Thursday 23 May 2013

Saint Strofan of Cluan-Mor, May 23

Among the saints commemorated on the Irish calendars for May 23 is a Saint Strofan, possibly associated with the monastery of Clonmore in County Carlow. Canon O'Hanlon supplies the details:

St. Strofan or Straffan, of Cluan-Mor, probably Clonmore, County of Carlow.

The record Strofan Cluana Moir is found, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 23rd of May. The Bollandists reiterate this statement, by entering the present holy man as Stephanus Cluainmorensis. According to Colgan, a saint called Stephen was venerated, at this date, in a place called Cluainmhor, which was situated, he says, within the territory of Ely O'Carroll. Other accounts, however, place his monastery in Lagenia or Leinster. There is a celebrated Clonmore, i.e., "the Great Lawn, or Meadow," in the barony of Rathvilly, and county of Carlow. What he states about this Stephen, Colgan advances, on the testimony of St. Mochemoc's Acts, which we have already recorded, at the 13th day of March. A holy man of this name is found, where Duald Mac Firbis enters, under the head of Cuil Carra, Senach, son of Ecin, with Srafan, and Senchell, and Brodigan —five bishops—and Aitecaem and Bishop Mac Cairthin, and Conlough and Brigid, in Cuil Carra. It is doubtful, however, if the Srafan here named be the same person as the present saint. We read, again, in the Martyrology of Donegal, that Sraffan, of Cluain-mor, was venerated on this day.

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