 The "Lives" tell us that Féchín received his monastic training from St Nath Í of Achonry and later moved on to Clonmacnoise.It has been suggested that his name translates as "little raven", consisting of the Old Irish noun "fiach" "raven" and a diminutive suffix.His name is explained in this manner in a note added to the "Félire Óengusso", which says that he received this name when his mother saw him gnawing on a bone and exclaimed "my little raven!"