St Kenneth October 11th
St Kenneth, Abbot, d.599, studied with St Columba at Clonard Monastery. He founded a monastery at St Andrew’s, and a great many other place names in Scotland bear witness to his presence or inspiration.
He spent time with Columba on Iona and traveled with the great saint on the famour journey to King Brude at Inverness, where legend has it that Kenneth’s sign of the cross withered Brude’s hand when he was about to raise his sword against the visiting missionaries.
Kilkenzie in Kintyre, Kilkenneth on Iona, Kilkenneth on Tiree, Kilcainnie on S Uist, and the island off Barra on which Kisimul Castle stands, are connected to St Kenneth.
One of the great bells in the cathedral at Oban is named after Kenneth (the other after Brendan). There is also a cemetery and probably remains of a chapel at Loch Laggan and on Islay.