Saint Flannan of Killaloe

Flannan was the son of an Irish chieftain of Thomond and was trained as a monk at Killaloe, on the River Shannon. According to tradition he made a pilgrimage to Rome, where Pope John IV consecrated him bishop, and he returned to preach in the region of Clare. He was known for his preaching, his care for the poor and his life of penance. He is honored as the patron of the Diocese of Killaloe.

St. Flannan's Cathedral in Killaloe and the remote Flannan Isles off Scotland bear his name. An old legend says he sailed to Rome on a floating millstone.