Saints

Bishop and monk. Ciaran was born in West Cork in the 6th century. He came from an Ossory family. Ciaran went to Europe as a young man, where he was baptised and ordained. He returned to Ossory and settled at Saighir near Birr in Co Offaly, first as a hermit, then later as the abbot of a large monastery. He may have been consecrated bishop by St Patrick. There are many legends about St Ciaran. He ... Read More

Polish prince. Patron of Lithuania. Casimir was the third son of King Casimir IV of Poland. Born in 1458, he was educated by John Dlugosz, canon of Krakow, the mediaeval capital of Poland. When Casimir was just 13 there was an attempt to place him on the throne of Hungary. This failed and he was banished to a castle outside the city. The court then tried to pressurise him into marrying a daughter ... Read More

Hermits. Baldred lived during the 6th century in Northumberland, as a hermit, first at Tyningham and then on the Bass Rock. According to legend, it was thanks to his prayers that a dangerous reef was removed between the rock and the mainland. All that is left of it is St Baldred's Rock. An ancient well is named after the saint. The saint's supposed relics were discovered with those of St Bilfri... Read More