Dallan Forgaill
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| Saint Dallan Forgail | |
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 Saint Dallan Forghaill |
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| Born | c. 530, Magh Slécht, County Cavan, Ireland |
| Died | 598, monastery of Inniskeel, Donegal |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Feast | January 29 |
 Saints Portal |
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Saint Dallan Forgaill (Dallan Forchella; Dallan Forgaill; Dallan of Cluain Dallain; Eochaidh) was a Christian Irish Poet. Dallan was born around 530 AD in Magh Slécht, County Cavan, Ireland, and studied so intensively that he literally became blind from writing poetry and studying. He was a first cousin of Saint St. Mogue. Dallan was martyred in 598, when pirates broke into the island monastery of Inniskeel, Donegal, where he is buried, and was beheaded. It is also said that God reattached his head to his body after being martyred.
Dallan was widely known as the chief poet of Ireland. He reformed the Bardic Order, thus helping preserve the Gaelic language and literature. He is best known for eulogies attributed to him, on the subject of contemporaneous Irish saints, namely the Amra Choluim Chille on St. Columba, 'Amra Senain' on St. Senan, and "Amra Connaill' for St. Connall. The poems, rarely translated, were of such obscure language that subsequent scribes included copious glosses on the poems. The best example is the "Amra Choluim Chille", wherein the glosses contain poems in themselves, some of which deal with the Fenian Cycle.
He is thought by some to be the writer of 'Be Thou My Vision', which has been put to music by many, including Jars of Clay.
[edit] External Links
- Amra Choluim Chille--Lebor Na hUidre version; Liber Hymnorum version and translation
- Rop tú mo baile and translation 'Be Thou My Vision'
- Blind Saint Dallan, Celtic Christian Heritage, search for "dallan forgaill"
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