Saint Gobnait (fl. 6th century?), also known as Gobnat or Mo Gobnat, is the name of a local female Irish saint whose church was Móin Mór, now Bairnech, in the village of Baile Bhuirne (Ballyvourney), County Cork in Ireland.[1] She was associated with the Múscraige and her church and nunnery lay on the borders between the Múscraige Mittine and Eóganacht Locha Léin.[1]
| "Mo Gobnat from Muscraige Mitaine, i.e. a sharp-beaked nun, |
| Ernaide is the name of the place in which she is. |
| Or Gobnat of Bairnech in Món Mór in the south of Ireland, |
| and of the race of Conaire she is; a virgin of Conaire's race" |
| –Note to the Félire Óengusso, tr. Whitley Stokes, p. 73 |
No hagiographical Life is known to have described her life and miracles, but she appears in the Life of her senior companion St Abbán moccu Corbmaic,[1] written in the early 13th century but known only through later recensions. Saint Finbarr's Life implies that Gobnait's church belonged to Finbarr's foundation at Cork by alleging that it was not founded by her, but by one of his disciples.[1] In spite of this, Gobnait's cult continued to thrive here and the ruins of a medieval church dedicated to her are still visible today.[1]
The Félire Óengusso and the Martyrology of Donegal give her feast-day on 11 February.[1] In 1601 Pope Clement VIII granted a special indulgence to those who, on Gobnait's day, visited the parish church, went to Confession and Communion and who prayed for peace among 'Christian princes', expulsion of heresy and the exaltation of the church.[2]
The saint is still locally venerated today.[1] She is depicted on a stained glass window at Honan Chapel in Cork, which was made by artist Harry Clarke in 1916.[3]
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