is a townland of in the Drumrath,
Acta Sanctoram Hiber- nice," xix.
Acta Sanctoram Hiber- nice," xix.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
Todd and Reeves, pp.
52, 53.
9 See Rev. William Reeves'
"
Thaumaturga. " Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 268.
2 Heis said to be in the Life of noticed,
Sanctorum," tomusiii,,
Ecclesias-
St. Kiaran of
Saigir.
"
It was situated
to
Article VII. —St. Berach. At the i8th of February, St. Berach is said to have been venerated, in Scotland. The Latin equivalent for his name is Verutus. ^ From him Kilberry, in Argyleshire, takes its name. "* It was probably dedicated to St. Berach, Abbot of Cluain-Cairpthe, in Ros- common, or to some saint, who was named Barr. 3 St. Barry's bell, with the saint's name inscribed, was preserved ;'» but, where it now is the writer has not ascertained. Near Alyth, there is a Barryhill. s
Article VIII. —St. Uidhrin or Huidhrin of Druim-dresna or Drum-dresa. This saint is found classed, as Ordius, (? Odrinus), among the disciples of St. Patrick, by Tirechan ;' while, his feast is assigned to the i8th of February, or to the 2nd of October. ^ Uidhrin, of Drumdresa, is entered in the Martyrology of Donegal,3 on this day. This place is difficult
in
the glens of Antrim County. 5 If so, it seems impracticable to find Kill- Laisre, in this district.
—
" Kalendars of Scottish Saints," pp. 278,
'
^ See " Parochiales Scotise," Origines
vol. ii. , parti. , p. 37.
3 See ibid. , n. 8. Also, Trans. Camb.
Camd. Soc, p. ^Zy ^. nd the Scottish Saints. "
"
Kalendars of
* See "Origines Parochiales Scotiae," part i. , vol. ii. , p. 37. Also, "Old Statis- tical Account of Scotland," vol. x. , p. 55, vol. xix. , p. 318.
s Thither was brought, in Angus, accord- ing to a Scottish legend, Guanora, spouse of King Arthur, " to a castle callet Dunbarre, of whilk nothing remains now bot the
of the wallis. "—Bellenden's "
prent Boece,"
vol. ii. , Book ix. , p. 86. Edition, 1821. ^
Article viiL— See Colgan's "Trias
630 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February18.
for identification. We find a nearly similar entry, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,"^ at the i8th of February. Here, however, the saint is called Huidhrin,ofDruim-dresna. Littleofapositivenaturehasbeenelicited,re-
garding him, or his place in history.
Article IX. —St. Aengus, or CEngus, Bishop of Drum-Rathe. The
simple name, CEngus, occurs, at the 1 8th of February, in the Martyrology of Tallagii. ^ Something in addition is found in a later calendar. On this day,
in the Martyrology of Donegal,^ is recorded Aenghas, Bishop, of Drum- Ratha. 3 There is a Drumrath or Drumrany^ in the county of Westmeath. s He descends from the race of Eoghan, son to Niall, add the O'Clerys. In a long Irish note, found in the table to this Martyrology, as translated into
"
Aengus himself has nothing at this day, but only at March 1 1 and January
English, the writer says :
I think this is the son of Aongabhann, because
20. " The writer then adds
:
" This is the author of the Festilogium. " Such,
however, is only an unfounded conjecture. According to some accounts, he was a disciple to the great Irish Apostle. When St. Patrick was in the
northern parts of Ireland, he journeyed to a place called Bredach, in the land ofOlild,sonofEugene. TherehecelebratedtheHolySacrificeonSunday, and set apart a place for building a church. It was called Domnach bile, afterwards called Moville,^ in the county of Donegal. In this, he initiated St. ^ngus, the son of Oilild, to sacred orders. Here, also, were met three Deacons, nephews to St. Patrick, by one of his sisters. 7 In a place called Druim Bearta,^ where there was an old church near the O'Dogherty's Castle, in Colgan's time, St. ^ngus was venerated on the i8th of FebrLiary. 9 We
"
find the following commentary added to the O'Clerys' notices.
Aongus,
son of Aongobhann, son of Oblein, says the prefatory gloss on the Felire, was
the ^° who was of the of he is the same as
person, family Cluain-h-Eidhneach,
Aongus Ua<h Oiblein. The matter is, therefore, to be thus reconciled by
putting Aongus ua h Oiblein at the 18th of February; although this is against the authority of Marian O'Gorman, who says, at the nth March,
*
Aongus ard 6 h Eblen,' [Aongus the noble, grandson of Oiblen. ] Other-
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for
the County of Donegal," Sheets, 12, 13, 21,
22 ; that of in the while, Upper Moville,
$2, 53.
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvi, 4—
Article ix. ^Edited by Rev. Dr. same barony and county, will be found on
Kelly, p. xvi.
" Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
52,53.
3 Dr. O'Donovan asserts, that this proper
name must be rendered "Church of the
Sheets 12, 20, 21, 30, 31. The town of Moville is shown on Sheets 21, 22, ibid.
7 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. cxxii. , p. 145. Also, Quinta Appendix ad Acta
S. Patricii, caj). xxiii. , p. 267.
^ Duald Mac Firbis enters Aengus, Bishop
of Druim Bertach, at February the i8th, and Mr. William M. Hcnnessy says, it is Burt, in the barony of Inishov\'en West and
Fort. " See
"
Annals of the Four Masters,"
vol. i. , n. (a), p. 395. Colgan says, it is a church in Leyny, in the province of Con-
"
naught. See Acta Sanctorum HibernijB,"
Index Topographicus, p. 876.
"* "
This small parish is in the barony of county of Donegal. See I'roceedings of
Kilkenny West. See it shown on the " Ord- nanceSurveyTownlandMapsfortheCounty of Westmeath. " Sheets 23, 30. The townland proper is shown on Sheet 23.
5 Here, too, stood an ancient monastery. See Rev. A. Cogan's "Diocese of Meath,
Ancient and Modern," vol. iii. , chap. Ixxiv. , n. , p. 558.
the Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSS. Series,parti. ,vol. i. ,p. 109.
' See "Trias Thaumaturga," nn. 167,
177, 178, p. 181.
'° At this word. Dr. Todd adds in a note :
"See the Prose Preface to the Felire, where in speaking of the Person by whom that
work was composed, his genealogy is given, and he is said to have belonged to the Monastery of Cluain-eidhneach. "
*
barony of Inishowen East, is described, on
The parish of Lower Moville, in the
February 19. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 631
wise, if he himself records his own day, he cannot be the writer or author of
theMartyrology,asheiscommonlyreputed. "" DrumRatha,"however,is not easily discoverable.
^\x\tUtxA\) JBag of jfetiruarp^
ARTICLE I. —ST. ODRAN, OR ODHRAN, OF DISERT-ODHRAIN, IN OFFALY, KING'S COUNTY, MARTYR.
[FIFTH CENTURY. -\
exhibits more remarkably the spirit of tolerance, which pre-
vailed our ancestors, than the freedom NOTHINGamong pagan comparative
with which St. Patrick was allowed to prosecute his Irish mission, although it was distasteful to the chief monarch, to many of his nobles, and especially to the whole influential class of Druids. Opposition he met with, indeed, but usually it was not prosecuted to the bitter end. Except in the present case, not one of his disciples suffered martyrdom, in the attempt to regenerate the heathens of our island. In this instance of Odran or Odhran, we have a noble example of love and constancy. The birth-place of this saint has not been ascertained. Still, we may believe him to have been a native of Ireland, on probable grounds. This saint is thought to have belonged originally to Tipperary,^ where probably he embraced the faith, when the Irish Apostle preached in Munster. Although of a heroic and a devoted spirit, he was
most likely a man of humble origin. The Martyrologies of Tallagh,^ of Marianus O'Gorman, and of Donegal record on this day, Odran or Odhrdn,
of Tir-aonaigh or of Tiri-oenaigh. 4
^'
See ibid. , pp. 358, 359.
^^ There is a parish of Drumragh, in the
barony of Omagh East, which is described
William M. Hennessy, in an annotation,
barony of Lower Toome, shown on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Antrim," Sheet 31; as also a Drumraw, in the parish of Desertcreat, in the barony of Upper Dungannon, which is
on the
"
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the County of Tyrone. " Sheets 25, 34,
35, 42, 43. There is also a parish of Drum-
rat, in the barony of Corran. This is shown
on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the County of Sligo. " Sheets 39, 40,
44, 45, There are townlands, called Drum- noolh College, and a very distinguished rat : one townland so denominated in the
parish of MuUagh, barony of Castlerahan,
and one in the parish of Larah, barony of
Tullygarvey—both of these are shown on the
"OrdnanceSurveyTownlandMapsfort—he tionConvent,Waterford. Fortheperusal
County of Cavan," Sheets 39, 40, and 2 1 while there is one in th—e parish of Donegal, andbaronyofTirhugh thisisdescribedon the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Donegal," Sheet 94. There
of
parish Crosserlough, and barony of Clanmahon, to be seen on the "Ordnance Survey Town- land Maps for the County of Cavan. " Sheets
31, 37. Besides, there is a townland of notice of St. Odran, M. See " Lives of thq Drumraw, in the parish of Ahoghill, and Saints," vol. ii. , February xx.
is a townland of in the Drumrath,
Acta Sanctoram Hiber- nice," xix. Februarii. De S. Odrano Mar- tyre, n. 18, p. 372. From this account, like- wise, the Rev. S. Baring-Gould draws his
•
'
LclitedbyRev. Dr. Kelly,p. xvi.
shown on the
"
Ordnance Survey Townland
Maps for the County of Tyrone. " Sheet 38. '
Article —ByVery
I. Rev. Laurence
F. Renehan, D. D,, late I'resident of May-
student of Irish History and Antiquities, in a letter, dated Maynooth College, Feast of St, Otteran, 1845, and addressed to Mrs. Keshan, Lady Superioress of the Presenta-
and use of this, I feel indebted to Rev. P. Nolan, P. P. , Trinity Without, Waterford.
=
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
**
52, 53. "* See
Colgan's
632 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February19.
calls his place Tire naonoigh, and he says, it is the same as Tiranny,5 in the
county of Armagh. Yet, unless this holy martyr were connected with this northern place by birth, it is difficult to conceive why it should be stated he I belonged to it. From all we can learn, he became devotedly attached to the
Irish Apostle, and he was a constant personal attendant on his missionary travels. Odran became a servant to St. Patrick, whom he served in the capacityofcharioteer. Wehavenoexpressmentionofhim,exceptinciden-
tally, in different Lives of St. Patrick. ^ From such sources, Colgan has com-
piled his eulogistic biography, adding notes to it. 7 The BoUandist writers
have inserted Acts^ of St. Odran, Martyr, in six paragraphs, at this day. 9
This humble and devoted charioteer is classed among the disciples of the
Irish '° On St. Patrick's return from Apostle.
about the
in Colgan's opinion, and after, or during the year 456, according to Ussher, the Irish Apostle entered Hy-Failge territory. " Here were two powerful chieftains ruling at the time : one was a wicked Pagan, Failge Berraide, who entertained a implacable hatred against St. Patrick, because he had destroyed the idol, known as Crom Cruach,'^ an object of adoration among the Gentile Irish, while the other chief was named Failge Ros,^3 vvho had conceived a great love and reverence towards the holy man. ^4 As the former had fre- quently boasted, that he would take the Apostle's life away, whenever the opportunity might be afforded ; the present stage of his journeying, which brought him along the highway, not far from Failge Berraide's^s Castle, seemed favourable for this son of Belial's purpose. That district, since so well known as Offaly, at least in this part, was then ruled over by the merciless pagan,
FailgeBerraide. Thiswickedman'sdesignwasbaselytotakeawaybyassas- sination the life of our great Irish Apostle ; and, in the accomplishment of
s I cannot discover such a townland or
parish denomination, on the "Ordnance
Survey Townland Maps for the County of
d'un cercle de douze dieux inferieurs, comma une Annee divine entouree dcs douze mois, des douze maisons du soleil, Crom est, selon toute apparence, le legs d'une ancienne reli- gion savante que les heros Scotts ou Milesiens ont re9ue de leurs devanciers. Nous croy- ons, M. de la Villemarque et moi, qu'il se
Armagh.
"
There is, however, a barony of
this name, which is shown on Sheets 7, 8,
II, 12, 15, 19, 20, 23, 24.
^" See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.
Vita Tertia S. Patricii, cap. lix. Vita retrouve en Bretayne quelques vestiges de
Quarta S. Patricii, cap. Ixxvii. Vita Sexta S. Patricii, cap. Ixxiii. Vita Septima S. Patricii, lib. iii. , cap. Ivi. , pp. 25, 26, 44, 91, 159, 160.
cet antique nom. Crom serait done le prin-
cipe divin actif, con9u comme engendrant revolution du temi^s, de meme que Bel ou Belenos serait Dien confu en tant que prin-
—" Etudes d'Ar- Februarii. De S. Odrano Martyre. Ex cheologie Celtique, Notes et Voyages dans
7 See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," xix. variis, pp. 370 to 372.
^
These are edited by Father Godefrid Henschenn.
9 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Feb- ruarii xix. De S. Odrano Martyre, Auriga S. Patricii in Hibernia, pp. 131, 132.
'° See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. '' Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 265.
" " This district comprised, besides oth—er
tracts, a great part of the King's County. " Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of
Ireland," vol. i. , cap. vi. , sect, xi. , n. 112,
p. 304.
*^ in reference to this object, Henri Mar-
cipe lumineux et solaire. "
'S Joceline's or Vita Sexta S. Patricii, cap. tin writes " Mais il a fort 4 croire que Ixxiii. , calls him " Rufus. " See
: y
les Scotts n'avaient point apporte avec eux
ce dieu, qui est une divinite cosmogonique et scientifique bien plutot, qu' heroique. Croniy la courbe generatrice du cercle, I'eter- nel, pere du temps, qui apparait entour^
Foylge
ibid. ^ p. 91. However, in the whole of this
account, we may well conclude, that many fabulous incidents have crept into the narra- tive.
Munster,
year 451,
les pays Celtiques et Scandinaves," chap, vii. , sect, i. , p. 275.
'3 Dr. Lanigan thinks, however, "that
this second Failge was brought on the stage, in compliment to some illustrious families of
the Hyfalgian line, and to wipe off the shame of their —being descended from a
bigoted tyrant. " "Ecclesiastical History
of Ireland," vol. i. , cap. vi. , sect, ix. , n.
113, p. 304.
'* The Third Patrick Life of St.
makes the wicked Foilge progentitor of the other
Foilgi. See Colgan s cap. lix. , p. 2$.
'*
Trias Thaumaturga,"
February 19. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 633
such a purpose, he resolved on arresting the progress of the Christian Reli-
gion, by effecting the destruction of its greatest promoter. However, Provi- dence frustrated his purpose, although it does not seem, that St. Patrick had
any suspicion of the threatened danger. Yet, his charioteer, Odhran, had
some prevision of the consequences likely to ensue.
'^
In most accounts, it
is said, that having had previous intimation of this design, Odran concealed
his knowledge concerning it from St. Patrick, whom he induced to occupy
the driver's seat in the chariot, whilst Odran himself should have some short
timeforrest. '7 TheholyApostlemostreadilyassented. Heunsuspectingly
relinquished his place, and assumed the reins, in order to gratify his servant's
wish. They had passed from Birr, and were traveUing along an ancient
road, which bore in an eastern direction, north of the Slieve Bloom moun-
tains, where their enemy lay in wait. Failge met the travellers on their
journey. Rushing against Odran, whom he mistook for St. Patrick, the furious chief transfixed him, with a stroke of his lance. Horrified at the
sight thus presented, the Apostle was about to pronounce a malediction on the murderer, when the dying Odran prayed it should rather descend on a
veryhightree,thatgrewonanadjoininghill,calledBrig-damh. Yet,forhis Satanic perfidy, the murderer was struck dead immediately afterwards ; and as a just punishment for his grievous crime, his soul was buried in hell, while angels were seen bearing that of Odhran to heaven, where he joined the array of purple-robed martyrs. St. Patrick furthermore announced, that the poste- rity of that wicked Foilge should wane, and lose power, in the principality ; while, Foilge Ros and his posterity should rule therein, which prediction was fulfilled. In an old Biburgensian Manuscript Life of St. Patrick, we are told, that when the soul of Foilge, for his wickedness, had been carried away to hell, the devil took possession of his living body, and dwelt in it, until St. Patrick came to the house of that cruel chief. It is stated, the Irish Apostle asked one of the servants for his master, and that he was told Foilge was within. " Call him to me," said Patrick. But, the servant returned, and told the Apostle in great sorrow, that he only found the dry bones of his
master. Then said Patrick :
*'
From the time, when Foilge butchered my
charioteer before me, he was buried in hell, but the devil came to possess his
body, so that while his soul was consigned to perdition, his body was also
dishonoured by demoniac influences. "'^ Attempts have been made to
identify the place, where this martyrdom occurred. Afterwards, it received
the name, Desart-Odran of Hy-Failge ; yet, this local denomination appears to have died out of popular recollection, notwithstanding the celebrity of the
^^ "
See Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical His-
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vi. , sect, xi. ,
p. 302.
^^ This pious contrivance of Odran is not
mentioned in St. Patrick's Third Life ; but,
it is there said, that Failge butchered Odran,
before his master and in the chariot. See
close of this little volume, is however worth
transcribing. "The second tale, Foilge ; or the Possessed, is a veritable Irish tradition. It is the earliest account that the author has been able to trace, of that belief, which still prevails in many parts of the world, viz. , of an evil spirit entering into the body of a dead man, and making tha—t dead man appear as
a it be if he were still living belief, may
remarked, very different from that which
"
S. Patricii, cap. lix. , p. 25.
Colgan's '^
teresting
prevails
Scripture that is, living men, into whose bodies an evil spirit had entered. Foilge as
Trias Thaumaurga. '' VitaTertia William 13ernard MacCabe, in his in-
little work, entitled,
"
AGrand-
s to the demoniacs described in a—
father's Story Book," has recorded this in-
cident of Odran's death, under the heading,
"
P'oilge ; or the Possessed," pp. 91 to 128.
It need scarcely be remarked, that as the
tale was chiefly written for juveniles, its
writer rather intends to give a dramatic, than
a historic interest, to his imaginative nar-
rative. The following note, towards the vians. " Seep. 211.
portrayed in the Irish legend, {Act. Sanct. Feb. , vol. iii. , pp. 131, 132) was the same in most respects as the modern vampire ; in some particulars like to the malignant dead described in the Sagas of the Scandina-
634 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February19.
transaction, which shoiiM be likely to preserve a recollection of it. On the road, between Frankfort ;ind Roscrea, is the little village of Killyon ;^9 and about two miles from the latter village, is yet shown the place, where Foilge attemptedthelifeofSi. Patrick. ^° Odran'snameoccurs,insomeforeignMar- tyrologies; yet, his festival has been assigned to distinct days, from the
^'^
present date. Thus, the 8th of May,
2nd and the 27th of October^3 have been conjecturally mentioned, in con-
nexion with it, by various Martyrologists. About, or soon after, the middle of the fifth century, this martyrdom of Odran is considered to have occiirred.
Yet, we find Dempster^^ absurdly placing this saint's death at a. d. 509, or ten years later ; while, he further has the presumption to state, that the relics of
Odran were preserved at Glascow, and transferred to Ireland, after the lapse of some ages. Again, it is asserted he wrote a certain book. '^s This saint is
honoured as a martyr, chiefly on the 19th of February ; but, in certain places, asweareinformed,onthe27thofOctober. ^^ Somechurcheswereformerly
dedicatedtohim,inthecountryaboutBirr,andintheOrmonds. ^7 Yet,we have no further means for ascertaining their whereabouts. Killurin,='^ in the
parish of Killoghey,^^ and barony of Ballyboy, King's County, was probably calledfromSt. Odhan.
52, 53.
9 See Rev. William Reeves'
"
Thaumaturga. " Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 268.
2 Heis said to be in the Life of noticed,
Sanctorum," tomusiii,,
Ecclesias-
St. Kiaran of
Saigir.
"
It was situated
to
Article VII. —St. Berach. At the i8th of February, St. Berach is said to have been venerated, in Scotland. The Latin equivalent for his name is Verutus. ^ From him Kilberry, in Argyleshire, takes its name. "* It was probably dedicated to St. Berach, Abbot of Cluain-Cairpthe, in Ros- common, or to some saint, who was named Barr. 3 St. Barry's bell, with the saint's name inscribed, was preserved ;'» but, where it now is the writer has not ascertained. Near Alyth, there is a Barryhill. s
Article VIII. —St. Uidhrin or Huidhrin of Druim-dresna or Drum-dresa. This saint is found classed, as Ordius, (? Odrinus), among the disciples of St. Patrick, by Tirechan ;' while, his feast is assigned to the i8th of February, or to the 2nd of October. ^ Uidhrin, of Drumdresa, is entered in the Martyrology of Donegal,3 on this day. This place is difficult
in
the glens of Antrim County. 5 If so, it seems impracticable to find Kill- Laisre, in this district.
—
" Kalendars of Scottish Saints," pp. 278,
'
^ See " Parochiales Scotise," Origines
vol. ii. , parti. , p. 37.
3 See ibid. , n. 8. Also, Trans. Camb.
Camd. Soc, p. ^Zy ^. nd the Scottish Saints. "
"
Kalendars of
* See "Origines Parochiales Scotiae," part i. , vol. ii. , p. 37. Also, "Old Statis- tical Account of Scotland," vol. x. , p. 55, vol. xix. , p. 318.
s Thither was brought, in Angus, accord- ing to a Scottish legend, Guanora, spouse of King Arthur, " to a castle callet Dunbarre, of whilk nothing remains now bot the
of the wallis. "—Bellenden's "
prent Boece,"
vol. ii. , Book ix. , p. 86. Edition, 1821. ^
Article viiL— See Colgan's "Trias
630 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February18.
for identification. We find a nearly similar entry, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,"^ at the i8th of February. Here, however, the saint is called Huidhrin,ofDruim-dresna. Littleofapositivenaturehasbeenelicited,re-
garding him, or his place in history.
Article IX. —St. Aengus, or CEngus, Bishop of Drum-Rathe. The
simple name, CEngus, occurs, at the 1 8th of February, in the Martyrology of Tallagii. ^ Something in addition is found in a later calendar. On this day,
in the Martyrology of Donegal,^ is recorded Aenghas, Bishop, of Drum- Ratha. 3 There is a Drumrath or Drumrany^ in the county of Westmeath. s He descends from the race of Eoghan, son to Niall, add the O'Clerys. In a long Irish note, found in the table to this Martyrology, as translated into
"
Aengus himself has nothing at this day, but only at March 1 1 and January
English, the writer says :
I think this is the son of Aongabhann, because
20. " The writer then adds
:
" This is the author of the Festilogium. " Such,
however, is only an unfounded conjecture. According to some accounts, he was a disciple to the great Irish Apostle. When St. Patrick was in the
northern parts of Ireland, he journeyed to a place called Bredach, in the land ofOlild,sonofEugene. TherehecelebratedtheHolySacrificeonSunday, and set apart a place for building a church. It was called Domnach bile, afterwards called Moville,^ in the county of Donegal. In this, he initiated St. ^ngus, the son of Oilild, to sacred orders. Here, also, were met three Deacons, nephews to St. Patrick, by one of his sisters. 7 In a place called Druim Bearta,^ where there was an old church near the O'Dogherty's Castle, in Colgan's time, St. ^ngus was venerated on the i8th of FebrLiary. 9 We
"
find the following commentary added to the O'Clerys' notices.
Aongus,
son of Aongobhann, son of Oblein, says the prefatory gloss on the Felire, was
the ^° who was of the of he is the same as
person, family Cluain-h-Eidhneach,
Aongus Ua<h Oiblein. The matter is, therefore, to be thus reconciled by
putting Aongus ua h Oiblein at the 18th of February; although this is against the authority of Marian O'Gorman, who says, at the nth March,
*
Aongus ard 6 h Eblen,' [Aongus the noble, grandson of Oiblen. ] Other-
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for
the County of Donegal," Sheets, 12, 13, 21,
22 ; that of in the while, Upper Moville,
$2, 53.
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvi, 4—
Article ix. ^Edited by Rev. Dr. same barony and county, will be found on
Kelly, p. xvi.
" Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
52,53.
3 Dr. O'Donovan asserts, that this proper
name must be rendered "Church of the
Sheets 12, 20, 21, 30, 31. The town of Moville is shown on Sheets 21, 22, ibid.
7 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. cxxii. , p. 145. Also, Quinta Appendix ad Acta
S. Patricii, caj). xxiii. , p. 267.
^ Duald Mac Firbis enters Aengus, Bishop
of Druim Bertach, at February the i8th, and Mr. William M. Hcnnessy says, it is Burt, in the barony of Inishov\'en West and
Fort. " See
"
Annals of the Four Masters,"
vol. i. , n. (a), p. 395. Colgan says, it is a church in Leyny, in the province of Con-
"
naught. See Acta Sanctorum HibernijB,"
Index Topographicus, p. 876.
"* "
This small parish is in the barony of county of Donegal. See I'roceedings of
Kilkenny West. See it shown on the " Ord- nanceSurveyTownlandMapsfortheCounty of Westmeath. " Sheets 23, 30. The townland proper is shown on Sheet 23.
5 Here, too, stood an ancient monastery. See Rev. A. Cogan's "Diocese of Meath,
Ancient and Modern," vol. iii. , chap. Ixxiv. , n. , p. 558.
the Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSS. Series,parti. ,vol. i. ,p. 109.
' See "Trias Thaumaturga," nn. 167,
177, 178, p. 181.
'° At this word. Dr. Todd adds in a note :
"See the Prose Preface to the Felire, where in speaking of the Person by whom that
work was composed, his genealogy is given, and he is said to have belonged to the Monastery of Cluain-eidhneach. "
*
barony of Inishowen East, is described, on
The parish of Lower Moville, in the
February 19. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 631
wise, if he himself records his own day, he cannot be the writer or author of
theMartyrology,asheiscommonlyreputed. "" DrumRatha,"however,is not easily discoverable.
^\x\tUtxA\) JBag of jfetiruarp^
ARTICLE I. —ST. ODRAN, OR ODHRAN, OF DISERT-ODHRAIN, IN OFFALY, KING'S COUNTY, MARTYR.
[FIFTH CENTURY. -\
exhibits more remarkably the spirit of tolerance, which pre-
vailed our ancestors, than the freedom NOTHINGamong pagan comparative
with which St. Patrick was allowed to prosecute his Irish mission, although it was distasteful to the chief monarch, to many of his nobles, and especially to the whole influential class of Druids. Opposition he met with, indeed, but usually it was not prosecuted to the bitter end. Except in the present case, not one of his disciples suffered martyrdom, in the attempt to regenerate the heathens of our island. In this instance of Odran or Odhran, we have a noble example of love and constancy. The birth-place of this saint has not been ascertained. Still, we may believe him to have been a native of Ireland, on probable grounds. This saint is thought to have belonged originally to Tipperary,^ where probably he embraced the faith, when the Irish Apostle preached in Munster. Although of a heroic and a devoted spirit, he was
most likely a man of humble origin. The Martyrologies of Tallagh,^ of Marianus O'Gorman, and of Donegal record on this day, Odran or Odhrdn,
of Tir-aonaigh or of Tiri-oenaigh. 4
^'
See ibid. , pp. 358, 359.
^^ There is a parish of Drumragh, in the
barony of Omagh East, which is described
William M. Hennessy, in an annotation,
barony of Lower Toome, shown on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Antrim," Sheet 31; as also a Drumraw, in the parish of Desertcreat, in the barony of Upper Dungannon, which is
on the
"
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the County of Tyrone. " Sheets 25, 34,
35, 42, 43. There is also a parish of Drum-
rat, in the barony of Corran. This is shown
on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the County of Sligo. " Sheets 39, 40,
44, 45, There are townlands, called Drum- noolh College, and a very distinguished rat : one townland so denominated in the
parish of MuUagh, barony of Castlerahan,
and one in the parish of Larah, barony of
Tullygarvey—both of these are shown on the
"OrdnanceSurveyTownlandMapsfort—he tionConvent,Waterford. Fortheperusal
County of Cavan," Sheets 39, 40, and 2 1 while there is one in th—e parish of Donegal, andbaronyofTirhugh thisisdescribedon the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Donegal," Sheet 94. There
of
parish Crosserlough, and barony of Clanmahon, to be seen on the "Ordnance Survey Town- land Maps for the County of Cavan. " Sheets
31, 37. Besides, there is a townland of notice of St. Odran, M. See " Lives of thq Drumraw, in the parish of Ahoghill, and Saints," vol. ii. , February xx.
is a townland of in the Drumrath,
Acta Sanctoram Hiber- nice," xix. Februarii. De S. Odrano Mar- tyre, n. 18, p. 372. From this account, like- wise, the Rev. S. Baring-Gould draws his
•
'
LclitedbyRev. Dr. Kelly,p. xvi.
shown on the
"
Ordnance Survey Townland
Maps for the County of Tyrone. " Sheet 38. '
Article —ByVery
I. Rev. Laurence
F. Renehan, D. D,, late I'resident of May-
student of Irish History and Antiquities, in a letter, dated Maynooth College, Feast of St, Otteran, 1845, and addressed to Mrs. Keshan, Lady Superioress of the Presenta-
and use of this, I feel indebted to Rev. P. Nolan, P. P. , Trinity Without, Waterford.
=
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
**
52, 53. "* See
Colgan's
632 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February19.
calls his place Tire naonoigh, and he says, it is the same as Tiranny,5 in the
county of Armagh. Yet, unless this holy martyr were connected with this northern place by birth, it is difficult to conceive why it should be stated he I belonged to it. From all we can learn, he became devotedly attached to the
Irish Apostle, and he was a constant personal attendant on his missionary travels. Odran became a servant to St. Patrick, whom he served in the capacityofcharioteer. Wehavenoexpressmentionofhim,exceptinciden-
tally, in different Lives of St. Patrick. ^ From such sources, Colgan has com-
piled his eulogistic biography, adding notes to it. 7 The BoUandist writers
have inserted Acts^ of St. Odran, Martyr, in six paragraphs, at this day. 9
This humble and devoted charioteer is classed among the disciples of the
Irish '° On St. Patrick's return from Apostle.
about the
in Colgan's opinion, and after, or during the year 456, according to Ussher, the Irish Apostle entered Hy-Failge territory. " Here were two powerful chieftains ruling at the time : one was a wicked Pagan, Failge Berraide, who entertained a implacable hatred against St. Patrick, because he had destroyed the idol, known as Crom Cruach,'^ an object of adoration among the Gentile Irish, while the other chief was named Failge Ros,^3 vvho had conceived a great love and reverence towards the holy man. ^4 As the former had fre- quently boasted, that he would take the Apostle's life away, whenever the opportunity might be afforded ; the present stage of his journeying, which brought him along the highway, not far from Failge Berraide's^s Castle, seemed favourable for this son of Belial's purpose. That district, since so well known as Offaly, at least in this part, was then ruled over by the merciless pagan,
FailgeBerraide. Thiswickedman'sdesignwasbaselytotakeawaybyassas- sination the life of our great Irish Apostle ; and, in the accomplishment of
s I cannot discover such a townland or
parish denomination, on the "Ordnance
Survey Townland Maps for the County of
d'un cercle de douze dieux inferieurs, comma une Annee divine entouree dcs douze mois, des douze maisons du soleil, Crom est, selon toute apparence, le legs d'une ancienne reli- gion savante que les heros Scotts ou Milesiens ont re9ue de leurs devanciers. Nous croy- ons, M. de la Villemarque et moi, qu'il se
Armagh.
"
There is, however, a barony of
this name, which is shown on Sheets 7, 8,
II, 12, 15, 19, 20, 23, 24.
^" See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.
Vita Tertia S. Patricii, cap. lix. Vita retrouve en Bretayne quelques vestiges de
Quarta S. Patricii, cap. Ixxvii. Vita Sexta S. Patricii, cap. Ixxiii. Vita Septima S. Patricii, lib. iii. , cap. Ivi. , pp. 25, 26, 44, 91, 159, 160.
cet antique nom. Crom serait done le prin-
cipe divin actif, con9u comme engendrant revolution du temi^s, de meme que Bel ou Belenos serait Dien confu en tant que prin-
—" Etudes d'Ar- Februarii. De S. Odrano Martyre. Ex cheologie Celtique, Notes et Voyages dans
7 See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," xix. variis, pp. 370 to 372.
^
These are edited by Father Godefrid Henschenn.
9 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Feb- ruarii xix. De S. Odrano Martyre, Auriga S. Patricii in Hibernia, pp. 131, 132.
'° See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. '' Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 265.
" " This district comprised, besides oth—er
tracts, a great part of the King's County. " Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of
Ireland," vol. i. , cap. vi. , sect, xi. , n. 112,
p. 304.
*^ in reference to this object, Henri Mar-
cipe lumineux et solaire. "
'S Joceline's or Vita Sexta S. Patricii, cap. tin writes " Mais il a fort 4 croire que Ixxiii. , calls him " Rufus. " See
: y
les Scotts n'avaient point apporte avec eux
ce dieu, qui est une divinite cosmogonique et scientifique bien plutot, qu' heroique. Croniy la courbe generatrice du cercle, I'eter- nel, pere du temps, qui apparait entour^
Foylge
ibid. ^ p. 91. However, in the whole of this
account, we may well conclude, that many fabulous incidents have crept into the narra- tive.
Munster,
year 451,
les pays Celtiques et Scandinaves," chap, vii. , sect, i. , p. 275.
'3 Dr. Lanigan thinks, however, "that
this second Failge was brought on the stage, in compliment to some illustrious families of
the Hyfalgian line, and to wipe off the shame of their —being descended from a
bigoted tyrant. " "Ecclesiastical History
of Ireland," vol. i. , cap. vi. , sect, ix. , n.
113, p. 304.
'* The Third Patrick Life of St.
makes the wicked Foilge progentitor of the other
Foilgi. See Colgan s cap. lix. , p. 2$.
'*
Trias Thaumaturga,"
February 19. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 633
such a purpose, he resolved on arresting the progress of the Christian Reli-
gion, by effecting the destruction of its greatest promoter. However, Provi- dence frustrated his purpose, although it does not seem, that St. Patrick had
any suspicion of the threatened danger. Yet, his charioteer, Odhran, had
some prevision of the consequences likely to ensue.
'^
In most accounts, it
is said, that having had previous intimation of this design, Odran concealed
his knowledge concerning it from St. Patrick, whom he induced to occupy
the driver's seat in the chariot, whilst Odran himself should have some short
timeforrest. '7 TheholyApostlemostreadilyassented. Heunsuspectingly
relinquished his place, and assumed the reins, in order to gratify his servant's
wish. They had passed from Birr, and were traveUing along an ancient
road, which bore in an eastern direction, north of the Slieve Bloom moun-
tains, where their enemy lay in wait. Failge met the travellers on their
journey. Rushing against Odran, whom he mistook for St. Patrick, the furious chief transfixed him, with a stroke of his lance. Horrified at the
sight thus presented, the Apostle was about to pronounce a malediction on the murderer, when the dying Odran prayed it should rather descend on a
veryhightree,thatgrewonanadjoininghill,calledBrig-damh. Yet,forhis Satanic perfidy, the murderer was struck dead immediately afterwards ; and as a just punishment for his grievous crime, his soul was buried in hell, while angels were seen bearing that of Odhran to heaven, where he joined the array of purple-robed martyrs. St. Patrick furthermore announced, that the poste- rity of that wicked Foilge should wane, and lose power, in the principality ; while, Foilge Ros and his posterity should rule therein, which prediction was fulfilled. In an old Biburgensian Manuscript Life of St. Patrick, we are told, that when the soul of Foilge, for his wickedness, had been carried away to hell, the devil took possession of his living body, and dwelt in it, until St. Patrick came to the house of that cruel chief. It is stated, the Irish Apostle asked one of the servants for his master, and that he was told Foilge was within. " Call him to me," said Patrick. But, the servant returned, and told the Apostle in great sorrow, that he only found the dry bones of his
master. Then said Patrick :
*'
From the time, when Foilge butchered my
charioteer before me, he was buried in hell, but the devil came to possess his
body, so that while his soul was consigned to perdition, his body was also
dishonoured by demoniac influences. "'^ Attempts have been made to
identify the place, where this martyrdom occurred. Afterwards, it received
the name, Desart-Odran of Hy-Failge ; yet, this local denomination appears to have died out of popular recollection, notwithstanding the celebrity of the
^^ "
See Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical His-
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vi. , sect, xi. ,
p. 302.
^^ This pious contrivance of Odran is not
mentioned in St. Patrick's Third Life ; but,
it is there said, that Failge butchered Odran,
before his master and in the chariot. See
close of this little volume, is however worth
transcribing. "The second tale, Foilge ; or the Possessed, is a veritable Irish tradition. It is the earliest account that the author has been able to trace, of that belief, which still prevails in many parts of the world, viz. , of an evil spirit entering into the body of a dead man, and making tha—t dead man appear as
a it be if he were still living belief, may
remarked, very different from that which
"
S. Patricii, cap. lix. , p. 25.
Colgan's '^
teresting
prevails
Scripture that is, living men, into whose bodies an evil spirit had entered. Foilge as
Trias Thaumaurga. '' VitaTertia William 13ernard MacCabe, in his in-
little work, entitled,
"
AGrand-
s to the demoniacs described in a—
father's Story Book," has recorded this in-
cident of Odran's death, under the heading,
"
P'oilge ; or the Possessed," pp. 91 to 128.
It need scarcely be remarked, that as the
tale was chiefly written for juveniles, its
writer rather intends to give a dramatic, than
a historic interest, to his imaginative nar-
rative. The following note, towards the vians. " Seep. 211.
portrayed in the Irish legend, {Act. Sanct. Feb. , vol. iii. , pp. 131, 132) was the same in most respects as the modern vampire ; in some particulars like to the malignant dead described in the Sagas of the Scandina-
634 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February19.
transaction, which shoiiM be likely to preserve a recollection of it. On the road, between Frankfort ;ind Roscrea, is the little village of Killyon ;^9 and about two miles from the latter village, is yet shown the place, where Foilge attemptedthelifeofSi. Patrick. ^° Odran'snameoccurs,insomeforeignMar- tyrologies; yet, his festival has been assigned to distinct days, from the
^'^
present date. Thus, the 8th of May,
2nd and the 27th of October^3 have been conjecturally mentioned, in con-
nexion with it, by various Martyrologists. About, or soon after, the middle of the fifth century, this martyrdom of Odran is considered to have occiirred.
Yet, we find Dempster^^ absurdly placing this saint's death at a. d. 509, or ten years later ; while, he further has the presumption to state, that the relics of
Odran were preserved at Glascow, and transferred to Ireland, after the lapse of some ages. Again, it is asserted he wrote a certain book. '^s This saint is
honoured as a martyr, chiefly on the 19th of February ; but, in certain places, asweareinformed,onthe27thofOctober. ^^ Somechurcheswereformerly
dedicatedtohim,inthecountryaboutBirr,andintheOrmonds. ^7 Yet,we have no further means for ascertaining their whereabouts. Killurin,='^ in the
parish of Killoghey,^^ and barony of Ballyboy, King's County, was probably calledfromSt. Odhan.
