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Saint Dallan Forgail
Saint Dallan Forgail

Saint Dallan Forgail

Feast Day
Jan 29, 2013
Patronage
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<p>St. Dallan was born Dallan Forgail in Ireland.&nbsp; He was an early Christian Irish poet, best known as the writer of the &ldquo;Eulogy of St. Columba&rdquo;.&nbsp; He also wrote a poem that became the basis for the modern English hymn &ldquo;Be Thou My Vision&rdquo;.&nbsp; His given name was Eochaid Forchella, and he was the son of Colla, a descendant of the legendary High King Colla Uasis.&nbsp; His nickname Dallan, meaning &ldquo;little blind one&rdquo; was earned because he lost his sight, which legend teaches as a result of studying intensively.&nbsp;</p> <p>He was born in Ballyconnell, and was a first cousin of St. Mogue and a fourth cousin of St. Tigernach of Clones.&nbsp; He died in 598 when pirates broke into the island Monastery of Inneskeel, in Donegal where he is buried.&nbsp; He was reportedly beheaded, and it is said that God reattached his head to his body after he was martyred.&nbsp; He was venerated as a saint in the early 11<sup>th</sup> century.&nbsp; It is said he was not only a poet, but also a scholar of Latin Scriptural learning.&nbsp; He helped to reform the Bardic Order at the Convention of Drumceat.&nbsp; He is best known for Eulogies attributed to him on the subject of contemporaneous Irish saints, namely the Eulogy of St. Columba, St. Senan, and St. Connall.&nbsp;</p> <h1><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Practical Take Away</strong></span></h1> <p>St. Dallan Forgail was born in Ireland, and was an early Christian Irish Poet.&nbsp; He was born Eochaid Forchella, and earned the nickname of Dallan, meaning &ldquo;little blind one&rdquo; because he lost his sight.&nbsp; It is said that he lost his sight from extensive studying.&nbsp; He died in 598 when pirates broke into the Monastery of Inneskeel, Donegal, after being beheaded.&nbsp; Legend teaches that God reattached his head to his body after he was martyred.&nbsp; He is best known as an early Christian Irish Poet.&nbsp;</p>