MORE ON SAINTS

Article I featured St. Abhan, and a strange wild water animal on the river Brosna. Speaking of the river Brosna, we can also talk of St. Train and St. Patrick. St. Train was a bishop listed with the Foreign Eccelesiastics that came to Ireland with St. Patrick. Although St. Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland, he was not a native of Ireland, but in fact a native of a small town in western England. When he was a young lad, he was kidnapped in an Irish Celt raid and sold into slavery as a shepard in Ireland. He was also later considered the Patron Saint of Poland.

St. Train was of the first order of Irish Saints, of whom all were bishops and founders of churches. When we look back upon the history of the Territory of the O'Carroll, we can find mention of St. Patrick as indicated here:

St. Patrick was leaving Munster and passing through the Eile O'Carroll Territory, coming to Brosna for his farewell visit to the place of St. Train to see him for one last time. The people of Munster had followed Patrick there with great shouts of "Broscar," or "joy".

In legend, before leaving Brosnacha, St. Patrick brought to life a 27 year-old youth named Fot, son of Derach. St. Patrick fed the multitude of people with a single bushel of corn, provided by St. Train. This came to be known as the Feast of the Bushel, occurring every March 22 either in Riverstown near Birr, or the village of Brosna near the border of the Eile O'Carroll Territory in County Offaly. This is the area that the Prince of Eile lived in the royal Dun, in Killeen Townland.

Traditionally, March has been known as a time for frolic, and feasting on St. Patrick's Day, which is 17 March. If planning a Celtic St. Patrick's Day celebration, some readers may be interested to know that the traditional dish of corn-beef, and cabbage dinner is not native to Ireland. It is rather a dish created and used in celebration here in the United States, originating in New York.

As one can see from the previous three articles, the Territory of the O'Carroll has had its fair share of involvement with the Saints of Ireland. Be sure to check back for next months article.