"
Ecclesiastical
Lanigan's
"
'" '"
Cutrita.
"
'" '"
Cutrita.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
Cronan survived St.
Lugid, otherwise called St.
Molua ; and, following this mere statement, Archdall assigns St.
Cronan's death to the beginning of the seventh century.
'*' In all probability, St.
Cronan died, during the reign of King Fingen of Munster, who is men- tioned in his Acts.
The death of Cronan "is recorded, soon after his return to Roscrea from Cashel.
Now, Fingen or Finine is stated to have died in 619, or more probably towards "626 ; since his successor and brother Failbhe Fland *< is .
said to have reigned eight years, and he died a.
d.
633,^5 accord- ing to the Irish Annals.
<* It is stated, by Colgan,^' that Cronan was alive in 625.
The Bollandists go still further, pretending that he might have hved untilafter639.
Forthisstatement,theyhadnoauthoritywhatever,excepta very unfounded conjecture of their own,*' that he might have been that first- named priest Cronan, mentioned with Thomian and others.
Bishops, in a letter of the Roman clergy, which has been published by Archbishop Ussher.
-"
About the year 640 is a time assigned for St. Cronan's departure, by the Rev. Alban Butler ;5° but, it is altogether improbable he lived to that date.
The venerable man Cronan was. buried with great honour, in his favourite city of Roscrea. There, we are informed, his relics were preserved for succeeding ages. There, likewise, many miracles were wrought, through his merits and
» A view of both objects will be seen in Miss Stokes' work.
*" See " Acta Sanctorum," torn, iii. , xxviii. Aprilis, Vita S. Cronani, cap. ii. , n. 9, p. 581.
< Nothing of the kind appear^ there at present, more than a mill pond, beside the round tower. See a partial view of it, in "Notes on Irish Arcliitecture," by Kdwin, third Earl of Dunraven, edited by Miss Margaret Stokes, vol. ii. , p. 6.
Ancient Irish," part ii. , chap, i. , pp. 441 to 445.
<* HewasyoungerbrothertoFinghin. See Dr. O'Donov. in's "Annals of the Four Mas.
ters," vol. i. , pp. 252, 253, and n. (i), ibid. "See "Acta Sanctorum Ilibernix," ix. , Februarii. De S. Cronano qui et Cueranus,
n. II, p. 303.
*' Papebroke thinks, tiiat as Cronan must
have aUained a very old age, at this time,
his name should naturally rank first among
the priests named. See "Acta Sanctorum,"
" Arclulall incorrectly states, that our "
saint died on the lotli of May. See Monas- ticon Hibemicum," p. 672 He had no authority whatever, tor such an assertion.
""
See Rev. Or. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xyii. , sect, ii. , n. 31, p. 10.
**See an account of these princes, in
iii. , A|)rilis xxviii. De Sancto Cro-
" Collectanea De Rebus Dissertations on the National Customs, and State Laws of the
" See "Veterum Hibernicarum Sylloge. " Epist. ix. , pp. 22,23.
5o gee "Lives of the Fathers,
xxviii.
General Hibernicis," vdI. i.
Vallancey's
Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. iv. , April
<> See Kev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sect, iii. , n. 39, pp. 311, 312.
Lanigan's
tomus
nano, &c. I'raemium. num. 8, p. 580.
" Ecclesiastical
LI
S30 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 28.
intercession. 5' In our own time, a beautiful new parochial Gothic church has
been erected, by the spirited efforts, both of the j)riests and people at Ros- crea; and,mostappropriatelyhasitbeendedicatedtoSt. Cronan,thelocal
patron. It has a nave, transept and side aisles. Lusmagh,5= near Banagher, in the King's County, is also under our saint's patronage, and there, too, do the people annually commemorate him. 53
In the Feilire =< of St. . ^Engus, the festival of St. Cronan occurs, at the 28th
of April. On this day,, likewise, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,5S we read the nAme Cronan of Ruis Cre. We find mentioned, in the Martyrology of Donegal,5^ that on this day a festival was celebrated, in honour of Cronan, of Ros-cre. In the anonymous catalogue published by O'Sullivan Beare, Chronanus is set down at the 28lh of April. '? The Kalendar of Drummond has the festival of St. Chronain, at the very same day. s^ The Calendar of the Seasons enters his feast, also, at this date. 59 In various other calendars and
records, the memory of this celebrated,saint has been preserved, and notices regarding him are inserted, by different writers. The old author of his Acts
has declared, that Cronan was distinguished for his merciful disposition ; for his patience, modesty and humility ; for his fasts and prayers, being a reproach to tiie tepid ; but above all, he excelled in the great precepts of
charity.
Article II. —St. Luchtighern, Abbot of Ennistymon, or Inistvmon, County OF Clare. \SixtIi Ctntnry? ^ Little is known regarding this holy man,
5' See " Acta Sanclorum," torn. iii. ,xxviii.
Aprilis. Vita S. Cronani, cap. iii. , n. l8, pp.
582, 583-
5* Here "he remnined a considerable
P. "Lives of Irish time. "—D. Conyngham's
cocaIc-ji
Saints. " Within one mile of Banagher, and on ihe left bank of the Shannon, there is a place called Cill na Milchan, the ruins of which have now disappeared. The Rev. James Madden suspects, it was formerly the site of St. Cronan's monastery. In Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters,'' it is called Cillmic-Milchon, which he inter-
tucnT)<M5ei\n
InAireib cenfocLA
Lui-D mop tinLetj inAiAcpj.
Chj\H'Ci). -e)\ Ia CnonAM
OA15 WejNi; combtiAVO tjaLca
Inceo oijv UAjripe LA|"buit) mile niA)\c|\Ai.
The foregoing two stanzas are thus translated
"
of martyrdom. " Also,
Cronan, Daig Derg with gift of fosterlings, the yew of gold over lands, with whom went
a thousand martyrs. "
53 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxii. At
in the Franciscan we date, copy, read,
ino chuA
cicicup.
5' Ldited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
112, 113.
5' See "Historiae Catholicae Ibernice
Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. SO.
5^ Thus it is given, but there is evidently a misspelling of the name, at iv. Kl. Mali :
"the church of the son of Milchu,"
— :
prets,
where an Abbot died, A. D. 883.
by Dr. Whitley Stokes
Cronan, Lugtigern (? ) with starkness, on his feast without vain-glory went many soldiers
pp. 534, 535, and n. (a). See, aUo, this Kilmaelchon noted, on the " Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the King's County," sheet 29.
S3 Letter from Rev. James Madden to the
writer, dated St. Cronan's, Lunnagh,
Banagher, King's County, April 9th, 1884.
Christopher with
Thus "
:
Civn-cii-'eix Ia C^wnAii VkM\\ chpe cocaLci InApeib cetifocbA
luiT) moi\ nule-o niAi\rixi.
translated by Whitley Stokes :—
the " Lea—bhar Breac "
In copy
is the this
CporiAni ivuif cpe a5Ui\ piMmu]-
5«
following stanza
with Cronan of Roscrea with starkness. On their feast without vain-glory went many soldiers of martyrdom. " How- ever it seems there were various readings, substituted for the foregoing stanza, and thus
Christopher
"
See vol. i. ,
"Christopher with
do we find them recorded, by a scholiast on
the " Leabhar Breac " — CiMrcipep lAC)\on4ti
;
Et apvid Hiber—niain natale sancti confes-
"
soris Chonain. " Bishop Forbes' Kalen-
dars of Scottish Saints," pp. II, 12. 5' See p. 119.
April 28. J LIVES OF TEE IRISH SAINTS. 53*
except wliat we learn of liim incidentally, in the lives of oiher Irish saints. In the Martyrology of Tallagh, at tlie 28tli of April, he is called the son of Cutrita. ' However,heiscalledSt. Luchtigernustilius Huatriti,bytheBollandists,^at this same date; while they add, he is simifarly named by St. . (Eiigus, and by Marianus O'Gornian. Brigh, daughter of Forannan, son to Conall, son to
Tochtar, son to Amhalgaidh, sister of Maelaithgliin, was his mother, accord- ing to the O'Clerys. 3 There was a Saint Luctigern^ who was tlie disciple of St. RuadhanofLothra,andthismostprobablywastheperson. * Underhim,St. Luciuigern progressed in studies, and in those virtues requisite for his pro- motion to the ecclesiastical state. ' Colgan alludes to him,* as being men- tioned in the Acts of St. Maccrecius. ' In the western part of Clare County, and rising near Lake Diilogh, there is a stream, which forms a boundary between the baronies of Ibrickane and Islands, for about two miles ; then it runs across the barony of Inchiquin, and afterwards, in a north-westwardly
Ennistymon, County of Clare.
course,it formsaboundarybetweenthelatterbaronyandCorcomroe. It hasseveraltributarystreams,andonits northernbankisseatedthepresent
town of Ennistymon,' or Innistymon, over a singularly romantic reach of the riversocalled,whereledgesofrocks» obstructthecourse,andoverasucces-
Article II. — • " mac Thus, Lucthigern
s . See Rev. Dr.
" Ecclesiastical Lanigan's
"
'" '"
Cutrita. "—Rev. Dr. Kelly's Irish Saints," p. 22.
Calendar of
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xi. , sect. iii. , n. 21, p. 89.
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Ap-
Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," xv. Januarii, Vita S. Itfe, n. 26, p. 72.
' Chapters xx. and xxi.
* It is shown,- on the "Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the County of Clare, sheet 15.
rilis xxviii. Among the pretermitted saints," •
p. 546.
' See Rev. Drs. Todd "and Reeves'
"Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 112, 113.
* SeeColyan's"ActaSanctorumHiberniae,"
xiii. Martii. Vita S. Mochoemoci, n. 4, p. 597
9 The accompanying illustration of the
.
See
53* LIVES OF THE IRISH SAIMS. [April 2&.
sion of tliese, the waterfalls career '° through a valley, unrivalled for pictures-
que and scenic beauty. " Here the present holy man chose a place for
religious retucment and contemplation. St. Luchtigherna is the reputed founder of Inistymon Abbey, in tlie i)arish of Kilmanaheen, barony of Cor- comroe, and county of Clare. It is Latinized, Inistyniensis, or Inistomensis," and it is almost due-east of the signal towcr,'^ rising over the sea-shore, at Lahincli,onI,iscannor Bay. Over this house, he exercised the duties of Abbot; and, he was held in the highest repute, owing to his great sanctity. He once made a visit to St. Ita,''« and to her establisimient, at Hy-Conaill Gaura, in the county of Limerick ; and, we are told, that on this occasion, he was accompanied thither by St. Lasrean, Abbot of Druimliag. 's Not knowing tliis latter person, the nuns suffered him to puss tlirough their gate, without any marked token of respect. For such omission, they were mildly reproved by their holy Abbess, who told them his name, and the great reputation he bore for sanctity. Those Abbots were accompanied by a young man, who had previously advised them not to visit the old woman—meaning Ita. When the visitors approached St. Ita, to receive her blessing, having a mira-
"
culous knowledge of what had occurred, she said to the young man,
have you come to the old woman, since you have told those holy Abbots, it would profit them little to visit me ? " The young man felt deep regret, on account of his thoughtless expression; and, the visitors, having remained for three days with St. Ita, returned to their respective places of residence, having ])reviously received her blessing. '* As St. Lucinigern was contem- poraneous with . St. Ita, who died a. d. 570, we might perhaps assume, that he departed before tlie close of the sixth century. The 28th of April "' is the festival day of St. Luchtigherna, and probably that of his death. It is entered, in the Martyrology of Donegal,'^ that veneration wasgiven, on this day, to Luightig- hern macUa Trato. It is he that dwelt at Tuaim-fionn-lociia, in Tratraighe, ac- cording to the O'Clerys. This ancient place is now known as Tomfinloe, or Tomfinlough, a parish in the barony of Upper Bunratty, and county of Clare. '^
" the mound or tumulus of the bright lake. "-° Besides this lake are seen the ruins of an old church. Pre- vious to the middle of the tenth century, the death of a Scannlan, Abbot of
Tuaim-Finlocha, is recorded. "' Among the various readings to the Feilire of
The denomination Tuaim Finlocha,
signifies
scene, from a photograph, was drawn on the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and it was engraved by Mrs. Millard.
" Alluding to the great Niagara Falls, the Most Rev. John Lynch has the following
the County of Clare," chap, v. , sect. 25, p. 3J9.
'<
. See her Life, at the 15th of January, the day for her feast.
'= See a notice of him, at the 25th of
October.
'"
See Colgan's Acta S. T. nctorum Hiber-
ni:e," xv. Januarii, Vita S. Itse, cap. xxviii. . p. 70.
' According to Marianus O'Gorman, and the Commentator on St. v^^^ngus.
" The water, as it sweeps over the Falls, sinks deeply by its weight and momentum ; ar. d
after gurgling, seething and foaming, rises again to the surface. One is reminded of
that purilication which takes place after deith, and ihe troubles and agonies of the
beautiful and suggestive passage :
"' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. poor soul in the process of puri6cation 112, 113.
ti> be cleansed before its to the ri>ing enjoy
' See Lewis' '
— and briglitncss glory
Topographical Dictionary ii. , p. 636.
of God's sweet counten- Pastor. il Letter of his Grace the Archbishop of Toronto "On the Catholic
of I'cland," vol.
•'
Sections at Tonifinlongb, among the Irish
Ordnance Survey Records, in the Royal
Irish Academy,
"See Dr. Q'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," at A. D. 944, vol. ii. , pp. 654, 653, . and n. (V), iHd.
" The name in Irish is written Luch- oaigepn, in what may be regarded as a
ance. '
There are two sketches of Cahirs and
Institutions at Niagara Falls," p. 3.
"See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ire-
land. " vol. ii. . pp. 186, 187.
'" See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," XV. Januarii. Vita S. Itije, n. 26,
p. 72.
'^ See Dutton's "Statistical Survey of
Why
April 28,] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 533
""
St. ^ngus, in the Leabhar Breac copy, at this date, we find the name of
Liigtigernintroduced,^^asalreadynoticed. IntheMartyrologyofTal! agh,"J the name is merely recorded, at the 28th of April, as Lucthigern mac Cutrita. '* A Life of Maccreiche states,'' that it was tiiere—at Tiiaim-fionn-
Article III. —St. Cortillus, Kortillus, or Kortill. \, also called
CORTYLA, KORTILLA, AND RORTILA, BiSHOP OF VeRDEN, LoWER SaXONY.
locha—I. uightigern was either ! )\tried
or
venerated. ''
\_NinthCentury. \ Itmayherebepremised,thataboutorsubsequenttotheninth century, several Scots—whether born in Scotland or in Ireland being sometimes doubtful—were missionaries on the Continent. By Albert Crantz, this holy
—— maniscalledRortila' a errorforKortila andheissaid
perhaps printer's
to have been from the English or Scottish nation. " Now, it frequently hap-
pened, that Irish-born ecclesiastics went from Ireland, and exercised their
ministry in either England or Scotland, before they migrated to more distant countries ; so that, as in the present case, where traditions about their origin appear to be lost, and where historic records are sufficiently nebulous, we have taken advantage of doubts, to class some of these holy men, although without clear evidence, among our national sa—ints. It is not an easy matter
3
to discover, if Kortilla—as has been asserted were one of the Scots, belong-
ing to the monastery of Amarbaric. In an ancient Manuscript belonging to the church of Verden, he is called Cortyla, and he is enumerated among six holy bishops,* attached to that See. We are told by Dempster 5 that Kor- tilla, whom he calls, likewise, Rortila, or Cortyla, was the friend and familiar of Tancon and Palto, and that he dwelt a long time in Germany. He became thesixthbishopofVerden. ' Yet,thissameDempster,inhis"Menologium Scotorum," makes him the tentli in order there. ' Besides his becoming
of he was a bishop Verden,
martyr
for the faith. ^ He and admirably pru-
administered the affairs of that church. To such a— he is said dently position,
to have been one of the Scots —
faith and extraordinary merits when the subjugation of the Saxons' had been accomplished. If we are to credit Demjister, St. Cortillus wrote many
elevated to his
"
indeed, that Scottish writer is not only inconsequent, in his accounts of several
tracts, all of which have perished, except
Homilias de Sanctis," lib. i. But,
spurious stanza, ari'l probably an alteration
of the original te. \t was attempted, for the
purpose of perpetuating a knowledge of this saint and of his festival, through the well-
known popularity of ylingus' poem.
"' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxii.
"
The Franciscan copy enters, at this same date Luchchigepn m<ic CncjMcho.
"5 Chapter xii.
'^ So Rev. Dr. Todd interprets the mean-
'
The Bollandist Pape- broke thinks it most likely, that this w,as the true name for our saint. See "Acta Sane- torum," tomus iii. , Aprilis xxx. , I)e S. . Sviberto Ep. Verdensi, in Saxonia Inferiore,
baricensis claustri cuiam vucatos, inle ad regimen episcopale admolus : fortitudinis simul, et pietatis Scoticae in ea gente tro- phaea extare, ex Hruscliioet aliis. "
ing
passag—e.
ofthat ARTlci-E HI.
Vita ad xxx. —
a nobis in ejus Ajirilis, su])-
pressis nomiiiibus sanctos vocat. " "Acta
Sanctorum," tomus iii. , 'Aprilis xxviii.
Among the pretermitted saints, p. 546.
' . See"IlistoriaEcclesiasticaGentisScoto-
Pramium, num. 7, p. 803.
dar-; of Scottish Saints," |). 197. '"""
Albert Krantzius
—says, e gente Anglo-
rum aut Sco'orum. " ". Metropolis," lib. i. ,
cap. 29, p. 21.
' By Dempster, who states, "ex eorum
numero, quos saepe dixi a Scotia ad Amir-
See Father Stei)hen White's Apologia pro Hiberiua,"cap. iv. , p. 44.
'According to Philipp. Belforest, lib. i. , H'stor. Carolor.
'° "
See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentii
byCharlemagne owing
great
* So the BoUandists state, and they super- "
add quos et Officium S. Suiljerti, citatum
rum," tomus
num.
ii. , lib.
About the year 640 is a time assigned for St. Cronan's departure, by the Rev. Alban Butler ;5° but, it is altogether improbable he lived to that date.
The venerable man Cronan was. buried with great honour, in his favourite city of Roscrea. There, we are informed, his relics were preserved for succeeding ages. There, likewise, many miracles were wrought, through his merits and
» A view of both objects will be seen in Miss Stokes' work.
*" See " Acta Sanctorum," torn, iii. , xxviii. Aprilis, Vita S. Cronani, cap. ii. , n. 9, p. 581.
< Nothing of the kind appear^ there at present, more than a mill pond, beside the round tower. See a partial view of it, in "Notes on Irish Arcliitecture," by Kdwin, third Earl of Dunraven, edited by Miss Margaret Stokes, vol. ii. , p. 6.
Ancient Irish," part ii. , chap, i. , pp. 441 to 445.
<* HewasyoungerbrothertoFinghin. See Dr. O'Donov. in's "Annals of the Four Mas.
ters," vol. i. , pp. 252, 253, and n. (i), ibid. "See "Acta Sanctorum Ilibernix," ix. , Februarii. De S. Cronano qui et Cueranus,
n. II, p. 303.
*' Papebroke thinks, tiiat as Cronan must
have aUained a very old age, at this time,
his name should naturally rank first among
the priests named. See "Acta Sanctorum,"
" Arclulall incorrectly states, that our "
saint died on the lotli of May. See Monas- ticon Hibemicum," p. 672 He had no authority whatever, tor such an assertion.
""
See Rev. Or. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xyii. , sect, ii. , n. 31, p. 10.
**See an account of these princes, in
iii. , A|)rilis xxviii. De Sancto Cro-
" Collectanea De Rebus Dissertations on the National Customs, and State Laws of the
" See "Veterum Hibernicarum Sylloge. " Epist. ix. , pp. 22,23.
5o gee "Lives of the Fathers,
xxviii.
General Hibernicis," vdI. i.
Vallancey's
Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. iv. , April
<> See Kev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sect, iii. , n. 39, pp. 311, 312.
Lanigan's
tomus
nano, &c. I'raemium. num. 8, p. 580.
" Ecclesiastical
LI
S30 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 28.
intercession. 5' In our own time, a beautiful new parochial Gothic church has
been erected, by the spirited efforts, both of the j)riests and people at Ros- crea; and,mostappropriatelyhasitbeendedicatedtoSt. Cronan,thelocal
patron. It has a nave, transept and side aisles. Lusmagh,5= near Banagher, in the King's County, is also under our saint's patronage, and there, too, do the people annually commemorate him. 53
In the Feilire =< of St. . ^Engus, the festival of St. Cronan occurs, at the 28th
of April. On this day,, likewise, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,5S we read the nAme Cronan of Ruis Cre. We find mentioned, in the Martyrology of Donegal,5^ that on this day a festival was celebrated, in honour of Cronan, of Ros-cre. In the anonymous catalogue published by O'Sullivan Beare, Chronanus is set down at the 28lh of April. '? The Kalendar of Drummond has the festival of St. Chronain, at the very same day. s^ The Calendar of the Seasons enters his feast, also, at this date. 59 In various other calendars and
records, the memory of this celebrated,saint has been preserved, and notices regarding him are inserted, by different writers. The old author of his Acts
has declared, that Cronan was distinguished for his merciful disposition ; for his patience, modesty and humility ; for his fasts and prayers, being a reproach to tiie tepid ; but above all, he excelled in the great precepts of
charity.
Article II. —St. Luchtighern, Abbot of Ennistymon, or Inistvmon, County OF Clare. \SixtIi Ctntnry? ^ Little is known regarding this holy man,
5' See " Acta Sanclorum," torn. iii. ,xxviii.
Aprilis. Vita S. Cronani, cap. iii. , n. l8, pp.
582, 583-
5* Here "he remnined a considerable
P. "Lives of Irish time. "—D. Conyngham's
cocaIc-ji
Saints. " Within one mile of Banagher, and on ihe left bank of the Shannon, there is a place called Cill na Milchan, the ruins of which have now disappeared. The Rev. James Madden suspects, it was formerly the site of St. Cronan's monastery. In Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters,'' it is called Cillmic-Milchon, which he inter-
tucnT)<M5ei\n
InAireib cenfocLA
Lui-D mop tinLetj inAiAcpj.
Chj\H'Ci). -e)\ Ia CnonAM
OA15 WejNi; combtiAVO tjaLca
Inceo oijv UAjripe LA|"buit) mile niA)\c|\Ai.
The foregoing two stanzas are thus translated
"
of martyrdom. " Also,
Cronan, Daig Derg with gift of fosterlings, the yew of gold over lands, with whom went
a thousand martyrs. "
53 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxii. At
in the Franciscan we date, copy, read,
ino chuA
cicicup.
5' Ldited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
112, 113.
5' See "Historiae Catholicae Ibernice
Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. SO.
5^ Thus it is given, but there is evidently a misspelling of the name, at iv. Kl. Mali :
"the church of the son of Milchu,"
— :
prets,
where an Abbot died, A. D. 883.
by Dr. Whitley Stokes
Cronan, Lugtigern (? ) with starkness, on his feast without vain-glory went many soldiers
pp. 534, 535, and n. (a). See, aUo, this Kilmaelchon noted, on the " Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the King's County," sheet 29.
S3 Letter from Rev. James Madden to the
writer, dated St. Cronan's, Lunnagh,
Banagher, King's County, April 9th, 1884.
Christopher with
Thus "
:
Civn-cii-'eix Ia C^wnAii VkM\\ chpe cocaLci InApeib cetifocbA
luiT) moi\ nule-o niAi\rixi.
translated by Whitley Stokes :—
the " Lea—bhar Breac "
In copy
is the this
CporiAni ivuif cpe a5Ui\ piMmu]-
5«
following stanza
with Cronan of Roscrea with starkness. On their feast without vain-glory went many soldiers of martyrdom. " How- ever it seems there were various readings, substituted for the foregoing stanza, and thus
Christopher
"
See vol. i. ,
"Christopher with
do we find them recorded, by a scholiast on
the " Leabhar Breac " — CiMrcipep lAC)\on4ti
;
Et apvid Hiber—niain natale sancti confes-
"
soris Chonain. " Bishop Forbes' Kalen-
dars of Scottish Saints," pp. II, 12. 5' See p. 119.
April 28. J LIVES OF TEE IRISH SAINTS. 53*
except wliat we learn of liim incidentally, in the lives of oiher Irish saints. In the Martyrology of Tallagh, at tlie 28tli of April, he is called the son of Cutrita. ' However,heiscalledSt. Luchtigernustilius Huatriti,bytheBollandists,^at this same date; while they add, he is simifarly named by St. . (Eiigus, and by Marianus O'Gornian. Brigh, daughter of Forannan, son to Conall, son to
Tochtar, son to Amhalgaidh, sister of Maelaithgliin, was his mother, accord- ing to the O'Clerys. 3 There was a Saint Luctigern^ who was tlie disciple of St. RuadhanofLothra,andthismostprobablywastheperson. * Underhim,St. Luciuigern progressed in studies, and in those virtues requisite for his pro- motion to the ecclesiastical state. ' Colgan alludes to him,* as being men- tioned in the Acts of St. Maccrecius. ' In the western part of Clare County, and rising near Lake Diilogh, there is a stream, which forms a boundary between the baronies of Ibrickane and Islands, for about two miles ; then it runs across the barony of Inchiquin, and afterwards, in a north-westwardly
Ennistymon, County of Clare.
course,it formsaboundarybetweenthelatterbaronyandCorcomroe. It hasseveraltributarystreams,andonits northernbankisseatedthepresent
town of Ennistymon,' or Innistymon, over a singularly romantic reach of the riversocalled,whereledgesofrocks» obstructthecourse,andoverasucces-
Article II. — • " mac Thus, Lucthigern
s . See Rev. Dr.
" Ecclesiastical Lanigan's
"
'" '"
Cutrita. "—Rev. Dr. Kelly's Irish Saints," p. 22.
Calendar of
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xi. , sect. iii. , n. 21, p. 89.
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Ap-
Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," xv. Januarii, Vita S. Itfe, n. 26, p. 72.
' Chapters xx. and xxi.
* It is shown,- on the "Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the County of Clare, sheet 15.
rilis xxviii. Among the pretermitted saints," •
p. 546.
' See Rev. Drs. Todd "and Reeves'
"Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 112, 113.
* SeeColyan's"ActaSanctorumHiberniae,"
xiii. Martii. Vita S. Mochoemoci, n. 4, p. 597
9 The accompanying illustration of the
.
See
53* LIVES OF THE IRISH SAIMS. [April 2&.
sion of tliese, the waterfalls career '° through a valley, unrivalled for pictures-
que and scenic beauty. " Here the present holy man chose a place for
religious retucment and contemplation. St. Luchtigherna is the reputed founder of Inistymon Abbey, in tlie i)arish of Kilmanaheen, barony of Cor- comroe, and county of Clare. It is Latinized, Inistyniensis, or Inistomensis," and it is almost due-east of the signal towcr,'^ rising over the sea-shore, at Lahincli,onI,iscannor Bay. Over this house, he exercised the duties of Abbot; and, he was held in the highest repute, owing to his great sanctity. He once made a visit to St. Ita,''« and to her establisimient, at Hy-Conaill Gaura, in the county of Limerick ; and, we are told, that on this occasion, he was accompanied thither by St. Lasrean, Abbot of Druimliag. 's Not knowing tliis latter person, the nuns suffered him to puss tlirough their gate, without any marked token of respect. For such omission, they were mildly reproved by their holy Abbess, who told them his name, and the great reputation he bore for sanctity. Those Abbots were accompanied by a young man, who had previously advised them not to visit the old woman—meaning Ita. When the visitors approached St. Ita, to receive her blessing, having a mira-
"
culous knowledge of what had occurred, she said to the young man,
have you come to the old woman, since you have told those holy Abbots, it would profit them little to visit me ? " The young man felt deep regret, on account of his thoughtless expression; and, the visitors, having remained for three days with St. Ita, returned to their respective places of residence, having ])reviously received her blessing. '* As St. Lucinigern was contem- poraneous with . St. Ita, who died a. d. 570, we might perhaps assume, that he departed before tlie close of the sixth century. The 28th of April "' is the festival day of St. Luchtigherna, and probably that of his death. It is entered, in the Martyrology of Donegal,'^ that veneration wasgiven, on this day, to Luightig- hern macUa Trato. It is he that dwelt at Tuaim-fionn-lociia, in Tratraighe, ac- cording to the O'Clerys. This ancient place is now known as Tomfinloe, or Tomfinlough, a parish in the barony of Upper Bunratty, and county of Clare. '^
" the mound or tumulus of the bright lake. "-° Besides this lake are seen the ruins of an old church. Pre- vious to the middle of the tenth century, the death of a Scannlan, Abbot of
Tuaim-Finlocha, is recorded. "' Among the various readings to the Feilire of
The denomination Tuaim Finlocha,
signifies
scene, from a photograph, was drawn on the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and it was engraved by Mrs. Millard.
" Alluding to the great Niagara Falls, the Most Rev. John Lynch has the following
the County of Clare," chap, v. , sect. 25, p. 3J9.
'<
. See her Life, at the 15th of January, the day for her feast.
'= See a notice of him, at the 25th of
October.
'"
See Colgan's Acta S. T. nctorum Hiber-
ni:e," xv. Januarii, Vita S. Itse, cap. xxviii. . p. 70.
' According to Marianus O'Gorman, and the Commentator on St. v^^^ngus.
" The water, as it sweeps over the Falls, sinks deeply by its weight and momentum ; ar. d
after gurgling, seething and foaming, rises again to the surface. One is reminded of
that purilication which takes place after deith, and ihe troubles and agonies of the
beautiful and suggestive passage :
"' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. poor soul in the process of puri6cation 112, 113.
ti> be cleansed before its to the ri>ing enjoy
' See Lewis' '
— and briglitncss glory
Topographical Dictionary ii. , p. 636.
of God's sweet counten- Pastor. il Letter of his Grace the Archbishop of Toronto "On the Catholic
of I'cland," vol.
•'
Sections at Tonifinlongb, among the Irish
Ordnance Survey Records, in the Royal
Irish Academy,
"See Dr. Q'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," at A. D. 944, vol. ii. , pp. 654, 653, . and n. (V), iHd.
" The name in Irish is written Luch- oaigepn, in what may be regarded as a
ance. '
There are two sketches of Cahirs and
Institutions at Niagara Falls," p. 3.
"See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ire-
land. " vol. ii. . pp. 186, 187.
'" See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," XV. Januarii. Vita S. Itije, n. 26,
p. 72.
'^ See Dutton's "Statistical Survey of
Why
April 28,] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 533
""
St. ^ngus, in the Leabhar Breac copy, at this date, we find the name of
Liigtigernintroduced,^^asalreadynoticed. IntheMartyrologyofTal! agh,"J the name is merely recorded, at the 28th of April, as Lucthigern mac Cutrita. '* A Life of Maccreiche states,'' that it was tiiere—at Tiiaim-fionn-
Article III. —St. Cortillus, Kortillus, or Kortill. \, also called
CORTYLA, KORTILLA, AND RORTILA, BiSHOP OF VeRDEN, LoWER SaXONY.
locha—I. uightigern was either ! )\tried
or
venerated. ''
\_NinthCentury. \ Itmayherebepremised,thataboutorsubsequenttotheninth century, several Scots—whether born in Scotland or in Ireland being sometimes doubtful—were missionaries on the Continent. By Albert Crantz, this holy
—— maniscalledRortila' a errorforKortila andheissaid
perhaps printer's
to have been from the English or Scottish nation. " Now, it frequently hap-
pened, that Irish-born ecclesiastics went from Ireland, and exercised their
ministry in either England or Scotland, before they migrated to more distant countries ; so that, as in the present case, where traditions about their origin appear to be lost, and where historic records are sufficiently nebulous, we have taken advantage of doubts, to class some of these holy men, although without clear evidence, among our national sa—ints. It is not an easy matter
3
to discover, if Kortilla—as has been asserted were one of the Scots, belong-
ing to the monastery of Amarbaric. In an ancient Manuscript belonging to the church of Verden, he is called Cortyla, and he is enumerated among six holy bishops,* attached to that See. We are told by Dempster 5 that Kor- tilla, whom he calls, likewise, Rortila, or Cortyla, was the friend and familiar of Tancon and Palto, and that he dwelt a long time in Germany. He became thesixthbishopofVerden. ' Yet,thissameDempster,inhis"Menologium Scotorum," makes him the tentli in order there. ' Besides his becoming
of he was a bishop Verden,
martyr
for the faith. ^ He and admirably pru-
administered the affairs of that church. To such a— he is said dently position,
to have been one of the Scots —
faith and extraordinary merits when the subjugation of the Saxons' had been accomplished. If we are to credit Demjister, St. Cortillus wrote many
elevated to his
"
indeed, that Scottish writer is not only inconsequent, in his accounts of several
tracts, all of which have perished, except
Homilias de Sanctis," lib. i. But,
spurious stanza, ari'l probably an alteration
of the original te. \t was attempted, for the
purpose of perpetuating a knowledge of this saint and of his festival, through the well-
known popularity of ylingus' poem.
"' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxii.
"
The Franciscan copy enters, at this same date Luchchigepn m<ic CncjMcho.
"5 Chapter xii.
'^ So Rev. Dr. Todd interprets the mean-
'
The Bollandist Pape- broke thinks it most likely, that this w,as the true name for our saint. See "Acta Sane- torum," tomus iii. , Aprilis xxx. , I)e S. . Sviberto Ep. Verdensi, in Saxonia Inferiore,
baricensis claustri cuiam vucatos, inle ad regimen episcopale admolus : fortitudinis simul, et pietatis Scoticae in ea gente tro- phaea extare, ex Hruscliioet aliis. "
ing
passag—e.
ofthat ARTlci-E HI.
Vita ad xxx. —
a nobis in ejus Ajirilis, su])-
pressis nomiiiibus sanctos vocat. " "Acta
Sanctorum," tomus iii. , 'Aprilis xxviii.
Among the pretermitted saints, p. 546.
' . See"IlistoriaEcclesiasticaGentisScoto-
Pramium, num. 7, p. 803.
dar-; of Scottish Saints," |). 197. '"""
Albert Krantzius
—says, e gente Anglo-
rum aut Sco'orum. " ". Metropolis," lib. i. ,
cap. 29, p. 21.
' By Dempster, who states, "ex eorum
numero, quos saepe dixi a Scotia ad Amir-
See Father Stei)hen White's Apologia pro Hiberiua,"cap. iv. , p. 44.
'According to Philipp. Belforest, lib. i. , H'stor. Carolor.
'° "
See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentii
byCharlemagne owing
great
* So the BoUandists state, and they super- "
add quos et Officium S. Suiljerti, citatum
rum," tomus
num.
ii. , lib.
