Saint Colmán mac Luacháin was an early Irish abbot (''fl''. 7th century), founder and patron saint of Lann (Lynn, Co. Westmeath).
The name of the saint's foundation, Lann (in full Lann mic Lúacháin), represents the early Irish word ''lann'' meaning "(piece of) land, church". The word is attested in at least two further placenames for church sites associated with namesakes of the saint: (1) Lann Elo (Lynally), the church of
Colmán Elo; and (2) Lann Mocholmóc, the church of St Mocholmóc, a pet form of the name Colmán.
A Middle Irish ''Life'' was written for him in the 12th century, possibly soon after 1122,
[Carney, "Language and Literature to 1169", p. 494.] which is preserved in a single manuscript kept in the
Rennes
Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine departm ...
Library in
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period o ...
. According to the ''
Annals of Ulster
The ''Annals of Ulster'' ( ga, Annála Uladh) are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín ...
'', 22 March (
Holy Wednesday
In Christianity, Holy Wednesday commemorates the Bargain of Judas as a clandestine spy among the disciples. It is also called Spy Wednesday, or Good Wednesday (in Western Christianity), and Great and Holy Wednesday (in Eastern Christianity).
I ...
) in 1122 was the day when the saint's shrine was discovered in the burial place of Lann.
Kuno Meyer
Kuno Meyer (20 December 1858 – 11 October 1919) was a German scholar, distinguished in the field of Celtic philology and literature. His pro-German stance at the start of World War I in the United States was a source of controversy. His brothe ...
, who edited the ''Life'', suggests that this event may have prompted the composition of the text shortly after 1122 and also argues that there are linguistic grounds for assigning the text to the 12th century.
[Meyer, ''Betha Colmáin'', p. vii.] The frequent use of such locational adverbs as ''sund'' ("here") seem to indicate that the ''Life'' was also written at Lann.
Colmán hardly ever appears in sources other than his ''Lives'', two late martyrologies (see below) and a list of Irish homonyms.
Both prose and verse appear to have been written by the same author and there is no indication that the work draws on earlier versions in either Irish or Latin, unlike many other Irish saints' ''Lives'' produced about the time.
regards the ''Life'' as "so extravagant that it is something approaching a satire", akin to ''
Aislinge Meic Con Glinne
''Aislinge Meic Con Glinne'' ( Middle Ir.: The Vision of Mac Conglinne) is a Middle Irish tale of anonymous authorship, generally believed to have been written in the late 11th/early 12th century. A parody of the "Vision" genre of religious text, ...
''.
Clichés of the hagiographic genre, such as demonstrations of the saint's authority through pious behaviour and miracle-working, are exaggerated to absurd effect.
There is also a modernised version of this ''Life'', known as ''Betha Colmáin Lainne'' ("Life of Colmán of Lynn").
Colmán is not included in the ''
Félire Óengusso'', even though his ''Life'' pretends to cite the work to this effect, but the Martyrologies of Donegal and Martyrology of Gorman give his feastday at 17 June.
[Meyer, ''Betha Colmáin'', pp. xiii-ix.]
Notes
References
Primary sources
*
*''Betha Colmáin maic Lúacháin'' ("Life of Colman son of Luachán"), ed.
Kuno Meyer
Kuno Meyer (20 December 1858 – 11 October 1919) was a German scholar, distinguished in the field of Celtic philology and literature. His pro-German stance at the start of World War I in the United States was a source of controversy. His brothe ...
, "''Betha Colmáin maic Lúacháin'': The Life of Colmán Son of Luachan." Todd Lecture Series 17. Dublin and London, 1911
Editionan
translationavailable from CELT; PDF available from th
Internet Archive
*''Betha Colmáin Lainne'' ("Life of Colmán of Lynn"), tr. Kuno Meyer, ed. Leo Daly, ''Life Of Colmán Of Lynn. Betha Colmáin Lainne''. Dublin, 1999.
Secondary sources
*
*
Further reading
*
External links
Westmeath County CouncilCorpus of electronic texts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colman of Mullingar
People from County Westmeath
7th-century Irish abbots
7th-century Christian saints
Medieval saints of Meath