School: An Ráth Mhór (Clochar) (roll number 13742)
- Location:
- Rathmore, Co. Kerry
- Teacher: Sr. M. Dolores
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0451, Page 204
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- (continued from previous page)His unhappy mother was in early youth called Flann but she was also called Mughain or Mugania and was sometimes known as Rim or as Colgan latinises it Rima. The child was born in A. D. 580 or 590 for he died in A. D. 661 at the age of seventy two. Drumdaliter, Marionus O'Gorman tells us was "the name of his town" and Aedh or Hugh was his "proper name" at first. Shortly after his birth the infant was exposed by his parents and left at the head of the cross in a small Cummian or basket near St Ita's Convent of Killeedy and the holy Sisterhood finding the child thus abandoned took charge of the foundling and called him Cummian, because he was found in the basket.
The history of the lady Flann the mother of Cummian is very singular. The great misfortune of her life seems to have happened when she was very young and it may have been greatly if not entirely against her own will. It seems too that she was very beautiful - in a stanza composed by Cummian himself, she is called Flann the Fair - it is said also that she was four times married and became the mother of no less than six kings and six bishops.
After the death of her fourth husband Flann, whether tired of the cares of married life or anxious to do penance for the sin of her youth, consulted her son Cummian as to her future and he advised her to retire from the world and spend the rest of her days in prayer and penance. She did so and died a holy nun in an advanced age.
From Killeedy or perhaps from Killarney young Cummian was sent to the great school of Cork founded by St Finnbarr about the beginning of the seventh century when Cummian would be twelve or fifteen years of age. Among the teachers in Cork, either then or a little later on was Colman Mac O'Cluaisaigh who is called the "tutor" of young Cummian to(continues on next page)
