irish Martyrologies. These are named respectively, St. Cannech, a Priest, and St. Tigernach, an Abbot. Having been deprived of her husband, by death, she afterwards formed the resolution of embracing a religious life. St. Tigernach erected a religious house, near Lough Melve,—now known as Lough Melvin,—in the county of Leitrim, and within the diocese of Killmore. He left this establishment, in favour of his mother; and, he then retired to another monastery, named Kill-Acaidh, or “the church of the field,” the situation of which is unknown.

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  • Saint Muirdeabhair the Wise of Disert Muirdebra, November 3

    On November 3 the Irish calendars commemorate Saint Muirdeabhair, whose memory still flourishes in County Limerick at the holy well associated with his name. A diocesan historian gives an account of what is known of the saint and his locality:

    Disert Murdewar, now called Dysert, in the parish of Robertstown. Each part of this compound word is still preserved as if they had no relation to each other. The first part in the townland of Dysert, and the second in that of Morgans, the name of the adjoining parish which originally included Dysert, as the parish is called in old documents Dysert-merogan, Murirogan, and Morgans, as it is now called. It takes its name from St. Muirdebhair the wise, whose feast falls on the 3rd of November, according to the old calendars. The Felire of Aengus calls him a “synod’s diadem.” The Martyrology of Donegal at the same date has the following notice of him: “Muirdeabhair the wise of Disert Muirdebra in Ui Conaill Gabhra.” O’Donovan thought this was the same as Dysert near Adare, but in this list of churches they are clearly distinguished. There is a famous holy well near the townland of Dysert at the head of a narrow creek that runs inland from the Shannon called Borrigone, which is much frequented by the people of the surrounding country. This is the holy well of the saint, but in course of time the “M ” was changed into “B,” which is of frequent occurrence in place names of this part of the country. There is no trace now of the old church, which must have been near the well.

    Rev. John Begley, The Diocese of Limerick – Ancient and Medieval (Dublin, 1906), 110-111

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