No More Learning

10
According to the statement of Walter
Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 880, 881, and n. (p). ,? This is supposed to bear date, about the year 1 160. This charter has been translated and published by Mr. O'Donovan, with learned notes in the Dublin PennyJournal, vol. i. , No. 13, pp. 102 to 104. I found another Manuscript copy of it, with notes altogether different from those published, and in the handwriting of Mr. ODonovan, among some loose sheets, entitled " Corre-
Harris : "The word Inch or Inis, in the
Irish and British languages, signifies an
Island ; though this here is only a peninsula, having a land passage into it on the north side. But it is common with the Irish to call
l6
See Dr. O'Donovan's" Annals of the Four
July 22. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
295
18
QuoileorCoilBridge, whichiscomposedofsixarches,andithasagate-
way over one end of it.
To what exact period we should refer the abbatial functions of St. Mob-
hius,wehavenomeansofascertaining. Hemusthaveflourishedbeforethe
ninth century, when he had a connexion with this place, as we learn from the
""
Feilire of St. /Engus. After the Anglo-Normans had landed in Ireland, one
of their most celebrated leaders ^ conducted an expedition to Down, where he subdued the local tanist. 20 As a result of this event, we learn, that John de Courcey demolished the Abbey of Carrig, which is said to have been a Bene- dictine foundation. Here there was a monastic house or institute, known as Carrig, and so called, from a rock on which it stood. This building is said
21 one of the of Ulster. by petty princes
The or abbey
near a noted race-course, at a place called Erynagh, where flowed a well dedicated to St. Finan. The abbey there had been converted into a garrison, by the Irish, when John de Courcey led his forces to the north. This was the cause of considerable annoyance to the invader of Down, until he demolished it. In atonement for this demolition, John de Courcey is said afterwards to have n8o23 or on an
.
Carrig Abbey2« He colonized it withCistercianmonks,2s whocamefrom
the monastery of Furness, in Lancashire. 26 The church of this abbey was
erected in the form of a cross, part of which remains. On the south side
seems to have stood a steeple, supported by an elegant arch, of which some of the beads or strings were to be seen, in the beginning of the last century. At the east end of the church are three large arched windows, upwards of
spondence, &c, concerning Names of unexpected. He fled, and left his people ex- Places, Antiquities, &c, County Down," posed to the ravages of a rapacious enemy, belonging to the Irish Ordnance Survey De Courcy then fortified himself in Down.
"
Office, Phoenix Park. In this copy, how- See Rev. Dr. Leland's History of lie-
ever, there is nothing in particular relating land from the Invasion of Henry II. ," to Iniscourcy. vol. i. , book L, chap, iv. , pp. Il8, 1 19.
18 "
Bridge, as it affords a safe way over a branch
of the lake, anciently called Lough Coyne,
and gives a short cut from Downpatrick, in the barony of Lecale, into the baronies of
to have been
erected,
of monastery Carrig
22 stood about one mile east of
Castle-Screen,
erected the of about the Abbey Inis-Curcey,
1188,
island or peninsula of Lough Strangford, which he endowed with the lands of
Dufferin and
Castlereagh. "—
" The Ancient
" It is said to have been possessed by Benedictine monks. See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 313.
23 According to Archdall, it was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, on the 3rd of
Perhaps it should be called Coyne Dublin, 1773, 4to.
2I The date assigned for its erection is on
and Present State of the County of Down,"
chap. . iii. , sect, ii. , p. 38.
* This was John De Courcey, who had been married to Africa, a daughter to Gothred, King over the Isle of Man, and of whom so vivid a description has been given
Giraldus Cambrensis, his
In the year 1 177, he led an army, with cer- tain knights in his train, to Dalaradia and to Down, where they slew Donnell, the grandson of Cathasac, Lord of Dalaradia. Down was plundered and destroyed by them on this occasion. See Dr. O'Donovan's
" Annals of the Four Masters," vol. iii. , pp. 28to33,andnn. (j, k, 1, m,n). InDown,he erected a castle, and he appears to have established himself there. However, he ex- perienced considerable vicissitudes of sue- cess and reverse in after
who was taken by surprise at an invasion so
June, 1180. See
"
Monasticon Hiberni-
by
contemporary.
cum," p. 122.
24 See " The Ancient and Present State of
the County of Down," chap, iii. , sect, i. , pp.
24, 25.
2S No less than five religious houses—in-
eluding the cathedral—were in or near Downpatrick; andamongthesewerecon-
vents of Benedictines, Augustinians, and Cis- tercians. Besides,Africa,wifeofSirJohnDe Courcy founded Grey Abbey for Cistercian monks, in 1 193. See Mr. and Mrs. Hall's "Ireland: its Scenery, Character," &c, vol. iii. , pp. 10, 18.
26 See Archdall, who follows the account
years.
20 He is called Dunleve, Prince of Uladh,
of Harris, in his p. 122.
"
Monasticon Hibernicum,"
See Archdall's p. 120.
"
Monasticon Hibernicum,"
year
the 8th of September, A. i). n 26 or 11 27.
296 LIVES OF THE IJtlSJI SAINTS. [July 22
twenty feet high, and on each side of the north and south walls are two win-
dows composed of two arches, little inferior in height or elegance to the great window on the east. These windows for light and ornament must have had a grand effect, when the church was in its splendour. In the south wall three tops of stalls *7 remained in the time of Harris. Immediately after entrance into the peninsula, by a causeway, is an old church, which, in the opinion of
I lurris,
was a a8 to the Over the south door perhaps chnpel great abbey. of
—
James Melville supposed
tuus .
Ecce .
Jacet . Celebravit
Old Church of Inis-Cumscraigh, County of Down.
this was a piece of sculpture, representing the image of Christ on the Cross, and a person on his knees, with hands elevated praying to Him. Some interesting remains, which are situated immediately after entrance into the island by a causeway, indicate in the simplicity of their form and architec-
27 The foregoing description has been Underneath is the following inscription:—
taken from " The Ancient and Present State
of the County of Down," chap, iii. , sect, ii. ,
p. 36.
** In this same chapel lies buried Sir
Insignis. Mii. es. Melvili. us. Carn- bia . Proles .
to be a descen- dant of the famous Sir James Melville, secre- tary to Mary Queen of Scots, and author of the Memoirs that pass under his name. The first-mentioned of these knights has here a monument of freestoe erected to his me- mory, and placed in an arch on the north side of the altar. Over a scutcheon of arms, the supporters of which are two birds—the defaced—you have this line, (viz. ) :
Natai. em IIibernia. Funus. habet . tumulum .
.
rest
being
.
S. Anno 1628. D.
Then on the top of the scutcheon in one quarter, I. M. , and in the other quarter A. R. At the foot of the scutcheon,—on one side,
are these words thus placed CHRISTO f. t Cv
Et. Octo. Christus. cum . TUS . ERAT.
tumula-
In
Si !
5°- P- 397-
:
—See "Ancient and Present State of the
County of Down," chnp. iii. , sect, ii. , pp.
37, 38.
29 See Dublin PennyJournal, vol. i. . No.
Mills .
et . Sexcentos . Egerat. Annos
ins . Vicenos .
sub . Hac . Lapidum . Mr>R-
Mole . Scotia intus .
tus . Astra . Colit . Sexaginta . Ocro . Felices .
rat . Annos.
.
.
Quadraiginta . Novem . ex . Animo. si s . Kques .
slmri- vixe-
July 22. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 297
33 See
of Down — with Mo-biuof InisCuscraid. "
very early antiquity
;
30 The accompanying illustration of it, drawn on the wood, by William F. Wake- man, has been engraved by Mrs. Millard.
31 In his "Ancient and Present State of the County of Down. "
32 In the Dublin Penny Journal;''
VmT>j;ein inaj;-oalena niuir\e mint) cech minam
PA1 f Appolloin uar-ail
tambm
County Antiquarian Appollonius,
Letters, belonging to the Ordnance Survey
2$ we have not been able to discover but,
tural features a
any historical notice, regarding the period of foundation for the old church, to which allusion has been made. 3° After giving the substance of what had been
written Harris^1 and Mr. O' 3* that and already by by Donovan, ingenious
elegant writer George Petrie supposed, that what had been called a chapel to the greater abbey, by Harris, was the original abbey church of Iniscums-
cray. However, Mr. O'Donovan, who appears to have examined its ruins on the spot, remarks in one of his topographical letters, that every one in the neighbourhood thought that Dr. Petrie had totally mistaken the date for erec-
"
tionofthesmallchurchatInch. 33 Inthe DublinPennyJournal,"34wehave
two rough but effective woodcuts,35 representing these ruins in the year 1833, with an article further illustrative of their state and history, from the pen of Mr. Petrie, who sets before us all that can well be gleaned.
St. Mobiu is commemorated at the 22nd of July, by St. ^Engus the Culdee, in the " Feilire. "36 A comment on this notice remarks in Irish, that Thy- Biu, son of Comgall, was in Ferann Duin,37 equivalent to the district of Down. A St. Mobhius, son to Comgell, is venerated at the 22nd of July, according to Marianus O'Gorman and others. 38 In Scotland, this holy man was vene- rated, as we learn from the Kalendar of Drummond,39 at the 22nd of July. Again, in the "Circle of the Seasons," we find entered at the 22nd of July, St. Dabius ©f Ireland. -10
It is melancholy to reflect, as one discovers frequently in travelling through Ireland, that so many temples and monasteries of her ancient Church are now
crumbling into ruin.
Here, in the times of primitive faith, the good religious tended the lamp of the sanctuary, and while engaged in praise and prayer themselves, their example and instructions were not lost even upon world- lings. These were exhorted to consecrate the beginning and end of the day, and not to allow their worldly concerns to interfere with or to prevent such holy occupations. Those who could not attend the public assemblies of the faith- ful were always careful to pray at home, at certain appointed times. So was perpetual adoration preserved, while blessings in return flowed on themselves and on their families.
ArticleII. —St. Caemhog,orCaemoca. Oneofthegreatestdangers in ancient as in modern society must be for even honest women to have their hearts too much abroad upon the world, and to love fetes, diversions, and company,whileyoung. AnobleFrenchmanwarnshisdaughters,thatthey
"Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca- Office, Phoenix Park. Mr. O'Donovan's demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
Letter, dated Downpatrick, April 28th, 1834.
34 See vol. i.
33 These woodcuts are by Branston and Wright, the designs having been furnished by A. Nicholl, Esq.
the
part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. cxi. 3; See ibid. , p. cxx.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
"
39 His feast is thus entered: xi. Kal.
36 " Leabhar Breac " In the
Mobiu. "—
is following stanza, thus translated into
Forbes' "Kalendarsof Scottish Saints," p. 19.
copy English by Dr. Whitley Stokes, LL. D. :—
Bishop <° See p. 204.
38 See
Colgan's
nioe," xvii. Januarii, n. 9, p. 354.
livopi Caupcpam.
" The fair nativity of Mary Magdalen, the
diadem of every host : the passion of noble
Apud Hibemiam Natale Sancti Episcopi
298 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 22. should avoid places where, without any sort of provocation, many an innocent
if
unscrupulous assaults.
The delight of vicious natures is to noise the evil
suffers. 1 He cautions
cannot decline decently
them,
convivial entertainments, always to be by the side of parents or prudent
friends, to avoid the consequences of scandal, and to be screened from mali- cious tongues and eyes, which always talk and espy more levity than ever takes place. Thus, should the reputations of women be guarded against
lady's reputation
they
2
How
do not the women of the religious
and to hide the
Church observe these precepts, in withdrawing from the company and conver- sation of men. An instance is here afforded, in the example given by this holy woman. She was sister to St. Kevin,3the celebrated Abbot and founder of Glendalough. It is mentioned in the Martyrology of Donegal,4 that vene- ration was given, at the 22nd of July, to St. Caemhog, or Coemoca, as she iselsewheredenominated. Caemell,daughterofCeannfionnan,sontoCeis, son of Lughar, was her mother. s This Caemell was the mother of St. Caoimhghin, or Kevin of Glendalough, and of Natcaoimh or Mochoemius, of Tir da ghlas, as also of Coeman Santlebhain of Airdne. 6 There is a local tradition, in the country about Glendalough, that Kevin, Keen, and Kine, were brothers. This popular belief seems to be not at all in variance with docu- mentsandgenealogiesextant. However,thepresentcompileris onlyable towritethosenames,astheywerephoneticallyandlocallypronounced; but,as time may have wrought many changes of pronunciation, it may be possible, St. Caemhog or Coemoca—a sister for a brother—may have been confounded with Keen or Kine. 7 There is an old church, called Kilkine,8 in the parish of Ballykine, barony of Ballinacor South, and county of Wicklow. The church gives name to the parish. The ruins are situated on a very elevated site, over the south bank of the Avonbeg River, not far from the entrance to Glenma- lure. 0 The old church is now one mass of ruins, and the outlines of the
good.
faithfully
building are not to be traced with great accuracy, for its stones have been either removed or scattered about in loose heaps. A mere fragment of the west gable presents the face of a wall. So far as appears, from the founda- tion lines, on admeasurement, the ruined church had been 52 feet in length, 17 feet in width, and 2 feet 6 inches in thickness. A graveyard surrounds it, and it is still much used for interments. It is sequestered and all grown over
"
in the lovely Vale of Ovoca. Many of the headstones date from the early
10
Article III. —St. Moroecha Mac Naeb, or Morecha, a Boy-Saint. It seems quite probable, that this holy child did not exceed the years of
Articleii. —" LeLivreduChevalierde 6See
with trees. This spot is about one mile from the
Meeting of the Waters,"
part of the last century.
Colgan's
la Tour Londry. nicT," xii Martii. Vita S. Dagani, nn. 4,
3"
See Alexander Vance's Romantic 5, 6, 7, p. 586.
"
EpisodesofChivalricandMediaevalFrance,"
pp. 291, 292.
3 See his Life, at the 3rd of June, in the
Sixth Volume of this work, Ait. " i.
4 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
198, 199.
5 Nearly similar to this is the account of
7 ByelidingOgt
we arrive very nearly to this pronuncia- tion.
St. <Engus, when treating on the Mothers of the Irish Saints, lib. iv. Strange, that in the translation of the of
Maps.
9 It is on a high ground surmounting a
bridge, built in 1728 over the river at Clash village, and it lies within Mr. Whally's de- mesne.
,0 Such were observations made, on the occasion of a visit, in June, 1871.
Martyrology Donegal, St. Caemhog is regarded as a man.
8
It is so marked on Sir William Betty's
"ActaSanctorumHiber-
avirgin,"fromCacmh,
July 22. ] LIVES OB THE IRISH SAINTS. 299
puberty, and that " he was taken away lest wickedness should alter his under-
standing, or deceit beguile his soul. " 1 At the 22nd of July, a festival is
recorded in the of 2 in honour of Moroecha Mac Naeb. Martyrology Tallagh,
Furtherparticularsarehardlyknownconcerninghim. Again,theMartyr- ology of Donegal 3 registers him at the same date, as Morecha, a boy-saint. In our day, we have had a knowledge of the simple and guileless innocence of
Irish children, whose good and almost sinless dispositions gave promise of a riper sanctity. Parents find real treasures in such children, and they are
greatly open to censure, if the arch-enemy afterwards be allowed to destroy the working of God's grace, in the souls of their dearest charge.
Article IV. —St. Dobeodoc or Dabhaetog, of Cluain-da-Bhaetog, orClondawaddoge,inFanid,CountyofDonegal. Thesimplename, Dobeodoc, without any further designation, is found in the Martyrology of
1 atthe22ndof
The of 3 at'the Martyrology Donegal registers
Tallagh,
same date, Dabhaetog, of Cluain-da-Bhaetog, in Fauaid, in Tirconaill. In the table appended to this Martyrology, his name is rendered into Dabhaoddg. 3 The place to which this saint belonged is now known as Clendawaddoge, in
thecountyofDonegal. * Yet,itisnotnoted,ontheIrishOrdnanceSurvey Maps.
Article V. —St. Moronoc or Moronog, of Druim Samhraidh. We
1
read in the Martyrologies of Tallagh, and of Marianus O'Gorman, that St.
Moronoc or Moronog, of Droma Samhraidh, was venerated at the 22nd of July. On the same day, he is found in the copy of the Feilire ^Enguis, which belonged to Cathal Maguire. Colgan seems to think, this saint may have been identical with a certain Moronoc, a penitentiary of Inis-Luaidhe or Inis-lua, who assisted at the of St.
July.
Senan,
middle of the sixth century. If so, his place lay within the Shannon River,
obsequies
between Limerick and Iniscathy. It belonged to the diocese of Killaloe. 3
In the Martyrology of Donegal, the present saint is set down, as Moronog of Druim Samhraidh.
ArticleVI. —St. LugidorLuighbe. Inthe of 1 Martyrology Tallagh,
the name of Lugid is inserted at the 22nd of July. A conjecture has been
2 that he
of Iona, as mentioned in the Acts of St. Columba,3 and numbered among his disciples/ In the Martyrology of Donegal,s Luighbe is entered, at this
offered,
date.
may
have been identical with St. a monk Lugbe Mac-cumin,
Article hi. — ' Wisdom, c.
n.
*
Senani, cap. Ixiii. , 31, rectepp. 533,536.
and n.
2
iv. , EditedbyRev. Dr. Kelly,p. xxx.
v.
Martii. Vita S.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 198, 199.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
198, 199-
Article vi. —' Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxx.
2
By Colgan.
3 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's u Life
of St. Columba, lib. i. , cap. 15, pp. 43, 44, cap. 24, pp. 53, 54, cap. 28, pp. 56, 57, cap. 41, pp. 77 to 79.
« See "Trias Thaumaturga," Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Columbse, cap. x. , num. 81.
s Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 198, 199.
Article iv. —x Kelly, p. xxix.
Edited by Rev. Dr.
2 Edited 198, 199.
by
Drs. Todd and
Reeves, pp.
3 See ibid. , pp. 398, 399.
4 Such is the identification of the late
William M. Hennessy.
Article v. —x Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxx.
2
See his Life at the 8th of March, in the Third Volume of this work, Art. i.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernice," viii.
2 Abbot of about the Iniscathy,
3oo LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 22. ArticleVII.