New Hagiography

“Little Old Wise Guy” (Saint Senan (Shannon) of Scattery Island)

From his earliest years Saint Senán (“Shannon”) lived a life of asceticism; so when he grew up, it was only natural that he would follow the monastic path. He was well-educated and well-traveled, and eventually settled back home, on Scattery Island, but first he had to free the island of the fearful “Cathach.”

She stepped among the leaves
Entered labor, fell to her knees, caught by a blossoming tree
Little old wise guy was born
She was joyful, he was forlorn, of the end would warn

For all things there is a time, to sow, to reap
A time to work, to pray, to eat, to sleep
“Mother dear, come light this candle with me
There’ll be time later to pick blackberries”

Caught on the island by the tide
The cattle were restless, his fear did hide, deep within he did cry,
The water, by some hand did subside,
On his return to the world he died, dressed in black he did abide

Well-read, well-travelled, well-bred
Well-abandoned, well-done, well-dead
Kieran, Brendan, a holy flock
Pilgrimaged to see how Shannon walked

He loved his sister and his mother
He loved the other and he loved his brother
Was it to protect him that he raised the blockade?
He obeyed his sister, buried her halfway,

To Scattery he was led to live and die
First, to rid the island of monsters that did lie
Led up the mountain by an angel, Cathach to find,
With the sign of the cross, Cathach he did bind

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