St. Finbarr a Bishop of Ireland who was Buried in the Cathedral he Built in Cork - Saint of September 25
BISHOP - Born: 550 AD, near Bandon, Ireland
Died: 620 AD, Cloyne, County Cork, IrelandPatron Saint of: Cork
Bishop and patron of Cork, born near Bandon, about 550, died at Cloyne, 25 September, 623, was son of Amergin. He was renamed "Fionnbharra" (Fairhead in Irish due to his light hair), reportedly when, on being tonsured, the presiding cleric remarked: "Is fionn barr (find barr, in the Irish of the time) Lócháin", meaning, "Fair is the crest of Loan"), and he then became known as "Findbarr" ("Fionnbarra" in modern Irish).
He went on pilgrimage to Rome with some of the monks, visiting St David in Wales on the way back. He is reputed to have built small churches in various other places, including one in Ballineadig, County Cork, called Cell na Cluaine, anglicised as Cellnaclona and sometimes referred to as Cloyne, causing it to be confused with Cloyne (Cluain Uamha) in east Cork. The church and monastery he founded in 606 were on a limestone cliff above the River Lee, an area now known as Gill Abbey, after a 12th-century Bishop of Cork, Giolla Aedha Ó Muidhin.
He evangelized Gowran, Coolcashin, and Aghaboe, and founded a school at Eirce. For some years he dwelt in a hermitage at Gougane Barra, where a beautiful replica of Cormac's chapel has recently been erected in his honour. Finbarr was buried in the cathedral he built where Cork city now stands. He was specially honoured also at Dornoch and Barra, in Scotland. Legend says the sun did not set for 2 weeks after his death. Many miracles are attributed to his intercession. There are five Irish saints of this name. (Wikipedia)
Comments