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Darerca of Ireland
Sister of St. Patrick
SaintResearchedPre-congregation
Feast: 22 March (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
350
Died
500
Beatified
—
not needed: before formal processes
Canonised
By tradition
recognised before formal processes began
Who they were
Darerca is remembered as a sister of St Patrick, and as the mother of many saints. She was twice married; by her second husband, Chonas, she had four sons who became bishops, among them St Mel of Ardagh.
Much legend surrounds her history. She is patroness of Valentia Island.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: she has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
A mother of saints in the first days of Irish Christianity.
Connected on this site
- Moríóg of Inchbofin Saint Child
- Saint Patrick Saint Relative
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Darerca
- Wikidata Q3016039 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Darerca of Ireland (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.