Her foster father was King Cridan, who had arranged a marriage for her. She didn't want to get married, let alone to someone she had never met before, so what did she do? She prayed. And God was his all-awsome self and made it look like there was a fire, which made everyone leave, and in the confusion she made her escape. King Cridan searched and searched and finally found her. She reproached him for binding her to this marriage against her will. The king finally relented and asked who she wanted to marry. Samthann said she would only marry God, and both the king and her original betrothed agreed. She then entered a convent led by St. Cognat.
Once, a teacher named Dairchellach told her that he was going to give up studying and was going to devote his life to prayer. Samthann's reply was "What then can steady your mind and prevent it from wandering, if you neglect spiritual study?" When Dairchellach was determined to go abroad on a pilgrimage, she then gave him a bit of her wisdom "If God cannot be found on this side of the sea, by all means let us journey overseas. But since God is near to all those who call upon him, we have no need to cross the sea. The kingdom of Heaven can be reached from every land."
In another instance, there was a peddler from Munster who carried messages between Samthann and the beginnings of the Ceile De community. She asked the peddler to carry a message to a young monk named Maelruin and deliver it, word for word. In her message, Samthann spoke of her admiration for Maelruin and added: "ask him whether he accepts women for confession, and will he accept my soul friendship?" Maelruin rejoiced in learning of Samthann's deep regard, but when he heard the remainder of her message he blushed deeply and was silent. After a long time of quiet, he sent back a reply that he would receive spiritual advice from her. Samthann's humorous response was prophetic: "I think, something will come of that youth."
