ABSTRACT
The name Ciarán, from ciar (dark, black), is assigned by the list of homonymous Irish saints to over twenty reputedly distinct saints, of whom only the first two, Ciarán mac int Shaír and Ciarán mac Laigne, respectively of Clonmacnoise (Offaly) and Saigir (Seirkieran, Offaly), attained prominence. As well as being used of the eponymous ancestor of the Ciarraige tribal group (hence Ciarraí, “Kerry”), the name was also attached, without the diminutive ending -án, to the female patron of Cell Chéire, Kilkeary (north Tipperary).
