Kevin of Glendalough
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| Saint Kevin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 498 in Ireland |
| Died | 618 |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox |
| Feast | 3 June |
 Saints Portal |
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Saint Kevin of Glendalogh (c. 498 - 618) is a Christian saint who was the Abbot of Glendalough in County Wicklow, Ireland. "Kevin" is the English-language spelling of the Irish name Caoimhín (Coemgen in Old Irish, latinized as Coemgenus).
His legend is particularly untrustworthy, as very little contemporaneous material exists. It maintains that he was descended from a royal line, given the name Coemgen, which means "fair-begotten", was baptized by Cronan, and educated by Petrock during that saint's sojourn in Ireland. He lived in solitude at Disert-Coemgen for seven years, sleeping on a dolmen (now known as "Saint Kevin's Bed") perched on a perilous precipice, that an angel had led him to, and later established a church for his own community at Glendalough. This monastery was to become the parent of several others. Eventually, Glendalough, with its seven churches, became one of the chief pilgrimage destinations in Ireland. His legend says that he lived to the age of 120.
He was known for his disdain of human company, especially that of women; his name was used in Ireland as a term for men with cold relations with women up until the 19th century. An extreme example of his chastity was the instance when he pushed an amorous woman into a patch of nettles.
His preferred company was that of animals. He had a mystical command over the wildlife of the area. An otter caught salmon and brought it to his monks daily, until it ran away after over-hearing a monk talking about killing it to make gloves.
On another occasion, an epileptic was commanded by a dream to go to Glendalough, where his epilepsy would be cured if he ate an apple given to him by Kevin. When he arrived, Kevin told him that no apple trees grew in Glendalough. However, the saint solved this problem by commanding a willow to grow apples.
The best known legend about Saint Kevin and his communion with nature is that of the blackbird. Kevin spent Lent by living in a tree with his arms outstretched in prayer. A blackbird landed in the palm of his hand and laid an egg there. The saint remained patiently in his prayerful position until the egg hatched. Séamus Heaney wrote a poem about Saint Kevin and the Blackbird.
His feast day in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches is 3 June.
