ON SS. COLMAN AND COMPANIONS: FLANNAN, FAELAN, GOBBAN, CUILLEN, CAINNERA, AND CAENNA, IRISH SAINTS,
IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY?
CommentaryColman, confessor, of the Irish. (S.)
Flannan, confessor, of the Irish. (S.)
Faelan, confessor, of the Irish. (S.)
Gobban, confessor, of the Irish. (S.)
Cuillen, confessor, of the Irish. (S.)
Cainnera, confessor, of the Irish. (S.)
Caenna, confessor, of the Irish. (S.)
BY C. D. S.
[1] These saints are for the most part known only from the Irish martyrologies. All of these are announced at this day, the 5th of November, by the metrical Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman Ed. W. Stokes, 1895, p. 212. and the Martyrology of Donegal Ed. Todd and Reeves, p. 298., but Colman alone by the Festilogy of Aengus Ed. W. Stokes, 1880, p. clxii; 2nd ed., 1905, p. 232.. And of Flannan, Faelan, Gobban and Caenna there are the bare names, with no note added by which it might be indicated in what places they were venerated, or anything else from which they could be distinguished from saints of the same name. Nor have we found anything narrated individually about those four in other writers. Therefore we too are compelled to record here only the names of those saints.
[2] Of Colman's Colman, among so many saints of the same name (more than a hundred), is here distinguished by the name of the place where he settled, namely Glenn Dealmhaic, in the plain of Magh Raighne or Roighne, which was as it were the nucleus of the ancient kingdom of Ossory and extended into the barony which is now called Kells, in the county of Kilkenny of the province of Leinster, towards the eastern region of the same county [John Hogan, Topographical and historical illustrations of the County of Kilkenny, in Journal of the Kilkenny… Archaeological Society, New Series, vol. V, part I, p. 208.].
[3] history Of the things done by Colman scarcely any records survive. 1.-F. Shearman indeed thinks Loca Patritiana (Dublin, 1879), p. 309. that our Colman was one of the companions of Moling, bishop of Ferns, while the latter was discharging an embassy to Fionnachta, king of Ireland, by which he obtained the remission of a tribute long since imposed on the inhabitants of Leinster [Cf. O'Donovan, Annals of the Four Masters, vol. I, p. 298, note x (at the year 696).]. And among his three companions there is indeed named Colman of Cluain-Credhail in the Martyrology of Donegal At the 22nd of Sept. (p. 253).; but for him to be reckoned the same as Colman of Glenn Dealmhaic no other reason appears except that both places are situated in the same region: which reason, especially since the name Colman was so common, does not seem very strong. Further, whoever judges Shearman's opinion sufficiently probable will consequently determine that our Colman flourished at the end of the seventh century; otherwise, no indication is at hand from which we might determine in what age he lived.
[4] and nothing certain about his place of burial; In the notes added to the Festilogy of Aengus in the Lebar Brecc, written at the end of the fourteenth century [Cf. Eug. O'Curry, Lectures on the mss. materials of ancient Irish history (Dublin, 1861), p. 352.], Colman is indicated to be, that is to rest, in Cell Matia Donerder in Magh Itha [Calendar of Oengus, ed. 1880, p. clxviii. The part of this note recorded here was suppressed in the later edition (p. 240).], which plain is situated in the barony of Raphoe, county Donegal [So it is indicated in the index of places in the later edition of the Festilogy (p. 391); but in the earlier edition it was indicated (p. cccxxxvi) that this place is situated in the barony of Forth, county Wexford.].
His memory, on the testimony of John Hogan Loc. cit., p. 212., still flourishes in the village of Carah in the barony of Gowran, county Kilkenny, in which place a church and a well dedicated in his name are to be seen.
[5] nor about Cuillen, Of Cuillenn or Culuneus, however, if indeed he is different from Culuanus or Dachuluanus, who is announced in the Martyrologies of Gorman and of Donegal at the 12th of March Of whom J. Colgan treats briefly, Act. SS. Hiberniae, p. 368., nothing else is noted in the same documents except that he was of Cluain Huamanach. This place, according to Colgan Trias Thaum., p. 271; Act. SS. Hib., p. 355, note 12., is in the region of Airtech in county Roscommon. A certain Cuillenn is reckoned among the followers of St. Patrick [E. Hogan, Documenta de S. Patricio ex Libro Armachano, p. 115 (in Anal. Boll., vol. II, 1883, p. 237).], and indeed among the bishops ordained by him W. Stokes, Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, vol. II, p. 304., and in the notes of Tirechan there occurs a certain Cellula Cuilinn Hogan, loc. cit., p. 88 (Anal. Boll., vol. II, p. 66)., now, as is thought, Killeullen in county Kildare Ibid., note f.; but to which of the saints of this name these things are to be applied is altogether uncertain to us.
[6] nor about Cainnera. We labor under a like doubt concerning St. Cainnera or Cainder, who is noted by the scholiast of Marianus Gorman, and thence in the Martyrology of Donegal, to have been the daughter of Caelan, of Rinn Allaidh. The learned man J. Colgan at first thought that she was the same as St. Chinreacha Dearcain, of whom in the Life of St. Ita, Irish virgin [Act. SS., Jan. vol. I, p. 1065, n. 19 and p. 1066, note c. Whence Castellanus in the Supplement of his General Martyrology marked at the 5th of November: A Dearcain (Dercani) en Momonie, prov. d'Irl., Ste Kinèque, Chindreacha) At Dearcain (Dercani) in Munster, province of Ireland, St. Kinèque, Chindreacha), taking, that is, the surname Dercain for the name of a place.]. Afterwards, however, he changed his opinion and, because of the likeness of the surname, judged that Chinreacha should be likened to Caireca Dergain Act. SS. Hib., p. 72, note 20., who is commemorated in the ancient Irish martyrologies at the 9th of February On whom see O'Hanlon, Irish Saints, vol. II, p. 443.. Then Act. SS. Hib., p. 598, note 42. he judged that our Cainnera was the same as that Cainera, daughter of Fintan, who, having previously been mute, received speech as a girl of sixteen years through the merits of St. Lugidius or Molua, her kinsman Cf. Act. SS., Aug. vol. I, p. 343, n. 8 (Life of St. Lugidius, c. XIX)., and afterwards, as a virgin consecrated to God, recovered her lost sight by the prayers of St. Mochoemoc or Pulcherius Colgan, Act. SS. Hib., p. 596, n. 36; Act. SS., March vol. II, p. 288, n. 45.. Of the same, these things are besides related in the Life of St. Molua edited by Thomas Sirinus in the appendix to the Collectanea sacra of Patrick Fleming: And she was called Finn-Cainner (that is, white Cannera): who there vowed her virginity to the Lord and became a holy virgin, wonderful in signs and prodigies, and built the monastery which is called Cluain-Claraidhi, in which that virgin of Christ gathered handmaids of God Patricii Flemingi Collectanea sacra (Louvain, 1667), p. 370, n. 12.. But I rather think that Colgan has no other reason at hand for defending his opinion except that the names are similar and that what is read in the Lives of St. Molua and St. Mochoemoc can be applied to no other among the holy virgins whom we know to have been called by a name of this kind. Unless, however, someone should judge that some confirmation is brought from the fact that the name of the place Rinn Allaidh agrees well enough with the name Cluain Claraidhi, so that the former may be thought corrupted from the latter. And if Colgan's opinion should be judged true, it would then follow from the synchronism with SS. Molua and Mochoemoc that Cainnera, who is venerated on this day, flourished before the middle of the seventh century.