| Saint Dallan Forgail | |
|---|---|
Saint Dallan Forghaill |
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| Born | c. 530 Magh Slécht, County Cavan, Ireland |
| Died | 598 monastery of Inniskeel, Donegal |
| Honored in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Feast | 29 January |
Saint Dallán Forgaill (c.530–598)—also Dallán Forchella; Dallán of Cluain Dalláin; born Eochaid Forchella—was an early Christian Irish poet best known as the writer of the Amra Choluim Chille ("Eulogy of Saint Columba") and the early Irish poem Rop tú mo baile, the basis of the modern English hymn Be Thou My Vision.
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Dallán Forgaill's given name was Eochaid, and his mother was called Forchella. He was the son of Colla, son of Erc, a descendant of the legendary High King Colla Uais.[1] His nickname, Dallán ("little blind one"), was earned after he lost his sight,[2], reputedly as a result of studying intensively.
He was born in Maigen (now Ballyconnell), the eastern edge of the territory of the Masraige of Magh Slécht in modern County Cavan. He was not a member of the Masraige but belonged to a branch of the Airgíalla called the Fir Lurg who were in the process of spreading southwards into Fermanagh and Cavan (the barony of Lurg in County Fermanagh was named after them).[3] His first cousin was St Mogue and his fourth cousin was Saint Tigernach of Clones.
He died in 598 when pirates broke into the island monastery of Inniskeel, County Donegal, where he is buried. He was reportedly beheaded, and it is also said that God reattached his head to his body after he was martyred.[4] He was acclaimed a saint in the early 11th century, during the reign of the High King Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill[3] A medieval poem entitled "On the breaking up of a School" composed by Tadhg Og O Huiginn, c.1400, refers to the death of Dallán which caused his school to break-up and the students disperse as they would accept no other master.[5] In a list of ancient Irish authors contained in the Book of Ballymote, Dallán is called “grandson of testimony”.[6]
Dallán Forgaill was a poet, Chief Ollam of Ireland, as well as a scholar of Latin scriptural learning.[3][7] He helped to reform the Bardic Order at the Convention of Drumceat.[8]
He is best known for eulogies attributed to him on the subject of contemporaneous Irish saints, namely the Amra Choluim Chille on Saint Columba, Amra Senain on Saint Senan, and Amra Connaill on Saint Connall. These poems, rarely translated, were written in such obscure language that subsequent scribes included copious glosses on the poems. The best example of this is the Amra Choluim Chille wherein the glosses contain poems in themselves, some of which deal with the Fenian Cycle. He is said to have written the Amra Choluim Chille, which he completed shortly after the death of Saint Columba in 597, because Columba had successfully saved the poets from expulsion from Ireland at the assembly of Druim Cett in 575.[9]
The early Irish poem Rop tú mo baile, the basis of the modern English hymn Be Thou My Vision, is also sometimes attributed to him.
| Preceded by Dubhthach moccu Lughair |
Chief Ollam of Ireland ?-598 |
Succeeded by Senchán Torpéist |