Saint Finan Cam | |
|---|---|
 House of Finan Cam on Church Island,Lough Currane, County Kerry byGeorge Victor Du Noyer (1817–1869) | |
| Born | Early 6th century Munster, Ireland |
| Residence | Church Island,Lough Currane |
| Feast | 7 April |
Finan Cam (or Fionan, Finian), Abbot of Kinnity was an early Irish saint associated withCounty Kerry, Ireland, who lived in the 6th century AD, and possibly the 7th century.[a]To distinguish him from other saints of the same name the appellation ofCam or "crooked" has been given to him, either because he was stooped or because he had a squint.[4] His feast day is 7 April.[1]
According toO'Hanlon (1875), Finan was descended from the family ofConaire Cóem, King of Ireland; and his father was Kennedy, son to Maenag, son of Ardeus, son to Fidai, son of Corcain, son to Nicadin, son of Irchuinnius, son to Cormac Finn, son of Corcodubnius, son to Cairbre Musc, son of King Conaire. Thus, he descended from theCorcu Duibne, i.e. of the race of Cairbre Musc, son to Conaire, who belonged to the posterity ofÉrimón. The O'Clerys state that Becnat, daughter of Cian, was his mother.[5] TheLife of St. Brendan describes Finan's father, Mac Airde, as a man of considerable wealth who gave thirty cows to SaintBrendan shortly after the saint was born.It is likely that Brendan and Finan were blood relatives.[6]
Finan was a native of Corcodhuibhne, most probably the barony ofCorkaguiny inCounty Kerry, the O'Falvy's ancient territory.[7] This is a wild promontory stretching into the Atlantic.[6] As a child he was said to be able to cure his playmates of illness, and had the gift of prophesy.[7] Brendan was Finan's first tutor, and Finan spent seven years with Brendan, who taught him to read and to understand monastic discipline.This probably took place early in the 6th century while Brendan was still living in his native Kerry.[6][b]
Brendan decided it was wasteful for both himself and Finan to stay in the same place, and Finan agreed to move to a place name Kenetich, later calledKinnitty, in County Offaly, Leinster, where he founded his monastery, perhaps as early as 557, or perhaps much later.[7][c]The monastery was on the confines ofÉile and of Fearaceall.The parish church of Kinnitty is thought to occupy the site of Finan's old monastery.[4]
Finan seems to have only stayed at Kinnity for a short time before returning to Kerry, where almost all the events recorded in his life took place.[6] For some time Finan lived at or near theLakes of Killarney.One biography has him living atLough Leane, nearAghadoe.[8]The ruins ofAgahdoe church were old even at the time when theAnnals of Inisfallen were written.[9]Many miracles are attributed to the saint.[10]Finan was a contemporary of Saint Mochelloc, who died about 655, when both men were old.Finan therefore probably died in the first half of the 7th century.[11]
John Healy (1890) disputed the common belief that the church and abbey onInnisfallen island in Lough Leane was founded byFinian Lobhar (Finan the Leper), which he considered improbable.[12]It seemed to him much more likely that the Inisfaithlen mentioned in the biographies of Finan the Leper was the island off the coast ofCounty Dublin that is now called by the Danish name ofIreland's Eye.[6]Finan Cam, on the other hand, was born in Kerry of an old family of Kerry, and spent most of his life in the west of Kerry, where many places bear his name.[6]
Around 1750 the remains of Finan's church and cell could be seen on the largest of three small islands inLough Currane.The local people celebrated the saint's festival on 16 March, the date generally assigned to Finan the Leper, but this is probably due to a confusion of names, because there is no record of Finan the Leper ever going as far to the southwest as Lough Currane.[13]To the south of Lough Currane,Derrynane is derived fromDiare Fionain, meaning the oak grove of Finan.However, the old abbey on the sea shore is of medieval origin.[13]
St. Finian's Bay, an exposed stretch of the Atlantic shore north ofBolus Head, is also named after the saint.Finan may well have been the first founder of the oratory onSkellig Michael, directly opposite St. Finian's Bay.In theViking Age, when the Danes were raiding Ireland the monastery was moved to the mainland, and as of 1890 its dilapidated walls could still be seen in the sheltered corner at the head of St. Finian's Bay.[13]
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