Saint Grellan
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Saint Grellan is an Irish
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 ...
and
patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...
of the KellyO'Donovan, ''Tribes and Customs of Hy Many'', pp. 8–12. and Donnellan of Uí Maine
clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...
s and of the parish of
Ballinasloe Ballinasloe ( ; ) is a town in the easternmost part of County Galway, Ireland. Located at an ancient crossing point on the River Suck, evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of Bronze Age sites. Built around a 12th-centur ...
, in
County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...
, Ireland.


Early life

According to the
hagiography A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a preacher, priest, founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian ...
''The Life of St. Grellan'', Grellan lived during the 5th century time 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 ...
. Grellan was assigned a site to build a church at Achadh Fionnabhrach, by Duach Gallach, a
King of Connacht The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the ''cóiced'' (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. However, the name only became applied to it in the early medieval era, being named ...
. Duach Gallach granted Grellan the site to build his church after Grellan brought back to life by baptism Duach Gallach's stillborn son, Eoghan Sriabh. Achadh Fionnabhrach has been ever since called Craobh Ghrealláin (Irish for 'the branch of Grellan'), named after the branch which king Duach and St. Patrick presented to St. Grellan, in token of possession. The king also ordered that seven garments should be given from every chieftain's wife as a tribute to the young cleric. After this Grellan proceeded to the upper third of Connacht and continued to traverse the country but he eventually settled and established a church at Cill Cluaine (or Kilclooney, near present-day
Ballinasloe Ballinasloe ( ; ) is a town in the easternmost part of County Galway, Ireland. Located at an ancient crossing point on the River Suck, evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of Bronze Age sites. Built around a 12th-centur ...
) in Magh Seincheineoil, a territory occupied by the Firbolg and led by Cian d'Fhearaibh Bolg.


Intervention in Fir Bolg-Colla da Chrioch battle

The area was invaded by the
Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...
tribe of Colla da Chrioch from the
Kingdom of Oriel Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchic state or realm ruled by a king or queen. ** A monarchic chiefdom, represented or governed by a king or queen. * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and me ...
, led the semi-legendary figure Maine Mór who was accompanied by his father, Eochaidh Ferdaghiall, and his two sons Breasal mac Maine Mór and Amhalgaidh. His battalions descended on the territory and plundered the country. Acting as an intermediary, Grellan negotiated a peace between the parties. To consummate the peace, Cian d'Fhearaibh Bolg organised a feast to which Amlaff was invited but subsequently taken hostage. Amlaff was now the bargaining power the Firbolgs held over the Gaels. While in captivity however, Amlaff managed offend a Firbolg official through a romantic entanglement with his wife. Amlaff was killed, and with him died the Firbolg's leverage against the Gaels. With the Gaels expecting a truce, Cian decided to catch them off guard with a surprise attack. From the door of his church, Grellan became aware of the build-up of the Firbolg's weapons. As he was the guarantee between the two factions, this development put him in a precarious situation. Legend states that he prayed to God, who caused the Firbolgs to be swallowed into the earth at the bog of Magh Liach during battle with the Gaels. Grellan subsequently granted the territory to Maine Mór and his people. The area became known as Uí Maine. The Uí Maine paid tribute to Grellan, who became the patron saint of the
clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...
s and families who descended from Maine Mór, including the Ó Ceallaigh ( O'Kelly), Ó Madadhan (Madden), Ó Neachtáin ( Naughton), Ó Domhnalláin ( Donnellan), Ó Maolalaidh (Lally/ Mullally) and Ó Fallamháin ( Fallon) families.


Crozier

St. Grellan's Crozier, or ''Bachall Grealláin'' was given to the Uí Maine with the territory, and was thenceforth borne in their standard on the battlefield. This crozier was in existence up to the early 19th century. The history of the Baċall Ġreallán is recounted by Patrick Egan in his history of "The Parish of Ballinasloe," from the time of the saint, during its time as a treasured relic of the Hy Many, until it was conveyed into the possession of Shane Crannelly as hereditary keeper of the relic, according to John O'Donovan writing in Ballinasloe in 1837. At this time, the Baċall was used as a talisman in depositions. The following year Thomas O'Curry arrived in the bally per the Ordnance Survey to learn that the Crozier of St. Ġreallán had been condemned and discarded. Crannelly's kin had inherited the staff; attended church; heard Father O'Connor's sermon against their family for charging fees to swear oaths on the Baċall; after which the treasure disappeared. Egan concludes the mystery thus "a treasured relic from the dawn of Christianity in Ireland, though handed down with loving care through thirteen centuries, was in the end put to base use, before finally disappearing from sight, perhaps forever."


Use of name in modern times

St Grellan's
Gaelic football Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...
club is named after Grellan, as is St Grellan's Terrace, a public housing estate, in
Ballinasloe Ballinasloe ( ; ) is a town in the easternmost part of County Galway, Ireland. Located at an ancient crossing point on the River Suck, evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of Bronze Age sites. Built around a 12th-centur ...
. St Grellan's Boys' National School, now Scoil an Chroí Naofa, was also named in his honour. Also in Ballinasloe, Grellan's Well is located in the
townland A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...
of Tobergrellan (meaning Grellan's Well). The local branch of Conradh na Gaeilge (The Gaelic League) is named Craobh Ghrealláin in honour of the saint. Although rare, Grellan is a boy's first name.


References


Sources

* * * {{authority control People from Ballinasloe 5th-century births 6th-century deaths 5th-century Irish Christian clergy Medieval saints of Connacht Christian clergy from County Galway