AMONG the Irish saints who were somewhat older than St. Patrick, the
first and most celebrated is St. Kiaran, whom the Irish style the
first-born of their saints. According to some he was a native of the
country of Ossory, according to others, of Cork. Usher places his birth
about the year 352. Having received some imperfect information about the
Christian faith, at thirty years of age he took a journey to Rome, that
he might be instructed in its heavenly doctrine, and learn faithfully to
practise its precepts. He was accompanied home by four holy clerks, who
were all afterwards bishops; their names are, Lugacius, Columban, Lugad,
and Cassan. The Irish writers suppose him to have been ordained bishop
at Rome; but what John of Tinmouth affirms, seems far more probable,
that he was one of the twelve whom St. Patrick consecrated bishops in
Ireland to assist him in planting the gospel in that island. For his
residence, he built himself a cell in a place encompassed with woods,
near the water of Fuaran, which soon grew into a numerous monastery. A
town was afterwards built there called Saigar, now from the saint
Sier-keran. Here he converted to the faith his family, and whole clan,
which was that of the Osraigs, with many others. Having given the
religious veil to his mother, whose name was Liadan, he appointed her a
cell or monastery near his own, called by the Irish Ceall Lidain. In his
old age, being desirous to prepare himself for his passage to eternity
in close retirement., he passed into Cornwall, where he led an
eremitical life, near the Severn sea, fifteen miles from Padstow.
Certain disciples joined him, and by his words and example formed
themselves to a true spirit of Christian piety and humility. In this
place he closed his mortal pilgrimage by a happy death: a town upon the
spot is to this day called from him St. Piran's in the Sands, and a
church is there dedicated to God in his memory, where was formerly a
sanctuary near St. Mogun's church, upon St. Mogun's creek.[1] See John
of Tinmouth, Usher, &c., collected by Henschenius: also Leland's
Collections, published by Hearne, t. 3, pp. 10 and 174.
Footnotes:
1. A great number of other Irish saints retired to Cornwall, where many
towns and churches still retain their names. Thus St. Burian's is so
called from an Irish virgin called Buriana, to whose church and
college here king Athelstan, in 936, granted the privilege of
sanctuary. See Leland. Collect t. 3, pp. 7, 8.