No More Learning

p. 309.
" The word is said to have been derived
—as were most Irish w'ords of ecclesiastical use—from the Latin language, and oraculuin was the term usually applied both at home
5 There is an interesting notice. No. vi. ,
Parish of Errigall-Keroge, Diocese of Ar-
magh and County of Tyrone, by the Rev.
John Groves, in William Shaw Mason's and abroad to oratories ; while Errigal and " Statistical Account, or Parochial Survey oraculiun are somewhat similar both in of Ireland," vol. iii. , pp. 137 to 182. A Map sound and form. See Di-. George Petrie's
of the Parish is prefixed.
^ The writer has been informed, in a letter,
dated Bloomfield House, Emyvale, 29th of October, 1884, and written by Rev. Daniel O'Connor, P. P. , of Errigal Truogh, that Errigal Keeroge is now commonly pro- nounced—andevenwritteninthispartofthe country—as Eriigal Kieran.
1 The Rev. Mr. Groves assumes, that the recorded denomination of Errigall-Keeoge, the latter compound differs from Kieran,
"Ecclesiastical Architecture and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. , sect, iii. , sub- sect, ii. , p. 352.
'^ Rendered in English, "the Church of St. Dachiarog. "
'^ This parish is shown, on the " Ord- nanceSurveyTownlandMapsfortheCounty of Tyrone," sheets 44, 45, 52, 53, 59, 60, The townland proper is set out, on sheets
52, 59.
'' In June, 1878, the writer, in company
ii6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAIATS. [May 7.
also, a well. 's which the Cathohcs considered holy. '^ The modern Protestant churcliyard, and that of the old church, are the only burying places in the parish. In the beginning of this century, the foundations of a round tower were to be seen, near Ballinasaggard or Priestown,'? where a convent of FranciscansoftheThirdOrderformerlystood. '^ Tliisparishisinthediocese of Armagh, and in the Union of Clogher. Some curious local legends are connected with the old'. church,'? and its supposed patron St. Kieran. The surface of this parish—containing some fine scenery—is uneven and
fs=r-=
Errigal Keerogue Old Church.
tumulated. '° Near this place, likewise, Errigal-Truogh is a parish, partly within the barony of Clogher, county of Tyrone ; and, it is, in still greater part, within the barony of Truogh, and county of Monaghan. Errigal-Keeroge and Errigal Truogh comprise the nucleus of what was once an extensive prin- cipality, known as Oirghealla^ and, of this kingdom, it is said, Rathmore,'" near Clogher, was the royal residence. Errigal Truogh is in the diocese of
with Rev. Daniel O'Connor, P. P. , and " Statistical Account of the Parish of Errigal Richard Joseph Cruise, Esq. , G. S. I. , visited Keroge," No. vi. , sect, iv. , pp. 151 to 156. this spot, and took a sketch of the old '7 Here, it is said, Con O'Neal built this church, as it then stood. That illustration house about 1489. See Harris' Ware, vol.
has been drawn on the wood, by William F. Wakemnn, and it has been engraved by Mrs. Millard, as here rcpresen'ed.
's Various miraculous cures are said to have been efiected for pilgrims, who came there to pray.
'* The Rev. Mr. Groves stales that the service of the Roman Catholic Chuich u^ed to be pcrfoinied occasionally at it. See
ii. " Antiquities of Ireland," chap, xxxviii. , p. 281.
'* From the ruins of this friary, the pre- sent Protestant church was built.
'9 One of these is, that the gable shall never fall, until it tumbles down upon and shall have crushed a Mac Mahon under its ruins.
'° See " Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ire-
—"
May 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 117
Clogher. ^' The Blackwater River '3 divides both parislies. According to some accounts, Errigal Trough is called in Irish Aireagal-Triucha, interpreted to be '• the church of (the barony of) l'rough. ^+ The old mail-coach road from Dublin to Londonderry traverses the interior of tliis parish. *5 Within it are also the ruins of an ancient church. We might ask, if it be possible to de- rive this latter denomination from such an original, as Aireagal-Trea—the latter portion of the compound being the name of a holy virgin, ^^ who is venerated in our calendars,^? but her name is not found associated with any particular known locality. The Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman, and the Martyr- orlogy of Donegal ^^ register, on this day, Berchan and Mochiarog, or Moc- huarog,^? of Echdruim-Brecain, on the confines of Dal Araidhe and Dal Riada, or as the O'Clerys state, in Magh Mucraimhe, in the west of Con- nacht. They were venerated, at Doire Echdroma, according to the same authorities. In the Martyrology 3° of Christ's Church, Dublin, at the Nones of May—corresponding with the 9th of this month—we have Ciaroc's festival set down. s^The festival of a St. Kiaran,3' at the ^th of May, is noticed, also, by Father John Colgan. 33 No further accounts of this saint are we able to discover.
Article III. St. Lassak, or Lasre. This saint is mentioned, at the 7thofMay,inthepublishedMartyrologyofTallagh,'asLasre,Virgin. The entry is somewhat varied, in the Franciscan copy. ' On this authority, like wise, the Bollandists 3 mention her, at the 7th day of this month. Also, on this day was venerated Lassar, Virgin, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal.
=2 Edited by the Rev. Dis. Todd and Reeves, pp. 120, 121.
^^ In a note Dr. Todd says : "The more Mac Cartney, M. P. for the county of recent hand has written the following note Tyrone, is that place so named, which figures on this word : —liiTDeAcli 0[\om<i 'OAii\e aj
in the Life of St. Fanchea, at the 1st of p. xXongAif, vbi mocuj. i\occ non tllociA-
land," vol. ii. , pp. 1S9, 190.
^' The Rev. Daniel O Connor states, that
this Rathmore, within the grounds of Mr.
January, of St. Patrick at the 17th ofMarcli, and of St. Endeus at the 21st of this latter month.
'- In the letter of Rev. Daniel O'Connor, P. P. , and already noticed, the writer is in- formed, that a St. Mellan, Abbot, is patron of his parish of Errigal Truogh.
^3 The same most capable investigator of local ecclesiastical antiquities informs me, that it must have been, tbe ford of Errigil was on the Blackwater, at or somewhere near the present village of Augher. where St. Patrick's strong man, St. Mac Cartan, failed in strength, wlien carrying the Irish Apos- tle over tlie ford, while on his journey from Errigal Keeroge to Clogher. There, too, the remarkable dialogue between the saints took place.
-'* See Dr. Patrick W. Joyce's " Origin and History of Irish Names of Places," part iii. , chap, ii. , p. 309.
^5 See " Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ire- land," vol. ii. , p. 190.
'* On referring to her reception by St. Patrick, in our Life, at the 17th of March, vol. iii. , chap, xv. , it will be found, that she must have lived, not very far removed from this district.
=7 Seenoticesofber,atthe8thofJuly.
1\65 uc hic ec Apux) piLuve mAieL ni Ai]\e : sed secundum Tamlacl. Cia^ati i-oeni ec mocoLnioj. Videtur esse niociA^xos sancta. " " Indeach, of Drlum Daire is in the Felire of /Enijus, where we have Mochuarog, not Mochiarog, as here and in the Martyrology of Marianus ; but according to that of Tamlacht, ' Ciaran idem et Moch- olmog. '
3° In Liber Sancte Trinitatis, Dublin, p. "3-
3' See " The Book of Obits and Martyr- ology of the Cathedi'al Church of the Holy Trinity, commordy called Christ Church, Dubli;i," edited by John Clarke Crosthwaite, A. M. , and Re\^. James Henthoru Todd, D. D.
3= Apparently a mistake for Kiaroc.
33 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernias," xv. Februarii. Vita S. Berachi, n. 8, p. 348.
Article iii. —' Edited by R-v. Dr. Kelly, p. xxiii.
" Thus: LA]'|\Ae. D^a. . b.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Mali vii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 132.
• Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves. See Appendix to the Introduction, p. xlvi\ and p. 121.
Maii vii.
p I
Article v.
les croyances, les Moeurs, les Instiiutions
-JO.
—\ —
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 8.
Article IV. Reputed Feast of St. Eata, Abbot of Melrose, AND Bishop of Lindisfarne. Referring to Sarins for notices of St. Eata, Thomas Dempster,' at the 7th of May, sets down this holy man, as one of Scotia's most shining lights. ^ On such authority, the Bollandists 3 note his festival, at the same date, but they remark, that English and other writers place his feast, at the 26th of October. Our own account of him will be found, also, at the latter da}'.
Article V. St. Airaran. In the Franciscan copy of the Tallagh Martyrology, at the 7th of May, a feast is entered for Airaran. ' It is omitted from the published copy ; nor do we find such a record, in any other authority, so that it may be supposed, there is some error in the entry.
eigl)tl) J3ai) of iBap*
ARTICLE I. —ST. WIRO, BISHOP IN IRELAND, AND APOSTLE OF GUELDRES, BELGIUM.
\SEVENTH CENTURY. CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—AUTHORITIES FOR ST. WIRO's BIOGRAPHY—HIS FAMILY AND BIRTH HIS EARLY TRAINING AND DISPOSITIONS—ELECTED BISHOP—HE LEAVES IRELAND FOR ROME, IN COMPANY WITH SAINTS PLECHELM AND OTGER—THKIR RECEPTION BY THE POPE, WHO CONSECRATED WIRO AS BISHOP—THEY RETURN TO IRELAND,
WHERE WIRO EXERCISED EPISCOPAL FUNCTIONS—HIS FIRM RESOLVE TO BECOME A MISSIONARY ABROAD—HE LEAVES IRELAND A SECOND TIME, AND HE PASSES OVER TO GAUL.
WHETHER our Island deserves the greater merit, for having sent innumerable Doctors and Apostles to convert and enlighten the people of the continent, or for having attracted to itself, as to a hive of learn-
ing and monastic piety, Italians, Gauls, Germans, Britons, Picts and Saxons, with people of other countries, who flocked thither, in order to acquire sacred and secular branches of learning,' and to lead lives of strict holiness, may exer- cisespeculativeopinion. Itwasacradleoflearningandofasceticism,forEuro-
Article IV.
— ' Thus is he entered, in "Menologium Scoticum :" "vii. Ila^ul- stadice Eata; episcopi, qui ex Abbale Mail- rosice Apostolus Nordanynibrorum et Lindis-
farnx Archiepiscopus, inter claiisbinia Scotiae luniinacensendus. "
" See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scot- tish Saints," p. 198.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
ec ^ip ApAni, meaning " and Airar. in. " Article i. —Chapter i. — ' " Des fiottes d'etudiants font voile de toutes parts vers I'lrlande ; ils y vont chercher des mai- tres de grec. de latin, d'ecrituie sainte, et Ics ecoles hibernoises deviennent le ren<iez-
vous general des pelorins dc la science. " Urbain Sinardet's " Synchronisme des Lit- teratures depuis leur origine jusq 'a nos
jours, considerees dans leurs rapports avec
—' After the entry of Moch- socials. Cinquieme Epoque, sect, xii. , p. "_
Among the pretermitted saints,
uaroc's name, another distinct line is given, 2S4.
—7
May 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 119
pean scholars, while many distinguished and pious men are recorded to have lived and died in Ireland. In our ancient records, and in the Lives of our Saints, such as in those of St. Patrick, of St. Kieran, ofSt. Declan, of St. Albeus, of St. Columkille, of St. Endeus, of St. Maidoc, of St. Senan, and of St. Brenan, besides in various other similar biographies, relations confirmatory of these assertions are found. From St. ^Engus' " Book of Litanies," alone, we find innumerable native saints, its author invokes, as also, several holy men placed on the list of foreign saints, and who were buried in Ireland. The chief authority for tiie Acts of St. Wiro is an old Life, by an anonymous writer, and which came into the possession of Wilhelm Lindan, the first Bishop of Rure- mond. ThishasbeencomparedandcollatedwithanotherManuscriptcopy, by Father John BoUand; as various changes or alterations have been admitted, in more recent compilations. We find, that a Life of St. Wiro has been written by John Capgrave,^ as also in the Hystorie Plurimorum Sancto- rum, 3 and in Lippeloo 4; while Mirseus has son^e notices of St. Wiro, at the 8thofMayfasalsoMolanus. ^ ThomasDempsterliasanaccountofhim. Again, Laurence Surius,^ who usually follows the old Memoir by Wilhelm Ivindan 9—but who changed the style from that copy of the old Manuscript in his possession—has published his Acts, at the 8th of May, in five para- graphs. Baronius ^° also borrowed his notices from this source. The Acts of St. Wiro seem also to have been prepared by Colgan for publication, at the8thofMay. " TheBollandistsgivehisActs,"andtheseareintroduced byapreviouscommentary,'3 thecompositionofFatherJohnBoUandhim- self. Likewise, the "Acta Sanctorum Belgii,"''* Father Adrien Baillet,'5 Bishop Challenor,^^ the Rev. Alban Butler,'? John D'Alton,'^ and Bishop Forbes,'? record his Life, at this same date, as also the Rev. S. Baring-Gould. ^° In the " Scoti-Chronicon "-' of Rev. Dr. J. F. S. Gordon, there is an account of St. Wiro, as in " Les Petits Bollandistes,"^^ at this date.
This holy bishop was born in Scotia,^3 or Ireland,^4 although the particu-
- See " Legenda Nova Anglias," fol. cccvii. , cccviii. , for Octavo Idus Maii.
3 Printed at Louvain, A. D. 1485. It has Wiroepiscopus et Confessor, foL Ixviii. , Ixix. * See "Vitse Sanctorum," vol. ii. , pp. 614,
to 617, at 8th of May.
5 See " Fasti Belgici et Bm-gundici," pp.
23810 241.
* See " Natales Sanctorum Belgii," in
three paragraphs, pp. 89, 90. _
7 See " Histovia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco-
torum,"tomus ii. , lib. xix. , num. 1167.
* See " L)e Probatis Sanctorum Vitis,"
vol. iii. , Maiiviii. , pp. 28, 29.
5 However, the two first paragraphs of
thisLife—aspubli. ^hedbytheBollandists have been omitted in the work ofSurius. These do not contain any biographical par- ticulars of great interest, as they are chiefly prefatory.
'° See " Annales Ecclesiastici," tomus viii. , ad A. D. 631, num. 8, et seq.
" Accordifig to " Catalogus Actuum Sanctorum qure MS. habentur, ordine Men- slum et Dierum. "
" See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. De S. Wirone Episcopo Ruremundae in Gelria, pp. 309 to 320.
'3 This is in Three Sections, and in Thirty-two paragraphs.
''' Tomus v. , Maii viii. These Acts of St. Wiro, Bishop of Ruiimond, at the 8th of May, are a Vita S. Wironis, auctoie anony- mo, ex schedis Wilhelmi Lindani Episcopi Rurimondensis, sections l to 9. Also a Translatio Ecclesire collegiate ex Monte S. Odilise in urbem Rurcemondam, sections i to II. These are preceded by a commen- tary of J. BoUandus, in three sections, pp. 343 to 369.
'S See " Les Vies des Saints," tome ii. , pp. 152, 153.
'^ See "Britannia Sancta,'' part i. , jip. 182, 183.
''' See"LivesoftheFathers,Mart)rsand otherprincipalSaints,"vol. v. , Mayviii.
"® See "Memoirs of the Archbishops of Dublin," pp. 18 to 20.
'^ See " Kalendars of Scottish Saints" p. 459.
^° See " Lives of the Saints," vol. v. , pp. 116, 117.
-' See vol. i. , p. 67.
" See " Vies des Saints," tome v. viii=. , Jour de Mai, pp. 404, 405.
^3 "Sanctum Wironem produxit Scotia, fertilis Sanctorum virorum insula, Scotus enim patria fuit Wiro. "—" Batavia Sacra, sive Res Gestw Apostolorum \irorum qui fidem Batavi:s primi intulerunt. " L pars,,
_
I20 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 8.
lar country of his birth has been challenged by certain writers. 's However, the great bulk of autliority,'^ and all the inferences to be drawn from our saint's earlier Acts, tend to estal)lish beyond question the fact, that Ireland was the land to which his nativity must be referred. '^ The parents of St. Wiro are thought to have been of considerable rank,^^ and to have belonged to that race, from wliom St. Senan ^9 drew his origin. In accounts of the present holy man, his name is written indiscriminately, Wyro, or Wiro ; but, we doubt, if this correspond closely with his original Irish etymon, which now is probably unknown. He descended from the race of Conaire, son to Mogh- lamha, who was King of Eirn, and who belonged to the progeny of Eremon.
In a Table, appended to the Donegal Martyrology,3° the commentator calls
him Viron, i. e. , Feron. 3' St. Wiro's father was named Cuan, and liis grand-
father's name was Lugid. This latter was the son of Fintan, the son of
Mechar, son to Conchrius, son of Decius, son to Imchad, son of Corb, &c. ,
according to the " Sanctilogic Genealogy. "32 Wiro is said to have lived at
the place, called Corcobaschin,33 in the county of Clare. There, it is sup-
posed, our saint was born, early in the seventh century,34 but in what year is
uncertain. However, although the Irish writers consider Wiro as their country-
man ; on the assumed authority of Alcuin, the Rev. Dr. Lingard has called him
anAnglo-Saxon. 35 Forsuchanassertion,hequotesanoldLatinPoem,on
the Bishops of York. 3^ To this claim, Dr. Lanigan responds, that in the said
poem 37—which by-the-bye was not written by Alcuin—there is not a word
about Wiro, at that verse quoted, nor, as far as he could find, in any other
38
part of it.
The early training of Wiro in learning and virtue, by the guardians of his
youth, had not been neglected, as his after life and labours proved. From day
p. 80. Thomas Dempster, as usual, claims for his own country of Scotland the birth of this holy man, or at least, at the 12th of this month, he is noted as Archbishop of Dun- blane, although he afterwards adds, " ut tunc moris erat nulli certK sedi alligati," &c. See "MenologiumScoticum," in Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 198.
** Father John Boland, although admit- ting that John Capgrave makes our saint a native of Hibernia or Ireland, seems to tliink, the original Continental writer of his Acts, must have imagined, that he was born in North Britain ; thus connecting Saints Patrick, Columba or Cuthbert with this quarter, although Venerable Bede states, " Hiberniam proprire patriam Scotorum esse. "—"Historia Ecclesiastica Genlis Anglorum," lib. i. , cap. i.
veteri Scotia ; quae nunc dicitur Hibernia : ibi egit. ibi in Episcopum est electus, inde Roman ivit consecrandus, inde reversus in Gallias transivit. "—" De Primis Vetei is Frisise Apostolis," Dissertatio Ixxxiii, The Office of Ruremond Church, keeping the local tradition, accords with the foregoing authors.
'7 See the Bollandists' " Acta Sancto- rum," tomus ii. , Mali viii. De S. Wirone Episcopo Ruremondoe in Gelria. Commen- tarius Prxvius Joanuis Bollandi, sect, ii. , num. II, 12, p. 311.
'•* See John D'AIton's " Memoirs of the Archbishops of Dublin," p. iS.
^ See his Life, at the Slh of March.
5° Etlited by Dis. Todd and Reeves, p. 121.
3' See ibid. , pp. 478, 479.
3' See Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- '5 Ferrarius, in his General Catalogue of nix," viii. Maitii. Appendix ad Vitam S.
the Saints, follows the statement of Demp- ster.
'' Thus, 7"k" Capgrave, Gerbrandus a Leidis, John Wilson, in his " Martyrologium Anglicanum," Canisius, in his German Martyrology, Constantius Ghinius in " Na- talibus Sanctorum Canonicorum," Mirxus, Molanus, and Petriis Galesinius, in his Martyrology, all make St. Wiro an Irish- man. Ag. iin, Willilirordus Boschartius, of the Order of Premunst rants, in the Abbey of Tungcrloo, writes : " Wiro oriundus crat ex
Scnani, cap. iii. , p. 538 {rccle), or p. 542.