OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Tag: Saints of Meath

  • Saint Ernin of Inis-Caoin, July 13

    July 13 is the commemoration of Saint Ernin of Inis-Caoin and the name of both the man and his locality are shared in common with a number of others. Canon O’Hanlon reckons the place in this case is to be found in counties Meath and Cavan. In the Lives of the Irish Saints he lists twenty-five saints with the name Ernin, most of whom, like today’s saint, are obscure figures. There is evidence though that at one time this saint was remembered in his locality by a pattern at a holy well dedicated to him:

    St. Ernin, or Arney, of Inis-caoin, now Inniskeen, Counties of Meath and Cavan.

    At the 13th of July, veneration was given to Ernin, of Inis-caoin, as appears in the Martyrology of Donegal. There are three distinct Inis-caoins, viz. : first, Inishkeen, on Lough Erne; secondly, another on Lough Melvin— both of these are in the county of Fermanagh—and thirdly, Inis-caoin-Deagha, or Iniskeen, in the county of Louth. But, the Enniskeen, or Eniskeen, with which the present saint appears to have been connected, was a parish located, partly in the baronies of Lower Kells and Lower Slane, in the county of Meath, but chiefly in the barony of Clonkee, in the county of Cavan. This old church of Eniskeen has been torn down and uprooted, save and except old crosses and numerous tombs, which serve to mark the resting-places of the faithful. No traces remain at present illustrative of the ancient worship. Here, the festival of St. Arney had been celebrated each 13th day of July. A holy well, dedicated to this saint, springs from the soil, and convenient to the burying-ground. It is now dried up, but stations used to be performed there, on the feast-day. It was called Toberarney. In the days of persecution, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass had to be celebrated on a large block of stone, outside the graveyard of Eniskeen. Anciently, this seems to have been the pedestal of a stone cross or a sanctuary terminus. Various other curious antique objects are in this parish. There is a notice of this saint’s festival, on the 13th of July, as furnished by Father O’Sheerin to the Bollandists.
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  • Saint Conuan of Stackallan, June 29

    On June 29 we commemorate a County Meath saint, Conuan of Stackallan. Canon O’Hanlon brings us the details:

    St. Conuan, Bishop, of Tigh Collain, or Tigh Connain, in Cremhthanna, now Stackallan, County of Meath.

    In the Martyrology of Tallagh, a festival occurs, at the 29th of June, in honour of Conuan, Bishop, of Tigh Collain. The land of Ui-Crimhthainn comprises the present baronies of Upper and Lower Slane, in the county of Meath. It is thought to be highly probable, that the Four Masters are wrong, when they write the name of this place Teach Collain, as it is locally pronounced by the natives; and, it is supposed, the true form of the name had been Teach-Conain, “Conan’s house.” This house of Collan or Connan—now known as Stackallen—was situated nearly midway between Navan and Slane, in the county of Meath. It is curious to remark, that in some of those districts colonized by the Danes and English, the Teach or Tigh of the Irish was rendered into Sta or Sti, as in the present instance. Stackallen is a small village, in the barony of Upper Slane, and county of Meath. After the Anglo- Norman Invasion, Stackallen became a parish church, and it formed a small parish, in the diocese of Meath. Under the head of Teach-Connain, Duald Mac Firbis enters Connan, bishop, from Tech Connain, in Crimthann, at June 29th. Again, in the Martyrology of Donegal, at the same date, he is registered as Cenuan, Bishop, of Tigh Conuain, in Cremhthanna.
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  • Saint Cethach of Cill Garadh, June 16

    On June 16 we commemorate Cethach of Cill Garadh, a convert of Saint Patrick who went on to become a bishop. Canon O’Hanlon has the details:

    ST. CETHIG, OR CETHACH, BISHOP OF CILL GARADH, OR ORAN, COUNTY OF ROSCOMMON, AND OF DOMHNACH SAIRIGH, IN CIANACHTA, COUNTY OF MEATH.

    [FIFTH CENTURY.]

    THE fame of a great master naturally overshadows that of his less distinguished disciples. To this cause is mainly owing, perhaps, the few indications we now have of many worthy labourers in our early church. This Cethecus, however, is well known in the Irish Calendars, and he is said to have lived contemporaneously with our celebrated Irish Apostle, St. Patrick, by whom it seems probable he was baptized. He was born most likely, in the early part of the fifth century. Thus, in Tirechan’s list of St. Patrick’s disciples, we meet with Cethecus or Cethiacus. On the 16th of June, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, we find the simple entry, Cethig, Bishop of St. Patrick. In like manner, Marianus O’Gorman treats of him. According to received accounts, his father was a Meath man, from Domnach-Sarige, near Duleek. He is said to have been of the race called Say, who lived in the territory of Cianachta, in Magh-Breagh, of Meath. This, too, comprised Domhnach Sairighe, which must have been near Duleek, the old name for which was Damhliag-Chianain. His mother was of a Tirellil family. He was born, too, in that part of the country. This is now a barony, in the county of Sligo, and originally it signified the territory or land of Oilell.

    Cethach is classed as one of St. Patrick’s disciples. The Irish Apostle is said to have selected Cetchen, when he had come into the territory ot Hua-Noella, where, in a place called Domhacha, he erected a church called Sencheall Damhaighe, in which he left Cetchen, as also other disciples. Colgan thought that Ceihemis was the same as Cethecus. This conjecture, however, is clearly inadmissible. They are mentioned distinctly, in the Tripartite Life, and the former is not called a bishop. They are distinguished also in Tirechan’s list one by the name of Cetennus, and the other by that of Cethiacus. The latter is called Patrick’s bishop, that is, suffragan of St. Patrick. He is said to have been employed as bishop, and in various places far distant from each other. Thus, he officiated at Domnach Sarige, in his father’s country, as also at a place called Ath-da-Laarg, in his maternal and natal country. On Easter Sunday, Cethecus was at Domnach-Sarige, and at other times, especially on Dominica in Albis, he officiated in Tirellil. In this statement, there is nothing improbable. Cethecus could not have been a bishop probably before a.d. 440. But, it is very natural to suppose, that St. Patrick wanted the assistance of some bishops, unattached to any fixed Sees, that they might ordain priests and attend to other episcopal duties, when he could not conveniently act in their distant places. It has been stated, that St. Patrick visited Hy-Many, a district, partly in Roscommon, but chiefly in Galway.

    While St. Patrick was in Connaught, he founded a church, at a place afterwards called Kill-Garadh, otherwise Huaran-Garadh, now Gran, owing to the circumstance of his having produced from the earth a cold and bubbling spring well. Here it was destined, that one of a band of brothers from France, and who were disciples of St. Patrick, should remain. While hearing about the progress made by their countrymen in Ireland, and considering the unhappy state of disturbance prevailing in many parts of Gaul, in those times, it is not to be wondered at, if some persons from that country might have come over to our island, as to a place of greater peace and security. In the Litany of Aengus, invocations of Gaelic saints, whose remains were in various parts of Ireland, are to be found. It is more probable, however, that the greatest part of these pilgrims did not come over to Ireland, until several years later than this period. Over the church of Cill Garadh, a St. Cethogus or Cethecus is said to have presided, in the fifth century; but, for this statement, we do not seem to have very satisfactory evidence. One of the Irish round towers yet remains at Oran, a parish in the barony of Ballymoe, and county of Roscommon. It is only asserted, that Cethecus was buried in Kill-garadh, or Oran. But, it does not thence follow, that he was bishop of Oran, as Archdall says.

    It would appear, there was a place bearing this name, in the territory of Hy-Many, which embraced a great part of the southern and eastern part of the county of Galway. There was also a Cill Garadh in Scotland. Oran was nothing more than a parish church, and should not have been placed among the Irish monasteries. The date for this holy bishop’s death is not known. Bishop Cethechus is said to have been buried in the parish church of Kill-garadh, or Oran, and there his relics were afterwards preserved. To it, many pilgrimages continued to be made, down to the close of the last century. The name of this holy man appears, also, in the Martyrology of Donegal at the same date, as Cethach, Patrick’s Bishop, of Cill Garadh, in the territory of Ui Maine, and of Domhnach Sairighe in Cianachta, at Daimhliac Cianan. He was, it is said, of the Cianachta. The Life of Patrick is quoted, as authority for the foregoing statements. Under the head of Domhnach Sairighe, Duald Mac Firbis enters Cethach, bishop, at June 16th; and, at the same date, under the head of Daimhlaig, Duald Mac Firbis again enters, Cethech, bishop, from Domnach-Sairighe, at Daimhlaig Cianain. More than the foregoing we cannot discover, in reference to this primitive bishop.

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