Cyra (also Chera, Crea, and Cere filia Duibhrea) was an early Irish

abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa'') is the female superior of a community of nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, Lutheran and Anglican abbeys, the mod ...

. Her

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...

is 16 October. The virgin

saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

was abbess of the monastery of ''Killchere'' ("Cyra's Church") in that part of

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

which was called ''Muscragia'' or

Muskerry Muskerry () is a central region of County Cork, Ireland which incorporates the baronies of Muskerry West Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

Kilcrea Friary Kilcrea Friary () is a ruined medieval abbey located near Ovens, County Cork, Ireland. Both the friary and Kilcrea Castle, located in ruin to the west, were built by Observant Franciscans in the mid 15th century under the invitation of Cormac ...

References

Richard Challoner Richard Challoner (29 September 1691 – 12 January 1781) was an English Catholic prelate who served as Vicar Apostolic of the London District during the greater part of the 18th century, and as Titular Bishop of Doberus. In 1738, he publishe ...

. ''Britannia Sancta: or, The Lives of the most Celebrated British, English, Scottish, and Irish Saints. Part II.'' London: Thomas Meighan, 1745. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cyra, Saint Christian saints in unknown century Medieval Irish saints Female saints of medieval Ireland Medieval Gaels from Ireland Women of medieval Ireland Year of birth unknown