Today is the pattern day of St. Odhran of Latteragh. His pattern takes place today at St. Odhran's well near Latteragh in Co. Tipperary. Incorrectly I previously worte that St. Odhran was one of "The Twelve Apostles of Ireland" who went with St. Columcille to found the monastery on Iona off the coast of Scotland. I wrote about this here.
I've since found some more interesting folklore about the well in the Schools Manuscipts including St Medran using his breath to light a candle, St Odhran's well springing up where a boy disappeared, the "cures" that the stones at the well can perform and of course a magic trout within the well itself.
From duchas.ie
"About the beginning of the sixth century two holy men Saint Odhran and Saint Medran lived at Latteragh in the parish of Templederry. Believing that it would be pleasing to God to spread his Gospel to places where it was not known, they set out to visit Saint Kieran at Kilkenny probably to get his advice as to where and how they should start their missionary labours. Upon reaching Kilkenny Saint Medran expressed a desire to remain with Saint Kieran. Odhran reminded him of the object of their visit Saint Kieran was appealed to to decide the matter, and he said let God decide. If Medrans breath could light a taper it was to be a sign he was to remain with Saint Kieran and that Odhran was to return to Latteragh. Upon Medran breathing on the taper it was lighted so Medran remained and Odhran returned to Latteragh where for nearly half a century he spread the light of faith and learning, nearly three thousand pupils attended the school conducted by the monks.
This monastery was in existence until confiscated by the Normans.
Local tradition has many tales concerning Saint Odhran and his monastery. One is that sometime after his return to Latteragh from Kilkenny at the request of Saint Kieran he and his monks had occasion to again visit Saint Kieran probably for some ecclesiastical conference. Who was in charge of the monastery in their absence is not stated but a young boy was left to protect their corn from the birds. Upon the return of Saint Odhran and his monks they found that he had gathered all the birds into a house. The monks were annoyed at this and started questioning him instead of answering he fled from there and passing between two hills near the monastery he suddenly faded away and disappeared. On the spot where he was last seen a well sprung up which became known as Saint Odhran's holy well. This well is in existence yet and people go to pray there on the 15th August every year. It is about a foot and a half in depth and four feet in diameter, circular in shape and line with stones. Tradition has it that is the home of a magic trout that is sometimes seen by a privileged few. Once a man from the neighbourhood upon seeing the trout prodded and ill treated him. Within a week he died from mysterious disease. Six or stones of medium sizes are at the very brink around this well they are supposed to be there from the days of Saint Odhran and three possess a cure. One cures a toothache, another a pain in the head and another a pain in the stomach. Local people know the appropriate stone to use. The cure is affected as follows:- so many rounds of the well and certain prayers are to be said after which the appropriate stone is applied to the part to be cured and then returend to its place.
The above has been collected by Willie Shanahan of Coolderry who got it from his mother whose maiden name was Gleeson and whose people have been interred inside Latteragh abbey for the last five or six hundred years been the oldest family in the district."
Edit
It looks as though I was incorrect, there are in fact a number of different St. Odhran according to
The Odhran of Latteragh, Odhran of Iona & Odhran of Waterford.
A Dictionary of Irish Saints
Pg 519
Odhrán Maighistir, 'master', of Latteragh (Leitreacha Odhráin), barony of Upper Ormond, Co. Tipperary. Easily the best known of he saints of this name, Odhrán (anglicized Oran and Otteran)) son of Mac Raith was attached to the Ui Dhaighre of Múscraighe Tíre, whose lands straddled the two baronies of Ormond. Seanán of Scattery also belonged to the Múscraighe, and this may explain why a member of his household named Odhrán is said to have been with his brother Meadhrán, Odhrán Maighister is supposed to have visited Ciarán at Seirkieran with a view to making a pilgrimage, only to be told that, though his brother should remain, he was fated to return to his place of resurrection at Latteragh. In the same passage, mention is made both of an otherwise unattested Life of the saint and of his part in the translation of the remains of Colum of Terryglass to Inishcaltra, elsewhere commemorated in quatrains attributed to Bréanainn.
Odhrán is said to have acted with Mac Cuilinn of Lusk as an emissary to Ciarán of Clonmacnoise, to let the latter know that the saints of Ireland were under his authority. He is also reputed to have placed a curse on Cormac son of Coichean of the Dál gCais at a place called Rinn Arda Odhráin on Lough Derg because of the dynast's refusal to grant his people, the Múscraighe's three seanóirí, the saint is likely to be intended in the dedication of a holy well to Oran at Ahaveheen in the Limerick parish of Cloncrew, just outside the later cantred of Muscridonegan. Odhrán was remembered on two days, 2 and 26/27 October, the latter of which - observed at Latteragh - was shared with namesakes on Iona and Killotteran in Waterford.
Odhrán of Iona, Scotland. Described in some late sources as abbot of Iona, Odhrán son of Ainghin is said to have belonged to the same branch of the Ceinéal Conaill as his later colleague Doirbhéan. In reality he was a priest on Iona, and probably because the local cemetery (Reilig Odhráin) was named after him, he became the subject of a story suggesting that, with a view to consecrating the island, he had volunteered to become the first person interred on it. His feastday of 27 October also belonged to his namesakes at Latteragh (Tipperary) and Killotteran (Waterford) and, through confusion with the saint named Oireannán commemorated on the same day, he later became attached to the church of Teach Oireannáin, sometimes taken to be the Westmeath chuch of Tyfarnham. A cemetery dedicated to Odhrán
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