Saint Caomhán (; may have died in 865), anglicised as Cavan, sometimes ''Kevin'', is the patron saint of

Inisheer Inisheer ( , or ) is the smallest and most easterly of the three Aran Islands in Galway Bay, Ireland. With 343 residents as of the 2022 census, it is second-most populous of the Arans. Caomhán of Inis Oírr is the island's patron saint. ...

(), the smallest of the

Aran Islands The Aran Islands ( ; , ) or The Arans ( ) are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, with a total area around . They constitute the historic barony (Ireland), barony of Aran in ...

. Although he is "by far the most celebrated of all the saints of the Aran Islands", little is known about him. He is said to have been a disciple of 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 ...

. The saint's

Pattern Day A pattern () in Irish Roman Catholicism refers to the devotions that take place within a parish on the feast day of the patron saint of the parish, on that date, called a Pattern day, or the nearest Sunday, called Pattern Sunday. In the case of a ...

() was formerly 3 November, but was moved to 14 June in the 19th century.Mordecai Cubitt Cooke, John Eller Taylor, ''Hardwicke's Science-gossip'' Volumes 10–11 (1874)
p. 272
There used to be a pilgrimage of the sick to his tomb on his day, and an open-air mass is still celebrated there every year.Fionn Davenport, ''Ireland'',

Lonely Planet Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books. History 20th century Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen Wheeler, Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 19 ...

(2010) p. 410.

St Cavan's Church

St Cavan's Church (also "St Kevin's Church", ) is a ruined church, built in the 10th century, at the location of the saint's grave. The entrance is now below ground level, as the church was nearly buried by drifting sands; it has been excavated and is kept clear of sand by the islanders. In recent times it has been roofed to resist the incursion of blown sand from the surrounding dunes. All that remains visible of this structure today is the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

. A century or so after this was built, the rest of the building gave way for a wider

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

. The

lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented/structural item. In the case ...

over the original western doorway was reused in the enlarged building to become the entrance from the nave to the priest's residence. Three other features date from the late medieval period: the head of the chancel arch, the pointed doorway in the south wall of the nave and the priest's residence. The grave of St Caomhan ( or "Caomhán's Bed") is located to the northeast of the church. It is a tradition on the island to spend the vigil of the saint's feast praying at his grave. It has been written that people were cured of illness here. File:Ruine d'une chapelle, Inisheer.jpg, The ruins of Saint Caomhan's church, Inisheer (2011 photograph) File:Caomhan nave 2013.JPG, Saint Caomhan's church, viewed from the priest's residence in the west through the

and

arch to the altar in the east. File:Caomhan church grave 2013.JPG, Saint Caomhan's church with Caomhan's grave (Leaba Chaomháin) in the background. File:St Cavan's Grave (Leaba Chaomháin) Inisheer by CFM - 20220707 - 01.jpg, Saint Caomhan's grave (Leaba Chaomháin) in Inisheer cemetery

Modern church

The modern Séipéal Naomh Caomhán was built around 1901.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caomhan of Inisheer Medieval saints of Munster People from the Aran Islands 865 deaths Year of birth unknown