Maonacan of Athleague explained

See also: Athleague.

Saint Maonacan of Athleague
Birth Date:	bef. 500
Death Date:	aft. 500
Feast Day:	18 February (7 February in Julian calendar)
Venerated In:
Birth Place:	Ireland
Death Place:	Ireland
Patronage:	Athleague invoked against plague

Saint Maonacan, otherwise Manchan (Irish: Manchán, English, Middle (1100-1500);: Mancheanus, Maenucan, Maonacan, Moenagain|abbr=midEng, fl. A.D. 500) of Athleague (Irish: Ath-Liag, "the stony-ford of St. Manchan" or "ford of flagstones",), was an early Irish Christian saint. He founded a church in Athleague, in county Roscommon. Saint Manchan's feast day is celebrated on February 18 (February 7 in the Old Calendar), by Roman Catholics, and Anglicans. The life of Manchan of Athleague is obscured because many persons named Manchan are to be found among the monastically inclined medieval Irish Christians.

Life

Nothing is known about the life of Manchán of Athleague. The period of this saint is unknown. He founded an early Christian monastery of Athleague, in county Roscommon. Moran provides the following local perspective:-

• "Another saint, Fionn Monganan is recorded as the true patron saint of Athleague and the village was known as Athliag Monganan in the earliest annals. His powers of keeping pestilence and disease at bay is also remembered and the site of his hallowed cell is near the present Angling Centre beside the former ford."

The sanctity of Manchán of Athleague is first recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters which records "A.D. 1493, .. Irish: Ath Liacc Maenaccáin (English, Middle (1100-1500);: Ath liag-Maenagain|abbr=MidEng)", which confirms he was patron saint of Athleague, in County Roscommon. The "Martyrology of Donegal" records the Saint as "Latin: Maonacan Atha liacc, 7 Feb., Maonacan, of Ath-liacc", while "The martyrology of Gorman" notes "Moenucan, of Ath liacc, Feb. 7. Latin: Maenucan, Mart. Taml.".

The multiplicity of Saints called Maenucan, Maonacan, Moenagain Irish: Manchán, Manachán, Mainchéin, Mainchin, Monahan Latin: Manchianus, Manichchaeus is because the name is a diminutive of Irish: Manach Latin: Monachus, a monk, so the real names of each recorded Saint Manchan are unknown. Saint Manchan of Athleague was contemporary with the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, and Manchan of Mohill, as the establishment of the early Christian site of Athleague is given as . The Annals of the Four Masters calls Athleague the medieval names of- "English, Middle (1100-1500);: Athliag Maenagan, and Irish: Atha Liacc Maonaccan|abbr=MidEng".

Church

The Irish Annals has the following entries for the church of Atha Liacc-

• "1235.29 The church of an Druimne at Athleague was burnt, & the charters(?) & all books of the Canons", Irish: "Eclus na Drumne '''Atha Liacc''' do loscad & carta & libuir na cananach uli".
• "M1266.2 and Maelisa O'Hanainn, Prior of Roscommon and Athleague, died", "agus Maoil Isu Ua h-Anainn prioir Rosa Commain, & Atha Liacc, do écc".
• "1266.9 Mael Isa O hAnainn, Prior of Roscommon and Athleague, rested in Christ", and Irish: "Mael Iso h. hAnainn prioir Rosa Coman & '''Atha Liacc''' quieuit in Christo".

Notes and references

Primary sources

• Book: Joyce , Patrick Weston . The origin and history of Irish names of places. 355. London Longmans, Green. 1. 1910.

Secondary sources

• James Graves (antiquarian). James. Graves. The Church and Shrine of St. Manchán. The Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland. 25506649. 3. 1874. 18. 134–50.
  • Web site: Annála Connacht. Bambury. Pádraig. Ciara Hogan. Electronic edition compiled by the CELT Team (2001)(2008), 2nd draft. CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College Cork College Road, Cork, Ireland—http://www.ucc.ie/celt. 2008.
• Book: Wall , James Charles . James Charles Wall. Shrines of British Saints, with numerous illustrations. J. Charles Cox. 1905. Methuen & Co., 36 Essex Street WC, London, England. 10 October 2016. 83.
• Book: Mícheál Ó Cléirigh. John O'Donovan (scholar). James Henthorn Todd. The martyrology of Donegal : a calendar of the saints of Ireland. O'Clery. Michael. O'Donovan. John. Reeves. William. Todd. James Henthorn. Dublin : Printed for the Irish Archaeological and Celtic Society by A. Thom. 1 October 2016. 504. 1864. Oxford University.
• Web site: Onomasticon Goedelicum. 1. Hogan. Edmund. Documents of Ireland Project, University College Cork. 1999.
• Book: Whitley Stokes (Celtic scholar). The martyrology of Gorman : edited from a manuscript in the Royal Library Brussels. Gormáin. Félire Húi. Stokes. Whitley. 1895. 384. London : [Henry Bradshaw Society]. 10 October 2016.
• Book: Lanigan , John . John Lanigan (historian). An Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, from the first introduction of Christianity among the Irish, to the beginning of the thirteenth century. The Irish Church. second. III. 1829. Dublin: J. Cumming, 16, L. Ormond-Quay; London: Simpkin and Marshall; Edinburgh: R. Cadell and Co.. 30–32. 10 October 2016.
• Web site: Athleague, a panoramic snapshot. Moran. James M.. 2010. 1 January 2010. Roscommon People.