Saint Nath Í, or Crumnathy, (''fl''. 6th century) was an early Irish saint who was remembered as the founder of

Achonry Achonry (; ) is a village in County Sligo, Ireland. The old name is Achad Cain Conairi. St. Nath Í ua hEadhra (O'Hara) founded a monastery here. The foundation gave the later diocese its name. The monastery was founded on land granted by the ...

. He is said to have been born in the barony of Leyney, in present-day Co. Sligo. In the 17th century,

John Colgan John Colgan, OFM (Irish ''Seán Mac Colgan''; c. 1592 – 15 January 1658), was an Irish Franciscan friar noted as a hagiographer and historian. Life Colgan was born c. 1592 at Priestown near Carndonagh. He joined the Franciscan Order and w ...

compiled a Latin ''Life'' of St Cormac, published in the ''

Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae ''Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae'' is the abbreviated title of a celebrated work on the Irish saints by the Franciscan, John Colgan (Leuven, 1645). Aided by Father Hugh Ward, O.F.M., Father Stephen White, S.J., and Brother Míchél Ó Cléirigh, O.F. ...

'' series, which relates that Cormac left his native Munster for Connacht and arrived in the area of Leyney. When Niall, the brother of the local chieftain Diarmait, begged the saint for a blessing, Cormac revealed that he was to have a son by the name of ''Conamel'', whose descendants would include a number of illustrious saints, such as Náth Í "the priest". In the ''

Martyrology of Donegal A martyrology is a catalogue or list of martyrs and other saints and beati arranged in the calendar order of their anniversaries or feasts. Local martyrologies record exclusively the custom of a particular Church. Local lists were enriched by n ...

'' (9 August), he is described as the priest (''cruimthir'') Nath Í of Achad Cain Conairi. He is said to have studied under St Finnián of Clonard. On the instructions of his mentor, he founded a monastery in Achad Cain or Achad Conaire (

) in the district of the

Luigne Muimne, Luigne and Laigne, sons of Érimón by his wife Odba, were, according to medieval Irish legends and historical traditions, joint High Kings of Ireland following the death of their father. They ruled for three years, until Muimne died of pl ...

, the land having been granted to him by Cennfáelad, king of Luigne. The foundation gave its name to what in the 12th century would become the diocese of Achonry. The saint

Féchín of Fore Saint Féchín or Féichín (died 665), also known as Mo-Ecca, was a 7th-century Irish saint, chiefly remembered as the founder of the monastery at Fore (''Fobar''), County Westmeath. Sources for his life and legend include Irish annals, marty ...

is said to have studied under him. The

Book of Lismore The Book of Lismore, also known as the Book of Mac Carthaigh Riabhach, is a late fifteenth-century Gaelic manuscript that was created at Kilbrittain in County Cork, Ireland, for Fínghean Mac Carthaigh, Lord of Carbery (1478–1505). Defective ...

(fo. 43v) contains a short

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

anecdote relating what happened when Nath Í, called Dathi the Priest, was once visited by the saints

Columba Columba or Colmcille; gd, Calum Cille; gv, Colum Keeilley; non, Kolban or at least partly reinterpreted as (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is toda ...

Comgall Saint Comgall (c. 510–520 – 597/602), an early Irish saint, was the founder and abbot of the great Irish monastery at Bangor in Ireland. MacCaffrey,James (1908). " St. Comgall". In ''Catholic Encyclopedia''. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Co ...

and Cainnech after the monastic community had finished their meals.Whitley Stokes, ''Lives of Saints from the Book of Lismore'' (1890), p. xv (preface). He was buried in Achad Cain and his festival is 9 August. He is the patron saint of the Irish diocese of Achonry whose cathedral is The Cathedral Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Nathy.

Notes

Primary sources

*'' Félire Óengusso'' *''Lives'' of St

*''Lives'' of St

Finnian of Clonard Finnian of Clonard ('Cluain Eraird') – 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. ...

**Irish ''Life'', ed. Whitley Stokes, ''Lives of the Saints from the Book of Lismore''. Oxford, 1890. Vol. 2. **Latin ''Life'' in the ''

Codex Salmanticensis The ''Codex Salmanticensis'' (Brussels, Royal Library 7672–4) is a medieval Irish manuscript containing an extensive collection of Irish saints' Lives, now in the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels. It was culled by the compilers from various so ...

'' (fols. 83r-86v), ed. J. De Smedt and C. De Backer, ''Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae ex codice Salmanticensi''. Edinburgh et al., 1888. Cols 189–210. **Latin ''Life'' in Bodleian, MS. Rawlinson B. 485 (fols. 54–8), and MS. Rawlinson B. 505 (fols. 156v-160v). Unpublished. *

, ''Vita S. Corbmaci, abbatis'' ("''Life'' of St Cormac, abbot"), ''Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae''. Louvain, 1645. 26 March. *''Life'' of St Attracht Christian saints in unknown century Canonizations by Pope Leo XIII Medieval saints of Connacht Clergy from County Sligo 6th-century Irish abbots Year of birth unknown {{Ireland-saint-stub