Eithne and Fidelma

Eithne and Fidelma

Patrick by the Well of Cliabach

One morning early in the Fifth Century – in 432 AD – on a grey, misty dawn of Ireland, the two daughters of King Lóegaire (Leary) of Connacht came down to the Well Of Cliabach on the eastern slopes of the Fort of Cruachan, to bathe, accompanied by their guardians. They were Eithne and Fedhlimidh. Eithne was golden-haired, but Fedhlimidh was auburn. To their surprise they saw at the Well a group of strange figures, clad in grey and chanting with soft sweet singing such as they had never heard before. It was in the strange tongue of Latin. For Patrick and his companions had come to the Well before sunrise, and they were seated beside the well.

“Who are ye?” questioned Fedhlimidh, “When did ye come? Where are ye from? Are ye from over the sea? Are ye of the sidhe, the faerie folk?” But their leader – none other than Patrick – correcting her curiosity, replied,

“It were better for you to be asking about the True God than to be enquiring about our race. We are singing His praises."

Fedhlimidh replied with a torrent of questions…

“Who is this God? Where is he to be found? Whose God is he? Where does he live? Has your God sons and daughters, gold and silver? Is he alive and beautiful? Have many fostered his sons, and are his daughters dear and beautiful? Is he in the sky or in the earth, or in the water, in rivers, or mountains or valleys? How can he be seen and loved? Is he in youth or in old age?' Is He rich? Would he welcome the poor to His home? …”

"Sit ye here," replied Patrick. “The True God is the God of all, heaven and earth, sea and rivers, of the sun, moon and all the stars, high mountains, low valleys, above heaven, in heaven, under heaven. He breathes in all things, makes all things live . . . He has a Son, co-eternal with Him. The Son is not younger than the Father nor is the Father older than the Son, and the Holy Spirit breathes in them. The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are not separate. The Father had only one Son, who suffered and died upon a cross to save His people. He loves and welcomes the poor. And I wish to join you to the Heavenly King since you are daughters of an earthly King.”

Patrick continued with a full account of the True God.

As he spoke, the hearts of the king's daughters were turned irresistibly towards the True God. They wept when they heard of the sufferings of Christ. But their sorrow turned to joy when Patrick told them of His Resurrection from the dead, His Ascension into Heaven, and the wonderful Eternal Kingdom . They knelt on the ground, and begged to be baptised. Patrick asked,

“Do ye believe in the One God, Father of all?”

“We do.”

“Do you believe in His Only Son, God and Man?”

“We do.”

“Do you believe in the One Church?”

“We do”.

And so there, within sight of the palace of Cuachan, Patrick baptised them with the waters of the Well of Cliabach.

Eithne and Fidelma remained for a while on their knees, deep in prayer. A rough stone altar was made ready and Patrick prepared to say Mass. Before the Mass began the two girls came forward again, saying,

"We wish to consecrate ourselves as Spouses of Christ."

Patrick received their vows and placed over them the Veil – the first consecrated virgins in Ireland.

Then they wished to see the Face of Christ. But Patrick replied,

“You cannot do that, until you have tasted the Sacrifice and passed through the Door of Death”.

“We desire these things,” they replied. Patrick offered the Sacrifice and gave them the Holy Eucharist. Then they closed their eyes, and then they died. Patrick buried them in the sweet turf of Ireland, while their souls flew to Heaven to intercede for her conversion.

Feidlimidh is known by her Latin name of Fidelma “The Faithful One”: We know them as S. Eithne the Fair and S. Fidelma the Red. In God's Providence, Fidelma's fair hair represented their purity and Fidelma's red hair represented their Faith.

Their Feast Day is 12 January.