[2] According to the Irish Ecclesiastical Record,[3] St. Scuithin, having attained advanced ascetic virtues, returned to Ireland c. 540 to live the life of a hermit monk, building himself an austere and isolated cell.

It is recorded that St. Scuithin led a life of austere self-discipline and on being quizzed by his contemporary St. Brendan[10] how he was preserved from temptation, he responded that whenever he slept, two heavenly virgins, i.e., divine hope and charity, kept watch by his side to protect him from evil attack.

To which St. Finbarr replied: “This is not a flowery meadow, but the sea;" and plunging his hand into the water, he caught a salmon which he tossed to St. Scuithin, saying: "See how richly it is supplied by God to minister to our wants."

The close proximity of these two ancient ecclesiastical sites, plus the passage of time, distortion of language and dialect has entwined and confused the true identities of these saints of early Celtic Christianity.

He was described in the History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory as: He is also entered January 2, in The Martyrology of Donegal as: Two ancient manuscripts in the Bibliothèque Royale, Brussels preserve St. Scuithin's memory in poetry: