Maol Chosna
Encyclopedia
Maol Chosna was an Irish missionary and founder of the church of Cill Maol Chosna ("the church of Maol Chosna"), which gave its name to the vicarage of the east half of Ballymacward
Ballymacward
Ballymacward is a village in County Galway, Ireland, on the R359 regional road between the main road and rail networks which traverse east-west, 10 miles from Ballinasloe and approximately 30 miles from Galway City...

, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...

. The site is located at Kilmelcosing cemetery, Ballymacward
Ballymacward
Ballymacward is a village in County Galway, Ireland, on the R359 regional road between the main road and rail networks which traverse east-west, 10 miles from Ballinasloe and approximately 30 miles from Galway City...

.

A note added to the Félire Óengusso identifies him as "Máel-coisne of Cell Máel-coisne i Huí Maini in Connaught on the same feast as Mary the Mother of Jesus". He would appear to have been one of the second generation of missionaries among the Soghain
Soghain
The Soghain were a people of ancient Ireland. Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh identified them as part of a larger group called the Cruithin, and stated of them:...

 after Kerrill
Kerrill
Saint Kerrill aka Caireall mac Curnain was a Christian missionary in what is now east County Galway, alive in the mid-to-late 5th century.-Origins:...

, who was ordained by Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....

; thus he would have been active sometime in the early decades of the 6th century.

A holy well in Kinreask townland may commemorate him. Well into the 20th century it was visited on 29 June, and its waters said to cure eye ailments.

Nothing else appears to be known of Maol Chosna. His feast day was 16 August.
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