Friday 6 June 2014

Saint Maelaithghen of Tech Maeilaithghin, June 6

Canon O'Hanlon brings details of another early, obscure saint at June 6 and notes that Saint Maelaithghen is recorded not only in the earliest of the Irish calendars, but also in the Scottish Kalendar of Drummond. A later note in the Martyrology of Oengus provides a location for our saint and so I have transferred a translation of this from O'Hanlon's footnotes into the main text:

St. Maelaithghen of Tech Maeilaithghin, Probably in Cairpre Ua-Ciardha, now Barony of Carbury, and County of Kildare, or in Meath.

The Martyrology of Tallagh merely registers the name Maelathgean, at the 6th of June. That Moelaithgen lived at an early period is proved, from the fact of his feast having been inserted in the Feilire of St. Aengus, at this date. The commentator has a note, to identify his locality. [The Irish note is thus translated, by Whitley Stokes, LL.D: "i.e. of Tech Moelaithgin in Cairpre Hua-Ciardai. Or in Mag Locha in the west of Bregia".] According to the Martyrology of Donegal, on this day was venerated Maelaithghen, said to have been of Tigh Maelaithghen, in Cairbre-Ua-Ciardha, or in Maghlacha, in the west of Bregia. This territory extended from the River Liffey to the River Boyne, and it took in a great part of the present county of Meath. The place of this saint must be sought for, within the ancient territory of Cairbre-Ui-Chiardha. This now forms the barony of Carbury, in the north-western part of the present county of Kildare. In Scotland, this Natalis of the Holy Confessor Maelaithchen was commemorated, on the 6th of June, as noticed in the Kalendar of Drummond.

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