Mo Chutu of Lismore

Saint Mo Chutu of Lismore
Mochutu, Carthach (the Younger), Carthagus, Carthage, Mochuda
Mo Chutu along with St. Catherine and St. Patrick on an altar tomb of 1543 in St. Carthage's cathedral in Lismore
Personal details
Died	14 May 637(637-05-14)
Sainthood
Feast day	May 14
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church
Patronage	Lismore Ireland

Saint Mo Chutu mac Fínaill (died 637), also known as Carthach or Carthach the Younger and in Latin as Carthagus, was abbot of Rahan (Irish Rathan), Co. Offaly, and subsequently, founder and first abbot of Lismore (Irish Les Mór Mo Chutu), Co. Waterford.^[1] The saint's Life has come down in several Irish and Latin recensions, which appear to derive from a Latin original written in the 11th or 12th century.^[1]

Through his father Fínall Fíngein, Mo Chutu belonged to the Ciarraige Luachra, while his mother, Finmed, was of the Corco Duibne.^[1] Notes added to the Félire Óengusso (the Martyrology of Óengus) claim that his fosterfather was Carthach mac Fianáin, that is Carthach the Elder, whose floruit can be assigned to the late 6th century.^[1][2]

Mo Chutu first became abbot of Rahan, a monastery which lay in the territory of the southern Uí Néill. According to the Annals of Ulster, he was expelled from the monastery during the Easter season of 637. The incident has been connected with the Easter controversy, in which Irish churches were involved during the 7th century. Through his training in Munster, Mo Chutu may have been a supporter of the Roman system of calculation, which would have brought him into conflict with adherents of the 'Celtic' reckoning in Leinster.^[1]

St. Carthage's cathedral in Lismore

Following his expulsion, Mo Chutu journeyed to the Déisi, where he founded the great monastery of Lismore (in modern County Waterford). The Latin and Irish Lives make very little of Mo Chutu's earlier misfortune and focus instead on the saint's resistance against the oppressions of Uí Néill rulers and by contrast, his joyous reception among the Déisi.^[1] Mo Chutu is also portrayed in a heroic light in an Irish saga entitled Indarba Mo Chutu a r-Raithin ("The expulsion of Mo Chutu from Rahan").^[1]

His feast day in the Irish martyrologies is 14 May,^[1] as well as in the Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church.^[3] His foundation at Lismore flourished after his lifetime, eclipsing the reputation of the saint's earlier church. It was able to withstand the Viking depradations which plagued the area and benefited from the generosity of Munster kings, notably the Mac Carthaig of Desmond.^[1] In the 12th century, St Déclán's foundation of Ardmore aspired to the status of episcopal see in the new diocese, but the privilege went instead to Lismore.^[1]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Johnston, "Munster, saints of (act. c.450–c.700)."
2. ^ Félire Óengusso, ed. Stokes, pp. 86-7.
3. ^ (Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Καρτέγιος Ἐπίσκοπος Λίσμορ. 14 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.

Sources

• Félire Óengusso ("The Martyrology of Óengus"), ed. and tr. Whitley Stokes (1905). The Martyrology of Oengus the Culdee. Henry Bradshaw Society. 29. London. pp. 124, 132–3 (14 May), 86–7 (5 March, note. http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/G200001.  (PDF here)
• Johnston, Elva. "Munster, saints of (act. c.450–c.700)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, Sept 2004, online edition May 2008. Accessed: 14 Dec 2008.
• Listing in the Greek Orthodox Synaxarion for May 14 (Greek):

Ὁ Ἅγιος Καρτέγιος Ἐπίσκοπος Λίσμορ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.

External links

• Works by Saint Mochuda at Project Gutenberg
• Lives of SS. Declan and Mochuda at Project Gutenberg

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company. 

Persondata
Name	Mo Chutu of Lismore
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	555
Place of birth
Date of death	14 May 0637
Place of death