Finnian of Movilla

Finnian of Movilla
Born	c. 495 possibly Ulster
Died	c. 589
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church Church of Ireland Anglican Communion
Major shrine	Movilla Abbey
Feast	10 September
Patronage	Ulster

Finnian of Moville (c. 495–589) was an Irish Christian missionary. His feast day is September 10.

Finnian (sometimes called Finbarr "the white head", a reference to his fair hair), was a Christian missionary in medieval Ireland. He should not be confused with his namesake Finnian of Clonard. Nor should Movilla (Maigh Bhile) in County Down be mistaken for Moville in County Donegal.

Traditional scholarship has it that he was a descendant of Fiatach the Fair and born in Ulster, but his lineage has been questioned lately by the American Celticist Thomas Owen Clancy. He apparently studied under Colman of Dromore and Mochae of Noendrum, and subsequently at Candida Casa (Whithorn), after which he proceeded to Rome, returning to Ireland in 540 with a copy of St. Jerome's Vulgate. He returned to found a school of his own and, at a time when books were rare, this text brought honor and prestige to the establishment.

Finnian settled his new school at the head of Strangford Lough, at Maigh Bhile (Movilla)—the plain of the ancient tree, a sacred place, venerated in pagan times. He founded a famous school of Druim Fionn at about this time. Legend has it that he tried to convert Tuan mac Cairill, a mythical figure who was the last survivor of the Partholonian race, and that while doing so had the famous Scéal Tuáin maic Cairell recounted to him. This is a text about takings of Ireland, a source for the famous Lebor Gabála Érenn.

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