Mél of Ardagh

Saint Mel or Moel was a 5th-century saint who was the son of Conis or Chonis and Darerca. Saint Darerca was a sister of Saint Patrick and was known as the "mother of saints" because most of her children (seventeen sons and two daughters) entered religious life, many were later recognized as saints, and several of her sons became bishops. Mel and his brothers Melchu, Munis and Rioch accompanied their uncle Patrick to Ireland and helped him with his missionary work there. Mel and his brother Melchu were both reportedly consecrated bishop by Patrick himself. After St Patrick built the church at Ardagh, he appointed Mel as Bishop of Ardagh. According to the Life of St. Brigid, Mel is said to have had no fixed see for most of his life in ministry, which fits with other accounts of his being a traveling missionary and evangelist. Acting upon the apostolic precept, Mel supported himself by working with his hands; what he gained beyond bare necessities, he gave to the poor.

Life

Mel helped evangelize Ireland while supporting himself through manual labor. Patrick appointed Mel as one of the earliest Irish bishops and head of the Diocese of Ardagh. Mel also built the monastery of Ardagh where he was both bishop and abbot, and is said to have had the gift of prophecy. He accepted Saint Brigid of Kildare's profession as a nun, and served as her mentor while she was in Ardagh.

St Mel's cathedral, Longford

The Cathedral Church of St Mel is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, located in the town of Longford in Ireland. Built between 1840 and 1856, with the belfry and portico as later additions, it has been considered the "flagship cathedral" of the Irish midlands region, Longford's "landmark building" and "one of the finest Roman Catholic churches in Ireland". The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Mél (died 488), who came to Ireland with Saint Patrick and who was ordained bishop at Ardagh, County Longford.

On Christmas Day 2009 the cathedral was destroyed by a fire in the early hours of the morning. The restored cathedral re-opened in December 2014.

Design history

The cathedral is a Neoclassical stone building, at the north-east side of the town. It was begun in 1840 to the design of Joseph B. Keane, with the foundation stone (taken from the ruined cathedral in nearby Ardagh) lain by the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, Dr. William O'Higgins, on 19 May 1840. Work was then delayed by the arrival of the Great Famine, but the church was opened for worship by Dr. O'Higgins's successor, Rt. Rev. John Kilduff, on 29 September 1856. The roof is supported by 24 limestone columns quarried at nearby Newtowncashel. The 1860 belfry was designed by John Bourke, and the 1889 portico was designed by George Ashlin. The cathedral was finally consecrated on 19 May 1893.

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day (Old English: Crīstesmæsse, meaning "Christ's Mass") is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed most commonly on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is prepared for by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night; in some traditions, Christmastide includes an Octave. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated culturally by a large number of non-Christian people, and is an integral part of the holiday season, while some Christian groups reject the celebration. In several countries, celebrating Christmas Eve on December 24 has the main focus rather than December 25, with gift-giving and sharing a traditional meal with the family.

All Saints

All Saints' Day is a Christian holiday.

All Saints, All Saints Day or Feast of All Saints may also refer to:

Places

Schools

Longford

Longford (Irish: an Longfort) is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 9,601 according to the 2011 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meeting of Ireland's N4 and N5 National Primary Route roads, which means that traffic travelling between Dublin and County Mayo or North County Roscommon passes through the town. The station in Longford on the Dublin-Sligo line is important for commuters.

History

The town is built on the banks of the River Camlin (from Irish: Camlinn, meaning "crooked pool"), which is a tributary of the River Shannon. The name Longford is an anglicisation of the Irish Longphort, from long (meaning "ship") and port (meaning "port" or "dock"). This name was applied to many Irish settlements of Viking origin and eventually came to mean fort or camp in the Irish language, and so Longfort the modern Irish spelling, is the name of this town, which was one of the only Gaelic Irish market towns to arise without first being founded by Vikings or Normans.