OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Tag: Female Saints

  • Saint Tuilelaith of Kildare

    On January 10 Canon O’Hanlon brings us an an account of a ninth-century abbess of Kildare. The name of Saint Tuillelaith is recorded in the Irish annals rather than in the calendars.  Her memory was preserved in the works of  the seventeenth-century Franciscan hagiologists, Fathers John Colgan and Michael O’Clery.  The latter, in association with a team of other Donegal Franciscans, produced The Annals of the Four Masters, recording the history of Ireland from earliest times up to their own day. It simply records: 

    The Age of Christ, 882 

    …Tuilelaith,  daughter  of  Uarghalach, Abbess  of  Cill-dara,  died on the 10th of  January… 

    Father Colgan undertook the mammoth task of researching and writing the Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, but sadly only lived to produce the volumes for the first three months of the year.

     As the name of this successor to Saint Brigid is the only information we have about her, Canon O’Hanlon piously muses on the vocation of Abbess Tuilelaith in Article IV for this day in Volume I of his Lives of the Irish Saints:

    Article IV. St. Tulelacia, or Tuillelaith, Abbess of Kildare. 
     [Ninth Century]
     
    This holy superioress is called the daughter of Huargalach. Her tender soul eagerly imbibed heavenly doctrine, and was wonderfully affected with the things of God. After a time, when she had grown up, she dedicated herself to Him, and took delight in nothing else but in thinking, speaking, or hearing of her Heavenly Spouse, and entertaining herself with His Divine love. She was Abbess of Kildare; and, according to Colgan, she died on the 10th of January, A.D. 882. This date also agrees with one in the Annals of the Four Masters, where she is called Tuilelaith, daughter of Uarghalach. True virtue breathed around her an atmosphere of holiness which all her subjects felt. It seemed something marvellous to meet with one so pure-minded, and so unsuspecting of evil in a world of corruption.

    Content Copyright © Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae 2012-2023. All rights reserved.

  • 'Pure was her heart amid the wicked': In Praise of Saint Samthann

    December 19 is the feast of Saint Samthann of Clonbroney, County Longford. She is one of only a handful of women saints to have left a written Life and I have posted some selections from the Life of Saint Samthann here. Although the Life is the most important source of information regarding this saint it is not the only one. She features in a number of other sources including the poem below, attributed to an eighth-century high king, Aodh Allán, son of Fearghal. In it the poet pays tribute to Saint Samthann’s reputation for asceticism and her courage in the struggles of the monastic life:

    “734: Fifth year of Aed Allan.

    Saint Samtain, virgin, of Cluain Bronaig (Longford), died on December 19. It was of her that Aed Allan gave this testimony:

    “Samtain for enlightening various sinners,
    A servant who observed stern chastity,
    In the wide plain of fertile Meath
    Great suffering did Samtain endure;

    She undertook a thing not easy,
    Fasting for the kingdom above.
    She lived on scanty food;
    Hard were her girdles;

    She struggled in venomous conflicts;
    Pure was her heart amid the wicked.
    To the bosom of the Lord, with a pure death,
    Samtain passed from her trials.”

    Charles Johnston, Ireland, Historic and Picturesque, (Philadelphia, 1901), 226.
     

     

    Content Copyright © Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae 2012-2022. All rights reserved.

  • The Three Daughters of Ailill, August 9

    The Martyrology of Tallaght, one of the earliest of the Irish calendars, lists at August 9 the feast of Tri ingena Ailella – the three daughters of Ailill. Such groupings of saintly siblings are a feature of the Irish calendars, indeed these holy ladies share their day with Cethri meic Ercain – the four sons of Ercan and Ceithre meic Dimmain – the four sons of Dioman. We are unable to learn any more about the identities of the individuals who comprise the group of Ailill’s daughters, nor when or where they flourished. In Volume VIII of his Lives of the Irish Saints Canon O’Hanlon gives this brief account, noting that the Tallaght calendar is the sole source for the feast of Ailell’s daughters as they are not listed on the Martyrology of Donegal, compiled by Michael O’Clery and his associates in the seventeenth century: 

    Article III. Tri h. Inghena Ailalla. 

    Written in this manner, we have a festival entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh, as edited by the Rev. Dr. Kelly; although we find no corresponding entry, at this day, in the Martyrology of Donegal, edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves.

    Content Copyright © Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae 2012-2022. All rights reserved.