OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Tag: Saints of Westmeath

  • Saint Failbhe of Disert Mic-Conlocha, July 11

    July 11 sees the commemoration of a County Westmeath saint, Failbhe, son of Culocha in the Irish calendars. Details of his genealogy have been recorded and Canon O’Hanlon notes a particularly charming description of the saint as ‘a burning and shining light’ in his account below:

    St. Falbi, or Failbhe, Son of Culocha, of Disert Mic-Conlocha, in Cuircne, County of Westmeath.

    In the Feilire of St. Aengus, at the 11th of July, there is an entry of Conlug’s pious son. In a comment annexed, we are informed, that he was of Disert Meic Conlocha, in the west of Meath, and that Failbe was his name. His father was named Conlug—according to other accounts—Culocha. We find entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh at the 11th of July, Mac Conlocae, Falbi being his name, in Disiurt mic-Conlocha, in Curchib. The Bollandists have on this day the brief notices furnished by O’Sheerin, and representing him as a burning and a shining light. The Calendar of Cashel as also the Martyrologies of Marianus O’Gorman and of Cathal Maguire commemorate him. Euten, daughter of Moche, son to Bairrinn, sister of Muiccin, of Maighin, was his mother. The territory of Cuircne or Machaire Cuircne was commensurate with the barony of Kilkenny West, in the county of Westmeath. This district of Cuircne embraced also that portion of Forgney parish, lying south of River Inny, in the barony of Abbeyshruel, and county of Longford. The place of this saint is now probably that called Dysart, a parish partly in the barony of Rathconrath, and partly in that of Moycashel and Magheradernan. There are some remains of an old church and a cemetery lying within it. It is remarked, that in the Menologium Scoticum of Dempster, he has a Failbeus at the 25th of January, at the 3rd of June, and at the 6th of October. The Martyrology of Donegal records the present saint, as Failbhe, son of Culocha, of Disert Mic Conlocha, in Cuircne, in Westmeath.

     

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  • Saint Bigsech of Kilbixy, June 28

     

    June 28 is the commemoration of a female saint, Bigsech, who has left her memory in the placename of Kilbixy, County Westmeath, and in the dedication of a holy well. Canon O’Hanlon draws on the work of Irish Ordnance Survey pioneer, John O’Donovan, and of Meath diocesan historian, Dean Anthony Cogan, in his account below. I note that the leper house at this locality, discussed by Father Cogan on page 578 of volume 3 of his The Diocese of Meath: Ancient and Modern, available online here, was dedicated to Saint Brigid. This 2010 newspaper report on the plans to restore the site of Saint Bigsech’s church describes our saint as a ‘handmaiden of Saint Brigid’:
    St. Bigesg, Bicsecha, or Bigsech, Virgin, of Kilbixy, County of Westmeath.
    The simple entry, Bigsech, Virgin, appears in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 28th of June. This holy woman is called the daughter of Bressal, and she was a saint of the Hy-Fiachra family. She descended from the race of Fiachra, son to Eochaidh Muighmheadhoin. The place—apparently called after this holy virgin—is written Cill Bigsighe, i.e., “the church of St. Bigseach,” and it has been Anglicized into Kilbixy, now a parish, in the barony of Moygoish, in the county of Westmeath. This appears to have become an English town of considerable importance, as Sir Henry Piers, who wrote in 1682, relates. Even then it had decayed. Dr. O’Donovan visited this place in 1837, but he found only a few traces of the ancient town. These consisted of—First, the Leper house, a mere ruin; secondly, the site of the castle, but there were no remains whatever of its walls; thirdly, a moat, which had been surrounded by a circular fosse; and fourthly, the site for a gallows. There was a holy well, near the church, then bearing the name of Tobar Bighsighe, i.e., “the well of St. Bigseach.” This saint appears to have had another festival, at the 4th of October. The Rev. Mr. Cogan visited this place on the 4th of August, 1863. Then he found one of the old fonts, belonging to a former church, and stuck in the wall of a donkey-stable, at one of the private entrances to the churchyard. He gives an interesting account of this ancient place. At the same date, the name of this saint occurs in the Martyrology of Donegal, with the designation of Bigsech, Virgin, of Cill-Bigsighe, in Meath.
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  • Saint Tola of Disert Tola, March 30

    The Irish calendars commemorate Saint Tola of Disert Tola on March 30. The following account of him has been distilled from Canon O’Hanlon’s Lives of the Irish Saints:
    ST. TOLA, ABBOT AND BISHOP OF DISERT TOLA
    [SEVENTH AND EIGHTH CENTURIES.]
    That the present pious servant of Christ was a useful worker, in his Master’s vineyard, can hardly be doubted. Colgan has collected some particulars, with a view to supply his Acts, at the present date. The Bollandists merely notice him, also, as Tola, Bishop of Disert Tola, surnamed The Devout. His Acts had escaped the researches of Colgan; and, hence, very few circumstances, concerning his life, are recorded. However, that writer had no doubt, the Acts of our saint were extant, in his time, although he had been unable to procure them. For, not only his festival day, but his race, the places in which he had been venerated, and the year of his death, had been recorded, by our early Martyrologists and Annalists.
    The father of this saint was named Dunchad. He was son to Ernin, son of Garuan, according to the Psalter and Calendar of Cashel. The latter even more fully traces his family line. The pedigree of St. Tola is drawn from the race of Kien, son to Olild Olum, and he descended from the illustrious Galengi family. This tribe, according to the supposition of Dr. Lanigan, inhabited some of those districts known as Galenga, or Gallen. There was a Gallen, or Galien, which comprised a great part of Carlow and Kildare counties, with some of the Queen’s County. As the situation of that place, where our saint commenced his career, was not far removed from this latter district, according to the same authority, it is not improbable, Tola had his birth within that territory. It is likely enough, that he was born, after the middle of the seventh century. For many years, our saint led the life of a hermit, at a place called Disert Tola, or Tola’s Desert. According to the Calendar of Cashel, that place was situated in Meath; but, other authorities place it within the Dalcassian territory, in the northern part of Munster. It was supposed to have been, in Dealbhna, or Delvin, and situated in the present Garrycastle barony. King’s County. The true site, however, is said to have been at Dysart Taula, in the parish of Killoolagh, barony of Delvin, in the county of Westmeath. At this place, he lived an eremitical life, for some years; and, according to one account, he built a monastery, in the eighth century. Such was the fame of his sanctity, that many disciples were attracted thither; and, over these, he exercised the rule of Abbot. The site of this old church is still pointed out, but its walls have been uprooted.
    Afterwards, St. Tola was assumed to a higher dignity, having been called upon to preside over Clonard see, in Meath. Colgan doubts not, but that his name had been venerated in Clonard church, over which he presided, although no mention of this circumstance occurs, as he states, in our Irish records.
    Although, perhaps, a contemporary with Tola, Bishop of Ardbraccan, in Meath, who died A.D. 760, our saint was a different person. He also lived at a time, posterior to that, when flourished Tolua, or Toluan, Abbot of Clonmacnoise, in Meath, who died in the year 609. The death of our saint must be placed, at an intermediate period, to both these dates. The faithful servant of Christ departed this life, during 733, in the fourth year of the reign of Aidus, who was son to Fergal, and King over Ireland.
    The Annals of Ulster place his death, at A.D. 737… his memory was revered, at Disert Tola, on the 30th of March—the assumed date for his death. According to no less than six different Martyrologies, this account has been given. Besides St. Mochua of Balla, the Feilire of Aengus commemorates St. Colman of Land Ligach, and St. Tola, at the 30th of March. The Martyrology of Tallagh enters the name, Tola; and Bishop of Craibdigh follows this designation, at the 30th of March. The Calendar of Cashel, and Marianus O’Gorman commemorate him. The Irish Genealogist, Duald Mac Firbis, enters Tola, bishop, from Disart Tola — said now to be Dysart O’Dea, county of Clare in Upper Dal-Cais, at March the 30th. Again, on this day, the Martyrology of Donegal registers. Tola, Bishop, of Disert Tola, in the upper part of Dal Cais, in Thomond. In Scotland, also, he was commemorated. Thus, the Kalendar of Drummond states, at March 30th, or iii. Kalends of April: In Hibernia, the Holy Confessors Mochua, Colman, and Tola, went to Christ. There was a St. Teloc, a disciple of St. Patrick. Colgan thinks it possible to identify him, either with the present St. Tola, or with Telleus of Tehelly, venerated the 25th of June. But, the chronology cannot accord for the present holy man.
    A miracle, which took place, in the year 1034, is ascribed to the merits of St. Tola. Coirten Ua Maebuain, Lord of Dealbhna, was killed by some of his clansmen, on the threshold of Disert Tola church. In punishment for this sacrilegious and unnatural murder, the perpetrator of the crime was massacred, within that very same hour he perpetrated the treacherous act.
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