No More Learning

Chilli of Dalian Forgaill.
The original
^*
See Professor Eugene O'Curry's "Lee-
tures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient
Irish History," Lect. x. , p. 218.
"' In the " Vita S. lib. Quinta Columbas,"
iii. , cap. viii. , as written by Prince O'Don-
nell, the reader will find an account of this
matter, which took place at the assembly of
Drumcheat. See Colgan's "Trias Thau- was once the property of Cucoigcriche
maturga," p. 432. ""^Thiswasprobablyhisconstantattendant,
St. Baithen, who immediately succeeded his master in the abbacy of lona, and whose feast will also be found at the 9th of June.
*9 See the Life of St. Columba, at the 9th of June.
O'Clery, one of the persons employed com- pilingthe "AnnalsoftheFourMasters. "
3= Called in Irish TleiriifceL.
We are informed
"
— There were also
33
thirteen kings in Ireland at this time, and Aodh was the name of each of them, as
said the poet :
'
Aodh son of Ainmhereach,
:
Soo LIVES dF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 29.
These circumstances are briefly stated in this introduction. 34 At the same
time, Dalian recovered the use of sight, and obtained, it is said, as a special
favour from heaven, that whoever could recite his poem with a good memory
and suitable should afterwards die the death of the 35 It has devotion, just.
been stated,36 ^j^g^i- among the relics left by St. Colum Cille was the Amhra, to protect the men of Erinn from all dangers. Although aware it was to have been written and published only after his death, it is not to be credited that he should think of bequeathing it under such circumstances. 37
After the general publication of this panegyric, certain superstitious pesons began to suppose it mattered not what sort of a life had been led, provided they were enabled, by means of a good memory, to commit these verses, and to recite them. Amongst others, mention is made of a certain persons^ who led an abandoned life. This he took no care to reform. Nevertheless, he supposed, that by committing to memory the poem of Dalian, he should escape, at his last hour, the consequences of evil actions perpetrated in this life. Hence, he applied with all diHgence to commit those stanzas to mfe- mory ; notwithstanding, he was unable to recollect more than one half the entire poem. Still, no thought occurred to him of doing penance for his transgressions. Under the influence of a desire to learn all, he approached St. Columkille's sepulchre. He remained there fasting during one whole night, which he spent in vigil. On the following morning, this person was enabled to recite the part of which he was heretofore ignorant ; but, withal, that part, which he thought he had already learned, passed away altogether from his memory. 39 This Dalian is said to have composed another little poem, eulogizing St. Senan, of Iniscathy. It was called the " Amhra Sea- nan •"^° yet it may have been the production of another Dalian, called the disciple of St. Seanan. *^ From its antique structure of style and language, it can now be only understood with great difiiculty. ^^ This, and the " Amhra Coluim Cille," are in the Bearla Feni, or Fenian dialect of the Irish language. Colgan, who was an excellent Irish scholar in his day,*had a copy of the Amhra Coluim Cille and of the Amhra Senan. He says, they could scarcely be comprehended without the antiquary's glosses. 43 It was believed by pious persons, that whoever could recite from memory the verses of the poem, Amhra Seanan, should be preserved from blindness, and enjoy other peculiar favours. 44 Dalian wrote another work, laudatory of St. Conall Coel,'*5
of battles,' &c. " The Amhra begins, '"Oia,
cap. 218. See Colgan's "Acta Sanctoram
Hibernire," xxix. Januarii, n. 14, p. 204.
39 Hence we may learn, that those who will not repent of their evil deeds during life, deserve little to participate in the fruit of
•01A T)o
x^e j:\&y iriA jniiif. " See O'Reilly's Chronological Account of nearly Fom- Hundred Irish Writers," &c. , vol. i. ,
part1. , p. xxxix. —
yM-"£AX
34 It begins: "toco -oon elAi'oenfi privileges and prerogatives granted by Christ
•OjMiimmcheACA hi cmaic 1 ciAriAccA glini
through his saints. See 2/^/^. , cap. vi. , p. 204.
5eAitnin, ai|\ if An •00 y,ow&x> in
oiMimo cecco. 1n Ainife]A, nnoiAiw . 1.
4o ggg the" "
edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 30, 31.
Aimi'ei\ -Ao-oo rtiAc -ATnme|AAc
iiToe^iiA'D in ni6]TOAil. llo bACU^A c|\a c^m IMgA -oecin heitMii in CAn pn, ociij^ Aox>
4i him Dr. Regarding
•01b. Uc dixc in mAC Aimtiipg nA neAll," ecc.
"
^6)^
CAc
^1
pliT) ;
Aotj
3= Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibernite," xxix. Januarii. VitaS. Dallani,cap. iv. ,v. , pp. 203, 204.
36 In a spurious poem, attributed to St. Colum Cille.
37 See Professor
Eugene O'Curry's
"
Lee-
tures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient
Irish History," Lect. xix. , pp. 405, 406.
38
This is stated in the Life of St. Columba,
motTOAil
of Martyrology Donegal,"
-pi hei\eii
Lanigan
could find See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xi. , sec.
iv. , n. 35, p. 94.
42 jhis ^. ^s an elegy on the death of St.
Seanan, beginning, SenAn -poe^A pt) acoi|\, or " Noble Seanan, peaceful father. " A copy of this poem was in the collection of Edward
O'Reilly.
• 43 Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum HiberniK,"
xxix. Januarii, nn. 12, 15, pp. 204, 205.
44 See ibid. , cap. vii. , p. 204.
« See the life of this saint, at the 1 2th of
May.
nothing satisfactory.
January 29. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 501
Abbot of Inis-coel, in Tyrconell. ^^ This is the modem Iniskeel, in the county of Donegal. 47 Here Dalian most earnestly desired his life and labours should close, and that he might receive rites of sepulture'*^ in that remote and isolated spot. There is a poem attributed to this saint, among the manuscripts of Trinity College. 49 It is possible, many works of St. Dalianareextant,althoughtheyhavenotcomewithinourknowledge. 5° As the proper name of this holy man was Eochodius, there are reasons ad- vanced^' for supposing he must have been identical with St. Eochaidh,s3 or St. Eochodius,53 a disciple and travelling companion of St. Columkille on his journey into Britain. S4 This Eochodius is falsely called Eoglodius, in the English Martyrology's by Boetius,^^ and by other writers. Colgan thinks St. Dallan57 was not a distinct personage from this lat—ter holy man.
—aint to die in a favourite The desire of our s
situated as any other in Ireland was accorded. After a spiritual conference, while Dalian was at Iniscoel as a guest, he retired to a chamber. In the mean- time, some pirates or robbers broke in and rifled the monastery. —Not satis-
4^ It is said, by Colgan, to have been in
the particular district known as Bugellaigh. 47 The island of Inishkeel, in the parish
so denominated, is exhibited in the barony of Boylagh, on the " Ordnance Survey Town-
land {Maps for the County of Donegal," Sheet 64. The ruined churches, graveyard, and holy well may there be seen on an island, which at low water is accessible from the mainland. A little to the south, and on the mainland coast, the site of an old church, in
an old graveyard, denominated Churchtown, is shown.
4^ For further particulars of Dalian For- *'
gain, see Keating's General History of
Ireland," book ii. There he is called Eochaidh Eigeas, and he is said to have been president over all the poets of Ireland. He had power to examine the qualifications of
over the kingdom.
49 Upon the arms of Duach Dubh, King
of Oirgailla. From this it appears, that the shaft of Duach's spear was made of the eo lloffA, or "yew of Ross. "
s° See "
O'Reilly's Chronological
by Drs, Todd and Reeves, declares this to have been his true name. See pp. 30, 31.
^3 gge his life, already given at the 25th of January.
^^ Colgan, in his "Trias Thaumaturga," ranks him among the disciples of St. Co-
''
other and to poets,
^^ This is called "''
them to
and endowments with the lords of cantreds
a sacred to Conall place
of such a
sacrificed Dalian to their fury.
these wretches
Perhaps he had offered
fied with the — perpetration
Pagan sea-rovers
some resistance to their outrages. They cut off the head of our saint, who was then advanced in years. His head was thrown by them into the neigh- bouring ocean ; but it was recovered afterwards, and united to his body. Both were buried, with due honour, in the church of Inis-coel. s^ There his memory was afterwards greatly revered,59 and he is honoured as a martyr. Although it is generally supposed the Pagan sea-rovers did not land in Ire- land, until about the year a. d. 795 f° there is reason to believe, that long before this period freebooters had been occasionally engaged on piratical expeditions, causing loss of property and of Ufe to the people dwelling around our coasts.
appoint
posts
Account of nearly Four Hundred Irish Writers," &c. ,
^Atthis the "Annales year,
vol. i. , part i. , pp. xxxix. , xl.
5' By Colgan.
M. A. , has this notice
"
— Primus adventus
:
s* The " of Martyrology Donegal,"
edited
•
gentilium apud dextrales ad Hibemiam. "
See 11. p.
sacrilege,
probably
spot romantically
lumkille. See
S. Columbce," cap. x. , p. 489.
Quarta Appendix ad Acta
^^ At the 25th of January,
^^ See " Historia Scotorum," lib. ix.
^^ There was another Dalian, also a poet
and historiographer to a King of Leinster. He wrote a poem on the battle of Belach
Mugna, or Ballymoon, in which he gives very full particulars. This was to be seen
in the Book of Cluain Aidhnach(Cl'onenagh) Fiontan in Leix. See Bishop Nicolson's
"Irish Historical Library. " Appendix Numb. i. , p. 68.
''
of Inis Caoil, in the Martyrology of Do-
negal," edited by Drs. Todd and. Reeves,
pp. 30, 31.
59Colgan's "ActaSanctorumHibemise,"
xxix. Januarii. Vita S. Dallani, cap. vii. , viii. , ix. , p. 204.
Cambriae," edited by Rev. John Williams ab Ithel,
502 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 29.
When Dalian Forgaill died, about a. d. 598, Senchan Torpeist, then a File^^ of distinction, was called upon to pronounce a funeral elegy or oration on the deceased chief File. The young File acquitted himself of this task with so much satisfaction to his assembled brethren, that immediately they elected him Ard OUamh in Filedecht, that is, the chief File of Erinn. ^' Among the difficult ancient books of Ireland to be interpreted by good Irish scholars, the Amhra or Elegy on the Death of St. Columcille is always no- ticed. ^3
Thememoryofthissaintwasvenerated,atthechurchofMagin. ^* It wasinthedioceseofMeath. ^5 HewasveneratedatthechurchofCluain
Dallain, now Kildallon,^^ East Breiffney, formerly in the province of Con- naught, and within Kilmore diocese. *^? At Disert Dallain^^ and at Tullagh^9
or Tulach Dallain,7° in the diocese of Raphoe,? ^ this saint was greatly vene- rated. There is a townland denomination of Clondallan, in this part of Ireland,72asalsoaCloondalininWestmeath. 73 Aparochialchurch,called Cluain Dalian, is said \o be in a part of eastern Ulster, named Ivechia. It has been stated, that Dr. Keating intimates, in his History of the Kings of Ireland, when treating about King Aidus, already mentioned, that this church received its name from our saint. 74 He was venerated in many other places, especially throughout the province of Ulster. His festival is found atthisdateintheIrishCalendars. TheparishofClondalan,inthediocese
^' This word, generally translated by the
English word " Poet," was a general epithet applied to a scholar in or a professor of literature and philosophy. See Professor Eugene O'Curry's "Lectures on the Manu- script Materials of Ancient Irish History,"
Banagh, marked on the "Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the County of Donegal," Sheet 84. It appears to consist of wild mountain land, having a summit altitude of 1 706 feet ; but no site of a church can there be traced.
Lect. i. ,
*- See ibid. , Lect. ii. , p. 29.
^3 See ibid. , Lect. viii. , p. 177.
^^The Martyrologies of Tallagh and of
Marianus O'Gorman, at the 29th of January, notice that he belonged to this place. So,
likewise, the Martyrology of Donegal, and Charles Maguire, in his Festilogy, state, that on the same day, his natalis was cele-
brated at Maginia.
*5 There is a townland called Mayne, in
the parish and barony of Dunboyne, shown on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the County of Meath," Sheet 51. No-
^9 The
name does not on appear
for the
County
3.
"
Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," xxix. Janu-
73 On the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Westmeath," Sheet 35, there is a Cloondalin, in the parish of St. Mary's and barony of Brawney.
n. 2,
p.
2.
compound
in an of antiquarian point
thing peculiar,
view, is marked on that situation. There is likewise a Mayne, in a parish of the same
name, in the barony of Fore, to be found ''
on the Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
of Wessmeath," Sheets 2, The site of a church, churchyard, and glebe-
land will be seen on the latter sheet.
^ See " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the County of Cavan," Sheet 14.
*7An Irish Life of St. Maidoc, cap. 72,
states, St. Dalian lived there. See Colgan's
arii, n. 18, p. 204. St. Maidoc's Acts, as
edited by Colgan, are comprised in 64 chapters, nor do we find Dalian's name oc-
curring in those published by him at the 31st Januarii, n. 21, p. 205. I must remark, of January. that in Dermot O'Conor Keating's "His-
*^
Disert, in the parish of Inver, barony of ever to such a circumstance.
the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for
the County of Donegal," although at present
a TuUagh simply is described as a townland
in the parish of Clonmany, barony of Inish- owen East, Sheets 3, 10. There is another townland denomination of Tullagh, in the parish of Mevagh, barony of Kilmacrenan. See Sheet 27.
—
note ( I ), by Dr. Todd, appended to his and
Dr. Reeves' edition of the " of Martyrology
Donegal," p. 30.
7' See Rev. William Reeves' "Ecclesias-
tical Antiquities of Down, Connor, and Dromore," n. (o), p. 115.
T^ In the of and ba- parish Killygarvan,
rony of Kilmacrenan, shown on the "Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Donegal," Sheet 28. An old fort, and a village, are the only objects of interest marked upon it.
7° A more recent hand adds here CulAig 'OAliAin •popcc1]^ CoriAiLL. "There is also a Tulach Dallain still in Tir Connaill. " So we are informed in a
There is a townland denomination of tory of Ireland," there is no allusion what-
7'* See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernias,"xxix.
:
. Aca
January 29. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 503
of Dromore, is said to have derived its name from this saint. 75 Under any form of the name, this parish or townland cannot be traced there on the Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the county. We can discover, in both the pubUshed^^ and in the unpubhshed77 copies- of the Martyrology of Tallagh, that Dalian mac Forgaill o Maighin is entered at the 29th of Janu- ary. At this same date, Marianus O'Gorman, Charles Maguire,^^ and that Calendar, compiled by the Rev. William Reeves,79 record this holy and learnedman. WealsofindregisteredintheMartyrologyofDonegal,^"on this day, Dalian Forgaill, of Maighin, descended from the race of Colla Uais, Monarch of Ireland. It has been stated, by a patriotic Irish writer, that our people were enthusiastic in their love for religion, and that they mingled Christianity with their poetry and their literature, the most culti- vated, perhaps, of all western Europe. '^^ We can hardly doubt, that several of our saintly and literary men contributed much to foster this taste and spirit; noramongthemdowemeetwithamoredistinguishedrepresentative of past culture and piety, than the pious man whose acts and writings have just passed before us in review.
Article VI. —St. Baeithin. After the introduction of seven foreign saints at this day, in the Franciscan copy of the Martyrology of Tallagh, the Irish saints first noticed are the three Clarenigh,' i. e. , Baithen, Segin, and
Cronan. ^ Baeithin, is separately registered in the Martyrology of Donegal,3 on this day. He is also entered in the published Martyrology of Tallagh,4 but united with two other saints. Why these three saints are venerated on the same day is a problem of difficult solution.
Article VII. —St. Cronan. We find a St. Cronan separately recorded in the Martyrology of Donegal,^ as having a festival at this date. He is also entered, but not separately, in the Martyrology of Tallagh. ^ Towards the
"
close of life he might repeat, as St. Paul did to the Ephesians,
fought a good fight ; I have finished my course ; I have kept the faith. "3 Therefore was he a ready sacrifice when the time of dissolution was at hand.
ArticleVIII. —St. SeighinorSegin. TheMartyrologyofTallagh'' mentions that on the 29th of January a festival was held in honour of St. Segin. He is united with the two former saints. " Na tri Clarenigh. i Bae-
7S See various particulars regarding it in Rev. William Reeves' "Ecclesiastical Anti-
quities of "Down, Connor, and Dromore," n. (o), pp. 114, 115.
7* Edited by the Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiv.
77 In the Franciscan copy, the entry of
this saint's name
omAjhin. Afterwards the MS. part is want- ing from this date to the i ith of March.
79 See Connor,
^
The ciscancopy
'OAblAn tri
reads, 1:o]\5ai'L'L
following
is the text in the Fran-
7*In the copy of his "Festilogy. "
ocu|' I'esmi ocuf cporiAne.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
" and
Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Dromore," Appendix LL. , p.
30, 31.
* Edited
Re—v. Dr. '
376.
^Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
30, 31.
^' See Mark S. "Irish O'Shaughnessy's
Nationality; a the of Study upon History
Ireland, from the Twelfth to the Seventeenth
2
Edited by Kev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiv.
Century," p. 7. Dublin : i860, 8vo.
—'The three
or "board-faced men," were probably so called, because of their plain, flatly-shaped features, or owing to some peculiarity in
their physiognomy,
Article vi.
"" Clarinechs,
:
—
TlA
C|\1 cLA]\eni5
. 1. bAicheni
xiv. Article vii. Edited by Drs. Todd
by
and Reeves, pp. 30, 31.
Kelly, p.
^ii. — Tim. , iv. , 7.
Articleviil. Kelly, p. xiv.
' Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
I have
504 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 29.
thini ocus Segini ocus Cronani," is the entry found in this record. In the Martyrology of Donegal^ we fin—d entered on this day, Seighin. Immediately
were
[flat-faced], Cronan, Baeithin, and Seighin. " Perhaps from the physical peculiarity at- tributed to these saints, and their feasts occurring the same day, we may suppose them to have been brothers, or perhaps to have been descended
from some common progenitor.
Article IX. —Reputed Festival of St, Amnichad. In the anony-
mous catalogue of our national saints, pubUshed by O'Sullivan Beare,^ this saint's feast is set down at the 29th of the present month. The follo^ving day, however, seems to have been his proper festival.
Article X. —St. Mocheanna, or Mac Conna, Virgin. Watchful
and untiring in their duty, holy virgins are as the Apostle desired, not children of darkness, but children of the light and of the day, sober and
sleepless. ' We read of Mocheanna, a virgin, having a festival at this date, according to the Martyrology of Donegal. ^ In the published
Martyrology of Tallagh,3 as in the Franciscan copy,* her name is simply entered as Mac Conna. Notwithstanding the apparently incorrect way of spelling the name in this latter record, I cannot doubt but it represents Mo- cheanna.
:
afterwards follows this notice " The three Clairenechs
Article XI. —St. Volocus, Macwoloch, or Faelchu, Bishop and Missionary in Scotland. [Probably zn the Fifth or Sixth Century. '] Little of an authentic cast seems to be known regarding this zealous missionary prelate. On to-day, however, in the Kalendar and Breviary of Aberdeen,' there are notices of St. Volocus, who is said to have flourished in or after the fifth century. We find him classed as a bishop and confessor by Dempster, who calls him Makvoolocus. ^ He is also called Macwoloc. 3 Camerarius,* the Scottish priest, and Ferrarius^ have notices of St. Makwolocus, or Wolocus, as a bishop in Scotia. We also find him called Maknolocus and Volocus. Yet the Bollandists, at this date, rank him among those saints unkno\\'n to them, and to be relegated for further possible notice. ^ This holy man came a stranger to Scotland, and as analogy might possibly lead one to suppose that Volocus was the Latin form of the Irish name, Faelchu,? it seems possible enough he was a native of Ireland. ^
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
30, 31, —
Article ix. 'See "Historise Catho-
191,
2 See Adam
"
iv,, cap, xi. , p. —49, merarius. '^
=^"
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.