OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Tag: Saints of Offaly

  • Saint Tetgaill of Lann-Ela, April 16

     

    A 6th/7th-century abbot of Lann-Ela, Tetgaill (Tetghal), is commemorated on April 16. The monastery of Lann-Ela was founded by the poet saint Colman who had died roughly a century before Abbot Tetgaill, as Canon O’Hanlon explains:
    ST. TETGAILL OR TETGHAL, SON OF COLBRAIN, BISHOP OF LYNALLY, KING’S COUNTY.
    [SEVENTH AND EIGHTH CENTURIES.]

    We find, entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh, the name of Tetgaill Mac Colbrain, at the 16th day of April. The patronymic, given with his own proper name, does not reveal more than the name of his father: of his family line, we are ignorant. Tedgalius is the Latinized form of this holy man’s name. He was born, as we may suppose, in the seventh century; but, where his education had been received does not appear. He was Abbot of Lann-Ela. This place is thought to have derived its origin from St. Colman Elo, who died in 610, and who first erected here his Lann or Church. In pagan times, the locality was called Fiodh-Elo, or Elo-wood, which is said to lie in Feara Ceall, in the country of the southern Hy- Lynally. It contains the ruins of a church; but, decidedly, these are not old, yet that wall, which encloses the graveyard, appears to be very ancient. To the south of Lynally Church stands a moat, said to contain vaults built of lime and stone. Lann-Ela has been identified with the village of Lynnally, in the barony of Ballycowan, King’s County. The Four Masters make St. Tethghal Bishop of this place. There can hardly remain a doubt, that the Tethgaill here noted should not be identified with that bishop of Lynally, who is mentioned, in our Annals. He appears to have died, on the 16th of April, A.D. 709. The same date has been assigned for his death, by the local ecclesiastical historian. The festival, in honour of Tetghal, was celebrated, on this day, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal. At the xvi. of the May Kalends, which corresponds with the 16th day of April, the Irish Calendar, now preserved in the Royal Irish Academy, has a peculiar notice of his festival and period.

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  • Saint Cronan Beg of Clonmacnoise, April 6

    On April 6 the Irish calendars commemorate the memory of one of the abbots of Clonmacnoise. As not a great deal is known of Saint Cronan as an individual, Canon O’Hanlon instead alludes in his account to the status of Clonmacnoise as a place of pilgrimage:

    St. Cronbeg, or Cronan Beg, Abbot of Clonmacnoise, King’s County.
    [Seventh Century.]

    This Saint is called Cronan Beg, or the Little, owing probably to his want of ordinary stature. He is entered, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 6th of April, as Cronbrice, Abbot of Cluana, or Clonmacnoise. The date of his birth has not been ascertained, nor does his genealogy seem to be known. This holy man most probably succeeded Colman, Abbot, who died, in the year 681. Then was his successor elected to rule, in a spot, greatly resorted to, even from distant regions. The pilgrimage to holy places is one of the oldest of Christian institutions. The first known visits were to Jerusalem, and to other parts of Judea. Thus, Helena, the pious mother of the Emperor Constantine, hastened as a pilgrim to the Holy Land, when she visited the scenes of our Redeemer’s passion. The Empress returned, bringing with her the true cross, with other relics of Christ’s death; and, from that time forward, pilgrimages to the Holy Land were annually made by thousands, from every part of Christendom. Our Irish countrymen frequently visited this distant land, and usually combined with their journey a pilgrimage to the shrines of the Apostles, St. Peter and St Paul, at Rome. Hardships, persecutions, and even death itself, often overtook the zealous and devoted pilgrim. The tremendous conflicts, which shook Palestine during the period of the Crusades, barred the road thither to all but the most hardy, adventurous, and daring. The subsequent loss of the Holy City, all but closed its gates against the Christians. At and before this era, the practice of national pilgrimages grew into transcendent importance. Instead of turning towards the Holy Sepulchre, the penitent wended his way, towards some shrine in his native land, famous for some deed of sanctity, or for some spiritual manifestation. In Ireland, Lough Derg, Kildare, Glendalough, and Clonmacnoise, were the great pilgrimages. The ten ruined churches, which surround St. Kieran’s grave at the latter place, are said to have been the offering of ten royal pilgrims, who knelt at his shrine. Among the religious foundations here is shown, what purports to have been a church or chapel of the nunnery, said to have been built in 1170, by Dearvoirgilla, and it was consumed, with other buildings, by an accidental fire, A.D. 1180.

     
     
     

    The festival in honour of Cronbeg — a contraction most probably of his regular name — who was placed as Abbot, over Cluainmic Nois, occurs, in the Martyrology of Donegal, at this date. This was the day for his death, and the year was 689, according to the Annals of Clonmacnoise, or according to those of the Four Masters, A.D. 692. The Annals of Ulster place his demise, under the year 693.

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  • Saint Sinchell of Killeigh, March 26

    March 26 is the feast of an early monastic founder, Saint Sinchell (Sincheall, Sinell, Senchell) associated with Killeigh, County Offaly. Tradition records that there were two saints of this name, the younger Sinchell being nephew to the elder. The Martyrologies preserve two separate feast days for Sinchell of Killeigh, that of the elder on March 26 and that of the younger on June 25. Below is an account of the saint’s life and locality from the Rev. M. Comerford’s Collections relating to the Dioceses of Kildare and Leighlin:

    The parish of Killeigh is situated partly in the barony of Upper Philipstown, but chiefly in that of Geashill. It consists of the union of the former parishes or ecclesiastical districts of Killeigh, Ballykeane and Geashill. This district is noted in both the secular and still more in the ecclesiastical annals of Ireland. The name of Killeigh is common with another ecclesiastical establishment which, according to Colgan, was situated in East Breifny. The Killeigh with which we are at present concerned is situated in Ofalia, and is always distinguished from the other by the addition droma foda. Achadh-droma-foda signifies the field of the long ridge, and Cill was prefixed after St. Sinchell had erected his church there. The name, as Dr. O’Donovan adds (Note to Four Masters) is very descriptive of the locality, for a remarkable, long, low druim or ridge extends south-west-wards, immediately over the village of Killeigh. The entire of the ancient Ofalia, from Slieve Bloom to the Hill of Allen, and from the Sugar-loaf hill to the Great Heath is a plain nearly as level as the surface of a tranquil sea, and the droma-foda, though not high, becomes a remarkable feature in so level a district.
    St. Sinell, or Senchell, one of the most distinguished ecclesiastics of his time, founded a Monastery of Killeigh at the beginning of the sixth century. This monastery became afterwards known as the Priory of the Holy Cross of Canons Regular of St. Augustine. St. Senchell, who is stated to have been St. Patrick’s first convert, was the son of Kennfinnain, and grandson of Inchad, or Finchada, of the royal blood of Leinster (Colgan, Trias. Thaum.) The father of the saint was ninth in descent from Cathair Mor, monarch of Ireland. In both the Martyrology of Tallaght and the Feiliré, St. Aengus notes the 5th of April as the Feast of the first Baptism conferred by St. Patrick in Ireland: —“Baptisma Patricii venit ad Hiberniam.” (Mart. Tall.) “Excellent Patrick’s baptism was kindled in Ireland.” (Feiliré.) On this latter the gloss in the Leabhar Breac adds, “i. Sinell, son of Finchad of the Ui-Garrchon, he is the first person Patrick baptised in Ireland.” It is related that St. Ailbe, of Emly, presented him a cell, in which he had himself lived for some time, at Cluain Damh (now Clane, County Kildare). We find St. Senchell afterwards at Killeigh, where he founded a monastery, which in course of time became very celebrated. In order to distinguish him from another St. Senchell, a relative of his, who lived with him at Killeigh (and who is styled Bishop in the litany of St. Aengus), he is usually called senior. Having lived to a good old age, he died on the 26th of March, AD 549, in his monastery at Killeigh, and was interred there. Petrie states that St Kieran and the two Senchells died of the Plague which raged in 549. In the litany of St. Aengus Ceile De, written in AD. 799, we have evidence of the celebrity and holiness to which this religious establishment had attained. “Thrice fifty holy bishops with twelve pilgrims, under Senchell the elder, a priest; Senchell the younger, a bishop; and the twelve bishops who settled in Cill Achaidh Dromfota in Hy Failghi. These are the names of the bishops of Cill Achaidh: —Three Budocis, three Canocis, Morgini, six Vedgonis, six Beaunis, six Bibis, nine Glonalis, nine Ercocinis, nine Grucimnis, twelve Uennocis, twelve Contumanis, twelve Onocis, Senchilli, Britanus from Britain, Cerrui, from Armenia. All these I invoke unto my aid through Jesus Christ.” And again: —“ The twelve Conchennaighi, with the two Senchells in Cill Achaidh, I invoke unto my aid through Jesus Christ.” (IE. Record, May, 1867.) The learned editor of this litany (which he copied from a MS. in the archives of St. Isidore’s at Rome), in a note on the eight monastic rules of the early Irish Saints extant, writes as follows “We may add that we have ourselves discovered another, some-what different from these, in the St. Isidore MS. from which this litany is published, and we regret that want of space alone prevents us from laying it before our readers. It is entitled— The Pious Rules and Practices of the School of Senchil. This was Senchil, surnamed the Elder. The Rules and Practices are 38 in number. When we say that an ardent desire of hearing, and offering up the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and frequent confession were amongst the rules and practices of a school which was celebrated in the first half of the sixth century, we have said enough to prove under what system of education Ireland became ‘another name for piety, and learning in most of the languages of Europe.”
    ANNALS OF KILLEIGH
    AD. 548. St. Senchell the Elder, son of Ceanannan, Abbot of Cill-Achaidh-Droma-foda, died on the 26th day of March. Thirty and three hundred years was the length of his life. (Four Masters.) Colgan (AL SS., p. 747), thinks this number should be one hundred and thirty. In the Mart. Tal. we find at 26th March, “Sinchelli, Abb. Chilli Achaidh; and at 25th June, “Sinchell Cilli Achaidh.” The former refers to St. Senchell, Senior, the latter to St. Senchell, Junior.
    The Feiliré makes the 26th of March the “Feast of the two perennial Sinchells of vast Cill Achid;” to which entry the gloss in the Leabhar Breac adds
    “Three hundred years—fine satisfaction!
    That was (the elder) Sinchell’s lifetime
    And thrice ten years brightly
    Without sin, without sloth.”
    26 March. Sincheall, Abbot of Cill-achaidh-dromfota, i.e., the old Sincheall. It was of him this character was given after his death: –
    “The men of heaven, the men of earth,
    A surrounding host,
    Thought that the day of judgment
    Was the Death of Seancheall.
    There came not, there will not come from Adam,
    One more austere, more strict in piety;
    There came not, there will not come, all say it,
    Another Saint more welcome to the men of heaven.”
    —(Mart. Don)

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