'Cult' talk in Portlaoise on historic Laois saint
The Cult of St Abban who has strong links to Laois is the name of a upcoming talk organised by the Laois Heritage Society.
Dr Ellen Ganly, the holder of a PhD in medieval Irish studies, will talk about the life and cult that developed around the early medieval Irish saint named Abban.
It's believed that this saint founded many churches and monasteries throughout Ireland, the primary ones being Kilabban in Laois and Adamstown in Wexford. Another church is said to have been founded by him in Camross.
Dr Ganly's PhD thesis completed in the Department of Early Irish at Maynooth was entitled The Life and Cult of St. Abbán: A Dossier Study. She says it is the first comprehensive study of the cult and textual profile of the saint known in Gaelic as Abbán.
Painstaking restoration has been carried out in recent years at the historic Killabban church to prevent it from collapsing. The ruins near Arles in east Laois, date back to the 13th century. St Abban is thought to have founded a previous church in area around 650 AD.
Laois County Council, the Heritage Council and a local committee have working together to stablise the ancient structure.
The talk takes place on Thursday, February 16 at 8pm in the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise. It is free for members and €3 for non-members. Membership is available on the evening.