Gregory Ceannanach, early
Irish missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...
, fl. c. 490-500?
Biography
Ceannanach's original name is said to have been Gregory, the former name only associated with him after his death.
He was a very early
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
missionary who worked in what is now called
Connemara
Connemara ( ; ) is a region on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speaking Gaeltacht, ...
in the late 5th/early 6th centuries. He may be associated with the western mission of
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick (; or ; ) was a fifth-century Romano-British culture, Romano-British Christian missionary and Archbishop of Armagh, bishop in Gaelic Ireland, Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Irelan ...
. He is believed to have been a native of ''Iararna'' to the south east of the Aran Islands but he might also have been a foreign missionary associated with St. Patrick or
St. Palladius.
Places associated with him include An Cartrún, Baile na Cille, some three km north of
Cleggan
Cleggan () is a fishing village in County Galway, Ireland. The village lies northwest of Clifden and is situated at the head of Cleggan Bay.
A focal point of the village is the pier, built by Alexander Nimmo in 1822 and extended in 1908. Fer ...
. A medieval church set within traces of a rectangular enclosure is dedicated to him. A second church dedicated to him is located on
Inishmore
Inishmore ( , or ) is the largest of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland. With an area of and a population of 820 (as of 2016), it is the second-largest island off the Irish coast (after Achill) and most populo ...
, which, according to Previte, "is considered to be one of the most ancient and perfect of all the ecclesiastical remains on the island".
From him is also said to derive the name Gregory's Sound, the sea passage between Inishmore and
Inishmaan
Inishmaan ( ; , the official name, formerly spelled , meaning "middle island") is the middle of the three main Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of County Galway in the province of Conn ...
.
Folklore
In the parish of Ballinakill it is believed that Ceannanach's mission was the first in this part of Ireland, which was still pagan. The tradition stated that this infuriated a local king, who seized him and had him beheaded close to the eastern extremity of Cleggan. Lore has it that he then picked up his head and took it to the Holy Well in Clooncree where he washed it before lying down to die.
From this incident the village is supposed to derive its name, although ''An Cloigeann'' (meaning head or skull), apparently refers to a coastal headland. Gregory's new name, Ceannach, also seems to be derived from this.
A heap of stones pointed out as the site of his death.
Veneration
Ceannanach is one of only a handful of early Irish saints to have been martyred in Ireland. Tradition states that he is buried on Inishmaan, one of the Aran Islands. He purportedly founded a church on that island. A holy well in Clooncree, County Galway is also named after him, called St. Gregory's well.
See also
*
Guairim of Inisbofin
*
Mathias of Inis Ní
*
Mocán
*
Gormgal of Ardoileán
Gormgal of Ardoileán, Connemara, died 1017/1018.
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 Ardoileán (High Island) famous, so ...
, died. 1017/1018.
References
* ''A Guide to Connemara's Early Christian Sites'', Anthony Previte,
Oughterard
Oughterard () is a small town on the banks of the Owenriff River close to the western shore of Lough Corrib in Connemara, County Galway, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located about northwest of Galway on the N59 road (Ireland), N59 road. ...
, 2008.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ceannach
Christian clergy from County Galway
5th-century Irish Christian clergy
Irish Christian missionaries