Laisrén Mac Nad Froích

Saint Laisrén mac Nad Froích (died 564), 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.

Background on Laisrén and Devenish

Laisrén is chiefly known as the founder of a monastery at Devenish, Irish ''Daim-inis ''(lit. 'Ox-island'), which was also home to his cult soon after his death.

The ''Lives'' make clear that the area of Devenish was ruled by the Síl nDaiméni branch of the Uí Chremthainn. To the Irish life is appended a tale of the exile of the Dartraige or Dartrige, presumably because in the 9th century, political control over Devenish and the rest of the region known as Fernmag had changed hands from the Uí Nad Sluaig (a branch of the Uí Chremthann) to the Dartraige.Charles-Edwards, “Ulster, saints of.”

According to the Irish genealogies of saints, Laisrén belonged to the Uí Chóelbad, who were based in Mag Line (Co Antrim) and formed the leading branch of the Cruithni.''Corpus genealogiarum sanctorum Hiberniae'' § 117. The Irish ''Life'' makes him a member of the Éoganachta of Munster and likewise, borrows a birth-tale from an Éoganacht origin legend, but this appears to be an innovation intended to link the saint with the new rulers based on the idea that the Dartraige were a people exiled from Munster.

Career

The Latin and Irish ''Lives'' are the main sources for historical and legendary details of Laisrén's career. One story which links him to famous contemporaries claims that he studied the Gospels under the mentorship of St Finnián of Clonard (''d.'' 549/51).''Vita S. Lasriani'' §§ 6 and 25; ''Betha Mholaise''.

Among the more action-packed anecdotes, there is one which relates how Laisrén ran into conflict with a local pagan king, Conall Derg (father of Énna of Aran), who is identified as king of the Síl nDaiméni in the Irish ''Life''. Utilizing his miraculous powers, the saint is said to have subdued the king, who ceded the island to Laisrén. The last significant events narrated in his ''Lives'' include a pilgrimage to Rome.

One of his stopping places was at Ferns, where he visited his foster-brother St Máedóc and promised him to do good on his behalf. After his visit to Rome, he is said to have returned to Devenish with relics of Peter and Paul, Laurence and Clement, which were buried with him in the cemetery, so that Devenish could become an Irish Rome.

Death and veneration

The Irish annals record his death in 564.''Annals of Ulster'', ''Annals of Tigernach'', ''Chronicon Scotorum''. According to early Irish martyrologies, his festival was observed on 12 September.Martyrology of Tallaght and the ''Félire Óengusso''.

A piece of metalwork which bears testimony to his cult is the book reliquary, probably from Devenish, known as ''Soiscél Molaisse'' ('Gospel-book of Molaise'). The original part appears to have been an 8/9th-century portable chasse, but in the early 11th century, it was converted for use as a book shrine at the behest of Cennfaelad (''d''. 1025), abbot of Devenish, whose name appears in the inscription. Further decorations were added in a later age.Henry, ''Irish Art during the Viking Invasions'', p. 120. It is currently kept in the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin.

References

Sources

*Charles-Edwards, T.M
“Ulster, saints of (''act. c.''400–''c.''650).” ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''
Oxford University Press, Sept 2004.
*Henry, Françoise. ''Irish Art during the Viking Invasions,800-1020''. London, 1967
*Pádraig Ó Riain, ''Corpus genealogiarum sanctorum Hiberniae''. Dublin, 1985
*Latin ''Life'' of St Laisrén: ''Vita sancti Lasriani seu Molaissi abbatis de Dam Inis'', ed. Charles Plummer, ''Vitae sanctorum Hiberniae''. Vol. II. Oxford, 1910. 131-40
*Irish ''Life'' of St Laisrén: ''Betha Mholaise Dhaiminse'', ed. and tr. S.H. O'Grady, ''Silva Gadelica''. 2 vols. London, 1892. vol I. 17-37; vol II. 18-34

Further reading

*Doherty, Charles. “The earliest cult of Molaisse.” In ''History of the diocese of Clogher'', ed. Henry A. Jefferies. Dublin: Four Courts, 2005. 13-24.
*Doherty, Charles. “Saint Máedóc and Saint Molaisse.” ''Breifne: Journal of Cumann Seanchais Bhréifne'' 7:24 (1986): 363-74.
* Lowry-Corry, Dorothy. “St. Molaise's house at Devenish, Lough Erne, and its sculptured stones.” ''Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland'' 66 (1936): 270-84.
*Ó Cannan, Tomás G. (ed.). "A poem on the rights of the coarb of Saint Molaisse." ''Clogher Record: Journal of the Clogher Historical Society'' 15:1 (1994): 7-24.

On the ''Soiscél Molaise''

*Ó Floinn, Raghnall. “The Soiscél Molaisse.” ''Clogher Record: Journal of the Clogher Historical Society'' 13:2 (1989): 51-63.
*Mullarkey, Paul. “Some observations on the form and date of the Soiscéal Molaise Book shrine.” In ''Irish art historical studies in honour of Peter Harbison'', ed. Colum Hourihane. Index of Christian Art, Occasional Papers 7. Dublin, 2004. 124-140.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laisren Mac Nad Froich
6th-century Irish abbots
Medieval saints of Ulster
People from County Fermanagh
564 deaths
Year of birth unknown