Kevin of Glendalough

Saint Kevin Born 498, IrelandDied June 3 618Venerated in Roman Catholic Church
Eastern Orthodox
Anglican Communion Canonized1903 (cultus confirmed) Feast 3 June Attributesblackbird Patronageblackbirds, Archdiocese of Dublin, Glendalough Saints Portal

Saint Kevin of Glendalough (c. 498–618) is a Christian saint who was the Abbot of Glendalough in County Wicklow, Ireland. "Kevin" is the English-language spelling of the Irish name Caoimhín (Coemgen in Old Irish, Latinized as Coemgenus).

The chapel of Saint Kevin at Glendalough

His legend is particularly untrustworthy, as very little contemporaneous material exists. It maintains that he was descended from a royal line, given the name Coemgen, which means "fair-begotten", was baptized by Cronan, and educated by Petrock during that saint's sojourn in Ireland. He lived in solitude at Disert-Coemgen for seven years, sleeping on a dolmen (now known as "Saint Kevin's Bed") perched on a perilous precipice, that an angel had led him to, and later established a church for his own community at Glendalough. This monastery was to become the parent of several others. Eventually, Glendalough, with its seven churches, became one of the chief pilgrimage destinations in Ireland. His legend says that he lived to the age of 120.

He was known for his disdain of human company, especially that of women; his name was used in Ireland as a term for men with cold relations with women up until the 19th century. An extreme example of his chastity was the instance when he pushed an amorous woman into a patch of nettles.

His feast day in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches is 3 June.[1]