St.
Cronan is the saint most associated with Roscrea. He has two churches
in Roscrea
the Church of Ireland and the Roman Cathloic Church. St.Cronans Father
was Odhrán and his mothers name was Coemri. She was from the
west of Clare. Odhrán was a noble man in the terrority of Ely.
Cronans father had a dispute with local king and was forced to move
to his
wifes territory.There Cronan was born and grew up. When he got older
he became a priest and built a monastery on the shores of L.Derg. He
then moved across the Shannon and founded a monastery at Lusmagh. After
a while he saught out advice so he went to St.Canice. St.Canice advised
him to find a place In the wilderness. St.Canice told him about Moinachina.
St.Cronan built a hut beside the lake called Lough Cré in which ther
were two islands. The name of this place is Sean Ross. This is near
the great road from Tara, built by Dála. His shelter was found out
by a hunter chasing an animal and found Cronan and asked him for help.Then
the word spread and many people visited. Some remained and built shelters.
Some visitors almost died when they got lost and St.Cronan was persauded
to move his seltlement
beside the Slí Dála.This settlement became Roscrea. St.Cronans
new settlement at Roscrea was built where the Church of Ireland is now. It
would have made of
timber and thatch. It would have had a chapel, monks cells, a guest house and
a Scriptorium. There would have been a river and a big fence all
around the monastery.
He lived for about 80 years and died around the year 665 a.d.