Naomh Briocan
Rugadh Naomh Bhriocan thart ar mhile bliain o shin in Arainn. Bhi go leor Naoimh eile ar an oilean ag an am, duine acu ab ea Naomh Anna. Ni moran ceart a bhain an bheirt da cheile agus shocraigh siad an t-oilean a roinnt eatarthu. Se an bealach a bhi acu an talamh a roinnt na da dtosodh an bheirt ag dha cheann an oileain ag leamh Aifrinn. Le linn doibh an tAifreann a leamh thosoidis ag siul no go bhfeicfidis siad a cheile. Bheadh se de chead acu beirt cois ceim amhain eile a thogail agus bheadh an teorainn le socru ag an bpoinnte seo. Ce gur bhain siad triail as nior oibrigh se agus ansin thosaigh siad ag troid aris. Deirigh siad tinn agus tuirseach den troid agus d’fhag an bheirt acu an toilean. Chuaigh Naomh Bhriocan go Ros muc agus chuaigh Naomh Anna go dti Ceantar na nOilean. Nuair a bhain se amach Ros Muc thog se an chead sheipeal agus scaip se an chreideamh i measc an phobail Phaganaigh a bhi sa gceantar ag an am. Deirtear go raibh se posta le aon nduine dheag clainne air.
Ta go leor scealta difriula faoi Naomh Briocan agus seo ceann faoi leacht Bhriocain a deirtear a bhi suite in aice lena theampall. Seard a bhi sa leacht na cloch fhirinne, da mbeadh mionnu le deanamh is ar an leacht seo a bhi se le deanamh. Bhi bean amhain sa cheantar a bhi in eadan comharsan. Deirtear gur ghoid si cearc o bhean eile agus gur thosaigh saraiocht idir an bheirt. Duirt si le cach nar ghoid si an chearc agus chuaigh si suas ag an leacht chun mionnu nach ndearna si a leithead. Ach nuair a d’inis si an bhreag ar an leacht thainig poll mor sa talamh agus thit sise agus an leacht sios ann agus ni fhaca aon duine o shin an bhean na an leacht.
Naomh Briocan
Se Naomh Briocan a thug an Chriostaiocht go Ros Muc agus sin e an fath ina bhfuil Scoil Bhriocain, Reilig Bhriocain, Cumann Sacair Naomh Briocain, Baile Chill Bhriocain, tobar Bhriocain againn & ar ndoigh is iomai duine a bhfuil Briocan mar ainm baiste orthu. Ceiliurtar la an Tobair (La Naomh Bhriocan) ar an 15u la de Lunasa chuile bhliain.
Naomh or Saint Briocan is the patron saint of the parish of Ros Muc in the Dioceses of Galway. Our school (Scoil Bhriocain) is named after him, and there are many boys christened after him in the locality. People pray to him every Sunday in every one of the three Roman Catholic Schools in the parish. Unfortunately there is little folklore about Naomh Briocan that survives to the present day. However today in Ros Muc there are many things that remind us of his association with the area, Naomh Briocan Association Football Club, Scoil Bhriocan (School), Tobar (well) Bhriocan, a fishing boat, as well as the town land of Cill Bhriocan.
Saint Briocan is said to have arrived in Ros Muc around AD 500 from the nearby Aran Islands or Arainn na Naomh (Aran of the Saints) where he was a compatriot of Saint Enda. Here Saint Enda had a monastry, Mainistir na Seacht dTeampall (The monastery of the Seven Temples) where monks from all over Ireland and indeed further afield studied during the dark ages. From here the monks gruadadated from this early seat of learning to found monastries in Scotland, England, France, Belgium & Germany. According to local legend Naomh Briocan had an bitter argument with Naomh Anna. After this argumanent it was decided that they would divide the island between them. They decided that they would start with mass before dawn at one end of the island and would eventually see each other, they would only be allowed one more footstep after this. Wherever they were when they finished their ritual was where they divided the island. Naomh Briocan wasn’t satisfied with the outcome of this ritual and decided to leave the island for good. It is reported that traveled to Rosmuc on the mainland where he founded a church in order to covert the local Pagans. After a while in Rosmuc he married and is said to have fathered eleven children. There are many stories and legends about him all with a theme of fairness and piety. Indeed local legend tell us that he had a holy stone where disputeds were settled Leic Bhriocan. One such story of a woman that was accused of stealing a chicken from her neighbour. She denied the theft and told her neighbour that she would swear on Naomh Briocan’s stone that she didn’t do this. She brought the stolen chicken hidden under her cloak when she went to do this. Unfortunately for the woman the chicken fell from her cloak for all to see, suddenly both the woman and the stone dissapeared and was never seen again. His church still stands in Cill Bhriocan graveyard, near his Holy Well that is now unfortunately dry.
Naomh Briocan’s day of pilgrimage is the 15th August.
And here one original picture of St. Naomh Briocan.
Çà êîíòàêò/fuer Kontakt: helden_und_heilige@abv.bg