Fínán Cam, St.

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FÍNÁN CAM, ST.

Irish abbot; b. County Kerry, Ireland, sixth century. It is thought that he was educated by St. Brendan of Clonfert (d. 578), and thus would have flourished in the sixth century (see brendan, ss.). Fínán (Finnian or Fionain, fair-haired) Cam (the squinting) is probably the saint of Church Island, Lough Currane, County Kerry. His principal monastic foundation was made at Kinnity, County Offaly, under the Slieve Bloom mountains. In Kerry, Fínán is the object of local devotion, but in the vitae and in the public mind he has been hopelessly confused with Finan Lobur (the infirm), who, in fact, was never in Kerry.

Feast: April 7.

Bibliography: c. plummer, comp., Vitae sanctorum Hiberniae, 2 v. (Oxford 1910) 2:8795. j. f. kenney, The Sources for the Early History of Ireland: v.1, Ecclesiastical (New York 1929) 421422. f. henry, "Early Monasteries (Co. Kerry)," Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 58, sec. C (1957) 45166. d.d. c. pochin mould, The Irish Saints (Dublin 1964) 158159.

[d. d. c. pochin mould]