Saint Fedelmid Find (also called Feidlimid Fin, Fethlin Fionn, Feidhlimidh Finn, Feidlimidh, Fedlimid, Fedilmid, Feidilmed; c. 500 – 30 October 578) was the

Bishop of Armagh The Archbishop of Armagh is an archiepiscopal title which takes its name from the see city of Armagh in Northern Ireland. Since the Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic successions to the title: one in the Catholic Church and the ot ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

from 558 to 578.

Genealogy and birth

Saint Fedelmid Find was a descendant or grandson of Fáelan and was born c. 500 in a place called Domnach Nemand. He was presumably a younger son as he was destined for the church rather than succeeding to the family estate. He probably did not have a wife or children as he is referred to as "virginal" in the Martyrology of Gorman.

Bishop of Armagh

On the death of Saint

Fiachra mac Colmain Saint Fiachra (also called Fíachrach meic Colmáin; – 25 July 558) was the Bishop of Armagh, Ireland from 548 to 558. Genealogy and birth Saint Fiachra was a descendant of Muiredach Colla Fo Chrí, one of The Three Collas. His genealogy is ...

, the Bishop of Armagh on 25 July 558, Fedelmid Find was appointed as the 11th Bishop in succession to

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 ...

. Fedelmid Find reigned as Bishop for 20 years. Thomas Walsh states, without giving the source, that "''Fedelmid Find was a great encourager of learning, and enlarged the seminary of Armagh, to which he was a great benefactor; he was also very active in organizing the new sees that were springing up in the provinces of the kingdom''"."The History of the Irish Hierarchy", by Rev. Thomas Walsh (1854), p. 31

Lebor Gabála Érenn ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of Ireland's Taking"; Modern Irish spelling: ''Leabhar Gabhála Éireann'', known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'') is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language inten ...

, Vol. V, pp. 370–371, states that during the reign of the High-King

Áed mac Ainmuirech Áed mac Ainmuirech (born c.530 – died 598) was High King of the Northern Uí Néill. He belonged to the Cenél Conaill and was a distant cousin of Columba of Iona. He was the son of Ainmuire mac Sétnai (died 569), a previous possible high k ...

, ''Feidlimid abbas Áird Macha'' (Feidlimid was abbot of Armagh).

Death

St. Fedelmid Find died on 30 October 578. The Annals of Ireland give the following obits- * Annals of the Four Masters 577- "''Feidhlimidh Finn, Abbot of Ard-Macha, died''" * Annals of Ulster 578.3- "''Feidlimid Finn, abbot of Ard Macha, rested''" * Annals from the Book of Leinster- ''Feidlimid, abbot of Armagh''

Feast Day

After his death Fedelmid Find was venerated as a saint and his feast was celebrated on 30 October, the day of his death. The Calendars of the Saints have the following entries- * Martyrology of Gorman 30 October – "''Virginal Fedilmid of Domnach''" * Martyrology of Donegal 30 October – "''Feidhlimidh, of Domhnach.''" However what is possibly a duplicate entry is listed under 20 December by the Martyrology of Donegal "''Feidlimidh''", the Martyrology of Gorman "''shrewd Fedlimid''" and the Martyrology of Tallaght "''Feidlimidh''".

References

{{authority control 500s births 578 deaths Bishops of Armagh 6th-century Irish bishops