Connell of Aughrim

Who is Connell of Aughrim?

Connell, aka Saint Connell, was a late 5th-early 6th century missionary among the Soghain of what is now County Galway.

Nothing appears to be known of the background of Connell. He was appointed Bishop of Aughrim by Saint Patrick; the site of his church is now believed to be at Foats or Levallynearl townland in the parish. The adjoining parish of Clontuskert contains the townlands of Crossconnell More and Crossconnell Beg, which commemorate his name. Aughrim parish is bordered on the north by the parish of Kilgerrill, and there is a tradition concerning a dispute between Connell and Saint Kerrill, though this tradition is believed to have its roots in a dispute between the parishes as much as a thousand years later.

According to Joseph Mannion:

"... it is clear that St Kerrill and St Connell were contemporaries of St Patrick and as such they belonged to the fifth century. Both were disciples of his who were raised to the episcopate and placed over churches by him. Their respective ecclesiastical territories are likely to have bordered each other at the Ballinure river which formed part of the southern boundary of Sodhan. Under these circumstances one cannot rule out the possibility of conflict arising over disputed areas of jurisdiction which would have given rise to the legendary disagreement between these two fifth-century evangelists."