Saint Ruadhán of Lorrha

Also known as

  • Ruadhán mac Fergusa Birn
  • Rodan…
  • Rodanus…
  • Rowan…
  • Ruadain…
  • Ruadan…
  • Ruadanus…
  • Ruadhain…
  • one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland

Memorial

Profile

Related to the royal family of Munster (part of modern Ireland. Studied under Saint Finian of Clonard. Founded the monastery of Lorrha c.545, and served as its first abbot. His brother monks produced the Stowe Missal, and his abbot‘s bell is preserved in the British Museum. Ruadhan’s embassy to King Dermot of Tara in 556 is recounted in the romance the Cursing of Tara where he is supposed to have cursed Dermot for violating the sanctuary of the Lorrha monastery in order to capture the king of Connaught. Considered a confessor of the faith, and one of the Twelve Apostles of Erin.

Born

Died

  • 5 April 584 in the monastery of Lorrha, County Tipperary, Ireland of natural causes
  • his hand was preserved in a silver shrine in Lorrha, but destroyed during the Reformation

Name Meaning

  • red-haired (Irish)

Canonized

Additional Information

MLA Citation

  • “Saint Ruadhán of Lorrha“. CatholicSaints.Info. 7 March 2018. Web. 18 November 2018. <>