Recent research by historians has revealed that the remains of the saint who inspired Christmas are buried in County Kilkenny.
The remains of the 4th century Saint Nicholas of Myra are said to be
buried at Newtown, Jerpoint in County Kilkenny.
It is well documented
that during his life Saint Nicholas left anonymous gifts for the poor
and his well-known philanthropy and generosity of spirit lead him to
being made a saint shortly after his death in 346AD, which inspired the
legend of Santa Claus and Christmas.
Local historian Philip Lynch, who is chairperson of the Callan
Heritage Society, said that the remains of the popular saint were
transferred twice across Europe in the 12th century.
It is believed
that the Saint's remains were first moved to Myra in Italy in 1169 and
that they were later transferred by a relative to Kilkenny where a
church was built.
This church, namely Saint Nicholas's church, still stands and there
is also a slab on the ground where Saint Nicholas is said to have been
buried.
According to Lynch, very few people in Ireland today are aware of the
Irish connection with Saint Nicholas although he said, “We still get
quite a few visitors to the church every Christmas.”
He said that, while the church is now in ruins, one impressive tomb
still stands out namely a slab of rock where the images of the head of a
Bishop and two other people stand out.
He continued, “The two men are believed to be the crusaders who
brought Saint Nicholas to
Ireland while the Bishop is believed to be the
image of Saint Nicholas.’’
SIC: CIN/IE