There is a place near Dungarvan, down the Tipperary Mountains called Ballinameela.
I knew it because the cultural consultant for the italian embassy in Lucan House, Dublin, made an interesting study about the history of a St. Patrick disciple named Cahal born in Rachau or Rahan or Dungarvan around 610 or 620.
He discovered, or at least we like to think it's a true history, that a Catholic Bishop called Cataldo or Cataldus - in latin - very famous in a large part of south Italy, from Sicily to Naples, would have been an Irish Bishop called Cahal who left Lismore cause a persecution and started a long trip for the Holy Land.
The combination between the two stories born because inside the Tomb of Cataldus, guarded in Taranto, Italy, was found an old cross with the sign upon "Rachav".
Latins used to change the letter V for U so the sign upon the cross could mean "Rachau" or "Rahan", actually Dun Garbhan.
The similarities between the two stories were so many to convince many people about the truth of this story.
In the south part of Italy a lot of places, cities and churches are named after Cataldo in order to remember his alleged powers as a healer.
Now I really don't know if it was all true. I decided to start a trip, time ago, to Ballinameela, Lismore, Dungarvan and Waterford to look for some places and stories about Cahal and I found many Irish friends with opened arms, their houses opened for us and a common love for a great number of values.
It was my first trip to Ireland and I think that about the story of Cahal or Cataldus we have to build a new link between our community.