OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Tag: Irish Saints

  • Saint Mel of Ardagh, February 6

    On February 6 the Irish calendars commemorate a saint with close links to Saint Brigid, Bishop Mel of Ardagh. He is also linked to Saint Patrick, with a number of sources claiming that he is the nephew of the apostle to the Irish, being the son of his sister Dareca. This woman was reputedly a mother to no less than seventeen early Irish bishops and saints, which has led some scholars to speculate that she may have been a mother in the spiritual, rather than the biological, sense. Saint Mel figures most prominently in the Life of Saint Brigid by being the bishop who conferred the veil of the religious life upon her.  We can turn now to Volume 2 of Canon O’Hanlon’s Lives of the Irish Saints for an account of Saint Mel’s life:

    THE festival, commemorated by the Irish Church, on this day, recalls to our minds, that gratitude we owe to our early Christian missionaries, who helped to gather and labour, in the same field of noble enterprise with St. Patrick… This renowned saint is classed among the primitive fathers of our Irish Church. He was a contemporary, and, it has been asserted, a near relative to the great Apostle, St. Patrick. At the very dawn of Christianity in our island, an illustrious champion and preacher of the Gospel had been already prepared, for a strenuous encounter, with the spirit of darkness. He is named Mel or Melus, in old Latin acts; and, this title was typical of those honied stores of Divine wisdom and of saintly qualities, which had been hived within his breast. A special Life of this holy man is not known to exist. From various ancient Acts of St. Patrick, and of St. Brigid, as also from other sources, Colgan has compiled a Life of St. Mel, and he has admirably annotated it. In like manner, the Bollandists have inserted Acts of Saints Mel, Melchuo, Mune, and Rioc, Bishops, at the 6th day of February. From these authorities shall we chiefly draw succeeding materials, to render intelligible the recorded actions of the holy Bishop Mel, the special patron of Ardagh diocese.

    He seems to have been born, in the earlier part of the fifth century. It is said, Saint Mel or Melus was a nephew to the great Irish Apostle Patrick, and whose sister Darerca is named as Mel’s mother.

    St. Mel built a famous monastery at Ardagh. At this place, also, it is recorded, he exercised the jurisdiction both of abbot and of bishop. Among other celestial endowments, our saint received the gift of prophecy, whereby he was enabled to predict future events. This was exemplified in St. Brigid’s case, and soon after he had arrived in Ireland from Britain. He foretold the greatness and sanctity of that holy virgin, while yet carried in her mother’s womb. Some time subsequent to St. Brigid’s birth, St. Mel administered to her the Sacrament of Confirmation. In conjunction, probably, with his disciple St. Machaille, Mel likewise bestowed the religious veil on that youthful spouse of Christ. Afterwards, the greatest friendship existed between our saint and the future abbess, as recorded in St. Brigid’s Life.

    St. Brigid seems often to have visited St. Mel, when she resided not far from Ardagh. At one time, the king of that district entertained both these holy personages ; and,- a remarkable miracle was wrought by the illustrious abbess, at a banquet, given in their honour. The kindness of St. Mel, interceding with the king for a supposed transgressor, on this occasion, pleasingly illustrates the holy bishop’s character. St. Mel and St. Moelchu—both being regarded as distinct—are stated to have accompanied the abbess, to a synod, which was held at Tailten, in Meath.

    It is said, that St. Mel wrote the Acts, virtues and miracles of his uncle, St. Patrick, while this latter holy man had been living for, the great Apostle of Ireland is supposed to have survived our saint five years. For his death, a.d. 466 has been assigned. Mel departed this life, at Ardagh, however, about the year 487 or 488. St. Oengus the Culdee, the Martyrology of Tallagh, Marianus O’Gorman, Cathal Maguire, and the Martyrology of Salisbury, record this holy bishop’s festival, at the present date. It was probably that of his death, which is usually assigned to the 6th of February, and according to accounts left by our Irish hagiographers. This corresponds with the 8th of the February Ides.

    Notwithstanding the celebrity of this saint, Mel, Epis.—meaning bishop— is the only entry, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, concerning him. Besides this, we read, in the Martyrology of Donegal, as having a festival on this day, Mel, Bishop of Ard-achadh, in Tethbha. He was a disciple of Patrick, according to the same authority ; but, nothing has been noted, about his relationship. Mel is regarded, as the first bishop over the see of Ardagh, and, he has been constantly venerated as the special patron saint of that diocese.

    The Martyrology of Donegal entry reads:

    6. B. OCTAVO IDUS FEBRUARII. 6.

    MEL, Bishop, of Ard-achadh in Tethbha, disciple of Patrick, A.D. 487. Darerca, sister of Patrick, was his mother.

    and the Annals of the Four Masters records his death thus:

    The Age of Christ 487. The ninth year of Lugaidh. Mel, Bishop of Bishop of Ard-achadh, in Teathbha, disciple of Patrick died.

    Note: The picture below shows a painted scene of Saint Mel and Saint Brigid preaching to the people of Ardagh. It is from Saint Brigid’s church in Ardagh, County Longford.

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  • Saint Lomman of Lough Gill, February 4

    February 4 is the feast of a 6th-century saint associated with the islands in Lough Gill, County Sligo. Canon O’Hanlon tells us that he was also a participant in the Synod of Dromceat, although not much else appears to be known of the life of Saint Lomman:

    St. Lomman, of Lough Gill, County of Sligo. [Sixth Century.]

    St. Loman was the son of Dalian, son to Bressail, son to Manius, son of Eochaid, son of Domnhail, son to Imchad, son of Colla Dacrioch. To this latter race he belonged. He was born, probably, in the earlier part of the sixth century, when Ireland so much abounded in holy men, and in learned teachers. We find him mentioned, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 4th of February, as Lomman. Here, this name is united, with that of another saint, Colman, Tamlachta Gluidh. This, however, is clearly a peculiarity, or a mistake of entry, on the part of a scribe. We cannot learn, that the Acts of this holy man have been preserved; but, from the Life of St. Farannan, we are informed, that he lived, towards the close of the sixth century. In the Martyrology of Donegal, is set down as having a festival, on this day, Lomman, of Loch Gile, between Cairbre and Breifne. The locality, in question, is the beautiful Lough Gill, lying between the counties of Sligo and of Leitrim, but chiefly within bounds of the former county. Probably, on one of its islands, our saint had erected his hermitage, about, or a little after, the middle of the sixth age. We find this saint had been a contemporary, with the renowned St. Columkille. He assisted, at the great Synod of Dromceat, which according to some writers was held, about the year 580, while others defer it, to A.D. 590. Here, our saint had the singular honour and happiness, no doubt, to welcome the great Apostle of Caledonia; but, it may be, that their acquaintance and friendship had not then been made for the first time.

    …It would seem, that the present saint had lived, probably for some considerable period of his life, on one or other of those islands where we now find the remains of churches on Lough Gill. When he died has not been exactly ascertained; yet, we have every reason to suppose, this occurrence took place, towards the close of the sixth, or about the commencement of the seventh, century.

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  • Saint Cuanan Ghlinne of Moville, February 3

     

     

    February 3 is the feast of an abbot of Moville, County Down, founded by Saint Finnian. Canon O’Hanlon tells us what is know n of him in Volume II of his Lives of the Irish Saints:

     

    St. Cuanan or Cuanna, surnamed Glinn, or Glinne, Abbot of Moville, County of Down. 
    [Eighth Century.]
     
    Where this holy man was born, we have no means left for discovering; but, probably, his birth took place, before the close of the seventh century. In reference to his festival, an entry in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 3rd of February, is, Cuanna (i Glinn) Ab. Maighi Bile. The latter place is now called Moville, in the parish of Newtownards, barony of Lower Ards, and county of Down. A festival, in commemoration of St. Cuanan Glinne, Abbot of Magh-bile, is registered, likewise, in the Martyrology of Donegal, at this day. On such points, nearly all our Calendarists agree. In the calendar, compiled by the Rev. William Reeves, he is also entered, among those holy men, living in the north-eastern part of Ireland. He ruled over this flourishing establishment, while it was in a high state of efficiency. The situation of his monastery was near the head of Strangford Lough, where St. Finian, surnamed Findbarr had founded it, towards the middle of the sixth century. Many other holy abbots preceded him, in the government of this celebrated establishment. His immediate predecessor appears to have been Colman, son of Murcon, who died in the year 731. It would thus seem, that the present holy man was superior of Moville, for about ten or eleven years.
     
    According to the records of the Irish Ordnance Survey, in the parish of Ballybrennan, or Ballycowanmore, alias Kilcowanmore, county of Wexford, there was a well dedicated to a St. Cuan, who was patron saint of the parish. This well was about one hundred yards south-west of the church; and, old people, in 1840, used to come there, on St. Cooaun’s Day, February 3rd, to pray for their friends. The old church of Kilcowan is now utterly ruined. It was about 40 feet in length, and 18 feet 6 inches in breadth. A large and much frequented graveyard surrounds this church…The parish lies within the barony of Forth. Here, too, a patron was held, on the present day. It is likely, therefore, that this holy man must have had some connexion with that place, although he seems to have departed to bliss, in the northern part of Ireland. This saint died, A.D. 742, according to one account [Annals of the Four Masters]; and, again, his death has been deferred to A.D. 746. [Annals of Ulster].

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