Tigernach of Clones
Encyclopedia
Tigernach was one of the saints of the territory ruled by the Uí Chremthainn dynasty, together with Mac Caírthinn of Clogher and Mo Laisse of Devenish
. His principal foundation is Clones, which lay in the western part of Fernmag
, an area ruled by the Uí Chremthainn branch Uí Nad Sluaig. The first foundation by Tigernach, in about the same area, is Gabáil-liúin, now Galloon Island, Upper Lough Erne (Co. Fermanagh), on the border of England.
. Soon after his birth, he was brought to Leinster. St Brigit of Kildare named the child Tigernach, meaning "princely", and baptised it, thereby becoming the saint's godmother
. His fourth cousins were Saints Dallán Forgaill
and Mogue.
The Life goes on to describe a number of experiences in preparation for his career in Ulster: he was educated in Rosnat in Britain and having heard his teacher prophesy the foundation of a prominent church, went to Rome to obtain relics and returned to Brigit in Leinster, who urged him to become bishop.
Tigernach then travelled to his birth land, but is not shown founding any church before relations with the ruling dynasty and the churches of the area are put in order. Eochaid welcomed Tigernach as a dear kinsman and offered to install him as bishop in Clogher. Since, however, this involved ejecting the bishop then in office, Tigernach refused and retreated to a minor church on a mountain slope. However, he earned a good reputation for his ascetic lifestyle and for a miracle by which he raised Doach, the archbishop of Armagh, from the dead. An angel appeared to him and following his directions, Tigernach sought out the boundary of the kingdom to make his first foundation, namely Galloon. Inspired by God, he offered it to Comgall of Bangor and moved a little further east to found Clones. There he is said to have lived like a hermit and died of plague
.
His festival is 4 April.
Clones Abbey
, the abbey founded by Tigernach (anglicised Tierney) in the 6th century, was dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. It was still active before the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII
, but it had experienced a number of misfortunes. The abbey was destroyed by fire in 836, 1095, and in 1184. In 1207, Hugh de Lacy destroyed the abbey and town; but five years after they were rebuilt by the English, who also erected a castle here. The ruins of a 12th-century abbey building can still be found in the town, along with a sarcophagus
reputed to have been built to house Tigernach's remains, and a 9th-century round tower
and high cross
.
Laisrén mac Nad Froích
Saint Laisrén mac Nad Froích , or Laisrén of Devenish, also known by his petname Mo Laisse, was the patron saint of Devenish Island in Lough Erne , near Enniskillen, in the present diocese of Clogher...
. His principal foundation is Clones, which lay in the western part of Fernmag
Farney, Monaghan
Farney is an Barony in County Monaghan.The area has claim to the site of the Battle of Achadh Leithdheirg, in 331.The area around Lough Ooney was originally called Fernmag or Fer Fernmaighe ....
, an area ruled by the Uí Chremthainn branch Uí Nad Sluaig. The first foundation by Tigernach, in about the same area, is Gabáil-liúin, now Galloon Island, Upper Lough Erne (Co. Fermanagh), on the border of England.
Life
Tigernach’s Life depicts an early stage when the Uí Chremthainn had not yet branched off but had a single royal seat near Clogher. Tigernach was born out of an illicit union between a king's daughter and an alien warrior: his mother, Der Fraích, was a daughter of Eochaid, king of the Uí Chremthainn, while his father, Coirpre, was a Leinsterman in Eochaid's service, the Irish genealogies specifying that Coirpre belonged to the Uí Briúin branch of the Uí BairrcheUí Bairrche
Uí Bairrche was an Irish kin-based group that originally held lands in the south of the ancient province of Leinster . Another south Leinster kin group associated with the Uí Bairrche were groups of the Fothairt. The south of Leinster was dominated by the Uí Chennselaig in the 8th century...
. Soon after his birth, he was brought to Leinster. St Brigit of Kildare named the child Tigernach, meaning "princely", and baptised it, thereby becoming the saint's godmother
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
. His fourth cousins were Saints Dallán Forgaill
Dallan Forgaill
Saint Dallán Forgaill —also Dallán Forchella; Dallán of Cluain Dalláin; born Eochaid Forchella—was an early Christian Irish poet best known as the writer of the Amra Choluim Chille and the early Irish poem Rop tú mo baile, the basis of the modern English hymn Be Thou My Vision.-Personal...
and Mogue.
The Life goes on to describe a number of experiences in preparation for his career in Ulster: he was educated in Rosnat in Britain and having heard his teacher prophesy the foundation of a prominent church, went to Rome to obtain relics and returned to Brigit in Leinster, who urged him to become bishop.
Tigernach then travelled to his birth land, but is not shown founding any church before relations with the ruling dynasty and the churches of the area are put in order. Eochaid welcomed Tigernach as a dear kinsman and offered to install him as bishop in Clogher. Since, however, this involved ejecting the bishop then in office, Tigernach refused and retreated to a minor church on a mountain slope. However, he earned a good reputation for his ascetic lifestyle and for a miracle by which he raised Doach, the archbishop of Armagh, from the dead. An angel appeared to him and following his directions, Tigernach sought out the boundary of the kingdom to make his first foundation, namely Galloon. Inspired by God, he offered it to Comgall of Bangor and moved a little further east to found Clones. There he is said to have lived like a hermit and died of plague
Plague of Justinian
The Plague of Justinian was a pandemic that afflicted the Eastern Roman Empire , including its capital Constantinople, in 541–542 AD. It was one of the greatest plagues in history. The most commonly accepted cause of the pandemic is bubonic plague, which later became infamous for either causing or...
.
His festival is 4 April.
History of the abbey
Clones Abbey
Clones Abbey
Clones Abbey is a ruined monastery that later became an Augustinian abbey in the twelfth century, and its main sights are ecclesiastical. The Abbey was formerly known as St. Tighernach Abbey, and was referred to locally as the "wee abbey". Parochial and monastic settlements were separated, and it...
, the abbey founded by Tigernach (anglicised Tierney) in the 6th century, was dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. It was still active before the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, but it had experienced a number of misfortunes. The abbey was destroyed by fire in 836, 1095, and in 1184. In 1207, Hugh de Lacy destroyed the abbey and town; but five years after they were rebuilt by the English, who also erected a castle here. The ruins of a 12th-century abbey building can still be found in the town, along with a sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
reputed to have been built to house Tigernach's remains, and a 9th-century round tower
Irish round tower
Irish round towers , Cloigthithe – literally "bell house") are early medieval stone towers of a type found mainly in Ireland, with three in Scotland and one on the Isle of Man...
and high cross
High cross
A high cross or standing cross is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval tradition in Ireland and Britain of raising large sculpted stone crosses, usually outdoors...
.