Mogue

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Saint Mogue (555 – January 31, 632) is patron saint of the parish of Templeport in County Cavan, Ireland. The name Mogue is from the Irish Mo Aedh Og (my young Aedh), but in some places Mogue is called Aidan, or in Wexford Edan.

[edit] History

Mogue was born in 555 on the fortress island of Inis Breachmhaigh now called Inch or St. Mogue’s Island in Templeport Lake, near Bawnboy. His father Setna was a tribal chieftain and his mother was Eithne. There was no boat to take the infant to the mainland to be baptised so he was miraculously floated across the lake on a slab of stone where Saint Kilian was waiting to perform the baptism. The holy water font in St. Mogue’s Church, Bawnboy is said to be made from part of that stone.

As a boy Mogue was given by his father to the High King of Ireland as a hostage and King Ainmire soon predicted that Mogue would become a leader of the church. He was sent to the monastic school of Saint Finnian at Clonard where he formed a life-long friendship with Molaise who later founded the monastery at Devenish Island on the River Erne.

Mogue built a number of monasteries, the first on the island of Inis Breachmhaigh where he was born. The ruins of an 18th century church remain on the island, a church where mass was furtively celebrated during the Penal days. The ruins are surrounded by a burial ground now officially closed except for a few families whose ancestors are buried there. Twenty-five graves are marked with headstones. The clay or mortar from inside the ruins of the church is said to be a protection against fire or drowning and is kept by many local people in their homes.

Mogue also founded monasteries at Drumlane, near Milltown in County Cavan, at Ferns in County Wexford, across the Irish Sea in Wales where he was under the monastic rule of Saint David, at Disert-Nairbre in Waterford and finally in Rossinver in County Leitrim where, on Lough Melvin’s shore, he died on January 31, 632. He was buried there in the church that he had established.

[edit] Commemoration

Saint Mogue’s feast day is January 31 and is celebrated in Bawnboy with prayerful visits to his church and to the island where he was born. Mogue is no longer used as a Christian name but the name Aidan is popular for boys in the West Cavan area.