Among these disciples of our Saint, we find
enumerated
St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v9
Ailbe, quoted by Ussher,6?
we have a much more reasonable narrative concerning Lochan's giving St.
Ailbe, when rescued from beneath the rock where he had been exposed, to certain Britons, who lived with him in the eastern part of Eliach.
There, he was tended with great care by his guardians.
The grace of God soon became manifested in him.
Even while a boy, he desired to be enlightened con- cerning the Creator of the Universe.
68 It would seem, in the different copies of St.
Ailbe's Acts, which fell into the hands of Suyskens, there were even contradictory statements regarding him that cannot be regarded as facts.
69
The Acts of our Saint, to which Ussher had access, tell us, that Ailbe went to Rome. ? There he learned the Sacred Scriptures from Bishop
Hilarius. ? 1 The ancient author does not favour us with
this Hilarius must have been. ? 2 He is said to have been a holy man, who
64 See
" Historiarum
ab Urbe
ad sancti totam urbem Roma- preces
Livy's
quae
nam, ut habent MSS. Inisense ac Salman- ticense, aut saltern tota nescio cujus, in eadem urbe monasterii septa repleverit ; item quinque alias pluviae, videlicet mellis, piscium, olei, frumenti seu panis optimi ac vini prasstantisimi, quas in eamdem urbem Romanam, ut habent duo priora MSS. , aut in sancti penum, ut Killkennensi praaplacet, ipso, quo episcopus creatus est, die tarn copiose dilapsas nugatur, Romanus Pontifex omnisque populus Romanus prodigiosis illis dapibus ties dies totidemque nocfes abunde satiati fuerint. Hasce, inquam, similesque nugas rec—ensere hie possem, at fabularum satis est. " "Acta
Septembris xii.
Episcopo Imelacensi. Sylloge Historico- Critica, sect, i. , num. 15, p. 28.
70 See Archbishop Ussher's "Britanni-
carum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates, cap. xvi. , p. 412.
71 The Bollandists state that the Hilarius here mentioned was no other than Pope Hilarius, or rather Hilarus, who, they say,
ordained, a. d. 464, Ailbe, bishop, as also Declan. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Martii xvii. De Sancto Patricio, Commen- tarius Praevius, sect. 4.
72 Should there be any truth in what is said of Ailbe's expedition to Rome, Dr. Lanigan was inclined to think, that Hila- rius, bishop of Aries, who lived until the year 449, was the person alluded to, particularly as St. Patrick had spent some time among the celebrated monks of Lerins, of whose congregation Hilarius had been a member, and who probably had been a contemporary there with St. Patrick. Accordingly he might have sent Ailbe, and perhaps others, for their theological educa-
condita Libri," lib. i. , cap. 4.
65 "
See Thomas Henry Dyer's History of the Kings of Rome," sect, ii. , p. 43.
66
It is greatly to be regretted, that in this case, as in so many other instances, our Irish Saints' acts should have been not alone overloaded with fiction, but that these
have been so preposterously disedifying, as to bring discredit on the birth and parents of this Saint. We cannot but admire the just severity with which Suyskens condemns such inelegant compositions.
67 See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitates," cap. xvi. , p. 409.
68 A curious is told story
tomus
De S. Albeo seu Ailbeo
by
Emly, that when St. Ailbe was a little
iv. ,
*school-boy, his master directed him to look alter the sparro>vs, and see that they did not encroach on the harvest fields. Ailbe did as he was told, and he confined all the sparrows to the nouses adjoining. Then he presented himself at school with his books, and the schoolmaster, thinking he had for- gotten the duty assigned, questioned him regarding it. He was then told, to go out and judge for himself. He therefore went out, and found that no sparrow was to be seen. To the present day, when the people
of the neighbourhood begin to reap the harvest, far and near they send for water to
St. Ailbe's Well, which they sprinkle over their grounds, believing, as they do, that no sparrows shall come near their corn. See
"Emly of Old, and Emly as it is," p. 6.
This is a small pamphlet, conjointly drawn up by the late Maurice Lenihan, author of
"
the History of Limerick," and by the Very Rev. Maurice Canon Power, P. P.
69 After giving a few extracts, by way of
specimen, the learned and judicious editor
remarks
" :
the of people
Sanctorum,"
Possem hie et alia non minus tion to that renowned school. Yet, Dr. insulsa nugatoris commenta recensere, Lanigan does not mean to insinuate, that cujusmodi est predigiosa ilia pomorum Ailbe was ordained bishop during the life- mirae magnitudinis melleique saporis pluvia, time of Hilarius, Bishop of Aries. His
any
account of whom
284 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [September12.
found our Saint distinguished for his great virtues and learning, as also for miracles wrought through the Divine assistance. The account adds, he sent Ailbe to the Pope, that he might be consecrated as a bishop. 73 In the Acts of St. Declan,74 it is said, our saint had been many years a disciple of
80 81
Pope,
The opinion of Papebroke appears likewise to have met the approval
46 7.
ing.
of Suyskens.
Hilarius75 at
and that at his
76 the consecrated Pope
Rome,
Ailbe a bishop. The ingenious Papebroke, who supposes the Acts of St.
Bishop
request
Declan and of St. Ailbe as published to have been written by the same person, thinks that account probable,77 and he conjectures, that the Hilarius in question was himself a Roman Pontiff, and identical with that St. Hilarius or St. Hilarus,78 who the functions of
discharged
This Pope was remarkable for his great mental capacity and learn-
82
One of the Saint's Lives has the absurd statement, that Ailbe received episcopal consecration from Pope Clement. But, this is not only irrecon- cilable with fact, but with every other account regarding him, and may be dismissed as not worthy of consideration. If we allow, that he had been
consecrated by Pope Clement, we should be obliged to refer the period in
which Ailbe lived to the end of the first century, when Clement I. occupied
the Papal chair 83 or afterwards, to nearly the middle of the eleventh ;
century, when Clement II. was Sovereign Pontiff. 84 During this intermediate period, no Pope, bearing the name of Clement, sat in the Chair of St.
80
conjecture goes no further than that, See an account of this distinguished
perhaps, Ailbe when young had been sent Pontiff in R. P. Natalis Alexandri, • His- "
to Hilarius for his education. See Eccle- toria Ecclesiastica Veteris Novique Testa-
siastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, i. , sect, xi. , n. 84, p. 24.
73 In reference to this statement, the Rev.
Dr. Lanigan remarks, that if Hilarius sent
Ailbe to the Pope, it would seem that Church of Rome, died a. d. 465, having Hilarius was not then a resident in Rome. —
See ibid.
7* Published by the Bollandists. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Episcopo Ardmoriae in Hibernia,
pp. 590 to 608.
75 See ibid. Vita S. Declani, cap. iii. , p. 597. 76 <« Whoever that Hilarius was, he is ex-
Hennessy's edition, vol. i. , pp. 20, 21.
:
82 Who writes " etenim licet memoratse
Albei Declanique Vitae Hilarium suum a
Romano pontifice distinguant, cum tamen eundum et episcopum fuisse et Romae habi- tasse velint ac praeterea Romani Pontifecis
pressly distinguished from the Pope of that ab Hiiario S. Albei institutore diversi
time, both in Ailbe's and Declan's Lives, nomen aut non memorent, aut S. Clementem
and consequently must not be confounded, per immanem parachronismum imperite
as has been done by the Bollandists, with Pope Hilarius. The whole matter is in- volved in such obscurity, that it is useless to attempt an elucidation of it. "
"
obtrundant, multasque futiles fabellas immi- sceant, non est, cur ipsis hac etiam in parte assentiamur ; praesertim cum in opposita
—See Dr. Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vi. , sect, viii. , and
de S. Albeo traduntur, conciliari possint, alioquin minime
Lanigan's
cohaerentia. Sanctorum," —"Acta tomus
n. 76, p. 290.
77 See the Bollandist Appendix to St.
Patrick's Acts, at the 17th day of March, in "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Martii xvii. De S. Patricio Episcopo Apostolo et Primate Hiberniae, sect, i. , num. 8, p. 582.
v. , Septembris xii. De S. Albeo seu Ailbeo Episcopo Imelacensi. Sylloge Historioo-
78 His festival is celebrated " Septembris. "
Critica, sect, ii. , num. 22, p. 29.
83 From A. D. 89 to 98, according to a pro-
bable computation. See Berti's " Ecclesias- ticae Histotiae Breviariuin," pars i. , sec. i. ,
quarto "Through a typographical error, the
cap. i. , 84
iv. , p. 63.
Bollandists insert a. d.
paragraph to which allusion has been made, at p. 582.
ccccxli. ,
a. d. — and on the died, 1047,
of the
Idus
sec.
Only for a short term after Gregory VI.
hadabdicatedthisoffice. Clementissaidto
menti," tomus x. , Saeculum Quintum, cap. ii. , Art. vii. , pp. 17 to 19.
3 months, and 10 days. See William M.
opinione praecipua, quae
in the have
October Calends. Ibid. , pars ii. ,
cap. i. , p. 45.
from a. d. 79 to 461
81 The -AntiAlA ul<Yoh, or Annals of Ulster, state, the Hilary, bishop of the
the Chair of Peter 6 and occupied years,
7th sect. ,
xi. ,
i
September 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 285
Peter. The Pope who was in Rome, when Ailbe arrived there, is said to have very graciously received our Saint, who remained with him for a year and fifty days. Then it is related, that fifty holy men from Ireland followed Ailbe to Rome. They went to where the Pope and Ailbe were. The Sovereign Pontiff bestowed on them a remote cell, and he directed Ailbe to preside over them.
Among these disciples of our Saint, we find enumerated St. Declan, with some others, bearing identical names \ as for instance, twelve Colmans, twelve Coemgens, and twelve Fintans. 83 According to the Acts of St. Kiaran, which Ussher saw, St. Ailbe was sent by the Apostolic See to preach the Gospel of Christ as an Apostle, among the gentiles, before
the time of St. Patrick.
86
Where the scene of his labours lay we are not
told ; but. a great number of pagans are said to have received the faith, and
to have been baptized at his hands. Moreover, in that country, St. Ailbe
built a monastery, in which he left the holy sons of Guill. He blessed the
whole of this and then them. 87 After this, our Saint is com-
region, quitted
pared to a sagacious bee, loaded with honey, and returning to his own land
88
of Hibernia.
When he had reached the sea, he blessed it. He and all his companions
embarked in a vessel by no means seaworthy. Yet, after a serene and" prosperous voyage they reached some port in the northern part of Ireland.
There one of his fellow-passengers and familiars, named Colman, built a cell, at the desire of St. Ailbe. This was afterwards called Chell-ruaid. 89 It is said,90 that this place was situated within the territory of Dalaradia, and that St. Ailbe derived his descent from people belonging to this district. The
" O ! Saint of God, I, a miserable man, have
over it was a and he was named Fintan. 91 He had gentile,
then
just waged war with the people of Connaught, and had been defeated. Three of his sons were slain in that war, but the father brought their dead
King
ruling
bodies to St. Ailbe and said
come to you for aid, for I have heard that you work great miracles. " To
:
received instruction in the faith of Christ, believed, and was baptized. St. - Ailbe approached the spot where his dead sons lay and prayed for them before the Lord Jesus Christ. All were restored to life and to the embraces of their father. They also became Christians. Then St. Ailbe blessed them, and he predicted, that as they had embraced the true faith they should prevailovertheirenemies. Inaccordancewithsuchprophesy,whentheKing afterwards warred with the Conacians, he fully avenged his former reverses.
Having received hostages, he returned home in triumph. Then it is said
St. Ailbe went through all Ireland^12 preaching on baptism and converting many, but not all of its people, to the true faith. 93 Notwithstanding the
85 " In reference to these accounts, the 88 In his Chronological Index, Ussher
him St. Ailbe " If replied :
believe and be I will ask the baptized,
you
Divine clemency on behalf of yourself and your three sons. " This King
"
sanctus noster nondum Episcopus Romse p. 514.
Bollandist editor writes :
Quod autem refers this mission to A. D. 412. See ibid. ,
a S. Hilario sive Hilaro degens, jussus
fuerit tribus annis illius porcos pascere, messemque colligere, inter nugatoris fabulas
reputamus. Nee credimus, socios ejus quad- raginta vel quinquaginta numero, et inter hos duodecim Colmannos, et duodecim
Coemgenos, et duodecim Fintanos, ut Acta volunt, fuisse. "
86 "
See Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
quitates,'"' cap. xvi. , pp. 408, 409. 87 See ibid. , p. 414.
8' in the of Probably Killroot, County
Antrim, is here meant, and about it we have already treated in a previous Article.
*> In the old Life of St. Aiibe, which
Ussher quotes.
9t He does not seem otherwise to have
been historically commemorated.
92 Of the assumed incidents related in the
text, we have no account in any of our Irish Annals.
93 The foregoing accounts are taken by
286 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [September 12.
foregoing relation, it is not at all credible, that our Saint could have
preached even a single year, not to speak of some years, before a. d. 432,
the when St. Patrick's commenced. 94 year apostleship
CHAPTER II.
ST. PALLADIUS AND ST. PATRICK RECOGNISED AS THE FIRST APOSTLES OF THE IRISH CHURCH—ST. AILBE A DISCIPLE OF ST. PATRICK—FIRST MEETING OF ST. PATRICK AND ST. AILBE—THE IRISH APOSTLE AND KING /ENGUS FIX THE SKE OF ST. AILBE AT EMLY—DESCRIPTION OF THE LOCALITY—THE RULE OF ST. AILBE— MISSIONARY INCIDENTS OF HIS CAREER—HIS DEATH AND PLACE OF BURIAL— FESTIVALS AND COMMEMORATIONS—CONCLUSION,
•Among those, who contend that St. Ailbe preached the Gospel in Ireland before the time of St. Patrick, Colgan asserts the affirmative, relying on some ancient Lives of Irish Saints in his possession. These, he asserts, were written at least a thousand years before his day. On their authority, not only were many believers in Christ to be found in various parts of this
Island, but several were eminent for sanctity.
1
In the Acts of St. Declan,
2
published by the Bollandists, at the 24th of July, it is stated, that the four
bishops, Saints Ailbe, Declan, Kieran and Ibar were in Ireland, before St. Patrick. While St. Ailbe, St. Declan, and St. Ibar formed ties of fraternity, social intercourse and affection amongst themselves, and their respective disciples; a union between the two former was so close, as St. Declau's Acts tell us, that they were scarcely ever separated, except in cases of extreme necessity. It is strange, after all the various efforts made by Protestant writers in our days, to prove that St. Patrick had not received a mission from the Roman See,3 that they have not resorted to more ancient accounts for an earlier apostleship, and their peculiar theory of an independent system in church government and doctrine. However circumstantial the details already related may be, it is expressly stated by our best authorities/
that Palladius was the first bishop sent by Pope Celestine from Rome to Ireland. 5 In the dispositions of Divine Providence, the Holy Bishop, St. Patrick, who is said to have come after St. Ailbe to Ireland, converted this
6
Ussher from a Life of St. Ailbe in his pos- 24th of July, in the Seventh Volume of this "
whole Island to Christianity.
session. See Britannicarum Ecclesiartun work, Art. i. , chap, i. , ii.
"
Antiquitates," cap. xvi. , p. 414.
3 See the Rev. Mr. Phelan's
Case of the
Lanigan's
" Ecclesiastical His- 's"
94 See Dr.
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, i. , sect, xi. ,
Church of Ireland stated Declan. " by
pp. 23, 24.
Chapter ii. — Among these, he enume-
rates Kiaran, Albeus, Declan, and Ibar, with many others, that flourished in Ireland, before the time of St. Patrick and St. Pal- ladius. See " Trias Thaumatur^a," Quinta Appendix, ad Acta S. Patricii. De Patria et Gcnere S. Patricii, cap. xv. , pp. 250 to
252.
at the year 431.
See, likewise, the Acta Sanctorum" of
the Bollandists, where the Acts of St. Palladius are written. See toinus ii. , Julii vi. De S. Palladio Episc. et Conf. Scotorum Apostolo. Sylloge Historica, sect, ii. , num.
2
See, also, the Life of St. Declan, at the
arum Antiquitates," cap. xvi. , p. 414. Some such account appears to have been contained
*This is related in St. Prosper's Chronicle,
II, 12, 13, p. 288. 6"
See Ussher's Britannicarum Ecclesi-
September 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 287
It seems to be most probable, that Ailbe's mission in Ireland did not
commence until after the arrival of the great Irish Apostle in 432. Thus we
find him in Colgan's list, and classed among St. Patrick's disciples. 7 By some, it has been supposed, that Ailbe had not received the gift of Divine Faith, until St. Patrick visited the province of Munster during the course of
8
his Irish mission. Thus, one of his most ancient biographers has recorded
the incident of our saint having received priestly ordination from the Apostle of Ireland. Again, in the Tripartite life of the latter, Ailbe and Ibar, bishops, are mentioned, as observing a particular injunction of their father
10
But, the most convincing argument, which might be alleged, is an account of St. Ailbe's death, referred to a. d. 527, by the usually accurate Annals of Ulster and Innisfallen. This statement appears to have convinced both Sir James
Ware" and Ussher. 12
The opinion most generally received is, that St. Patrick and St. Ailbe
met for the first time, when the Irish Apostle visited the south of Ireland, andconverted^Engus,sontoNatfraich,thePrinceofMunster. Atthistime, according to some writers, Ailbe received the faith under the instruction of. St. Patrick ; while others state, he had been ordained priest, and subsequently consecrated bishop, for the work of the ministry. It is said, that King ^Engus and St. Patrick greatly rejoiced at Ailbe's arrival, in the royal city of Cashel ; and while our saint remained there with other holy men, many Christian laws,13 regarding ecclesiastical rule and discipline, were framed. These tended much, as we are told, towards a future propagation of the faith. T * The meeting of St. Patrick and St. Ailbe is referred by Ussher, to the year 449. 15 Although at first, not in accord with the Irish Apostle, it is said that Ailbe, Declan, Ibar and Kieran were afterwards his friends. Among them, we are told, that St. Ailbe went to the City of Cashel, where he met St. Patrick. Whileinthebeginningdisinclinedtosubmitinthepresenceof King ^Engus ; nevertheless, Ailbe afterwards made obeisance to the Irish Apostle, acknowledging him as a master with all humility. By a truly learned historian of the Irish Church, it is thought to be quite improbable, that any question ever arose between them about the matter of disputed precedence or 16 It is
Patricks Jocelyn, also, especially calls those saints his disciples.
how the
and St. Patrick, resolved, that the See of Ailbe should be fixed at Imleach-
jurisdiction.
related,
King
of Cashel, with all his
people,
Jubhair,
1 ? now known as of St. Patrick Emly. Moreover,byappointment
in the Kilkenny MS. , belonging to the
Patricii, Ibernorum Apostoli, Synodi, Canones, Opuscula," &c. , might engage the investigator of this subject,
*< Yet, if such events took place, we may
Bollandists. Yet, Suyskens observes :
"
Sed
ex eod«m apographo cum duobus aliis collato
contrarium evincitur. " "
7 See Trias Thaumaturga. ," Quinta Ap- regard it as very strange, that they are not
pendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. p. recorded in any of St. Patrick's Lives,
265. which are accessible. ? ]
Tirechan, as quoted by Sir James Ware. s See Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- 9 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," quitates," Index Chronolcgicus, p. 517.
Septima p. 156-
Vita S.
Patricii,
lib.
iii. , cap. xxxiii.
The Acts of our Saint, to which Ussher had access, tell us, that Ailbe went to Rome. ? There he learned the Sacred Scriptures from Bishop
Hilarius. ? 1 The ancient author does not favour us with
this Hilarius must have been. ? 2 He is said to have been a holy man, who
64 See
" Historiarum
ab Urbe
ad sancti totam urbem Roma- preces
Livy's
quae
nam, ut habent MSS. Inisense ac Salman- ticense, aut saltern tota nescio cujus, in eadem urbe monasterii septa repleverit ; item quinque alias pluviae, videlicet mellis, piscium, olei, frumenti seu panis optimi ac vini prasstantisimi, quas in eamdem urbem Romanam, ut habent duo priora MSS. , aut in sancti penum, ut Killkennensi praaplacet, ipso, quo episcopus creatus est, die tarn copiose dilapsas nugatur, Romanus Pontifex omnisque populus Romanus prodigiosis illis dapibus ties dies totidemque nocfes abunde satiati fuerint. Hasce, inquam, similesque nugas rec—ensere hie possem, at fabularum satis est. " "Acta
Septembris xii.
Episcopo Imelacensi. Sylloge Historico- Critica, sect, i. , num. 15, p. 28.
70 See Archbishop Ussher's "Britanni-
carum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates, cap. xvi. , p. 412.
71 The Bollandists state that the Hilarius here mentioned was no other than Pope Hilarius, or rather Hilarus, who, they say,
ordained, a. d. 464, Ailbe, bishop, as also Declan. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Martii xvii. De Sancto Patricio, Commen- tarius Praevius, sect. 4.
72 Should there be any truth in what is said of Ailbe's expedition to Rome, Dr. Lanigan was inclined to think, that Hila- rius, bishop of Aries, who lived until the year 449, was the person alluded to, particularly as St. Patrick had spent some time among the celebrated monks of Lerins, of whose congregation Hilarius had been a member, and who probably had been a contemporary there with St. Patrick. Accordingly he might have sent Ailbe, and perhaps others, for their theological educa-
condita Libri," lib. i. , cap. 4.
65 "
See Thomas Henry Dyer's History of the Kings of Rome," sect, ii. , p. 43.
66
It is greatly to be regretted, that in this case, as in so many other instances, our Irish Saints' acts should have been not alone overloaded with fiction, but that these
have been so preposterously disedifying, as to bring discredit on the birth and parents of this Saint. We cannot but admire the just severity with which Suyskens condemns such inelegant compositions.
67 See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitates," cap. xvi. , p. 409.
68 A curious is told story
tomus
De S. Albeo seu Ailbeo
by
Emly, that when St. Ailbe was a little
iv. ,
*school-boy, his master directed him to look alter the sparro>vs, and see that they did not encroach on the harvest fields. Ailbe did as he was told, and he confined all the sparrows to the nouses adjoining. Then he presented himself at school with his books, and the schoolmaster, thinking he had for- gotten the duty assigned, questioned him regarding it. He was then told, to go out and judge for himself. He therefore went out, and found that no sparrow was to be seen. To the present day, when the people
of the neighbourhood begin to reap the harvest, far and near they send for water to
St. Ailbe's Well, which they sprinkle over their grounds, believing, as they do, that no sparrows shall come near their corn. See
"Emly of Old, and Emly as it is," p. 6.
This is a small pamphlet, conjointly drawn up by the late Maurice Lenihan, author of
"
the History of Limerick," and by the Very Rev. Maurice Canon Power, P. P.
69 After giving a few extracts, by way of
specimen, the learned and judicious editor
remarks
" :
the of people
Sanctorum,"
Possem hie et alia non minus tion to that renowned school. Yet, Dr. insulsa nugatoris commenta recensere, Lanigan does not mean to insinuate, that cujusmodi est predigiosa ilia pomorum Ailbe was ordained bishop during the life- mirae magnitudinis melleique saporis pluvia, time of Hilarius, Bishop of Aries. His
any
account of whom
284 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [September12.
found our Saint distinguished for his great virtues and learning, as also for miracles wrought through the Divine assistance. The account adds, he sent Ailbe to the Pope, that he might be consecrated as a bishop. 73 In the Acts of St. Declan,74 it is said, our saint had been many years a disciple of
80 81
Pope,
The opinion of Papebroke appears likewise to have met the approval
46 7.
ing.
of Suyskens.
Hilarius75 at
and that at his
76 the consecrated Pope
Rome,
Ailbe a bishop. The ingenious Papebroke, who supposes the Acts of St.
Bishop
request
Declan and of St. Ailbe as published to have been written by the same person, thinks that account probable,77 and he conjectures, that the Hilarius in question was himself a Roman Pontiff, and identical with that St. Hilarius or St. Hilarus,78 who the functions of
discharged
This Pope was remarkable for his great mental capacity and learn-
82
One of the Saint's Lives has the absurd statement, that Ailbe received episcopal consecration from Pope Clement. But, this is not only irrecon- cilable with fact, but with every other account regarding him, and may be dismissed as not worthy of consideration. If we allow, that he had been
consecrated by Pope Clement, we should be obliged to refer the period in
which Ailbe lived to the end of the first century, when Clement I. occupied
the Papal chair 83 or afterwards, to nearly the middle of the eleventh ;
century, when Clement II. was Sovereign Pontiff. 84 During this intermediate period, no Pope, bearing the name of Clement, sat in the Chair of St.
80
conjecture goes no further than that, See an account of this distinguished
perhaps, Ailbe when young had been sent Pontiff in R. P. Natalis Alexandri, • His- "
to Hilarius for his education. See Eccle- toria Ecclesiastica Veteris Novique Testa-
siastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, i. , sect, xi. , n. 84, p. 24.
73 In reference to this statement, the Rev.
Dr. Lanigan remarks, that if Hilarius sent
Ailbe to the Pope, it would seem that Church of Rome, died a. d. 465, having Hilarius was not then a resident in Rome. —
See ibid.
7* Published by the Bollandists. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Episcopo Ardmoriae in Hibernia,
pp. 590 to 608.
75 See ibid. Vita S. Declani, cap. iii. , p. 597. 76 <« Whoever that Hilarius was, he is ex-
Hennessy's edition, vol. i. , pp. 20, 21.
:
82 Who writes " etenim licet memoratse
Albei Declanique Vitae Hilarium suum a
Romano pontifice distinguant, cum tamen eundum et episcopum fuisse et Romae habi- tasse velint ac praeterea Romani Pontifecis
pressly distinguished from the Pope of that ab Hiiario S. Albei institutore diversi
time, both in Ailbe's and Declan's Lives, nomen aut non memorent, aut S. Clementem
and consequently must not be confounded, per immanem parachronismum imperite
as has been done by the Bollandists, with Pope Hilarius. The whole matter is in- volved in such obscurity, that it is useless to attempt an elucidation of it. "
"
obtrundant, multasque futiles fabellas immi- sceant, non est, cur ipsis hac etiam in parte assentiamur ; praesertim cum in opposita
—See Dr. Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vi. , sect, viii. , and
de S. Albeo traduntur, conciliari possint, alioquin minime
Lanigan's
cohaerentia. Sanctorum," —"Acta tomus
n. 76, p. 290.
77 See the Bollandist Appendix to St.
Patrick's Acts, at the 17th day of March, in "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Martii xvii. De S. Patricio Episcopo Apostolo et Primate Hiberniae, sect, i. , num. 8, p. 582.
v. , Septembris xii. De S. Albeo seu Ailbeo Episcopo Imelacensi. Sylloge Historioo-
78 His festival is celebrated " Septembris. "
Critica, sect, ii. , num. 22, p. 29.
83 From A. D. 89 to 98, according to a pro-
bable computation. See Berti's " Ecclesias- ticae Histotiae Breviariuin," pars i. , sec. i. ,
quarto "Through a typographical error, the
cap. i. , 84
iv. , p. 63.
Bollandists insert a. d.
paragraph to which allusion has been made, at p. 582.
ccccxli. ,
a. d. — and on the died, 1047,
of the
Idus
sec.
Only for a short term after Gregory VI.
hadabdicatedthisoffice. Clementissaidto
menti," tomus x. , Saeculum Quintum, cap. ii. , Art. vii. , pp. 17 to 19.
3 months, and 10 days. See William M.
opinione praecipua, quae
in the have
October Calends. Ibid. , pars ii. ,
cap. i. , p. 45.
from a. d. 79 to 461
81 The -AntiAlA ul<Yoh, or Annals of Ulster, state, the Hilary, bishop of the
the Chair of Peter 6 and occupied years,
7th sect. ,
xi. ,
i
September 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 285
Peter. The Pope who was in Rome, when Ailbe arrived there, is said to have very graciously received our Saint, who remained with him for a year and fifty days. Then it is related, that fifty holy men from Ireland followed Ailbe to Rome. They went to where the Pope and Ailbe were. The Sovereign Pontiff bestowed on them a remote cell, and he directed Ailbe to preside over them.
Among these disciples of our Saint, we find enumerated St. Declan, with some others, bearing identical names \ as for instance, twelve Colmans, twelve Coemgens, and twelve Fintans. 83 According to the Acts of St. Kiaran, which Ussher saw, St. Ailbe was sent by the Apostolic See to preach the Gospel of Christ as an Apostle, among the gentiles, before
the time of St. Patrick.
86
Where the scene of his labours lay we are not
told ; but. a great number of pagans are said to have received the faith, and
to have been baptized at his hands. Moreover, in that country, St. Ailbe
built a monastery, in which he left the holy sons of Guill. He blessed the
whole of this and then them. 87 After this, our Saint is com-
region, quitted
pared to a sagacious bee, loaded with honey, and returning to his own land
88
of Hibernia.
When he had reached the sea, he blessed it. He and all his companions
embarked in a vessel by no means seaworthy. Yet, after a serene and" prosperous voyage they reached some port in the northern part of Ireland.
There one of his fellow-passengers and familiars, named Colman, built a cell, at the desire of St. Ailbe. This was afterwards called Chell-ruaid. 89 It is said,90 that this place was situated within the territory of Dalaradia, and that St. Ailbe derived his descent from people belonging to this district. The
" O ! Saint of God, I, a miserable man, have
over it was a and he was named Fintan. 91 He had gentile,
then
just waged war with the people of Connaught, and had been defeated. Three of his sons were slain in that war, but the father brought their dead
King
ruling
bodies to St. Ailbe and said
come to you for aid, for I have heard that you work great miracles. " To
:
received instruction in the faith of Christ, believed, and was baptized. St. - Ailbe approached the spot where his dead sons lay and prayed for them before the Lord Jesus Christ. All were restored to life and to the embraces of their father. They also became Christians. Then St. Ailbe blessed them, and he predicted, that as they had embraced the true faith they should prevailovertheirenemies. Inaccordancewithsuchprophesy,whentheKing afterwards warred with the Conacians, he fully avenged his former reverses.
Having received hostages, he returned home in triumph. Then it is said
St. Ailbe went through all Ireland^12 preaching on baptism and converting many, but not all of its people, to the true faith. 93 Notwithstanding the
85 " In reference to these accounts, the 88 In his Chronological Index, Ussher
him St. Ailbe " If replied :
believe and be I will ask the baptized,
you
Divine clemency on behalf of yourself and your three sons. " This King
"
sanctus noster nondum Episcopus Romse p. 514.
Bollandist editor writes :
Quod autem refers this mission to A. D. 412. See ibid. ,
a S. Hilario sive Hilaro degens, jussus
fuerit tribus annis illius porcos pascere, messemque colligere, inter nugatoris fabulas
reputamus. Nee credimus, socios ejus quad- raginta vel quinquaginta numero, et inter hos duodecim Colmannos, et duodecim
Coemgenos, et duodecim Fintanos, ut Acta volunt, fuisse. "
86 "
See Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
quitates,'"' cap. xvi. , pp. 408, 409. 87 See ibid. , p. 414.
8' in the of Probably Killroot, County
Antrim, is here meant, and about it we have already treated in a previous Article.
*> In the old Life of St. Aiibe, which
Ussher quotes.
9t He does not seem otherwise to have
been historically commemorated.
92 Of the assumed incidents related in the
text, we have no account in any of our Irish Annals.
93 The foregoing accounts are taken by
286 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [September 12.
foregoing relation, it is not at all credible, that our Saint could have
preached even a single year, not to speak of some years, before a. d. 432,
the when St. Patrick's commenced. 94 year apostleship
CHAPTER II.
ST. PALLADIUS AND ST. PATRICK RECOGNISED AS THE FIRST APOSTLES OF THE IRISH CHURCH—ST. AILBE A DISCIPLE OF ST. PATRICK—FIRST MEETING OF ST. PATRICK AND ST. AILBE—THE IRISH APOSTLE AND KING /ENGUS FIX THE SKE OF ST. AILBE AT EMLY—DESCRIPTION OF THE LOCALITY—THE RULE OF ST. AILBE— MISSIONARY INCIDENTS OF HIS CAREER—HIS DEATH AND PLACE OF BURIAL— FESTIVALS AND COMMEMORATIONS—CONCLUSION,
•Among those, who contend that St. Ailbe preached the Gospel in Ireland before the time of St. Patrick, Colgan asserts the affirmative, relying on some ancient Lives of Irish Saints in his possession. These, he asserts, were written at least a thousand years before his day. On their authority, not only were many believers in Christ to be found in various parts of this
Island, but several were eminent for sanctity.
1
In the Acts of St. Declan,
2
published by the Bollandists, at the 24th of July, it is stated, that the four
bishops, Saints Ailbe, Declan, Kieran and Ibar were in Ireland, before St. Patrick. While St. Ailbe, St. Declan, and St. Ibar formed ties of fraternity, social intercourse and affection amongst themselves, and their respective disciples; a union between the two former was so close, as St. Declau's Acts tell us, that they were scarcely ever separated, except in cases of extreme necessity. It is strange, after all the various efforts made by Protestant writers in our days, to prove that St. Patrick had not received a mission from the Roman See,3 that they have not resorted to more ancient accounts for an earlier apostleship, and their peculiar theory of an independent system in church government and doctrine. However circumstantial the details already related may be, it is expressly stated by our best authorities/
that Palladius was the first bishop sent by Pope Celestine from Rome to Ireland. 5 In the dispositions of Divine Providence, the Holy Bishop, St. Patrick, who is said to have come after St. Ailbe to Ireland, converted this
6
Ussher from a Life of St. Ailbe in his pos- 24th of July, in the Seventh Volume of this "
whole Island to Christianity.
session. See Britannicarum Ecclesiartun work, Art. i. , chap, i. , ii.
"
Antiquitates," cap. xvi. , p. 414.
3 See the Rev. Mr. Phelan's
Case of the
Lanigan's
" Ecclesiastical His- 's"
94 See Dr.
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, i. , sect, xi. ,
Church of Ireland stated Declan. " by
pp. 23, 24.
Chapter ii. — Among these, he enume-
rates Kiaran, Albeus, Declan, and Ibar, with many others, that flourished in Ireland, before the time of St. Patrick and St. Pal- ladius. See " Trias Thaumatur^a," Quinta Appendix, ad Acta S. Patricii. De Patria et Gcnere S. Patricii, cap. xv. , pp. 250 to
252.
at the year 431.
See, likewise, the Acta Sanctorum" of
the Bollandists, where the Acts of St. Palladius are written. See toinus ii. , Julii vi. De S. Palladio Episc. et Conf. Scotorum Apostolo. Sylloge Historica, sect, ii. , num.
2
See, also, the Life of St. Declan, at the
arum Antiquitates," cap. xvi. , p. 414. Some such account appears to have been contained
*This is related in St. Prosper's Chronicle,
II, 12, 13, p. 288. 6"
See Ussher's Britannicarum Ecclesi-
September 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 287
It seems to be most probable, that Ailbe's mission in Ireland did not
commence until after the arrival of the great Irish Apostle in 432. Thus we
find him in Colgan's list, and classed among St. Patrick's disciples. 7 By some, it has been supposed, that Ailbe had not received the gift of Divine Faith, until St. Patrick visited the province of Munster during the course of
8
his Irish mission. Thus, one of his most ancient biographers has recorded
the incident of our saint having received priestly ordination from the Apostle of Ireland. Again, in the Tripartite life of the latter, Ailbe and Ibar, bishops, are mentioned, as observing a particular injunction of their father
10
But, the most convincing argument, which might be alleged, is an account of St. Ailbe's death, referred to a. d. 527, by the usually accurate Annals of Ulster and Innisfallen. This statement appears to have convinced both Sir James
Ware" and Ussher. 12
The opinion most generally received is, that St. Patrick and St. Ailbe
met for the first time, when the Irish Apostle visited the south of Ireland, andconverted^Engus,sontoNatfraich,thePrinceofMunster. Atthistime, according to some writers, Ailbe received the faith under the instruction of. St. Patrick ; while others state, he had been ordained priest, and subsequently consecrated bishop, for the work of the ministry. It is said, that King ^Engus and St. Patrick greatly rejoiced at Ailbe's arrival, in the royal city of Cashel ; and while our saint remained there with other holy men, many Christian laws,13 regarding ecclesiastical rule and discipline, were framed. These tended much, as we are told, towards a future propagation of the faith. T * The meeting of St. Patrick and St. Ailbe is referred by Ussher, to the year 449. 15 Although at first, not in accord with the Irish Apostle, it is said that Ailbe, Declan, Ibar and Kieran were afterwards his friends. Among them, we are told, that St. Ailbe went to the City of Cashel, where he met St. Patrick. Whileinthebeginningdisinclinedtosubmitinthepresenceof King ^Engus ; nevertheless, Ailbe afterwards made obeisance to the Irish Apostle, acknowledging him as a master with all humility. By a truly learned historian of the Irish Church, it is thought to be quite improbable, that any question ever arose between them about the matter of disputed precedence or 16 It is
Patricks Jocelyn, also, especially calls those saints his disciples.
how the
and St. Patrick, resolved, that the See of Ailbe should be fixed at Imleach-
jurisdiction.
related,
King
of Cashel, with all his
people,
Jubhair,
1 ? now known as of St. Patrick Emly. Moreover,byappointment
in the Kilkenny MS. , belonging to the
Patricii, Ibernorum Apostoli, Synodi, Canones, Opuscula," &c. , might engage the investigator of this subject,
*< Yet, if such events took place, we may
Bollandists. Yet, Suyskens observes :
"
Sed
ex eod«m apographo cum duobus aliis collato
contrarium evincitur. " "
7 See Trias Thaumaturga. ," Quinta Ap- regard it as very strange, that they are not
pendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. p. recorded in any of St. Patrick's Lives,
265. which are accessible. ? ]
Tirechan, as quoted by Sir James Ware. s See Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- 9 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," quitates," Index Chronolcgicus, p. 517.
Septima p. 156-
Vita S.
Patricii,
lib.
iii. , cap. xxxiii.
