1645,
published
by Colgan, in " Acta Sane-
—
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
—
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
, pp.
Ixxxi.
, Ixxxix.
^A note, by William M. Hennessy, Esq. ,
't In a note. Rev. Dr. Reeves says
the Manuscript copy ia^vua^ tAijen, 'west
of Leinster,' is the reading ; but, as this is a
clerical error, it has been rectified in the 79 bb. "
text, both here and at the i6th, p. 130, * See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , supra. " A similar error occurs, in the Maii xxii. Among the pretermitted saints, table postfixed to this Martyrology, where p. 125.
363.
Article hi.
—
'
Edited by Rev. Dr.
'See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum. Hiber- niae," xxi. Martii. Vita S. Endei. Appendix, cap. i v. , p. 713.
" The Life of Fionnchu, chap. viii. is quoted for the foregoing statement.
' See Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, " Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 462, 463.
Kelly, p. xxv.
^ In this work, the latter words in Italics
are said to have been added, by a more re- cent hand. There we read : " Ronani find o
:
M. R. I. A. , says:
1lui]"en o nioig^AAuh . 1. i|']. -up|\iACA HonAin pnt) iriAc be|\A]'c (lAnn bAig) B. of Lecain,
—
"Ronan Finn Copco
547
548
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 2 2.
by Father Jolin Colgan,'° as having been venerated, at the church of Lann Ronain, on the 22nd of May. There is aLann Ronan situated in CorcaRuisen, inMagrath, nearNewr}', county of Down. " Nothwithstanding, Colgan thinks" Lann Ronain to have been identical with Magherahn, otherwise called Lane orLannHuachaille,orI^annMocholmog,inthedioceseofDromore. This, however,hasbeendenied,bytheRev. WilliamReeves. '^ Thesituationof LannRonain,"theChurchofRonan,"isnotexactlyknown. However,it would appear to have been near Moira, in the old parish of Magheralin, of which Moira formed a part, until a. d. 1725. '+ The church of Moira is called St. Innis. 's This is the Ronan, who denounced Suibhne, son to Colman Ciar, King of Dal Araidhe, because Suibhne had dragged the said Ronan dis- honourably from the place, where he was praising God, out of the church, andhecasthisPsalterintoapoolofwater,whereitwassubmerged. The king did not permit the saint to remain in the church. '^ For this impiety, Suibhnebecamefrantic. HiswanderingsaftertheBattleofMaghRatharere- lated,inacuriousoldtract,calledtheBuileShuibhne. '? ThisSuibhnedied A. D. 637,accordingtotheAnnalsofTighernach. '^ TheScotchwritershave made Ronan a Bishop ; and, at this date, he has an office of Three Lessons in the Breviary of Aberdeen. It is also said, that he flourished a. d. 603. Again, Camerarius commemorates him as that Ronan, the Scot, who strenuously de- fended the Roman rite for the celebration of Easter, in the Synod of Strenes- healh,'9 a. d. 664. However, his feast is usually referred to the 6th ^° or 7th^' of
February. If we credit Dempster,'^ he departed this life a. d. 660, in Levinia ;
but, he seems rather to have died in Ireland. The INIartyrology of Donegal =3 registers, on this daj-, the name of Ronan Finn, of Lann Ronain Finn, in Ui Eachach Uladh. In the Irish Calendar, preserved in the Royal Irish Aca- demy, the festival of this saint is at the xi. of the June Kalends, which cor- responds with the 22nd of May. ^^ It seems probable enough, that the pre- sent saint had been venerated in Scotland, ^5 from an entry in the Kalendaro<" Drummond. ^^ On the little Island of North Rona,^7 which lies nearly sixty Uiiles north from the Butt of Lewis, there is a primitive church, called Team-
'° See "Acta Sanctorum riibernise/'xxi. Martii, Appendix ad Acta S. Endaei, cap. iv. , p. 713.
" See Rev. Dr. Kelly's " Calendar of Irish Saints," p. 43.
Books.
'^See Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibemi-
caram Scriptores," tomus ii. , Tigernachi Annales, p. 193.
'5 See Venerable Bede's "Historia Eccle- " See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," siastica Gentis Scotorum," lib. iii. , cap.
Martii xxx. De S. Colniano Lannensi, sive XXV. , pp. 233 to 239.
Linnensi Abbate, p. 792. '° For this date, Camerarius cites the Bre-
'3 See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of viary of Aberdeen, which, however, gives
Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix EE, n. (o), p. 313.
'* An entry in the Book of Lecan (fol. 96 b) is cited, as authority for the above state- ment. It is thus Latinized, " Lann Ronain Finn, in Corco Ruishen, in Magh Rath. "
5 See Rev. William Reeves' " Ecclesias- tical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix LL, p. 378, and note (x).
" See " Battle of Magh Rath," edited by John O'Donovan, pp. 232, 233.
"' The Buile Shuihhne, or Madness of
Suibhne, was an ancient historical romance,
giving an account of the lunacy and death of
this celebrated chieftain. For more regard-
ing him, see that beautiful historic poem of nani et Baitinni. "—Bishop Forbes' " Ka- Sir Samuel Fergu>on, " Congal," in Five lendars of Scottish Saints," pp. 13, 14.
the feast of a Ronan only at the 7th.
" Dempster, citing the Scottish Breviary,
gives his feast at this date.
" See " Historia I'. cclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xvi. , num. 1066, p. 564.
' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 137
-^ There we read : " Uon^n pon 6 \&x\\\ TlotKMi p"" i"tlib CAccA(b 111. "—Ord- nance Survey Office copy, Common Place Book F, p. 48.
F. S. Gordon's " Sco- tichronicon," vol. i. , pp. 47 to 50.
^5 See Rev. Dr.
J.
=* At xi. Kal. Junii, we read : " Apud Hi- berniam Natale Sanctorum Confessorum Ro-
May 2 2. ]
549
—— —
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS
pull Ronan. The Island is steep and rugged,^^ while St. Ronan's church stands on an elevated plateau, near the soutliern side of that remote spot. Externally, thechurchisnowonlyaroundedheapofloosestones. Itconsistsoftwoparts, the eastern one of which is manifestly older than the other ; and, it was very curiously constructed, as seen in the interior, for there the end walls converge slightly towards each other, and the side walls so greatly, that although they are seven feet six inches apart on the floor, they are only two feet apart at the roof. ^9 This is formed of slabs, laid across from wall to wall. In the west end, there is a small square doorway, and so low, that those who enter must creep through on hands and knees. Over the doorway is a flat-headed windovv. 3° At the east end of the cell, and in the middle of tlie floor, lies an altar-slab, three feet in length. As a nave to a chancel and attached to the west end, there is another cell, internally 14 feet, 8 inches long, by 8 feet, 3 inches wide. It has a flat-headed doorway, and a small ourial ground is contiguous to the building, in which are several stone crosses,3' small and plain. There was a building, called Teampull nam Manach outside the graveyard. 3^ The career of this holy man, it must be acknowledged, is involved in great obscurity.
Article IV. St. Brecan, the Pilgrim, of Teampull Breccain, Island of Aranmore, County of Galway. This saint has been iden- tified with St, Brecan, founder of Ardbraccan See, in Meath, by the learned Dr. Petrie. He even says, our historic records make this certain. ' But, as the feast of this holy bishop was celebrated on the 6th of December, the ])re- sent St. Brecan's festival is known to have been held, on the 22nd of May,
at the handsome and formerly parochial church, known as Tempull Breccain, or '' the Church of Breccain. "^ This holy saint appears to have been distin- guished as the Pilgrim. Early in the present century, his tomb was discovered near that church, dedicated to his memory, on Aranmore, and we even have preserved an engraving and a description of it. Some curious inscriptions therehavealsocometolight. NearthischurchofSt. Brecan,therewasanother commonlycalledTempullaPhuill. Severalofthoseedifices,whichexistedin the middle of the seventeenth century, are now known to have fallen into ruin, so that their very site cannot at present be distinguished.
Article V. Saints Aghna, Luighsech, Caissin, Virgins, of Druim- DA-DHART. An entry appears, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 22nd of May, where these virgins are denominated Na teora cailleacha Droma da dart. Luigsech, virgin, is separately entered, in this record, as also Caisin seu Dunice. They were three nuns, and their place was Druim-da-dhart. On the authority of the Tallagh Martyrology, the Bollandists ^ only enter by
=7 It is a mere rock in the wide Atlantic, having five families living on it in Rlartin's time, and in that of Sir George Mackenzie, but it is now completely uninhabited.
-'** Ic rises to a height of 350 feet.
^i Qne of these—and the tallest—is en-. graved for Joseph Anderson's work,
3= '< it was about tlie size of the western cell above described, and had an altar with around grey stone on the top. " Ibid. , p
^' Two woodcuts, illustrating the ground- 116. — See " Ecclesiastical plan and interior of this old church are given ARTICLE IV. '
in Joseph Anderson's "Scotland in Early Architecture of Ireland anterior to the
ChristianTimes,"Lect. iii. , pp. II3,I15.
3° It is only 19 inches long, by 8 inches wide. There is another window of similar form, and nearly of similar size, close to the
ea«t end of the north wall.
Anglo-MormanInvasion,"partii. , sect,ii. ,
pp. 139, 140.
^ See Dr. Malachy Keely's List of
Churches, which existed in Aran, beforeA. D.
1645, published by Colgan, in " Acta Sane-
—
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 22.
name a feast for Laghsecha, virgin, at the 22nd of May; however, they re- cord, also, Tres Sanctimoniales de Druimdadhart. We read in the Martyr- ology of Donegal,3 that on this day veneration was given to Aghna, Luigh- sech, and Cassin, virgins. In the table to this Martyrology, Aghna is called daughterofEoghain,sonofTal. Forsuchastatement,wefindtherequoted,"* the Hagiogensis, or Saints' Genealogy. s
ArticleVI. TheSevenSonsofEdniusofMaighin,orMoyne, CountyofMayo. OnlyEodusaoMaiginistheentrywefind,atthe22ndof May, in the Islartyrology of Tallagh. ' The BoUandists, quoting from this same authority, have the Seven Sons of Eodusius or Edusius of Maighin. Their place is represented to have been Maighin, It is now known as Moyne, in the barony of Tirawley, and county of Mayo. It would seem, that a religious establishment had been here, before the erection in 1460 of a Franciscan monastery,^ the beautiful and extensive ruins of which yet re- main. 3 A festival in honour of the seven sons of Ednius, was celebrated on this day, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal. *
Article VII. Reputed Feast of Nortyla, or Nortilas, Bishop OFVerden,LowerSaxony. OntheauthorityofCamerarius,'theBoUan- dists^ enter Nortyla, as a Saint and Martyr, at the 22nd of May. Bruschius only alludes to Nortyla, without giving him the title of saint. In the Life of St. Suitbert,3 Bishop of Verden, we have already noticed the Translation of Nortyla's remains, with those of other holy Bishops, to a new tomb, a. d. 1630, by Francis William, Bishop of Verden.
Article VIII. St. Cassinus of Sexhumka. Quoting the Martyr- ology of Tallagh, the BoUandists ' have a notice of St. Cassinus of Sexhumka, at the 22nd of May.
Article IX. The Sons of Eochaidh. The sons of Eochaidh were venerated,on this day, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal. *
550
torum Hibernix," xxi. Martii. Appendix ad Acta S. Endei, cap. vii. , p. 715.
Article v. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. XXV.
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Maii xxiL Among tiie pretermitted saints, p. 125.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 1 37.
* At fol. 39.
5 This, it appears from Dr. Todd's note, refers to a MS. , containing the Genealogy of the Kings and Saints of Ireland, preserved in the College of St. Isidore, Rome. See pp. 354, 355. Jl'iJ.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
bus iis in locis occisi aut exclusi fuerunt. "
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Maii xxii. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 125.
3 vjeevolumeiv. ofthiswork,atthe30th
of April, Ait. x.
Article viii. —' See "Acta Sancto-
rum," tomus v. , Maii xxii. Among the pre- tcrinitted saints, p. 125.
Artule IX. — ' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 137.
Article vi. — ' Kelly, p. XXV.
Edited
by Rev.
Dr.
" See Archdall's " Monaeticon Iliberni- cum,"p. 507.
3 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. iv. , pp. 1004, 1005, and n. (0, Jbid.
136, 137. — Article vii.
' In his " Menologium Scoticuir. . " There, he refers the reader to Pantaleonus, who in his Prosogr. iphia, pars i. , p. 284, enumerates Nortyla, without giving him the title of a saint, as fourth among the nine bishops of \'erden. Of these he remarks : '" Hi omnes tantum prcefuerunt ordine per annos XLViii. Nam ab infideli-
May 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
551
Ctaent|)4I)irtr ©ap of ilap.
ARTICLE I. —ST. GOBAN OF MAIRGE, OR GOIBHNENN OF TIGIF SCUITHIN, NOW TASCOFFIN, COUNTY OF KILKENNY.
{PROBABLY SIXTH AND SEVENTH CENTURIES. ^
ATthe 23rd of May, the Martyrology of Tallagh/ registers the name Goban Mairgi, of Tigh Scuithin. This place by some has been sup- posed to be identical with KiUeshin, in the barony of SHevemarigue, Queen's County ; but, this opinion is now clearly proved to have been a great mistake, although its real situation is not very far distant. The Bollandists ^ follow this authority, likewise, in entering Gobanus Mairgensis, of Tegh-Scuithin, or
of " the House of Scutliinus;"3 and, they remark, that among the disciples of St. Fursey * was a Gobhan, whom Colgan would not specify, among the seven different persons bearing this name, in the Irish Calendars. His family pedigree seemstobeunrecorded,oratleastitisnotknowntoexist. Bymostwriters, Tigh Scuithin, his place, was thought to have been situated, within the pre- sent barony of Sliavemarigue, in the Queen's County. An ingenious local topographer proves, however, that the former name is now resolved into Tas- coffin, a parish in the barony of Gowran, in the county of Kilkenny. s The Johnswell Mountains, in the neighbourhood, are simply a continuation of the SHevemarigue range ; and, it seems probable, they were formerly regarded, as forming a portion of the district, in which the latter was situated. This saint has been thought, most probably, to be identical with the Gobban, who governed the church of Old Leighlin, about the year 625, when St. Laserian^ returned from Rome. Entertaining a very high estimate of St. Laserian's merits, that Gobban resigned to him the monastery of Old Leighlin ; and, through love of greater retirement, possibly he moved southwartls over the mountain, until availing himself of the undisturbed seclusion of Tigh Suithin, or Tascoffin, he there remained, and spent the rest of his days. 7 If this con- jecture be correct, he must have flourished in the sixth and seventh centuries. A festival, in honour of this Gobban, or Goibhnenn, of Tigh Scuithin, is re- corded, likewise, in the Martyrology of Donegal,^ at the present date.
Article II. —St. Comman. An entry of St. Comman is registered, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 23rd of May. The Bollandists ^ quote
Article i. —' Kelly, p. XXV.
Sanctorum," tomus v. , Maii xxiii. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 234.
3 His Life will be found, in the First
"Volume of this work, at the 2nd of January, the day for his feast, Art. i.
-t See his Life, in the First Volume of this work, at the i6th of January, Art. i.
5 See a valuable series of papers by Mr. John Hogan intituled, " Topographical and
Historical Illustrations of the Suburbs of Kilkenny," published in " Proceedings and Papersof the Kilkenny and Soulh-Eastoflre- land ArchKological Society," January, 1S63. New Series, vol. iv. , part ii. , pp. 253, 254.
* See his Life already given, in the Fourth Volume of this work, at the i8th of April, Art. i. , chap. ii.
' See the article by Mr. John Hogan, already quoted, n. (4), pp. 253, 254.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 137.
^ See "Acta
Edited by Rev. Dr.
552 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 23.
the same authority, for this insertion of his name, at this date. No place, genealogy, or title, is afforded to distinguish him, from others bearing a similar name. QuiteconvenienttotheDublinandWicklowRailway,andaboutone milefromthetownofRathdrum,theoldgraveyardofKilcommon3 riseson the side of a commanding hill. This place has been much used for inter- ments. Several old trees and bushes grow around it. On the north side, there are only a {tvi interments. On the south side, the graveyard is separated byadeeptrenchfromthefieldsadjoining. Anoldruinedchurchremainswithin the enclosure. The east end is partly standing and veiled over with thick ivy plants. 4 There is a small ruinous window in it, with a chiselled jam remaining, in which square punched holes are to be seen, as if intended for crossing iron
i:! ;^,rJfir"«i»ih. u. ;! ! ! J?
Kilcommon Old Church, County of Wicklow.
bars. A small square recess is in this same wall, and near the window. The window was about 3 feet, 4 inches, in length, and i foot, 6 inches in breadth. A mere fragment of the south walls continues to show the outline, and in it are the aj^parent traces of a window, not far from the earth. The remains of thewalls,levelledwiththeground,onlyrevealtheformerextentofthisoldchurch. Interiorly, it measures 40 feet in length, by 21 feet in breadth, and its walls wereovertwofeetinthickness. Thewallswerebuiltofgranite. s Ofcourse, it cannot be asserted, with any degree of certainty, this place had been con- nected with the present, or even with any one of the other eleven Comans or
Article ii. — ' Edited l)y Rev. Dr. quisitiones Cancellaricc Iliberniix^ Reper- Kelly, p. XXV. torium. ''
' See •' Acta S. iiictorum,'' tomus v. , Mail • These observations were made, during xxiii. Among the pretermiiled saints, a visit to the spot, in June, 1S71.
P- 234. s The accompanying illustration from a
' In the Inquisllions, taken in the time of sketch, taken by the writer on the spot, has James I. , at Wicklow, 18th December, been reproduced on the wood by William F. 1617, this place i^ writien Killc(;man. See Wakemau. It has been engraved by Mrs.
County of Wicklow, Lagenia vohime. " In- Millard.
——
May 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
Commans, noted in our calendars, at different days of the year.
^A note, by William M. Hennessy, Esq. ,
't In a note. Rev. Dr. Reeves says
the Manuscript copy ia^vua^ tAijen, 'west
of Leinster,' is the reading ; but, as this is a
clerical error, it has been rectified in the 79 bb. "
text, both here and at the i6th, p. 130, * See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , supra. " A similar error occurs, in the Maii xxii. Among the pretermitted saints, table postfixed to this Martyrology, where p. 125.
363.
Article hi.
—
'
Edited by Rev. Dr.
'See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum. Hiber- niae," xxi. Martii. Vita S. Endei. Appendix, cap. i v. , p. 713.
" The Life of Fionnchu, chap. viii. is quoted for the foregoing statement.
' See Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, " Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 462, 463.
Kelly, p. xxv.
^ In this work, the latter words in Italics
are said to have been added, by a more re- cent hand. There we read : " Ronani find o
:
M. R. I. A. , says:
1lui]"en o nioig^AAuh . 1. i|']. -up|\iACA HonAin pnt) iriAc be|\A]'c (lAnn bAig) B. of Lecain,
—
"Ronan Finn Copco
547
548
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 2 2.
by Father Jolin Colgan,'° as having been venerated, at the church of Lann Ronain, on the 22nd of May. There is aLann Ronan situated in CorcaRuisen, inMagrath, nearNewr}', county of Down. " Nothwithstanding, Colgan thinks" Lann Ronain to have been identical with Magherahn, otherwise called Lane orLannHuachaille,orI^annMocholmog,inthedioceseofDromore. This, however,hasbeendenied,bytheRev. WilliamReeves. '^ Thesituationof LannRonain,"theChurchofRonan,"isnotexactlyknown. However,it would appear to have been near Moira, in the old parish of Magheralin, of which Moira formed a part, until a. d. 1725. '+ The church of Moira is called St. Innis. 's This is the Ronan, who denounced Suibhne, son to Colman Ciar, King of Dal Araidhe, because Suibhne had dragged the said Ronan dis- honourably from the place, where he was praising God, out of the church, andhecasthisPsalterintoapoolofwater,whereitwassubmerged. The king did not permit the saint to remain in the church. '^ For this impiety, Suibhnebecamefrantic. HiswanderingsaftertheBattleofMaghRatharere- lated,inacuriousoldtract,calledtheBuileShuibhne. '? ThisSuibhnedied A. D. 637,accordingtotheAnnalsofTighernach. '^ TheScotchwritershave made Ronan a Bishop ; and, at this date, he has an office of Three Lessons in the Breviary of Aberdeen. It is also said, that he flourished a. d. 603. Again, Camerarius commemorates him as that Ronan, the Scot, who strenuously de- fended the Roman rite for the celebration of Easter, in the Synod of Strenes- healh,'9 a. d. 664. However, his feast is usually referred to the 6th ^° or 7th^' of
February. If we credit Dempster,'^ he departed this life a. d. 660, in Levinia ;
but, he seems rather to have died in Ireland. The INIartyrology of Donegal =3 registers, on this daj-, the name of Ronan Finn, of Lann Ronain Finn, in Ui Eachach Uladh. In the Irish Calendar, preserved in the Royal Irish Aca- demy, the festival of this saint is at the xi. of the June Kalends, which cor- responds with the 22nd of May. ^^ It seems probable enough, that the pre- sent saint had been venerated in Scotland, ^5 from an entry in the Kalendaro<" Drummond. ^^ On the little Island of North Rona,^7 which lies nearly sixty Uiiles north from the Butt of Lewis, there is a primitive church, called Team-
'° See "Acta Sanctorum riibernise/'xxi. Martii, Appendix ad Acta S. Endaei, cap. iv. , p. 713.
" See Rev. Dr. Kelly's " Calendar of Irish Saints," p. 43.
Books.
'^See Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibemi-
caram Scriptores," tomus ii. , Tigernachi Annales, p. 193.
'5 See Venerable Bede's "Historia Eccle- " See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," siastica Gentis Scotorum," lib. iii. , cap.
Martii xxx. De S. Colniano Lannensi, sive XXV. , pp. 233 to 239.
Linnensi Abbate, p. 792. '° For this date, Camerarius cites the Bre-
'3 See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of viary of Aberdeen, which, however, gives
Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix EE, n. (o), p. 313.
'* An entry in the Book of Lecan (fol. 96 b) is cited, as authority for the above state- ment. It is thus Latinized, " Lann Ronain Finn, in Corco Ruishen, in Magh Rath. "
5 See Rev. William Reeves' " Ecclesias- tical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix LL, p. 378, and note (x).
" See " Battle of Magh Rath," edited by John O'Donovan, pp. 232, 233.
"' The Buile Shuihhne, or Madness of
Suibhne, was an ancient historical romance,
giving an account of the lunacy and death of
this celebrated chieftain. For more regard-
ing him, see that beautiful historic poem of nani et Baitinni. "—Bishop Forbes' " Ka- Sir Samuel Fergu>on, " Congal," in Five lendars of Scottish Saints," pp. 13, 14.
the feast of a Ronan only at the 7th.
" Dempster, citing the Scottish Breviary,
gives his feast at this date.
" See " Historia I'. cclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xvi. , num. 1066, p. 564.
' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 137
-^ There we read : " Uon^n pon 6 \&x\\\ TlotKMi p"" i"tlib CAccA(b 111. "—Ord- nance Survey Office copy, Common Place Book F, p. 48.
F. S. Gordon's " Sco- tichronicon," vol. i. , pp. 47 to 50.
^5 See Rev. Dr.
J.
=* At xi. Kal. Junii, we read : " Apud Hi- berniam Natale Sanctorum Confessorum Ro-
May 2 2. ]
549
—— —
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS
pull Ronan. The Island is steep and rugged,^^ while St. Ronan's church stands on an elevated plateau, near the soutliern side of that remote spot. Externally, thechurchisnowonlyaroundedheapofloosestones. Itconsistsoftwoparts, the eastern one of which is manifestly older than the other ; and, it was very curiously constructed, as seen in the interior, for there the end walls converge slightly towards each other, and the side walls so greatly, that although they are seven feet six inches apart on the floor, they are only two feet apart at the roof. ^9 This is formed of slabs, laid across from wall to wall. In the west end, there is a small square doorway, and so low, that those who enter must creep through on hands and knees. Over the doorway is a flat-headed windovv. 3° At the east end of the cell, and in the middle of tlie floor, lies an altar-slab, three feet in length. As a nave to a chancel and attached to the west end, there is another cell, internally 14 feet, 8 inches long, by 8 feet, 3 inches wide. It has a flat-headed doorway, and a small ourial ground is contiguous to the building, in which are several stone crosses,3' small and plain. There was a building, called Teampull nam Manach outside the graveyard. 3^ The career of this holy man, it must be acknowledged, is involved in great obscurity.
Article IV. St. Brecan, the Pilgrim, of Teampull Breccain, Island of Aranmore, County of Galway. This saint has been iden- tified with St, Brecan, founder of Ardbraccan See, in Meath, by the learned Dr. Petrie. He even says, our historic records make this certain. ' But, as the feast of this holy bishop was celebrated on the 6th of December, the ])re- sent St. Brecan's festival is known to have been held, on the 22nd of May,
at the handsome and formerly parochial church, known as Tempull Breccain, or '' the Church of Breccain. "^ This holy saint appears to have been distin- guished as the Pilgrim. Early in the present century, his tomb was discovered near that church, dedicated to his memory, on Aranmore, and we even have preserved an engraving and a description of it. Some curious inscriptions therehavealsocometolight. NearthischurchofSt. Brecan,therewasanother commonlycalledTempullaPhuill. Severalofthoseedifices,whichexistedin the middle of the seventeenth century, are now known to have fallen into ruin, so that their very site cannot at present be distinguished.
Article V. Saints Aghna, Luighsech, Caissin, Virgins, of Druim- DA-DHART. An entry appears, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 22nd of May, where these virgins are denominated Na teora cailleacha Droma da dart. Luigsech, virgin, is separately entered, in this record, as also Caisin seu Dunice. They were three nuns, and their place was Druim-da-dhart. On the authority of the Tallagh Martyrology, the Bollandists ^ only enter by
=7 It is a mere rock in the wide Atlantic, having five families living on it in Rlartin's time, and in that of Sir George Mackenzie, but it is now completely uninhabited.
-'** Ic rises to a height of 350 feet.
^i Qne of these—and the tallest—is en-. graved for Joseph Anderson's work,
3= '< it was about tlie size of the western cell above described, and had an altar with around grey stone on the top. " Ibid. , p
^' Two woodcuts, illustrating the ground- 116. — See " Ecclesiastical plan and interior of this old church are given ARTICLE IV. '
in Joseph Anderson's "Scotland in Early Architecture of Ireland anterior to the
ChristianTimes,"Lect. iii. , pp. II3,I15.
3° It is only 19 inches long, by 8 inches wide. There is another window of similar form, and nearly of similar size, close to the
ea«t end of the north wall.
Anglo-MormanInvasion,"partii. , sect,ii. ,
pp. 139, 140.
^ See Dr. Malachy Keely's List of
Churches, which existed in Aran, beforeA. D.
1645, published by Colgan, in " Acta Sane-
—
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 22.
name a feast for Laghsecha, virgin, at the 22nd of May; however, they re- cord, also, Tres Sanctimoniales de Druimdadhart. We read in the Martyr- ology of Donegal,3 that on this day veneration was given to Aghna, Luigh- sech, and Cassin, virgins. In the table to this Martyrology, Aghna is called daughterofEoghain,sonofTal. Forsuchastatement,wefindtherequoted,"* the Hagiogensis, or Saints' Genealogy. s
ArticleVI. TheSevenSonsofEdniusofMaighin,orMoyne, CountyofMayo. OnlyEodusaoMaiginistheentrywefind,atthe22ndof May, in the Islartyrology of Tallagh. ' The BoUandists, quoting from this same authority, have the Seven Sons of Eodusius or Edusius of Maighin. Their place is represented to have been Maighin, It is now known as Moyne, in the barony of Tirawley, and county of Mayo. It would seem, that a religious establishment had been here, before the erection in 1460 of a Franciscan monastery,^ the beautiful and extensive ruins of which yet re- main. 3 A festival in honour of the seven sons of Ednius, was celebrated on this day, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal. *
Article VII. Reputed Feast of Nortyla, or Nortilas, Bishop OFVerden,LowerSaxony. OntheauthorityofCamerarius,'theBoUan- dists^ enter Nortyla, as a Saint and Martyr, at the 22nd of May. Bruschius only alludes to Nortyla, without giving him the title of saint. In the Life of St. Suitbert,3 Bishop of Verden, we have already noticed the Translation of Nortyla's remains, with those of other holy Bishops, to a new tomb, a. d. 1630, by Francis William, Bishop of Verden.
Article VIII. St. Cassinus of Sexhumka. Quoting the Martyr- ology of Tallagh, the BoUandists ' have a notice of St. Cassinus of Sexhumka, at the 22nd of May.
Article IX. The Sons of Eochaidh. The sons of Eochaidh were venerated,on this day, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal. *
550
torum Hibernix," xxi. Martii. Appendix ad Acta S. Endei, cap. vii. , p. 715.
Article v. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. XXV.
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Maii xxiL Among tiie pretermitted saints, p. 125.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 1 37.
* At fol. 39.
5 This, it appears from Dr. Todd's note, refers to a MS. , containing the Genealogy of the Kings and Saints of Ireland, preserved in the College of St. Isidore, Rome. See pp. 354, 355. Jl'iJ.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
bus iis in locis occisi aut exclusi fuerunt. "
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Maii xxii. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 125.
3 vjeevolumeiv. ofthiswork,atthe30th
of April, Ait. x.
Article viii. —' See "Acta Sancto-
rum," tomus v. , Maii xxii. Among the pre- tcrinitted saints, p. 125.
Artule IX. — ' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 137.
Article vi. — ' Kelly, p. XXV.
Edited
by Rev.
Dr.
" See Archdall's " Monaeticon Iliberni- cum,"p. 507.
3 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. iv. , pp. 1004, 1005, and n. (0, Jbid.
136, 137. — Article vii.
' In his " Menologium Scoticuir. . " There, he refers the reader to Pantaleonus, who in his Prosogr. iphia, pars i. , p. 284, enumerates Nortyla, without giving him the title of a saint, as fourth among the nine bishops of \'erden. Of these he remarks : '" Hi omnes tantum prcefuerunt ordine per annos XLViii. Nam ab infideli-
May 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
551
Ctaent|)4I)irtr ©ap of ilap.
ARTICLE I. —ST. GOBAN OF MAIRGE, OR GOIBHNENN OF TIGIF SCUITHIN, NOW TASCOFFIN, COUNTY OF KILKENNY.
{PROBABLY SIXTH AND SEVENTH CENTURIES. ^
ATthe 23rd of May, the Martyrology of Tallagh/ registers the name Goban Mairgi, of Tigh Scuithin. This place by some has been sup- posed to be identical with KiUeshin, in the barony of SHevemarigue, Queen's County ; but, this opinion is now clearly proved to have been a great mistake, although its real situation is not very far distant. The Bollandists ^ follow this authority, likewise, in entering Gobanus Mairgensis, of Tegh-Scuithin, or
of " the House of Scutliinus;"3 and, they remark, that among the disciples of St. Fursey * was a Gobhan, whom Colgan would not specify, among the seven different persons bearing this name, in the Irish Calendars. His family pedigree seemstobeunrecorded,oratleastitisnotknowntoexist. Bymostwriters, Tigh Scuithin, his place, was thought to have been situated, within the pre- sent barony of Sliavemarigue, in the Queen's County. An ingenious local topographer proves, however, that the former name is now resolved into Tas- coffin, a parish in the barony of Gowran, in the county of Kilkenny. s The Johnswell Mountains, in the neighbourhood, are simply a continuation of the SHevemarigue range ; and, it seems probable, they were formerly regarded, as forming a portion of the district, in which the latter was situated. This saint has been thought, most probably, to be identical with the Gobban, who governed the church of Old Leighlin, about the year 625, when St. Laserian^ returned from Rome. Entertaining a very high estimate of St. Laserian's merits, that Gobban resigned to him the monastery of Old Leighlin ; and, through love of greater retirement, possibly he moved southwartls over the mountain, until availing himself of the undisturbed seclusion of Tigh Suithin, or Tascoffin, he there remained, and spent the rest of his days. 7 If this con- jecture be correct, he must have flourished in the sixth and seventh centuries. A festival, in honour of this Gobban, or Goibhnenn, of Tigh Scuithin, is re- corded, likewise, in the Martyrology of Donegal,^ at the present date.
Article II. —St. Comman. An entry of St. Comman is registered, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 23rd of May. The Bollandists ^ quote
Article i. —' Kelly, p. XXV.
Sanctorum," tomus v. , Maii xxiii. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 234.
3 His Life will be found, in the First
"Volume of this work, at the 2nd of January, the day for his feast, Art. i.
-t See his Life, in the First Volume of this work, at the i6th of January, Art. i.
5 See a valuable series of papers by Mr. John Hogan intituled, " Topographical and
Historical Illustrations of the Suburbs of Kilkenny," published in " Proceedings and Papersof the Kilkenny and Soulh-Eastoflre- land ArchKological Society," January, 1S63. New Series, vol. iv. , part ii. , pp. 253, 254.
* See his Life already given, in the Fourth Volume of this work, at the i8th of April, Art. i. , chap. ii.
' See the article by Mr. John Hogan, already quoted, n. (4), pp. 253, 254.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 137.
^ See "Acta
Edited by Rev. Dr.
552 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 23.
the same authority, for this insertion of his name, at this date. No place, genealogy, or title, is afforded to distinguish him, from others bearing a similar name. QuiteconvenienttotheDublinandWicklowRailway,andaboutone milefromthetownofRathdrum,theoldgraveyardofKilcommon3 riseson the side of a commanding hill. This place has been much used for inter- ments. Several old trees and bushes grow around it. On the north side, there are only a {tvi interments. On the south side, the graveyard is separated byadeeptrenchfromthefieldsadjoining. Anoldruinedchurchremainswithin the enclosure. The east end is partly standing and veiled over with thick ivy plants. 4 There is a small ruinous window in it, with a chiselled jam remaining, in which square punched holes are to be seen, as if intended for crossing iron
i:! ;^,rJfir"«i»ih. u. ;! ! ! J?
Kilcommon Old Church, County of Wicklow.
bars. A small square recess is in this same wall, and near the window. The window was about 3 feet, 4 inches, in length, and i foot, 6 inches in breadth. A mere fragment of the south walls continues to show the outline, and in it are the aj^parent traces of a window, not far from the earth. The remains of thewalls,levelledwiththeground,onlyrevealtheformerextentofthisoldchurch. Interiorly, it measures 40 feet in length, by 21 feet in breadth, and its walls wereovertwofeetinthickness. Thewallswerebuiltofgranite. s Ofcourse, it cannot be asserted, with any degree of certainty, this place had been con- nected with the present, or even with any one of the other eleven Comans or
Article ii. — ' Edited l)y Rev. Dr. quisitiones Cancellaricc Iliberniix^ Reper- Kelly, p. XXV. torium. ''
' See •' Acta S. iiictorum,'' tomus v. , Mail • These observations were made, during xxiii. Among the pretermiiled saints, a visit to the spot, in June, 1S71.
P- 234. s The accompanying illustration from a
' In the Inquisllions, taken in the time of sketch, taken by the writer on the spot, has James I. , at Wicklow, 18th December, been reproduced on the wood by William F. 1617, this place i^ writien Killc(;man. See Wakemau. It has been engraved by Mrs.
County of Wicklow, Lagenia vohime. " In- Millard.
——
May 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
Commans, noted in our calendars, at different days of the year.
