The St. Ciaran of Clonmacnois - able to travel from Connacht, to study at St. Finnian's school at Clonard, spend seven years at Inishmore on Aran with St. Enda, go to a monastery in the center of Ireland called Isel, spend some time on Inis Aingin (Hare Island), live in the monastery of St. Nennid on an island off Lough Erne, go to Inniscathig, proceed to an island of Lough Ree (Aingin) where he erected a monastery, and finally retire to Clonmacnoise and then somewhere in between all these travels go to Kintire, Barvas, and all of the other locations is Scotland? who purportedly died at 33 years of age could travel such great distances in such a short life span. Ciaran's mother came to visit a holy bishop, who, when hearing the roll her approaching chariot said: "it is the noise of a chariot under a king. And he shall be a mighty king. As the sun shineth among the stars of heaven, so shall he shed on earth miracles and marvels that can not be told." A footnote to this little passage says that while "Ciaran was sowing seed at Iseal-Chiarain..."
St. Ciaran of Clonmacnoise. The Church of St. Ciaran, the Cave of St. Ciaran, St. Ciaran's Loch and Landing, no mythology concerning St. Ciaran at any of these places in Scotland. St. Ciaran place names came from the Highland Papers, MacFarlane's Geographical Collections, and a book called the Celtic Shown , press for more, 'q' to quit, or 'h' for help Place-Names of Scotland. When a Celtic family venerates a saint - they attach either Giolla or Maoil to-the-saint's-name: Mac Giolla Ciarain or Mac Maoil Ciarain, both signifying either a devotee or a follower of St. Ciarain. The Mac an t-Saoir usage (adopting this description of a saint as a last name) is somewhat unique. There are Irish names such as Mac an Airchinnigh, or son of the herenagh, Mac an Easpug, or son of the bishop, Mac an Ulaigh, or son of Ulster, which are similar in form; but we don't norly see these as descriptive titles given to a handful of unrelated individuals (all Bishops or abbots) over the course of centuries.
St. Ciaran references in Kintire: the saint (and his nickname or descriptive phrase, Mac an t-Saoir) was probably as well-known in Scotland as it was in Ireland. And being largely found in the same region (Kintire) as the surname makes it even more likely that MacIntyre in Scotland was derived from Mac an t-Saoir. In the Life of Colum Cille, the two saints meet at one point, and St. Ciarain is told to defer to Columcille because of his royal blood, whereas St. Ciarain was simply a son of a wright. While Ciaran was studying with Finian at Clonard a lad by the name of Ninnid (the slat eyed) of Loch Erne, seeking knowledge for which his soul yearned, came to the big school. The great-hearted Finian had spoken with him, and accepted, and enrolled the shy little fellow from Loch Erne...." The story goes on to say that he was told to seek among those at Clonard for a book to borrow. He eventually found Ciaran, the son of the Carpenter, who was reading verse of Matthew in the bible and gave Ninnid his book. When this story came to Finian, he proudly said to the students that "Not Ciaran half-Matthew will he be, but Ciaran half-Ireland." the name 'Iseal-Chiarain', which is similar to some of the references in John's message. Can it be that the tale of Ciaran was "adopted" in the areas of Scotland to say he was there to influence Christianity in those locals by Columba and others that followed?
St. Ciaran being a carpenter's son, and of having died at the same age as Christ and that the resemblance between the him and Jesus, etc. may have some bearing on the meaning of the descriptive phrase Mac an t-Saoir as it is applied to a limited number of individuals (who were all religious folks it appears in the beginning) in the Irish Annals. This would seem to also support the translation of Mhac an t'Saoir as son of the artificer (skilled or artistic worker or craftsman; one that makes; deviser) or carpenter. Two cases (one in Scotland and one in Ireland) of different roots for much the same names. Based on …. if the McTyres (MacTyres) may not be of Clan Ross. Anyway, they and the Tyres, which one might otherwise place among our own Mhac an t'Saoirs, both display non-Ulster migration patterns, so it was no surprise that their respective folklores pointed elsewhere. The McAteers and MacIntyres of Lorne to be related was (a) their geographical distribution, (b) their ties to the sea, and (c) a similarity of culture.