Litany of Saints
Picture: Carsten Hemberger, derivate Hic et nunc · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Finbarr of Cork

Bishop of Cork

SaintResearchedKingdom of MunsterDate unknown

Feast: 25 September (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)

Born
550
verified
Died
25 September 623
verified
Beatified
not on record
Canonised
not on record

Who they were

Finbarr, born near Bandon about 550, evangelised Gowran, Coolcashin and Aghaboe and founded a school. For some years he lived as a hermit at Gougane Barra.

He built a church where Cork city now stands and is its bishop and patron. He died at Cloyne on 25 September 623.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.

Why that counted as sanctity

The hermit-founder and patron of Cork.

Connected on this site

  • Saint David Saint Teacher
  • Ninian Saint
    “A popular hypothesis proposed by Thomas Owen Clancy, a researcher and professor of Celtic studies, posits that Ninian can be identified with three other historical figures: Saint Finnian of Moville, Saint Finnian of Clonard, and Saint Finbarr of Cork.” — Wikipedia
Sources

Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.

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