RAHAN MONASTIC SITE - Offaly County Council

2.0 UNDERSTANDING THE PLACE2.0 UNDERSTANDING THE PLACE2.1 Historical DevelopmentEarly HistoryAccording to the hagiographer Tirechán, writing around 688-693, Camelacus was appointed by Patrick to establisha monastery at Rahan in the fifth century. In this account we are told that — he sent Camelacus of the Comiensesto Mag Cumi and with his finger pointed out to him the place from the hill of Granard, that is the church of Raithen. 6Tirechán clearly considered Camelacus to be the major saint associated with Rahan, and it was not until the latermedieval period that his reputation as the founding father of Rahan was replaced by St Mochuda, also known asSt Carthage. 7In the time of St Carthage, this region was known as Cenél Fíachach, a territory later ruled by the O’Molloys and theMageoghegans. 8 After the foundation of the early Christian monasteries within this region, the territory becameknown as Fir Chell, which translated means Men of the Churches. At this time, Rahan was located on an importanttribal boundary between the kingdoms of Delbna Ethra (Mac Coghlan country) and Fir Chell (O’Molloy country).The boundary between these two territories is uncertain and may have shifted several times in the early medievalperiod during the early years of the monastic life at Rahan. According to the Félire Oengusso Céli Dé (Martyrologyof Oengus the Culdee), written in the ninth century, the monastery of Rahan was located in Delbna Ethra and notFir Chell. 9 This is supported by a fifteenth century manuscript known as the Leabhar Breac or (Speckled Book),although the Calendar of Papal Letters of a similar date places Rahan firmly in the territory of Fir Chell.The majority of references in the Irish Annals also links the monastery with the O’Molloys, who were the rulers ofthe portion of Cenél Fiachach that later became known as Fir Chell. On a national scale, the monastery of Rahanwas located in Kingdom of Meath, near the ancient provincial boundary between Munster and Meath. Carthageis the English spelling for the Irish name Carthach, and in the annals this saint is often referred to as Mochuda.As a result the monastery and churches are known variously as the church of St Carthage or St Carthach, and themonastery of Mochuda.Figure 15. 16th century map of East Offaly showing the ancient territory of Fir Chell [Ferical] ruled by the O’Molloy Clan(British Library, Cotton MS Augustus, I, ii, 40)26