No More Learning

simply, and in composition, is very common. There is a Bangor, in the parish of Kil-
common, in Mayo ; a townland Banagher,
^sSeeHarris'" Down," p. 64.
^^
ofthe
of inthe of parish
in and Kilkenny ;
and with a multitude of '7 The Latin heavenly spirits.
— *'
cher chorus^ vel albus chorus. ''^ Aqta
Sanctorum HiberniK. " Martii i. Vita S. Moinenni, p. 439.
O'Donovan's of The map Hy-Many.
name,
History
County
Fiddown,
in the parish of Liskeevy, in Galway. A
Loch Bannngher, in the parish of Killymard,
See his Life, at the 17th of March.
^7 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
in Donegal; Cool-banagher (Cuil bencAi]-, Jocelin's Vita S. Patricii, cap. xcviii,, p. 88. Calendar of OClery), in the Queeni.
**
The name Bangor is of a very different County ; Drum-Banagher (0]\uim bent)- origin : it is really only a modification of cui|\, "Annals of the Four Masters," a. D. the word Banagher. The two forms are 1032), in the county ol Armagh ; Mo-van- frequently exchanged. Thus Banagher in agher (niAg beAnnc-:M|\), on tiie B. mn, in the county ol Derry, is called Bcucharra in the parish of Jvilren, county ol Derry ; and the Taxation ol 1291 ; and Bam^oria, in one the ancient Church of Ross-bennchuir, of the year 1397. Banagher, on the east placed i;)y Archdall, in the county ol Clare. bauk ot the Shauuon, is written T3eiincot\ in '9 "lis pillereut la fameuse Abbaye de
726 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February28.
trated by pirates, and it seems to be mentioned, as effecting a complete destruction of the place. However, Dr. Lanigan thinks it probable, that this was an exaggerated tradition, as he could not find any mention of such great slaughter,inourIrishdocuments. Harristhought,thatSt. Bernardapplied, through a mistake, the slaughter of British monks, by Aedilfrid, a Northum-
^"^
It must be observed, not- withstanding, that Aedilfrid and his army were not pirates, in the sense meant by St. Bernard; besides, the number of British monks killed was even greater, it is thought, than that mentioned by him. ^^" Several pious and learned men must have perished, during this indiscriminate massacre. The Danes, on this occasion, broke open the shrine of St. Comgall ; probably scattering his relics, and removing costly and artistic ornaments of the church
arid monastery, with other plunder, borne away to their ships.
Harris refers the origin of derivation for Bangor^^ to an event, which had its commencement in the twelfth century. De Burgo is equally at fault, in hisetymology. TheRev. Dr. Reeves,however,tellsus,thatthederivation of this word, Bangor, is traced to a tradition of the country, recorded by Keating,=4 "and it seems to bear out this most learned and laborious antiquary, in his assertion. ^5 The same most capable historian has given hopes for the publication of a separate volume, on the History of Bangor. ^*^ No man could
brian King, at Bancor, to Bangor in Ireland.
Banchor, et tuerent I'Eveque avec neuf cens Moines. "—L'Abbe Ma-Geoghegan's "liis- toire de I'lrlande," Tome i,, part ii. , chap. v. , p. 377.
=° To this massacre, it is possible, St. Bernard alludes.
-' "
See Ancient and Present State of the
spot, he gave the name of the place in which
County of Down," p. 64.
And, figuratively the word is applied to the
" See Dr.
tory of Ireland," vol. iv. , chap, xxvi. , sect, ix. , n. 62, p. 79.
=•3 Vernacule dicitur Benchor seu Banchor,
a pulchro Monachorum Choro. Bane siqui-
dem Hibernice significat Albtun, Choraidh
vero Chorum. Nunc autem passim nuncu-
patur Bangor, estque Burgus, ut vocant,
Parlamentarius in Dunensi Agro Ultonice.
* * * *
''*
a"
Lanigan's
sharp pointed
" Ecclesiastical His-
rocks in the Shannon, and the crests of helmets. beAniiA, in like manner, is used to denote certain local appearances ; thus Benna Barche, the old name of Mourne
'
Mountains, signifies
By an analogous change, the Latiny^;-««, as in the 'CVr«? /rt Parnassi bicipitis' ofStatius;
''
the rubrcE cornua crista; ;' and the cornua
Rev. Wm. Reeves' "Antiquities of Down, Con- nor, and Dromore. " Appendix H, pp.
199, 2CX).
=<'
However different may have been the '* By Keating, we are told, that " Kenn- allusions and locale, which the "divine
"
duntaxat Milliaribus distat Villa Noz'a, ubi olim erat Fratrum Prredicatorum Ccenobium, ut dicetur cap. ix. , sect. xi. —" Hibemia Dominicana,"
a a crest,' tip. ' signify peak,'
Quatuor
cap. i. , sect, xiv. , n. (b), p. 21.
faolad, son of Blathmac, son of Hugh Slaine,
enjoyed the sovereignty four years. In his
reign Bangor was burned, and its congrega-
tion slain, by the foreigners. The reason incidents—of the past history of our Irish
why that place was called Bangor was this
:: Bangor
Breasal Breac, King of Leinster, went with
an to Scotland andhe
army plunder ; brought
many cows and herds of cattle with him into Ireland. And after he and his forces landed, they formed an encampment in the place
which is now called B»ingor, and slaughtered a great number of the cattle there, until a considerable number of the Beanna, i. e. the horns of the cows, were scattered over the plain, so that the place ever since bore the name of Magh Beanncoir. A long time after that, when the holy Abbot Comgall erected the monastery of Bangor in the saane
"Heinhisfurieallshallover-ronne,
And holy Church with faithlesse handes
deface,
That thy sad peojile, utterly fordonne.
Shall to the utmost mountaines fly
apace :
Was never so great waste in any place.
Nor so fowle outrage doen by living men ; For all thy citties they shall sacke and
race,
And the greene grasse that groweth they
shall brcn,
it was erected to it, viz. , Beann-char, it has retained it ever since. "
so that
"5 " In these cases the root of the word is the same, beingbeAmiA, the VivAxiox horns.
O'Brien and O'Reilly explain *
'
beAnn4iCA]\ or bcAnncui|\' by be^nnA bo, coi. v ho7-fts. '
velatarum antennarum,' of Virgil, c—ame to
the peaks of Barche. '
celebrates, in his fanciful poem of 'jyie Faerie Qtieene,'^ the following passages
Spenser ''
will, nevertheless, not inaptly accord with
February 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 727
be better qualified, for the performance of such a task ; but, hitherto, this much-desired local history has not issued from the press.
Beogna, who was Abbot of Bangor, died on the 22nd day of August,^? a. d. 605. ^2 IntheAnnalsofInisfallen,however,therestofBeoguiniisrecorded, 601. St. Siollan Avas elevated, in succession, to the dignity of Abbot, as the thirdsuperior,overthisrenownedmonastery. Intheyear609,theburning
"
Annals of Inis- fallen ;" ^9 but, this happened, most probably, after the time of Siilan. This saintdidnotlongsurvivehispredecessor,inrulingoverthemonasteryj for,
of the monastery of Bennchoir, in Ulad, is recorded, in the
"
Four Masters," Siilan was called to bliss, after having faithfully discharged
in about half a year after Beogna's death, according to our
Annals of the
the duties of his
in this life. — to the stewardship, According
"
Annals of
—llen,"30ata. d. 604,thedeathofaSillain probablyintendedforthis Inisfa
He
on the 28th of in the day February,
saint is placed.
606, according to the
but the year 609 is set down, in the
The Annals of Clonmacnoise have the same date. The Annals of Tigher- nach have his death, at a. d. 610. 33
"
year Annals of the F^our Masters. "3i Again, the same day,
"
departed
The Irish Martyrologists place the festival of St. Siilan, at this day. Thus we find, in his Festilogy, St. yEngus has an early notice of this holy superior. 34 His name is inserted as Siilan, Abbot, Banchoir, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,35 at the same date. The Calendar of Cashel, and Marianus O'Gorman, at this day, commemorate him, as the Abbot of Bennchor and thecomorbanorsuccessorofSt. Comgall. s^ HeisnotedasaConfessor,in the ancient
Dublin,37 where his feast is inserted at the ii. of the Kalends of March
Annals of Ulster,'' 32 for his demise.
of the Cathedral Church of the — Martyrology Holy Trinity,
And even the wilde beast shall dy in starved den.
" And Bangor with massacred martyrs fill. "
nicarum Scriptores," tomus iv. Annales Ultonienses, p. 38.
33 See ibid. Tomus ii. Tigernaci An*
nales, p. 181.
34 The following rann, with its accom^
panying English translation, was kindly fur^ —Book III. , Canto III. , Stanzas XXXIV. , nished by Professor O'Looney. The Irish
is from the Leabhar Breac copy : XXXV. ""—
^7 See an account of him, at that date.
=8 "The Age of Christ 605. The fifth year of Aedh. St. Beoghna, Abbot of
after— died on [next] Comhgall,
Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp.
C11. h-l ^eit SitlAin betrochuip, J noeb UAjA •oebb'OAi ;
tA cefA-o v'^^^'O^^ I'Loig
OAIC oh
poteen 0^1 ]reb^Ai.
'* OnthefeastofSiilanofBeannchor,
Ten comely virgin saints ;
With the suffering of hosts of manly
[saints],
They complete the end of Feb-
ruary. "
Beannchair
the I2th of August. " Dr. O'Donovan's
"
230, 231.
occurs—the 22nd of August was the day of his death. Even this is mentioned, in the Irish text of Mr. O'Donovan's Edition :
A error here typographical
'"Oeg 22-o^u5Ufc," " =9 See Dr. OConor's
Rerum Iliberni- carum Scriptores," tomus ii. Annales Inis-
falenses, pp. 10, 11.
3° See Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hiberni-
carum Scriptores," tomus ii. Annales Inis-
falenses, p. 10.
3' "The Age of Christ, 606. The sixth
year of Aedh Uairidh-nac. St. Siilan, son of Caimin, Abbot of Beannchair [Bangor], and successor o—f Comhgall, died on the 28lh of February. " Dr. O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. , pp. 232. 233.
It seems difficult to define, who were the ten virgin saints, as more than that number will be found in the Church Calendars for this date, and even more than that number, classed among the martyrs. Several men, who were martyred at Alexandria, Rome, and Antwerp, are also mentioned by name, and their Acts are to be found in the Bol- landists' "Acta tomus
3- " Mors Sillain, mc Cumminn, abb.
35 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvii.
— "
Bencoir. " Dr. O'Conor's Kcrum Ilibcr-
Sanctorum,"
iii. ,,
3^ See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber' Colgan's
Februarii xxviii.
728 LIVESOPTHEIRISHSAINTS [February28.
corresponding with the 28th of February. 38 Again, in the Martyrology of Donegal,-'9 \ve find mentioned, as liaving a festival on this -day, Siollan, Master, Abbot of Bennchair-Uladh, and successor of Comghall. In Scot- land, likewise, this distinguished superior received his share ot honour. The holy Abbot, Sillan, departed to Christ in Irehmd, on the ii. ol the March Kalends, or on the 28th of February, according to tlie Drummond Kalendar,'*" His personal sanctity gained him the admiration and love of all his com- munity ; while liis repute for learning has survived, although its manifestation may not now exist, in the shape of works attributed to him.
ArticleII. —ReputedFestivalofaSt. Mohsiona,orMosinu. It
seems to be a matter for doubt, if the present holy person is in any way dis-
tinguishable from the preceding Abbot, regarding whom, some historic notes have been gleaned, for the present day. On the 28th of February, we find
this saint set down in the of Martyrology Tallagh,^^
under the " Mosinu title,
mac h mind, id est,^Sillan Ab. Banchoir. " The Abbot Mosnia is recorded, by Marianus O'Gorman, at this day. So the BoUandists observe, but remark,
also, that the Martyrology of Tallagh calls him Moshina, the son of Va-minn, Abbot of Bangor, who is otherwise Sillanus. ^ Mohsiona3 is recorded, in the
Martyrology of Donegal,-* on this day. More than we have given can hardly be said, about this saint.
Article III.
—Reputed Festival of St. Gall, Lake of Constance,
Switzerland. At the 28th of February, Dempster' enters a festival for St.
Gall,^ at Lake Acronius,3 where he remained after his Master, St. Columban,*
'passed over the Alps. 5 The BoUandists, in like manner, following such
authority, notice this reputed festival, among the pretermitted feasts, and refer furthermore to the Acts of St. Gall, occurring at die i6th of October. ^
Article IV. —Reputed Festival of St. Modwena. The BoUandists,^
while remarking that Colgan is silent, at this date, regarding the present holy woman ; yet observe, that she is inscribed in the Catalogue,^ published by
nice," xxviii. Febniarii. De S. Sillano sive above), is not mentioned in the other
Silvano Abbate Benchorensi, nn. 8, 9, p. 424.
37 See Edition of John Clarke Crosthwaite and Dr. Todd. Introduction, p. Ivi. , and p. 92.
Calendars. "
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
^^ In the
the name is omitted.
at the i6th of October,
3 Now the Bodensee or Lake of Con* stance. Pomponius Mela mentions it under the names 'of Lacus Venetus, and Lacus ^° See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Acronius, lib. iii. , 2. The former is pro- Scotti. ^h Saints,'' p. 6. bably the name of the upper part of the Article ii. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. lake, and the latter that of the lower. See William Smith's "Dictionary of Greek and
^
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
prefixed Calendar,
at this
date,
Life,
39 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 58, 59.
Kelly, p. xvii.
Februarii xxviii. the
Among pretermitted
saints, p. 717.
3 In a note, at this name. Dr. Todd says,
"The Mart. Timl, seems to identify this saint with Siolldn or Sillan, of Bangor. Its words are, mopnu m^c. h. nun-o, 1. Silliti
'
p. 718.
ARTICLE IV. -' See
son of Hua
;>. , Sillan, Ablxt of Bangor,' Mosiona (or tomus iii. , Februarii xxviii. Among the
Acta Sanctorum," Mo. -^l. iona as the name ought to be written pretermitted saints, p. 718.
^bb. beiicAi^A :
Mosinu,
Mind,
58, 59. —* Article III.
ticum. "
= See his
Roman Geography," vol. i. , p. 429.
*• See his at the 21st of November, Life,
s See Bi^>hop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 193.
^ See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Feb-
ruariixxviii. Amongthepretermittedsaints,
"
See "Menologium Sco-
February 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 729
FatherHenryFitzsimon. Besides,amongIrishSaints'names,foundinthat anonymous Hsr, published by O'Sullevan Beare,3 St. Modwena is noticed, at the
28th of Ftbrunry, Without furtlier enlightening us, at this day, regarding the holy woman in question, the Bollandists^ refer us to a Hst of Modwenas or Mon-
ennas, given by them, at the ist of February,5 as also to a well-known holy woman, bearmg such a name, and whose Acts they give,° at the 5th and 6th of July. 7
Article V. —Cruimther Domhnaigh, or Crumtharus Dominile CuMFiCLANUs, SoN OF Ua Foillanus. The Martyrology of Tallagh^ mentions a festival, at the 28th of February, m honour of Cruimther Domh-
" cum Firlain h is in with this Foelain," recorded, conjunction
naigh. Also,
entry. From the designation Cruimther applied, we may assume, that the samt so designated had not advanced beyond Priest's Orders. But, observing
that Colgan passes him by, as one unknown, at this date ; the BoUandists have remarked, that the first entry, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, is, "Crum- tharus Dominile Cumficlani, filius Va-Foillani. "^ Yet, to us, there seems
some confusion, or error of a scribe, which leaves it doubtful, if a single person be intended, with a notice of his place and parentage, or if a double entry of cognomen, without the etymon of a place, be the more correct in- terpretation.
Article VI. —Reputed Festival of a St. Vulfherus, a Confessor AND Priest. On the assumption, that Capgrave and other writers speak of a St. Vulfherus, Camerarius has entered him, at this day,' stating, moreover, that his memory was celebrated, in the province of Argyle, Scotland. The BoUandists,^ however, question, that any passage of Capgrave bears out this quotation, nor do they know, who are the other writers, to whom Camerarius refers. Therefore, his statements seem to require further confirmation, and until that be afforded, it is needless to enquire, whether he was a saint of Scotia Major or Scotia Minor.
Article VII. —St. Ternoc, or Tearnog. It has been conjectured,*
that Saran, the grandfather of this saint, lived in the time of St. Patrick. ' An
entry, Ternoc, is found in the Martyrology of Tallagh,3 at the 28th of Feb- ruary. The BoUandists state,-* that Marianus O'Gorman calls this holy man.
a "De S. Darerca previous commentary,
seu Monynna Virg. in Hibernia, Scoiia, vel Anglia, Julii vi. , pp. 290 to 312.
7 For addiiional particulars, regarding her, the reader is referred to this date,
ARTICLEV. —' EditedbyRev. Dr. Kelly,
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Feb- ruariixxviii. Amongthepretermittedsaints,
*
In his "Menologium = See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Feb-
= See '*
Sanctorum Hibernise. " At ilie 5th of July, her feast is placed, on the authority of Jolin Capgrave.
Catalogus aliquorum
See " Nova Legenda Anglise," &c.
3 See
"
Hisiorise Calholicse Ibernise Com-
pendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49. 4 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Feb-
ruarii xxviii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 718.
5 See ibid. , tomus i. , Februarii i. De S.
Brigida Virg, Scota Thaumaturga, &c. , Commentarius pra;vius, sect, iii. , vi. , pp. 104,107,108. Newedition.
p. xvii. ="
v. De S. Moduenna seu Monenna, Monynna, Mony-
'' See ibid. , tomus ii. ,
Julii
ruarii xxviii. the Among
p. 717.
ARTICLE VII. — '
pretermitted saints,
the *' Sane-
una an A critical commen- p. uiibus.
ma,
tary, in two sections, and twenty-six para- graphs, pp. 241 to 246- At tiie following day are to be found two distinct Lives, with
Accordingto tilogium Genealogicum. "
p. 717. — ARTICLE VI.
Scoticum. "
^
See his Life, at the 17th of March, 3 Edited by Kev. Lr. Kelly, p. xvii.
730 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February28.
Tejnotiis, at this date. Nothing very certain seems to have transpired re- garding him. In the Life of St. Cohmiba, by Prince 0'Donnell,5 mention is made of a certain Ternoc, who was his disciple, and who Hved at Tulach na psahii,^ to the east of Killmicnenain. 7 To him, and to his fellow-disciples, St. Columba^ gave a prophetic account of what was to happen. This Ternoc is supposed to have been the son of Kiaroc, son to Saran,9 son of Narsluag, son to Coelbad, son of Crunn Budhrai. ^° He is stated, to have been the same as St. Ternoc of Ariodh-Muilt, near Lough Erne, in Ulster ; and, he is classed, by Colgan, among the disciples of St. Columba. " Archdall observes,'^ there was an ancient monastery, called Ariodhmuilt, near Lough Erne, of which St. Ternoc was Abbot,^3, but that its situation Avas unknown to him. In the Martyrology of Donegal/* simply we find recorded, on this day, Tearnog. Nothing very certain can be advanced, towards the elucidation of his
history.
Article VIII. —Festival of St. Aedh, Mac Bricc, of Enachbriuin,
OF Killare, and of Rathhugh, County of Westmeath, as also of
Slieve League, County of Donegal. \Sixth Century. '] Having procured two distinct Lives of St. Aedh, Mac Brie, and finding a double feast for him,
Colgan' published one of these, at the 28th of February,^ which happens to be the first occurring, deferring the other, until he should come to a much later period of the year. The festival of this saint is more properly cele- brated, on the loth of November. At this latter date, fuller particulars, re- . garding his Acts, may be seen. However, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,3 we find, that a festival was celebrated, at the 28th of February, in honour of Aedh Mac Bricc. We are told, furthermore, that the Martyrology of Salis- bury and Richard Whitford, as also the Martyrology of Donegal accord.
''
In Capgrave's
Nova Legenda Angliae,"s we find an account of St. Aldus or
Aidanus, Abbot, whose festival is set down, for the 28th of February. ^ In
the anonymous Catalogue of Irish Saints, published by O'Sullevan Beare,7 the
name of St. Aldus occurs, at the 28th of February. This Saint ^dus or Aedh,ashissurnameindicates,wasthesonofBrie. Hedescendedfromthe Meathian O'Neills, and belonged to the family of the celebrated Conn of the
*'
* See
ruariixxviii. Amongthepretermittedsaints,
'°
According to the "Sanctilogic Genea- logy," chap, xxiii. See (^uinta Vita S. Columbre, lib. i. , cap. ciii. , and n. 84, p. 451. Jbui.