Modwena and Modwenna redirect here. For the founder of Burton-on-Trent Abbey

Burton-on-Trent Abbey

Burton Abbey at Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire, England, was originally founded in the 7th or 9th century by St Modwen or Modwenna; and later refounded in 1003 as a Benedictine abbey by Wulfric Spott, a thegn possibly descended from King Alfred...

 see Saint Modwen

Saint Modwen

Modwen, or Modwenna, was an English nun and saint, who founded Burton-on-Trent Abbey in Staffordshire, England, in the 7th century.She was an Irish noblewoman by birth, and founded the abbey on an island in the River Trent. Modwenna spent seven years at the abbey with two other Irish nuns called...

.

Saint Moninne of Killeavy was one of Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

's early women saints. After instruction in the religious life, she founded a community, initially consisting of eight virgins and a widow with a baby, at Sliabh Gullion, Co. Armagh

Armagh

Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...

. They lived an eremitical life, based on that of Elijah and Saint John the Baptist. Moninne died in 517 or 518.

Moninne was born around 432. Her father was Machta, King of the territory stretching from Louth to Armagh and her mother was Comwi or Coman daughter of one of the northern kings. It was said that she was baptised and confirmed by Saint Patrick. When he was passing through the lands of Machta he stopped at her parents' house and predicted that Moninne's name would be remembered throughout time. It was said that she was veiled by Saint Patrick also.

There are a couple of versions of the name Moninne, for example Darerca, Blinne or the spelling Moninna which means in Irish "My Ninna" or "My Daughter". She worked with Saint Brigid

Brigid of Kildare

Saint Brigit of Kildare, or Brigit of Ireland , nicknamed Mary of the Gael is one of Ireland's patron saints along with Saints Patrick and Columba...

 at Kildare for a while where they became close friends. A legend says that she got the name "Moninna" when she cured a dumb man and the first word he uttered was "Ninna Ninna" it was also said that when she was a baby the first word she said was Ninna.

During the end of her life she retired to Killeavy where she set up a convent for nuns. She died around the year 518. Saint Moninne was buried at Killeavy and a granite slab was placed over her grave. On the slopes of Slieve Gullion there is a holy well called Saint Moninne's Well. It is marked by a large white cross. In 1928 a shrine was placed over the well with a statue Of the Virgin Mary. The inscription on the well reads "Tobhar Naoimh Blathnaidh". In the Killeavy area there is great devotion to Saint Moninne and people still visit her Holy Well and Grave, and the well has been said to cure eye trouble and other sickness. Saint Moninne was a kind caring female Saint who cared for everyone and like Saint Patrick said, her name is still remembered to the present day.

Monnine's feast day is celebrated on July 6 and is marked by pilgrims visiting her well.

See also

• Darerca
  Darerca
  Darerca may refer to any one of four Irish saints:*Darerca of Ireland, 5th century sister of Saint Patrick. Feastday: 22 March*Darerca of Killeevy , late 5th/early 6th century Abbess of Killeevy, Co Armagh. Feastday: 6 July...
  
  

Here is the page on the Armagh Archdiocese's website related to St. Moninne's Shrine: http://armagharchdiocese.org/component/content/article/14