Clonfert Abbey

The following is taken from Fr. Thomas Walsh's History of the Irish Hierarchy at p. 452-3:

AD 570 died Moena who was intended as the successor of Brendan

AD 590 Fintan Corach was abbot and bishop

AD 744 Clonfert was destroyed by fire

AD 801 died the abbot Murdoch

AD 839 the Danes burned the abbey and slew the abbot

AD 845 Turgesius the Danish tyrant was guilty of the most horrid depredations He burned the churches and the dwellings of the religious Turgesius was afterwards seized by some native nobles who dressed themselves in female attire and who drowned him in Lough Ree

AD 867 died Cormac the Wise the economist and writer of Clonfert

AD 945 Ceallachan king of Cashell and Donough his son presented to this abbey the spoils they had taken from the Danes

AD 1170 died Cormac Hua Lomluin the divinity lecturer of this abbey and the most learned Irishman of his time

AD 1201 the abbey and town were pillaged by William de Burgo who again in 1204 plundered it

Henry O Gormocain was the abbot at the time of the general suppression he never surrendered but kept possession of the temporalities until his death though the king united them to the bishopric Immediately on the decease of Henry William O Gormacam supported by the O Maddens procured the abbey from the Pope and retained possession thereof till the year 1567 in which the temporals were divided between the bishop and abbot This abbey paid the bishop 20s procurations for the rectory of Clonfert

St. Moena of Clonfert

The following is taken from Fr. Thomas Walsh's History of the Irish Hierarchy at p. 308:

[The See of Clonfert] was founded about the year 550. Some are of opinion that Saint Brendan was the first bishop because Saint Moena is called his successor in the calendar of Cashel but St. Brendan's establishment having become so extensive that a bishop was necessary to ordain missionaries and assist the founder, St. Brendan, in its government, Saint Moena, it seems, was the person who was chosen by Brendan on this occasion and who afterwards founded the see of Clonfert. In its cathedral were seven altars. There is much confusion in the accounts relative to St. Moena it is probable that he was a native of Britanny and came to Ireland with St. Brendan on his return from that country. Moena's death is noted on the 1st of March A.D. 571.