As everyone knows, Ireland has historically been called the Land of Saints and Scholars, and for very good reason. This island has a lot (and I mean a lot) of Christian saints.
Many of these saints had a particular affinity for animals and nature, and one little-known 6th century figure was no different. St. Colman of Templeshambo had a rather unusual association with a group of feathered friends, in fact.
Born some time in the 6th century in Wexford, Colman was a Christian monk and contemporary of the famed Bishop Máedóc of Ferns. Not much is known about his early life, and what little we do know comes from scattered writings such as those from Gerald of Wales in his Topography of Ireland.
However, we know that at some stage the local bishop appointed Colman as the Abbot of Templeshambo in Enniscorthy. This site became known as “Shanbo Colman”, meaning Colman’s old tent. Here there was a holy well, and nearby was a pond which was home to many creatures.
Local legend has it that during his life Colman loved birds, and particularly ducks, often feeding them as one would a pet. After his death, this tradition continued, with St. Colman’s Ducks becoming a famed feature of the church and surrounding area. Pilgrims would come from all around Ireland to visit the well, which can still be seen to this day.
Credit: www.patrickcomerford.com
Legend says that these ducks were very tame, and would eat out of the hand of pilgrims, not flying away from people when they approached.
Locals also believed that the birds were under the saint’s supernatural protection from beyond the grave, and could not be harmed. One local tale says that when a kite attempted to eat one of the ducks, no sooner had the bird entered its mouth than it suddenly became stiff and keeled over dead. At this point the duck, who was its prey, wandered back to its feathered compatriots unharmed.
A similar piece of folklore tells of how a fox attempted to eat one small duck, but immediately choked on it and died, leaving the bird unharmed.
Yet another legend describes how one person, while fetching water from the pond on a particularly dark night, accidentally scooped up a small duck in the bucket without realising, placing the vessel on the fire. However, no matter how much fire wood was heaped on, with the flames rising, the water simply would not boil, remaining cold. This perplexed locals, until one person peered in and reportedly saw the little duck sitting there, alive and perfectly content – or so the story goes. At that point the bird was brought back to the pond, and the water boiled as it normally would.
Gerald of Wales also tells us how if anyone blasphemed God in the presence of the ducks, or insulted the ducks themselves, they would immediately fly away to another pond, and the water in Templeshanbo would become foul and muddy. The ducks would not return until the person had been punished proportionally, at which point the birds would fly back and the water would become clear again.
Similar stories, in fact, are told about the remote island of Inishmurray in Sligo Bay, which also venerates Saint Colman. According to locals there historically, the ducks are under his protection and can’t be cooked or harmed in any way.
A love of animals is a feature frequently found in legends of Irish saints, and seems to be a part of Irish Christianity’s unique and charming character.
