Summary: St Fionán, abbot, the (‘the ‘skin diseased one’)
Fionán was an abbot at Swords. His Irish name means “the fair-headed one” and there were a number of Fionáns remembered as saints. One Fionán was St Aidan’s successor at Lindisfarne; there was ‘Fionán Cam’ from Kerry, ‘Cam’ meaning that he had a squint, and Fionán, Lobhar’s name suggests he may have had a skin disease similar to leprosy.
Patrick Duffy explains about St Fionán Lobhar.
Fionnan Lobhar- Fortchern
Lobhar (Irish)
Lobhar is an Irish word meaning a leper or someone suffering from a chronic skin disease. Fionán Lobhar (sometimes written “Finan Lobur”) is reputed to have been of Munster descent, but born at Bregia in Leinster. It is unlikely that leprosy had reached Ireland at this time, but he may or may not have had a similar skin disease.
Fionán’s monasteries
Many and various stories are associated with Fionán Lobhar – that Colmcille made him abbot of his monastery at Swords, that he went to Clonmore Abbey in Co Carlow, where he was buried. Other monasteries attributed to him are Ardfinnan (Irish Árd Fionáin – see image) in Co Tipperary and Innisfallen, an island in the lake at Killarney, Co Kerry. And it is also possible that some of the Fionáns got mixed up.
Devotion
Fionán Lobhar must have been an outstanding abbot as there was a strong devotion to him right through the Middle Ages.
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Memorable Quote for Today
God calls us to a holy life –
not because of anything we have done
but because of his own purposes and grace
~ 2nd Timothy 1:10 ~
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