Saints in Scottish Place-Names
Funded by a Leverhulme Trust Project Grant
Cuimmíne Fota m. Fiachna
Introduction
Several Latin texts are attributed to Cuimmíne, including a Penitential (Bieler 1975, 5-7, 108-135). Many stories accumulated around this saint, in particular about his irregular birth as a result, allegedly, of a union between his sister and father. He is descended, in CGSH, from Maine m. Cairpre m. Cuirc of the Eoganachta. This Maine was understood, at least by the 13th century, also to be ancestor of the Earls of Lennox (Watson 1926, 221). He is sometimes said to be a bishop (Mart G) and according to Mart Do, ‘This man was the vessel of wisdom of his time. He was the learned preacher of the word of God.’
Associated places
South Muster, in particular Cluain Ferta (Clonfert townland and parish in the barony of Longford, Co Galway).
Obituary
AU 662.1 Cummeni Longus & Saran nepos Critain sapientes, dormierunt. ‘Cuiméne the Tall and Sarán grandson of Crítán, sages, fell asleep’ Inserted in H2 after Longus is ‘.lxx.ii anno etatis sue quieuit’ ‘rested in the 72nd year of his age’.
Genealogies
He is consistently assigned to the Eoganachta (Rec. Mai., 232, Rec. Min. 451, Rec. Met. 662.223). His mother, Rim, is said to be the daughter of his father, making Cuimmíne the product of an incestuous liason between Fiachna and his daughter Rim (CGSH, 652). He is also purported to be the brother of Comgán mac Dá Cherda, who elsewhere is a kind of holy fool (Tract on Mothers of the Saints, 722.66)
Related Saints
Belongs to the group Cuimmíne (ns) (certain)
Related Personal Names
Name
Áed (certain)
Source
Martyrology of Gorman
Nov 12
A marginal gloss has 'Aodh a chédainm díles, ocus Druim da liter ainm a bhaile' ('Aodh was his proper first name, and Druim dá liter the name of his stead.')
Name
Carthach (possible)
Source
Corpus Genealogiarum Sanctorum Hiberniae
703.9
Ó Riain considers the following to refer to Cuimmíne Fota: Carthach aimn Cummini (in aliases of the saints, Ó Riain 1985, 703.9)
Name
Cuimmíne (certain)
Name
Mo Chumma (possible)
Source
Comainmnigud noem hErenn
707.656
The entry is: Mochummae Fotae
Feast days
Day of Year
Nov 12
Calendar
Martyrology of Oengus the Culdee
Source code
Mart. O
Source title
Martyrology of Oengus the Culdee
Editors
Stokes, Whitley
Year
1905
Notes
Full title is Félire Óengusso Céli Dé, The Martyrology of Oengus the Culdee, critically edited from Ten Manuscripts, with a Preface, Translation, Notes and Indices.
Quote from source
Dorindnacht la suithi soas co mméit tiachrai dom Chummain cain milti mac find Fotae Fiachnai ‘There has been given, with wisdom, science and much prudence, to my Cumman of beautiful warfare, the fair Tall (Fota) son of Fiachnae.’
Notes
notes in RB505: .i. Cuimmini mac Fiachna, comarba Brénainn Chlúana fera: d’Euganacht Locha Léin dó. The notes in RB512 tell the story of his begetting through an incestuous, drunken, union between Fiachna and his own daughter. Fiachna decreed that the child should be killed, but the daughter (un-named here) left him in a basket (cuimín – hence his name) at Cell Íte. [The basket derivation is not correct]
Day of Year
Nov 12
Calendar
Source code
Mart. G
Source title
Martyrology of Gorman
Editors
Stokes, Whitley
Year
1895
Notes
Full title is Félire Húi Gormáin, The Martyrology of Gorman edited from a manuscript in the Royal library, Brussels, with a preface, translation, notes and indices. It is published by the Henry Bradshaw Society.
Quote from source
Cummín gloss: (in margin) Cuimmin Foda mac Fiachna do Eoghanacht Locha Lein, epscop Cluana Ferta Brenainn. Aodh a chédainm díles, ocus Druim da liter ainm a bhaile. ‘Cuimmín the Tall, son of Fiachna, of the Eoganacht of Loch Léin, bishop of Cluain Ferta Brénainn: Aodh was his proper first name, and Druim dá liter the name of his stead.’
Day of Year
Nov 12
Calendar
Source code
Mart. Do.
Source title
The Martyrology of Donegal
Editors
Todd, J. H.
Year
1864
Notes
Other author to be specified.
Quote from source
Cuimmin Foda, mac Fiachna, epscop Cluana ferta Brenainn.
Notes
There is further information: Aed was his proper name (as in Mart G); Eoganachta genealogy; his sister, Rim, was also his mother; Mide, the holy virgin, was his nurse; he died in 661. ‘This man was the vessel of wisdom of his time. He was the learned preacher of the word of God.’
Saint in place-names
Names
Place known as | Name (plus degree of certainty that this saint is commemorated here) |
Kirkcolm, eccles, Kirkcolm | Kirkcolm (probable) |
Suidhe Chuimein, Boleskine & Abertarff | Suidhe Chuimein () |