Thursday 11 July 2013

Saint Failbhe of Disert Mic-Conlocha, July 11

July 11 sees the commemoration of a County Westmeath saint, Failbhe, son of Culocha in the Irish calendars. Details of his genealogy have been recorded and Canon O'Hanlon notes a particularly charming description of the saint as 'a burning and shining light' in his account below:

St. Falbi, or Failbhe, Son of Culocha, of Disert Mic-Conlocha, in Cuircne, County of Westmeath.

In the Feilire of St. Aengus, at the 11th of July, there is an entry of Conlug's pious son. In a comment annexed, we are informed, that he was of Disert Meic Conlocha, in the west of Meath, and that Failbe was his name. His father was named Conlug—according to other accounts—Culocha. We find entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh at the 11th of July, Mac Conlocae, Falbi being his name, in Disiurt mic-Conlocha, in Curchib. The Bollandists have on this day the brief notices furnished by O'Sheerin, and representing him as a burning and a shining light. The Calendar of Cashel as also the Martyrologies of Marianus O'Gorman and of Cathal Maguire commemorate him. Euten, daughter of Moche, son to Bairrinn, sister of Muiccin, of Maighin, was his mother. The territory of Cuircne or Machaire Cuircne was commensurate with the barony of Kilkenny West, in the county of Westmeath. This district of Cuircne embraced also that portion of Forgney parish, lying south of River Inny, in the barony of Abbeyshruel, and county of Longford. The place of this saint is now probably that called Dysart, a parish partly in the barony of Rathconrath, and partly in that of Moycashel and Magheradernan. There are some remains of an old church and a cemetery lying within it. It is remarked, that in the Menologium Scoticum of Dempster, he has a Failbeus at the 25th of January, at the 3rd of June, and at the 6th of October. The Martyrology of Donegal records the present saint, as Failbhe, son of Culocha, of Disert Mic Conlocha, in Cuircne, in Westmeath.

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