Cronan
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [1]
(Croman, or Chronan) is a very frequent name in Irish hagiologies, and has several synonyms, as Cuaran, Mochuaroc, and frequently Mochua, Cron and Cua having in Irish the same meaning.
1. Son of Cummain, of Sliabh Eibhlinne, in Munster, commemorated May 4. AEnghus associates him with Siollan the deacon. His church was among the SlievePhelim mountains, County Tipperary (Todd and Reeves, Mart. Doneg. page 120, n., 121).
2. (See Cuaran).
3. Commemorated November 11, probably son of Sinell, of the race of Coindri, son of Fergus, of the clan Rudhraidhe. Colgan calls him the brother of St. Beodan, Baitan, or Mobaoi (December 13), Carnan, etc., and St. AEnghus calls his mother Sina. He died of the Yellow Plague in A.D. 664 (Colgan, Acta Sanctorum, page 219, n.6; 598, c. 3; O'Donovan, Four Masters, 1:277).
4. Son of Ualach, abbot of Clonmacnoise, commemorated July 18. He died in 637 or 638.
5. Abbot of Airdne (Arran Isles, in Galway Bay), commemorated March 8, the same day as a Scottish saint, "Cronan the Monk."
6. Abbot of Benuchar (Bangor), 680-691, and commemorated November 6. He is called "filius cucalnaei"= "Mac Cuchuailne."
7. Abbot of Cluain-dolcain (now Clondalkin, in the county of Dublin), probably in the 8th century. His father was Lughaidh, of the royal line of Erin, and his mother was Carner of Cluain-dasaileach; his brothers were Baedan (q.v.), etc.
8. Abbot and martyr of Glais-mor (Clashmore), commemorated February 10. His father is said to have been Mellan, and he lived among the Desii of Munster, about the end of the 6th century.
9. An obscure saint of Lismore, who died about 718, and is commemorated June 1.
10. Abbot of Fearrea (Ferns), and perhaps bishop of Luachair, who died in 653, and is commemorated June 22.
11. Priest of Maghbile (now Moville, near Newtownards, in County Down), commemorated August 7, addressed by pope-elect John IV on the Paschal controversy (Bede, Eccles. Hist. 2, c. 19), in A.D. 640.
12. Of Roscrea, commemorated April 28, who flourished about A.D. 625. He was a native of Ely O'Carrol in Munster, his father being Odran, of that sept, and his mother Coemri, of the sept of Corcobaschin, a district in the west of the present County Clare. Taking with him his maternal cousin St. Mobai, he spent some years traversing Connaught, and then, returning to his native province, built a cell near Loch Crea, at a place called Seanross, now Corbally (O'Donovan, Four Masters, 1:412 ni.). As this place was so secluded (desertus et avius) St. Cronan afterwards left it, and built his great church by the highway at Roscrea, in the county of Tipperary, where he had one of the most famous schools in Ireland. There, in piety and works that make for peace with God and man, he spent the remainder of his days, the honored friend of Fingen, king of Munster, and the willing advocate of the oppressed.
13. Of Tuaim-greine (now Tomgraney, in the barony of Upper Tulla, County Clare), commemorated October 19. This saint appears twice in the Mart. Doneg., first in the original hand at October 19; and next in the second hand, on the authority of Mar. O'Gorman, at November 1. Among the saints of the family of St. Colman of Kilmacduach (Feb. 3), or house of the Hy-Fiachrach, Colgan gives "St. Cronan, son of AEngus, son of Corbmac, etc., February 20 or October 19;" and Mart. Doneg. at February 20 also mentions that there is a Cronan with this pedigree (Todd and Reeves, Mart. Doneg. pages 55, 279,293; Colgan, Acta Sanctorum, page 248, c. 2).
14. "Beg" of AEndruim (Nendrum), bishop, commemorated January 7. His name appears third among the bishops of the Scots in the north of Ireland to whom, with priests and others, pope John IV, when yet but pope-elect, A.D. 640, addressed the famous: letter on the Paschal question and the Pelagian heresy (see No. 11 above). The Irish Annals generally place his death in A.D. 642, and the Ann. Tigh., perhaps more accurately, in A.D. 643; but Lanigan (Eccl. History of Ireland, 2:412) is mistaken in calling: him " bishop of Antrim " (Reeves, Eccl. Ant. page 10, n., 63, n., 148-150, 187-197; O'Hanlon, Irish Saints, 1:95, 96).
There is another Cronan Beg, who, however, is usually known as Cronbeg (q.v.).
15. "Clairenech" (i.e., Flat-Faced), commemorated January 29. Under Seighin it is stated "the three Claire-nechs were Cronan, Baeithin, and Seighin."
