Scottish born, a friend of St Columba of Iona, with his importance listed in ancient Irish and continental texts, Torannan was revered as a local saint in the Tullow area for over a thousand years.
The 12 June is the Feast Day of St. Torannan, (or, as he was known by the affectionate term, ‘Mothoirean’, which means ‘my Torannan’). St Torannan, one of the patron saints of Tullow, died in 634 A.D.
The other Tullow patron is St Fortchern (Irish: Fortiarnan, meaning ‘overlord’). Fortchern died in 500 AD. Information about St Fortchern can be found in the post: St. Fortchern – Patron of Tullow
Torannan, a disciple of St Colmcille, is said to have come to Ireland from Scotland. He was a member of the Dal Riada tribal grouping which had settlements in both countries. (O’Riain, 2011, 501).
Torannan is credited in the Martyrology of Donegal with being Abbot of Bangor, Co. Down, Tulach Foirtcheirn (Tullow), and of Drumcliffe, Co. Sligo. (O’Riain, 2011, 501 and Comerford 1875, 387).
Due to its association with its first patron Tullow was once known as Tulach Foirtcheirn i.e. St Fortchern’s Hill.
Other sites associated with Torannan are Ballyhoran County Down and Kilternan, County Dublin, where ‘the ruined church is wrapped in ivy, while it is surrounded by elder trees and thorns’. (O’ Hanlon, 1875,Volume VI, 642).
O’ Hanlon (1875, Vol. VI, 641) states that there is some confusion about Torannan, who he says is evidently the same as St Ternan who was a bishop among the Scottish Picts and a disciple of St Palladius. This Ternan was born at the earlier date of about 440 AD, which would indicate that O’Hanlon is incorrect in this instance; Torannan died in 634 AD.
Palladius (d. 450 AD) was the first bishop of the Christians of Ireland. He preceded St Patrick and seems to have been similarly confused with Patrick in some later Irish traditions.
Torannan listed in Irish and continental European ancient books
O’Riain (2011,213) states that one manuscript, Saltair Choluim Cille , i.e. the ‘Psalter of Colmcille’, contains 150 poems composed by Colmcille. He references this in the Catalogue of Irish language manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford.
The pedigree of Irish saints (Corpus genealogiarum sanctorum Hibernicum: Dublin 1985, p.130) includes a poem, written in Middle Irish, and attributed to Colmcille, listing his disciples, ‘the seven beautiful sons of Oengus’ including Torannan of Tulach. (Murphy in McGrath, Editor, 2008 , 244).
Torannan also features in a poem written by St. Moling of St. Mullins. In it he is one of the Midland saints who lament the fall of the sacred tree of Torta (Bile Tortan). (O’Riain, 2011, 501).
Historically there were five great sacred trees in Ireland. Bile Tortan was at Ardbreccan, County Meath. The other sacred trees were: Bile Uisneach in County Weastmeath, Craobh Daithi also in County Westmeath, Eo Munga, an oak at the mouth of the Shannon, and Eo Rossa, a yew in Old Leighlin, County Carlow.
St. Torannan is mentioned in such ancient books as the Martyrology of Donegal and the Leabhair Breach. Comerford (1875, 387) quotes the Feilire of Aengus:
Torannan, lasting, deedful, over a wide shipful sea.
The Martyrology of Donegal was written by Micheal O’Clerigh (1590-1643). It was edited and translated by John O’Donovan in 1864. It is based on earlier documents which record the saints of Donegal, their feast days and biographical details. O’Clerigh was a Franciscan friar and was the chief assembler of The Annals of the Four Masters.
The Leabhair Breac (Speckled Book) is a medieval Irish velum manuscript containing Middle Irish and Hiberno-Latin religious writings. It is held in the library of the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin.
The Feilire (calendar) of Aengus the Culdee was written c. 800 AD. It consists of 365 stanzas, one for each day of the year, commemorating one or more saints – chiefly but not exclusively Irish – whose feast occurs on the day. There are also commentaries, written in Irish by later scribes, interspersed with the stanzas.
Culdees were Irish, Scottish or English monks of the 8th to 12th centuries who lived as recluses, usually in a group of thirteen (like Christ and the twelve apostles). Culdee comes from the Irish, Ceili De meaning Companions of God. They were brought under church regulations in the 12th century and lost their distinctiveness.
Mothoirean’s (Torannan’s) feast day (12 June) is listed in the fifteenth century Martyrology of Usuard made by Grevenus of Cologne. Usuard was a Benedictine monk of the Abbey of Saint-Germain- des-Pres. He was sent to Spain in 858 AD to collect relics.
His martyrology was the most famous document of its kind during the middle ages and formed the basis of the Roman Martyrology. Usuard described Toranann as Ternanus, an Archbishop in Ireland. (O’Riain, 2011, 501).
Torannan’s connection to St Columba of Iona
St Colmcille (Columba) is one of the three patrons of Ireland, the others being St Patrick and St Brigid. He was the outstanding ecclesiastical figure of his time. The influence of his monastery in Iona, then part of a Scottish/Irish Gaelic culture, was widespread in Ireland, Scotland and in the North of England.
St. Colmcille – his name is Irish meaning ‘dove of the church’ – was also known as Columba, ‘Columba’ is Latin for ‘dove’.
There is a tradition that Colmcille’s mother may have been a member of the Ui Bhairrche clan of Carlow and Wexford. (O’Riain, 2011, 211).
O’ Riain (2011, 213) quotes John Colgan as stating that over 60 churches in Ireland laid claim to Colmcille as their founder. These include Drumcliffe in Sligo, where Torannan may have been the first abbot.
Torannan was also abbot of the highly prestigious monastery of Bangor in Down. It was from there that, c. 590 AD, Myshall, County Carlow – born St Columbanus went, in the company of St Gall, to evangelise large areas of what are now France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.
St Columba’s Church, Tullow
The link between Torannan and Colmcille may account for Tullow’s medieval parish church being dedicated to St. Columba. (Murphy in McGrath, Editor, 2008, 244).
The site of this church is the present day St. Columba’s Church of Ireland.
St. Colmcille’s feast day is 9 June.
Tullow’s ancient pattern days
St. Toranann’s feast day, on 12 June, was one of three “patterns”, or Patron Days, observed by the people of Tullow, in former centuries.
The other pattern days were: St. Fortchern, who had a special local significance, on 11 October, and the feast of the Assumption on 15 August.
Bibliography
Comerford, M. (1886) Collections relating to the Dioceses of Kildare and Leighlin. Vol. III. Dublin: James Duffy and Sons
Dalton, E.A. (1911) History of Ireland. Vol.1. London: The Gresham Publishing Compan
Failte Ireland (2010) Carlow- trails of the saints. Carlow: Carlow County Council
Healy, J. (1890) Insula Sanctorum et Doctorum or Ireland’s Ancient Schools and Scholars. Dublin: New York: Sealy, Bryers, & Walker
McGrath, T. (1999) Religious Renewal and Reform in the Pastoral Ministry of Bishop James Doyle of Kildare and Leighlin, 1786 – 1834. Dublin: Four Courts Press
McGrath, T., (Editor), (2008) Carlow History and Society. Dublin: Geography Publications
O’Hanlon, J. (1875) Lives of the Irish Saints, Vol. VI. Dublin: James Duffy and Sons
O’ Riain, P., (2011) A Dictionary of Irish Saints. Dublin: Four Courts Press
Tullow Historian 