Saint Feichin
Encyclopedia
Saint Féchín or Féichín also known as Mo-Ecca, was a 7th-century Irish saint, chiefly remembered as the founder of the monastery at Fore
(Fobar), Co. Westmeath.
. Of the two surviving medieval Lives, one was written in Latin, the other in Irish. The Latin Life was written c. 1400 by Augustine mac Graidín, who belonged to the All Saints' Island monastery in Lough Ree. His main source appears to have been a Life originating in Féchín's monastery on Omey Island
. The Irish Life (Betha Féchín Fabair "The Life of St Féchín of Fore") was written down by Nicol Óg, son of the abbot of Cong
, in 1328 and it seems that parts of it go back to even earlier (Latin) sources. The text may be seen as a combination of two texts. The first part is primarily concerned with the saint's position as a mediator and negotiator between the Luigne
(or Luigni) of Connacht, of which he was supposedly a member, and the more powerful Luigne of Meath, on whose territory Fore Abbey was founded. The second part focuses more attention on Leinster and the payment of tribute. The Latin and Irish Lives both agree that Ailerán of Clonard
, a contemporary of St Féchín, had composed an account of the saint's good works. In the 17th century, John Colgan
produced another Latin Life (the Vita seu supplementum), for which he drew on three Irish Lives.
appears to suggest that the saint's church was connected to both the Gailenga
and the Luigne. On the other hand, the Lifes claim is corroborated by an entry in the Annals of Ulster (sub anno 993) which styles Máel Finnia, bishop of Fore, bishop of the peoples (túatha) of the Luigne.
The Lives tell us that Féchín received his monastic training from St Nath Í of Achonry and later moved on to Clonmacnoise
.
It has been suggested that his name translates as "little raven", consisting of the Old Irish noun fiach "raven" and a diminutive suffix. His name is explained in this manner in a note added to the Félire Óengusso, which says that he received this name when his mother saw him gnawing on a bone and exclaimed "my little raven!" (mo fiachan). The same note also names him Moéca, which is explained as meaning "backslider": when Féchín felt aggrieved over the reward he received for herding the oxen of Ciarán of Clonmacnoise
, he left in anger, going eastwards. When he was called back, he refused to return with his face before him and so walked backwards instead, hence the name.
and Ardoilén, both off the coast of Galway, which fell under the protection of the king of Connacht, Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin
.
His principal foundation was Fobur, now Fore, Co. Westmeath. Between 771 and 1169, Fore was burned at least twelve times.
, Féchín died on 14 February in the year 664 [665], during the plague which struck the island at the time. His feast-day is celebrated in Ireland on the 20th of January. A story about Féchín and the plague is found both in the Latin Life of St Gerald of Mayo
and in the notes to the hymn Sén Dé (by Colmán of the moccu Clúasaig) in the Liber Hymnorum. It relates that the joint high-kings Diarmait Ruanaid and Blathmac
appealed to Féchín and other churchmen, asking them to inflict a terrible plague on the lower classes of society and so decrease their number. Féchín was one of the churchmen to answer their request and to perish in the event, whereas Gerald kept aloof and survived.
One of Féchín's fellow victims in the plague of 665 is said to have been St Rónán mac Beraig (son of Berach), founder of Druim Inesclainn, whose relics were enshrined in 801. The Uí Chrítáin, a clerical dynasty who claimed collateral descent from Lóegaire
, ruled his house between the mid-9th century and 978, and asserted that their eponymous ancestor Crítán was Rónán's grandfather. The Uí Chrítáin also claimed another five saints as descendants of their line, notably St Columba
.
(Co. Westmeath), Cong Abbey
(Co. Mayo), Omey Island
(Co. Galway), Ardoilén/High Island (Co. Galway), Inishmaan
(Co. Galway), Claddaghduff
(Co. Galway), Cleggan
(Co. Galway) and Termonfeckin
(Co. Louth). Around 1200 the Norman landlords known as the De Lacys built a Benedictine Priory dedicated to St Féchín and St Taurin.
In Scotland
Féchín is venerated in the Latinised form Vigeanus. The village of St Vigeans
, near Arbroath
in Angus
, has a major collection of early medieval sculpture surviving from a monastery dedicated to the saint, perhaps founded in unrecorded circumstances among the Picts
in the 8th century.
Other places possibly connected with Féchín in Scotland are Ecclefechan in Dumfriesshire and Torphichen in West Lothian.
Supernatural powers and healing abilities were attributed to Féchín, with holy well
s being dedicated to him throughout Ireland, with a concentration of sites in the west. A holy well stands among the remains of his monastic community on Omey Island. A pilgrimage site for those seeking a physical cure for all manner of ailments, including Iris root rot. Today it has a limited use in treating headaches, certain allergies and incompetence.
Fore Abbey
Fore Abbey is the old Benedictine Abbey ruin, situated to the north of Lough Lene in County Westmeath, Ireland.Fore village, is situated within a valley between two hills: the Hill of Ben, the Hill of Houndslow, and the Anchorland rise area...
(Fobar), Co. Westmeath.
Sources
Sources for his life and legend include Irish annals, martyrologies, genealogies and hagiographical worksHagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
. Of the two surviving medieval Lives, one was written in Latin, the other in Irish. The Latin Life was written c. 1400 by Augustine mac Graidín, who belonged to the All Saints' Island monastery in Lough Ree. His main source appears to have been a Life originating in Féchín's monastery on Omey Island
Omey Island
Omey Island is a tidal island situated near Claddaghduff on the western edge of Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. From the mainland the island is inconspicuous and almost hidden. It is possible to drive or walk across a large sandy strand to the island by following the arrowed signs...
. The Irish Life (Betha Féchín Fabair "The Life of St Féchín of Fore") was written down by Nicol Óg, son of the abbot of Cong
Cong Abbey
Cong Abbey is a historic site located at Cong, on the borders of counties Galway and Mayo, in Ireland's province of Connacht. Founded in the early 7th century, by Saint Feichin, the abbey was destroyed by fire in the early 12th century. Turlough Mor O’Connor, the High King of Ireland, refounded the...
, in 1328 and it seems that parts of it go back to even earlier (Latin) sources. The text may be seen as a combination of two texts. The first part is primarily concerned with the saint's position as a mediator and negotiator between the Luigne
Luigné
Luigné is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France....
(or Luigni) of Connacht, of which he was supposedly a member, and the more powerful Luigne of Meath, on whose territory Fore Abbey was founded. The second part focuses more attention on Leinster and the payment of tribute. The Latin and Irish Lives both agree that Ailerán of Clonard
Aileran
Saint Ailerán , an Irish saint, was generally known as "the Wise", and was one of the most distinguished scholars at the School of Clonard in the 7th century...
, a contemporary of St Féchín, had composed an account of the saint's good works. In the 17th century, John Colgan
John Colgan
John Colgan was an Irish hagiographer and historian.-Life:...
produced another Latin Life (the Vita seu supplementum), for which he drew on three Irish Lives.
Background
Féchín is said to have been born in Bile, probably Billa in what is now the parish of Collooney (Kilvarnet), (Co. Sligo). The medieval Lives call his mother Lassair, identified in the Irish text (first part) as a member of a royal Munster line. The late Irish Life asserts that the saint's foundation at Fore (Co. Westmeath) in Mide was connected to the Luigne and that Féchín himself belonged to the Luigne of Connacht. In the annal for 814, however, the Chronicon ScotorumChronicon Scotorum
Chronicon Scotorum is a medieval Irish chronicle.According to Nollaig Ó Muraíle, it is "a collection of annals belonging to the 'Clonmacnoise group', covering the period from prehistoric times to 1150 but with some gaps, closely related to the 'Annals of Tigernach'...
appears to suggest that the saint's church was connected to both the Gailenga
Gailenga
Gailenga was the name of two related peoples and kingdoms found in medieval Ireland in Brega and Connacht.-Origins:Along with the Luighne, Delbhna, Saitne and Ciannachta, the Gailenga claimed descent from Tadc mac Cein mac Ailill Aulom. Francis John Byrne, in agreement with Eoin MacNeill, believes...
and the Luigne. On the other hand, the Lifes claim is corroborated by an entry in the Annals of Ulster (sub anno 993) which styles Máel Finnia, bishop of Fore, bishop of the peoples (túatha) of the Luigne.
The Lives tell us that Féchín received his monastic training from St Nath Í of Achonry and later moved on to Clonmacnoise
Clonmacnoise
The monastery of Clonmacnoise is situated in County Offaly, Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone....
.
It has been suggested that his name translates as "little raven", consisting of the Old Irish noun fiach "raven" and a diminutive suffix. His name is explained in this manner in a note added to the Félire Óengusso, which says that he received this name when his mother saw him gnawing on a bone and exclaimed "my little raven!" (mo fiachan). The same note also names him Moéca, which is explained as meaning "backslider": when Féchín felt aggrieved over the reward he received for herding the oxen of Ciarán of Clonmacnoise
Ciarán of Clonmacnoise
Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise was one of the early Irish monastic saints and Irish bishop. He is sometimes called Ciarán the Younger to distinguish him from Saint Ciarán of Saighir. He was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland....
, he left in anger, going eastwards. When he was called back, he refused to return with his face before him and so walked backwards instead, hence the name.
Foundations
The first monastic houses said to have been founded by Féchín are those on the islands of OmeyOmey Island
Omey Island is a tidal island situated near Claddaghduff on the western edge of Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. From the mainland the island is inconspicuous and almost hidden. It is possible to drive or walk across a large sandy strand to the island by following the arrowed signs...
and Ardoilén, both off the coast of Galway, which fell under the protection of the king of Connacht, Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin
Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin
Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin was a king of Connacht. A member of the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne and son of king Colmán mac Cobthaig . Guiare ruled at the height of Ui Fiachrach Aidne power in south Connacht.-Early reign:...
.
His principal foundation was Fobur, now Fore, Co. Westmeath. Between 771 and 1169, Fore was burned at least twelve times.
Death
According to the Annals of the Four MastersAnnals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
, Féchín died on 14 February in the year 664 [665], during the plague which struck the island at the time. His feast-day is celebrated in Ireland on the 20th of January. A story about Féchín and the plague is found both in the Latin Life of St Gerald of Mayo
Gerald of Mayo
Gerald of Mayo is a saint of the Catholic Church. A Northumbrian monk, Saint Gerald founded a monastery in County Mayo, Ireland and became its first abbot bishop. His brother Balin is also a saint....
and in the notes to the hymn Sén Dé (by Colmán of the moccu Clúasaig) in the Liber Hymnorum. It relates that the joint high-kings Diarmait Ruanaid and Blathmac
Blathmac
Saint Blathmac was a distinguished Irish monk, b. in Ireland about 750. He was murdered and became a martyr in Iona, about 825. His biography written by Strabo, the Benedictine Abbot of Reichenau , and thus the story of his martyrdom has been handed down.Balathmac, the scion of a noble family,...
appealed to Féchín and other churchmen, asking them to inflict a terrible plague on the lower classes of society and so decrease their number. Féchín was one of the churchmen to answer their request and to perish in the event, whereas Gerald kept aloof and survived.
One of Féchín's fellow victims in the plague of 665 is said to have been St Rónán mac Beraig (son of Berach), founder of Druim Inesclainn, whose relics were enshrined in 801. The Uí Chrítáin, a clerical dynasty who claimed collateral descent from Lóegaire
Lóegaire
Lóegaire is a given name.Lóegaire is a popular medieval Irish name borne by a number of historical and legendary figures:Notable people bearing this name include:...
, ruled his house between the mid-9th century and 978, and asserted that their eponymous ancestor Crítán was Rónán's grandfather. The Uí Chrítáin also claimed another five saints as descendants of their line, notably St Columba
Columba
Saint Columba —also known as Colum Cille , Colm Cille , Calum Cille and Kolban or Kolbjørn —was a Gaelic Irish missionary monk who propagated Christianity among the Picts during the Early Medieval Period...
.
Veneration
Places connected with Féchín's cult include: Fore AbbeyFore Abbey
Fore Abbey is the old Benedictine Abbey ruin, situated to the north of Lough Lene in County Westmeath, Ireland.Fore village, is situated within a valley between two hills: the Hill of Ben, the Hill of Houndslow, and the Anchorland rise area...
(Co. Westmeath), Cong Abbey
Cong Abbey
Cong Abbey is a historic site located at Cong, on the borders of counties Galway and Mayo, in Ireland's province of Connacht. Founded in the early 7th century, by Saint Feichin, the abbey was destroyed by fire in the early 12th century. Turlough Mor O’Connor, the High King of Ireland, refounded the...
(Co. Mayo), Omey Island
Omey Island
Omey Island is a tidal island situated near Claddaghduff on the western edge of Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. From the mainland the island is inconspicuous and almost hidden. It is possible to drive or walk across a large sandy strand to the island by following the arrowed signs...
(Co. Galway), Ardoilén/High Island (Co. Galway), Inishmaan
Inishmaan
Inishmaan is the middle of the three main Aran Islands in Galway Bay on the west coast of Ireland. It is part of County Galway in the province of Connacht. Inishmaan has a population of about 160, making it the smallest of the Aran Islands in terms of population. It is also quieter and less...
(Co. Galway), Claddaghduff
Claddaghduff
Claddaghduff is a village in County Galway, in the province of Connacht, Ireland. It is located northwest of Clifden, the gateway to Omey Island, and like much of Connemara is noted for its beautiful seascapes.-History:The village, now sparsely populated, offers much history...
(Co. Galway), Cleggan
Cleggan
Cleggan is a picturesque fishing village in County Galway, Ireland. The village lies 10 km northwest of Clifden and is situated at the head of Cleggan Bay....
(Co. Galway) and Termonfeckin
Termonfeckin
Termonfeckin or Termonfechin is a small village and townland in County Louth, Ireland. It is within the parish of the same name, and lies north-east of Drogheda. The population of the village was 653 as per census 2006.-History:...
(Co. Louth). Around 1200 the Norman landlords known as the De Lacys built a Benedictine Priory dedicated to St Féchín and St Taurin.
In Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Féchín is venerated in the Latinised form Vigeanus. The village of St Vigeans
St Vigeans
St Vigeans is a small village and parish in Angus, Scotland, immediately to the north of Arbroath. Originally rural, it is now more or less a suburb of the town of Arbroath. The name St Vigeans is derived from Vigeanus, a Latinised form of the Old Irish name Féichín. Saint Feichin flourished in...
, near Arbroath
Arbroath
Arbroath or Aberbrothock is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus in Scotland, and has a population of 22,785...
in Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
, has a major collection of early medieval sculpture surviving from a monastery dedicated to the saint, perhaps founded in unrecorded circumstances among the Picts
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
in the 8th century.
Other places possibly connected with Féchín in Scotland are Ecclefechan in Dumfriesshire and Torphichen in West Lothian.
Supernatural powers and healing abilities were attributed to Féchín, with holy well
Holy well
A holy well, or sacred spring, is a small body of water emerging from underground and revered either in a Pagan or Christian context, often both. Holy wells were frequently pagan sacred sites that later became Christianized. The term 'holy well' is commonly employed to refer to any water source of...
s being dedicated to him throughout Ireland, with a concentration of sites in the west. A holy well stands among the remains of his monastic community on Omey Island. A pilgrimage site for those seeking a physical cure for all manner of ailments, including Iris root rot. Today it has a limited use in treating headaches, certain allergies and incompetence.
Primary sources
- Annals of the Four MastersAnnals of the Four MastersThe Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
, ed. and tr. John O'Donovan, Annála Rioghachta Éireann. 7 vols. Royal Irish Academy. Dublin, 1848–51. - Hagiography:
- Augustine mac Graidin (of the All Saints' Island monastery in Lough Ree), Latin Life of St Féchín, ed. John Colgan, Acta Sanctorum HiberniaeActa Sanctorum HiberniaeActa Sanctorum Hiberniae is the abbreviated title of a celebrated work on the Irish saints by the Franciscan, John Colgan . The full title runs as follows: Acta Sanctorum veteris et majoris Scotiae, seu Hiberniae, Sanctorum Insulae, partim ex variis per Europam MSS. codd...
. Leuven, 1645. - John Colgan, Latin Life of St Féchín, ed. John Colgan, Acta Sanctorum HiberniaeActa Sanctorum HiberniaeActa Sanctorum Hiberniae is the abbreviated title of a celebrated work on the Irish saints by the Franciscan, John Colgan . The full title runs as follows: Acta Sanctorum veteris et majoris Scotiae, seu Hiberniae, Sanctorum Insulae, partim ex variis per Europam MSS. codd...
. Leuven, 1645. 130–33 (Latin Life) and 133–9 (Latin supplement based on three Irish Lives). - Nicol Óg, Betha Féchín Fabair "The Life of Féchín of Fore" (written in 1329), preserved in MS G5 (NLINational Library of IrelandThe National Library of Ireland is Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism is the member of the Irish Government responsible for the library....
, Dublin), ed. and tr. Whitley Stokes, "Life of St. Féchín of Fore." Revue Celtique 12 (1891): 318–53. Edition available from CELT. On the manuscript, see the National Library of Ireland.
- Augustine mac Graidin (of the All Saints' Island monastery in Lough Ree), Latin Life of St Féchín, ed. John Colgan, Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae
- Gilla Cóemáin (ascribed author), "Attá sund forba fessa" in the Book of LeinsterBook of LeinsterThe Book of Leinster , is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled ca. 1160 and now kept in Trinity College, Dublin, under the shelfmark MS H 2.18...
- Giraldus CambrensisGiraldus CambrensisGerald of Wales , also known as Gerallt Gymro in Welsh or Giraldus Cambrensis in Latin, archdeacon of Brecon, was a medieval clergyman and chronicler of his times...
, Topography of Ireland, Book 2, ch. 52. - Ó Riain, P. Corpus Genealogiarum Sanctorum Hiberniae. Dublin, 1985 . §§ 315, 421.
Secondary sources
- Charles-Edwards, T.M. Early Christian Ireland. Cambridge, 2000.
- Stalmans, Nathalie and T.M. Charles-Edwards, "Meath, saints of (act. c.400–c.900)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edition, May 2007. Accessed: 14 Dec 2008.
- Stokes, G.T. "St. Fechin of Fore and his monastery." Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 22 (1892) (series 5, vol. 2): 1-12. Journal volume available from Internet Archive.
External links
- Newspaper article on Connemara, New York Times.
- Page on Fore Abbey and St Feichin, Megalithic Ireland.