Finnian of Movilla | |
|---|---|
 Finnian depicted instained glass,Kildare Cathedral | |
| Born | c. 495 possiblyUlster |
| Died | c. 589 |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church Church of Ireland Anglican Communion |
| Majorshrine | Movilla Abbey |
| Feast | 10 September |
| Patronage | Ulster[1] |
Finnian[a] ofMovilla (c. 495–589) was anIrishChristianmissionary. His feast day is 10 September.
Finnian (sometimes called Finbarr "the white head", a reference to his fair hair),[3] was a Christianmissionary in medieval Ireland. He should not be confused with his namesakeFinnian of Clonard, nor should Movilla (Maigh Bhile) inCounty Down be mistaken for Moville inCounty Donegal.
Traditional scholarship has it that he was a descendant of Fiatach the Fair and born inUlster, but his lineage has been questioned lately by the American CelticistThomas Owen Clancy. He apparently studied underColman of Dromore andMochaoi ofNendrum, and subsequently atCandida Casa (Whithorn), after which he proceeded to Rome to complete his studies. Legend has it that whilst at Candida Casa, he played a prank (nature unknown) on Princess Drustice, the daughter of a Pictish king, who was in the ladies' section of the monastery, and perhaps had he not been so well connected, his clerical career could have been in ruins.[4] However, after spending seven years in Rome, he was ordained a priest, and returned to Ireland with a copy ofSt. Jerome'sVulgate.[5] He returned to found a monastery of his own and, at a time when books were rare, this text brought honour and prestige to the establishment.[3]
Finnian founded his new monastery (Movilla Abbey) in 540, at Maigh Bhile (Movilla)—the plain of the ancient tree, a sacred place, venerated in pagan times,[3] about a mile from the northern shore ofStrangford Lough (the 15th Century ruins of Movilla Abbey can still be seen inNewtownards). He founded a famous school of Druim Fionn at about this time. Legend has it that he tried to convertTuan mac Cairill, a mythical figure who was the last survivor of thePartholonian race, and that while doing so had the famousScéal Tuáin maic Cairell recounted to him. This is a text about takings of Ireland, a source for the famousLebor Gabála Érenn.
Finnian was sponsored in building and maintaining his monastery by the king of theDál Fiatach. It became a monastic community of great significance in Ulster and Ireland as a centre ofCeltic Christian worship, learning, mission, and also commerce. Finnian's association with Movilla was memorialised in theBook of Armagh as "vir vitae venerabilis qui jacet in miraculis multis in sua civitate Maghbile" (A man of venerable life who reposes in many miracles in his city of Movilla). At the time of Finnian's death in 579, Movilla was already recognised as a great monastic foundation.[6] The Abbey survived as a place of Christian witness for over a thousand years, until theDissolution of the Monasteries in 1542.
Finnian's most distinguished pupil at Movilla wasColumba. Tradition has it that Columba's surreptitious copying of apsalter led eventually to his exile onIona. What remains of the copy is housed in theRoyal Irish Academy in Dublin.[7] The casket that contained it is now in theNational Museum of Ireland. It is known as theCathach of St. Columba, Cathach, or Battler, and was customarily carried by the O'Donnells in battle. The inner case was made byCathbar O'Donnell in 1084, but the outer is fourteenth century work.[5]
Adomnán of Iona claimed that Columba served as a deacon under Finnian, whom Adomnán claimed to be a bishop. Adomnán, in his biography of Columba, recorded a story that claimed Columba performed the miracle of turning water into wine. Finnian was performing mass on one occasion, but they had run out of wine. Columba then proceeded to a well and drew water. He called on Christ's name and blessed the water he drew from the well, whereupon the water transformed into wine and he brought the wine to the mass. This was the first miracle that Columba did in his life, according to Adomnán.[8]
Finnian wrote a rule for his monks, also a penitential code.[5]
