No More Learning

Some notices of this holy man have been gleaned, from our ancient
calendars, and from various sources, by Colgan,^ at the 8th of February.
The Bollandists have only a brief and passing allusion to him, at this same
date. 7 Onchuo, or Onchu, was the son of a poet,^ and he was born in the
provinceofConnaught. Hedescendedfromarespectablefamily,sinceto
its members was assigned the important charge of preserving their country's institutes and antiquities, with the genealogies of her illustrious men. Such
appears, also, to have been the profession of our saint's father, as of his an-
cestors,whosenames,however,havenottranspired; while,Onchuohimself is said to have been a most skilful master, in these peculiar lines of pursuit. 9 Some doubts have arisen, in the mind of Dr. Lanigan, as to the time when this saint flourished ;'° but, there seems to be sufficient evidence to prove, that he lived during the sixth or seventh century. While Colgan says, that Onchuo flourished about the year 550," that he was contemporary with Maidoc of Clonmore, who was contemporaneous with his uterine brother, Aid," son of Ainmire,^3 and that both are buried at Clonmore '^^ Dr. Lanigan
* With a sufficiently discursive essay, on music and musical instruments generally, Giraldus Cambrensis gives a very minute description of Irish proficiency, in this most refiningofaccomplishments. Heobserves, that the bishops, abbots and saints of Ire- land, were accustomed to carry their harps about with them, and to touch them melo-
' ' in i—is modulando diously, pie
How
year. comprehen-
consueverint. " Giraldi Cambrensis' "Ope-
ra," vol. V. Edited by James F. Dimock,
"
Topographia Hibernica," Distinc- tio iii. , cap. xii. , p. 155. See, also, cap. xi. , xiii. , xiv. , xv. , pp. 153 to 161.
s The "Book of Conquests," contained in the Saltair of Cashel, relates, that at the very time Milesius landed in Ireland he had a poet, Cir, and a harper, Ona, in his train. See a series of lectures, by Professor Eugene
M. A.
O'Curry,
" On the Manners and Customs
of the Ancient Irish," vol. ii. , lect. i. ,PP«
4, S- Edited by W. K. Sullivan, Ph. D. ,
&c. ^
See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," viii.
"See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise. " Index ii. qui est Chronologicus, vi. ssec, p. 831.
delectari
to be studied for a
sive were the subjects in each book may be learned, on consulting that admirable series of lectures, by the late Professor Eugene O'Curry, "On the Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish," vol. ii. , lect. viii. , pp. 171 to 173. Also lect. xviii. , p. 381.
Februarii. De S. Onchuone, ex variis, pp. 276, 277, with notes.
7 The Bollandists
was an unparalleled poet, a native of Con-
naught, and that he lies buried at Clonmore,
in Leinster. This they quote from the Ca-
lendar of Cashel. They class our saint Geoghegan's "Histoire de I'Irlande, An-
say,
that St. Onchuo
n. Heto chuone, i, p. 277. began reign
among the Prseterniissi et in alios dies re- "
jecti. See "Acta Sanctorum, tomus ii. , Februarii viii. , p. 151.
^ An accomplished Irish poet was expected to be conversant with the twelve books of
Filedheachty meaning "poetry," or "philo- sophy ;" while, each book was calculated, as the stage of an ancient collegiate course,
Edited by W. K. Sullivan, Ph. D.
"
nise, viii. Februarii. Vita S. Onchuonis,
cap. i. , p. 276.
^° See "Ecclesiastical of Ire* History
land," vol. iii. , chap, xviii,, sect, lu. , n. 34, p. 87.
9 See Colgan's "
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
" See ibid. , viii. Februarii. De S. On-
about 572, and he was a generous bene- factor to the Church.
^3 He reigned A. D. 568. See I'Abbe Ma*
404 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 8.
holds,^5 he may have been contemporaneous with St. Finan, the Leper,'^ or what is even more probable, he may have lived at a period, even later than that of St. Finan'7 or of St. Moling. '^ It may be possible, St. Onchuo was bom some time in the sixth century. Indeed, it is rather difficult to recon- cile his chronology, with that of some, among his reputed contemporaries.
The Irish name for this saint was Onchu ; and Colgan says, that word
means " a or " water-dog"
A doubt has been as to whether urged,
leopard. "
or not, this holy man was identical with a St. Conall, who is called the son
of -^ngus, and who, likewise, has been distir^uished as a poet or an anti- quary. The latter was venerated, at the 9th of September. ^9 It has been remarked,^° there is not only a coincidence of profession, between Onchuo and Conall ; but, the etymology of both these names has a certain affinity, well known to those skilled in the Irish language. A similarity of pursuits, and a like signification of name, are rather slight and insufficient grounds,
however, for such a conjecture. Onchuo is very generally distinguished as son of the poet. ^^ When we are told, this saint became a monk under St.
Aidan, patron of Ferns, and in the monastery of Clonmore,^^ such statement can only be true of him, at a later period of his life. It seems probable, Onchuo's earliest education was obtained in the province of Connaught, where his family lived ; and, here, too, he is most likely to have entered re- ligion. At this time, his taste for poetry was fostered by his masters, while he became a great student of his country's antiquities. 23
The profession of an antiquary was formerly very much honoured and esteemed by the Irish. Not only in the early ages, but even in Colgan's time, there were certain particular famiHes, whose members addicted them- selves to this . study. ^4 These were obliged to transmit for posterity, the ancient laws of their country, the actions of illustrious men, with their genealogies, besides sacred and profane antiquities relating to our island. In more remote times, it is observed, that perhaps those distinct faculties
were united in the same family ; although, at a subsequent period, they were divided among separate families. The first profession or faculty was bound
cienne et Moderne," tome i.
Seconde *5 See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
Partie, chap, iii. , p. 229.
" ^*
*"* In the Letters
to the Anti-
relating
quities of the County of Carlow, containing
Information collected during the I^iogress of
the Ordnance Survey in 1839," the antiqui-
ties in the parish of Clonmore are described,
with some rude drawings, by Patrick
O'Keefe, in a communication, headed
Tullow, August 7th, 1839, pp. 372 to 390.
At this time, an old woman recollected the
ancient church to be standing, on the north
side of the road, where an ancient cross re-
mained. According to her account, there ordinary occasions and of this we have
were two door-ways—one on each gable— many instances. "—"Dissertations on the
but, in a battered condition. One of the
breaches in the western gable was probably
a door-way. Although, at this period of his career, John O'Donovan notes, that Clonmore, in the barony of Bantry, and county of Wexford, was the Cluain-mor- Maodhog of Irish ecclesiastical history ; P. O'Keefe more correctly suspects this present Clonmore to be the place, and he says, it is remarkable, that the old natives stated, it was formerly called Cluan Mor Maddock. See p. 382.
History of Ireland," sect, vi. , p. 61.
"See Rev. Dr. Kelly's "Calendar of
Irish Saints," p. 71.
^'J James Hardiman, while enumerating
vol. iii. , chap, xviii. , sect, iii. , n. 34, p. 87. See his Life at the 1 6th of March,
'7 He died about a. d. 680.
'^
'9 °° "'
See this saint's Acts, at the 17th of June. He died about A. D. 696.
See some notices of him, at that date,
By Colgan.
Professions were usually confined to
particular families in ancient Ireland ; but,
as the Venerable Charles O'Conor remarks :
"
Extraordinary merit was allowed to soar
above its hereditary department, on extra- ;
"
to the praises of the Deity," has omitted St.
"
Onchuo. See
Remains of Ireland ; with English Poetical Translations. " Introduction, pp. xii. , xiii.
'* See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," viii. Februarii. De S. Onchuone, cap. i. , p. 276.
various bards,
who dedicated their talents
Irish Minstrelsy, or Bardic
February 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 405
to know, not only regal decrees, and old national or provincial laws, but to be able, from time to time, to give just judgments, when applying those laws to matters of controversy and in legal causes. Another profession was thatofthehistorian. 's Hewasrequiredtohaveaknowledgeofhiscountry's
history, the genealogies and privileges of her nobles, with all other matters appertaining to antiquarian study. A third profession was that of poetry
andgrammar. Thosepersonsaddictedtothelatterpursuitswererequired to observe verbal inflections or declensions, and to compose verses in every kind of metre. Throughout all Ireland, there was no prince or chief, be- longing to an illustrious family, who did not maintain some professors of these several faculties. Besides having a knowledge of the common anti- quities of their country, such learned men were also obliged, by virtue of their maintainence, to record all important matters, especially connected with that particular house or family, to which they were attached. ^^
In addition to the hereditary knowledge attained by our saint, with re- gard to those various sciences, it would also appear, that he inherited or
acquiredaspecialtasteforpoetry. Naturallygiftedwithexquisitesensibility, and a fine imagination, he made no inconsiderable progress in this fascinat-
ing art. But, considering how vain are human learning and all worldly pur- suits, he resolved to employ his talents, in celebrating the praises of God and of the saints, having neglected other subjects, on which his mental faculties hadbeenheretoforeexercised. Thus,makingaselection,withtrueChristian wisdom, between the creature and the Creator ; Onchuo sought to engage another great saint, in a pious project, which he then meditated. Having visited St. Finian the Leper,^7 this latter holy person was urged to under- take a pilgrimage, in company with our saint. Onchuo wished to journey
through all parts of Ireland, visiting various hermitages, cells and monasteries, where saintly men dwelt, at that time, or during any previous period, so that he might collect together relics, at the different localities, hallowed by con- nexion with those servants of God. Impeded by his infirmity, St. Finian
declined, however, assenting to this proposal. He even sought to dissuade Onchuo from such a purpose, saying it was decreed, both of them should die in that place, where they then were. From this account, and sequel of the narrative, it would appear, that the place, at which St. Finian and St. Onchuo held this interview, must have been at Clonmore, in the county of Carlow. ^^ Nevertheless, our saint, full of his pious intention, resolved on prosecuting his journey alone, and immediately he set out on his travels. ^9 The holy man formed his resolution of visiting each place, throughout our whole island, in which he thought there might be the most remote chance for dis-
c's For the former duties of the Ollamhre Notes, by John O'Donovan. Introductory
Senchas, or "Doctor of History," the reader is referred to O'Mahony's Keating's "His- tory of Ireland," book i. , part ii. , chap, vii. , pp. 302, 303.
=^ One of the most remarkable, and almost
the latest — Irish was Duald great genealogist
Remarks, pp. vi. , viii.
^^ Where the Acts of this saint will be
found, at the i6th of March, they, like- wise, contain allusions to St. Onchuo.
Mac Firbiss
haltach Mac Firbisigh
foully murdered at Dunflin, in the county of Sligo, A. D. 1670. His historical, topogra-
complete
Antiquities
Maedhoc, now Clonmore,
Carlow, with a sketch of the principal events in its immediate neighbourhood, from the
or as — styled by
in the
County
of
by his own hand, are at present in posses- sion of the Earl of Rodan. See Duald Mac Firbis' "Genealogies, Tribes and Customs of
Hy-Fiachrach, commonly called O'Dowda's Country," edited with a Translation and
8vo. " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," viii. Februarii. Vita S. Onchuonis,
himself Dub- of Lecan, who was
and History
of Cluain-mor-
phicalandgenealogicalcollections,written mostauthentics—ources,"infourchapters,
^'^ Mr. John M'Call has published a very "
and learned tract, intituled, The
containing pp. i 32. Dublin, 1862,
^9 See
cap. ii. , iii. , p. 276.
Colgan's
4o6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [February 8.
covering or procuring relics, of any Irish saints. He had hoped, that such a collection might afterwards serve to increase devotion, and preserve the
memory of those pious servants of God, among the people. Such purposes he accomplished; for, whatever monastery or cell, he visited, furnished some contribution to the store, he had previously acquired. Not only did he obtain memorials of the dead ; but, he received even certain gifts or
articles, from pious men, whose reputation for sanctity had been already es- tablished,intheIrishChurch. Alloftheseprecioustreasures,Onchuode- posited, in the same reliquary. 3° Thus journeyed this devout servant of God,ifwithoutthepillarofcloudbyday,andthepillaroffire bynight,to guide him, as the Almighty formerly conducted the Israelites through the desert j3^ yet, like them, carrying their sacred vessels, he piously bore venerated mementoes of his country's sanctity, for, even at that early period, holy persons had slept calmly in the Lord, and their remains were held everywhere, in great reverence, among the people.
CHAPTER II.
ST. ONCHUO ARRIVES AT CLONMORE—HIS REQUEST PREFERRED TO THE ABBOT, ST. MAIDOC—A MIRACLE—ST. ONCHUO'S DEATH AND BURIAL, AT CLONMORE—^TIME WHEN HE FLOURISHED—NOTICES OF HIM, IN THE CALENDARS—CONCLUSION.
Enthusiasm and perseverance carry men to the accomplishment of great objects. So occupied with this his earnest intent, the Lord was pleased to reward St. Onchuo's zeal and industry, for he soon amassed a very consider- able number of sacred mementoes. These he preserved with the utmost care. Many a beautiful scene he admired on the way, and many an edifying
hour he spent as a guest, in some religious house. In fine, having nearly
accomplished his original purpose, he came to the flourishing monastery of Clonmore,^ in Leinster, over which the illustrious Maidoc or Aidus, son to Eugenius of the Leinster family, then presided as abbot. ^
St. Onchuo received kind hospitality, and he demanded some memorial from this holy superior. 3 Through humility, however, Maidoc refused such a request ; when, it is said, his finger fell to the ground in a miraculous manner. Our saint immediately took it up, and placed it among his other relics. Having felt pain, caused by the loss of his finger, St. Maidoc was
"
moved by Divine inspiration, to cry out :
All the relics thou hast collected mustremaininthisplace,andthyremainsshallbewiththem. " Theevent justified this prediction ; for, the precious reliquary, with its contents, was preservedlongafterwards,inClonmoremonastery. 4 TheprophecyofSt.
3° See ibid. ^ cap. vii. , p. 277.
Exodus— 22. xiii. , 21,
St. Mogue's Well, at Clonmore, on the last
3'
"
See Chapter ii.
of
day winter, January 31st. See
Letters
The townland of Clon- more, in a parish of the same denomination,
"
Sheet 9.
= The festival of this St. Maidoc occurs,
on the I ith of April.
3 From information obtained, by P.
O'Keefe, on the spot, a pattern used to be held, about the year 1 780 or before, near
Barony of Rathvilly, is shown on the
Ord-
County of Carlow.
^
relating to the Antiquities of the County of Carlow, containing Information collected
during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839," p. 373. This furthermore throws some doubt on the exact Maidoc, who was patron at Clonmore.
In the Book of Clonenagh, the memory of saints belonging to this monastery is pre- served, and an excessively large number is said to repose at Clonmore, as may be col-
" nance Survey Townland Maps for the
February 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 407
Finian, the Leper, was also fulfilled, for his bones reposed, together with those of our saint,s near the cross,^ to the south of it, in the adjoining ceme- tery. 7 There, St. Onchuo found his last resting place on earth. ^ When he
^°
Between the ruined castle" and Clonmore church, on the road side, a
few yards above a little rivulet, crossing at that point, lies Tuhber Mogiie, or,
Mogue'sWell. " Thereisnotraceoftheoldmonastery,atpresent; but,in all likelihood, it stood not very far from the present church and village cross- roads. Beside the well, and near the road, topping the wail of the glebe- lands, an old granite cross still stands, in an upright position. Before the top was broken off, it must have been, at least, eight feet high. The old burial-ground is opposite the church, and on the other side of this road.
died, too, at Clonmore,^ all his relics were there religiously preserved.
lected from these following words : "Cen- tum viginti novem supra decern millia pres- byterorum ; qui cum S. Maidoco, et filio poetse requiescunt Cluanmorise, invoco in auxiliummeum. " But, Colgan is of opinion,
that these foregoing words only apply to saints, whose relics were preserved in the shrine of St. Onchuo, which remained at Clonmore. See "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niss," viii. Februarii, n. i6, p. 277. How- ever, this excessive number is greatly dimi-
sufficiently plain from the allusions in -it to
certain disputes concerning the place where the relics collected by a St. Onchuo were
nished, in a later published version of
**
The
277.
^ In a memorandum, kindly furnished to
the writer, by Mr. John M'Call, whose native place is near Clonmore, and who at
present lives at 25 Patrick-street, Dublin, it is remarked, that Dr. Lanigan hardly studied Colgan's observations on St. Onchuo, with any sort of care, since he has indulged in so many vague assertions, regarding the pre- sent holy man.
Litany of Aengus Ceile De," as taken from
the MS. folios formerly belonging to the
"Book of Leinster," and now preserved in
the Franciscan Library, Dublin, tloi pceu
cec c^uimchi]\ a\k "oec 1 ctuAin mo|\, La moe"ooc ocuf La triAc int) eicif, hoc
" Two thousand nine hundred and ten priests in Cluanmor, with
9 St. Onchuo seems to have
those relics to the monastery of Clonmore, MoedhocandM—acIneicis(sonofthesage), atwhichplacehedied,asthescholiaston
omnef Inuoeo, \\,.
assigned
I invoke," &c. "The Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. iii. May, 1867, pp. 392, 393-
s Colgan gives as his authority for this
assertion, the following Latin translation of
the foregoing verses has it, in this following Latin version: "Sunt namque membra sive ossa Finani leprosi et Onchuonis in uno
"" loconempeCluanmorias. See ActaSanc-
torum Hibemise," viii. Februarii, n. 17, p. 277.
some old Irish verses attributed to St.
" ^° "
Moling: Venerabiles sunt duo, quorum
quiescunt corpora juxta crucem ad Austrum ; S. Onchuo qui mundi fluentis non tenebatur
See in reference to this subject The
Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. vi. , Feb. ,
afFectu ; et S. Finanus
refragibilis : ubi cadit arbor, inde auferri non debent ejus rami sive frondes. " From
these words, Colgan infers, that a contest arose, regarding those relics collected by
Onchuo, and which may be supposed to have originated between members of that monastery, in which our saint was a monk, and those of the monastery in which he died.
^
Dr. Lanigan conjectures, that a poem,
attributed to St. Moling of Ferns, was the
composition of a Clonmore monk, who eases, it is now nearly unknown and ne- wished to make it appear, that the whole
body of St. Finian reposed in that place.
He allows, however, that a part of his relics was probably to be found there, in St.
bon-
Filius
fuit vir sermone potens, poeta magnus et ir-
— Francis Grose has Captain given
two
orum strenuus opifex
:
poetee (Onchuo)
views one an and the other an —interior,
exterior, view of Clonmore Castle, in his
"Antiquities of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 76. They were drawn, by Lieutenant Daniel
Grose, in 1792, and they present a good re- presentation of its former strength.
Onchuo's collection. He adds
Moling was not the author of the poem, is
leprosus operum
:
" That St.
chap, ii. , p. 10. A solitary rowan, or moun-
tain ash, more commonly called, a "quicken- tree," grows near this well.
deposited. "—" Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. iii. , chap, xviii. , sect, iii. , n. 34,
p. 87.
7 See Colgan's
"
Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae. " Vita S. Onchuonis, cap. viii. , p.
1870, p. 244.
^^
^^
holy well the sacred brotherhood of the ad- joining monastery, and several of their
"Though it was obviously from this
flock, for ages gone by, drew their necessary
supply of water, and though it was until
very recently resorted to by the peasantry
for miles round for the cure of many dis-
glected, and —suffered to choke up with grass
and weeds. " ^John M
'Call's
and History of Cluain-mor-Maedhoc," &c. ,
"Antiquities
4o8 LIVES OB THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 8.
The shattered parts of another cross may be seen there ; and, it is supposed to have been that cross, to the south of which St. Mogue's, St. Finan's and St. Onchuo'sbodieswereinterred. Whenthiscrosswascompleteanderect, it could not have been much less than twelve feet in height. The shaft, sunk in a stone socket, yet stands, and near it may be seen the dissevered upper part, but the centre portion is missing. It is probable, this cross, as also the lesser one, had been demolished by the Cromwellian soldiers,^3 under Colonel Hewson, in 1650, when the castle of Clonmore was destroyed. An old stone basin, four feet in length, by two and a-half feet in width, with
one of the holy water fonts,'-» formerly belonging to the monastery, lies within a small enclosure, north of the church, ^s
St. Onchuo lived, probably, during the time when Aid, the son of Ainmi-
reach, King of Ireland, reigned, from about the year 568 to 594,'^ since our saint was contemporaneous with St. Maidoc of Clonmore, said to have been an elder, and a uterine brother'7 of that monarch Aid. '^ A very ancient vellum book,^9 which has been mentioned, under Brighet, at the ist of Feb- ruary, states, that Mac-in-Eccis, in his manners and life was like unto Ambrose. ^° Fromthisobservation,wearenaturallyledtobelieve,thathe was an exact imitator of the holy Bishop of Milan,^''' in piety and love of study. " We have no record, defining the year of St. Onchuo's death; although, it is pretty certain, he flourished about the middle, or towards the
close, of the sixth century.
The ancient calendars of Ireland contain allusions to this holy pilgrim,
at the present date. Thus, on the 8th of February, the Martyrology of Tallagh^3 registers Hua ind Egais, who collected the relics of the saints. We are further informed, that his discourses were always regarding Christ. ^'^ The Calendars of CashePs and of Marianus O'Gorman^^ celebrate, likewise, the characteristics and pursuits of this most religious poet. We read, as set down in the Martyrology of Donegal,^? on this day, about Onchu, Mac in
=^
^3 A tradition, to this effect, prevails in His feast occurs, as a Duplex, in the
the neighbourhood. See John Ryan's Roman Breviary, at the 7th of December,
''
and
of the
County
of with an Office of Nine Lessons. See
Antiquities Carlow," chap, xxxi. , p. 336.
History
"
die vii. Decembris.
'4 It is a pitiable case, that no antiquary and artist combined can be found to enume- rate, illustrate and classify for us the nume- rous old fonts, now lying neglected in so many of our' graveyards, and after the fashion or manner, shown in that elegant volume,
" A Series of Ancient Baptismal Fonts, Chronologically Arranged. " Drawn by F.
~-
These characteristics are well shown in
who calls our saint, Hua an Eiges, or " descen- Simpson, Jun. Engraved by R. Roberts. dant of the poet," observes, that he was
Only English remains are therein given.
Onchuo, the Poet, of Connaught, who reli- giously and elegantly composed every kind of verse, and who was always engaged cele- brating the Divine praises,
=^5 it states, that Onchuo, a remarkable
poet, was of Connaught origin, and that he
rested in Cluainmor, in Lagenia,
cs See John M'Call's interesting and eru- *'
The Antiquities and His-
dite little tract,
tory of Cluain-mor-Maedhoc, now Clon- more, in the County of Carlow," &c. , chap. ii. , pp. 10, II.
^^ See Dr. O'Donovan's *' Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 204 to 221.
^^ This Colgan promised to show, in his
Acts, at the nth of April.
cap. i. , viii. , and n. I, pp. 276, 277.
*9 This is now preserved in the Franciscan
Library, Dublin.
"^ See Drs. Todd's and Reeves* " Martyr-
ology of Donegal," pp. 42, 43.
=<^
By this authority, he is called Onchuo
'^ '* See Colgan's
Mac Aneigeas, i. e. , "son of the poet," bom in Connaught. He it is, who collected many relics of the Saints of Ireland, at the
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nias," viii. Februarii. Vita S. Onchuonis, monastery of Clonmore, of St.