Saint Saint Ilar

A Saint Ilar ([iːlɑr]; Latin: Hilarus or Elerius) is listed among the 6th-century saints of Wales and is the probable namesake of Llanilar in Ceredigion and its former hundred of Ilar. His feast day is variously given as 13, 14, or 15 January, but is no longer observed by either the Anglican or Catholic church in Wales. Although he has been consistently conflated with Saint Hilary of Poitiers and shares a similar saint's day (Hilary's being observed on the 13th), the Welsh saint is often listed separately as Ilar Bysgotwr ("Hilary the Fisherman"). He is also given the epithets Ilar Droedwyn ("Hilary Whitefoot") and Ilar Ferthyr ("Hilary the Martyr"). The bishop of Poitiers, meanwhile, was a confessor and died peacefully. Saint Hilary's own connection with Wales arose from confused accounts that he ordained Saint Cybi as a bishop, although the two were separated by two centuries. Baring-Gould suggests this may have arisen from a confusion between Hilary and Cybi's relative Saint Elian, and some of the dedications to either saint may have originally been in honor of him. Another Saint Hilary, the 5th-century Pope Hilarius, was credited in Welsh legend with ordaining Saint Elvis, who in turn baptized Saint David, the patron saint of Wales. Ilar is a very obscure saint and few details survive apart from his name. Surviving records name Saint Ilar as a Breton companion of Padarn and Cadfan's 6th-century mission to Wales. He may have come from Armorica. The parishes bearing his name are to the south of Tywyn (credited to Cadfan) but near some credited to Padarn. As a martyr, he may have been killed by the pagan Irish or Saxon invasions of the time. In addition to the parish church at Llanilar, the church at Trefilan in Ceredigion near Lampeter is also dedicated to Saint Ilar or Hilary, the name of the community having been corrupted from an original Tref Ilar (lit. "Town of Ilar").