Monthly Archives: September 2023

Posted in Irish church history

The fair-haired saint, patron of Cork. Memory to St. Finbarr – 25th September

By

St. Finbarr was born in Connaught. He was the son of an artisan, called Amergin of Maigh Seóla, a skilled craftsman from Galway. Finbarr’s mother was a lady of the Irish royal court. He was baptized Lochan and was educated at Kilmacahil, Kilkenny. Finbarr later trained in monastic school and was ordained. The monks named him Fionbarr (fair head) because of his light hair. He was called Finbarr by some and Bairre or Barr by others. He went on a pilgrimage to Rome with some of the monks, visiting St. David in Wales on the way back

Hermitage at Gougane Barra

He evangelized Gowran, Coolcashin and Aghaboe. Finbarr founded a number of schools, one on an island at Loch Irce, a beautiful place at the source of the river Lee. The island is now called Gougane Barra (Guagán in Irish means “little fissure”) in West Cork and South Kerry. Finbarr lived as a hermit on this small island. It is one of the best-preserved historic hermitage monuments in the diocese of Cork & Ross. The old walls are 4.2 metres thick. There are numerous cells, each 2 metres wide by 3 metres deep. The cloister is 15 metres square.

The marshlands of Cork

In 606 Finbarr founded a monastery near the mouth of the river Lee. This area is marshland, where Cork gets its Irish name. His monastery became famous in province of Munster and attracted many disciples. The City of Cork sprawled out around Finbarr’s monastery, as a town grew and became prosperous. The motto for University College, Cork, is “Where Finbarr taught, let Munster learn”. It’s a generous paraphrase from the origins text in Gaelic. “Ionad Bairre Sgoil na Mumhan” = Finbarr’s foundation, the School of Munster. Finbarr’s monastery is believed to have been situated close to the Church of Ireland Cathedral of St Finbarr.

The passing away of the fair haired Saint

Around the year 623 AD St. Finbarr died at the monastery of his friend, St Colman, at Cloyne in East Cork. His body was returned to Cork city and his remains were encased in a silver shrine. In 1089 they were seized by Diarmait Ua Briain, who later ruled as King of Munster. The shrine and the remains have never been recovered.

St Finbarr’s feast day is celebrated on 25th September. As a Cork city’s patron saint, he is greatly revered. Tradition holds that when he died the sun did not set for two weeks.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather
Posted in Irish church history

St. Eunan (Adomnán) an Abbot for Synods and change – Memory to St. Eunan – 23rd September

By

Family origins

Born at Drumhome near Ballintra in south-west Donegal into the Uí Chonaill family around 624. Eunan’s Uí Néill lineage aligns with Loingsech, king of Tara. Eunan was educated by Columban Monks. He later joined the Iona community as a a novice at Iona in 650. He was become the ninth abbot of Iona in 679. He was also president-general of all the Columban houses in Ireland. During his rule he paid three lengthy visits to Ireland.

Notable writings of St. Eunan.

He wrote “Vita Columbae” on life of Columba. Eunan highlight the St. Columba’s virtues. It is full of memorable details of monks and lay people who came into contact with St. Columba. “Vita Columbae” is considered a most complete biography in all of Europe from early Christianity through to the late Middle Ages.

He also wrote a book “De Locis Sanctis” (on the holy places) – Jerusalem, Damascus, Constantinople and Alexandria based on descriptions received by a French bishop Arculfus, who had been shipwrecked in western Britain and took refuge in Iona.

Intervention between Celtic and Roman observance in the Irish Church

St. Eunan made a number of visits to Northumbria. On his first was in 686, he became aware of unresolved conflicts after the Synod of Whitby (664) between Celtic observances and the Roman observances. Celtic monasteries had a different method for calculating the date of Easter for example. Also a Celtic abbot enjoyed administrative superiority to a bishop. In visiting the monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow, St. Eunan had lenghty discourses with the Abbot Ceolfrith of Wearmouth. Eunan understood that the Celtic observance was was similar to St John which was the custom in the Eastern Church. St. Eunan felt it would be better for the universality of the Church for the Celtic monastries to make use of the Roman observance. For eighteen years St. Eunan made it his business to convince Ionian monks as well as and the Irish Columban monasteries to switch to the roman observance.

The law of innocents – a type of old Irish ‘Geneva Convention’

On his third visit to Ireland (697) he assisted at the Synod of Birr. There he convinced the participants that, women, children and clerics should be exempt from war and not be taken prisoners or slaughtered. This came to be known as The Law of the Innocents or Adomnan’s law (Cain Adomhnáin). It’s genesis traces back to a request made by Eunan’s mother Rónnat.

St Eunan died at the Abbey in Iona in 704. He is the Patron of Raphoe Diocese. He is celebrated on the 23rd of September.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather
Posted in Irish church history

Elvis is a Saint? Memory to St. Elvis – 12th September

By

Well the name Elvis is an anglicised version of the name Irish name Ailbe, which was then name given to an Irish Saint who is the patron saint of the diocese of Cashel and Emily. Saint Ailbe heralds from Munster and is the patron of wolves.

St. Ailbe was Abbot and preacher and became a disciple of St. Patrick, according to St. Patrick’s biographer, Tirechan. Ailbe is called Albeus in Latin. The name Ailbe is derived from the Irish words Ail (rock) and beo (alive).

What is known about Ailbe is that he was a missionary in Ireland under King Aengus. He was also the first Abbot of Emily in Munster, Ireland. He is the patron saint of wolves, because in his infancy he was left in the forest to be devoured by the wolves, Ailbe was born to a maidservant in the house of Cronan, Lord of Eliach, in County Tipperary. Cronan, disapproved of Ailbe birth and directed that the new born be exposed to ‘dogs and wild beasts, that he might be devoured’. But, instead, the baby was found hidden under a rock (Ail) and alive (beo), by a she-wolf who reared him among her own cubs. Ailbe would later repay the kindness toward the end of his life when a she-wolf chased by hunters took refuge with him. He ordered that the animal should not be harmed, and gave the wolf and her cubs food in his hall.

Ailbe was noted for his charity and kindness, as well as his eloquent sermons. He is considered the St. Patrick of Munster. “The Acts of St. Ailbe” represent Ailbe as preaching in Ireland before St. Patrick. This is very plausible, as even St. Declan did the same before he met his old friend Patrick in Cashel to settle an important governing ecclesial matter. Declan already knew Patrick from their time in Rome. Ailbe is frequently named as leader among the four “Palladian disciples” all of whom ministered in the south of Ireland before the arrival of St. Patrick. Palladius was the first missionary to Ireland. His four disciples are Ailbe of Emly, Ibar of Begerin, Declan of Ardmore and Ciaran of Saighir. “The Life of Declan” says that himself and Ailbe were great friends, and they both went to Rome for priestly formation. Declan is one of the Déise people, who herald from Wales. Ailbe was also in Wales, where he baptised St. David, patron of Wales.

Ailbe’s tomb, was discovered in Cashel in 580 when St Brendan of Birr came on a visit to inaugurate the new king. The saint’s death is recorded for the year 528 in the Irish annals.

Repose of Ailbe of Imlech Ibuir – The Annals of Ulster 528

St. Ailbe’s monastery known as Imleach Iubhair ‘the lakeside at a yew tree’ went on to become one of the most important ecclesiastical sites in Munster and in later centuries Emly became a Diocesan centre, after the synods of Rath Breasail and the Synod of Kells. The ecclesiastical site was located at the modern Catholic church and graveyard. St Ailbe’s holy well can be found in the north-eastern corner of the graveyard. In 1898 the well supplied the surrounding village. Local memory and historical sources say that in the past the pilgrimage rituals were focused on the holy well and an early medieval cross, known as St Ailbe’s Cross. The cross is located a short distance from the well. The cross was also said to cure back pain. When a person has a pain in his back he would get it cured by putting his back against the stone while praying to St Ailbe.

So there you have it, Elvis is a saint, I bet you did not know that… Are you all shook up?

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather
Posted in Parish News

Na Moltaí Diaga – Divine praises in Irish

By

Iomann ar dtús

Céad míle fáilte romhat, a Íosa, a Íosa

Céad míle fáilte romhat, a Íosa

Céad míle fáilte romhat a Shlánaítheoir

Céad míle míle fáilte romhat, ‘Íosa, a Íosa

Glóir agus moladh duit, a Íosa, a Íosa

Glóir agus moladh duit, a Íosa

Glóir agus moladh duit, a Shlánaítheoir

Glóir, moladh agus buíochas duit, ‘Íosa, a Íosa.

Beannacht ar Sacraimint ró-naofa

V. Bhronn sé aran ó neamh orthu. (salm 78:24) (Alleluia)

R. Gach binneas a bheith istigh ann (Alleluia)

Guimìs:

A Thiarna Íosa Críost, d’fhág tú an eocairist againn

mar chuimhniú  ar do pháis agus ar do bhás.

Go dtugaimid an t-ómos is dual

Do shacraimint do Choirp agus do chuid Fola

Ionas do dtuigfimid an slánú a bhuaigh tú dúinn,

Agus an t-aoibhneas atá I ndán dúinn sna flaithis,

Eisean a mhaireann agus a rialaìonn, mar aon leis an Athair agus leis an Spiorad Naomh, i do Dhia, Trí shaol na saol

R. Amen

Na Moltaí Diaga

Moladh le Dia.

Moladh lena Ainm Naofa.

Moladh le hÍosa Críost, is FíorDhia agus fíordhuine.

Moladh le hAinm Íosa.

Moladh lena Chroí ró-naofa.

Moladh lena fhuil ró-luachmhar.

Moladh le hÍosa i Sacraimint ró-naofa na hAltóra.

Moladh leis an Spiorad Naomh, an tAbhchóide.

Moladh le Mór-mháthair Dé, Muire ró-naofa.

Moladh lena Giniúint naofo gan Smál.

Moladh lena deastógáil ghlórmhar

Moladh le hAinm Mhuire, Maighdean agus Máthair

Moladh le Naomh Iósaf, a céile ró-gheanmnaí.

Moladh le Dia ina aingeal agus ina naomh.

Amen.

Iomann dar críoch

Ag Críost an síol,

Ag Críost an fómhar:

In iothlann Dé

Go dtugtar sinn.

Ag Críost an mhuir,

Ag Críost an t-iasc:

I líontaibh Dé

Go gcastar sinn.

Ó fhás go haois

Is ó aois go bás,

Do dhá lámh’, a Chríost,

Anall tharainn.

O bhás go críoc nach

Críoch ach athfhás,

I bParthas na ngrás go rabhaimid.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather
Posted in Irish church history

The synod of Rath Breasail and the formation of the various Irish diocese.

By

Ireland was always outside the Roman Empire, due to a successful strategy, whereby the Gaelic kings would take hostage, of sons and daughters of nobility, of an invading menace. “Niall and the Nine Hostages” gives an insight into this tried and tested method of national defence. St. Patrick and his two sisters where taken hostage by King Niall for example. As a result of being outside of the Roman empire, Ireland did not develop the European model of the Catholic ecclesiastical diocese. Instead we had a monastic model which lasted until the time of the Synod of Rath Breasail of 1111. We even had a Celtic observance that began to decline in favour of the Roman observance after the Synod of Whitby in 664 called by the King of Oswiu in Northumbria. The change from the Celtic observance to the Roman observance came slowly as result of the persuasive efforts of St. Eunan.

The year 1631 saw the completion of Fr. Geoffrey Keating’s series of moral reflections on death and the conduct of human life, Trí bior-ghaoithe an bháis, and his treatise on the Mass, Eochair-sgiath an Aifrinn. A man called John MacErlean draws attention to the inclusion of significant early ecclesiastical records which would otherwise have been lost. Keating’s history is the only source for the Synod of Rath Breasail at the beginning of the twelfth century when Ireland was first divided into its modern dioceses format we have today.

The Synod of Rath Breasail established diocese under the seat of the bigger and more notable monasteries existing in Ireland at the time. The lesser monasteries became subsumed by the more important monastic centres within the confines of the newly established diocesan lines. For example we had the Lismore monastery which was an important centre of learning for the Gaels. The lesser known monasteries became more like parochial centres. Shortly after the death of diocesan promoter St. Malachy, the Synod of Kells followed in 1152 to iron out anomalies still extant, and the four archdiocese in Ireland came into effect. The Waterford diocese was a small diocese of mainly Danish folk and some members of the Déise folk. Lismore and Waterford were then separate diocese as the peoples where still so culturally diverse. It was only much later did the two diocese amalgamate, and Lismore being the bigger diocese was given the lead name of the Lismore and Waterford diocese. After the reformation period the names were switched to the Waterford and Lismore diocese, which still stand today.

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather
Posted in Parish News

Ar ais arís

By

Yes we are back! We look forward to giving you updates and information from our blog section.

Do come back for more…

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby feather