Colmán of Cloyne

A study

Paul MacCotter

This book attempts to give a complete history of the cult of Colmán of Cloyne (560AD), patron of the diocese of Cloyne, Co. Cork. Scholars of the Early Irish Church will be interested in what it reveals about general aspects of that period quite apart from its historical relevance for the early history of a large part of Co. Cork. It details the hitherto undocumented history of one of the leading dynasties of early Munster. A new translation of the saint's poems by Professor Donnchadh Ó Corráin appears in an appendix.

Cloyne: a parish and small town situated in a between Ballycotton and Great Island, 5 miles from Midleton, Count Cork. The parish of Cloyne includes the villages of Churchtown South, Shanagarry and Ballycotton. The Diocese of Cloyne covers east Cork and some of north Cork. Cloyne's name is derived from its Irish version Cluain Uamha, which means ‘meadow of caves’. In 560 AD Cluain Uamha was granted to Colman by Cairpre Crom, king of Cashel, as a site for his monastery. The bishop of Cloyne's residence was here until 1768 when it moved to Queenstown.

Paul MacCotter, historical and genealogical consultant, has published papers in several journals and has co-edited The pipe roll of Cloyne (Cloyne Literary and Historical Society, 1996) with Kenneth Nicholls.