St. Nathy enjoys the highest reputation for virtue and sanctity, of all the notable Irish saints. He is given the greatest accolades, as most holy (sanctissimus) as of exquisite sanctity, (sanctimonice spectatissimce) as of consummate perfection. He is patron of the diocese of Achonry along with St. Attracta.
Nathy lived in the sixth century, and “His master,” says historian Colgan, “was St. Finian of Clonard.” (Vita S. Fechini). The principle event in the life of Nathy, is the establishment of a monastery on the fields of Achonry. It was a joint initiative between St. Nathy and Saint Finian. Towards the end of Finian’s life, this missionary paid a visit to Connaught, to evangelise the inhabitants there. When Finian reached Leyney, he met Nathy, a priest of great virtue and perfection; a priest capable to govern an ecclesiastical community. So Finian resolved to make good use of his super virtuous new friend Nathy.
Finian then went looking for a suitable site for to establish a monastery for Nathy. He desired a pleasant picturesque place. Finian found such place at the fertiles fields of Achonry, along the foot of Mucklety, near the beautiful lake of Templehouse. His next task was to procure the land, which was easier said than done. The owner of the land was called Caenfahola, (Caput lupi, or Wolfhead). We have an account of the transaction history, taken from the written works of the old life of Finian;
“After this Finian proceeded to a place where a holy priest named Nathy lived, and here an angel appeared to him and said: ‘You shall found a church on whatever spot the man of God shall select as a convenient and pleasant site. And when they had reached the chosen spot, the prince of the territory, that is, of Leyney, whose name was Caenfahola, approached them in a rage, for the purpose of driving them from the place; but the man of God, seeking to convert this hardened sinner to the faith by a striking miracle, made the sign of the cross on a great rock that lay hard by, and broke it into three parts. This spectacle astonished and softened the savage prince; and being now changed from a wolf into a lamb, he humbly made over to Finian the scene of the miracle, which is called in the Irish language, Achadchonaire, and in which the man of God established the aforesaid priest of the name of Nathy.”
With that pleasant land now procured, the monastery was established and it became an esteemed school of piety and learning. St. Nathy taught several eminent persons; for example, Saint Kenan and Saint Fechin. The later followed his relative, Nathy, into the monastery, at the dawn of it’s foundation. The two relative saints were close friends. Fechin eventually left Achonry, to found the great monastery of Fore.
It is believed that Nathy lived to a very advanced age. We take this on the basis of circumstantial evidence. For example, he may have been around thirty years old in 552, at the year Saint Finian of Clonard’s is believed to have died. Nathy was still alive when Saint Fechin founded the abbey of Fore. Nathy, we consider to have reached the age of around ninety years when he passed away. These considerations are taken from Terence O’ Rorke, History, antiquities, and present state of the parishes of Ballysadare and Kilvarnet, in the county of Sligo (Dublin, 1878), 411-24. St. Nathy was buried within the monastery, before his body was translocated to the cathedral of Achonry, which was dedicated to him.
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