St. Jarlath
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Saint Jarlath, also known as Iarlaithe mac Loga (''fl.'' 6th century), was an Irish priest and scholar from
Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
, remembered as the founder of the monastic
School of Tuam The School of Tuam was founded by St. Jarlath. During the eleventh century, it rivaled Clonmacnoise as the centre of Celtic art. It was founded when St. Brendan told Jarlath to go eastward from Cluainfois (now Cloonfush) and where his wheel ...
and of the Archdiocese of Tuam, of which he is the patron saint. No medieval ''Life'' for Jarlath is extant, but sources for his life and cult include genealogies, martyrologies, the Irish ''Lives of St Brendan of Clonfert'', and a biography compiled by
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 ...
in the 17th century.


Background

The Irish genealogies record the existence of two saints named Jarlath: Jarlath son of Lugh (''Iarlaithe m. Loga''), founder of Tuam, and Jarlath son of Trian (''Iarlaithe m. Trena''), bishop of Armagh.Mac Giolla Easpaig, ''Early Ecclesiastical Settlement Names of County Galway'' (1996), pp. 802–03. Jarlath of Tuam is said to have belonged to the Conmhaícne, who ruled over the greater part of what would become the parish of Tuam. The other saint is said to have belonged to the
Dál Fiatach Dál Fiatach was a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic dynastic-grouping and the name of their territory in the north-east of Ireland during the Middle Ages. It was part of the over-kingdom of Ulaid, and they were its main ruling dynasty for most of Ulaid's ...
in east
Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
. He is identified as the third Bishop of Armagh, that is after
Patrick Patrick may refer to: * Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name * Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People * Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick ...
's heir Benignus and the ''
Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' ( ga, Annála Uladh) are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, ...
'' and '' Innisfallen'' record his death in the year 481. In the two Irish ''Lives'' of
St Brendan Brendan of Clonfert (c. AD 484 - c.577), is one of the early Irish monastic saints and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. He is also referred to as Brendan the Navigator, Brendan the Voyager, Brendan the Anchorite, Brendan the Bold. The ...
, possibly of the 12th century, Jarlath is called a son of Lug, son of Trén, son of Fiacc, son of Mochta, and the First ''Life'' in 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 ...
continues the pedigree by calling Mochta a son of Bresal, son of Siracht, son of Fiacha the Fair.First Irish ''Life'' of St Brendan, ed. and tr. Stokes, ''Lives of saints'', pp. 105–06, 251.Second Irish ''Life'' of St Brendan, ed. and tr. Plummer, ''Bethada náem nÉrenn'', vol. 1: 47–8, vol 2: pp. 47–8 (ix §§ 21–2). Both ''Lives'' substitute Imchada for Mochta and on this basis, Séamus Mac Mathúna argues that they go back to an original which conflates the genealogy of Iarlaithe mac Loga with that of his namesake in Armagh.Mac Mathúna, ''The Irish Life of Saint Brendan'', p. 134 note 40.
Dónall Mac Giolla Easpaig Dónall Mac Giolla Easpaig, M.A., is the former Chief Placenames Officer in the Placenames Branch in the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs (''An Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail, Comhionannais agus Gaeltachta'') in Ireland. He is a le ...
suggests that the saints could refer to one and the same person:
..both are given as the third bishop of
Armagh Armagh ( ; ga, Ard Mhacha, , "Macha's height") is the county town of County Armagh and a city in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Pri ...
..placename evidence from the Tuam area would tend to corroborate
his His or HIS may refer to: Computing * Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company * Honeywell Information Systems * Hybrid intelligent system * Microsoft Host Integration Server Education * Hangzhou International School, in ...
view ..the evidence suggests that there was a strong Patrician and, consequently, a strong Armagh influence in the Tuam area from the earliest
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
period ..the fact that Iarlaithe was a bishop like Benignus of Kilbennan and Felartus of Donaghpatrick, would further indicate that Tuam ..would have predated Brendan of Clonfert by almost a century.


St Brendan's Irish ''Lives''

Jarlath appears briefly as a prominent figure in the medieval Irish ''Lives'' of St Brendan of Clonfert.Charles-Edwards, "Connacht, saints of (act. ''c''.400–''c''.800)." Brendan is said to have visited Connacht to study under the famous Jarlath. One day, when Jarlath was in his old age, Brendan advised his mentor to leave the school and to depart in a newly built chariot until its two hind shafts broke, because there would be the place of his resurrection (''esséirge'') and that of many after him. Because Jarlath acknowledged the divinity and superior wisdom of his pupil, saying "take me into thy service for ever and ever", he gladly accepted his advice. His travel did not take him very far, as the shafts broke at ''Tuaim da Ghualann'' ("Mound of two shoulders"), that is, at Tuam. Jarlath died, "full of days", on 26 December, circa 540, aged about 90 years old. In attributing a leading role to St Brendan in the foundation of Tuam, the ''Lives'' suggest that the see of Tuam was united with but subordinate to that of Annaghdown.Mac Mathúna. ''The Irish Life of Saint Brendan'', pp. 157–58. Tuam achieved the status of the principal see of Connacht only in 1152 at the
Synod of Kells-Mellifont The Synod of Kells (, ) took place in 1152, under the presidency of Giovanni Cardinal Paparoni, and continued the process begun at the Synod of Ráth Breasail (1111) of reforming the Irish church. The sessions were divided between the abbeys of ...
, while Annaghdown became an independent diocesan seat at the Synod of Dublin in 1192. In this light, the assertion in the ''Lives'' has been read as reflecting circumstances in the 12th century.


Foundation of Tuam

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 ...
drew up a memoir of the saint in his '' Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae'' (1645). Jarlath is said to have studied under St Benignus at
Kilbennen Kilbennen or Kilbannon is a medieval ecclesiastical site and National Monument located in County Galway, Ireland. Location Kilbennen is located northwest of Tuam, on the far side of the River Clare. History The monastery here was founded ...
, disciple of St Patrick. Afterwards, he founded his first monastery at Cluainfois (
Cloonfush Cloonfush () is a townland and village located approximately from Tuam in County Galway, Ireland. It is substantially surrounded by River Clare, which flows into the Corrib. Adjacent villages are Kilmore, Sylane, and Killaloonty. Location Clo ...
), near Tuam, while his principal seat came to be at Tuam. His monastic school is said to have attracted scholars from all parts of
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, including such students as St Brendan of
Ardfert Ardfert () is a village in County Kerry, Ireland. Historically a religious centre, the economy of the locality is driven by agriculture and its position as a dormitory town, being only from Tralee. The population of the village was 749 at the 2 ...
and Saint
Colman Colmán or Colman is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Medieval Irish people * Colmán Bec (died ''c''. 585), Irish dynast * Colmán mac Cobthaig (died ''c''. 622), Irish king * Colmán mac Lénéni (died ''c'' ...
of Cloyne. On the significance of the place-name Tuam,
Dónall Mac Giolla Easpaig Dónall Mac Giolla Easpaig, M.A., is the former Chief Placenames Officer in the Placenames Branch in the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs (''An Roinn Gnóthaí Pobail, Comhionannais agus Gaeltachta'') in Ireland. He is a le ...
posits:
" e first element in the placename ''Tuaim Dá Ualann/Ghualann'' referred to a
pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
burial-ground similar to that designated by the second element of ''Cluain Fearta'' (see Clonfert). If so Tuam offers another example of an early church being built on or near a pre-Christian sacred site."
Despite his fame, Jarlath left Cloonfush to study under Saint
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 ...
around 495. Originally in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' (1910). Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company. In the 520s, he retired to Tuam. He chose Tuam because the wheel of his chariot broke there. Jarlath is included in the second order of Irish saints, which implies that he must have lived prior to the year 540. A poem ascribed to Cuimmín of Coindeire, which is also cited in Ó Cléirigh's ''
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 ...
'', states that Jarlath was known for his generosity and devotion to prayer ("three hundred genuflexions every night, and three hundred genuflexions every day").''Martyrology of Donegal'', ed. Todd and Reeves, pp. 348-49 (26 December). In the ''Martyrology of Donegal'', he is credited with having predicted the names of his successors, including those of three 'heretical' bishops and one Máel. Similarly, his
hagiography A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies migh ...
in the ''"Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church"'' records that as a result of his great
asceticism Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...
and devotion to prayer he was granted the gift of prophecy.


Feast-day

Saint Jarlath's feast day is 6 June, which is the date of the
translation Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...
of his
relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
s to a church specially built in his honour next to the Cathedral of Tuam. His remains were encased in a silver shrine, from which the 13th-century church gained the name ''Teampul na scrín'', that is the "church of the shrine", a perpetual vicarage united to the
prebend A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...
of Kilmainemore in 1415. In a note added to the '' Félire Óengusso'' and in other martyrologies, Jarlath's feast-day was recorded as 25 or 26 December.


Jarlath in the 21st century

The first St Jarlath's Festival in Tuam, organised by the Energise Tuam community group, was organised for Saturday 7 June 2008. This included a pageant/parade from Tuam Cathedral through the streets of the town, a school's art competition to raise awareness of the saint and local cultural heritage, and street entertainment. St Jarlath's broken wheel is a heraldic symbol of Tuam, and is included on the crest of many local organisations, including Tuam Town Council. St Jarlath Road, a residential street in Cabra in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
7 is named in his honour. A
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
in
Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
in the United States and one in Yarragon, Australia are named after him.


See also

*
School of Tuam The School of Tuam was founded by St. Jarlath. During the eleventh century, it rivaled Clonmacnoise as the centre of Celtic art. It was founded when St. Brendan told Jarlath to go eastward from Cluainfois (now Cloonfush) and where his wheel ...
*
St. Jarlath's College St Jarlath's College () is a Catholic secondary school for young men in Tuam, County Galway. The college was founded in 1800 and in 2009 absorbed St. Patrick's College, Tuam. The College, which operates under patronage of the Archbishop of Tu ...
* Aed Ua Oisin


References


Primary sources

* *''Martyrology of Donegal'', ed. J.H. Todd and W. Reeves, ''The Martyrology of Donegal, a calendar of the saints of Ireland''. Dublin, 1864. p. 348–9 (26 December)*Poem ascribed to Cuimmín, ed. and tr. Whitley Stokes, "Cuimmín's poem on the saints of Ireland." ZCP 1 (1897). pp. 59–73. * Colgan, John. '' Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae''. Leuven, 1645. 308–10. *The First Irish ''Life'' of St Brendan **ed. and tr. Whitley Stokes, ''Lives of Saints from the Book of Lismore''. Anecdota Oxoniensia, Mediaeval and Modern Series 5. Oxford, 1890. pp. 99–116, 247–61. Based on 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 ...
copy. **ed. and tr. Denis O’Donoghue, ''Brendaniana. St Brendan the Voyager in Story and Legend''. Dublin, 1893. Partial edition and translation, based on the Book of Lismore as well as copies in Paris BNF celtique et basque 1 and BL Egerton 91. *The Second Irish ''Life'' of St Brendan (conflated with the ''Navigatio''). Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique 4190–4200 (transcript by Mícheál Ó Cléirigh) **ed. and tr. Charles Plummer, ''Bethada náem nÉrenn. Lives of the Irish saints''. Oxford: Clarendon, 1922. Vol. 1. pp. 44–95; vol 2. *Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church:
Ὁ Ἅγιος Ζαρλάθιος Ἐπίσκοπος Τούαμ Ἰρλανδίας
'' 6 Ιουνίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.


Secondary sources

* *Charles-Edwards, T.M. (2007).
Connacht, saints of (act. ''c''.400–''c''.800)
, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. Oxford University Press, Sept 2004: January 2007; accessed 14 December 2008. * Mac Giolla Easpaig, Dónall (1996). "Early Ecclesiastical Settlement Names of County Galway", ''Galway: History and Society. Interdisciplinary essays on the history of an Irish county'', ed. Gerard Moran. Dublin: Geography Publications. pp. 795–815. *Mac Mathúna, Séamus (2006). "The Irish Life of Saint Brendan: Textual History, Structure and Date", ''The Brendan Legend. Texts and versions'', ed. Glyn Burgess and Clara Strijbosch. Leiden, Boston: Brill, pp. 117–58.


Further reading

*Ó Riain, P. (ed.). ''Corpus Genealogiarum Sanctorum Hiberniae''. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Dublin 1985. pg. 26, line 150.


External links

* ''Archive of'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Jarlath, Saint 445 births 540 deaths 5th-century Irish priests 6th-century Irish priests 6th-century Christian saints Medieval saints of Connacht People from County Galway Prophets in Christianity Religion in Tuam Roman Catholic monks People of Conmaicne Cuile Toladh