Irish Saints

[maceochaidh]

Saint Kevin, lest he be elected abbot by his brother monks at Kilmanagh, fled from them in secret to the lonely valley of Glendaloch.

Here for seven years he led a life of prayer and penance in complete solitude.

His shelter was a hollow tree and his scanty rest was taken on the bare rock floor of a tiny cave high in the cliff over the lake.

Yet his life was not lonely - he saw God in the great works of His hands, and the birds used to perch upon his shoulders and sing their sweetest songs to him.

In time, his retreat became known and disciples flocked around this wondrous man of God. Then in obedience to an angel's voice, Kevin regretfully left that lonely spot and at the mouth of the valley he founded what soon became the great monastic city of Glendaloch.

He ruled as Abbot over the church and monastery here for nearly eighty years until he died on 3 June, 618, at the age of 120 years.

Truely a man of God!

[Tigrrr]

120? Well Holy God. Did Seamus Heaney write a poem about St. Kevin and the Blackbird?

(Goes rummaging)

Edit: here we go, for those who are interested (anyone? )

St. Kevin and the Blackbird

And then there was St. Kevin and the blackbird.
The saint is kneeling, arms stretched out, inside
His cell, but the cell is narrow, so

One turned-up palm is out the window, stiff
As a crossbeam, when a blackbird lands
And lays in it and settles down to nest.

Kevin feels the warm eggs, the small breast, the tucked
Neat head and claws and, finding himself linked
Into the network of eternal life,

Is moved to pity: Now he must hold his hand
Like a branch out in the sun and rain for weeks
Until the young are hatched and fledged and flown.

*


And since the whole thing's imagined anyhow,
Imagine being Kevin. Which is he?
self-forgetful or in agony all the time

From the neck on out down through his hurting forearms?
Are his fingers sleeping? Does he still feel his knees?
Or has the shut-eyed blank of underearth

Crept up through him? Is there distance in his head?
Alone and mirrored clear in love's deep river,
'To labour and not to seek reward,' he prays,

A prayer his body makes entirely
For he has forgotten self, forgotten bird,
And on the riverbank forgotten the river's name.

[anmajornarthainig]

Zozimus had a song about him as well. Did he really throw Kitty into the lake?

[ON THE ONE ROAD]

yes it's in the song



In Glendalough lived an old saint
Renowned for learning and piety
His manners was curious and quint
And he looked upon girl with disparity

fol di dol fol di fol day
fol di dol rol di dol ad dy
fol di dol rol di dol day
fol di dol rol di dol ad dy

He was fond of readin` a book
When he could get one to his wishes
He was fond of castin` his hook
In among the ould fishes

fol di dol fol di fol day
fol di dol rol di dol ad dy
fol di dol rol di dol day
fol di dol rol di dol ad dy

But one evenin' he landed a trout
He landed a fine big trout, Sir
When young Kathleen from over the way
Came to see what the ould monk was about, Sir

fol di dol fol di fol day
fol di dol rol di dol ad dy
fol di dol rol di dol day
fol di dol rol di dol ad dy

"Well get out o' me way" said the saint
for I am a man of great piety
and me good manners I wouldn`t taint
not be mixing with female society

fol di dol fol di fol day
fol di dol rol di dol ad dy
fol di dol rol di dol day
fol di dol rol di dol ad dy

Oh but Kitty she wouldn't give in
And when he got home to his rockery
He found she was seated therein
a-polishin' up his ould crockery

fol di dol fol di fol day
fol di dol rol di dol ad dy
fol di dol rol di dol day
fol di dol rol di dol ad dy

Well he gave the poor creature a shake
And I wish that the Garda had caught him!
For he threw her right into the lake
And, be Jaysus, she sank to the bottom

fol di dol fol di fol day
fol di dol rol di dol ad dy
fol di dol rol di dol day
fol di dol rol di dol ad dy

[jayblue]

Patron Saint of Fianna Fail - St Bertie

[anmajornarthainig]

Yeah I heard once that there is a story that he murdered a woman who tried to tempt him. Is that in the folklore?

[Catalpa]

St Kevin was great man. He is one of Ireland's finest sons.

The 6th and 7th Centuries were indeed a Golden Age in terms of the numbers of the great and holy men we produced.

[Insider2007]

St Kevin was great man. He is one of Ireland's finest sons.

The 6th and 7th Centuries were indeed a Golden Age in terms of the numbers of the great and holy men we produced.

He may have been a holy man, but he never was formally canonised. Ireland has only a handful of formally canonised people. 'St' Kevin is not one of them.

[Gunnungagap]

St Kevin was great man. He is one of Ireland's finest sons.

The 6th and 7th Centuries were indeed a Golden Age in terms of the numbers of the great and holy men we produced.

I prefer Great Elk to Holy men. Therefore the 57th century BCE is my Golden Age.

[ON THE ONE ROAD]

St Kevin was great man. He is one of Ireland's finest sons.

The 6th and 7th Centuries were indeed a Golden Age in terms of the numbers of the great and holy men we produced.

He may have been a holy man, but he never was formally canonised. Ireland has only a handful of formally canonised people. 'St' Kevin is not one of them.

why was he not cannonised? who else