St Natilis or Naul-O Hanlon.
This saint was Abbot of Kilmanagh, Co. Kilkenny (church of the monks) and his festival day is on July 31St according to the M of Donegal, and M of Tallaght. There is a well there which is his also. At Kilmanagh he founded a famous Mon. which is mentioned in the Irish Annals, and had 150 monks. Under him as pupil was St Senan, later Abbot of enniscathy, and both are given as visiting Ara-thire church i.e. Kilmore near Silvermines. Colgan holds, this Naul was the same as Naul of Killenaule, and by others he is called Abbot of Killenaule. Naul is also classed by Colgan as a disciple of St Patrick, and the son of Aengus King of Cashel, together with St Colman Eli. Aengus died 489, so Naul was born before that date. When he died is uncertain. 0 Hanlon says from this saint Naul Killenaule in Co. Tipp. likely took its name. Dr Lanigan says “if any Abbot Naul was the son of Aengus, it must have been St Natilis of Kilmanagh who flourished about 520-their dates agree and Kilmanagh is not far from Cashel, it’s likely, he too had to do with Killenaule”. In the life of St Senan, Natilis gets high praise. There are 2 townlands of Killenaule in Lower Ormond one in Dorrha parish and the other in Loughkeen, probably called after Naul, and there is also an old church in the parish of Donohill called Kilmanagh.
St Sinech is given as the Patroness of Crohane. The Mart. of Donegal commemorates her on Oct.5th. says she was the daughter of Fergna of Cruachan Magh Abhna and of the race of Eoghan More, son of 0. Glum according to the genealogical history of the Irish saints. The book is wrong in placing Magh Abhna in Co. Limerick.
0’Hanlon says “she is mentioned also on Oct 5th by the Feilire of St Aengus, and as the daughter of Fergna of Cruachan Muige Abnae in Onacht Cashel”. Maurice Lenihan says “the virgin is likely the sister of St Senachus, Bishop, who was with St Ruadhan and St Columba of Terryglass among the pupils and disciples of St Finian of Clonard.
(Finnian of Clonard, Saint ( ?-549), helped develop the early Church in Ireland. He founded a monastery at Aghowle in County Wicklow, and, in about 520, he founded Clonard, another monastery. Clonard grew until it had 3,000 pupils. St. Finnian, an excellent teacher, has been called teacher of the saints of Ireland. His book of rules for monks still survives.
St. Finnian was born in Leinster. He studied in Ireland and, later, in Wales, with St. David. His feast day is December 12.)
(If Maurice Lenihan is correct St Sinech would have lived between 500 - 600 AD.)
Crohane must be identified with the Cruachan of St Sinech he says, and the denomination of Magh Abhna has been reformed into Mowney a neighbouring parish in the barony of Slieveardagh”. her acts are not known to exist. Up to 1810 says 0’Hanlon, her festival was remembered in Ballingarry on Oct 5th.
“In Bishop Butler’s Visitations 1752 we find says 0’H. that he visited Ballingarry chapel dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin and found it in good repair. There were also two without chapels besides Ballingarry, one dedicated to St John the Baptist called the parish of Lismalin, the third-the parish of Crohane dedicated to St Sinech, feastday celebrated on Oct 5th . The lot were under the pastorship of Rev Lawrence Lonergan”.
O’Donovan also says Crohane was formerly Cruachan in the Eoghanacht. In 842, a great victory was gained at Crohane over the Lochlanns.
Crohane-Cruachan Muighe Abhnae. Church ruins are in Drangan parish. In the Feilire Aenguis, Crohane is given as the round hill of Moy-Owney. This parish is bounded on the west by the parish of Killenaule, on the east by the parish of Mowney, on the north and north east by the parishes of Lickfinn and Ballingarry. The parish is in Slieveardagh Barony, and an amount of its land would be at present in Ballingany parish, though the old church ruin is in Drangan.
This is the place called Cruachan Muighe Abhnae i.e. Croghane Mowney in the Festiology of Aengus, at Oct 5th for the glossographer places it in the territory of Eoghanacth Chaisil. This is rendered absolutely certain by the existence of the well of the Patron Saint and of other names of places in its vicinity, which the ancient authorities place in Eoghanacth Chaisil as Doire na bFlann etc. The name signifies the round hill in the plain of Abhna, which may be interpreted the plain of the river. Magh Abhnai, the name of the plain is still retained in that of the parish of Moy-Owney which bounds Crohane on the east.
Note: A church in Ballykerin;
in 1620 a chapel of Ballykerin is mentioned as parcel of the parish of Crohane.
The old church of Crohane or Cruachan Magh Abhna was situated in the townland of Crohane Lower on the side of a valley, but all the walls are now destroyed down to the very foundations; it can be ascertained from them however that the church, or part of it, was 28’ in length, and 22’ in breadth. The walls were built of slaty stones cemented with lime and sand mortar. Its graveyard which is a large one, is still in use, but it contains no ancient monument. The Ord. Survey gives the site of the present Protestant church as on the site of the old one-likely its predecessor.
About 150 yards to the north of the graveyard there is a holy well called after the virgin, St Sinech, the patroness of Cruacha Magh Abhna, but no stations have been performed at it since 1810. It was run dry, O’Donovan says, when he saw it (Sept 1840) but it will come to in winter again. “Sinech daughter of Fergna of Croghane-Moy-Owney”, is a quotation from Aengus the Culdee.
In 1640, there were 4 acres of glebe land with the church. They were in Crohane, near the lands of Ballykirine, tithes were £25. There is in the parish a townland called Kilenahone given as the church of the cave in F.N Bk. Coolquill townland is given in Laffan as Coolkile.
In the parish also were:
(a) a highway called Bamalieghkilly, near Shangarry
(b) a hill called Knockneskaghkilly in Kilkenny beg
(c) a ford called Aghkilefyan near Ballynonty
(d) a ford called Aghkillabrishane beyond Lickfinn.
The F.N Bk. translates Coolquill as back wood. A castle ruins yet (1935) in Coolquill, now owned by the 0 Brien family.
Notes: All the graveyard of the old Crohane ruin was not enclosed. There is a Protestant church now (1935) on the old site, or rather beside it. Not even a trace of the pre-reformation church is standing. This Protestant church was built about 80 years ago, when the Protestant one in Lismalin went down. People now in Crohane are not certain of the exact position of St. Sinech’s well. There are some large tombstones in Crohane graveyard to the Kennedys of Crohane and Killenaule. There is a circular enclosure (large) first beside the present Protestant church, and it could be that it would enclosed the early church of St Sinech.
Castles of Crohane.
In the townland of Coolnacullia (Coolquill) on the south side of a green hill there is a square castle measuring 23’-10’ from east to west, on the inside and 18’-l0’ from north to south. It is 4 stories high. The walls are 5’-6’ thick and about 45’ high.

About 1/2 a furlong to the east of the graveyard there is another castle round on the inside and square outside but only the south and east sides of it now remain. It was 21 ‘6’ in diameter on the inside. The walls were 9’ thick and what remains are 20’ high.

In the middle of a green filed almost a furlong to the east of the castle in Coolnacullia there is a moat measuring 50 yards in circumference at the base, and about 16 feet in perpendicular height. (Rath an Afrainn in Ballykerrin)

In Crohane-graveyard at the Protestant church built before 1883, there are a couple of old tombstones, one to Lieut. Humphrey Minchin of Shangarry, now Wilford, who was one of Cromwell’s officers and ancestor of all the families of that name in Tipperary. The other is to one of the Millets-also a Cromwellian family.

Extracts from O'Hanlon's Lives of Irish Saints (P.55)
—ST. SENACHIA; SINCHE; SINEACH; SINCHEA, OR SEGNIC;
PATRON OF CROHANE PARISH, COUNTY OF TIPPERARY.—
The various appellations, Senachia, Sinche, Sineach, Sinchea, or Segnic are all forms of the same name; and no less than four or five such saints—holy virgins—are distinguished in our calendars, viz: at 14th. February, St. Sinech of Srath or Srath Fronn; at the 22nd of August, St. Sinche of Coolbanagher, Queen’s County; at 5th of October, St. Sinche of Crohane, County Tipperary; at the 9th of November, St. Sinche of Cluainleth-theangadh —thought by Dr. O’Donovan to have been the original name of Taughshinny, near Ballymahon, County of Longford; and at the 4th of December, St. Sinche of Teaghshince, now Kilshine, near Navan, County of Meath.
Indeed, it seems to be quite clear, the two latter Sinches may not be resolvable into two distinct persons.
With the Saint of the 5th of October, we have now briefly to treat. She is mentioned in the Martyrology of Tallagh,1 at that date as a virgin, daughter of Fergna, of Cruachan Maigh Olma. The Book of Leinster copy of the Martyrology of Tallagh,1 enters a feast for this virgin at the 5th day of October.2 In the Feilire of St. Angus,3 she is commemorated at this same date. A commentator adds notes 4 to distinguish her. In the Martyrology of Marianus O’Gorman, the feast of St. Sinche is entered at the 5th of October,5 and his Scholiast states, that she was Sinech, the daughter of Fergna, from Cruachan Maighe Abhna.6
The holy virgin, St. Sinche or Sineach, was descended from the race of Eoghan Mor, son to Oilioll Olum, according to the Genealogical History of the Irish Saints.7 According to Maurice Lenihan, Esq., Saint Senachia most likely was sister of the illustrious Saint Senachus, Bishop, who is named in an ancient Martyrology in the vernacular Irish quoted by Ward 8 as one of the apostles or auxiliaries of the great Saint Finnian, who, despising royal honours and the name and rank of King, became Abbot of Cluan-errard, where he presided over three thousand disciples. Among these were St. Kieran the elder, St. Columb-Kille, St. Kieran the younger, St. Laserian, St. Columbanus of Tir-da-Glass in the County of Tipperary, St. Cannechus, St. Sinellus the son of Moenachus, the two Saints Brendan, St. Ruadanus, St. Movius or Berchanus and St. Senachus, the Bishop,9
The calendarist of the Donegal Martyrology10 fell into the mistake of putting this place within Caenraighe, now known as Kenry, a barony in Limerick County, on the south side of the river Shannon.11 However, it is situated, not on the confines of Limerick County, as stated, but rather on the borders of Kilkenny.
The denomination of Magh-Abhna has been reformed into Mowney, a parish said to be in the Barony of Lower Ormond, County of Tipperary;12 but rather, it may be stated, in the Barony of Slievardagh, in the south-eastern part of that shire.13 In the last-named barony, there is a Parish called Crohane,14 and this must properly be identified with the Cruachan of St. Sinche.
Some old church site, patron day or holy well, with the legendary lore of the spot, might throw some additional light on her history. This holy virgin, who is mentioned in the Feilire Aenguis, must have flourished before the year 800, but her acts are not known to exist. In the middle of the last century, her festival was remembered, and, probably it was celebrated, in the Catholic union of Ballingarry, County of Tipperary.15

ARTICLE ll—Legend
1 Edited by the Rev. Matthew Kelly, D.D., p. xxxv,.
2 Thus: Sinche uir ingen fergnai o Chruachan maige alma.
3 In the Leabhar Breac copy we find ; —
blog donlúc logmair
la cec martir namrae
Sínech ingen fergnáe
Cruachan Muige Abnae
Thus rendered into English by Whitley Stokes —“A fragment of the precious stone, with a hundred marvellous martyrs. Sénech Fergna’s daughter, of Cruacha Maige Abnae.”— Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy. Irish Manuscript Series. Vol. i., part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. cxlix.
4 Thus ; Sinech ingen Fergnae, .1. maith no Fergnai nomen patrir eiur, rendered into English, “Sinech Fergnae's daughter, i.e., good, or Fergnae is her father’s name."—ibid, p. cliv.
Again ; Cruachan muige Abnae, .1. inicracha,, muige Ilabila in eogailacllt Chairil thus translated, “of Cruacha Maige Abnae i.e., in Cruachan Maige Abina in Eoganacht Caisil.” ibid, p. cliv.
5 See Dr. Whitley Stokes’ “Felire Hui Gormain,” pp. 190-191.
6 See Ibid, nn. I.I.
7 Known as the Naomh-Shancus.
8 In “Sancti Rumoldi Martyris inclyti Archiepiscopi Dubliniensis, Mechliniensium, Apostoli, etc.
9 The account adds, “quos Hiberniae duodecem Apostolos seu Auxiliaries nuncupamus ut et merito Findenum seu Finnianum Sanctorum Hiberniae Magistrum.— ibid. Sectio 10, Dissertatio Historica de Patria St. Romuoldi, par. 11., p. 186.
10 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 366, 267.
11 See Dr. O'Donovan’s “Geneaologies, Tribes, and Customs of hy-Fiachrach,” n.(n.) p. 309.
12 Sec Dr. O’Donovan’s “Annals of tlse Four Masters,” vol. ii. n (n) pp. 634, 635.
13 See Lewis’ “Topographical History of Ireland,” vol. ii., p. 399.
14 In 842 a great victory was there obtained over the Lochlaelns. It was formerly called Cruachan in the Eoghanacht, or Cruachan Maigh-Eamhna. See “Three Fragments of Annals,” edited by Dr. O’Donovan, pp. 130 to 136 and n (y)—Ibid.
15 We find the following entry in the extracts from Archbishop Butler’s Visitation Book, published by Maurice Lenihan, Esq., in the Limerick Reporter of February 18th, 1873, under the head,” Cashel of the Kings”:
“1752, July 9.—J.J. B. Ordinary visited ye chapple of Ballingarry, dedicated to ye Assumption of ye B. V., in good repair, wherein he makes use of two plate chalices of his own acquisition with three vestments whereof one is of white satin laced with silver stole, maniple, etc., all new; the other green brocad but old, the third a good stripe satin with white and green stripe, two good albs with amicts, six good altar towls, together with two altar stones, altar in good order and the altar likewise; one new mass book and an old one in reasonable good order, four corporals entire and good order, one plate pixis guilt with gold inside, oyle stock made of block tin. There are beside the above denomination two more without chappels; the one dedicated to St. John the Baptist, named ye parish of Lismolin; the other dedicated to Sancta Senechia, celebrated on the 5th of October; third, the parish of Croghan, of which three parishes he has collation granted by Arch. Bp.C. B. The aforesaid acknowledged and possessed by Law. -Lonergan.

MICHAEL FIHAN, Secry

THE GREAT BATTLE OF CROHANE 852

It is not generally known that Crohane was the scene of a battle in which the Norwegians were defeated with terrible slaughter in the year 842. Up to this time the annals record the Lochlanns had not suffered so great a loss in all Eire. In an ancient compilation known as “Three Fragments of Annals” translated from the Irish by JODonovan, the following account of the battle is given:
“The men of Munster sent messengers to Cearbhall (son of Dunlaing) to come. They also requested that he bring the Danes with him". (The Danes were enemies of the Lochlanns at the time). They asked for help to assist and relieve them against the Northmen who were harassing and plundering them at that time. Clearbhall came with his army of Danes and Gaeidhils and when the Lochlanns saw them they were filled with fear. From a high place (Crohane Hill) Cearbhall addressed his own people first, and then the Danes. The speeches are recorded in the book. They then rose out and attacked the Lochlanns. The Locklanns fled to the woods which were then surrounded on every side by Cearball. They killed and slaughtered the Locklanns at Cruachain in the Eoghanacht (Crohane) this victory was gained in 842. There is a field in Crohane called “The Canauves or Hodgins Canauves” (Irish for Bones).
In “A history of Ser Kieran” published 1992, about Clareen Parish, Co. Offaly, it states that Cearbhall was buried in Ser Kieran’s churchyard in 885. There is a burial slab with a Celtic Cross marking his grave. The book states he was the most famous of the Kings of Ossory ( He ruled Ossory for 40 years according to the “Book of Leinster”). In 872 he became King of the Danes in Dublin and was recognised as such until his death 13 years later His descendants are also buried in Ser Kieran’s graveyard.