Soon his soul was filled with God's grace, and he performed penance,
afterwards
leading a most holy life.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
accompanyingengraving, by
Millard, is from a drawing on the wood, bj
bponad 6J Bronach a virgin ol
It is found, at A. D. 1428, January 14th.
:
it,
12 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 2.
Rosstrevor,inthecountyofDown. Thischurchisnowavenerableruin,'* and in the adjoining chapel-yard an ancient stone cross may be seen. '5 The Kilbrony mensal consisted of certain lands, tithes '* and dues,'' which were appendant upon an office, known as that of St. Bromana's baculus, in the church of St. Bromana, according to old documents. '^ We find the place
V \;- J ! ^Nks^» r^ i«>ii'*i\^
Kilbroney Old Church, County Down.
StyledaRectory'9andaVicarage. '" Thecustodyofacertainrelic,saidto have been possessed by our saint, and attended with some privileges, had been formerly assigned by the bishop of this diocese to a clerical keeper. In the church of Kilbrony, appears to have been preserved the bacillus or crozier of St. Bronach ; and, the guardianship of this relic was entrusted to an eccle- siastic, who farmed certain lands, tithes and dues, belonging to the bishop's mensal in this parish. " In a Taxation of all the Benifices in Dromore diocese, which took place in a. d. 1546, the Vicar of Killbronagh, now Kil- brony,wasassessedattwomarks. IntheMartyrologyofTallagh,''thepatron's
William F. Wakeman.
'5 An antique bell, now preserved in the
Catholic Church o( Newiy, was found in the ruins of Kilbrony. For an account of this
siastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and
Dromore," Appendix EE, p. 309.
'' At tlie year 1442, November 17th, the rectories of Kyllbronca and Dissertdubun- nugi were let to farm to John M'Cjillaboy, Canon of Drom—ore, for a term of five years,
relic, see the 109.
"
Newry Magazine," No. 2, p.
"Thus, in the year 1622, the rectorial
tithes were leased, to one Anthony Howse, at jCs per annum.
'Thus, in a. d. 1431, the Primate ap-
at 20s. a year.
°° At A. i'. 1442, November l6iii, Cl—emens
M'Donnogan, Vicar of Cillbronia. Reg.
Prene, p. 48. Again, at A. D. 1534, the
of — vacant the death of Vicarage Kilbrony by
p—arish cimrch . Sanctse Bronianse Virginis. " Reg. Swayne, lib. iii.
"' "
The rectorial tithes and the townland of Kilfeaghan continued to be held under the bishops, until the annexation of the See in 1842. "—Rev. William Reeves' "Eccle-
M'Kewen to collect the
pointed Philip
revenues and tithes of the lands of the
Patrick M 'Brun. Reg. Crom. , p. 766. See ""
Reg. Prene, p. 69,
Rev. William Reeves' Ecclesiastical Anti-
quities of Down, Connor and Dromore," n.
(q), pp. 115, 116.
" The names of some persons, who were
nominated by the Primates, sede vacante, to this office, are yet extant.
April 2. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 13
name occurs, at the 2nd of April, as Bronach, Virgin. The Martyrology of
Donegal '3 this day registers, Brdnach, Virgin, of Cill Sechis,'< as having a festival. The Rev. Alban Butler '' has a record of this holy woman, at the
2nd of April, and she is noticed, moreover, in the Circle of the Seasons. "*
Likewise, that Calendar, compiled by the Rev. William Reeves,'' giving her name, festival and locality, may be mentioned, in this connexion.
Article II. —St. Nennidhius Mundimanus, or Nennidh Lamgh-
LANN, Priest, \_fifth and Sixth Centuries. ] The Acts of this saint appear
to be lost, for, it is said, they formerly were extant ;• but, at least, Colgan couldnotmeetwiththem. ' ThissaintwasknownasNinnidhLamglan,i. e.
Mundimanus, or of the " clean hand," which is explained, by the legend so closely connected with his memory. 3 Another form of this surname was Lamhiodan ; the latter compound being rendered " clean. " * The name of this saint has been very illustrious in Ireland. There his festival had been formerly kept. According to some writers, it was held, on the i6th,5 and others state, on the 18th of January. * Colgan has placed his Acts at the latter date,' thus confounding him with St. Ninnidh,' surnamed Laobh-dearc,' Bishop of Inis-maighe-samh, on Lough Erne. " However, not only the sur- names, but, likewise, various other circumstances recorded, prove, that they weredistinctpersons. " Thisconfusionhassetsomewritersastray,suchas Bishop Challenor," and Bishop Forbes. "' We learn,'< that the name Nennio, or Nennius, which is the same as Nennian, was given to the Bishop of Candida Casa,'> and that he was identical with Maoineann,'* Bishop of Cloncurry,inthenorthernpartofthepresentcountyofKildare. Heseems to have been a prelate, however, altogether different, from the present holy personage. A St. Ninnid of Cluain-Caoich is inserted, at this date, in the Index to the Martyrology of Donegal,'' although omitted in its proper
" Edited by Rer. Dr. Kelly, p. xx. In the Franciscan copy, we find bpon^Mih u.
'See Bishop Challenor's " Britannia Sancta," part i. , at that dnie, pp. 50, 51.
' to the Calendar, According O'Clerys'
for which they quote a Life of St. Brigid,
'i Edited
by
Drs. Todd and
Reeves, ppk '
92, 93. ** In a
"A more
ili. , as aho the Book of
' See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," xyiiL
Dr. Todd
recent hand has written over this word,
Hymns,
note,
sayt,
chapter
"no Slmn Sechij- nunc:" ue. "or now Januarii. De S. Nennidhio seu Nennio,
Glenn Sechis. "
"' See " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs
Ab. et Ep. Ex diverais, pp. ill to 115.
• We have already treated about him, at
the l8th of January.
Rendered, in English, "part-eyed. "
and other principal Saints," vol. iv. Apnl ii. There she is called St. Bronacha, or Bron- anna. The Rey. Alban —Builer alludes to the Manuscriiits of —
'• See Dr.
Lanigan's
" Ecclesiastical His-
Colgan
appears
which he for notices of this
of Ireland," vol. i. , ix. , sect, v. , chap,
to have
wnman, at April 2nd.
Down, Connor and Dromore. " Appendix
LL, p. 377.
Article ii. — According to a Life of
St. Brigid, quoted by Colgan.
'
See his account, De Nennidhio sen Nennio Ab. et Ep. , in "Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," Januani xviii. , cap. i. , x. , pp. 1 1 1, 1 14, and n. 2, p. 1 14.
vol.
sect, xi. ,
* See p. 93.
inspected
ii. , chap, x. , 51, and n. 173, pp. 55, 56.
p.
' See kev. John Fiancis Shearman's '
cal History of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 438.
' This was according to the custom of naming the Comharb or successor, after the
original founder of the see.
'* His feast occurs, at the l6th of Sep-
"Loca Patriciana, No. x. , n. I, p. 250.
tember.
' Edited
* See
niae," xviii. Januarii.
Nennw) Ab. et
Ep. ,
Drs. Todd and Reeves.
Colgan's
bjr
Tables of the Martyrology, pp. 458, 459.
• A comment is found that as postfixed,
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- De S. Nennidhio seu
n.
17, p. 115.
lory
holy p. 451. Also,
See Md. , nn. 76, 77, 78, 79. 80. PP- •'See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of 452,453.
" See " Britannia Sancta," part i. , p. 51. '» See " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p.
425. " '* From Dr. Lanigan, in his
Ecclesiasti-
14 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 2.
place ;'* and, according to the O'Clerys, he was identical with the present holy man. Were we to follow some accounts, St. Nennidh was son to Eochadh, who belonged to the race of Laeogaire, Monarch of Ireland. '9 However, it is more correct to state, that he was son of Ethach, and that he was born, at a place, called Mula, or Mull. This was thought, by Colgan, to have been the Island of Mull,'° in Scotland. Most likely, however, it is rendered MuUagh, at present, and various places in Ireland are so called. Again, St. Nennidh is stated, to have been a disciple of St. Patrick f but, such an account is not to be found, in any Acts of the Irish Apostle. It is much more rational to suppose,^'' that St. Nennidh Lamhglann was brought up, under the discipline of St. Fiech,^3 Archbishop of Leinster. During his early years, our saint was a giddy and frolicsome youth, who attracted the notice of St. Brigid,^* Abbess of Kildare, while she was travelling near that place, in an easterly direction, and probably over the present racecourse of the Curragh. She spoke to him, as he ran from her, and he returned to ask her prayers.
Soon his soul was filled with God's grace, and he performed penance, afterwards leading a most holy life. The illustrious Abbess pre- dicted, that she should receive the Body and Blood of Christ from his hand, at the hour of her death. ^s The writers of St. Brigid's Acts relate, that Nennidh then proposed to retire from Ireland, for a number of years, in order to prepare for this function. It is stated, moreover, that he felt so sensibly the honour intended for him, that he placed a brass gauntlet, secured by a lock and key, over his hand, so that it might not be defiled by touching any object, until he should be called upon to administer Holy Viaticum to St. Brigid. Hence, he obtained the surname, by which he was distinguished. Itisnotknownbywhomhehadbeenordained,althoughithas been stated, that he became a priest, at the instance of St. Patrick himself. However, in the Acts of St. Brigid, it is said, that he travelled abroad into Britain. The circumstances narrated, regarding this journey, are sufficiently romantic, and varied according to the fancies of different writers. Some state, that he became an exile from Ireland, owing to the express instructions of St. Brigid. Again, a Latin Hymn,^* in praise of that holy Abbess, has been attributed to him, by some writers,^' and it has been published, by Colgan. °^ He is said to have travelled, from Britain to Rome, so that he might visit the shrines of the Holy Apostles. His pilgrimage had lasted for four years, when an angelic vision warned him, that he should return to Ire- land. The weakness of advancing years and her incessant labours had told
"
Ninnidh Laimhiodhain or Ninnid the Pure- "See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga, Handed, who is mentioned in the Acts of Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, iii. , cap. St. Brigid, was not a bishop, but only a xxii. , p. 153, and n. 41, p. 185. Ibid.
priest, the present saint seems to be iden- ticalwithhim.
'5 We are informed, in Rev. John Francis Shearman's " Loca Patriciana," No. v. , that Ninnidh Lamglan, or Lamiodhan, and Nainedh, of Kiltoma, venerated at the 13th of November, had a common ancestor, viz. : Nial of the Nine Hostages, the latter being fourth, in descent, and the former sixth, from the same king.
'°
This one of the Hebrides
its extreme
'^
This we have attempted to our Life of St. Brigid, chap. i.
in
length is thirty-five miles, and its extreme
breadth is thirty. It has a superficial area
of 420 square miles. See "The Popular
"' Others have it, that St. Ultan of Ard- braccan composed it, while some think it
" Imp. 8vo.
con,'
&c. , vol, v. , p. 86. Glasgow, 1841, Scriptoribus Hibernias," lib. i. , cap. i. , p. 3,
"*
;
versify,
Encyclopedia; or 'Conversations I^xi- was St. Fiech. See Sir James Ware, " De
" See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
toryofIreland,"vol. i. , chap,ix. ,sect,v. ,
n. 76, p. 453.
°3 His festival occurs, at the I2th of
October.
°* Her feast is held, on the first of Feb-
ruary.
°s See a more detailed account of the fore-
going incidents, at the 1st day of February, in our Life of St. Brigid, chap. x.
See "Trias Thaumaturga," Tertia
April 2. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 15
upon St. Brigid, and sailing over the Irish sea, Nennidh soon landed in Ireland,'s where he learned, that the illustrious Mary of Erinn eagerly expected his last visit to her. On his return home, Nennidh found that saint approaching to her happy end. Her chaplain then administered the Sacred Viaticum, without delay, and soon afterwards she expired, about a. d. 523. The legend of his attendance on St. Brigid at the period of her decease, though probably founded on fact, is overlaid with too much of the marvellous, to be readily beheved. s" However this may be, it is generally stated, that Nennidh Lamhghlandidnotverylongsurvivehisgreatpatroness; but,thedayand year for his demise have not been exactly ascertained. He flourished in the sixth century,3' according to such a synchronesis.
Article III. —St. Conall, Bishop of Clonallan, County or Down.
[Sixth Century. ] In the Martyrology of Tallagh,' the name of Conall, son of Aedha, is found, entered at the 2nd of April. The Bollandists,' while deferring an opinion on the subject, until the Acts of the Irish Saints should receive further illustration, remark, that the saint, venerated on this day at
Cluain-dallain, is thought, by Colgan,3 to have been Connall,< Abbot of Kill- chonail, in the territory, known as Maine, or Hy-Maine. The O'Clerys state, that the saint, venerated on the 2nd of April, belonged to the race of Irial, son to Conall Ceamach. At first, St Conall was president over Clonallan
church,' county of Down, at an early period. He afterwards succeeded St.
Carbreus,* as Bishop of Coleraine, about the year 570. His parish was
evidently near Carlingford Ix)ugh,? which becomes contracted at Caol,
"
in the same now the Narrow Water.
been derived from St Dalian,* who flourished in the sixth century. ' The O'Clerys' Calendar states, that his place was near Snamh Each,'° i. e. the harbour near unto the Gael," in Ui E^thach, of Uladh. " We read, in the Martyrology of Donegal,'^ that veneration was paid, on this day, to Conall, son of Aedh, of Cluain, i. e. of Cluain Dallain, now Clonallan parish.
"
Vita S. Brigiflx, p. 542. It begins with on the Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
narrow,"
as that used the in the word by Scotch,
"
the words,
'' See our Life of St Brigid, chap. xi». ,
at the 1st of February.
for the County of Loulh,'' . Sheets i, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9. The town and Liberties are on Sheets 5, 8, 9 ; while the Lough—so cele-
"
"See Rev. John Francis Shearman's brated for its size and for the ro—mantic LocaPatriciana,"No. x. ,n. I,p. 250. beautyofitssceneryoneithershore takes " See Bishop Challenor's ' ' Britannia its name from the town.
'
ber.
ll'a feast occurs, at the nth of Novem-
Dallain, Armagh, in his comments on the Donegal Martjrrology.
Christus in nostra insula. "
Sancta," part i. , —pp. 50, 51.
Article hi.
Kelly, p. XX. The Franciscan copy has Conall iti4c Aex)^
'See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Aprilis i. Among the pretermitted oaints, p. 57.
•See "Acta Sanctorum Hibcmise," ix. Febnurii. De. S. Attracta, n. j.
* Called, also, Conallus Droma.
'The parish of Clonallan, in the barony
of Upper Iveagh, is marked on the " Ord-
nance Survey Townland Maps for the
County of Down," Sheets 47, 50, 51, 54.
Clonallan Glebe in noted on Sheets 51, ^
/UJ.
*
His feast was kept, on the 29th of
' The of
parish Carlingford,
Vila S. . Columbae, lib. n. Quarta i. ,
380, 381.
Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
January.
See Rev. William Reeves' " Ecclesias-
tical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," n. (o), pp. 114, 115, and Calendar LL, p. 377.
'° " Snamh each. i. an cuan laiin ris in
cbaol (Narrow Water, near Newry), in uib echach uUut). "—MS. note, by William
M. Hennes'iey, appended.
" In a note Dr. Todd, says, "Cael, »>. ,
the Narrow Water. William M. Hennessy says, that Clonallan lies near the Narrow Water, at Newry. I find, also, a note in
his handwriting, to this effect, "Cluain "
situated in the barony of Loner Dundalk, is described
105, pp,
sense,
The name of this church is said, however, to have
'
" See " Trias Colgan's
Thaumaturga. "
Kyles,
i6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 2.
Article IV. —The Festival of St. Amphianus, and of his Com- panions. IntheBollandists'greatwork,"wefindsomebriefnoticesofthe
of St. '' and of St. Victor,^ with fourteen other com- Amphianus
martyrdom
panions,* as met with in several old Martyrologies, yet with some variations of
entry. In the Feilire of St. . (Engus,5 their festival is entered, likewise, while their martyrdom is commemorated, at the 2nd day of April. The exact place, where they suffered, is not noticed.
Article V. —Reputed Festival of St. Riquier, or Richarius, Abbot of Centule, France. \Sixth and Seventh Centuries. ) This St. Riquier, Riquierus, or Richarius, was Abbot of Centule, in Ponthieu. His
feast was kept, on the 2nd of April ; and, according to other accounts, on the 9th of October ; yet, the 26th of April is generally assigned for his feast. '
'
HenryFitzsimon placeshim,asRiquierus,3intheCalendarofIrishSaints;
yet, on no fair grounds that we can discover, if it be not, that his instructors were Irishmen. ^
A—rticle VI. —Reputed Festival of St. Nica—perhaps St. Nice- Tius BishopofLyons,France,orSt. Nicasius,BishopandMartyr. The festival in honour of Nica,' Bishop, was celebrated, on this day, as we read, in the Martyrology of Donegal. ^ With Irish hagiology, the present holy man appears to have had no special connexion ; but, it must be apparent, that either St. Nicetus,3 Bishop of Lyons, who flourished in the sixth century, or St. Nicasius,^ Bishop and Martyr, mentioned in certain written additions s of a Carthusian, at Bruxelles, to a copy of Greuen,* can only be meant.
Article VII. —Festival of St. Eustasius, Abbot of Luxeu, France. In various old Martyrologies, such as in those of Usuard,' of Tournay, of Utrecht, of Bruxelles, of Laetiensis, and of Altempsia, as also in a Supple- ment to the Martyrology of St. Jerome, printed at Paris, there is an entry of
"3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
"
^ gee D. Philippo O'SulIevano Bearro, Historic Catholics Ibernise Compen-
92, 93. — Article IV.
See "Acta torn, Sanctorum," diura,"
De Sanctis Martyribus
Galesinus omits his name.
3 His name is omitted in a Manuscript
Martyrology of St. Cyriacus, often quoted in the notes of Baronius.
* The number varies, in some accounts.
Millard, is from a drawing on the wood, bj
bponad 6J Bronach a virgin ol
It is found, at A. D. 1428, January 14th.
:
it,
12 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 2.
Rosstrevor,inthecountyofDown. Thischurchisnowavenerableruin,'* and in the adjoining chapel-yard an ancient stone cross may be seen. '5 The Kilbrony mensal consisted of certain lands, tithes '* and dues,'' which were appendant upon an office, known as that of St. Bromana's baculus, in the church of St. Bromana, according to old documents. '^ We find the place
V \;- J ! ^Nks^» r^ i«>ii'*i\^
Kilbroney Old Church, County Down.
StyledaRectory'9andaVicarage. '" Thecustodyofacertainrelic,saidto have been possessed by our saint, and attended with some privileges, had been formerly assigned by the bishop of this diocese to a clerical keeper. In the church of Kilbrony, appears to have been preserved the bacillus or crozier of St. Bronach ; and, the guardianship of this relic was entrusted to an eccle- siastic, who farmed certain lands, tithes and dues, belonging to the bishop's mensal in this parish. " In a Taxation of all the Benifices in Dromore diocese, which took place in a. d. 1546, the Vicar of Killbronagh, now Kil- brony,wasassessedattwomarks. IntheMartyrologyofTallagh,''thepatron's
William F. Wakeman.
'5 An antique bell, now preserved in the
Catholic Church o( Newiy, was found in the ruins of Kilbrony. For an account of this
siastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and
Dromore," Appendix EE, p. 309.
'' At tlie year 1442, November 17th, the rectories of Kyllbronca and Dissertdubun- nugi were let to farm to John M'Cjillaboy, Canon of Drom—ore, for a term of five years,
relic, see the 109.
"
Newry Magazine," No. 2, p.
"Thus, in the year 1622, the rectorial
tithes were leased, to one Anthony Howse, at jCs per annum.
'Thus, in a. d. 1431, the Primate ap-
at 20s. a year.
°° At A. i'. 1442, November l6iii, Cl—emens
M'Donnogan, Vicar of Cillbronia. Reg.
Prene, p. 48. Again, at A. D. 1534, the
of — vacant the death of Vicarage Kilbrony by
p—arish cimrch . Sanctse Bronianse Virginis. " Reg. Swayne, lib. iii.
"' "
The rectorial tithes and the townland of Kilfeaghan continued to be held under the bishops, until the annexation of the See in 1842. "—Rev. William Reeves' "Eccle-
M'Kewen to collect the
pointed Philip
revenues and tithes of the lands of the
Patrick M 'Brun. Reg. Crom. , p. 766. See ""
Reg. Prene, p. 69,
Rev. William Reeves' Ecclesiastical Anti-
quities of Down, Connor and Dromore," n.
(q), pp. 115, 116.
" The names of some persons, who were
nominated by the Primates, sede vacante, to this office, are yet extant.
April 2. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 13
name occurs, at the 2nd of April, as Bronach, Virgin. The Martyrology of
Donegal '3 this day registers, Brdnach, Virgin, of Cill Sechis,'< as having a festival. The Rev. Alban Butler '' has a record of this holy woman, at the
2nd of April, and she is noticed, moreover, in the Circle of the Seasons. "*
Likewise, that Calendar, compiled by the Rev. William Reeves,'' giving her name, festival and locality, may be mentioned, in this connexion.
Article II. —St. Nennidhius Mundimanus, or Nennidh Lamgh-
LANN, Priest, \_fifth and Sixth Centuries. ] The Acts of this saint appear
to be lost, for, it is said, they formerly were extant ;• but, at least, Colgan couldnotmeetwiththem. ' ThissaintwasknownasNinnidhLamglan,i. e.
Mundimanus, or of the " clean hand," which is explained, by the legend so closely connected with his memory. 3 Another form of this surname was Lamhiodan ; the latter compound being rendered " clean. " * The name of this saint has been very illustrious in Ireland. There his festival had been formerly kept. According to some writers, it was held, on the i6th,5 and others state, on the 18th of January. * Colgan has placed his Acts at the latter date,' thus confounding him with St. Ninnidh,' surnamed Laobh-dearc,' Bishop of Inis-maighe-samh, on Lough Erne. " However, not only the sur- names, but, likewise, various other circumstances recorded, prove, that they weredistinctpersons. " Thisconfusionhassetsomewritersastray,suchas Bishop Challenor," and Bishop Forbes. "' We learn,'< that the name Nennio, or Nennius, which is the same as Nennian, was given to the Bishop of Candida Casa,'> and that he was identical with Maoineann,'* Bishop of Cloncurry,inthenorthernpartofthepresentcountyofKildare. Heseems to have been a prelate, however, altogether different, from the present holy personage. A St. Ninnid of Cluain-Caoich is inserted, at this date, in the Index to the Martyrology of Donegal,'' although omitted in its proper
" Edited by Rer. Dr. Kelly, p. xx. In the Franciscan copy, we find bpon^Mih u.
'See Bishop Challenor's " Britannia Sancta," part i. , at that dnie, pp. 50, 51.
' to the Calendar, According O'Clerys'
for which they quote a Life of St. Brigid,
'i Edited
by
Drs. Todd and
Reeves, ppk '
92, 93. ** In a
"A more
ili. , as aho the Book of
' See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," xyiiL
Dr. Todd
recent hand has written over this word,
Hymns,
note,
sayt,
chapter
"no Slmn Sechij- nunc:" ue. "or now Januarii. De S. Nennidhio seu Nennio,
Glenn Sechis. "
"' See " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs
Ab. et Ep. Ex diverais, pp. ill to 115.
• We have already treated about him, at
the l8th of January.
Rendered, in English, "part-eyed. "
and other principal Saints," vol. iv. Apnl ii. There she is called St. Bronacha, or Bron- anna. The Rey. Alban —Builer alludes to the Manuscriiits of —
'• See Dr.
Lanigan's
" Ecclesiastical His-
Colgan
appears
which he for notices of this
of Ireland," vol. i. , ix. , sect, v. , chap,
to have
wnman, at April 2nd.
Down, Connor and Dromore. " Appendix
LL, p. 377.
Article ii. — According to a Life of
St. Brigid, quoted by Colgan.
'
See his account, De Nennidhio sen Nennio Ab. et Ep. , in "Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," Januani xviii. , cap. i. , x. , pp. 1 1 1, 1 14, and n. 2, p. 1 14.
vol.
sect, xi. ,
* See p. 93.
inspected
ii. , chap, x. , 51, and n. 173, pp. 55, 56.
p.
' See kev. John Fiancis Shearman's '
cal History of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 438.
' This was according to the custom of naming the Comharb or successor, after the
original founder of the see.
'* His feast occurs, at the l6th of Sep-
"Loca Patriciana, No. x. , n. I, p. 250.
tember.
' Edited
* See
niae," xviii. Januarii.
Nennw) Ab. et
Ep. ,
Drs. Todd and Reeves.
Colgan's
bjr
Tables of the Martyrology, pp. 458, 459.
• A comment is found that as postfixed,
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- De S. Nennidhio seu
n.
17, p. 115.
lory
holy p. 451. Also,
See Md. , nn. 76, 77, 78, 79. 80. PP- •'See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of 452,453.
" See " Britannia Sancta," part i. , p. 51. '» See " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p.
425. " '* From Dr. Lanigan, in his
Ecclesiasti-
14 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 2.
place ;'* and, according to the O'Clerys, he was identical with the present holy man. Were we to follow some accounts, St. Nennidh was son to Eochadh, who belonged to the race of Laeogaire, Monarch of Ireland. '9 However, it is more correct to state, that he was son of Ethach, and that he was born, at a place, called Mula, or Mull. This was thought, by Colgan, to have been the Island of Mull,'° in Scotland. Most likely, however, it is rendered MuUagh, at present, and various places in Ireland are so called. Again, St. Nennidh is stated, to have been a disciple of St. Patrick f but, such an account is not to be found, in any Acts of the Irish Apostle. It is much more rational to suppose,^'' that St. Nennidh Lamhglann was brought up, under the discipline of St. Fiech,^3 Archbishop of Leinster. During his early years, our saint was a giddy and frolicsome youth, who attracted the notice of St. Brigid,^* Abbess of Kildare, while she was travelling near that place, in an easterly direction, and probably over the present racecourse of the Curragh. She spoke to him, as he ran from her, and he returned to ask her prayers.
Soon his soul was filled with God's grace, and he performed penance, afterwards leading a most holy life. The illustrious Abbess pre- dicted, that she should receive the Body and Blood of Christ from his hand, at the hour of her death. ^s The writers of St. Brigid's Acts relate, that Nennidh then proposed to retire from Ireland, for a number of years, in order to prepare for this function. It is stated, moreover, that he felt so sensibly the honour intended for him, that he placed a brass gauntlet, secured by a lock and key, over his hand, so that it might not be defiled by touching any object, until he should be called upon to administer Holy Viaticum to St. Brigid. Hence, he obtained the surname, by which he was distinguished. Itisnotknownbywhomhehadbeenordained,althoughithas been stated, that he became a priest, at the instance of St. Patrick himself. However, in the Acts of St. Brigid, it is said, that he travelled abroad into Britain. The circumstances narrated, regarding this journey, are sufficiently romantic, and varied according to the fancies of different writers. Some state, that he became an exile from Ireland, owing to the express instructions of St. Brigid. Again, a Latin Hymn,^* in praise of that holy Abbess, has been attributed to him, by some writers,^' and it has been published, by Colgan. °^ He is said to have travelled, from Britain to Rome, so that he might visit the shrines of the Holy Apostles. His pilgrimage had lasted for four years, when an angelic vision warned him, that he should return to Ire- land. The weakness of advancing years and her incessant labours had told
"
Ninnidh Laimhiodhain or Ninnid the Pure- "See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga, Handed, who is mentioned in the Acts of Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, iii. , cap. St. Brigid, was not a bishop, but only a xxii. , p. 153, and n. 41, p. 185. Ibid.
priest, the present saint seems to be iden- ticalwithhim.
'5 We are informed, in Rev. John Francis Shearman's " Loca Patriciana," No. v. , that Ninnidh Lamglan, or Lamiodhan, and Nainedh, of Kiltoma, venerated at the 13th of November, had a common ancestor, viz. : Nial of the Nine Hostages, the latter being fourth, in descent, and the former sixth, from the same king.
'°
This one of the Hebrides
its extreme
'^
This we have attempted to our Life of St. Brigid, chap. i.
in
length is thirty-five miles, and its extreme
breadth is thirty. It has a superficial area
of 420 square miles. See "The Popular
"' Others have it, that St. Ultan of Ard- braccan composed it, while some think it
" Imp. 8vo.
con,'
&c. , vol, v. , p. 86. Glasgow, 1841, Scriptoribus Hibernias," lib. i. , cap. i. , p. 3,
"*
;
versify,
Encyclopedia; or 'Conversations I^xi- was St. Fiech. See Sir James Ware, " De
" See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
toryofIreland,"vol. i. , chap,ix. ,sect,v. ,
n. 76, p. 453.
°3 His festival occurs, at the I2th of
October.
°* Her feast is held, on the first of Feb-
ruary.
°s See a more detailed account of the fore-
going incidents, at the 1st day of February, in our Life of St. Brigid, chap. x.
See "Trias Thaumaturga," Tertia
April 2. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 15
upon St. Brigid, and sailing over the Irish sea, Nennidh soon landed in Ireland,'s where he learned, that the illustrious Mary of Erinn eagerly expected his last visit to her. On his return home, Nennidh found that saint approaching to her happy end. Her chaplain then administered the Sacred Viaticum, without delay, and soon afterwards she expired, about a. d. 523. The legend of his attendance on St. Brigid at the period of her decease, though probably founded on fact, is overlaid with too much of the marvellous, to be readily beheved. s" However this may be, it is generally stated, that Nennidh Lamhghlandidnotverylongsurvivehisgreatpatroness; but,thedayand year for his demise have not been exactly ascertained. He flourished in the sixth century,3' according to such a synchronesis.
Article III. —St. Conall, Bishop of Clonallan, County or Down.
[Sixth Century. ] In the Martyrology of Tallagh,' the name of Conall, son of Aedha, is found, entered at the 2nd of April. The Bollandists,' while deferring an opinion on the subject, until the Acts of the Irish Saints should receive further illustration, remark, that the saint, venerated on this day at
Cluain-dallain, is thought, by Colgan,3 to have been Connall,< Abbot of Kill- chonail, in the territory, known as Maine, or Hy-Maine. The O'Clerys state, that the saint, venerated on the 2nd of April, belonged to the race of Irial, son to Conall Ceamach. At first, St Conall was president over Clonallan
church,' county of Down, at an early period. He afterwards succeeded St.
Carbreus,* as Bishop of Coleraine, about the year 570. His parish was
evidently near Carlingford Ix)ugh,? which becomes contracted at Caol,
"
in the same now the Narrow Water.
been derived from St Dalian,* who flourished in the sixth century. ' The O'Clerys' Calendar states, that his place was near Snamh Each,'° i. e. the harbour near unto the Gael," in Ui E^thach, of Uladh. " We read, in the Martyrology of Donegal,'^ that veneration was paid, on this day, to Conall, son of Aedh, of Cluain, i. e. of Cluain Dallain, now Clonallan parish.
"
Vita S. Brigiflx, p. 542. It begins with on the Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
narrow,"
as that used the in the word by Scotch,
"
the words,
'' See our Life of St Brigid, chap. xi». ,
at the 1st of February.
for the County of Loulh,'' . Sheets i, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9. The town and Liberties are on Sheets 5, 8, 9 ; while the Lough—so cele-
"
"See Rev. John Francis Shearman's brated for its size and for the ro—mantic LocaPatriciana,"No. x. ,n. I,p. 250. beautyofitssceneryoneithershore takes " See Bishop Challenor's ' ' Britannia its name from the town.
'
ber.
ll'a feast occurs, at the nth of Novem-
Dallain, Armagh, in his comments on the Donegal Martjrrology.
Christus in nostra insula. "
Sancta," part i. , —pp. 50, 51.
Article hi.
Kelly, p. XX. The Franciscan copy has Conall iti4c Aex)^
'See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Aprilis i. Among the pretermitted oaints, p. 57.
•See "Acta Sanctorum Hibcmise," ix. Febnurii. De. S. Attracta, n. j.
* Called, also, Conallus Droma.
'The parish of Clonallan, in the barony
of Upper Iveagh, is marked on the " Ord-
nance Survey Townland Maps for the
County of Down," Sheets 47, 50, 51, 54.
Clonallan Glebe in noted on Sheets 51, ^
/UJ.
*
His feast was kept, on the 29th of
' The of
parish Carlingford,
Vila S. . Columbae, lib. n. Quarta i. ,
380, 381.
Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
January.
See Rev. William Reeves' " Ecclesias-
tical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," n. (o), pp. 114, 115, and Calendar LL, p. 377.
'° " Snamh each. i. an cuan laiin ris in
cbaol (Narrow Water, near Newry), in uib echach uUut). "—MS. note, by William
M. Hennes'iey, appended.
" In a note Dr. Todd, says, "Cael, »>. ,
the Narrow Water. William M. Hennessy says, that Clonallan lies near the Narrow Water, at Newry. I find, also, a note in
his handwriting, to this effect, "Cluain "
situated in the barony of Loner Dundalk, is described
105, pp,
sense,
The name of this church is said, however, to have
'
" See " Trias Colgan's
Thaumaturga. "
Kyles,
i6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 2.
Article IV. —The Festival of St. Amphianus, and of his Com- panions. IntheBollandists'greatwork,"wefindsomebriefnoticesofthe
of St. '' and of St. Victor,^ with fourteen other com- Amphianus
martyrdom
panions,* as met with in several old Martyrologies, yet with some variations of
entry. In the Feilire of St. . (Engus,5 their festival is entered, likewise, while their martyrdom is commemorated, at the 2nd day of April. The exact place, where they suffered, is not noticed.
Article V. —Reputed Festival of St. Riquier, or Richarius, Abbot of Centule, France. \Sixth and Seventh Centuries. ) This St. Riquier, Riquierus, or Richarius, was Abbot of Centule, in Ponthieu. His
feast was kept, on the 2nd of April ; and, according to other accounts, on the 9th of October ; yet, the 26th of April is generally assigned for his feast. '
'
HenryFitzsimon placeshim,asRiquierus,3intheCalendarofIrishSaints;
yet, on no fair grounds that we can discover, if it be not, that his instructors were Irishmen. ^
A—rticle VI. —Reputed Festival of St. Nica—perhaps St. Nice- Tius BishopofLyons,France,orSt. Nicasius,BishopandMartyr. The festival in honour of Nica,' Bishop, was celebrated, on this day, as we read, in the Martyrology of Donegal. ^ With Irish hagiology, the present holy man appears to have had no special connexion ; but, it must be apparent, that either St. Nicetus,3 Bishop of Lyons, who flourished in the sixth century, or St. Nicasius,^ Bishop and Martyr, mentioned in certain written additions s of a Carthusian, at Bruxelles, to a copy of Greuen,* can only be meant.
Article VII. —Festival of St. Eustasius, Abbot of Luxeu, France. In various old Martyrologies, such as in those of Usuard,' of Tournay, of Utrecht, of Bruxelles, of Laetiensis, and of Altempsia, as also in a Supple- ment to the Martyrology of St. Jerome, printed at Paris, there is an entry of
"3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
"
^ gee D. Philippo O'SulIevano Bearro, Historic Catholics Ibernise Compen-
92, 93. — Article IV.
See "Acta torn, Sanctorum," diura,"
De Sanctis Martyribus
Galesinus omits his name.
3 His name is omitted in a Manuscript
Martyrology of St. Cyriacus, often quoted in the notes of Baronius.
* The number varies, in some accounts.
