St. Colman - by Harry Clarke - Stained-glass

St. Mary's Church Ballinrobe, County Mayo

By Averil Staunton

Saint Colman

Saint Colman (605-676) born in Connaught, left Ireland for Iona off Scotland and was appointed bishop of Lindisfarne following the death of St. Finian in 661. 

The panel depicts a very serious looking St. Colman as a bishop, holding his golden crozier in his right hand. Being unhappy with the results of the conference at Whitby, which he attended in 664 ADhe departed with approsimately 30 of his English monks and finally located at Maigh Eo, later to become knows as Mayo of the Saxons where he built an abbey. This is where the County of Mayo got its name.

His robes are in various shades of green over a white tunic. His overhead symbol is a tonsured haired monk representing the Celtic Tonsure.

The predella: The Conference at Whitby between Wilfred and Colman depicts Wilfred pleading with St Colman to accept the decisions of the conference with which he is not happy.