Sillan

For the town in Austria, see Sillian. For the Koreanic language, see Sillan language.

Saint Sillan
Mosaic at Bangor harbour depicting St Comgall and other monks, one likely being Sillan
Bornc.6th century
Unknown
Died608 or 610
Venerated inRoman Catholic Church,
Anglican Church
Orthodox Church
Feast28 February or 28 March

Saint Sillan (or Sillian) (Latin: Selanus; Irish: Síoláin) (died 608 or 610) was early Irish saint and abbot of Bangor Abbey, Bangor, County Down. He was recorded as being a disciple and second or third successor of Saint Comgall, who was the founder and first abbot of the Benedictine monastery at Bangor.[1][2][3] The village of Kilsheelan, County Tipperary is named after him.[4] His Irish name is Sioláin which can translate to either "seed-basket"[5][6] or "cullender/sieve".[7]

He is recorded in both the Annals of Tigernach and Annals of Ulster as abbot Bennchor (Bangor), in the former as Sillán moccu Cumaine, dying in 608 and the latter as Sillán moccu Minn, dying in 610.[8][9] Moccu being the equivalent of the Latin gens, indicating an uncertain ancestry.[10]

Variations of his name include Siollan, Silvan, Sylvan, Sillian and Sillán, amongst others.[1][11]

References

  1. ^ a b Ramsgate Abbey, The Benedictine Monks of (1921). "Sillan" (ebook). The Book of Saints: A dictionary of servants of God canonized by the Catholic Church. London: A & C Black. p. 244. Retrieved 11 December 2017. SILLAN (SILVAN, SYLVAN) (St.) Abbot. (Feb. 28) (7th cent.) He was the third successor of St. Comgall in the monastery of Bangor, and bore great reputation for sanctity. A.D. 606 and A.D. 610 are the years assigned by the various writers for his departure from this world.
  2. ^ Mooney, Ambrose (16 March 2024). "Celtic and Old English Saints - 28 February". celticsaints.org. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  3. ^ Sloan, Martin (29 October 1997). "Bangor Abbey from Foundation to Norman Invasion". Aspects of Ulster. Archived from the original on 15 February 2003. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Kilsheelan Tidy Towns - Garden of Renewal" (PDF). Green and Blue Futures. Kilsheelan. p. 2. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  5. ^ Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977). "S". Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla (in Irish) (1992 ed.). Baile Átha Cliath (Dublin): An Gúm. ISBN 1857910370. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  6. ^ "Bishop cuts ribbon on new centre". Enniscorthy Guardian (Independent.ie). Enniscorthy. 10 May 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2017. Fr. Howell explained that the name An Síolán' meant seed basket, or seed bag, the bag used for scattering seed.
  7. ^ O'Reilly, Edward (1821). "S". An Irish-English Dictionary ...: To which is Annexed, a Compendious Irish Grammar (1821 ed.). Princeton University: self. p. 490. ISBN 9781179872278. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  8. ^ Ó Luinín, Ruaidhrí; et al. (1540). Annals of Ulster. Lough Erne: Annals of Ulster. p. 107. Retrieved 11 December 2017. Death of Sillán moccu Minn, abbot of Bennchor, and the death of Aedán, anchorite of Bennchor, and the death of Mael Umai son of Baetán.
  9. ^ Ua Braín, Tigernach; et al. (1400s). Annals of Tigernach (in English and Middle Irish). Clonmacnoise: Annals of Tigernach. p. 170. Retrieved 11 December 2017. Death of Sillán son of Cumaine, abbot Bennchor, and death of Aedán the anchorite.
  10. ^ Charles-Edwards, Thomas (2000). "I Communities". Early Christian Ireland (1st ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 96. ISBN 9780521363952. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Saint Sillan, Abbot of Bangor, February 28". Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2017.