Tigernan of Errew, Irish

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

, . In his "History of Mayo" (page 31), Knox writes: ''"St. Tigernan of Errew worked in

Tirawley Tirawley ( Irish: ''Tír Amhlaidh''),` archaically known as Tyrawley, is a barony extending southward from the north coast of County Mayo, Ireland. It was created during the shiring of County Mayo out of the Gaelic túath or territory of Tír Am ...

in the early part of the sixth century. His

paten A paten or diskos is a small plate used for the celebration of the Eucharist (as in a mass). It is generally used during the liturgy itself, while the reserved sacrament are stored in the tabernacle in a ciborium. Western usage In many Wes ...

still exists. No more is known of him except he was the founder of

Errew Abbey Errew Abbey is a former Augustinian monastery and National Monument located in County Mayo, Ireland. Location Errew Abbey is located on a peninsula stretching into Lough Conn. Templenagalliaghdoo lies immediately to the north. History Tig ...

Lough Conn Lough Conn () is a lake in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. With an area of about , it is Ireland's seventh largest lake. With its immediate neighbour to the south, Lough Cullin, it is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the River Moy. ...

County Mayo County Mayo (; ) 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 Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, County Mayo, Mayo, now ge ...

. The Breastagh Ogham Stone near the king's house of Rathfran commemorates a "son of Cairbre, son of Amalgaid", who may be father or uncle of Tigernan, or a great-grandson of Fiachra Elgach."'' He was patron saint of south Tirawaley. His cousin, Cuimín, was a contemporary of St. Aodhan, who died in 562. Cuimin was related to Aodhan, and worked as a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

in Tirawley, and perhaps Tireragh. Errew - ''Oireadh'' - is a slender peninsula jutting out from the western shore of

. The

Mac Fhirbhisigh MacFirbis (), also known as Forbes, was the surname of a family of Irish hereditary historians based for much of their known history at Lecan, Tireragh (now ''Lackan'', Kilglass parish, County Sligo). They claimed descent from Dathí (d.418?/4 ...

family believed themselves to be natives of the area (Ó Muraíle, 1996, p.6). The present Abbey of Errew seems to have been built in the early-to-mid 12th century ''"under the influence of the

Cistercians The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

, but before Irish architects were familiar with it."'' (Knox, p. 49). This abbey appears to have been the ecclesiastical head of the Ó Lactna lordship of An Bac and Glen Nephin.

Gilla Áedha Ua Maigín Gilla Áedha Ua Maigín, Bishop of Cork, died 1172. ''Sub anno '' 1172, the Annals of the Four Masters state that: ''"Giolla Aedha O'Muidhin (of the family of Errew of Lough Con), Bishop of Cork, died. He was a man full of the grace of God, the ...

Bishop of Cork The Bishop of Cork was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the city of Cork in Ireland. The title is now united with other bishoprics. In the Church of Ireland it is held by the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, and in the Roman ...

(died 1172), is noted in the

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' () or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' () are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Genesis flood narrative, Deluge, dated as 2,242 Anno Mundi, years after crea ...

as ''"of the family of Errew of Lough Con."''

References

* ''The History of Mayo to the Close of the Sixteenth Century'', Hubert T. Knox, 1908. * ''The Celebrated Antiquary:

Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh (), also known as Dubhaltach Óg mac Giolla Íosa Mór mac Dubhaltach Mór Mac Fhirbhisigh, Duald Mac Firbis, Dudly Ferbisie, and Dualdus Firbissius ( fl. 1643 – January 1671) was an Irish scribe, translator, histo ...

(c.1600-1671) - His Life, Lineage and Learning'',

Nollaig Ó Muraíle Nollaig Ó Muraíle is an Irish scholar. He published an edition of Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh's ''Leabhar na nGenealach'' in 2004. He was admitted to the Royal Irish Academy in 2009. Life and career A native of Knock, County Mayo, Ó Muraíle ...

, An Sagart,

Maynooth Maynooth (; ) is a university town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to Maynooth University (part of the National University of Ireland and also known as the National University of Ireland, Maynooth) and St Patrick's College, Maynoo ...

, 1996; reprinted 2003. ; . {{DEFAULTSORT:Tigernan of Errew 6th-century Irish Christian clergy Christian clergy from County Mayo