Biography

Inishark

Inishark

Inishark or Inishshark , sometimes called Shark Island, is a small island neighbouring the larger Inishbofin in County Galway, Ireland.-Overview:...

 lies south-west of Inishbofin, Galway

Inishbofin, Galway

Inishbofin is an island lying about off the coast of Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. It is about 5.5 km long and wide, and has around 200 inhabitants. The island is popular with artists. Inishbofin can be reached by ferry from the pier in Cleggan...

 and was inhabited up to 1960. Leo is the 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 the island, and responsible for perhaps the first Christian settlement on the island. He lived in the 7th century.

The church he founded, now in ruins, is called Teampaill Leo, featuring a stone cross, Leac Leo. On the nearby south shore is Uaimh Leo, a cave where he is saint to have prayed and meditated. Clochán Leo is a ruined structure said to have been his residence.

A 19th century church was erected on the site of his Monastery

Monastery

Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...

.

His feast day was originally 11 April but later celebrated on 10 November.

See also

• Gormgal
  Gormgal
  -Biography:Gormgal is credited with building a number of monastic settlements in the late 10th century. Noted as an anchorite of exceptional sanctity, he made the island famous, so much so that in 1014 Brian Boru visited High Island to make his confession to him...
  
  , died 1017/1018.
• Guairim of Inisbofin
  Guairim of Inisbofin
  -Biography:Little is known of Guairim. He is said to have been a contemporary of Colmán of Lindisfarne who founded a monastery on the island in 665. A site adjacent to the harbour on some old maps was called 'Guairim's Castle'; the presbytery is now located there. Another site, listed on the...
  
  
• Colmán of Lindisfarne
  Colmán of Lindisfarne
  Colmán of Lindisfarne also known as Saint Colmán was Bishop of Lindisfarne from 661 until 664. He succeeded Aidan and Finan. Colman resigned the Bishopric of Lindisfarne after the Synod of Whitby called by King Oswiu of Northumbria decided to calculate Easter using the method of the First...
  
   (c. 605–18 February 675)
• Féchín of Fore (d. 665).