Background
Traditional scholarship has it that he was a descendant of Fiatach the Fair and born in Ulster, but his lineage has been questioned lately by the American Celticist Thomas Owen Clancy.
Traditional scholarship has it that he was a descendant of Fiatach the Fair and born in Ulster, but his lineage has been questioned lately by the American Celticist Thomas Owen Clancy.
He apparently studied under Colman of Dromore and Mochae of Noendrum, and subsequently at Candida Casa (Whithorn), after which he proceeded to Rome, returning to Ireland in 540 with a copy of Saint Jerome"s Vulgate.
His feast day is September 10. Finnian (sometimes called Finbarr "the white head", a reference to his fair hair), was a Christian missionary in medieval Ireland. He should not be confused with his namesake Finnian of Clonard.
Nor should Movilla (Maigh Bhile) in County Down be mistaken for Moville in County Donegal.
He returned to found a school of his own and, at a time when books were rare, this text brought honor and prestige to the establishment. He founded a famous school of Druim Fionn at about this time.
Legend has it that he tried to convert Tuan mac Cairill, a mythical figure who was the last survivor of the Partholonian race, and that while doing so had the famous Scéal Tuáin maic Cairell recounted to him. This is a text about takings of Ireland, a source for the famous Lebor Gabála Érenn.
Finnian"s most distinguished pupil at Movilla was Tradition has it that "s surreptitious copying of a psalter led eventually to his exile on Iona.
What remains of the copy is housed in the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin. The casket that contained it is now in the National Museum of Ireland. lieutenant is known as the Cathach of Saint, Cathach, or Battler, and was customarily carried by the O"Donnells in battle.
The inner case was made by Cathbar O"Donnell in 1084, but the outer is fourteenth century work.
Adomnan of Iona claimed that served as a deacon under Finnian, whom Adomnan claimed to be a bishop. Adomnan, in his biography of, recorded a story that claimed performed the miracle of turning water into wine.
Finnian was performing mass on one occasion, but they had run out of wine. then proceeded to a well and drew water. He called on Christ"s name and blessed the water he drew from the well, whereupon the water transformed into wine and he brought the wine to the Massachusetts
This was the first miracle that did in his life, according to Adomnan.
Finnian wrote a rule for his monks, also a penitential code.