Aedan of Ferns
Encyclopedia
Saint Máedóc also known as Áedan, was a saint in Irish tradition, founder and first bishop
of Ferns
(Co. Wexford) and a patron of other churches, such as Rossinver
(County Leitrim
) and Drumlane
(County Cavan
).
, now the parish of Templeport, County Cavan
, in c. 550. He was not a member of the Masraige
tribe who the inhabited the area but belonged to a branch of the Airgíalla
called the Fir Lurg who were in the process of spreading southwards into Fermanagh and Cavan. The barony of Lurg in County Fermanagh
was named after them. He was a first cousin of St. Dallán Forgaill
and a fourth cousin of Saint Tigernach of Clones
. His father Setna was a tribal chieftain and his mother was Eithne. There was no boat to take the infant to the mainland to be baptised so he is said to have been miraculously floated across the lake on a slab of stone to where Saint Kilian
was waiting to perform the baptism
. The holy water
font in St. Mogue's Church in Bawnboy
is said to be made from part of that stone.
in the hands of Áed mac Ainmuirech
of the Cenél Conaill
, High King of Ireland
. He studied at the great school of Saint Finnian
at Clonard Abbey
and at Kilmuine, in Wales
, under St. David, and returned to Ireland in 580. Ainmire went so far as to predict that Aedan would become a leader of the church. While at Clonard Aedan made friends with Molaise
, who would later found the monastery of Devenish Island
on the River Erne
.
He returned to Ireland in 580, landing on the coast of Wexford
. In thanksgiving for the victory of Dunbolg, County Wicklow
, 10 January 598, in which King Aedh was slain, Brandub mac Echach
(d. 603), King of Leinster, convened a synod
at which, having represented the great services rendered to the kingdom of Leinster
by St. Aedan, notably the remission of the Boromha tribute, it was agreed that Ferns be made an episcopal see - the Diocese of Ferns
- with Aedan as first bishop. He was also given a nominal supremacy over the other Leinster bishops by the title of Ard-Escop or Chief Bishop. King Bran Dubh was slain in Ferns in 603. Aedan founded thirty churches and a number of monasteries. The first of these monasteries was on the island of Inis Breachmhaigh where he was born. The ruins of an 18th-century church remain on the island, a church where mass was furtively celebrated during the Penal days. The ruins are surrounded by a burial ground now officially closed except for a few families whose ancestors are buried there. Twenty-five graves are marked with headstones. The clay or mortar from inside the ruins of the church is said to be a protection against fire or drowning and is kept by many local people in their homes.
He also founded monasteries at Drumlane, near Milltown in County Cavan, at Ferns
in County Wexford
, across the Irish Sea
in Wales
where he was under the monastic rule of Saint David
, at Disert-Nairbre in County Waterford
and finally in Rossinver
in County Leitrim
where, on Lough Melvin
’s shore, he died on the 31 January, 632. He was buried there in the church that he had established. A bronze reliquary
in which his relics were kept is currently preserved in Dublin.
(but the bishop resides in Wexford- the Anglican diocese is administered from Kilkenny) where there is the beautiful St. Aidan's Cathedral
dedicated to St. Aedan, whose patronal feast is observed 31 January. He is patron saint
of Ferns and of Templeport parish, County Cavan. His feast is commemorated in Bawnboy with prayerful visits to his church and to the island where he was born. Mogue is no longer used as a Christian name
but the name Aidan is popular for boys in the West Cavan area.
The church of Llawhaden
in Pembrokeshire
, Britain
, commemorates him.
Bishop of Ferns
The Bishop of Ferns is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Ferns in County Wexford, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishoprics.-History:...
of Ferns
Ferns
Ferns can refer to:* Fern, any of many groups of Pteridophyta in the plant kingdom* Ferns, County Wexford, a small historic town in north County Wexford, Ireland* The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns* The Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin...
(Co. Wexford) and a patron of other churches, such as Rossinver
Rossinver
Rossinver or Rosinver is a village in north County Leitrim, Ireland. The village is at the southern shore of Lough Melvin at the jumction of the R281 and R282 regional roads....
(County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim 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 village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
) and Drumlane
Drumlane
Drumlane is a monastery located in Milltown, County Cavan, Ireland. Located at the monastic site is an abbey, church and round tower which date back to 555. Drumlane was founded by Saint Columba, although Saint Mogue is generally associated with the monastery's foundation, evidence suggests that...
(County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
).
Background
He was born at Inisbrefny (an island in Templeport Lake) then in the area known as Magh SléchtMagh Slécht
Magh Slécht is the name of an historic plain in Ireland. It comprises an area of about three square miles situated in the south-eastern part of the Parish of Templeport, Barony of Tullyhaw and County of Cavan. It is bounded on the north by Templeport Lough, on the east by Slieve Rushen mountain,...
, now the parish of Templeport, County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, in c. 550. He was not a member of the Masraige
Masraige
The Masraige were a Fir Bolg tribe inhabiting Magh Slécht in County Cavan, Ireland. They were also called Masragii, Masraide, Masraidhe, Masruidhe, Mascraide, Masree or Mascraidhe...
tribe who the inhabited the area but belonged to a branch of the Airgíalla
Airgíalla
Airgíalla or Airgialla was the name of an Irish federation and Irish kingdom which first formed around the 7th century...
called the Fir Lurg who were in the process of spreading southwards into Fermanagh and Cavan. The barony of Lurg in County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
was named after them. He was a first cousin of St. Dallán Forgaill
Dallan Forgaill
Saint Dallán Forgaill —also Dallán Forchella; Dallán of Cluain Dalláin; born Eochaid Forchella—was an early Christian Irish poet best known as the writer of the Amra Choluim Chille and the early Irish poem Rop tú mo baile, the basis of the modern English hymn Be Thou My Vision.-Personal...
and a fourth cousin of Saint Tigernach of Clones
Tigernach of Clones
Tigernach was one of the saints of the territory ruled by the Uí Chremthainn dynasty, together with Mac Caírthinn of Clogher and Mo Laisse of Devenish. His principal foundation is Clones, which lay in the western part of Fernmag, an area ruled by the Uí Chremthainn branch Uí Nad Sluaig...
. His father Setna was a tribal chieftain and his mother was Eithne. There was no boat to take the infant to the mainland to be baptised so he is said to have been miraculously floated across the lake on a slab of stone to where Saint Kilian
Saint Kilian
Saint Kilian, also spelled Killian , was an Irish missionary bishop and the apostle of Franconia , where he began his labours towards the end of the 7th century.-Background:...
was waiting to perform the baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
. The holy water
Holy water
Holy water is water that, in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Oriental Orthodoxy, and some other churches, has been sanctified by a priest for the purpose of baptism, the blessing of persons, places, and objects; or as a means of repelling evil.The use for baptism and...
font in St. Mogue's Church in Bawnboy
Bawnboy
Bawnboy is a small village in a valley at the foot of Slieve Rushen, between Ballyconnell and Swanlinbar, in County Cavan, Ireland). The current population is about 250. A bawn is the defensive wall surrounding an Irish tower house...
is said to be made from part of that stone.
Career
When a youth he was a hostageHostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
in the hands of Áed mac Ainmuirech
Áed mac Ainmuirech
Áed mac Ainmuirech was high-king of the Northern Uí Néill. He belonged to the Cenél Conaill and was a distant cousin of Columba of Iona. He was the son of Ainmuire mac Sétnai , a previous possible high king....
of the Cenél Conaill
Cenél Conaill
The Cenél Conaill is the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history. They were also known in Scotland as the Kindred of Saint Columba....
, High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
. He studied at the great school of Saint Finnian
Finnian of Clonard
Saint Finnian of Clonard , or Finian, 'Fionán' or 'Fionnán' in Irish, was one of the early Irish monastic saints, who founded Clonard Abbey in modern-day County Meath. The Twelve Apostles of Ireland studied under him...
at Clonard Abbey
Clonard Abbey
Clonard Abbey was an early medieval monastery situated on the River Boyne, just beside the traditional boundary line of the northern and southern halves of Ireland in modern County Meath...
and at Kilmuine, in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, under St. David, and returned to Ireland in 580. Ainmire went so far as to predict that Aedan would become a leader of the church. While at Clonard Aedan made friends with Molaise
Laisrén mac Nad Froích
Saint Laisrén mac Nad Froích , or Laisrén of Devenish, also known by his petname Mo Laisse, was the patron saint of Devenish Island in Lough Erne , near Enniskillen, in the present diocese of Clogher...
, who would later found the monastery of Devenish Island
Devenish Island
Devenish or Devinish is an island in Lower Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Aligned roughly north–south, it is about one and a quarter miles long and two-thirds of a mile wide. The main place to get a ferry to the island is at Trory Point, just outside Enniskillen.- Features...
on the River Erne
River Erne
The River Erne , in the northwest of Ireland, rises in Beaghy Lough, two miles south of Stradone in County Cavan and flows 64 miles through Lough Gowna, Lough Oughter and Upper and Lower Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, to the sea at Ballyshannon, County Donegal...
.
He returned to Ireland in 580, landing on the coast of Wexford
Wexford
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. It is situated near the southeastern corner of Ireland, close to Rosslare Europort. The town is connected to Dublin via the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and the national rail network...
. In thanksgiving for the victory of Dunbolg, County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, 10 January 598, in which King Aedh was slain, Brandub mac Echach
Brandub mac Echach
Brandub mac Echach was an Irish king of the Uí Cheinnselaig of Leinster. His father, Echu mac Muiredaig had been a king of the Ui Cheinnselaig. They belonged to a branch known as the Uí Felmeda descended from Fedelmid, son of Énnae Cennsalach...
(d. 603), King of Leinster, convened a synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
at which, having represented the great services rendered to the kingdom of Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
by St. Aedan, notably the remission of the Boromha tribute, it was agreed that Ferns be made an episcopal see - the Diocese of Ferns
Diocese of Ferns
Diocese of Ferns can refer to:*The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns*The Church of Ireland diocese of Ferns within the united Diocese of Cashel, Waterford, Lismore, Ossory, Ferns & Leighlin...
- with Aedan as first bishop. He was also given a nominal supremacy over the other Leinster bishops by the title of Ard-Escop or Chief Bishop. King Bran Dubh was slain in Ferns in 603. Aedan founded thirty churches and a number of monasteries. The first of these monasteries was on the island of Inis Breachmhaigh where he was born. The ruins of an 18th-century church remain on the island, a church where mass was furtively celebrated during the Penal days. The ruins are surrounded by a burial ground now officially closed except for a few families whose ancestors are buried there. Twenty-five graves are marked with headstones. The clay or mortar from inside the ruins of the church is said to be a protection against fire or drowning and is kept by many local people in their homes.
He also founded monasteries at Drumlane, near Milltown in County Cavan, at Ferns
Ferns, County Wexford
Ferns is a small historic town in north County Wexford, Ireland with a population of about 900. It is 16 km from Enniscorthy, where the Gorey to Enniscorthy N11 road joins the R745 regional road...
in County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
, across the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
where he was under the monastic rule of Saint David
Saint David
Saint David was a Welsh Bishop during the 6th century; he was later regarded as a saint and as the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and a relatively large amount of information is known about his life. However, his birth date is still uncertain, as suggestions range from 462 to...
, at Disert-Nairbre in County Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
and finally in Rossinver
Rossinver
Rossinver or Rosinver is a village in north County Leitrim, Ireland. The village is at the southern shore of Lough Melvin at the jumction of the R281 and R282 regional roads....
in County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim 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 village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
where, on Lough Melvin
Lough Melvin
Lough Melvin is a lake which is internationally renowned for its unique range of plants and animals. It is located in the northwest of Ireland on the border between County Leitrim and County Fermanagh ....
’s shore, he died on the 31 January, 632. He was buried there in the church that he had established. A bronze reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
in which his relics were kept is currently preserved in Dublin.
Legacy
The Catholic episcopal seat of Ferns is now at EnniscorthyEnniscorthy
Enniscorthy is the second largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. The population of the town and environs is 9538. The Placenames Database of Ireland sheds no light on the origins of the town's name. It may refer either to the "Island of Corthaidh" or the "Island of Rocks". With a history going...
(but the bishop resides in Wexford- the Anglican diocese is administered from Kilkenny) where there is the beautiful St. Aidan's Cathedral
St. Aidan's Cathedral
St. Aidan's Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns. It is located in Enniscorthy, County Wexford in Ireland. It was built in 1843 and was designed by Augustus Welby Pugin. The saint to whom the cathedral is dedicated is Máedóc of Ferns , also known as Áedan or...
dedicated to St. Aedan, whose patronal feast is observed 31 January. He is patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Ferns and of Templeport parish, County Cavan. His feast is commemorated in Bawnboy with prayerful visits to his church and to the island where he was born. Mogue is no longer used as a Christian name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
but the name Aidan is popular for boys in the West Cavan area.
The church of Llawhaden
Llawhaden
Llawhaden is a village and parish in the Hundred of Dungleddy , Pembrokeshire, West Wales.Llawhaden was a civil parish, area 1865 Ha....
in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, commemorates him.
Further reading
- Doherty, Charles. "Leinster, saints of (act. c.550–c.800)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, 2004. Accessed: 9 February 2009.