No More Learning

Article XVII. Feast of the Conception of the Blessed Mary, EVER Virgin. According to the Feilire ' of St. y^ngus. ^" as also to the Martyr- ology of Tallagh,3 a festival of the Blessed Virgin INIary was celebrated in Ireland, on the 3rd of May. The latter record has it Marise Virginis Con- ceptio, as the Bollandists notice; they remark, however, that the Church places it, at the 8th of December.
Article XVIII. Reputed Feast of St. Donnan. Veneration was given to Donnan, at the 3rd of May, as is recorded ' in the published Martyr- ology of Tallagh. We do not find warrant for this entry, in the Franciscan copy.
Article XIX. Reputed Feast of St. Concraid. We read simply the name Concraid, in the published Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 3rd of May. It is not found in the Franciscan copy.
Article XX. Reputed Feast of St. Fergusa. According to the published Martyrology of Tallagh,' veneration was given at the 3rd of May, to Fergusa. There is no corresponding entry, in the Franciscan copy.
Article XXI. St. Fumac, in Scotland. A saint of this name was venerated at Botriffnie, or Botriphnie,' also called Fumac Kirk, in Scotland. His age does not appear to be known ; nor does it transpire, as to whether he was of Irish or of Scottish birth. His well was formerly known at that place, and his fair was kept, on the 3rd of May. In the beginning of the last century, his wooden image was then washed with great solemnity each year in his well, by an old woman. * That image existed, until the beginning of this century, when it was swept away by a flood of the Isla, and stranded at Banff. There, it was committed to the flames, by the parish minister, who regarded it as a
Breac, having repeated in Irish the substance of the previous comment, the scholiast has in Latin, "post ccxxx. duos annos et non inventa est crux (quando) romani cum tito et uespasiano succenderunt ierusalem et tunc abscondita est crux, et in xl° anno post pas- sionemdomini. Seeibid. ,p. Ixxxiii.
5 In the Franciscan copy, we read at this date: C]\uci]' ch]\ifci muencio.
Kelly, p. xxiii.
Article xxi. — ' This is a parish, in the
centre of B. mffshire, and in the narrow part of the county. The small river Isla runs through it, in a beautiful strath, between two hills lying north and south. See "Im- perial Gazetteer of Scotland," vol. i. , p. 1S9.
^According to the Manuscript Account of Scottish Bishops in the Library at Slains,
. 1726.
* See the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus i. , Maii iii. De Inventione Sanctas
Crucis per SS. Helenani et Magarium Article xx. ' Edited by Rev. Dr.
Hierosolymis, in three chapters and thirty- two paragraphs, pp. 361 to 366.
Artici. f, XVII. —' Here it is called Mary the Virgin's great feast. See " Transaciions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu- script Series, p. Ixxviii.
' In the lower margin, the Scholiast has entered the following Latin conmient, on the words of his text; '^ i. e. ha;c inccptio eius ul alii jHitant sed in februo mcnse vel in
martio facta est ilia quia post, uii menses nata
est ut innarratur vel quselibet alia feria eius. '" Hid. , p. Ixxxiv.
3 In the Franciscan copy, we find, at this date mA]\i<\e ui]\ CO)ice|\cio.
• See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Maii iii. Among the pretermitted saints, p.
361. — Article xviii.
' Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxiii. —
Article xix. ' Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxiii. —
with some differences of spelling. s
3 Persons were living in 1847, who saw this statue. See " Illustrations of the Anti- quities of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff," vol. ii , p. 253, note.
'' SeeBishopForbes'"KalendarsofScot- tish Saints," pp. 351, 352.
;
This saint must have lived, at an early
directions to visit the well. All the men he had employed, endeavouring to stop its course, refused working at it. He even ad- vanced their wages, but this did not induce the greater number of them to continue their labour. However, some undertook tlie draining, and the fust day they worked every workman got sore eyes. After this,
—
May 4, LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 103
monument of superstition. 3 One of the old Almanacks gives a St. Fumac's fair, at Dinet, in Caithness, and at Chapel of Dine, in VVatten. 4 This saint seems to have obtained only a local celebrity.
Article XXII. Feast of the Translation of St. Patrick's Arm. On the 3rd of May was held, it appears, a festival to commemorate the Trans- lation of a Relic, called the Arm of St. Patrick,' Primate of Ireland. ^
Jfourti) Bap of ilay*
ARTICLE I. —ST. MOCHUA, OR CRONAN, SON OF CUIMINE, OF SLIABII EIBHLINNE, NOW SLIEVE PHELIM MOUNTAINS, COUNTY OF
LIMERICK.
LIKE objects that appear dimly and undefined in the distance are many
of those brief and scattered records or traditions, regarding our saints while, too frequently, such indications are unsatisfactory and elude all attempts at identification. ' The Martyrology of Tallagh ^ enters the festival ofMochuaMacCummin,inSleibhEibhinn,3atthe3rdofMay. ^ Mochua isonlyanothernameforCronan,aswehavealreadyshown. TheBoUan- dists, quoting the foregoing authority, have entered this holy person's festival,
Article xxii. —
in a work called " Promptuarium S. Scripturi
Anonymi Cujusdem Hiberni," edited by some continued ior a few days, until they
'
This information is
Father Luke Wadding.
^ This notice was communicated to the
got stone blind. Then, the gentleman who owned the land saw his mi^,take, and he got xnen to repair the damage he had done to the
writer, by Rev. Theobald L. Carey, Superior
of St. liidore's College, Rome, and dated well. He got a wall built around it, and
2nd of November, 1884.
Article i. —' Wepresent the following
popular narrative, in illustration of many simi-
lar local traditions. In tlie county of Cork,
barony of Duhallow, and parish uf Boher-
boy, there is a lioly well called Droumharif.
This well is famed for curing all sorts of
diseasesinman,andespeciallytheeyes. It
is attended on the 4th of May, in each year.
There is another well, called the city well,
inthesamecountyandbarony. Tliislatter
well is famed for curing all sorts of diseases,
iu men and cattle. The cattle are brouglit
to it, from all parts on May Eve, each year
also the people bring some of the water lacht, in the Brussels Manuscript, are,
;
^ The words of the Martyrology of Tarn-
hoiTie with them. With regard to the first-
named well, a most remarkable occurrence
is said to have taken place now over twenty
years ago. The man who owned the land, monte Eblina," at this date. See "Acta in whicli this holy well is situated, thought Satictorum," tomus i. , Mali. Among the to stop it by draining, as the people used to pretermitted saints, p. 437.
damage his place, when coming from all
from that date, he kept a man in charge of it. Edward N. Corridon of the Royal Irish Constabulary Barrack, Phoenix Park, Dub- lin, communicated the foregoing particulars, in a letter addressed to the writer, and dated April 9th, 1873.
^ Edited by Rev^ Dr. Kelly, p. xxiii. In the Franciscan copy is read lIloclniA niAc Cunnine1 steibebLnitie.
3 The battle of Eildrlinne, by Muirchear- tach Mac Erca, is noticed at A. D. 526, in Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters,*' vol. i. , pp. 174, 175.
" Mocua mac Cuimmini, 1 Sbeib eibLmm," according to the Rev. Dr. Todd. s Thus : " Mochua, filius Crumminci in
—
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, [May 4.
period, for we find his festival set down on this day, in the Feihre ^ of St. ^ngus. To the stanza, a schoHast has added the comment, that he was Mochua,sonofConn,fromSliabEbUnne,inMunster. ? Itseemsprobable, that his church was connected with this district ; but, the exact locality is not denoted. ^ TheSHevePhelimMountainsarearemarkablerange,withbeau- tiful undulations, extending over a considerable tract of country, towards the northeastern part of Limerick County 39 and, they are regarded, as lymg
chieflywithinthebaronyofOwneybeg. Therangeextendsabouttenmiles eastward, with a mean breadth of about three ; and, by a narrow defile, on the boundary line of both counties, it is separated from the magnificent Keeper IMountains, which run in a north-easterly direction, through the
104
Barnane Ely Mountain, County of Tipperaiy.
county of Tipperary. One of the most remarkable features of this place is tlie celebrated Bnrnane-Ely ;'° better known as the Devil's Bit Mountain," wherethereisacelebrateddefile,notfarfromTeinplemore. '^ Atthatspot, and on the eastern side of the Devil's Bit Mountain, formerly called Sliabh
'' In the " Leabhar Breac " copy is the Series, p. Ixxviii.
' See ibid. , p. Ixxxiv.
^ In the Index to Dr. O'Donovan's "An- nals of the Four Masters," vol. vii. , p. 56, the author has placed Eibhlinne, or the SI ieve- Phelim Mountains, in the county of Tipjierary.
9 They are chiefly within Abbington pnrish ; said to be an Anglicized form of "On AnailieriiH* passion went fair Mochua, 11U\niipre)\ llAirne, or the Monastery of sonoffamousCnmine,ondeaconSilvainis' Uailhno,theformernameoftlu-territory. It feast. " . See " Transactions of the Royal is described, in " Letters containing Infor- Irish Academy," vol. i. , Irish Manuscript mation relative to the Antiquities of the
following entry :
iTipAi)* ^nre^Mm tllOchuA CxMIl TjecllOlT) TTlAC Cuniine clochdig 1feiL SiILaui OeochAin.
It is thus translated by Dr. Whiilev Stokes :
—
May 4. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 105
Ailbuin, is the head of the River Suir. '3 l^ie SHeve PheHrn range is con- nected, witli the Mountains of Kihiamanagli,'4 on the east ; while it pre- serves a finely-featured contour and surface outline, forming a charming back- ground to the rich landscapes of the northern champaign country of Limerick. AnewroadfromThurles'S toTipperary'^ passesalongthebaseoftheeast end by the Slieve Phelim range. '? In Scotland, likewise, as in Ireland, St. Mochua was venerated, at the iv. of the May Nones, according to the Kalen- dar of Drummond,'^ and as a holy confessor. Among the various saints, called Mochua, or Cronan, we are unable to distinguish the present holy man,hisperiod,orhisofficeintheChurch. TheMartyrologyofDonegal'9 records, that this day was venerated Cronan, son of Cummain,='° of Sliabh Ebhlinne, in Munster.
Article II. St. Siollan, the Deacon. A festival was celebrated on this day, as we read in the INIartyrologies of Tallagh ^ and of Donegal,^ in honour of Siollan the deacon. 3 This account is taken from the Felire Aeno-- huis. 4 It has been thought by Colgan,s that the present St. Sillan may be identical with one, mentioned in the Life of St. Berach, of Kilbarry, who is venerated,atthe15thofFebruary. ^ TheBoUandists7 havethefeastofSt. Sillan entered, at this date ; and, they give a similar reference, as if he were identical with that monk of St. Berach, who had been killed by robbers, and
County of Limerick," vol. ii. , pp. 152, and 416 to 446.
" It is rendered, " the small gap of the Territory of Ely," and it gives name to the parish, according to Jolin O'Donovan, who describes it, as near the country of the O'Meaghers, who lived at the foot of it. Th-ere, too, are the remains of an old church. See ''Letters containing Information rela- tive to the Antiquities of the County of Tip- perary, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey, in 1840," vol. ii. Letter, dated l<oscrea,Oct. 24th, 1840, pp. 225, 226.
" Its highest peak is 1,583 feet above the sea. See it marked, on "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Tip- perary," sheet 28.
'^ The accompanying illustration, from an original sketch by William F. Wakeman, was by him drawn on the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
'3 See " The Topograhical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na Naomh O'Huidhrain," edited by Dr. O'Donovan, p. Ixi. , n. 513,
"'The Barony of Upper Kilnamanagh, N. R. , is an extensive tract of country, de- scribed on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Tipperary," sheets 27. 28, 33, 34, 38, 39, 40, 44, 45, 46, 50, 51. The barony of Lower Kilnamanagh, . S. R. in the same county is shown, on sheets 39, 40, 45, 46, 51, 52. 59, 60.
'3 The parish of Thurles, in the barony of Eliogarty, county of Tipperary, is shown, on sheets 35, 41, 42, 47, ibid. The town and townparks of Thurles are noted, on sheet 41.
'^ The parish of Tipperary, in the barony of Clanwilliam, is shown, oiv sheets 58, 59, 66, 67. The town itself is marked on sheet 67.
'7 See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ire- land," vol. iii. , p. 257.
'" See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scot- tish Saints," p. 12.
'9 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 120, 121.
° Dr. Todd says, in a note, at Cummain "The more recent hand has written ai over the vowels ei of Cuimmeme in the text • and adils at the end of the paragraph, ' Sed jNlart. Taml. vocat ItlocuA niAc Cumiene. ' "
Article ii. — ' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxiii.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 120, 121.
3 InanoteDr. Toddsays,thatparagraph, within brackets, contained m the Martyr- ology of Donegal, is in the more recent hand. Besides the present £ntry, the preceding St. Mochua, of Slieve Phelim, is found there inserted, as if distinguishable from St. Cronan.
*• In a comment, the scholiast adds, " he was Silvanus the deacon," without giving any other clue to his history. See " I'rans- actions of the Royal Irish Academy," vol. i. , p. Ixxxiv, On the Calendar of Oengus, by Dr. Whitley Stokes.
5 See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernije. " xv. Februarii. Supplementum Vitas S. Ber. achi Abbatis, cap. vii. , n. 6, p. 348.
^ See his Life, at that day.
7 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Mai iv. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 437.
:
Article hi. —'
tomus i. , j\Iaii iv.
—
io6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 4.
who had been cafterwards resuscitated, through the miraculous agency of his venerable superior. This miracle was wrought, at a place called Rath-ond, which has not been identified. In the sixth or seventh century, St. Sillan flourished, if the identification in question be admitted. This Natalis occurs, also, in the Kalendar of Drummond,^ as Sillan, Deacon, a holy confessor, at the 4th of the May Nones.
Article III. St. Aedh, Son of Brec, or Bricc. This day was venerated Aedh, or Aedo, son of Brec, as we read in the Martyrologies of Tallagh' andofDonegal. ' Anoteappendedtothelatterrecord,byamore recent hand, quotes the authority of Marianus O'Gorman, for this festival, at the 3rd of May. 3 Colgan merely says, that a bt. Aldus is to be found, in the Irish Calendars, at the 4th of May. * No other information is furnished, regarding him. The Bollandists,5 who quote the IMartyrology of Tallagh for this festival, remark, likewise, that other authorities regard St. Aldus, son of Brek, or Brecc, as the Bishop of Kill-air, in Meath, and founder of the monas- tic establishment of Enach-midbrenin, whose death has been assigned to A. D. 588. They promised to give his Life, at the loth of November. Thus, we may doubt, if the present holy man be distinct from St. Aedh, Mac Bricc, whose festivals occur, also, on the 28th of February,^ and on the loth of November. 7
Article IV. Festival of the Blessed Alexander, Cistercian Monk, at Foigni, in France. ^Thirteenth Century. '] At the 4th of May, theBollandists' enterthisFeast,ontheauthorityofChrysostomHenriquez, Saussay, and Bucelin. More will be found^ concerning him, at the 6th of August,
Article V. St. Colmoc, Bishop of Banff, Scotland. [Tenth and Eleventh Centuries. '] We receive this saint, on the authority of Demp- ster, who has entered a feast for St. Colmoc, Bishop of Banff, in his " Meno- logium Scoticum," ' at the 4th of May. ^ Whether the birth of St. Colmoc be referable to Ireland, or to Scotland, is a matter to be questioned. The name was doubtless a very common appellation formerly, in our own Island.
However, we do not find this entry, in the Irish Calendars ; and, Dempster's tissue of statements—which are here given—cannot be regarded as free from
Articleiv. —' See"ActaSanctorum,"
^ SeeBishopForbes'"KalendarsofScot- tish Saints," p. 12.
Among the pretermitted
—
moci episcopi, miri concionaioris B. B. T. "
= See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scot- tish Saints," p. 198.
^ This was probably Malcolm II. , son to Kenneth III. , and who is said to have ruled over Scotland for twenty-nine ye. rrs. How- ever, a judicious and critical writer, John Mill Burton, states, that there is much of a
oiunts of this period. See " The Histoiy of ' See notices of him, at this date. Scotland from . Agncola's Invasion to the ' See his Life, at the loth of November. Revolution of 1688," vol. i. ,chap. x. , pp. 364
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxiii. The Franciscan copy enters
saints, p. 436. Article v.
'
"
Thus: Bamfise Col-
<Xet)o 111 AC bjMcc.
= Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
120, 121.
'According to the Rev. Dr. Todd.
See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nia;," xxxi. Januarii. Appendix ad Acta S. Maedoci, cap. i. , p. 221.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Maii
iv. Among the pretermitted saints, p. questionable character admitted into ac-
438.
May 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 107
the suspicion of fiction. The bishop St. Colmoc is said to have been man of exemplary Hfe, who reproved the vices of his people with achiiirable freedom of speech. While civil war raged between King Constantine and jMalcolm,3 the son of Kenneth, he issued grave fulminations against those, who would not attend to his admonitions, and repent of their errors. -* Banff was the chief city, and a royal burgh, in the old Scottish district, known as Buchan. s In reference to this saint, Dempster has not only the most absurd, but even the most contradictory, accounts. Thus, in one passage, while the saint's festival is set down at the 4th of May, it is there added, that he was trans- lated, on the 5th of February, a. d. 760. ^ Then, a few lines lower down, ac- cordingtothesamewriter,St. Colmocdied,a. d. ioio. ? ThereisaColmoc entered, among the early ecclesiastical celebrities of Scotland, by the Rev. Dr.
F. S. Gordon in his learned and valuable work,^ evincing so much care J.
and research, both in plan and treatment ; but, we find no further^account of his i)lace or period. There is also a St. Colraach invoked, among the Scot- tish Bishops. 9 If we are to credit Dempster, his ? t. Colmoc wrote, Monita Salutaria, lib. i. ; Ecclesise Scoticse Successio, lib. i. ;^° and, also, Ad Regem pro pace stabilienda, lib. i. In Dempster's History of the Scottish Church," it is stated, that this Bishop was enrolled among the saints, and that churches were erected in his honour. '^ This account has been followed, by Ferrari, quoting a Breviary ; but, the Bollandists '^—who have certain remarks on Colmocus at the 3rd of May—state, that the Breviary of Aberdeen has nothing on the subject, while they prefer waiting for more authentic acts or memorials of this Colmoc's veneration, than had been within their know- ledge.
Article VI. —Festival assigned for a reputed St. Haymarus, Bishop and Martyr, at Toul, in France. \_Eightli Century^ The Bollandists ^ remark, that Camerarius has a festival to a St. Haymarus, a Bishop and Martyr, who succeeded St. Maunsey,^ a Scot, in the See of 'i'oul. However, the Samma.