St. Ciarán, Clonmacnoise, and the land of Saints and Scholars
Written by Ciaran on Sep 09, 2024 | 0 Comments
Today, September 9th, is St. Ciarán’s Day here in Ireland. In honor of my namesake, we thought we would take a look at St. Ciarán, his “City,” the legacy of his life that continues to this day, and why we think he deserves to share some of the limelight with the more famous patron saints of Ireland, Brigid, Patrick, and Columba.
A stained glass window at St.Brendan's Church in Co. Offaly depicting St. Ciarán - also known as St. Kieran (among other names!).
Photo Credit: Photograph by Andreas F. Borchert (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Who was St. Ciarán?
This is a trickier question to answer than you might think. Firstly, as a holder of this Irish name myself, I know all too well how tricky some find the spelling of Ciarán. So it’s no surprise that St Ciarán goes by many names including Ceran, Kieran, Queran and Queranus.
To complicated matters further, there is more than one St. Ciarán in Ireland! There is another Irish saint, known as Ciarán the elder, that shares the name. Thankfully despite these two complications, we do know quite a lot about St. Ciarán the younger.
St. Ciarán: The son of a carpenter
The "younger" saint, was born Ciarán mac an tSaeir (Ciarán son of the carpenter), in Rathcroghan, County Roscommon around 516.
Cows crazing in the mist around Rathcrogan, Co. Roscommon - Birthplace of St. Ciarán
Photo Credit: Kieran Campbell (CC BY-SA 2.0)
St. Ciarán: The cattle herd
To this day St. Ciarán is strongly associated with animals. There are countless stories of his kindness in his dealings with creatures great and small. In his young life he tended to a herd of cattle. Some believe that his work as a herdsman gave him experience and skills that he later turned to the care he would offer the students and people who sought his wisdom.
Photo Credit: Neil Theasby (CC BY-SA 2.0)
St. Ciarán: A gifted scholar
It was his deeply ingrained love of learning that proved his legacy, and as they say here in Ireland, “he didn’t lick it off a stone.” His maternal grandfather was reportedly a bard, poet, and historian. So young Ciarán was no doubt supported by his family when he left herding to start his studies with St. Finian at Clonard.
Scholarly pursits were highly valued in the early Irish church - a point emphasized throughout the famous Book of Kells by the multiple images of figures holding books. (fol. 29r)
Photo Credit: © The Board of Trinity College, University of Dublin.
His teachers quickly realized that young Ciarán was a gifted scholar. St. Columba, of Book of Kells fame, reportedly said that "He was a lamp, blazing with the light of wisdom." Seeing his potential, Ciarán's mentors encouraged him to establish his own center of worship and learning.
St. Ciarán: The founder and first abbot of Clonmacnoise
And so he did! He was the founder and first abbot of one of the earliest and most famous monastic sites in Ireland, Clonmacnoise. Ciarán founded his monastery at a strategic site, where an East-West land route (the Slighe Mhor) across Ireland intersected the mighty River Shannon. Known as “Ciarán’s city” this monastery in the “middle of Ireland” led to the saint being known as one of the twelve Apostles of Ireland, and a key figure in the early Irish church.
The ruins of Clonmacnoise on the banks of the river Shannon
Photo Credit: Bernd Thaller (CC BY 2.0)
Why is Clonmacnoise Important?
Despite Ciarán’s untimely death a short time after its founding, the monastery at Clonmacnoise flourished and grew to become a prestigious center of learning and worship, where many of the high kings of Tara, the ardrí, and Connacht were buried.
By the 9th century it was a sort of prestigious University of its day, attracting scholars and students from all over Ireland and Europe. Clonmacnoise, and sites like it, were particularly important during the so-called “Dark Ages” when much of Europe saw the decline of scholarly activity. They acted as beacons in this “dark” and are credited with preserving and transmitting classical knowledge and manuscripts.
Photo Credit: Peter Moore (CC BY-SA 2.0)
And it was not just books that were created at Clonmacnoise. The monastery became a center for craft too. Three spectacular high stone crosses that still stand at the site to this day pay testament to this. Particularly one of the finest high crosses in Ireland, the 10th century “Cross of the scriptures.”
Photo Credit: Martin P. Whyte (CC BY-SA 4.0)
And even though the site is now in ruins, what remains still gives a feeling of how impressive Clonmacnoise was in its heyday. A visit to the site and its cathedral, nine churches, three high crosses, two round towers, and over 700 Early Christian grave sites, is well worth it if you find yourself in the area!
Ireland: The land of Saints and Scholars
So by now we hope you agree that there’s an argument to be made for St. Ciarán sharing some of the limelight afforded to Brigid and Patrick!
St. Ciarán's commitment to religious and intellectual devotion no doubt played a part in Ireland gaining the title “the Land of Saints and Scholars.” This reputation left a lasting impact on our cultural heritage here in Ireland. It continues to be a source of pride and is celebrated to this day, inspiring many modern Irish artists.
Celebrating Heritage
St. Ciarán's City inspired us here at My Irish Jeweler too. Our Clonmacnoise cross celebrates the spectacular detail of the original stone "Cross of the scriptures" in miniature. Measuring close to 2 inches high including a polished bale, the intricate illustrations of the original carving have been recreated in minute detail, all expertly finished in sterling silver or solid gold.
Island of Saints
And for those who would like a piece of jewelry inspired by Ireland's hardworking saints, Brigid, Patrick, or yes Ciarán too, there are plenty of options. The lovely Brigid's cross set with Connemara Marble, a simple St. Patrick's Cross, or stunning replica high stone crosses for Ciarán.
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Ciaran
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Gaelic culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Gaelic teachers here in Ireland, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!
I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!
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