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Born in Leinster; died 603. A disciple of Saint Columba (or according to Montague, Saint David), Fintan led the life of a hermit at Clonenagh in Leix. Soon numerous disciples, including Saint Comgal (f.d. May 11), attached themselves to him, and he became their abbot. Such was the austerity of the life led at Clonenagh that neighbouring monasteries protested. Fintan himself was reputed to live on a diet of barley bread and clayey water; however, he established a less strict rule for some neighbouring monks.

One day some soldiers brought the severed heads of their enemies to the monastery. Fintan had these buried in the monks' cemetery hoping that by the Judgement Day they would have benefited from the prayers of generations of monks: since the principal part of their bodies rest here, we hope they will find mercy. Fintan's feast is celebrated throughout Ireland (Benedictines, Farmer, Husenbeth, Montague).


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