Saint Finbar's Story

The Irish saint Findbarr, or Bairre, was founder of the monastery and city of Cork. He was born about 560, son of a master smith or craftsman who impregnated a royal slave girl. His parents settled with Findbarr in the region of Macroom where the new child was baptized. Although he founded other churches, his greatest accomplishment was the foundation of the monastery at Cork. This monastery attracted many disciples and its school became famous all over southern Ireland.

The year of Findbarr's death has been variously calculated as 610, 623, 630, or 633. His cult in Ireland was based upon his teaching skills (he founded at least one monastic school, which included both female and male students) and his healing abilities. Findbarr died at Cloyne, and his body was taken for burial back to his church in Cork. This is now a magnificent cathedral. Today his island retreat at Gougane Barra is a popular pilgrimage site with a wooden cross marking the original place of Findbarr's hermitage and a small chapel with stained-glass windows telling the stories of other Irish saints. His feast day is September 25.

Finbarr's School for Men and Women, and His Travels

Findbarr lived on Loch Iree, in Edergole to the east of the lake. This was the school he started. Folang was the tutor, and the male students were Colman, Baichine, Nesan, Garban, Talmach, and others. All these offered their churches to God and to Findbarr in perpetuity. With him in Edergole were numerous women, including Findbarr's own sister, who also offered their churches to God and to Findbarr.

Some time later, with an angel guiding him, Findbarr came to his own district and built a church. A cave is located there called Cuas Barral (Findbarr's Cave). Nearby is a beautiful pool in which every night Findbarr caught a salmon in his net. The angel said to him, however, "This will not be your place of resurrection." So Findbarr crossed the river to Cell na Clualne (Gougane Barra) where he built a church and remained for some time. Two pupils of Ruadan, Cormac and Buichin, came to him there. They had asked Ruadan where they should go, and Ruadan had said to them, "Go with my blessing, and the place where your bell rings and the strap of your book-wallet breaks, that will be your place of resurrection." When they came to Findbarr at Cell na Cluaine, all those things happened to them as Ruadan had predicted. They were depressed, however, thinking that the church would not be given to them, but Findbarr assured them," Do not be sad or depressed. I give this church and all its treasures to you and to God." Findbarr built twelve churches before he came to Cork, and he gave them all up out of humility and the greatness of his charity.

His Pilgrimage to Rome and Consecration as Bishop

Findbarr, together with Eolang, Maedoc of Ferns, and David of Cell Muine, accompanied by twelve other monks, went to Rome to receive episcopal orders. Gregory was successor of St. Peter at that time. When Gregory raised his hand over Findbarr's head to consecrate him, a flame suddenly came down from heaven and hit his hand. Gregory said to Findbarr, "Go home, and the Lord himself will read the episcopal orders over you." And that is how it happened.

When Findbarr arrived at his own church, the Lord himself read the order over him at the cross in front of the church where his remains were later buried. Oil flowed abundantly out of the earth there, so that it rose up over his sandals and over the sandals of the elders who were with him. That oil healed every ailment to which it was later applied. Then Findbarr and his elders blessed the church and the cemetery, praying that there would he an abundance of wisdom in Cork forever.

Findbarr's Search for a Soul Friend

After the death of Bishop MacCuirb, Findbarr was much concerned at being without a soul friend. So he went to visit Eolang, and God revealed to Eolang that Findbarr was coming to see him. Soon Findbarr arrived, and Eolang's guestmaster met him, welcomed him, and said, "Eolang is aware of your arrival. Please let me take your clothes, so that you and your attendants can bathe yourselves." Findbarr replied, "We would first like to see Eolang." The guestmaster went to confer with his master. Eolang said: "Let Findbarr bathe first, and we will converse later. Let him go to his monastery tomorrow, and I will come to him at the end of the week."

Eolang came to Cork as he had promised at the end of the week. He immediately knelt before Findbarr and said the follow-ing: "I offer to you my church, my body, and my soul." Findbarr wept openly and said, "This was not my thought, but that it would be I who would offer my church to you." Eolang said, "Let it be as I have said, for this is the will of God. You are dear to God, and you are greater than myself. One thing only I ask, that our resurrection will be in the same place." Findbarr replied, "Your wish will be fulfilled, but I am still troubled about the soul friendship." Eolang told him, "You shall receive today a soul friend worthy of yourself." This was done as he said, for Eolang in the presence of the angels and archangels placed Findbarr's hand in the hand of the Lord himself and said, "O Lord, take this just man to yourself." Then the Lord took the hand of Findbarr and began leading him to heaven. But Eolang cried out, "O Lord, do not take Findbarr from me now, but wait until the time of his death when the soul leaves the body." The Lord then released Findbarr's hand, and from that day no one could look upon his hand because of its radiance. Because of this he wore a glove on his hand continuously.

Findbarr's Death

The day of Findbarr's death-was prolonged for the elders. God did not allow the sun to go beneath the earth for twelve days afterward. That was as long as the synod of the churches of Desmond were busy preparing the body of their master with hymns and psalms, with Masses and recitation of the hours. Then the angels of heaven came to meet his soul and carried it with them with honor and reverence to heaven where he shines like the sun in the company of the patriarchs and prophets, in the company of the apostles and disciples of Jesus, in the company of the nine heavenly orders of angels who sinned not, in the company of the divinity and the humanity of the Son of God, in the company that is higher than any company, the company of the Holy Trinity Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

ISBN# 087793-492-4 $12.95 Wisdom Of The Celtic Saints Ave Maria Press PO Box 428 Notre Dame, IN 46556 phone:1-800-282-1865 fax: 1-800-282-5681 avemariapress.1@nd.edu. Excerpts reprinted with permission.

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