Summary: St Mura is associated with Fahan, a village 5 kms south of Buncrana, Co Donegal. He is regarded as patron of the O’Neill clan and of the Inishowen peninsula.
Patrick Duffy tells what is known of his life and the relics of his ministry.
Disciple of St Colmcille
The tradition is that Mura was a disciple of St Colmcille and was appointed by him as abbot of Othan Mór monastery at Fahan, near Buncrana, Co Donegal. After the death of the saint it was called Fahan Mura.
Patron of the O’Neill clan and of Inishowen
Mura wrote a rhymed life of St Colmcille, which is quoted in the Martyrology of Donegal (1630). He is regarded as the special patron of the O’Neill clan, being a descendant of Niall of the Nine Hostages, through his son Eoghan, who gave his name to Inishowen.
Relics of his ministry
St Mura’s Crozier
Three testimonies of his ministry survive: his crozier (Bachall Mura), now in the Royal Irish Academy; a bell-shrine, now in the Wallace Collection, London: and a stone cross preserved at Fahan as a national monument (see image above). A holy well near the cross is called St Mura’s well.
The Fahan Mura Cross
Fahan MuraCross
This can be located in the graveyard of a ruined church at Fahan, beside the road from Letterkenny to Buncarna. This was the site of the monastery founded by St. Colmcille for his disciple St. Mura. This early 7th century cross-slab is 6 1/2 feet: it demonstrates a close connection with Scotland, where the shape is more common. The intertwined ribbon knotwork is thought to represent the Tree of Life and the five circles symbolizing fruit. The Tree of Life with its roots on the earth and its branches high in the air symbolized a connection between heaven and earth. The seasonal cycles of the tree link it with growth, death, and rebirth.
