Celtic and Old English Saints may 3
holy...@wondering.com
* St. Conleth of Kildare
* St. Ethelwin of Lindsey
* St. Philip of Zell
* St. Scannal of Cell-Coleraine
* St. Fumach
St. Conleth of Kildare, Bishop
(also known as Conleat)
--------------------------------------------
Died c. 519; feast day also on May 10. Conleth, an Irish recluse at
Old
Connell (County Kildare) on the Liffey, was a metal- worker and very
skilled as a copyist and illuminator. Saint Brigid, according to her
vita by Cogitosus, came to know him and invited him to make sacred
vessels for her convent and asked him to be the spiritual director of
her nuns at Kildare.
Eventually, he became the first bishop of Kildare, which the Annuario
Pontificio quotes as being founded in 519. Conleth, Tassach of Elphin
(Saint Patrick's craftsman), and Daigh (craftsman of Kieran of
Saigher
were acclaimed the "three chief artisans of Ireland" during their
period. Conleth, who was the head of the Kildare school of metal-work
and penmanship, is traditionally regarded as the sculptor of the
crosier
of Saint Finbar of Termon Barry, which can now be seen in the Royal
Irish Academy. He also created the golden crown that was suspended
over
Brigid's tomb.
A gloss in an Irish martyrology says that he was devoured by wolves
on
his way to Rome--a journey undertaken against the wishes of Brigid.
This
could be an explanation of his name: coin "to wolves" and leth "half"
(Benedictines, Curtayne, D'Arcy, Farmer, Montague, Neeson).