St Gobnait
- Born
- 0499-01-01 12:00:00
- Gender
- Female
Naomh Gobnait aka St Gobnet aka Abigail /Abby or Deborah is Ireland's patron saint of bees. Her feast day is celebrated on February 11.
She was born in County Clare in the fifth or sixth Century. Saint Abban (who helped her found a convent) is said to have been her brother)
Fleeing a family feud, she took refuge in Inisheer in the Aran Islands. Here an angel appeared and told her to look for a place where nine white deer were grazing (now known as St. Gobnet's Wood).
She started a religious order in the district of Múscraí (Muskerry). Using honey as a healing aid, she dedicated her days to helping the sick, and is credited with saving the people of Ballyvourney from the plague.
[The above image was created by stained-glass artist Harry Clarke in 1914 for the Hoban Chapel at UCC Cork].
Do you have an Irish Ancestor who was christened Abigail or Deborah? Chances are (especially if she came from and Irish-speaking district) that her given name was actually Gobnait.
