No More Learning

^ngus, that this holy virgin and martyr had a feast, onthe2ndofMarch,intheIrishChurch. Theonlyapproachtothename
we find, in the BoUandists,' is St. Luciosa, who suffered as a martyr, at the Roman gate or port.
Article XVII. —Feast of the Birth of Old Paul. It seems pretty certain, that this festival, as found in the Festilogy of St. ^ngus, must mean the Natalis or birth-day in heaven of the holy martyr, St. Paul, who, with his companions in suffering, is mentioned, at the 2nd of March, in various old Calendars. Little, however, seems to be known, regarding them, beyond the mere account of their martyrdom.
Cftirtr Bap of iBarrf)*
ARTICLE I. ~ST. SACER OR MO-SACRA, ABBOT OF SAGGARD, COUNTY OF DUBLIN.
[SEVENTH CENTURl. -\]
saint, variously named Sacer, Mo-Sacer, Mo-Sacra, Mothacra and
Moacra, THIS
BoUandists. ^
to Loga Lethanglais, son of Conall Anglonn, son to Eochad, son of Fieg, son to Factna, son of Senchad, son to Olild, son of Maelcroc, son to Roderic,
has his Acts
He was the son of Senan, son to Luachan, . son of Roer, son
Article xiv. —' See "Acta Sancto- rum," tomus i. , Martii ii. Among the pre- termitted saints, p. 125.
' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 60, 61.
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvii. SeehisLife,atthe17thofMarch.
s See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. ' Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. cxxxvhi. , andn.
^ See " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p.
given by Colgan,^
briefly
still
by
the
Article
Article xv. See the BoUandists' HibemiK," Martii iii.
146, pp. 95, 115. — '
i.
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Martii ii. Mo-Sacro Abbate, p. 454. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 124.
and more
235. —'See "Acta Sancto-
rum," tomus i. , Martii ii. De Sanctis
Martyribus Paulo, Heraclio, Secundilla
sive Secundola, Januaria, Luciosa, in Portu Romano. Theaccountoftheirmartyrdom
is contained in three paragraphs, pp. 132,
ARTICLE XVI.
133. —
'See "Acta Sanctorum De S. Sacro sive
lOO LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[March 3.
KingofIreland. 3 HeappearstohavebeencalledSacer,fromaLatinword, which expresses holiness of life, by which he had been distinguished ; and, to
this cognomen, the endearing term, Mo, was prefixed. However, Sacer not beinganameinuseamongsttheancientIrish,wemustsupposeit, asonly- secondarytoapreviousandmorenationalone. Thisholyabbotappearsto have flourished, before or about the middle of the seventh century, if we are
to rely upon accounts, furnished by our Martyrologists, regarding his genea- logy. JHe erected a monastery, afterwards called after him, Tegh-Sacra,+ or " the house of Sacer ;" and, over this foundation, he presided as abbot. The place is now known as Saggard, a small village, and the head of a parish,5 seven Irish miles S. W. from the Castle of Dublin. ^ The site of Saggard's
Site of Saggard Old Church, County of Dublin.
ancient monastery and chapel is said to have been on a rise of the Dublin mountains, about one mile beyond the modern village. 7 Yet, nearer still is a much frequented graveyard, and here may be traced the foundations of an old quadrangular church, now " sodded with verdure,"^ and nearly levelled to the ground. 9 Saggard, at first bore the name of Tassagard. It is related, that Mo-Sacra also governed, for some time, Finn-magh monastery, at Fo- tharta, within the province of Leinster. According to Dr. Lanigan, this
'"
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Martii
iii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 222.
7 Tiiis is indicated on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of
3
to the *' XXV.
Genea-
Dublin,"
Sheet 21.
According logy)" chap.
Sanctilogic
^The " hart's scolopendrium ceterach, scaly
tongue," grows abundantly within it. Near it is an enclosed burial place and a monument
to Mr. ' Edward Byrne of Mullinahack, but
noothertombsofnote. SeeJohnD'Alton's
" ofthe of
History County Dublin," p. 720.
9 These objects are presented in the present view, drawn on the wood by William F. Wakeman, from a sketch, by the author, taken in July, 1855. It is engraved by Mrs.
4 We find allusion to Teach-Sacra or Sag- gard, and to the festival of Mo-Sacra, in the Ordnance Survey Extracts to illustrate the history of the county of Dublin, at p. 132.
5 Tliis is shown, in the
barony
of New-
castle, on the "Ordnance Survey Town-
land Maps for the County of Dublin/'
Sheets 20, 21, 24. The town and townland are marked on Sheet 21.
*
County Dublin," chap, v. , sec. 2, p. 96. tholic Church of Saggard.
See Archer's "Statistical Survey of Millard. In the background rises the Ca-
March 3. LIVES OI' THE IJ? /SB SA/ATS. lOI
monastery had been built somewhere, in the vicinity of Wexford. " Dr. O'Donovan seems to have entertained an idea, that although Finn-magh "^ be
Anglicised
May- of Wexford. ^4
townland
denominations,
not far from
See, Dermod O'Connor's Keating's
" His-
" the white " it plain,"
may possibly
be identified with
" the
Saggart. ^5 Mo-Sacra assisted at a synod held, in the reign of Comgall, King of Ireland, about the year 695, and under the presidency of Flann,^^ Arch- bishop of Armagh. At this council over forty bishops and abbots were present. '? Colgan had a copy of the Acts of that synod. Our saint is
thought, also, to have been abbot, at Clonenagh ; but, it is more than pro- bable, a Mosacra'^ who had been abbot lived there, at a later period. He appears to have been confounded with our saint, in the Calendar of Cashel, which states, that Mo sacra lived, in the time of Neill Glandubh, King of Ireland. 's Mo-Sacra of Saggard must have died, however, during or before the reign of that monarch's great-grandfather; since, he is mentioned, in the Festilogy of St. ^ngus, which was written, after the year 792, or during Aedh Oirdnidhe's reign. ^° The festival of our saint was kept, on the 3rd of March, as appears from the '' Feilire " of St. ^^ngus. His name is entered, at the same date, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^' as Moshacra mac Senain ofTighThacra. TiieCalendarsofCashel,ofMarianusO'Gormanandof
Maguire have their relative notices regarding him. In the Martyrology of Donegal*^ is set down on this day, Mohsaccra,^3 Abbot, of Cluain-eidhneach
or Clonenagh, in Laoighis, or Leix, and of Tigh-Sacra, or Saggart, in the vicmity of Tamhlacht, and of Fionn-mhagh in Fotharta. The Kalendar of Drummond,^* at the 3rd of March, notices the Natalis of Mo-Sacro and of Cele. ^5
Article II. —St. Ereclacius, Priest of Rathmoain, now Ramoan, County of Antrim. [E(f//i Century? ^ Little is —known regarding this saint,
in the
However, to "us, it would appear, to have been a place, not far removed from
glass,'3
green plain,"
barony
of
Forth,
county
but what can be collected from St. Patrick's Acts
short abstracts of which
'° See Dr.
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, i. , sect, xvi. ,
n. 138, p. 40, and vol. iii. , chap. xviii. ,sect. XV. , p. 140.
"
This seems to be identical with Achadh Finnigh, on the bank of the Dodder, where St. Criotan was venerated on the nth of May, according to our Irish Calendars. Within it, too, was probably his church, called Cill-mo-Chritoc.
"Whitehall and Whitechurch are still
'^ Flann or sumamed Florence,
Lanigan's
Febla, began his rule over the see of Armagh, A. D. 688,andhediedApril24th,A. D. 715. See
" Ecclesiastical His-
Templeogue, and most probably within this "''
district. See Ordnance Survey Town-
land Maps for the County of Dublin," Sheet 22.
'3 This townland and parish, are shown
tory of Ireland," book ii. , pp. 453, 454.
^° According to Dr. O' Donovan's Annals
of the Four Masters," Aedh Oirdnidhe reigned from the year "793 [recte 798]," to the year 817. See vol. i. , pp. 400 to 429.
"" Edited by Rev. Dr, Kelly, p. xvii.
-^ Edited Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. by
on the
"
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the County of Wexford, Sheet
'< See an account of this parish in ' ' Letters
containing Information relative to the Anti- quities of the County of Wexford, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840," vol. i. , pp. 288 to 290.
'S See the notices of Fotharta, in which it
is probable Finn-magh was situated, in con-
nexion with St. date,
Cele-Christ's life, at this
"
'See "Acta Sanctorum
47.
and
Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Archbishops of Armagh," p. 40.
'7 See O'Conor's " Historical Address,"
part ii. , lect. iv. , p. 74.
^^ See notices of St. Moshacra, son o
Bennan, at the 8th of January.
'9 He flourished, in the tenth century,
and reigned, from the year 913 to A. D. 254.
62, 63.
^3 In a note. Dr. Todd says, for
^^
Moh-
saccra, read Moshacra. "
2-* See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 6.
=3 Thus : "V Nonas. In Hibernia in-
sola sanctorum confessorum Moacro et Cele
natalicia celebrantur.
Article ii.
—
102 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[March 3.
are given, by Colgan,^ and by the Bollandists. ' In those accounts, we are informed, that Ereclac or Ereclacius had been a disciple to the Irish Apostle, and that the latter was accompanied by him, during various journeys he
made, through the Ulster province, to spread a knowledge of the Gospel amongst its people. While in Dal-riadia, St. Patricks founded many churches ; and,amongthese,hebuiltRathmudhainchurch. ^ Afterwards,oursaintwas charged with its government. s Colgan assigns about the year 450, as the date of the foundation. In the Tripartite Life, the name is written Rath- mudain,^ which is Latinized, Arx Muadain,? It was so called from Muadain, the father of Enan. ^ The modem Protestant parish church occupies the ancient site. 9 While St.
Patrick was here engaged in prosecuting his Apostolic labours, Ereclacius assumed his place as a fellow-labourer, at Rathmoain, as it was called in the time of Colgan ; and, it is now contracted to Ramoan, or Rathmoran, a parish in the diocese of Connor,'° barony of Gary, and countyofAntrim. " TheplaceisalsocalledRathmona,whichhasbeenin-
" the fort in the It lies on the sea-shore and forms the bog. "
terpreted
western boundary of Ballycastle Bay, in the extreme northern part of Ire-
land. " Interestingruins,antiquitiesandscenerycharacterizethislocality. *3 The error which Golgan falls into of placing Ramoan in the deanery of Hy- Tuirtre, he elsewhere corrects by describing it as in the territory of Cath- rugia, in Dalriadia. '* The River Shesk, which joins the Gary river at Bonamargy, flows from south to north, and divides this parishes from Gul- feightrin. '^ The year of our saint's death is not recorded; but, his festival has been assigned to the 3rd of March, by the Martyrologies of Tallagh,'^ of Marianus O'Gorman, of Maguire, and of Donegal. '^ His name also occurs in the Rev. William Reeves' diocesan Calendar. '9
Hibernias," Martii iii. De S. Ereclacio
Prsesbytero et Confessore, p. 455.
"See "Acta Sanctorum," Martii iii.
Among the pretermitted saints, p. 222. 3 See his Life, at the 17th of March.
* See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima
Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , and nn. 197, 198, p. 182.
s See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," Martii iii. De S. Ereclacio Praesby-
of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 483.
'3 This is elegantly illustrated, in a series
of views, to be found in "The Scenery and
Antiquities of Ireland," by W. H. Bartlett, vol. i. , pp. 36 to 48.
'* He says : "in regione Dalriedia Cath-
— et in Deconatu de Tuascheart. " rugia dicta,
cap. cxxx. , p. 146,
"
n. I, p. 455.
'5 Besides Ramoan and Killeena, in it are
to be found the following churches and cemeteries : —" It is stated that small bury-
tero et Confessore, p. 455.
" This is a corruption of Hac mo'6Ain.
1 This name Colgan derives from Muad- "ig-g'ounds for infants existed in the
aun, who was the father of Enan, the townl. inds Bal'ydurnian, Ballyveely, Drum-
minister of the neighbouring church of avoley, and Killrobert, but their place are
Druim-indich. not now distinguishable, being under culti-
*
See notices of him, at the 25th of vation. In Ardagh there is a spot called
Friary, whither it is reported the brethren of Bonamargy retired upon the dissolution of that house. Here al>o is shown the earn of a MacQuillin. "—Rev. Dr. Reeves' " Eccle- siastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore. " Appendix Z, p. 285.
"" The bounds of this parish, in the barony
"
March. " 9 See Rev. Dr. Reeves'
Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dro- more," n. (r), p. 79, and Appendix Z, p.
284. »°
It is said to be in the deaconate of Hy- Tuirtre. Colgan here jilaces Ramoan, in
; but, he corrects
Hibernias," where he describes it, as being Antrim," Sheets 5, 9, 10, 14, 15, 19. Bo-
of
this statement, in the "Acta Sanctorum vey Townland Maps for the County of
the deanery of Hy-Turtre
Cary,
Ordnance Sur-
in the region of Dalriedia, in a district, called Cathrugia, and in the deanery of Tuash-ceart. See iii. Martii. Vita S. Ere-
clacii, n. i. , p. 455.
" See its bounds on "Ordnance Survey
Townland for of
Maps theCounty Antrim,"
namargy, a townland lying within it, is noted on Sheets 5, 9.
'7 Edited by Rev, Dr. Kelly, p. xvii.
Sheets 4, 5, 8, 9, 14.
62, 63.
*5 See "Ecclesiastical of Antiquities
Down, Connor and Dromore,'' Appendix LL, p. 377.
" See Lewis' ' '
Topo^aphical Dictionary
'^
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," Martii iii. ,
are foimd on the
March 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 103
Article III. —St. Foila'or Foilenna, Virgin, and Patroness of KiLL-FAILE, NOW KiLLEELY PARISH, CoUNTY OF GaLWAY. Colgan COuld not procure any special Acts of this saint, who was venerated in the southern parts of Connaught, in his own time. ^ However, he and the BoUandists' have short notices of her, at this day. St. Foilenna, Failenna, or Fallenda, or as more commonly called, St. Foila or Faila, also denominated Foilend,3 or Faoileann,'' is thought to have been daughter to Aidan, surnaraed Draig- nech, son to Lugadius, son to Dathy,5 King of Ireland f and, her mother, Cuillenn, or Cullenda, was likewise descended from a distinguished family. ? She had three brothers, Colgeus, or Colga,^ Aldus and Sorarius, who are numbered amongst the saints of our country. 9 At what particular time St. Foila was born, we are not informed ; but, it was thought, probably, in an early part or towards the middle of the sixth century. It seems probable, she lived in Kill-faile. This place is identical with the present parish of Killeely,inthebaronyofDunkellin,countyofGalway. '° Theoldchurch there is yet in good preservation, being, in the opinion of Dr. O'Donovan, modernizedduringthe14thor15thcentury. Measuredontheinside,itis63 feet long by 21 broad. " The pointed or Gothic style there prevails. It is remarkable, that this parish joins Kilcolgan, where St. Faile's brother, Colga orColgan,"hadbeenvenerated. BothchurcheswerenearAthchathMedh-
ruidhe, the ancient name for Clarinbridge. Both saints also belonged to the race of the Hy Fiachrach Aidhne. '3 The church of Kill-faile derives its name from St. Foila, and it is situated within the diocese of Kilmacduagh. During her lifetime, St. Foila performed many miracles. The day and year of her death is not recorded ; but, the former probably fell on the 3rd of March,"^ when her festival was kept, in the church of Kill-faile. It is com- memorated on this day, according to the Martyrologies of Tamlacht,'s of Marianus O'Gorman, of Maguire and of Donegal. '^ After her death, frequent pilgrimages were made to St. Foila's tomb, from distant parts of the
Article hi. —'See Colgan's "Acta vey Townland Maps for the County of
Sanctorum Hibernize," iii. Martii. De S.
Foilenna, Virgine, p. 456.
* See "Acta Sanctorum," Martii iii.
Among the pretermitted saints, p. 222.
3 Such is the name she bears in Rev. Dr.
Galway," Sheets 95, 96, 103, 104. The townland so called is to be found on Sheet
103, ibid. , and it is distinguished by the denominations of Killeely Beg and Killeely More.
"See "Letters Information containing
relative to the Antiquities of the County of Galway, collected during the Progress of the
" of xvii. Kelly's Martyrology Tallagh," p.
^ See Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves' " Mar-
tyrclogy of Donegal," pp. 62, 63.
s The death of this monarch is re-
"
corded, in Dr. O'Donovan's Annals of the
Four Masters," at A. D. 428. See vol. i. ,
pp. 128, 129.
* Her descent is thus noted in the " Sane-
tilogic Genealogy," chap. 9.
7 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nias," Martii iii. De S. Foilenna Virgine, p. 456.
^ The "Martyrology of Donegal" styles him, son to Aedh, of Cill Colgan, at Ath-
Ordnance Survey in 1838," vol. i. John O'Donovan's Letter, dated, Galway Oct. 6th, 1838, pp. 364, 365.
cliath Meadhraighe, in Connaught.
'3 John O'Donovan's Letter, dated, Oct.
9 In the "
9, their descent is traced through the same mation relative to the Antiquities of the
Sanctilogic Genealogy," chap.
nth, 1838.
See " Letters Infor- containing
ancestral line, as that of their sister. See ibid. But, at the 20th of February, where
County of Galway, collected during the Pro- gress of the Ordnance Survey in 1838," vol.
•* Edited Drs. Todd and by
Colgan gives the Acts of Colgeus, we find
the father and grandfather of himself and
brothers called Aldus. See ibid. De S. niae," iii. Martii, n. 7, p. 456.
Colgo sive Colgano, Abbate de Kill-Colgan, in Connacia, n. 8.
Acta Sanctorum Hiber- '5 Edited by Rev, Dr. Kelly, p. xvii.
" p. 381. " See it defined, on the
Reeves, pp.
Ordnance Sur-
62, 63.
" Colgan places his festival, at the 20th cf February. See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," Februarii xx. De S. Colgo sive Colgano, Abbate de Kill-Colgan in Conna- cia, pp. 380, 381. At the 25th of Februarj', with much diffidence, we have ventured to treat on this saint and his festival, vol. ii. , art. iii.
i. , pp. 430, 431. " '* See, Colgan's
104 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 3.
country, by persons afflicted with various maladies. For the cure of these, they reposed great confidence, in her merits and intercession.
Article IV. —St. Conna, Virgin. The Bollandists have a brief notice,
regardingthisholyvirgin; althoughstating,thatinothercases,Conna,often writtenCuanna,isthenameofaman. ^ IntheMartyrologyofTallagh,^we findthename,ConnaVir,entered,atthe3rdofMarch. Colganentertains
thatshe —beidenticalwithaSt. Matona—a
opinion, may probable corrup-
an
tion of St.