From: Derek Bell <dbell@maths.tcd.ie>
Subject: Re: (urth) Fechin
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1998 20:05:33 +0000

In message <199812071836.KAA08451@lists1.best.com>, m.driussi@genie.com writes:
>According to the Old Man in Casdoe's house, Fechin of Urth had red
>hair on his head and arms (III, ch. 15).  So that's an easy
>association with "Irish" right there (it also links back to
>journeyman Roche's red hair, which prompted the autarch-as-procurer
>to speak about how "Far to the south, in the narrow lands, the
>savages paint a fire spirit much like you" [I, ch. 9] . . . ), but it
>isn't much to go on.

	Just to note that Irish people aren't really that more
redhaired than most other European peoples. Unfortunately, I don't
have figures to back that up, but I haven't noticed any visible difference.

>According to the Oxford, Fechin is also known as Vigean, which
>"corrupted to Virgin" (I like that!).  Fechin had a cult in Scotland.

	I wouldn't be surprised if Fechin or some of his monks founded
a church or even monastery in Scotland - it's not too far from Sligo
to Scotland.

	Derek

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