Feast Day - 9 June

Saint Colum Cille, also known from the latin form of his name as Columba, was probably born in the year 521 and died on 9 June 597. His memory has been kept alive for 1400 years through folklore and literature, music and song, poetry and sculpture, manuscript-making and metalwork, history and archaeology.

Feastday - 17 February

Abbot and disciple of St. Columba. Fintan was a hermit in Clonenagh, Leix, Ireland. When disciples gathered around his hermitage he became their abbot. A wonder worker, Fintan was known for clairvoyance, prophecies, and miracles. He also performed very austere penances.

Feastday: 14 August

This saint's feast is observed liturgically throughout all Ireland and he is patron of the diocese of Ross, where he was probably the first bishop. He was born at Tulachteann, was one of the pupils of St. Ita, and founded the monastery of Molana on an island in the Blackwater, near Youghal.

His great achievement was the establishment of the monastic school of Ross, at what is now Rosscarbery, in county Cork, one of the most famous schools of Ireland, which flourished for three hundred years and survived in some form until the coming of the Normans.

Fachanan (Fachtna) suffered for a time from blindness, from which he recovered at the intercession of St.

Feastday - 6 June

Jarlath is regarded as the founder and principle patron of the Archdiocese of Tuam in Galway, Ireland. He belonged to the Conmaicne family, perhaps the most important and powerful family in Galway during that period. Jarlath was trained by a holy man and ordained a priest along with his cousin. He then founded the monastery of Cluain Fois, just outside Tuam, and presided over that monastery as abbot-bishop.

Later, Jarlath opened a school attached to the monastery, one which soon became known as a great center of learning. St. Brendan of Clonfert and St. Colman of Cloyne were among his pupils at the school.

Feastday: 1 July
Famous Irish missionary and companion of St. Columban. Born in Ireland, he was trained by Sts. Columban and Comgall, and he was one of the twelve companions who accompanied Columban to France. He was a noted scriptural scholar and helped in the founding of Luxeuil Monastery.

When St. Columban was exiled in 610, Gall followed him to Switzerland and then to Italy. Gall remained in Switzerland and became a hermit on the Steinach River. The monastery of St. Gall was erected on this site. Gall refused two bishoprics and abbacy of Luxeuil. He is venerated as an apostle to the land.

Feastday - 18 February

An Irish bishop of Lindisfarne, England, a disciple of St. Columba. He was born in Connaught, Ireland. At the Synod of Whitby Colman defended the Celtic ecclesiastical practices against St. Eilfrid and St. Agilbert. When King Oswy introduced the Roman rites, Colman refused to accept the decision and led a group of Irish and English monks to the Isle of Innishboffin, near Connaught. In time he moved the English monks to Mayo. Colman was praised by Blessed Alcuin and St. Bede.

Feastday - 15 January

Died c. 570. Saint Ita is the most famous woman saint in Ireland after Saint Brigid, and is known as the Brigid of Munster. She is said to have been of royal lineage, born in one of the baronies of Decies near Drum in County Waterford, and called Deirdre. An aristocrat wished to marry her, but after praying and fasting for three days and supposedly with divine help, she convinced her father to allow her to lead the life of a maiden.

She migrated to Hy Conaill (Killeedy), in the western part of Limerick, and founded a community of women dedicated to God, which soon attracted many young women. She also founded and directed a school. It is said that Bishop Saint Ere gave into her care Saint Brendan, who would become a famous abbot and missionary (though the chronology makes this unlikely). Many other Irish saints were taught by her for years. For this reason, she is often called "foster-mother of the saints of Ireland."

Feastday: 23 August

Irish missionary to England who became the first bishop of Ardstraw, in Tyrone, Ireland, now Derry. He is also listed as Eoghan, Enny, and Owen. He was born in Leinster, Ireland, and was a relative of St. Kevin of Glendalough. Kidnapped as a child, he spent years as a slave before returning to Ireland. There he helped St. Tigernach found Clones Monastery in 576.

Feast Day - 7 June

The first bishop of Dromore in County Down, was this St. Colman, who founded a monastery there, probably about the year 514. He was venerated from early times in Scotland as well as in Ireland, and under the date of June 7 we find him mentioned in several of the ancient calendars of both Countries--sometimes as Mocholmoc, or Mocholmog--"my dear little Colum".

The Felire of Oengus describes him as "the great descendant of Artae", but nothing is actually known of his parentage and of his career, the manuscripts of a much later date which profess to relate his life being full of anachronisms and extravagant stories. As there are over two hundred Irish saints of the name of Coman, it is scarcely to be wondered at if their histories have become confused.

Feast Day - 5 March

An Irish bishop, called áthe Elderá and Carthage. He was the successor of St. Kieman in Ossory. He was the son or grandson of a local king.