Saint of the Day – 22 March – Saint Darerca (5th Century) Wife, Mother, Sister of St Patrick. Patronage – of Valentia Island, Ireland. Mother of many Bishops and Saints.
There is not much confirmed information of her life but there is a network of legend which medieval writers interwove her acts. He fame comes partly due to her relationship to the great St Patrick, Ireland’s Apostle and Patron but also stands secure as not only a great Saint but as the mother of many great Saints.
Tradition records 17 or 19 sons and 2 daughters, St Eiche of Kilglas and St Lalloc of Senlis. Her first husband was Restitutus the Lombard, after whose death she married Chonas the Briton. By Restitutus, she was the mother of St Sechnall, St Nectan, St Fennor, St Auxilius, St Diarmaid, St Dabonna, Mogornon, Drioc, Lugauat, and Coemed Maccu Baird. Old Irish writers, assign her four other sons namely St Crummin, St Miduu, St Carantoc and St Macceaith.
Darerca was married twice and according to histories in Brittany, she was the second wife of Conan Meriadoc. She was the mother of his eldest son Gradlon Mawr who became Gradlon the Great, King of Brittany. Chonas the Briton, founded the Church of Both-Chonais, now Parish of Clonmany, in Ineshowen, Donegal.
Saint Darerca is honoured on 22 March and is the patroness of Valentia Island.
AnaStpaul 
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