As far as we can tell, Saint Gobnait lived in sixth century Ireland. In English, her name is Abigail or Deborah, which come from her association with bees. An angel told Gobnait to search for the place she belonged by looking for nine white deer. She traveled all around until she saw nine deer grazing on a hill in Ballvourny, County Cork. She settled there, built a monastery, and established a religious order. She also kept honey bees, which was a sacred insect in Irish lore.