Cellach of Killala (
fl.
''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...
mid-6th century) is supposed to be an early
Bishop of Killala, in Ireland.
Cellach appears among the saints of the
Uí Fiachrach in ''Genealogiae Regum et Sanctorum Hiberniae'', where Walsh suggests he may have been the ''Cellan Ua Fiachrach'' who appears under 1 May. It is not certain if he ever existed, as the only source, ''Betha Chellaig'', is a much later
pseudo-historical account found in
Leabhar Breac.
The account states he was the eldest son of
Eogan Bel, King of Connacht, was taught by
Ciarán of Clonmacnoise. Ciarán made him a monk, and Cellach stayed with him until Eogan Bel was killed in the battle of Slicech (
Sligo
Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...
) against the northern
Uí Néill, dated at 543, 546 or 547. He succeeded his father but under a curse from Ciarán, who foretold a dire fate.
Cellach was eventually ousted and returned to Ciarán, with whom he remained until elevated to bishop of Killala in the reign of
Tuathal Maelgarb. He later fled to a hermitage on
Lough Conn,
County Mayo
County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...
. He was said to have been murdered by
Guaire Aidhne, who had him killed by four of his students who dumped his body in a hollow tree. Cellach's brother, Muiredach, is said to have avenged his death, and the four murderers buried under the
Dolmen of the Four Maols
The Dolmen of the Four Maols is a cist and National Monument located in County Mayo, Ireland. Location
The Dolmen of the Four Maols is located on Primrose Hill overlooking the River Moy, southwest of Ballina, outside the Road Safety Authority ...
, outside Ballina.
The account has many chronological discrepancies.
References
*
* ''Dictionary of Irish Biography'', pp. 446–47, Cambridge, 2010.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cellach of Killala
6th-century Irish bishops
Bishops of Killala