Saint Coemghin

Alfred Webb

A Compendium of Irish Biography

1878

Coemghin, or Kevin, Saint, was born about 498, of a princely family in Tir Tuathal, comprising part of the present County of Wicklow. He is described as having been a beautiful youth: he was baptized by St. Cronan, and educated under "Petrocus, a holy Briton." He was specially intimate with SS. Columcille and Ciaran; and when the latter died at Clonmacnoise, Coemghin made a special pilgrimage thither to watch by his body. Round his cell at Glendalough a large community of disciples gathered, attracted by his learning and sanctity; and the ecclesiastical remains there are intimately associated with his name, although it is extremely unlikely that any of them date from his lifetime. St. Coemghin is generally represented with a bird in his hand, in token of his extreme love of animals. The legend concerning him and Kathleen has been embodied in poetry both by Moore and Gerald Griffin. He is stated to have died in 618, aged 120. His festival is the 3rd of June.

Sources

119. Ecclesiastical History of Ireland: Rev. John Lanigan. 4 vols. Dublin, 1822.

234. Martyrology of Donegal: Edited by J. H. Todd, D.D., and William Reeves, D.D. (I.A.S.) Dublin, 1864.

235. Martyrology of Tallaght, with Notices of of the Patron Saints of Ireland: Rev. Matthew Kelly, D.D. Dublin, 1857.

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