With St. Columba, St. Bridget and St. Maelrubha, St. Kenneth ranks
among the most popular of the Irish saints honoured in Scotland. He
was the child of poor Irish parents, and was employed during his
early years in tending sheep. When he attained the years of man hood
he became a monk, and passed over to Wales, where he became the
disciple of the renowned St. Cadoc. He was one of that saint's most
beloved followers on account of his perfect obedience. After being
ordained priest he made a pilgrimage to Rome, and returning {146} to
Ireland became the disciple of St. Mobhi and St. Finnian. St.
Columba, St. Comgall and St. Kiaran lived with him as members of the
same community.
Later on St. Kenneth visited Scotland, where he lived for some years
as a monk. He is believed to have founded a monastery at St. Andrews
and to have built churches in other parts of the country, converting
many of the pagan inhabitants to Christianity by the fervour of his
preaching. He spent some time at Iona with St. Columba, and
accompanied that saint in his visit to King Brude at Inverness, and
it was St. Kenneth who, with the sign of the Cross, caused the King's
hand to wither when he drew his sword against the missionaries.
St. Kenneth died in Ireland. He founded the monastery of Aghaboe, and
around it grew up the town of that name, which up to the twelfth
century was the seat of the Bishops of Ossory, whose residence was
later transferred to Kilkenny. In Scotland this saint had many
dedications. Kilchenzie, in Kintyre; Kilkenneth, in Tiree;
Kilchainnech, in Iona; Kilchainie, in South Uist; Laggan in
Inverness-shire, {147} and others. The great abbey of Cambuskenneth
takes its name from him, as well as Chenzie Island, in the river of
Islay, and Kennoway (anciently Kennochi) in Fifeshire.
13--St. Comgan or Congan, Abbot, 8th century.
This saint was the brother of the holy recluse, Kentigerna, whose
life was given on January 7th, and was consequently the son of a
Prince of Leinster. On succeeding his father in the government of the
province he ruled his people as a true Christian prince should do;
but, meeting with violent opposition from the neighbouring chiefs, he
was forced to fly the country to save his life. Taking with him his
sister and her son, Fillan, he crossed over to Scotland, and settled
in Lochalsh, Argyllshire. Here he lived many years as a monk in great
austerity. He was far advanced in years when death came. He was
buried at Iona.
His nephew, St. Fillan (see February 3), built a church in his honour
at Lochalsh. There were also many other dedications to this saint in
Scotland. Among them were {148} Kilchowan in Kiltearn (Ross and
Cromarty), Kilchoan or Kilcongan in the island of Seil, St. Coan in
Strath (Skye), Kilquhoan in Ardnamurchan, Kilchoan in Knoydart, etc.
The church of Turriff in Aberdeenshire was dedicated to him, and the
annual fair on his feast-day was called "Cowan Fair." A hospital of
St. Congan was founded at that place in 1272 by the Earl of Buchan,
consisting of a collegiate establishment for a warden and six
chaplains. Thirteen poor husbandmen of Buchan were maintained there.
King Robert the Bruce added to its endowment. Some of the remains of
this institution are known as "The Abbey Lands." Leo XIII. restored
St. Comgan's feast to the Scottish calendar in 1898.
St. Fyndoca, Virgin.
No particulars of this saint's life remain to us. Her feast occurs
in the Breviary of Aberdeen on this day. She seems to have been
specially venerated in the diocese of Dunblane. An old charter of
the thirteenth century mentions a chapel dedicated to St. Fyndoca at
Findo Cask, near Dunning, in Perthshire; a fair was {149} formerly
held there for eight days from the saint's feast. There are ruins
of an old building known as the chapel of St. Fink at Bendochy,
near Coupar Angus; this was probably one of her dedications.
17--St. Rule, Abbot, (about) 6th century.
An old legend, long accepted as history, but rejected altogether by
modern critics, makes this saint the bearer of the relics of St.
Andrew from Patras in Achaia to Scotland in the fourth century. The
story relates that Rule, when engaged in his duties as custodian of
the apostle's shrine, was favoured with a Heavenly vision, in which
an angel commanded him to set aside certain of the relics--among them
an arm-bone and three fingers of the Apostle--and to conceal them for
a time in a certain spot indicated. Another vision later on directed
the holy man to set sail with the relics in a north-westerly
direction "towards the ends of the earth," and when the vessel should
be in danger of shipwreck on a northern coast to recognise that as a
sign that a church should be built near that spot in honour {150} of
St. Andrew, where the relics should be enshrined. St. Rule is said to
have carried out the command in company with many fellow voyagers,
and to have founded the church of St. Andrew's, where he lived more
than thirty years after his landing. A cave on the sea coast hard by
still bears his name. He is said to have retired there for prayer.
The old church of St. Rule, with its quaint, slender tower, was the
first cathedral of the city, which formerly bore the saint's name.
Most modern historians identify St. Rule with an Irish abbot of
similar name who is honoured on this day. He was a contemporary of
St. Kenneth, and probably ended his days at St. Andrews, after
labouring there as a missionary. St. Rule is the patron of Monifieth,
Forfarshire; of Meikle Folia, near Fyvie, Aberdeenshire; and of
Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire, where an ancient fair, held on the second
Tuesday in October as late as the beginning of last century, was
known as "Trewell Fair." There was a chapel of St. Rule at St. Cyrus
(formerly called Ecclesgreig) in Kincardineshire. {151}
21 St. Mund or Fintan-Munnu, Abbot, A.D. 635,
He was born in Ireland, and was a contemporary of St. Columba. He
bears the character of being the most austere of all the Irish
saints, and suffered grievously from bodily infirmities with the
greatest resignation. Crossing over to Scotland, he dwelt for a time
upon an island of Loch Leven, still called after him by the title of
Eileanmunde.
A more important foundation was afterwards made by this saint at
Kilmun, north of the Firth of Clyde, in Argyllshire. An old burial
ground still marks the site of the monastery founded by St. Mund; the
hills and wooded glens which surround the spot make up a scene of
striking beauty. A small bay in the vicinity is called "Holy Loch."
It is a matter of dispute whether the title came from its proximity
to St. Mund's foundation or from a shipload of earth from the Holy
Land, destined to form part of the foundation of a church in Glasgow,
and reputed to have been sunk in a storm near that spot.
It is said that St. Mund made application to Baithen, St. Columba's
successor at Iona, to be {152} received as a monk of that monastery,
but that Baithen advised the saint to return to Ireland and found a
monastery there. The holy abbot gave this advice on account of a
prophecy of St. Columba, who had foreseen St. Mund's desire, and had
declared that God willed that saint to become abbot over others and
not the disciple of Baithen.
It was owing to this advice that St. Mund returned to his native land
and founded Teach-Mun (Tagmon) in Wexford, which became famous under
his rule.
Mediaeval documents mention the saint's pastoral staff as preserved
in Argyllshire; its hereditary custodian held a small croft at
Kilmun; it may have been in honour of this saint that a fair was held
at that place for eight days during April as alluded to in records of
1490. No trace of the above relic now remains. In Ireland this saint
is known as St. Fintan-Munnu; but Mundus or Mund is the title which
appears in Scottish records.
26--St. Bean, Bishop, llth century.
This saint was venerated at Fowls Wester {153} and Kinkell, both in
Perthshire. His well is pointed out at the former place, and his fair
is held there. St. Bean is inserted in the calendar of the Breviary
of Aberdeen, but few particulars of his life are known to us.
Tradition makes him Bishop of Mortlach, in Banffshire, though the
existence of such a see is not generally admitted. St. Bean, probably
resided at Morlach of which he became patron (in succession to St.
Moluag see--June 25); he is said to have ruled a monastery of Culdees
there. An ancient stone effigy, in existence in the eighteenth
century in Mortlach Church, was supposed to represent the saint;
nothing of the kind is now to be seen. Balvenie, in the
neighbourhood, is thought to be derived from _Bal-beni-mor_
("dwelling of Bean the Great"). The feast of St. Bean was
restored to Scotland by Leo XIII.
St. Eata, Bishop, A.D. 686.
He was one of the boys trained by St. Aidan in the monastery of
Lindisfarne. When he grew to manhood he made his profession as a
monk of that abbey, and in after years became {154} Abbot of Old
Melrose, where St. Boisil and St. Cuthbert were among his disciples.
He became Bishop of Lindisfarne, and was afterwards translated to
the See of Hexham. He was buried in Hexham Cathedral.
30--St. Talarican, Bishop, A.D. (about) 720.
This saint has been claimed as one of the Irish missionaries to
Scotland, but competent authorities maintain that his name shows
him to have been of Pictish origin, and they add that the Irish
calendars do not contain a saint whose name can be identified with
that of Talarican. The saint is said to have been raised to the
episcopate by Pope Gregory (perhaps St. Gregory II.). It is
specially said of him that he was careful to offer Holy Mass
every day. His life was one of stern discipline. He laboured in
the northern districts of Scotland, and his popularity is shown
by the numerous dedications in his name.
The large district of Kiltarlity in Invernessshire, in which
Beauly Priory was situated, takes its name from St. Talarican.
A church and burial-ground known as Ceilltarraglan once {155}
existed in the Isle of Skye; it was situated on the plain above
the rocks to the north of Loch Portree. In the island of Taransay
we find _Eaglais Tarain_, or Church of Talarican. The saint is also
associated with the church of Fordyce, in Banffshire, where a fair
was held on his feast and during the octave. There is a St. Tarkin's
Well at Fordyce and another in the parish of Kilsyth, Stirlingshire,
is thought to own this saint as patron. Leo XIII. restored St.
Talarican's feast to the Scottish Calendar.
St. Monoch.
At Stevenson, in Ayrshire, an annual fair was formerly held on
October 30th, which was called "Sam Maneuke's," or "St. Monk's Day";
it has long been discontinued. An old will of the sixteenth century
points to this saint as the patron of the town. Archibald Weir, in
his testament, dated October 7th, 1547, says: "I give and bequeath my
soul to God Almighty and my body to be buried in the church of St.
Monoch, of Steynstoune." A procession once took place annually on
this day in the above locality. It was doubtless the remnant of some
{156} popular Catholic demonstration in honour of the patronal feast;
though mentioned as late as 1845 it has now disappeared. In the
parish of Sorn, in the same county, is an estate known by the
designation of Auchmannoch, which probably refers to this saint.