See "
Historia
Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco- toruni," tomus i.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
ii.
, cap.
x.
, p.
in the county of Donegal.
See Archdall's
•^AColman, son of Coimgallan, died A. D.
620. See Dr. O Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 242, 243. He
lived in Dal-Riada, where . St. Columba at that date, vol. ii. ot this work, Art. vii. , visited his father's house. See Colgan's for an account of him.
4'I-
•* See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , x.
M. iii. Vita S. Comgalli, ex MS. antiipio et editione Sirini, cap. iii. , num. 52, p. 5S8.
^^ Many holy men, bearing this name, occur in our Irish Calendars.
5° His feast is at the 2nd of May, and from this showing, it should apjiear, th. at he lived ill the sixth century. See Art. iii. of the pre- sent Volume, at that date.
5' Now the old church of Ullard, a parish in the barony of Gowran, and county of Kil- kenny. It was formerly called Frard, or
" Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 96.
s^ According to Father John Colgan :" S. Fiachiius abl)as de Congbail in Gleann- Suilige in Tirconallia, et abb. is ctiam de Cluaineraird. " Pic places that St. Fiacrius, between the years 587 and 652. See " Acta Sanctorum Ilibernia-," xxiii. Februarii, Appendix ad Acta S. Finiani, cap. v. ,
p. 406.
57 See Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves'
" Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 122, 123. ss gee Sir James Ware. " De Scriptoribus
Hibernix," lib. i. , cap. ii. , p. 14.
Urard—not much differing from the Airard, as found in the text of St. Comgall's Second Life.
s^ According to the Second Life of St. Comgall.
53 geeRev. Dr. Lanigan's"Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect. xii. , p. 63, and n. 20S, p. 69. Ibid.
5-» His feast is at the 8th of February. See
,
May 10. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
i8i
relics. This request the holy Abbot's disciples promised should be complied with ; when, in the presence of many venerable men, St. Comgall yielded up his spirit to the great Creater. S'^ His demise occurred, on the sixth of the May Ides, about the year 6oo,^°or 601. ^' The Rev. Dr. Reeves places his death, at a. d. 602. ^^ If we are to believe Dempster, some writers have stated thathelived,intheyear681,andhehadthesurnameofFaustus. ^3 Hehad beenthirtyyears,threemonths,andtendays,intheabbacyofBangor. ^4 Yet, do we find a different account in the " Chronicum Scotoram,"^5 under a. d. 602 ; in which year, it is stated, that he rested on the 6th of the Ides of May, in the fiftieth year, third month, and tenth day, of his government, as also, in the ninety-first year of his age. In the first of St. Comgall's Lives, as pub- lished by the Bollandists, he is said to have died, in the eiglitieth year of his age. Those, who place his birth in 516, tell us, that he departed at the age of eighty-five. ^^ After placing his birth in 516, and death in 601, Archdall makes him die, in the ninetieth year of his age,^? without apparent notice of his own inconsistency in calculation.
In conjunction with St. Columkille,^^ St. Mochuda,^9 and St. Ailbe,7° St. Comgall has been regarded, as one of the four chief founders of
monasticism, and propagators of religious rules, in Ireland. 7'
Dempster ascribes some works;72 but, it seems likely, that these are altogether the vagaries of his own inventive imagination. With much honour, he was interred in his own renowned monastery at Bangor.
After- . wards, this place was rendered celebrated, owing to the many favours obtained from God, through the intercession of its illustrious patron saint. 73 From it, the remarkable colony of St. Columbanus went forth to Gaul and Italy, and bear- ing with them the liturgy, called the " Cursus Scotorum," and the " Antipho- narium Banchorense. "74 In this latter, there is an alphabetical Hymn, in
S9 In the Appendix to the Introduction of * According to Dr. O'Donovan's " An- "The Calendar of the Saints of Ireland," as nals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 224, edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, we 225.
read at p. xxvi. " S. Comgallus obiit an. 600,
Ktalis 90. Fuit abbas Benchoiensis 20 die- bus, tribus mensibus, 50 annis ; ergo natus 10 Mail an. 510 ; facuis abbas 510, Marlii,
"
vel 12 vel 10 quod videtur
^° In the age of Christ, 600, St. Comhgall,
of Beannchair-Uladh died, on the tenth day of the month of May, according to the account in Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Ft)ur Masters," vol. i. , pp. 224,225. With this date for our saint's death, the Annals of Clonmacnoise agree.
*' The Annals of Ulster record his death, at the year 601. See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibern'carum Scriptores," tomus iv. , p. 34. Tlie Bodleian copy of the Annals of Inisfallen have at A. D. 597, " Quies Com- gaill Benchoir. " Seeidi'i/. . tomus ii. , p. 10 while, in the Dublin copy, at a. d. 601, a similar entry, in Irish, " Bas Comhghoill Beannachair," at il? id. , p. 18. Rev. Dr. Lanigan also agrees with this computation. See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, xii. , p. 63, and n. 207, p. 69.
^^ See Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 49, n. (e), p. 93.
^^ See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lil>. iii. , num. 254, p.
•152.
"^s gee William M. Hennessy's edition, pp. 66, 67.
;
^° Archbishop Ussher places his death at the year 601, and says, that he lived only totheeighly-tifthyear. SeeIndexChrono- logicus. " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum An- tiquitates," p. 535.
^^ See " Monasticon Hibernicam," p. 106.
^^ Venerated, at the 9th of June,
*' His feast occurs, on the 14th of May. 7° He is commemorated, at the 12th of
September,
7' See "The Whole Works of the Most
Rev. James Ussher, D. D. , Lord Arch- bishop of Armagh, and Primate of All Ire- land," by Dr. Elrington, vol. vi. , '' Britanni- carum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 483.
'-These are noted, as " Regularis Vitse Methodus," lib. i. , "Ad Coenobiorum Patres," lib. i. , and "Epistolce Plures," lib. i.
See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco- toruni," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 254, p. 152.
7' See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , x. Mali. Vita S. Comgalli, ex MS. antiquo et editione Sirini, cap. iii. , num. 53, p. 588.
''* See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 309.
"This will be found, in Rev. James
To him,
——
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May io.
praise of St. Comgall. 75 Sometime having elapsed, after St. Comgall's death, the St. Fiachra, already named, came to the monastery of Bangor. The remains of Comgall having been disentombed with much reverence, Fiachra removed an arm of our saint, which he brought with him, proceeding on towards the province of Leinster. While pursuing his journey through this province,hestoppedatthecastleofachief,whowasnamedAedus. ? ^ He requested the saint, to baptize one of his cliildren. Fiachra opened his wallet, to remove a book containing the Baptismal rite. Immediately, the arm of St. Comgall was raised towards Heaven. After Fiachra's fasting and prayer, offered on bended knees, it then descended, and disappeared beneath the earth. For three days, the soil was searched, by digging over this spot; but, the relic could not be discovered. On seeing this, the chieftain Aedus gave in perpetuity a donation of his castle and lands ; and here, St. Fiachra built a large monastery, ui honour of St. Comgall, and of the Most Holy Trinity. 7?
On the plundering of Bangor, by the Danes, in the year of our Lord 822, the oratory there was broken, and the relics of St. Comgall were shaken from the shrine, in which they had been preserved. They were afterwards removed to Antrim. 7^ It was only in 1846, that a lease of the plot of ground, on Kennedies Hill, near Bangor, had been procured ; this was transferred to the Catholic Bishop, and on it the chapel of Bangor, dedicated to St. Comgall, was built. It was opened in a solemn manner, on the 14th of September, 1 85 1, by the Most Rev. Dr. Denvir. 79 A beautiful Catholic Church has been erected, of late years, in the town of Antrim, and it has been specially dedi- cated to St. Comgall. It is not at all improbable, that his blessed relics still sanc- tifythatparish. Aplace,belongingtotheArchiepiscopalSeeofDublin,was formerly called Cell. Comgail,**° after this saint. ^' It was known as Saynkill,^^ nowShankill,inthebaronyofRathdown,andcountyofDublin. ^3 Itisknown, also, as Rathmichael,and there aretheruins of an ancient church, with thestump of a round tower remaining. ^+ Near it is a fine rath, extending over an area of twenty-eight yards, in diameter, the circumference of which was marked by
i82
O'Laverty's "Historical Account of the DioceseofDownandConnor,"vol. ii. , Ap-
pendix, pp. xxii. to xxv.
7* He seems to have been a subordinate
chief of Leinster ; although, about or soon after the time of St. Comgall's death, Aedh, whose son Crimhihann was killed at Ath- Gian, in larthar-Liffe, or the west side of the River Liffcy, appears to have been King of Leinster. See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol, i. , pp. 250, 251, and nn. (y, z).
''See '"Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , x. Maii. Vita S. Comgalli, ex MS. antiquo et editione Sirini, cap. iii. , n. 54, p. 5S8.
'" In Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," there is preserved a quatrain, attributed to the saint himself, in prophetic anticipation of the desecration of his shrine and the removal of his body :
t)nf) ]:i'yv, ^ip. 'DO "beoin <iii\-o)M5 n<i
IM'g
be(\toi\ mo CMAtiiA jAn c^\6n, 6
t)heAtit)6ui]\ bA§A •00 eAnct\obh.
These lines are thus translated into Eng- li-ih :
" It will be true, true, by the will of the supremeKingofKings,
My bones shall be brought, without defect, from the beloved Beanchoir to Eantrobh. "
See vol. i. , pp. 434, 435.
? ' See Rev. James O'Laverty's "Historical
Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Ancient and Modern," vol. ii. , pp. 153, 154.
'^'^ See Ussher's "Epistolarum Hibemi- carum Vetenim Sylloge," Epist. xlviii. , p. 113.
'" See Bishop Nicholson's " Irish Histori- cal Library. " chap, iv. , p. 34.
*•' Archbidiop Usshcr writes: "Ab eo Cell-ComgaiU ad Dubliniensem spectans archiepisco])um, nomen olim accepit, quani
— nicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap.
hodie Saynkili appellamus," (S:c.
" Britan-
xvii. , p. 494-
^^ The chapel of Senekil w. as appendant
to the mother church of Rathmichael, a pre- bend of St. Patrick's Cathedral. See Wdliam Monck M-ison's " History and Antiquicies of the Collegiate and Cathedral Churcii of St.
a stone circle, now nearly sodded over ; while, in a wider range below, the ambit of the hill was cut into a deep fosse, much of which is still discernible. A yet wider mound and wall enclosed this portion ; while this fortified post was in a most commanding position. ^5
The ancient office for St. Comgall's feast was one of Nine Lessons, as we find entered, in the Antiphonary of the Culdees,^^ belonging to the Armagh Metropolitan Church, where the calendar list occurs, at the vi. of the May Ides. There is an office,^? with Proper Lessons, and set down as a Duplex Majus, in Bishop De Burgo's " Officia Propria Sanctorum Hiberniee. "^^
Rathmichael Old Church, County of Dublin.
In all our ancient calendars, we find notices of St. Comgall set down for the 10th of May. The Feilire of St. ^ngus,^9 has a eulogy and prayer for St. Comgall's patronage, at this date. The published Martyrology of Tallagh has some specific remarks,y° regarding his age. This text is rendered dififer-
Patrick, near Dublin," &c. , Book i. , chap. X. , sect. XV. , p. 65.
^* The accompanying illustration was drawn on the wood, by William F. Wake- man, from a sketch taken by him on the spot, in August, 1844. It was engraved by Mrs. Millard.
*= See John D'Alton's " History of the County of Dublin," from pp. 918 to 929. This writer appears to have overlooked Ussher's allusion to the place, and in con- nexion with our saint's name.
"* It is classed, B i, i, among the Trinity College MSS. , Dublin.
^7 It is, excepting the three Lessons of the Second Nocturn, taken from the Common to a Confessor, and not a Pontiff.
^^ At the loth of May. See pp. 50 to 54.
^9 In the "Leabhar Breac" copy we read :
llifit)]:l. Aich inAblcAii\
1nibi CAfpm cech cenipuiL Roiipn<MT)eA nifUiAj^Ach CoiiijAbL buAXJAch ben'ochuijN.
Thus translated, by Dr. Whitley Stokes :
" Into the peace-kingdom of the other world, wherein is every temple's noise, may the hostful, victorious Comgall of Bangor convoy us. "
9° Thus, at the vi. Idus, or loth of May, we read: " Comhgall Benchair xci. anno
——
May io. ] LIVES OF 2'HE IRISH SAINTS.
183
184
setatis ejus : principatus anno i mo. anno et mensibus tribus et decern diebus. "—Rev. Dr. Kelly's "Calendar of Iri^h Saints," p. xxiii.
paciencie posteium prebebat exemplum. " Ibid. , pp. 263, 264.
59 It has been suspected, that this place is not different from Dercongal.
9' Thus, C01115. Mll benc1i<iii\ . xci Ann '°° Thus : vi. Idus. " Et apud Hiberniam
AecAcif eni|' iD]\incip. . \cu]' Auceni b. Anno ec nien|"e. 111. Agu^' Dccitno -oie.
9^ See " Histori^e Catholicce Ibernire Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 50.
^^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 122, 123.
'°^ In " Menologium Scoticum," he writes, under the lotli of May : '' Combas 9* See " Ecclesiastical Antiquities of monasterio Congelli abbatis, quo Bencho- rensem in Ilibcrnia faniiliani, amplius quam mill" monachisibi collocatis, fundavit, ML. "
9* See pp. 74 to 76. 95 See p. 131.
Dovvn, Connor and Dromore," Appendix LL, p. 378.
—
97 This has been edited, by David Laing, Esq. , K. S. A. . Scotland, and it is yniblished, in " Proceedings of the Society of Antiqua- ries o( Scotland," vol. ii.
** In this form does the entry occur : " vj
Idus Maji—In Scocia Sancti Conj^alii ab-
balis apud monasteriuni de Drumcongal Scottish Saints," pp. 308 to 310.
cuius mcrita longe lateque diffusa miraculis '"' See A. G. Ricliey's " Lectures on the non desunt clarere impolluta niente calcauit History of Ireland," Lect. ii. .
•^AColman, son of Coimgallan, died A. D.
620. See Dr. O Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 242, 243. He
lived in Dal-Riada, where . St. Columba at that date, vol. ii. ot this work, Art. vii. , visited his father's house. See Colgan's for an account of him.
4'I-
•* See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , x.
M. iii. Vita S. Comgalli, ex MS. antiipio et editione Sirini, cap. iii. , num. 52, p. 5S8.
^^ Many holy men, bearing this name, occur in our Irish Calendars.
5° His feast is at the 2nd of May, and from this showing, it should apjiear, th. at he lived ill the sixth century. See Art. iii. of the pre- sent Volume, at that date.
5' Now the old church of Ullard, a parish in the barony of Gowran, and county of Kil- kenny. It was formerly called Frard, or
" Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 96.
s^ According to Father John Colgan :" S. Fiachiius abl)as de Congbail in Gleann- Suilige in Tirconallia, et abb. is ctiam de Cluaineraird. " Pic places that St. Fiacrius, between the years 587 and 652. See " Acta Sanctorum Ilibernia-," xxiii. Februarii, Appendix ad Acta S. Finiani, cap. v. ,
p. 406.
57 See Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves'
" Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 122, 123. ss gee Sir James Ware. " De Scriptoribus
Hibernix," lib. i. , cap. ii. , p. 14.
Urard—not much differing from the Airard, as found in the text of St. Comgall's Second Life.
s^ According to the Second Life of St. Comgall.
53 geeRev. Dr. Lanigan's"Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect. xii. , p. 63, and n. 20S, p. 69. Ibid.
5-» His feast is at the 8th of February. See
,
May 10. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
i8i
relics. This request the holy Abbot's disciples promised should be complied with ; when, in the presence of many venerable men, St. Comgall yielded up his spirit to the great Creater. S'^ His demise occurred, on the sixth of the May Ides, about the year 6oo,^°or 601. ^' The Rev. Dr. Reeves places his death, at a. d. 602. ^^ If we are to believe Dempster, some writers have stated thathelived,intheyear681,andhehadthesurnameofFaustus. ^3 Hehad beenthirtyyears,threemonths,andtendays,intheabbacyofBangor. ^4 Yet, do we find a different account in the " Chronicum Scotoram,"^5 under a. d. 602 ; in which year, it is stated, that he rested on the 6th of the Ides of May, in the fiftieth year, third month, and tenth day, of his government, as also, in the ninety-first year of his age. In the first of St. Comgall's Lives, as pub- lished by the Bollandists, he is said to have died, in the eiglitieth year of his age. Those, who place his birth in 516, tell us, that he departed at the age of eighty-five. ^^ After placing his birth in 516, and death in 601, Archdall makes him die, in the ninetieth year of his age,^? without apparent notice of his own inconsistency in calculation.
In conjunction with St. Columkille,^^ St. Mochuda,^9 and St. Ailbe,7° St. Comgall has been regarded, as one of the four chief founders of
monasticism, and propagators of religious rules, in Ireland. 7'
Dempster ascribes some works;72 but, it seems likely, that these are altogether the vagaries of his own inventive imagination. With much honour, he was interred in his own renowned monastery at Bangor.
After- . wards, this place was rendered celebrated, owing to the many favours obtained from God, through the intercession of its illustrious patron saint. 73 From it, the remarkable colony of St. Columbanus went forth to Gaul and Italy, and bear- ing with them the liturgy, called the " Cursus Scotorum," and the " Antipho- narium Banchorense. "74 In this latter, there is an alphabetical Hymn, in
S9 In the Appendix to the Introduction of * According to Dr. O'Donovan's " An- "The Calendar of the Saints of Ireland," as nals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 224, edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, we 225.
read at p. xxvi. " S. Comgallus obiit an. 600,
Ktalis 90. Fuit abbas Benchoiensis 20 die- bus, tribus mensibus, 50 annis ; ergo natus 10 Mail an. 510 ; facuis abbas 510, Marlii,
"
vel 12 vel 10 quod videtur
^° In the age of Christ, 600, St. Comhgall,
of Beannchair-Uladh died, on the tenth day of the month of May, according to the account in Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Ft)ur Masters," vol. i. , pp. 224,225. With this date for our saint's death, the Annals of Clonmacnoise agree.
*' The Annals of Ulster record his death, at the year 601. See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibern'carum Scriptores," tomus iv. , p. 34. Tlie Bodleian copy of the Annals of Inisfallen have at A. D. 597, " Quies Com- gaill Benchoir. " Seeidi'i/. . tomus ii. , p. 10 while, in the Dublin copy, at a. d. 601, a similar entry, in Irish, " Bas Comhghoill Beannachair," at il? id. , p. 18. Rev. Dr. Lanigan also agrees with this computation. See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, xii. , p. 63, and n. 207, p. 69.
^^ See Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 49, n. (e), p. 93.
^^ See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lil>. iii. , num. 254, p.
•152.
"^s gee William M. Hennessy's edition, pp. 66, 67.
;
^° Archbishop Ussher places his death at the year 601, and says, that he lived only totheeighly-tifthyear. SeeIndexChrono- logicus. " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum An- tiquitates," p. 535.
^^ See " Monasticon Hibernicam," p. 106.
^^ Venerated, at the 9th of June,
*' His feast occurs, on the 14th of May. 7° He is commemorated, at the 12th of
September,
7' See "The Whole Works of the Most
Rev. James Ussher, D. D. , Lord Arch- bishop of Armagh, and Primate of All Ire- land," by Dr. Elrington, vol. vi. , '' Britanni- carum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 483.
'-These are noted, as " Regularis Vitse Methodus," lib. i. , "Ad Coenobiorum Patres," lib. i. , and "Epistolce Plures," lib. i.
See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco- toruni," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 254, p. 152.
7' See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , x. Mali. Vita S. Comgalli, ex MS. antiquo et editione Sirini, cap. iii. , num. 53, p. 588.
''* See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 309.
"This will be found, in Rev. James
To him,
——
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May io.
praise of St. Comgall. 75 Sometime having elapsed, after St. Comgall's death, the St. Fiachra, already named, came to the monastery of Bangor. The remains of Comgall having been disentombed with much reverence, Fiachra removed an arm of our saint, which he brought with him, proceeding on towards the province of Leinster. While pursuing his journey through this province,hestoppedatthecastleofachief,whowasnamedAedus. ? ^ He requested the saint, to baptize one of his cliildren. Fiachra opened his wallet, to remove a book containing the Baptismal rite. Immediately, the arm of St. Comgall was raised towards Heaven. After Fiachra's fasting and prayer, offered on bended knees, it then descended, and disappeared beneath the earth. For three days, the soil was searched, by digging over this spot; but, the relic could not be discovered. On seeing this, the chieftain Aedus gave in perpetuity a donation of his castle and lands ; and here, St. Fiachra built a large monastery, ui honour of St. Comgall, and of the Most Holy Trinity. 7?
On the plundering of Bangor, by the Danes, in the year of our Lord 822, the oratory there was broken, and the relics of St. Comgall were shaken from the shrine, in which they had been preserved. They were afterwards removed to Antrim. 7^ It was only in 1846, that a lease of the plot of ground, on Kennedies Hill, near Bangor, had been procured ; this was transferred to the Catholic Bishop, and on it the chapel of Bangor, dedicated to St. Comgall, was built. It was opened in a solemn manner, on the 14th of September, 1 85 1, by the Most Rev. Dr. Denvir. 79 A beautiful Catholic Church has been erected, of late years, in the town of Antrim, and it has been specially dedi- cated to St. Comgall. It is not at all improbable, that his blessed relics still sanc- tifythatparish. Aplace,belongingtotheArchiepiscopalSeeofDublin,was formerly called Cell. Comgail,**° after this saint. ^' It was known as Saynkill,^^ nowShankill,inthebaronyofRathdown,andcountyofDublin. ^3 Itisknown, also, as Rathmichael,and there aretheruins of an ancient church, with thestump of a round tower remaining. ^+ Near it is a fine rath, extending over an area of twenty-eight yards, in diameter, the circumference of which was marked by
i82
O'Laverty's "Historical Account of the DioceseofDownandConnor,"vol. ii. , Ap-
pendix, pp. xxii. to xxv.
7* He seems to have been a subordinate
chief of Leinster ; although, about or soon after the time of St. Comgall's death, Aedh, whose son Crimhihann was killed at Ath- Gian, in larthar-Liffe, or the west side of the River Liffcy, appears to have been King of Leinster. See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol, i. , pp. 250, 251, and nn. (y, z).
''See '"Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , x. Maii. Vita S. Comgalli, ex MS. antiquo et editione Sirini, cap. iii. , n. 54, p. 5S8.
'" In Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," there is preserved a quatrain, attributed to the saint himself, in prophetic anticipation of the desecration of his shrine and the removal of his body :
t)nf) ]:i'yv, ^ip. 'DO "beoin <iii\-o)M5 n<i
IM'g
be(\toi\ mo CMAtiiA jAn c^\6n, 6
t)heAtit)6ui]\ bA§A •00 eAnct\obh.
These lines are thus translated into Eng- li-ih :
" It will be true, true, by the will of the supremeKingofKings,
My bones shall be brought, without defect, from the beloved Beanchoir to Eantrobh. "
See vol. i. , pp. 434, 435.
? ' See Rev. James O'Laverty's "Historical
Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Ancient and Modern," vol. ii. , pp. 153, 154.
'^'^ See Ussher's "Epistolarum Hibemi- carum Vetenim Sylloge," Epist. xlviii. , p. 113.
'" See Bishop Nicholson's " Irish Histori- cal Library. " chap, iv. , p. 34.
*•' Archbidiop Usshcr writes: "Ab eo Cell-ComgaiU ad Dubliniensem spectans archiepisco])um, nomen olim accepit, quani
— nicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap.
hodie Saynkili appellamus," (S:c.
" Britan-
xvii. , p. 494-
^^ The chapel of Senekil w. as appendant
to the mother church of Rathmichael, a pre- bend of St. Patrick's Cathedral. See Wdliam Monck M-ison's " History and Antiquicies of the Collegiate and Cathedral Churcii of St.
a stone circle, now nearly sodded over ; while, in a wider range below, the ambit of the hill was cut into a deep fosse, much of which is still discernible. A yet wider mound and wall enclosed this portion ; while this fortified post was in a most commanding position. ^5
The ancient office for St. Comgall's feast was one of Nine Lessons, as we find entered, in the Antiphonary of the Culdees,^^ belonging to the Armagh Metropolitan Church, where the calendar list occurs, at the vi. of the May Ides. There is an office,^? with Proper Lessons, and set down as a Duplex Majus, in Bishop De Burgo's " Officia Propria Sanctorum Hiberniee. "^^
Rathmichael Old Church, County of Dublin.
In all our ancient calendars, we find notices of St. Comgall set down for the 10th of May. The Feilire of St. ^ngus,^9 has a eulogy and prayer for St. Comgall's patronage, at this date. The published Martyrology of Tallagh has some specific remarks,y° regarding his age. This text is rendered dififer-
Patrick, near Dublin," &c. , Book i. , chap. X. , sect. XV. , p. 65.
^* The accompanying illustration was drawn on the wood, by William F. Wake- man, from a sketch taken by him on the spot, in August, 1844. It was engraved by Mrs. Millard.
*= See John D'Alton's " History of the County of Dublin," from pp. 918 to 929. This writer appears to have overlooked Ussher's allusion to the place, and in con- nexion with our saint's name.
"* It is classed, B i, i, among the Trinity College MSS. , Dublin.
^7 It is, excepting the three Lessons of the Second Nocturn, taken from the Common to a Confessor, and not a Pontiff.
^^ At the loth of May. See pp. 50 to 54.
^9 In the "Leabhar Breac" copy we read :
llifit)]:l. Aich inAblcAii\
1nibi CAfpm cech cenipuiL Roiipn<MT)eA nifUiAj^Ach CoiiijAbL buAXJAch ben'ochuijN.
Thus translated, by Dr. Whitley Stokes :
" Into the peace-kingdom of the other world, wherein is every temple's noise, may the hostful, victorious Comgall of Bangor convoy us. "
9° Thus, at the vi. Idus, or loth of May, we read: " Comhgall Benchair xci. anno
——
May io. ] LIVES OF 2'HE IRISH SAINTS.
183
184
setatis ejus : principatus anno i mo. anno et mensibus tribus et decern diebus. "—Rev. Dr. Kelly's "Calendar of Iri^h Saints," p. xxiii.
paciencie posteium prebebat exemplum. " Ibid. , pp. 263, 264.
59 It has been suspected, that this place is not different from Dercongal.
9' Thus, C01115. Mll benc1i<iii\ . xci Ann '°° Thus : vi. Idus. " Et apud Hiberniam
AecAcif eni|' iD]\incip. . \cu]' Auceni b. Anno ec nien|"e. 111. Agu^' Dccitno -oie.
9^ See " Histori^e Catholicce Ibernire Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 50.
^^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 122, 123.
'°^ In " Menologium Scoticum," he writes, under the lotli of May : '' Combas 9* See " Ecclesiastical Antiquities of monasterio Congelli abbatis, quo Bencho- rensem in Ilibcrnia faniiliani, amplius quam mill" monachisibi collocatis, fundavit, ML. "
9* See pp. 74 to 76. 95 See p. 131.
Dovvn, Connor and Dromore," Appendix LL, p. 378.
—
97 This has been edited, by David Laing, Esq. , K. S. A. . Scotland, and it is yniblished, in " Proceedings of the Society of Antiqua- ries o( Scotland," vol. ii.
** In this form does the entry occur : " vj
Idus Maji—In Scocia Sancti Conj^alii ab-
balis apud monasteriuni de Drumcongal Scottish Saints," pp. 308 to 310.
cuius mcrita longe lateque diffusa miraculis '"' See A. G. Ricliey's " Lectures on the non desunt clarere impolluta niente calcauit History of Ireland," Lect. ii. .
