OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

ALL THE SAINTS OF IRELAND

  • Saint Luathrenna of Kill Luathrenn, June 8

    Among the saints commemorated on the Irish calendars on June 8 is Luathrenna or Luaithrenn, a female saint from County Sligo. Canon O’Hanlon brings us the details:

    St. Luathrenna, or Luaithrenn, Virgin, of Kill Luathrenn, or Killurin, County of Sligo.

    …The simple entry Luaitrind, Achaidh Coraind, occurs in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 8th of June. The Abbot St. Corbmac—who flourished in the sixth century—predicted the future sanctity of this virgin, according to an account, contained in his Life, as published by Colgan. To this we have elsewhere alluded. This pious woman descended from the race of Corbmac Gaileng, son to Tadhg, son of Cian, son to Oilioll Oluim, according to the compiler of the O’Clerys’ Calendar. This also agrees with a statement of the “Sanctilogium Genealogicum.” This virgin is said to have been the daughter of Colman, son to Falbe, son of Fennflatha, son to Daleus, son of Drona, son to Sualius, son of Fiden, son to Fidheurius, son of Artcherb, son to Fidchorb, son of Corb, son to Lugha —from whom the territory of Lugnia, in Connaught, has been named. In the Life of St. Corbmac, our holy virgin is called daughter of Falbe. But she was rather his granddaughter, as would appear from the foregoing genealogy. Her Acts seem to have perished, if they had ever been recorded; nor has her period been ascertained. The festival of this virgin was kept, on the 8th of June, in the Church of Kill Luathrenn, situated within that territory of Connaught, commonly called Corann. Tradition thus accounts for its name. A gentle and skilful harper, named Corann, received this territory as a free gift, on account of his musical and astrological accomplishments. The topographical tract, which is known as the Duinseanchus, has a legendary account of this district. It would seem, the present Killuran, must be sought for, in the old territory of Corann. According to Dr. O’Donovan, this is now the name of a barony, in the county of Sligo. Within the same county, and in the adjoining barony of Leyny, lies the parish of Killoran. There can hardly be a doubt, but that its denomination has been derived from the present St. Luaithrenn, and probably to her it was specially dedicated. However, there is an old church of this parish in ruins, but the patron is not remembered. It stood in the townland of Killoran North, and near a Lough so called. To a large extent, the surface of this parish is boggy and mountainous; but, owing to drainage, within the present century, the soil has been considerably improved. According to the Martyrology of Donegal, we find, that on this day was venerated, Luaithrenn, Virgin, of Cill Luaithrenn, in Coraun of Connacht.

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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 Maelaithghen of Tech Maeilaithghin, June 6

    Canon O’Hanlon brings details of another early, obscure saint at June 6 and notes that Saint Maelaithghen is recorded not only in the earliest of the Irish calendars, but also in the Scottish Kalendar of Drummond. A later note in the Martyrology of Oengus provides a location for our saint and so I have transferred a translation of this from O’Hanlon’s footnotes into the main text:

    St. Maelaithghen of Tech Maeilaithghin, Probably in Cairpre Ua-Ciardha, now Barony of Carbury, and County of Kildare, or in Meath.

    The Martyrology of Tallagh merely registers the name Maelathgean, at the 6th of June. That Moelaithgen lived at an early period is proved, from the fact of his feast having been inserted in the Feilire of St. Aengus, at this date. The commentator has a note, to identify his locality. [The Irish note is thus translated, by Whitley Stokes, LL.D: “i.e. of Tech Moelaithgin in Cairpre Hua-Ciardai. Or in Mag Locha in the west of Bregia”.] According to the Martyrology of Donegal, on this day was venerated Maelaithghen, said to have been of Tigh Maelaithghen, in Cairbre-Ua-Ciardha, or in Maghlacha, in the west of Bregia. This territory extended from the River Liffey to the River Boyne, and it took in a great part of the present county of Meath. The place of this saint must be sought for, within the ancient territory of Cairbre-Ui-Chiardha. This now forms the barony of Carbury, in the north-western part of the present county of Kildare. In Scotland, this Natalis of the Holy Confessor Maelaithchen was commemorated, on the 6th of June, as noticed in the Kalendar of Drummond.

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