Baring-Gould’s sources: Martyrology of Tallacht. The Felire of iEngus, and other Irish Martyrologies, as Colman Na Fiachrach.] There are ninety-five saints of this name in the Martyrology of Donegal. This Colman was of the family of Fiachra, and abbot of Seuboth-folu, in the diocese of Ferns, in Ireland.1 He was a friend of S. Maidoc, bishop of Ferns. In the life of that saint it is said that one day he met S. Colman. As the abbot’s horse fell dead on the road, Maidoc kindly gave him his own horse. Thereupon a blue horse appeared and harnessed itself to the car of S. Maidoc. Giraldus Cambrensis says: “ There is in Leinster a small 1 Probably Templeshanborough.

…pool frequented by the birds of S. Colman, a small species of duck, vulgarly called teal (cercellae). Since the time of the saint these birds have become so tame that they take food from the hand, and until the present day exhibit no signs of alarm when approached by men. They are always about thirteen in number, as if they formed the society of a convent. As often as any wrongs are done to the church or clergy, or the little birds themselves, they directly fly away, and betaking themselves to some lake far removed from thence, do not return to their former haunts until condign punishment has overtaken the offenders. Meanwhile, during their absence, the waters of the pool, which were before limpid and clear, become stinking and putrid, unfit for the use of either men or cattle. It has happened occasionally that some person fetching water from this pond in the night-time has drawn up with it one of the birds, not purposely, but by chance, and having cooked his meat in the water for a long time without being able to boil it, at last he has found the bird swimming in the pot, quite unhurt, and having carried it back to the pond, his meat has boiled without further delay.” He goes on to relate how it happened in his own days that an archer of Robert Fitz-Stephen shot one of these birds, but could not get the pot to boil in which he put it And the archer expiated his sacrilege by expiring miserably. “ It also happened that one frosty season a fox carried off one of these birds, and when the morning came the beast was found in a little hut on the shore of the lake, which was held in veneration from its having been formerly the resort of S. Colman, the bird being in the fox's jaws, and having choked him... and the bird returned without the slightest injury to the lake, under the protection of its holy patron.” 1 1 Giraldus, I tin. Hib. ii. c. 39.