Kevin of Glendalough
| Saint Kevin of Glendalough | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 498 Ireland |
| Died | 3 June 618 |
| Venerated in |
Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Anglican Communion |
| Canonized | 1903 (cultus confirmed) |
| Feast | 3 June |
| Attributes | blackbird |
| Patronage | blackbirds, Archdiocese of Dublin, Glendalough, Kilnamanagh |
Saint Cóemgen (Irish: Caoimhín; Latin: Coemgenus), popularly Anglicized to Kevin (498 – 3 June 618) is an Irish saint who was known as the founder and first abbot of Glendalough in County Wicklow, Ireland. His feast day in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches is 3 June.
His life is not well documented, as no contemporaneous material survives. His Latin vita (life) maintains that as with St. Columba, Kevin's family were of the nobility — he was the son of Coemlog and Coemell of Leinster. He was born in 498 at the Fort of the White Fountain. He was given the Irish name Coemgen, which means "fair-begotten", and was baptized by Cronan of Roscrea.
The Acta Sanctorum, which is based on an ancient manuscript, contains a number of legends. The author of a commentary on this manuscript, Fr. Francis Baert, S.J., explains "that although many of the legends given to this work are of doubtful veracity; it was decided to let them stand in favour of the antiquity of the document which is placed as having been written during or before the 12th century". St Kevin’s birth and early years figure prominently in traditional legends. In his infancy a mysterious white cow is said to have come to his parents' house every morning and evening and supplied the milk for the baby. From the age of seven, he was educated by Saint Petroc of Cornwall, who had come to Leinster about 492, and lived with the monks until he was 12.
Glendalough, or the Glen of two Lakes, is one of the most important sites of monastic ruins in Ireland. Before the arrival of St. Kevin this glen would have been desolate and remote, and would have been ideal for a secluded retreat.
Kevin was ordained by Bishop Lugidus and, following his ordination, he moved on to Glendalough in order to avoid the company of his followers. He lived as a hermit in a cave, a Bronze Age tomb now known as St. Kevin's Bed, to which he was reportedly led by an angel.
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