St. Kenneth

Kenneth is also known as Canice or Kenny; he was born in 515 or 516 in the present County Derry, Ireland. His father was a famous bard and his mother’s name was Maul. In his youth, Canice watched the sheep for the chieftain of his tribe. In 543 he was a student of St. Finian at Clonard and he then went on to study under St. Mobhi. He was ordained in 545 and traveled to Rome to be blessed by the pope. By 550, he returned to Glengiven and he then went to Scotland where he built oratories and monasteries and helped St. Columba. He also founded the Abbey of Aghaboe in Queens County, Ireland and the monastery of Drumachose. Tradition says he built a monastery in Kilkenny. He wrote a commentary on the Gospels called the Glas-Chainnigh. His feast day is October 11.