See
were unintelligible to the finders.
were unintelligible to the finders.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
Ixxx.
, P- 537.
ibid.
the Franciscan order, but he deserved well of Ireland in general,
93 Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Quarta it placed in the province of Connaught,
98 xhere the saint is said to have dwelt in theplainof"Air. " InanoteColganadds, 9' In Colgan's time, it was called, Ma- that in the Irish language, it is called, chaire Connacht ; and, in more ancient times, Maghair, i. <». ,*' the plain of slaughter. " In Mag-ai. the Fourth Life, lib. i. , cap. 49, we find
9'IntheFourthLife.
Vita S. Brigidse, lib. i. , cap. xlix. , and n. 20, pp. 549, 564.
9* Kill-brigde, already mentioned, was a chapel, in the parish of Kill-luckin.
95 Druim-na-bfeadh was a parochial church,
belonging to the diocese of Tuam, or other-
wise, of Elphin.
9^ Disert and Druimdhain were parochial
churches, belonging to the diocese of El-
"
phin. See
Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidae, cap. xvi,, pp. 624, 625.
97 In each of these places, St. Brigid was venerated, as the special patroness, accord- ing to a catalogue of churches, in Elphin diocese, sent to Colgan, by the Most Rev.
Boetius Egan, Bishop of Elphin. This worthy prelate was not only an ornament to
where St. Brigid and St. Broniusare known to have dwelt, at the time of the occurrences narrated. See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Tertia S. Brigidse, cap. xciv. , and n. 56, pp. 539, 544, 545.
99 Telia, or the country about Ardagh, of vhich St. Mel was bishop, having been par- ticularly mentioned as a district travelled by our saint, her frequent interviews with that prelate may have given rise to an opinion, that she received the religious veil, at his hands.
^°° See the observations of Dr. Lanigan on
this subject, and on matters preceding, in his "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol.
i. , chap, viii. , § iv. , and nn. 53, 60, pp. 389, 390, 391,
Trias Thaumaturga. " Appendix
90
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[February i.
journey of our saint to Connaught, as in the other cases, Brigid and her companions, in travelHng from one place to another, were often obliged to
^°'
lodge at private houses.
While our saint remained in this part of the country, one day sheTwent
^^^
One of the clergy held the chalice, from which our saint refused to drink, on beholding within it the vision of a monster. The bishop demanded a reason for her refusal, and on being informed, he asked the assistant cleric, what crime he had committed, urging him at the same time to confess his sin, and glorify God. The cleric^°3 humbly confessed, that he had partaken of what had been stolen. The prelate then requested him to repent. On complying with this injunction, penitently weeping, our saint approached to partake of the chalice, andBrigidfoundthemonsterhaddisappeared. Thusthetearsofthiscleric procured pardon for his offence; while, the virgin and the bishop retired rejoic- mg from the church, after having been refreshed with our Lord's body and blood. '°+ At another time, a certain aged woman had a dangerous infirmity, and Brigid, with many holy women of the place, visited her, to watch and pray by her bedside. When this sick person was at the point of death, some
of her attendants suggested, that her better or superfluous garments might be removed, before departure, and especially to save the trouble of after-
wards washing them at a very cold time of the year. But, St. Brigid would not consent to this course, saying, the patient should not live long, and that
it was not charitable, to take away those garments she wore, as a protection from that season's inclemency. '°5 All who were there admired the saint's charity, and returned thanks to God. '°*^ We are told, also, that when St. Brigid dwelt in this part of the country, she was often accustomed to seek a pool of cold water, near the monastery. ^°7 There she remained immersed, while she prayed and wept during the whole night. This rigorous mortifi- cation at one time she endured, while snow and frost prevailed, and in pre- sence of one from among her sisterhood. But, as this rough corporal treat- ment surpassed the powers of nature to endure, for any continued length of time ; so, it pleased the goodness and mercy of God to prevent it, by a miracle. On a night immediately following the occurrence related, Brigid went with the same companion to renew like austerities, but on arriving at the pond, it was found to have become completely dry, nothing appearing but the exposed bottom sands. Surprised at this occurrence, the virgins re- turned home ; yet, at the earliest hour of day-break, on the following morn- ing, its waters were found to have returned to their usual level in the lough.
to receive the Holy Eucharist, from a certain bishop.
"' The missionary state of things at the time warrants such a supposition.
under both species. We have also warrant for the Catholic dogmas of the Real Pre-
sence and Sacramental Confession, prevail- ing in the early Irish Church, from thefore- going narrative.
'°5 gee Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's
412.
'°* In giving an account of this circum-
stance, our saint is said to have wrought a miracle, recorded in the Third Life. It is also mentioned in the Vita Sexta S. BrigidJB, § Ivii. , p. 594,
'°7 See Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's "La Santiti Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Bri- gida Ibernese. " Libro Quinto, pp. 412 to
417.
*°*
is called Bishop Bron. See " La Santitk
In D. Giacomo Certani's account, he
Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. " Libro Quinto, pp. 408 to 410.
'°3ln Certanis account he is called a dea"con.
Such is the narrative as given in the
Fourth Life of our saint. An account in
the Third Life is nearly similar, only we are told in this latter, that one of the bishop's boys held the chalice In the former, it is said, "unus tunc deministrisChristi tenebat calicem. " It would seem from this anec- dote, according to the primitive discipline ef the Irish Church, in St. Brigid's time, that Holy Communion had been received
"La Santiti
Vita di S. Bri- gida Ibernese. " Libro Quinto, pp. 410 to
Prodigiosa.
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 91
St. Brigid resolved the third night similarly to repeat her practice, when a similardisappearanceofthewaterstookplaceonherapproach. Thesewaters
returnedtothebedofthatloughearlyonthefollowingmorning. Almighty power was pleased to work such a miracle, on account of God's holy servant.
Always pleasing in his sight, as the beloved disciple, St. John, Brigid had been delivered from impending torture and death. A knowledge of this event, also, caused all persons to extol those wondrous favours of Heaven manifested towards the holy abbess, who was entreated by her friends to re- strain her mortifications, because they seemed to be providentially discou- raged. Coinciding in a like opinion, Brigid yielded her own desires to these
'°^
urgent requests, after such Divine warnings.
Following nearly the—order of events, henceforward, as recorded in the
Fourth Life of our saint although it is by no means certain, that the series of her actions as given in the Third Li—fe might not, on the whole, be more
strictly chronological and consecutive it will be necessary, mainly to accommodate those narratives contained in her other lives, to accounts com-
prised in the Second Book. ^°9 By adopting this course, we are brought im- mediately to the foundation of her great religious establishment at Kildare ; and, from the most reliable chronological date, a considerable period must have elapsed from the time of this erection to the year of her death. This appears the more necessary, to give some degree of probability to accounts regarding her various journeys in distant parts of the island, while promoting the great objects of her mission. Sufficient time should thus be allowed for accomplishing those excursions, and for the performance of many miracles, attributed to her, in connexion with various localities. It is to be regretted, however, that the places where they occurred are rarely mentioned, nor are
times usually specified, by any of her biographers.
While Brigid resided in the western province, the fame of her sanctity
beca—me diffused all over Ireland. Numbers flocked from all parts to visit
;
Butthe
in t—
he where
some for the of purpose holding
conferences or advice on re- seeking
her
ligious matters— others for—the relief of corporal and physical necessities.
those
she was born"° and had received her earliest education conceived them-
people
ofLeinster
especially
residing territory,
selves best entitled to the honour and advantages to be derived, from the holy virgin's local residence. Taking counsel together, they resolved on
sending a respectful request, through a deputation of her friends, that the virgin might be induced to revisit her own province, there to found a reli- gious house, which should become the parent establishment for her different institutes, throughout the whole island. Having arrived in Connaught, this deputation proceeded to unfold the object of their journey, and to enforce their wishes by such reasons as they supposed should soonest determine her acquiescence, in the unanimous opinion of those people whom they repre- sented. Brigid yielded without much difficulty to their desires. Having arranged matters, connected with her existing nunneries, in the western pro- vince, she set out towards her better known district""
Returning to Leinster, she was obliged to cross the river Shannon,'" and
'°^See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Quarta S. Brigidse, lib. i. , cap. 1. , li. , Hi. , pp. 549, 550. Also, Vita Tertia S. Brigidse, cap. xcir. , xcv. , xcvi. p. 539, ibid.
'°9 Namely of St. Brigid's Fourth Life.
*'°
This place, however, was not within the bounds of ancient Leinster ; if we credit most accounts.
"' See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , § x. , pp.
405,406.
"""
Intra quam Kelltra est conventus rite
virorum
Prudenium, sacro Benedicti dogmate florens. "
So says the Sixth Life of our saint. The place here mentioned is situated between
93
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
we are told, that she came to a place called Ath-Liiain"3 for this purpose. The present town of Athlone"^ probably marks the spot. This is situated
nearly in the centre of Ireland, being partly in the county of Roscommon,
and partly in that of Westmeath. It is thought to have derived its name ""
from Ath, an Irish word signifying ford," and Lua? i, the moon,""s to which heathen deity it was said to have been dedicated in pagan times. "^
Near it is Tobar-Brigdhe, on the Connaught side. "7 Here, St. Brigid found some people, respectively belonging to the province of Connaught and to
the race of Neill, contending with each other. The Shannon, the largest of our Irish rivers, formed a boundary, between the ancient provinces of Meath and Connaught. The former of these provinces belonged to the Hi Niell family, because the southern O'Neills, or the posterity of Laogaire, Conall, Crimtham,Fiach,and Manius,four sons to Niell the great, King of Ireland, were its colonists. The companions of St. Brigid asked some ferry-men on the river bank to take them across, but the boatmen demanded a fare for this service. "^ This demand the sisters refused to comply with, and they de- clared their intention to walk across the river,"9 believing that through St.
Brigid's blessing the Almighty would preserve them, as he had formerly opened a passage through the Red Sea and the river Jordan, for his ser-
the ancient territories of Thomond and Con- Crown ; with numerous Notes and a copious
naught. It is an island in the Shannon, now Appendix. " Chap, xxi. , pp. 166 to 168,
called Inis-Keltra. The circumstance of the Benedictine institute mentioned, as flourish- ing there, at a time when the Sixth Life was written, may furnish a clue to the period of
and chap. xxx. xxxi. , pp. 208 to 220. "^"The derivation of the name would appear to be confirmed by the discovery of several lunettes and crescents of gold in an adjoining bog, which were sold to a Dublin are quoted by Archdall, who gives us no jeweller for £^$^, by whom they were account, however, regarding a Benedictine melted down. Had they been previously examined by a clever antiquary, they would most probably have thrown great light on early Irish history, as I have been informed
that some of them bore inscriptions which
its composition. The foregoing Latin lines
institute having been here established. Yet, he seems to refer its foundation to the
seventh or eighth century. See ticon Hibernicum," p. 48.
'*
Monas-
"3 In Irish, it is called Athluain, a town
lying between the ancient bounds of Con-
naught and Meath, where the Shannon sepa-
rated both provinces. A bridge thrown many miracles wrought there, not only across the river afforded a passage long be-
fore Colgan's time, and at present, more than one bridge spans the Shannon, at this place. In the Latin lives of St, Brigid, it
"
vadi luain," as ex-
Catholics, but those without the fold, were accustomed to visit it, coming from the most distant parts. Whereupon, the illustrious Lord Randall MacDonnell, Count of An- trim, distinguished as much for his Christian piety as by his noble birth, had it surrounded with handsome and firmly-pointed mason-
'•
work. See Trias Thaumaturga," n. 44,
Lua," or otherwise
"
pressed in li. , cap. i.
'*
juxta vadum Quarta Vita S. Brigidae," lib.
is here said, that she came,
^'< It seems unaccountable, when Marcus
Keane in his " Towers and Temples of An-
cient Ireland" alludes to St. Luan alias Mo-
lua—whom he identifies with a Pagan divi-
nity, the Moon—that the writer did not dis-
cover such fanciful derivation for the town, Athlone. Colgan, who mentions it, pub- and did not connect St. Luan in some way
with Ath-luain, which is missing from his curious list of cognate localities. See pp.
59, 60.
"S A very interesting account of this town,
and the sieges it stood, first when Lieutenant- General Douglas arrived before the place, July 17th, 1690, and when a second time General de Ginckell appeared before it, June
19th, 1 691, at the head of 27,000 men, are presented in Charles Ffrench Blake Foster's
"Irish Chieftains; or a Struggle for the
lished his work in 1647, many years pre- vious. The inscription on a door-way over the well must reveal some earlier date.
See
were unintelligible to the finders. "
Ibid. ,
note 86, p. 495.
"7Colgan informs us that on account of
p. 544. It must be incorrectly stated by Frazer, that the first Earl of Antrim in 1685 erected an old building, which encloses the sacred fountain at Brideswell, in Roscom- mon county, about six and a-half miles from
••
Hand Book for Travellers in Ireland. "
No. 105, p. 479.
"^ In the Third Life of our saint, it is
said, they asked for a cloak or a blanket, belonging to these virgins, as a recompense for the service required.
"' During very dry seasons, the Shannon was formerly fordable at Athlone,
—
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 93
vants. "° Thentheybesoughttheirholyabbesstomakeasignofthecross
over the Shannon waters, that they might decrease, so as to become fordable.
This request she heard most favourably : with her sisters she entered the
river, and in presence of people belonging to both contending factions. To
the wonder and admiration of beholders, although without the aid of boats,
the strongest men and soldiers there assembled could not pass, it was found,
the waters did not reach the knees of this holy company of virgins, then
crossing. Before the saint and her companions entered the river, some
clerics, who had hired a small vessel, asked one of Brigid's nuns to accom-
pany them. She permitted a young and timid sister to cross the river before
her in that vessel. "^ This virgin had previously asked the blessing of her
superioress, from whom she feared to be separated in crossing over ; and
:
Brigid said *' Go in peace, the Lord will preserve you. " But, in sight of
all, the bark sunk in the mid-stream, when, fearful of danger, the men invoked aid from the holy abbess. Brigid blessed and prayed for her nun ; the waves carried this sister safely to her destination, without even wetting her garments. All, who were near the spot, gave glory to God, and lauded the wonders it pleased Heaven to accomplish through the merits of our illus- trious saint. "^ Yet greater moral miracles than these was she destined to effectj and,filledwithahappyinspiration,shedirectedhercoursetothat place, which aftenvards became inseparably connected with her heroic actions while living, and with their memory, when she was called away to her eternal reward.
CHAPTER VI.
KINGS OF IRELAND IN THE FOURTH AND FIFTH CENTURIES—CONDITION OF LEINSTER AFTER THE MIDDLE OF THE FIFTH CENTURY—KILDARE—PERIOD WHEN SELECTED BY ST. BRIGID FOR HER CHIEF MONASTERY—GRADUAL GROWTH AND IMPORTANCE OF THE PLACE—INSTANCES OF HER PROTECTION.
The Annals of Ireland relate certain revolutionary changes, whereby the
supreme sovereignty passed from one family line to another, during the fourth and fifth centuries. Ambitious and enterprising warriors aspired to rule the island, as fortune or the force of circumstances favoured their designs. After the middle of the fourth century,^ the monarch Eochaidh, surnamed
Muigh Mheadhoin,'' slew his predecessor, Caelbadh, a. d. 3 5 7,3 and afterwards he reigned for eight years,^ when he died at Tara,5 a. d. 365. ^ Twice had he
"° Exodus, xvi. 22.
»" See "The Life of St. Brigid," by an
Irish Priest, chap, v. , pp. 65, 66. "^ "
3 This is set down to A. d. 353 in O'Ma- hony's Keating's "History of Ireland," booki. , chap, vii,, p. 367. He only reigned
See Colgan's JTrias Thaumaturga. " one year. See Gratianus Lucius (Dr. John
Vita Quarta S. Brigidse, lib. ii. , cap. i. , ii. , and n. i, pp. 550, 564. Vita Tertia S. Bri-
gidse, cap. xcvii. , and n. 56, pp. 539, 545, ibid. Vita Sexta S. Brigidae, § Iviii. , p. 594, and n. 1—6, p, 598, ibid.
'
Chap, vi, In the following historical
resume, we chiefly follow the chronology of the Four Masters in the text.
=^ He received this name, rendered " Cam-
porum Amplificator," according to Dr.
Charles O'Conor, probably because he was
an extender or improver of lands. See
Lynch), "Cambrensis Eversus," vol. i,,
chap, viii. , pp. 492, 493. Rev. Dr. Kelly's edition.
See an account of this king and his
*'
epoch in O'Flaherty's
cap. Ixxix, Ixxx. , pp. 373 to 380.
s During his reign, it is said, St. Patrick was carried as a captive into Hibemia.
"
ii. Tigemachi Annales, pp. 72, 73.
Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus
See William M. Scotorum," pp. 14, 15.
"Chronicum
Hennessy's
^
ment in Dr. John Lynch's Cambrensis
Eversus," vol. i. , chap, viii. , pp. 492,493. See Rev. Dr. Kelly's edition.
Or A. M. 5564, according to the state- "
Ogygia," pars, iii. ,
94 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [Februa r i.
been married. 7 Crimhthann,^ son of Fidhach, a warlike and an accomplished prince, succeeded Eochaidh Muighmeadhoin. It is recorded, that he made successful predatory inroads on the shores of France, Britain and Scotland, from which countries he obtained tribute and submission, returning to Ire-
land with and hostages
of thirteen '° he is years,
After a
said to have died of poison, administered by his own sister, Mongfinn. "
Thus she hoped to obtain the succession for her favourite son Brian," as Crimthaandiedwithoutissue; but,inthisexpectationshewasdisappointed, and her own death is said to have happened, about the same time, a. d. 378. Her step-son, the celebrated Niall of the Nine Hostages,'3 next came on the throne. This king commenced his reign, a. d. 379,''* and distinguished his career by a series of brilliant and successful expeditions against the Alba- nians, Britons, Picts and Gauls, from whom he carried away valuable spoils
and several captives. Among the latter, as generally supposed, was our illustrious national saint, at a subsequent period destined by Divine Provi-
dence to become the great apostle of Ireland. It is said, that when Niall arrived in Albyn or Albania, now Scotland, to assist the Dailriads of Irish extraction against the incursions of the Picts, he changed the name of that countrytoScotiaattheirrequest. ScotlandwasthenceforwardknownasScotia Minor, to distinguish it from Ireland, which was denominated Scotia Major. The reason why this heroic monarch received the name of Niall of the Nine Hostages is said to have been owing to the circumstance of his having had four noble hostages from Scotland, and five other distinguished pledges from the different provinces of Ireland, confined at Tara. Yet, accounts are somewhat discordant as to the nine regions from which these hostages were taken. The people of Leinster are represented as having surrendered
7 This monarch had four sons by his first oin's second wife ; so that, she had either wife Mongfinn,whowasdaughterto Fidhach, been divorced by the monarch, or, as seems of the royal family of Munster. Her sons likely enough, a plurality of wives was in were : I. Bryan, ancestor of the O'Conors vogue among some of the Pagan Irish.
"
captives. 9
reign
of Connaught and their kindred ; 2. Fiachra, ^*See O'Mahony's Keating's
History of
ancestor of the O'Dowdas, O'Heynes and Ireland," book i. , chap, vii. , pp. 371, 372.
O'Shaughnessys; 3. Fearghus; and 4. '3Niallhadfourteensons,eightofwhom
OilioU, whose people were formerly located left issue : viz. , I. Laeghaire, from whom
in Tir-Oiliolla, now the barony of Tirerrill, the O'Coindhealbhains or Kendellans of
in the county of Sligo. By his second Ui-Laeghaire are descended ; 2. Conall
wife, Carinna, a Saxon or Pictish lady, the Crimhthainne, from whom the O'Melagh-
most illustrious of his sons, Niall of the lins are derived ; 3. Fiacha, the ancestor of
Nine Hostages, descended.
^
Crimthann ascended the throne A. D. 360, according to O'Mahony's Keating's "History of Ireland," book i. , chap, vii. , p. 369, According to Tigernach, his reign commenced about A. D. 366.
the MacGeoghegans and O'Molloys ; 4. Maine, the progenitor of the O'Caharneys, O'Breens and MacGawleys, with their co- relatives in Teffia. All these sons setded in Meath. The other four acquired exten-
sive possessions in Ulster, where they re- 9 To his predatory excursions, Eumenius, sided : viz. , I. Eoghan, ancestor of the
Claudian, Ammianus Marcellinus, Gildas,
and Venerable Bede, allude. Tnose raids
checked the Roman conquests in Britain,
but they so harrassed the Britons, that these
in turn were induced to call the Saxons to
O'Neills and various kindred families; 2. Conall Gulban, ancestor of the O'Donnells ; 3. Cairbre, whose posterity dwelt in the
barony of Carbury, in the present county of Sligo, and in the barony of Granard in the
protect them. This led to the settlement county of Longford ; 4. Enda Finn, whose
of that warlike race in England. See John descendants settled in Tir-Enda of Tyr-
D'Alton's
"
History of Irv-dand and Annals
connell, and in Kinel-Enda, near the hill of Uisneach, County Westmeath.
'* See Dr. Charles O'Conor's " Rerura
of Boyle," vol. ii. , pp. 55, 56.
" In the " Chronicum Scotorum," how-
ever, it is said he only reigned five years,
and died A. D. 376. See pp. 16, 17. Edited In O'Mahony's Keating's History of Ire- by W. M. Hennessy. land," the date for his accession is A. D.
"
same time with Eochaidh Muigh Mheadh-
She appears to have been living at the 577. See book i. , chap, vii. , p. 372.
Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus ii. , p. 80. "
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 95
Eochaidh, son of Enna Ceinnseallach, king of the province, for a pledge of their allegiance. This prince, however, contrived to escape from his guards, and followed the King of Ireland on a warlike expedition. At the sea, called Muir-n-Icht, between France and England, and supposed to have been situated near the site of the present Boulogne, the Prince of Leinster assas- sinated the warlike Niall, a. d. 405, after the latter monarch had reigned
gloriously, during the term of twenty-seven years. Other accounts have it,
that he was killed near the banks of the Loire. The posterity of this re-
nowned warrior were known as the northern and southern Hy-Niall, or
descendants of Niall. From this distinguished race, nearly all the kings of
Ireland derive their origin down to the twelfth century. 's Dathi, grandson
of the former monarch of Ireland, Eochaidh Muighmheadhoin, succeeded.
This prince was remarkable for activity of body and a spirit of military ad-
venture. He pushed his conquests with great success in the territories of
France, where he was at length killed by a stroke of lightning at the Alps.
His body was carried home to Ireland, and interred with military honours at
Rathcroghan, where his grave was marked by a red pillar-stone, according to the accounts contained in some old and trustworthy records. ^^ Dathi closed
his reign of twenty-three years, a. d. 428. He was immediately succeeded by the last king who ruled over Pagan Ireland, Leaghaire,^7 son to Niall, the hero of the Nine Hostages. During his reign, the illustrious St. Patrick
preached the Gospel in Ireland,^^ and it is probable, also, St. Brigid first saw the light. This monarch's chief engagements were fought with the people
of Leinster. '9 When a reign of thirty years had been completed, Leaghaire, who does not appear to have embraced the Christian religion, died, a.
the Franciscan order, but he deserved well of Ireland in general,
93 Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Quarta it placed in the province of Connaught,
98 xhere the saint is said to have dwelt in theplainof"Air. " InanoteColganadds, 9' In Colgan's time, it was called, Ma- that in the Irish language, it is called, chaire Connacht ; and, in more ancient times, Maghair, i. <». ,*' the plain of slaughter. " In Mag-ai. the Fourth Life, lib. i. , cap. 49, we find
9'IntheFourthLife.
Vita S. Brigidse, lib. i. , cap. xlix. , and n. 20, pp. 549, 564.
9* Kill-brigde, already mentioned, was a chapel, in the parish of Kill-luckin.
95 Druim-na-bfeadh was a parochial church,
belonging to the diocese of Tuam, or other-
wise, of Elphin.
9^ Disert and Druimdhain were parochial
churches, belonging to the diocese of El-
"
phin. See
Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidae, cap. xvi,, pp. 624, 625.
97 In each of these places, St. Brigid was venerated, as the special patroness, accord- ing to a catalogue of churches, in Elphin diocese, sent to Colgan, by the Most Rev.
Boetius Egan, Bishop of Elphin. This worthy prelate was not only an ornament to
where St. Brigid and St. Broniusare known to have dwelt, at the time of the occurrences narrated. See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Tertia S. Brigidse, cap. xciv. , and n. 56, pp. 539, 544, 545.
99 Telia, or the country about Ardagh, of vhich St. Mel was bishop, having been par- ticularly mentioned as a district travelled by our saint, her frequent interviews with that prelate may have given rise to an opinion, that she received the religious veil, at his hands.
^°° See the observations of Dr. Lanigan on
this subject, and on matters preceding, in his "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol.
i. , chap, viii. , § iv. , and nn. 53, 60, pp. 389, 390, 391,
Trias Thaumaturga. " Appendix
90
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[February i.
journey of our saint to Connaught, as in the other cases, Brigid and her companions, in travelHng from one place to another, were often obliged to
^°'
lodge at private houses.
While our saint remained in this part of the country, one day sheTwent
^^^
One of the clergy held the chalice, from which our saint refused to drink, on beholding within it the vision of a monster. The bishop demanded a reason for her refusal, and on being informed, he asked the assistant cleric, what crime he had committed, urging him at the same time to confess his sin, and glorify God. The cleric^°3 humbly confessed, that he had partaken of what had been stolen. The prelate then requested him to repent. On complying with this injunction, penitently weeping, our saint approached to partake of the chalice, andBrigidfoundthemonsterhaddisappeared. Thusthetearsofthiscleric procured pardon for his offence; while, the virgin and the bishop retired rejoic- mg from the church, after having been refreshed with our Lord's body and blood. '°+ At another time, a certain aged woman had a dangerous infirmity, and Brigid, with many holy women of the place, visited her, to watch and pray by her bedside. When this sick person was at the point of death, some
of her attendants suggested, that her better or superfluous garments might be removed, before departure, and especially to save the trouble of after-
wards washing them at a very cold time of the year. But, St. Brigid would not consent to this course, saying, the patient should not live long, and that
it was not charitable, to take away those garments she wore, as a protection from that season's inclemency. '°5 All who were there admired the saint's charity, and returned thanks to God. '°*^ We are told, also, that when St. Brigid dwelt in this part of the country, she was often accustomed to seek a pool of cold water, near the monastery. ^°7 There she remained immersed, while she prayed and wept during the whole night. This rigorous mortifi- cation at one time she endured, while snow and frost prevailed, and in pre- sence of one from among her sisterhood. But, as this rough corporal treat- ment surpassed the powers of nature to endure, for any continued length of time ; so, it pleased the goodness and mercy of God to prevent it, by a miracle. On a night immediately following the occurrence related, Brigid went with the same companion to renew like austerities, but on arriving at the pond, it was found to have become completely dry, nothing appearing but the exposed bottom sands. Surprised at this occurrence, the virgins re- turned home ; yet, at the earliest hour of day-break, on the following morn- ing, its waters were found to have returned to their usual level in the lough.
to receive the Holy Eucharist, from a certain bishop.
"' The missionary state of things at the time warrants such a supposition.
under both species. We have also warrant for the Catholic dogmas of the Real Pre-
sence and Sacramental Confession, prevail- ing in the early Irish Church, from thefore- going narrative.
'°5 gee Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's
412.
'°* In giving an account of this circum-
stance, our saint is said to have wrought a miracle, recorded in the Third Life. It is also mentioned in the Vita Sexta S. BrigidJB, § Ivii. , p. 594,
'°7 See Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's "La Santiti Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Bri- gida Ibernese. " Libro Quinto, pp. 412 to
417.
*°*
is called Bishop Bron. See " La Santitk
In D. Giacomo Certani's account, he
Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. " Libro Quinto, pp. 408 to 410.
'°3ln Certanis account he is called a dea"con.
Such is the narrative as given in the
Fourth Life of our saint. An account in
the Third Life is nearly similar, only we are told in this latter, that one of the bishop's boys held the chalice In the former, it is said, "unus tunc deministrisChristi tenebat calicem. " It would seem from this anec- dote, according to the primitive discipline ef the Irish Church, in St. Brigid's time, that Holy Communion had been received
"La Santiti
Vita di S. Bri- gida Ibernese. " Libro Quinto, pp. 410 to
Prodigiosa.
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 91
St. Brigid resolved the third night similarly to repeat her practice, when a similardisappearanceofthewaterstookplaceonherapproach. Thesewaters
returnedtothebedofthatloughearlyonthefollowingmorning. Almighty power was pleased to work such a miracle, on account of God's holy servant.
Always pleasing in his sight, as the beloved disciple, St. John, Brigid had been delivered from impending torture and death. A knowledge of this event, also, caused all persons to extol those wondrous favours of Heaven manifested towards the holy abbess, who was entreated by her friends to re- strain her mortifications, because they seemed to be providentially discou- raged. Coinciding in a like opinion, Brigid yielded her own desires to these
'°^
urgent requests, after such Divine warnings.
Following nearly the—order of events, henceforward, as recorded in the
Fourth Life of our saint although it is by no means certain, that the series of her actions as given in the Third Li—fe might not, on the whole, be more
strictly chronological and consecutive it will be necessary, mainly to accommodate those narratives contained in her other lives, to accounts com-
prised in the Second Book. ^°9 By adopting this course, we are brought im- mediately to the foundation of her great religious establishment at Kildare ; and, from the most reliable chronological date, a considerable period must have elapsed from the time of this erection to the year of her death. This appears the more necessary, to give some degree of probability to accounts regarding her various journeys in distant parts of the island, while promoting the great objects of her mission. Sufficient time should thus be allowed for accomplishing those excursions, and for the performance of many miracles, attributed to her, in connexion with various localities. It is to be regretted, however, that the places where they occurred are rarely mentioned, nor are
times usually specified, by any of her biographers.
While Brigid resided in the western province, the fame of her sanctity
beca—me diffused all over Ireland. Numbers flocked from all parts to visit
;
Butthe
in t—
he where
some for the of purpose holding
conferences or advice on re- seeking
her
ligious matters— others for—the relief of corporal and physical necessities.
those
she was born"° and had received her earliest education conceived them-
people
ofLeinster
especially
residing territory,
selves best entitled to the honour and advantages to be derived, from the holy virgin's local residence. Taking counsel together, they resolved on
sending a respectful request, through a deputation of her friends, that the virgin might be induced to revisit her own province, there to found a reli- gious house, which should become the parent establishment for her different institutes, throughout the whole island. Having arrived in Connaught, this deputation proceeded to unfold the object of their journey, and to enforce their wishes by such reasons as they supposed should soonest determine her acquiescence, in the unanimous opinion of those people whom they repre- sented. Brigid yielded without much difficulty to their desires. Having arranged matters, connected with her existing nunneries, in the western pro- vince, she set out towards her better known district""
Returning to Leinster, she was obliged to cross the river Shannon,'" and
'°^See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Quarta S. Brigidse, lib. i. , cap. 1. , li. , Hi. , pp. 549, 550. Also, Vita Tertia S. Brigidse, cap. xcir. , xcv. , xcvi. p. 539, ibid.
'°9 Namely of St. Brigid's Fourth Life.
*'°
This place, however, was not within the bounds of ancient Leinster ; if we credit most accounts.
"' See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , § x. , pp.
405,406.
"""
Intra quam Kelltra est conventus rite
virorum
Prudenium, sacro Benedicti dogmate florens. "
So says the Sixth Life of our saint. The place here mentioned is situated between
93
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
we are told, that she came to a place called Ath-Liiain"3 for this purpose. The present town of Athlone"^ probably marks the spot. This is situated
nearly in the centre of Ireland, being partly in the county of Roscommon,
and partly in that of Westmeath. It is thought to have derived its name ""
from Ath, an Irish word signifying ford," and Lua? i, the moon,""s to which heathen deity it was said to have been dedicated in pagan times. "^
Near it is Tobar-Brigdhe, on the Connaught side. "7 Here, St. Brigid found some people, respectively belonging to the province of Connaught and to
the race of Neill, contending with each other. The Shannon, the largest of our Irish rivers, formed a boundary, between the ancient provinces of Meath and Connaught. The former of these provinces belonged to the Hi Niell family, because the southern O'Neills, or the posterity of Laogaire, Conall, Crimtham,Fiach,and Manius,four sons to Niell the great, King of Ireland, were its colonists. The companions of St. Brigid asked some ferry-men on the river bank to take them across, but the boatmen demanded a fare for this service. "^ This demand the sisters refused to comply with, and they de- clared their intention to walk across the river,"9 believing that through St.
Brigid's blessing the Almighty would preserve them, as he had formerly opened a passage through the Red Sea and the river Jordan, for his ser-
the ancient territories of Thomond and Con- Crown ; with numerous Notes and a copious
naught. It is an island in the Shannon, now Appendix. " Chap, xxi. , pp. 166 to 168,
called Inis-Keltra. The circumstance of the Benedictine institute mentioned, as flourish- ing there, at a time when the Sixth Life was written, may furnish a clue to the period of
and chap. xxx. xxxi. , pp. 208 to 220. "^"The derivation of the name would appear to be confirmed by the discovery of several lunettes and crescents of gold in an adjoining bog, which were sold to a Dublin are quoted by Archdall, who gives us no jeweller for £^$^, by whom they were account, however, regarding a Benedictine melted down. Had they been previously examined by a clever antiquary, they would most probably have thrown great light on early Irish history, as I have been informed
that some of them bore inscriptions which
its composition. The foregoing Latin lines
institute having been here established. Yet, he seems to refer its foundation to the
seventh or eighth century. See ticon Hibernicum," p. 48.
'*
Monas-
"3 In Irish, it is called Athluain, a town
lying between the ancient bounds of Con-
naught and Meath, where the Shannon sepa-
rated both provinces. A bridge thrown many miracles wrought there, not only across the river afforded a passage long be-
fore Colgan's time, and at present, more than one bridge spans the Shannon, at this place. In the Latin lives of St, Brigid, it
"
vadi luain," as ex-
Catholics, but those without the fold, were accustomed to visit it, coming from the most distant parts. Whereupon, the illustrious Lord Randall MacDonnell, Count of An- trim, distinguished as much for his Christian piety as by his noble birth, had it surrounded with handsome and firmly-pointed mason-
'•
work. See Trias Thaumaturga," n. 44,
Lua," or otherwise
"
pressed in li. , cap. i.
'*
juxta vadum Quarta Vita S. Brigidae," lib.
is here said, that she came,
^'< It seems unaccountable, when Marcus
Keane in his " Towers and Temples of An-
cient Ireland" alludes to St. Luan alias Mo-
lua—whom he identifies with a Pagan divi-
nity, the Moon—that the writer did not dis-
cover such fanciful derivation for the town, Athlone. Colgan, who mentions it, pub- and did not connect St. Luan in some way
with Ath-luain, which is missing from his curious list of cognate localities. See pp.
59, 60.
"S A very interesting account of this town,
and the sieges it stood, first when Lieutenant- General Douglas arrived before the place, July 17th, 1690, and when a second time General de Ginckell appeared before it, June
19th, 1 691, at the head of 27,000 men, are presented in Charles Ffrench Blake Foster's
"Irish Chieftains; or a Struggle for the
lished his work in 1647, many years pre- vious. The inscription on a door-way over the well must reveal some earlier date.
See
were unintelligible to the finders. "
Ibid. ,
note 86, p. 495.
"7Colgan informs us that on account of
p. 544. It must be incorrectly stated by Frazer, that the first Earl of Antrim in 1685 erected an old building, which encloses the sacred fountain at Brideswell, in Roscom- mon county, about six and a-half miles from
••
Hand Book for Travellers in Ireland. "
No. 105, p. 479.
"^ In the Third Life of our saint, it is
said, they asked for a cloak or a blanket, belonging to these virgins, as a recompense for the service required.
"' During very dry seasons, the Shannon was formerly fordable at Athlone,
—
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 93
vants. "° Thentheybesoughttheirholyabbesstomakeasignofthecross
over the Shannon waters, that they might decrease, so as to become fordable.
This request she heard most favourably : with her sisters she entered the
river, and in presence of people belonging to both contending factions. To
the wonder and admiration of beholders, although without the aid of boats,
the strongest men and soldiers there assembled could not pass, it was found,
the waters did not reach the knees of this holy company of virgins, then
crossing. Before the saint and her companions entered the river, some
clerics, who had hired a small vessel, asked one of Brigid's nuns to accom-
pany them. She permitted a young and timid sister to cross the river before
her in that vessel. "^ This virgin had previously asked the blessing of her
superioress, from whom she feared to be separated in crossing over ; and
:
Brigid said *' Go in peace, the Lord will preserve you. " But, in sight of
all, the bark sunk in the mid-stream, when, fearful of danger, the men invoked aid from the holy abbess. Brigid blessed and prayed for her nun ; the waves carried this sister safely to her destination, without even wetting her garments. All, who were near the spot, gave glory to God, and lauded the wonders it pleased Heaven to accomplish through the merits of our illus- trious saint. "^ Yet greater moral miracles than these was she destined to effectj and,filledwithahappyinspiration,shedirectedhercoursetothat place, which aftenvards became inseparably connected with her heroic actions while living, and with their memory, when she was called away to her eternal reward.
CHAPTER VI.
KINGS OF IRELAND IN THE FOURTH AND FIFTH CENTURIES—CONDITION OF LEINSTER AFTER THE MIDDLE OF THE FIFTH CENTURY—KILDARE—PERIOD WHEN SELECTED BY ST. BRIGID FOR HER CHIEF MONASTERY—GRADUAL GROWTH AND IMPORTANCE OF THE PLACE—INSTANCES OF HER PROTECTION.
The Annals of Ireland relate certain revolutionary changes, whereby the
supreme sovereignty passed from one family line to another, during the fourth and fifth centuries. Ambitious and enterprising warriors aspired to rule the island, as fortune or the force of circumstances favoured their designs. After the middle of the fourth century,^ the monarch Eochaidh, surnamed
Muigh Mheadhoin,'' slew his predecessor, Caelbadh, a. d. 3 5 7,3 and afterwards he reigned for eight years,^ when he died at Tara,5 a. d. 365. ^ Twice had he
"° Exodus, xvi. 22.
»" See "The Life of St. Brigid," by an
Irish Priest, chap, v. , pp. 65, 66. "^ "
3 This is set down to A. d. 353 in O'Ma- hony's Keating's "History of Ireland," booki. , chap, vii,, p. 367. He only reigned
See Colgan's JTrias Thaumaturga. " one year. See Gratianus Lucius (Dr. John
Vita Quarta S. Brigidse, lib. ii. , cap. i. , ii. , and n. i, pp. 550, 564. Vita Tertia S. Bri-
gidse, cap. xcvii. , and n. 56, pp. 539, 545, ibid. Vita Sexta S. Brigidae, § Iviii. , p. 594, and n. 1—6, p, 598, ibid.
'
Chap, vi, In the following historical
resume, we chiefly follow the chronology of the Four Masters in the text.
=^ He received this name, rendered " Cam-
porum Amplificator," according to Dr.
Charles O'Conor, probably because he was
an extender or improver of lands. See
Lynch), "Cambrensis Eversus," vol. i,,
chap, viii. , pp. 492, 493. Rev. Dr. Kelly's edition.
See an account of this king and his
*'
epoch in O'Flaherty's
cap. Ixxix, Ixxx. , pp. 373 to 380.
s During his reign, it is said, St. Patrick was carried as a captive into Hibemia.
"
ii. Tigemachi Annales, pp. 72, 73.
Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus
See William M. Scotorum," pp. 14, 15.
"Chronicum
Hennessy's
^
ment in Dr. John Lynch's Cambrensis
Eversus," vol. i. , chap, viii. , pp. 492,493. See Rev. Dr. Kelly's edition.
Or A. M. 5564, according to the state- "
Ogygia," pars, iii. ,
94 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [Februa r i.
been married. 7 Crimhthann,^ son of Fidhach, a warlike and an accomplished prince, succeeded Eochaidh Muighmeadhoin. It is recorded, that he made successful predatory inroads on the shores of France, Britain and Scotland, from which countries he obtained tribute and submission, returning to Ire-
land with and hostages
of thirteen '° he is years,
After a
said to have died of poison, administered by his own sister, Mongfinn. "
Thus she hoped to obtain the succession for her favourite son Brian," as Crimthaandiedwithoutissue; but,inthisexpectationshewasdisappointed, and her own death is said to have happened, about the same time, a. d. 378. Her step-son, the celebrated Niall of the Nine Hostages,'3 next came on the throne. This king commenced his reign, a. d. 379,''* and distinguished his career by a series of brilliant and successful expeditions against the Alba- nians, Britons, Picts and Gauls, from whom he carried away valuable spoils
and several captives. Among the latter, as generally supposed, was our illustrious national saint, at a subsequent period destined by Divine Provi-
dence to become the great apostle of Ireland. It is said, that when Niall arrived in Albyn or Albania, now Scotland, to assist the Dailriads of Irish extraction against the incursions of the Picts, he changed the name of that countrytoScotiaattheirrequest. ScotlandwasthenceforwardknownasScotia Minor, to distinguish it from Ireland, which was denominated Scotia Major. The reason why this heroic monarch received the name of Niall of the Nine Hostages is said to have been owing to the circumstance of his having had four noble hostages from Scotland, and five other distinguished pledges from the different provinces of Ireland, confined at Tara. Yet, accounts are somewhat discordant as to the nine regions from which these hostages were taken. The people of Leinster are represented as having surrendered
7 This monarch had four sons by his first oin's second wife ; so that, she had either wife Mongfinn,whowasdaughterto Fidhach, been divorced by the monarch, or, as seems of the royal family of Munster. Her sons likely enough, a plurality of wives was in were : I. Bryan, ancestor of the O'Conors vogue among some of the Pagan Irish.
"
captives. 9
reign
of Connaught and their kindred ; 2. Fiachra, ^*See O'Mahony's Keating's
History of
ancestor of the O'Dowdas, O'Heynes and Ireland," book i. , chap, vii. , pp. 371, 372.
O'Shaughnessys; 3. Fearghus; and 4. '3Niallhadfourteensons,eightofwhom
OilioU, whose people were formerly located left issue : viz. , I. Laeghaire, from whom
in Tir-Oiliolla, now the barony of Tirerrill, the O'Coindhealbhains or Kendellans of
in the county of Sligo. By his second Ui-Laeghaire are descended ; 2. Conall
wife, Carinna, a Saxon or Pictish lady, the Crimhthainne, from whom the O'Melagh-
most illustrious of his sons, Niall of the lins are derived ; 3. Fiacha, the ancestor of
Nine Hostages, descended.
^
Crimthann ascended the throne A. D. 360, according to O'Mahony's Keating's "History of Ireland," book i. , chap, vii. , p. 369, According to Tigernach, his reign commenced about A. D. 366.
the MacGeoghegans and O'Molloys ; 4. Maine, the progenitor of the O'Caharneys, O'Breens and MacGawleys, with their co- relatives in Teffia. All these sons setded in Meath. The other four acquired exten-
sive possessions in Ulster, where they re- 9 To his predatory excursions, Eumenius, sided : viz. , I. Eoghan, ancestor of the
Claudian, Ammianus Marcellinus, Gildas,
and Venerable Bede, allude. Tnose raids
checked the Roman conquests in Britain,
but they so harrassed the Britons, that these
in turn were induced to call the Saxons to
O'Neills and various kindred families; 2. Conall Gulban, ancestor of the O'Donnells ; 3. Cairbre, whose posterity dwelt in the
barony of Carbury, in the present county of Sligo, and in the barony of Granard in the
protect them. This led to the settlement county of Longford ; 4. Enda Finn, whose
of that warlike race in England. See John descendants settled in Tir-Enda of Tyr-
D'Alton's
"
History of Irv-dand and Annals
connell, and in Kinel-Enda, near the hill of Uisneach, County Westmeath.
'* See Dr. Charles O'Conor's " Rerura
of Boyle," vol. ii. , pp. 55, 56.
" In the " Chronicum Scotorum," how-
ever, it is said he only reigned five years,
and died A. D. 376. See pp. 16, 17. Edited In O'Mahony's Keating's History of Ire- by W. M. Hennessy. land," the date for his accession is A. D.
"
same time with Eochaidh Muigh Mheadh-
She appears to have been living at the 577. See book i. , chap, vii. , p. 372.
Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus ii. , p. 80. "
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 95
Eochaidh, son of Enna Ceinnseallach, king of the province, for a pledge of their allegiance. This prince, however, contrived to escape from his guards, and followed the King of Ireland on a warlike expedition. At the sea, called Muir-n-Icht, between France and England, and supposed to have been situated near the site of the present Boulogne, the Prince of Leinster assas- sinated the warlike Niall, a. d. 405, after the latter monarch had reigned
gloriously, during the term of twenty-seven years. Other accounts have it,
that he was killed near the banks of the Loire. The posterity of this re-
nowned warrior were known as the northern and southern Hy-Niall, or
descendants of Niall. From this distinguished race, nearly all the kings of
Ireland derive their origin down to the twelfth century. 's Dathi, grandson
of the former monarch of Ireland, Eochaidh Muighmheadhoin, succeeded.
This prince was remarkable for activity of body and a spirit of military ad-
venture. He pushed his conquests with great success in the territories of
France, where he was at length killed by a stroke of lightning at the Alps.
His body was carried home to Ireland, and interred with military honours at
Rathcroghan, where his grave was marked by a red pillar-stone, according to the accounts contained in some old and trustworthy records. ^^ Dathi closed
his reign of twenty-three years, a. d. 428. He was immediately succeeded by the last king who ruled over Pagan Ireland, Leaghaire,^7 son to Niall, the hero of the Nine Hostages. During his reign, the illustrious St. Patrick
preached the Gospel in Ireland,^^ and it is probable, also, St. Brigid first saw the light. This monarch's chief engagements were fought with the people
of Leinster. '9 When a reign of thirty years had been completed, Leaghaire, who does not appear to have embraced the Christian religion, died, a.
