Saint Felim

Saint Felim (also called Feilim, Feidlimid, Feidhlimidh, Felimy, Feidhilmethie, Feidlimthe, Fedlimid, Fedlimidh, Phelim, Phelime), an Irish Christian hermit and priest, was born, probably in Kiennacta Breagh,

County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the sou ...

in the mid sixth century. His father was Carill, son of Laisrén, son of Dallán, son of

Eógan mac Néill Eógan mac Néill ( modern orthography: Eoghan mac Néill) (reportedly died 465) was a son of Niall Noígiallach and the eponymous ancestor of the Cenél nEógain (kindred of Eoghan) branch of the Northern Uí Néill. The Cenél Eoghan would f ...

, son of

Niall of the Nine Hostages Niall ''Noígíallach'' (; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centuries. ...

, son of

Eochaid Mugmedón Eochaid Mugmedón () was a semi-legendary Irish king. According to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, Eochaid was a High King of Ireland, best known as the father of Niall of the Nine Hostages and ancestor of the Uí Néill and Co ...

. His mother was Dediva (also called Editua or Dedi or Deidi or Deighe or Deidiu or Deaga or Mediva), daughter of Tren, son of

Dubhthach moccu Lughair Dubthach maccu Lugair (fl. fifth century), is a legendary Irish poet and lawyer who supposedly lived at the time of St Patrick's mission in Ireland and in the reign of Lóegaire mac Néill, high-king of Ireland, to which Dubthach served as Chief ...

, who was a

Chief Ollam of Ireland Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

and royal poet of King

Lóegaire mac Néill Lóegaire (''floruit'' fifth century) (reigned 428–458 AD, according to the Annals of the Four Masters of the Kingdom of Ireland)(died c. 462), also Lóeguire, is said to have been a son of Niall of the Nine Hostages. The Irish annals and king ...

. Dediva's other children were

Saint Senan of Laraghbrine Saint Senan of Laraghbrine ( ga, Laithrech-Briuin), County Kildare, was an Irish Christian monk who lived towards the end of the 6th century. His father was Fintan, son of Strened, son of Glinder, son of Corc, son of Conned, son of Aengus, son of ...

, son of Fintan, Saint Caillin of Fenagh, son of Niata, St.

Mainchín of Corann Mainchín mac Colláin was an Irish saint in Corran who is supposed to have flourished in the late 5th or 6th century. Biography Mainchín mac Colláin is commemorated on 13 January in the Martyrology of Tallaght, the Martyrology of Gorman and ...

, son of Collan of Corann, Saint

Daigh Saint Daig (d. 588?)Also spelled Dageus, Daggeus, Dagaeo, Daigeus, Dega, Daigh, Daghous, Daghaeus, Deghadh, Daygaeus, Dagous, Dagaeus, Dagée, Daganus was an Irish Christian bishop and confessor of Inis-Caoin-Deagha (now Inniskeen, County Mona ...

Inniskeen Inniskeen, officially Inishkeen (), is a small village, townland and parish in County Monaghan, Ireland, close to the County Louth and County Armagh borders. The village is located about from Dundalk, from Carrickmacross, and from Crossmaglen ...

, who was another son of Carill and Saint Felim's younger full brother,

Saint Femia Saint Femia (also spelled Femme, Feme, and Eufemia; fl. 6th century) was an Irish Christian saint, a sister of Saint Felim of Kilmore and Saint Daig of Inniskeen. Biography Femia lived towards the end of the 6th century. Her father was Carill, ...

who was a daughter of Carill and Saint Felim's full sister, Saint

Diarmaid the Just Saint Diarmaid the Just (also known as Diermit, Dhiarmuit, Dermod, Diermedus, Diermetus, Diermitius, Diermitius) was a Catholic abbot of Inis Clothrann ( Inchcleraun), Lough Ree, County Longford and of Faughalstown, County Westmeath and a famous ...

, son of Lugna and

Senchán Torpéist Senchán Torpéist (c. 560–649 AD) was a Gaelic-Irish poet. Background Seanchan Torpest was the Chief Poet of Connacht c.640 AD when he succeeded Dallán Forgaill as Chief Ollam of Ireland. He died in c.649 AD. His father was Cuairfheartaigh ...

, a later

. Felim became a hermit living near Kilmore,

County Cavan County Cavan ( ; gle, Contae an Chabháin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Border Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is base ...

, where he later founded a monastery in the townland of Tonymore (Domnach Mor = Big Church). He is patron saint of the Kilmore

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

. According to the

Martyrology of Tallaght The ''Martyrology of Tallaght'', which is closely related to the '' Félire Óengusso'' or ''Martyrology of Óengus the Culdee'', is an eighth- or ninth-century martyrology, a list of saints and their feast days assembled by Máel Ruain and/o ...

and

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 na ...

his feastday is 3 August but the other Calendars give it as 9 August which is celebrated as his feastday in present day. The discrepancy arises because 3 August was the start date of the annual pattern or fair devoted to the saint in Kilmore, which lasted a week from 3 to 9 August. The

Ulster Plantation The Plantation of Ulster ( gle, Plandáil Uladh; Ulster-Scots: ''Plantin o Ulstèr'') was the organised colonisation (''plantation'') of Ulstera province of Irelandby people from Great Britain during the reign of King James I. Most of the sett ...

papers of 1608 give a list of fairs in county Cavan which includes- "One fayre holden att Killmore yearly the third day of August being Saint Phelime's Day" Se
Catholic Encyclopedia
6th-century Christian saints Medieval Irish saints People from County Cavan 6th-century Irish priests {{Ireland-saint-stub