DECLAN

'Saint Declan' was an early Irish bishop and abbot. He is sometimes said to be one of four bishops to have preceded Saint Patrick in Ireland in the early 5th century (See also Saints Ailbhe, Ciaran, and Ibar), although he is also made a contemporary of Saint David in the mid-6th century. His feast day is July 24.

Contents

Life

Pattern

Namesakes

External links

Life

He converted the people of the Decies, an ancient principality of southern Ireland, to Christianity. There he founded the monastic settlement of Ardmore. Although Ardmore is no longer the seat of a diocese, the local Catholic parish bears Declan's name. His Life is preserved in both a Latin and Irish version; the latter was translated into English by Rev. P. Power in 1914.

Pattern

Every year on his feast day, locals and people from the region celebrate his ''pattern''. The pattern includes various devotional acts at sites associated with his life.

Namesakes

Due to popular devotion to the saint, the name 'Declan' has been relatively common in County Waterford for centuries. Its use has since spread beyond Munster, and even outside Ireland.

★ Declan Baird-Watson, Australian legend of cycling

★ Declan Bree, Irish politician & social campaigner

★ Declan Costello, Attorney-General of Ireland

★ Declan Curry, Irish journalist who works for BBC News 24 in the United Kingdom

★ Declan de Barra, Irish musician, vocalist and bodhrán player of the former band Clann Zú

★ Declan Donnellan, British theatre director

★ Declan Donnelly, one half of British television duo Ant and Dec

★ Declan Durcan, Photographer, currently a Network Engineer for Yahoo

★ Declan Finney, son of, actor, Albert Finney

★ Declan Galbraith, English singer

★ Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus (better known as Elvis Costello), British musician

★ Declan Masterson, Irish band member of Patrick Street

★ Declan McGonagle, Irish art curator

★ Declan Nerney, Irish country music personality

★ Declan Ryan, Irish sportsman

★ Declan Sinnott, Irish musician

★ Declan Hyland, Goes to The Friary

External links

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