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The Great Cloud of Witnesses

The Twelve Apostles of Ireland
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M.

The Twelve Apostles of Ireland

January 6

The Twelve Apostles of Ireland (also known as Twelve Apostles of Erin, were twelve early Irish monastic saints of the sixth century who studied under St Finian (d. 549) at his famous monastic school Clonard Abbey at Cluain-Eraird (Eraird's Meadow), now Clonard in County Meath. The Twelve Apostles are

  1. Saint Ciarán of Saighir (Seir-Kieran). In the Martyrology of Oengus, saint Ciarán of Saighir is not listed as one of the twelve apostles of Ireland, and instead is replaced by Finnian of Clonard himself.[4] The numbering of Finnian as one of the Twelve, and not Ciarán of Saighir appears to be the older tradition, by which Ciarán was attached to pair with Ciarán of Clon.
  2. Saint Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, on the Shannon, in the barony of Garrycastle, County Offaly, died in the year 549.
  3. Saint Brendan of Birr, now Birr, County Offaly. He died on 29 November 571.
  4. Saint Brendan of Clonfert (Brendan the Navigator). He was the son of Finnloga, the patron saint of the see of Clonfert, in County Galway, was born in 484, and died in 577 aged 94.
  5. Saint Columba of Terryglass, abbot of Tir-da-glas, now Terryglass, in the barony of Lower Ormond, in the county of Tipperary, and died in 552.
  6. Another Saint Columba was born in the year 521, and died in the year 597, aged 75. Columba was an outstanding figure among the Gaelic missionary monks who some of his advocates claim introduced Christianity to the Kingdom of the Picts during the early medieval period.
  7. Saint Mobhí of Glasnevin, patron of Glasnaidhen, now Glasnevin, near Dublin. He died on 12 October 545
  8. Saint Ruadháin of Lorrha, the patron of Lothra, now Lorrha, in County Tipperary. He died on 15 April 584.
  9. Saint Senan of Iniscathay (Scattery Island) off the southwest coast of County Clare.
  10. Saint Ninnidh the Saintly of Lough Erne, the Pious, the patron of the parish of Inis Muighe Samh, now Inismacsaint, in the north-west of County Fermanagh. He was alive in 530 but the year of his death is uncertain.
  11. Saint Laisrén mac Nad Froích, the son of Nadfraech, he was the brother of Aengus, the first Christian king of Munster and died in 564.
  12. Saint Canice the patron of Aghaboe in County Laois, who died in 600 at the age of 84.

They are remembered on January 6.

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