St. Ibar, or Ivor, Bishop in Ireland


THE ACTS of St. Ibar, and some other monuments say, that he was ordained bishop at Rome, and preached in Ireland with St. Kiaran, St. Ailbeus, and St. Declan, a little before St. Patrick arrived there; but others, quoted by Usher, tell us that St. Ibar was consecrated bishop by St. Patrick. He preached in Meath and Leinster, and built a monastery at Beg-erin, or Little Ireland, a small island on the coast of Kenselach, (which was anciently a considerable province of Leinster). In this monastery he trained up with many others St. Abban, his nephew, by his sister Mella, married to Cormac, king of Leinster. St. Abban was afterwards abbot of the monastery of Magarnoide, in Kenselach. St. Ibar divided his time between the labours of his apostolic mission in the country, and the sweet repose of contemplation in his monastery, where he died about the year 500, according to the Ulster annals. His relics were kept with singular veneration in this monastery of Beg-erin. See Usher’s Antiq. c. 16, p. 414; and Chron. ib. p. 515; Also Colgan’s MSS. 22 Apr.	1