Saint Ninnidh Apostle of Ireland | |
---|---|
Born | Cenél Conaill, Gaelic Ireland (today County Donegal, Ireland) |
Residence | Inis-muighesamb, Lough Erne, Ulster |
Died | 6th century Inis-muighesamb, Cenél Rochada, Gaelic Ireland |
Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church [1] Roman Catholic Church |
Canonized | pre-congregation |
Feast | 18 January |
Ninnidh (pronounced as "Ninny") [2] (alias Ninnidh the Pious, Irish : Ninnidh leth derc, meaning one-eyed Ninnidh, Nennius, Nennidhius, Ninnaid) was a 6th-century Irish Christian saint. St. Ninnidh is regarded as one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. He is associated with the shores of Lough Erne and particularly the island of Inishmacsaint and the parish of Knockninny, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland (derived from the Irish : Cnoc Ninnidh, meaning the Hill of Ninnidh). His feast day is 18 January.
Ninnidh of Inismacsaint is often confused with Saint Ninnidh of the Pure Hand who attended Brigid of Kildare on her deathbed. [3] [4]
Ninnidh was born in County Donegal, a grandson of Laoghaire, the High King of Ireland. He was educated under St. Finian at Clonard, [5] where his fellow students included Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, St. Molaise of Devenish and St. Aidan of Ferns. St. Ninnidh preached along the South shore of Lough Erne making the island of Inishmacsaint (Island of the Sorrel Plain) his headquarters around 532. [3]
Ninnidh likely journeyed up and down the Southern portion of Lower Lough Erne in a hollowed-out boat, coming ashore and making his way inland to meet people and spread the gospel. [6] After St. Patrick's time, the Celtic Church was divided into many territories and ruled by Abbots of Monasteries, only some of whom were Bishops. St. Ninnidh built a monastery on Inishmacsaint Isle (near Devenish) circa 530A.D. and using the waterways of the time cared for the people from the Erne as far as the sea, sending his priests and monks to the local Churches. In 530 AD Ninnidh held a 40-day fast on Knockninny Hill, during the period of Lent. [5]
The monks of Ramsgate in their Book of Saints say only,
NENNIUS (St.) Abbot. (Jan 17)
(6th century) An Irish Saint, disciple of St. Finnian of Clonard, reckoned as one of the "Twelve Apostles of Ireland." The particulars of his life are lost. [7]
The hagiographer Alban Butler wrote in the Lives of the Irish Saints (1823),
January 17.
St. Nennius, or Nennidhius, Ab.
DESPISING the vanities of the world, though of the race of the monarchs of Ireland, from his youth made the science of the cross of Christ his chief science, and the sole object of his ambition; and to engrave in his heart the lessons which our divine Redeemer taught by that adorable mystery, was the centre of all his desires. Having past [ sic ] many years, first in the school of St. Fiachus, archbishop of Leinster, and afterwards in the celebrated monastery of Clonard, in the province of Meath, under its holy founder St. Finian, he retired into the isle of Inis-muighesamb, in the lake of Erne, in the province of Ulster. Here in process of time he became the director of many souls in the paths of Christian perfection, founded a great monastery, and on account of his eminent sanctity, and the number of illustrious disciples whom he left behind him, is called one of the twelve apostles of Ireland. He flourished in the sixth century, and has been honoured in Ireland among the saints. F. Colgan was not able to meet with any acts of his life, though he is mentioned in the lives of several other Irish saints. A church in the isle of the lake, formed by the river Erne, is dedicated to God in his honour. [8]
St. Ninnidh's feast day is 18 January. St. Ninnidh's well is situated at Knockninny Quay on the shores of Upper Lough Erne and is reputed to have curative properties for eye ailments. In William Henry's Upper Lough Erne in 1739 the well was described as a chief curiosity, "being a plentiful foundation of pure water, having a clearance and coolness scarce to be met with. It was at that time a popular spot for boatspeople to retire to for their entertainments for which and around it are arranged benches of sod and over it a shade of aquatic trees". [9]
St. Ninnidh's bell, traditionally presented to Ninnidh by St. Senach of Derrybrusk, was kept in Knockninny parish in the 17th century. It was at Castle Caldwell (now incorporated into the Enniskillen Castle Museum in County Fermanagh until 1877 when it was sold at auction to Robert Day of Cork (who sketched the drawing to right). When Day's collection was sold in 1913, this bell was not part of the sale. Although for some time it was identified with a bell in the National Museum of Edinburgh (probably St. Ninian's Bell, formerly from the collection of John Bell), the location of St. Ninnidh's Bell is unknown. [10]
County Fermanagh is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of six counties of Northern Ireland.
Lough Erne is the name of two connected lakes in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is the second-biggest lake system in Northern Ireland and Ulster, and the fourth biggest in Ireland. The lakes are widened sections of the River Erne, which flows north and then curves west into the Atlantic. The smaller southern lake is called the Upper Lough as it is higher up the river. The bigger northern lake is called the Lower Lough or Broad Lough. The town of Enniskillen lies on the short stretch of river between the lakes. The lake has more than 150 islands, along with many coves and inlets. The River Erne is 80 miles (129 km) long and drains an area of about 1,680 square miles (4,350 km2).
Finnian of Movilla was an Irish Christian missionary. His feast day is 10 September.
Finnian of Clonard – also Finian, Fionán or Fionnán in Irish; or Finianus and Finanus in its Latinised form (470–549) – was one of the early Irish monastic saints, who founded Clonard Abbey in modern-day County Meath. The Twelve Apostles of Ireland studied under him. Finnian of Clonard is considered one of the fathers of Irish monasticism.
Saint Comgall, an early Irish saint, was the founder and abbot of the great Irish monastery at Bangor in Ireland.
Saint Fanchea of Rossory is a saint recognized by the Orthodox Church, the Church in Wales, and the Roman Catholic Church. She was the sister of Saint Enda of Arran, whom she persuaded to become a monk. Her feast day is January 1.
The Twelve Apostles of Ireland were twelve early Irish monastic saints of the sixth century who studied under St Finnian at his famous monastic school Clonard Abbey at Cluain-Eraird, now Clonard in County Meath.
Columba of Terryglass (Colum) was the son of Ninnidh, a descendant of Crinthainn, King of Leinster. Columba was a disciple of St. Finnian of Clonard. He was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland.
Events from the 6th century in Ireland.
Saint Laisrén mac Nad Froích, or Laisrén of Devenish and Lasserian, known as Mo Laisse, was the patron saint of Devenish Island in Lough Erne, near Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland, in the present diocese of Clogher. Laisrén is the subject of both a Latin and an Irish Life, which offer loose narratives in which a number of miscellaneous anecdotes and miracles have been grouped together.
Tigernach mac Coirpri (d. 549) was an early Irish saint, patron saint of Clones (County Monaghan) in the province of Ulster.
Knockninny is a barony in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. To its east lies Upper Lough Erne, and it is bordered by four other baronies in Northern Ireland: Clanawley to the north-west; Tirkennedy to the north; Magherastephana to the north-east; and Coole to the east. It also borders two baronies in the Republic of Ireland: Loughtee Lower to the south; and Tullyhaw to the south-west.
Tirkennedy is a barony in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. To its west lies Lower Lough Erne and south Upper Lough Erne, and it is bordered by seven other baronies: Clanawley and Magheraboy to the west; Lurg and Omagh East to the north; Clogher to the east; Magherastephana and Knockninny to the south.
Magheraboy is a barony in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. To its east lies Lower Lough Erne, and it is bordered by three other baronies in Northern Ireland: Lurg to the north; Tirkennedy to the east; and Clanawley to the south It also borders two baronies in the Republic of Ireland: Tirhugh to the north; and Rosclogher to the south. The westernmost point of Magheraboy is also the westernmost point of Northern Ireland..
Garvary is a townland in the Civil Parish of Tomregan, Barony of Knockninny, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. (Disambiguation- see also Garvary townland, County Cavan, Republic of Ireland.)
Inishmacsaint is a monastery located on an island off the western shore of Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The site includes the ruins of a monastic church and an early stone cross, probably from the tenth and twelfth centuries. Inishmacsaint was founded by St. Ninnidh,. The original monastic buildings were probably damaged or destroyed during the raids of the ninth or tenth centuries.
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