In the southwest of Ireland, in the province of
Munster, on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, lies the "
Kingdom" of
County Kerry (Irish: Ciarraí). The kingdom of the
Ciarraige tribe whose founder was Ciar, son of the legendary
Fergus mac Róich of the
Ulster Cycle in
Irish mythology. A place where crumbling fortresses on jagged headlands still guard the memories of faded kingdoms. In the "
Martyrology of Oengus the culdee", (9th-century register of saints and their feast days), it is stated…"
Of Gobban, i.e. of cell Lamraide in Hui Cathrenn in the west of Ossory, i.e. a thousand monks it had, as experts say. angelic wall, i.e. angels founded the wall of his church for him. Lane, an old tribe which was once in the south of Ireland, and of them was Gobban." The tribal name of
Lane is an interpretation of the Irish O'Laoghin or O'Laeghain as mentioned by
Geoffrey Keating when referring to the Topographical Poems of
Seán Mór Ó Dubhagáin and
Giolla na Naomh Ó hUidhrín. where it is stated – "''O'LAEGHAIN, O'Leyne, or Lane, chief of UI ferba and O'Duibhduin, chief of Ui Flannain, districts in the county of Kerry
...O'Laeghain, a warrior of fame, We found him over Ui fearba; O'Cathnendaigh obtained the land, firmly settled under the high hills of cualan.''" Some authorities describe the land of Ui Ferba as extending northwards from
Tralee along
Ballyheigue bay to
Cashen Bay. However prior to its breakup during the Cambro-Norman invasion of Ireland, Ui Ferba not only included the forementioned lands but also included territory to the west of Tralee in the Dingle/
Corkaguiny peninsular. Scattered and embedded into this primitive landscape of stone age dolmens and Iron Age forts are the very foundation stones of early Irish medieval ecclesiastical sites. Many of these early Christian sites have been lost to the vagaries of time, man, and nature. However many still exist to some extent: one of which is the ancient ecclesiastic site of
Rattoo, with its famous round tower. The estate of the Abbey and churches of Rattoo arose within the ancient ecclesiastical see of
Ardfert in the cantred of Altry bordering Ui Ferba, within the over kingdom of Ciarraige Luachra and was founded by – "
the gentle bishop Lugdach". This ecclesiastical site, which was reported to consist of seven churches was long known as "
Rath Muighe tuaiscirt" – the fort of the northern plain. This bishop Lugdach, could be the father of Gobban find mac Lugdach and this ecclesiastical enclosure might not only be St. Gobhan's birthplace: but also that of his real final resting abode. It is generally considered that St. Gobhan was buried, or his holy relics preserved, at the monastery of
St. Fintan of Clonenagh(
Cluain Ednech), county Laois. However St. Gobhan had no apparent ecclesiastical ties to this historic establishment. An examination of the etymology of
Cluain Eidhneach is instructive. The meaning of the
Middle Irish word
Cluain is invariably found to be a piece of fertile land surrounded by a bog or moor, or on one side by a bog, and the other by water. In summary, an area of raised fertile land surrounded by bog or swamp. A few miles to the north of Ratoo the
rivers Feale, Brick and Gale converge: thus united they become the Cashen river which flows some six more miles before emptying into
Cashen Bay on the
River Shannon estuary. The low ground south of the Cashen river was known as Cashen bog. The church of Rattoo lies within this bog, which is now much reduced: however, one and a half thousand years ago this topography would have been more apparent. The church of Rattoo adjoins the ancient townland of Clooneagh:
Cluain Each. – while seven miles west of
Tralee, on the
Corkaguiny peninsular is the old church of
Kilgobbin. ==St Gobban and St Scuithin==