Nem Moccu Birn (or Nennus, Nenus, Nehemias; died 14 June 654) was

Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...

Aran Aran m Places Azerbaijan Villages and municipalities: * Aran, Aghjabadi * Aran, Lerik * Aran, Shaki * Aran, Tovuz * Aran, Yevlakh Iran * Aran, Alborz, a village in Alborz Province * Aran, Nain, a village in Isfahan Province * Aran, K ...

. His feast day is 14 June.

Biography

Nem was one of the few known successors of

Enda of Aran Saint Enda of Aran (Éanna, Éinne or Endeus, died 530 AD) is an Irish saint. His feast day is 21 March. Enda was a warrior-king of Oriel in Ulster, converted by his sister, Saint Fanchea, an abbess. About 484 he established the first Iri ...

, and appears to be the first such abbot listed in the

Irish annals A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over t ...

after Enda himself. The word ''moccu'' is actually a contracted form of "mac Ua Birn", indicating that St. Nem was a descendant of Loegaire Birn Buadach, and early king of Ossory and thus a

scion Scion may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities *Scion, a playable class in the game ''Path of Exile'' (2013) *Atlantean Scion, a device in the ''Tomb Raider'' video game series *Scions, an alien race in the video game ''Ba ...

of the Dál Birn lineage of

Ossory Osraige (Old Irish) or Osraighe (Classical Irish), Osraí (Modern Irish), anglicized as Ossory, was a medieval Irish kingdom comprising what is now County Kilkenny and western County Laois, corresponding to the Diocese of Ossory. The home of ...

. In the '' Félire Óengusso'', he is recorded as being a relation of St.

Ciarán of Saigir Ciarán of Saigir (5th century – ), also known as Ciarán mac Luaigne or Saint Kieran ( cy, Cieran), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland and is considered the first saint to have been born in Ireland,''Catholic Online''St. Kier ...

Annalistic references

From the

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...

: * ''M654.2. St Nem Mac Ua Birn, successor of Enne, of Ara, died on the 14th of June.'' From the '' Félire Óengusso'' (" The Martyrology of Óengus"): * "14. ''Nem'', i.e. a pope who is in

, and he is a successor of

, and of the

Dál Birn ''Dál Birn'' (''"portion" of Birn'') is a tribal epithet found in Irish sources which refers to the descendants of Loegaire Birn Buadach, the hereditary ruling lineage of the kingdom of Osraige in Ireland. Lineage This illustrious lineage produ ...

he is, and a brother of Ciarán of Saiger. Nem great-grandson of

Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...

. He was called by three names, to wit, Nem and Pupu and Cáilbe. Nem ''primum nomen'' etc. Whence Senan of Inis Cathaig sang ''Abbas almus amabilis'' etc. A successor of Peter and Paul, Cailbe came from the east from Rome, Nem, great-grandson of Bern, a bright brother, whose name is Pupu of Aran."

Monks of Ramsgate account

The monks of

St Augustine's Abbey, Ramsgate St Augustine's Abbey or Ramsgate Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey in Ramsgate. It was built in 1860 by Augustus Pugin and is a Grade II listed building. It was the first Benedictine monastery to be built in England since the Reformation. In ...

wrote in their ''Book of Saints'' (1921),

Butler's account

The hagiographer

Alban Butler Alban Butler (13 October 171015 May 1773) was an English Roman Catholic priest and hagiographer. Biography Alban Butler was born in 1710, at Appletree, Aston le Walls, Northamptonshire, the second son of Simon Butler, Esq. His father died when ...

(1710–1773) wrote in his ''Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints'' under June 14,

Notes

Sources

* *

External links

* http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100005A.html
''Catholic Encyclopedia'' 1908:
"The Monastic School of Aran"

"St. Enda" {{authority control 7th-century deaths 7th-century Christian saints Christian clergy from County Galway Medieval Irish saints 7th-century Irish abbots Year of birth unknown