Tírechán was a 7th-century Irish

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

from north Connacht, specifically the

Killala Bay Killala Bay ( ga, Cuan Chill Ala) is a bay on the west coast of Ireland between County Mayo and County Sligo. It is situated between Kilcummin Head to the west and Lenadoon Point to the east. and is the estuary for the River Moy. The village of ...

area, in what is now

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the yew trees") is a county in Ireland. In the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Coun ...

Background

Based on a knowledge of Irish customs of the times, historian Terry O’Hagan has concluded that Tírechán was probably from a wealthy, elite family. Sometime in the 650s, he was sent to

Ardbraccan Ardbraccan ( ga, Ard Breacáin) is an ancient place of Christian worship in County Meath, Ireland. It is the location of the former residence of the Roman Catholic, then, after the Reformation, the Church of Ireland Bishop of Meath. It is approx ...

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 ...

as a "fosterling" and student of

Ultan Ultan ( ir, Ultán) is an Irish male given name derived from Ulster. People with the given name * Saint Ultan, Irish monk and saint *Ultan of Ardbraccan, Irish abbot and saint *Ultan Cooke, Irish chef *Ultan Conlon, Irish singer-songwriter *Ulta ...

, bishop of Ardbraccan. References to numerous geographical areas and to sites such as

holy well A holy well or sacred spring is a well, spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christian or pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualities, through the numinous presence of its gua ...

s, cemeteries, crosses, and churches have led O’Hagan to call Tírechán one of the most "widely travelled" of

early medieval The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

writers.

Works

Tírechán is known to have authored one work, the ''Collectanea''. This is a biography of St. Patrick which have been preserved in the Book of Armagh. The ''Collectanea'' is often called a

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 ...

, however, it may be better described as an ''itinerarium''. Tírechán presents Patrick's journey through the north of Ireland and lists the various foundations he establishes along the way. Tírechán wrote in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

, and historian Terry O’Hagan indicates that Tírechán’s work should be considered "a work in progress" in that he probably died before his work was complete. Tírechán says that he drew on the oral and written testimony of

Bishop Ultán A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

. Ultán was Tírechán's teacher. Tírechán wrote to promote the cult of Patrick, and he was especially critical of institutions associated with rival saints who possess foundations which Tírechán viewed as belonging to Patrick. He chastises the community of

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 tod ...

and

Clonmacnoise Clonmacnoise ( Irish: ''Cluain Mhic Nóis'') is a ruined monastery situated in County Offaly in Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone, founded in 544 by Saint Ciarán, a young man from Rathcroghan, County Roscommon. Until the 9th ...

for appropriating foundations associated with Patrick. Tirechán has been credited, incorrectly, with authoring other texts. This includes the ''Catalogus Sanctorum Hiberniae'', which Grosjean dated to c.900. Eoin Mac Neill had assigned Tírechán as the author of '' Vita tripartita Sancti Patricii'', however, this has been roundly rejected.

''Floruit''

Tírechán's ''Collectanea'' has been dated to between 688 and 693 by Thomas Charles-Edwards. Tírechán mentions recent plagues that had afflicted Ireland.Tirechan, Collectanea §§8, 25. These probably refer to those recorded for 664-6 and 686-8. The late seventh century witnessed a flourishing of Patrician literature as seen in Muirchú's ''Vita Patricii'' and the ''

Liber Angeli In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Liber ( , ; "the free one"), also known as Liber Pater ("the free Father"), was a god of viticulture and wine, male fertility and freedom. He was a patron deity of Rome's plebeians and was part of the ...

''.

References

External links

*
St Patrick's Confessio HyperStack
The website provides images of the Patrician Texts in the Book of Armagh, Tírechán's Biography of St Patrick in Latin and English. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tirechan 7th-century Irish bishops 7th-century Irish writers 7th-century Latin writers Irish Latinists Medieval Irish historians Religious leaders from County Mayo