Macdara

Mac Dara was a sixth century Irish Christian saint who lived on an island off the west coast of Ireland. His feast day is September 28; the (Feast of Macdara) occurs on July 16.

History His name was . As "sionach" is a word associated with stormy weather, it was not used in preference to his patronym. Saint Macdara's Island off the coast of County Galway "was home in the sixth century to St. Macdara, Connemara's most respected saint, who built a one-room chapel here" which is "considered one of the finest early Christian oratories in Ireland". Mac Dara's wooden church was subsequently replaced by one of stone. The oratory was restored in 1975 and appeared on a series of five definitive stamps between 1982 and 1986.

Pattern day The Saint's name does not appear in any of the Calendars or Martyrologies, but he has found a place in the Rev. Canon O'Hanlon's Lives of The Saints. Mac Dara is the patron saint of west Connacht fishermen,