Saint Fiacc (c. 415-520) was a poet, the chief bishop of

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

, and founder of two churches.

Life

His father, MacDara, was prince of the

Uí Bairrche Uí Bairrche (, ) was an Irish kin-based group that originally held lands in the south of the ancient province of Leinster (or ''Cóiced Laigen'' "the Fifth of the Laigin"). Another south Leinster kin group associated with the Uí Bairrche were g ...

in the country around

Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had a population of 27,351, the List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland, ...

, Ireland. His mother was sister of

Dubhthach moccu Lughair Dubthach is a masculine personal name in early Ireland. It may refer to: * Dubthach Dóeltenga, a character in the Ulster Cycle, ally of Fergus * Dubthach maccu Lugair, legendary Irish poet and lawyer in the time of St Patrick * Dubthach the Fir ...

, the

Chief Ollam of Ireland Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boat ...

, the first of Patrick's converts at Tara, and the apostle's lifelong friend. Fiacc was a pupil to his uncle in the

bardic In Celtic cultures, a bard is an oral repository and professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's an ...

profession and soon embraced the Faith. Subsequently, when Patrick came to Leinster, he temporarily stayed at Dubhtach's house in

Uí Ceinnselaig The Uí Ceinselaig (also Uí Ceinselaig, Anglicized as Kinsella), from the Old Irish "grandsons of Cennsalach", are an Irish dynasty of Leinster who trace their descent from Énnae Cennsalach, a supposed contemporary of Niall of the Nine Hos ...

and selected Fiacc, on Dubhtach's recommendation, to be dedicated bishop for the converts of Leinster. Fiacc was then a widower; his wife had recently died, leaving him one son named Fiacre. Patrick gave him an alphabet written with his own hand, and Fiacc acquired with marvellous rapidity the learning necessary for the episcopal order. Patrick consecrated him, and in after time appointed him chief bishop of the province. Fiacc founded the church of Domnach-Fiech, east of the

River Slaney The River Slaney (; ) is a large river in the southeast of Ireland. It rises on Lugnaquilla Mountain in the western Wicklow Mountains and flows west and then south through counties Wicklow, Carlow and Wexford for 117.5 km (73 mi), ...

.Murray, Sean. "St. Fiacc of Sleaty, Co. Laois", Laois Heritage Society
/ref> After many years of austere life in this place, Fiacc was led by angelic command to remove to the west of the

River Barrow The Barrow () is a river in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is one of The Three Sisters (Ireland), The Three Sisters; the other two being the River Suir and the River Nore. The Barrow is the longest of the three rivers and, at 192 km (12 ...

, for there "he would find the place of his resurrection". The legends state that he was directed to build his oratory where he should meet a hind, his refectory where he should find a boar. He consulted Patrick, the latter fixed the site of his new church at

Sletty Sletty, Sleaty, or Slatey (''Sléibhte'', 'mountains', in Irish), is a civil parish in County Laois, Ireland. It is situated some 2 km north-north-west of the town of Carlow. It was once the see of a bishopric, founded by Saint Fiacc in ...

-- "the highland"—a mile and a half northwest of Carlow. This foundation does not survive, but a medieval church and two undecorated crosses do. Here he built a large monastery, which he ruled as abbot while at the same time he governed the surrounding country as bishop. Sletty may have been one of the first scriptoriums in Ireland. His annual

Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...

retreat to the cave of Drum-Coblai and the rigours of his Lenten fast, on five

barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

loaves mixed with ashes, are mentioned in his life by

Jocelyn of Furness Jocelin of Furness (fl. 1175–1214) was an English Cistercian hagiographer, known for his Lives of Saint Waltheof, Saint Patrick, Saint Kentigern and Saint Helena of Constantinople. He is probably responsible for the popular legendary associa ...

. He suffered for many years from a painful disease and Patrick, commiserating his infirmity, sent him a chariot and a pair of horses to help him in the visitation of the diocese. He lived to a very old age; sixty of his pious disciples were gathered to their rest before him. He was buried in his own church at Sletty, his son Fiacre, whom Patrick had ordained priest, occupying the same grave. They are mentioned in several calendars as jointly revered in certain churches.

Veneration

His feast day is 12 October.

Legacy

St. Fiacc is the reputed author of the metrical life of St. Patrick in Irish, a document of prime importance as the earliest biography of the saint that has come down to us. Modern scholars generally think it was composed later, in the seventh or possibly even the eighth century.Redington, N. "Fiacc: Hymn on the Life of St. Patrick"
St. Pachomius Orthodox Library, voskrese.info; accessed 15 June 2017. A hymn on

St. Brigid Saint Brigid of Kildare or Saint Brigid of Ireland (; Classical Irish: ''Brighid''; ; ) is the patroness saint (or 'mother saint') of Ireland, and one of its three national saints along with Patrick and Columba. According to medieval Irish ...

, ''"Audite virginis laudes"'', has been sometimes attributed to him, but on insufficient grounds.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fiacc 6th-century Christian saints 6th-century Irish bishops Medieval Irish saints People from County Carlow Year of birth uncertain 520 deaths Angelic visionaries