In sixth-century Ireland, the memory of the great missionary Saint Patrick was strong, but so was the influence of the old pagan religion. There was still much work to be done to spread the Christian faith.
This book tells the story of one of the greatest saints of the Emerald Isle after Patrick, Saint Kevin, whose monastery at Glendalough was a beacon of light for eight hundred years. Saint Kevin worked miracles, communed with animals, and inspired thousands to leave everything to follow Christ. His love of God and neighbor helped root the Christian faith deep into the hearts of the Irish people.
Author Kevin McKenzie spent seven years researching the life of Saint Kevin, visiting the places where he lived and translating the thousand-year-old Latin biography of the saint into English. Using his research and travels, McKenzie has produced a lively portrait of Saint Kevin that will inspire and delight readers ages nine and up.
How I Wrote the Book
Saint Kevin died in 618. After his passing, the monks wrote several biographies about him, most notably the “Latin Life” and the “Metrical Life” in Gaelic. These are the main sources for this book.
Once committed to paper, however, these writings were not set in stone. If a new family came to power in the region, they would have their scribes adjust the stories—adding chapters or paragraphs here and there—to make their ancestors appear in Kevin’s good graces. Some of the stories were embellished in later years as an attempt to gain more renown and power for the monastery of Glendalough itself as well.
Discerning the original stories from later additions proved quite difficult.
Thankfully, the Latin Life and the Gaelic Metrical Life are not the only witnesses we have. Kevin appears in the biographies of other saints, like Ciarán. He is mentioned in place names and local legends. Some details come from people I met in the places where Kevin lived and the stories they told.
I went to Marsh’s Library in Dublin to read and translate the original Latin Life of Kevin contained in the Codex Kilkenniensis, written on vellum and dating from the 10th century. It gives us the names of his parents, Coemlug (Connor) and Coemella (Camilla). Local legend tells us of his brother Saint Cavan (Calvin), who is patron of the island of Inisheer. Saint Cavan’s Church there is quite similar to Trinity Church in Glendalough. Kevin’s siblings Coeltigema (Catherine) and Mocuemin (Malcom) appear in An Ecclesiastical History of Ireland by Rev. John Lanigan. I anglicized many of the original Irish names to make for easier reading.
Geography is harder to change than the written word. A good part of my research for this book, which I started in 2015, involved visiting the places where Kevin lived. I walked Saint Kevin’s Way, a pilgrim route that follows Kevin’s original path from the town of Hollywood to Glendalough. Along the way one finds Kevin’s cave, where local legend tells that he threw a stone at a girl who followed him there, which became Kevin’s Chair. Glendalough itself is filled with the memory of Kevin, and my feet have been up and down the length of it more times than I can count.
In the summer of 2022, I set out on a walking pilgrimage in the footsteps of Kevin from Glendalough to Rome. Along the way I found several churches dedicated to him, among them the beautiful Eglwys Cwyfan, off the coast of Anglesey Island in Wales.
The book in your hands is the fruit of this geographical research, as well as reading every document I could find about Kevin, and interviews with local people. It is my best attempt at creating a cohesive narrative about Saint Kevin. All of the miracles and most of the characters in this book are from the original stories. I did have to fill in gaps and make connections at times. But the substance of this book is the ancient texts.
They show us several things. It is clear that Kevin was a great miracle worker. His heart always drew him to the beauty and the wilderness of Glendalough. He wanted to be a simple hermit there, but people of all types were drawn to him, and he saw in them a call to do something more. He founded the monastery of Glendalough. He often fought the forces of evil that were tearing his people apart.
At a time when there were no towns in Ireland and Western civilization was crumbling in mainland Europe, Glendalough became a university city and sanctuary for multitudes. It held a special connection with Kevin’s dear friend Ciarán’s monastery of Clonmacnoise. Saint Patrick and others brought the Gospel to Ireland, but it was Saint Kevin who helped many of the Irish people of his region to embrace the faith not only with their lips but also with their hearts.
Pope Benedict XVI said that the “saints are the best interpreters of the Bible. As they incarnate the word of God in their own lives, they make it more captivating than ever, so that it really speaks to us.“ Saint Kevin brought the word of God to life by the way he lived, and inspired his followers for centuries afterwards. I hope that he inspires everyone who reads this story as well. I have found that Kevin is a powerful intercessor, continuing to work miracles in our own day. May he intercede for you too.
Saint Kevin, pray for us!
Kevin McKenzie 