due to the claimed great number of miracles that rapidly occurred either at his tomb or through his intercession, lorcán was canonised only 45 years after his death. early devotees of lorcán compared him with his martyred contemporary thomas becket, as a man who had suffered physical attacks while defending the independence of the church and his people from oppression, and who had held out the threat of divine curse or excommunication against the church's oppressors.