Sillan

{{short description |Mediaeval Irish abbot and saint}}

{{about||the town in Austria|Sillian|the Koreanic language|Sillan language}}

{{EngvarB|date=December 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}

{{Infobox saint

|name=Saint Sillan

|birth_date=c.6th century

|death_date=608 or 610

|feast_day=28 February or 28 March

|venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church,
Anglican Church
Orthodox Church

|image=File:Mosaic, Bangor harbour (2) - geograph.org.uk - 344038.jpg

|imagesize=

|caption=Mosaic at Bangor harbour depicting St Comgall and other monks, one likely being Sillan

|birth_place=Unknown

|death_place=

|titles=

|beatified_date=

|beatified_place=

|beatified_by=

|canonized_date=

|canonized_place=

|canonized_by=

|attributes=

|patronage=

|major_shrine=

|suppressed_date=

|issues=

|prayer=

|prayer_attrib=

}}

Saint Sillan (or Sillian) ({{langx|la|Selanus}}; {{langx|ga|Síoláin}}) (died 608 or 610) was early Irish saint and abbot of Bangor Abbey, Bangor, County Down. He was recorded as being a disciple and second or third successor of Saint Comgall, who was the founder and first abbot of the Benedictine monastery at Bangor.{{cite book|last1=Ramsgate Abbey|first1=The Benedictine Monks of|authorlink1=St Augustine's Abbey, Ramsgate|title=The Book of Saints: A dictionary of servants of God canonized by the Catholic Church|date=1921|publisher=A & C Black|location=London|page=244|chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/bookofsaintsdict00stau?ref=ol#page/244/mode/2up/search/sillan|accessdate=11 December 2017|language=en|chapter-format=ebook|chapter=Sillan|quote=SILLAN (SILVAN, SYLVAN) (St.) Abbot. (Feb. 28) (7th cent.) He was the third successor of St. Comgall in the monastery of Bangor, and bore great reputation for sanctity. A.D. 606 and A.D. 610 are the years assigned by the various writers for his departure from this world.}}{{cite web|last1=Mooney|first1=Ambrose|title=Celtic and Old English Saints - 28 February|url=https://celticsaints.org/2024/0228a.html|website=celticsaints.org|accessdate=11 December 2017|language=en|date=16 March 2024}}{{cite web|last1=Sloan|first1=Martin|title=Bangor Abbey from Foundation to Norman Invasion|url=http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/martin_sloan/abbey.htm|website=Aspects of Ulster|accessdate=11 December 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030215020700/http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/martin_sloan/abbey.htm|archivedate=15 February 2003|language=en|date=29 October 1997}} The village of Kilsheelan, County Tipperary is named after him.{{cite web|title=Kilsheelan Tidy Towns - Garden of Renewal|url=http://greenandbluefutures.eu/sites/default/files/WP2/WP2%20A4%20(Networking%20-%20Tipp)/Kilsheelan%20Tidy%20Towns%20brief.pdf|website=Green and Blue Futures|accessdate=11 December 2017|location=Kilsheelan|page=2}} His Irish name is Sioláin which can translate to either "seed-basket"{{cite book|last1=Ó Dónaill|first1=Niall|authorlink1=Niall Ó Dónaill|title=Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla|date=1977|publisher=An Gúm|location=Baile Átha Cliath (Dublin)|isbn=1857910370|edition=1992|url=http://www.teanglann.ie/en/fgb/s%C3%ADol%C3%A1n|accessdate=11 December 2017|language=Irish|chapter=S}}{{cite web|title=Bishop cuts ribbon on new centre|url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/enniscorthyguardian/news/bishop-cuts-ribbon-on-new-centre-27173405.html|website=Enniscorthy Guardian (Independent.ie)|accessdate=11 December 2017|location=Enniscorthy|language=en|date=10 May 2007|quote=Fr. Howell explained that the name An Síolán' meant seed basket, or seed bag, the bag used for scattering seed.}} or "cullender/sieve".{{cite book|last1=O'Reilly|first1=Edward|authorlink1=Edward O'Reilly (scholar)|title=An Irish-English Dictionary ...: To which is Annexed, a Compendious Irish Grammar|publisher=self|location=Princeton University|isbn=9781179872278|page=490|edition=1821|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jmk9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PT490|accessdate=11 December 2017|language=en|chapter=S|year=1821}}

He is recorded in both the Annals of Tigernach and Annals of Ulster as abbot Bennchor (Bangor), in the former as Sillán moccu Cumaine, dying in 608 and the latter as Sillán moccu Minn, dying in 610.{{cite book|last1=Ó Luinín|first1=Ruaidhrí |display-authors=etal |title=Annals of Ulster|date=1540|publisher=Annals of Ulster|location=Lough Erne|page=107|url=https://celt.ucc.ie//published/T100001A/text179.html|accessdate=11 December 2017|language=English|quote=Death of Sillán moccu Minn, abbot of Bennchor, and the death of Aedán, anchorite of Bennchor, and the death of Mael Umai son of Baetán.}}{{cite book|last1=Ua Braín|first1=Tigernach |display-authors=etal |authorlink1=Tigernach Ua Braín|title=Annals of Tigernach|date=1400s|publisher=Annals of Tigernach|location=Clonmacnoise|page=170|url=https://celt.ucc.ie//published/T100002A/text007.html|accessdate=11 December 2017|language=English, Middle Irish|quote=Death of Sillán son of Cumaine, abbot Bennchor, and death of Aedán the anchorite.}} Moccu being the equivalent of the Latin gens, indicating an uncertain ancestry.{{cite book|last1=Charles-Edwards|first1=Thomas|authorlink1=Thomas Charles-Edwards|title=Early Christian Ireland|date=2000|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=9780521363952|page=96|edition=1st|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g6yq2sKLlFkC&pg=PA96|accessdate=11 December 2017|language=en|chapter=I Communities}}

Variations of his name include Siollan, Silvan, Sylvan, Sillian and Sillán, amongst others.{{cite web|title=Saint Sillan, Abbot of Bangor, February 28|url=https://omniumsanctorumhiberniae.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/saint-sillan-abbot-of-bangor-february-28.html|website=Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae|accessdate=11 December 2017|language=en|date=28 February 2013}}