No More Learning

"'See Bishop Challoner's "Britannia
3« xxx. "Vahiidori
See
Sanctorum,"
iii. ,
Ap-
depositio
Forannani
"Acta
'5
rilis XXX. Vita . S. Forannani Ab. Walciodor. . Tuctore Roberto Monacho Walciodorensi, cnp. ii. , iii. , pp. 811 10S14.
abbatis, qui episcopali tilulo ad convertendas
gentes ornatus cum in Scotia Archiepiscopa-
tum gessisset, M. L. hoc est ; cum Scotorum Antistitum maximus fuisset, cumulatus gloria excessit. Gh. S. " See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of . Scottish Saints," p. 197.
:
April 30. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 567
Article II. —St. Ciaran, of Cluain-Sosta, or Clonsost, King's
'
County. The Martyrology of Tallagli records iiis name and place, at the
30th of April. The locality is written Cluana Sasta,' in the edition by Rev. Dr. Kelly. The Bollandists 3 refer to that same authority, and at this date, for Kieranus of Cluain-Sosta. This place is said to have been situated, in Lei. \ ;* but, it does not form a part of the present Queen's County. We are of opinion, however, that the residence of this saint must be identified with Clonsast, or Cloncast, also called Clonbollogue, a parish, in the barony of Coolestown, and in the present King:'s County. It seems rather to have been within the ancient territory of Ui Failghe, which was called after Ros of the Rings. 5 A ruined and a very ancient church is found there, while the site is now seldom frequented. It lies within the present townland of Clonsast, in that parish, bearing a like name. The parish is most commonly called ClonbuUoge,* and,itisskirtedbyalargeextentofbog. Theoldchurchoccupiesaslight
Clonsast Old Church, King's County.
elevation ; but, it is surrounded nearly altogether by nioory meadow and pas- ture land, with some reclaimed tillage soil. ' The cemetery around it is at
present quite disused for interments, nor have the people near any tradition regarding its former venerable associations. The existing ruined gables and
Article n. —'
xiii.
' This also agrees with the Franciscan
copy, which has CiAi\<in CLuain fAfCd.
* See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Aprihs XXX. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 722.
<O"
See Professor Eugene Curry s Lec-
tures on th« Manuscript Materials of Ancient
Kelly, p.
Edited by Rev. Dr.
Irish History," Lect. i. , p. 21.
5 He was the common from ancestor,
whom were derived O'Conchobhair P'ailghe, O'Conor P'aly, ODiomasai^'h Clann Maei-
liaghra, or O'Dcmpsey of Clanmalier, and O'Uuinn or O'Dunne of Iregan. After the estaMi. 'ihment of surnames, these were its most distinguished families. See tejbhjp na 5-Ceapc, or the " Book of Rights,"
S68 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[April 30.
side walls show, that they had been built with large and finely-dressed blocks of limestone ;. wliile they are now mantled over with ivy. Some few scattered trees, with liawthorn bushes, grow within the enclosure. We read, in the Martyrology of Donegal^, tliat on this day, a festival was celebrated in honour of Ciaran, of Ciuain-Sosta. Tlie Leabhar Chluana Sost, or Book of Clonsost, is sliil one of the missing " books of Erinn. 9 This is said to liave been written, by St. Berchdn"", patron of the place ; and, he flourished so early as the sixth century. It contained a Life of Alexander the Great. "
Article III. —St. Michomer, or Michomores, Confessor, of
ToRNODOR, in Gallic Campania. \Fifth Century. ^ The Bollandists
furnish notices of St. Michomer, at the 30th day of April ; and, this holy man
is called a confessor from Ireland.
graphs, by Father Daniel Papebroke ; however, he not only seeks to invali- date the ancient traditions, by unwarrantable and misplaced conjectures, but even the records of olden times, which state, tliat Michomer or Michomores was a native of Hibernia. ' A Manuscript belonging to Auxerre has such a statement, and it relates, moreover, that he was of royal or noble birth, having first seen the light, about tlie year 410. He seems to have been brought up as a pagan, until the year 431, when he became a disciple of St. Germanus,3 Bishop of Auxerre, who instructed him in the principles of t! ie Christian faith, and at a time, when in company with St. Lupus,'' Bishop of Troyes, he had been sent to evangelize the Britons, among whom Pelagianism had began to spread. 5 In the year 432, St. Michomeres, with St. Germanus,* went to France.
might be substituted, for Hibernia, as the country of his birth. Again, it is supposed, that the name of Michomer or Michomores could not have been Irish, nor could lie have followed Germanus, as a disciple, from Ire- land, which Eric states. Indeed, no solid objection to Michomer's birth has been raised, in the over criticism of Papebroke. It may well be allowed, that even before
Christianity had been generally introduced,
St. the
by Patrick, among Irish, many of
these had visited the continent, and had become Christians. Even Irish names had
often been corrupted there, especially when converted into Latinized forms, as was also the case, where Csesar transforms the Celtic and Gallic denominations into the Latin of his celebrated commentaries.
3 His foast occurs, at the 25th ofJuly. His
Life was originally written, by Eric, a monk of Auxerre, who flourished in the ninth cen- tury ; and, in it, allusions are made to our saint, as " unus discipulorum ejus, qui sanc- tum virum de Hibernia fuerat prosecutus, cui Michomeri vocabulum fuit," &c.
edited by John O'Donovan, n. (b), p. 193. '"
See Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ire- land," vol. i. , p. 462.
' The accompanying illustration was drawn by the writer on tlie spot, in August, 1883, it has been transferred to the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and it has been engr. aved, by Mrs. Millard.
'Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
114, 115.
' See Professor "
O'Curry's Manuscript
Materials of Ancient Irish History," Lect. i. , p. 21.
" His feast occurs, at the 4th of Decem- ber.
" This was copied into the Leabhar Mor Duna Doiyhra, commonly called the Leab- har Breac, now preserved, in the Royal Irish Academy. See ibid. , Lect. xvi. pp. 352, 353- —
"
tomus iii. , Aprilis xxx. De Sancto Micho-
Article hi.
'
See
Acta Sanctorum,"
mere, Tornodori in Campania Gallicana, pp. 775 to 777.
—"Pap-broke conceives, that for Hibernia
which lie imagines to have been an error
•
His feast is held, on the 24th of July.
ofEric,the — ofSt.
biographer Germanus,
5SeeRev. "
John Lingard's Antiquities
of the Anglo-Saxon Church," chap, i. , p. 19.
' A
or of his copyist Nivernia should have been used ; while Averni or Ar\erni may have been substituted for Hiberni, Iverni, or Iberni, in certain cases. Thus, he conjec- tures, that Michomer had been born in
critical account of this celebrated saint and of his writings will be found, in the " Hisloire Literaire de la France," by the
Their disquisition is written in ten para-
Nivernia, near the diocese of Auxerre, of Benedictines. See tome ii. , Siecle v. , sect,
Franc or of Saxon parents ; and, again, if i. ,ii. , pp. 256 to 261. this be not allowed, the word Britannia
very
April 30. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 569
Here, he is thought to have spent some years, with his celebrated master, while serving at the cathedral church of Auxerre, or in a seminary attached to it. Even, it is said, he returned with St. Germanus to Britain, when the latter visited it a second time, in the year 443. ' Having undertaken a jour- ney, for the transaction of some important ecclesiastical affairs one account
—— has it, that he was on the way to assist at a council held in Besan^on * St.
Germanus was accompanied by Mochomer. They arrived at a fortified place, calledTharnor,'morecorrectlyTonnerre. '" Therehisdisciplefellsick,and
he could not proceed further on his journey. There, too, according to the account of Eric, he did not long survive ; and, he was buried on the declivity of a hill, through the pious attentions of the faithful. The Manu- script of Auxerre conveys another impression, that he remained ill while St. Germanus prosecuted his journey, and that he did not depart this life, until after the council had been held at Besangon," in the year 444. " Selecting the place for his habitation, Michomer appears to have led the life of a recluse
at Tornodor, a town of Champagne,'^ near Burgundy,"'' in the diocese of
Langres. 's There, St. Michomer probably had a chapel or an oratory ; at least, one existed, which had been dedicated to him, in after time, and it was
situated outside of the fortress. His departure from this life has been assigned, to the year 446 ; and, he is said to have been buried by St. Lupus, Bishop of Troyes,'* the ancient capital of Champagne. '' St. Germanus, it is thought, hadsomedivineadmonition,reganlinghisdisciple'sdeath; when,aftersome
time,hereturnedfromBesan^on,bywayofTharnor. Here,seekingthe tomb of his disciple, he ordered the covering to be raised, and he called Michomer by name. Once more, the latter came to life, and he was asked by Germanus, if he wished to engage again in missionary labours ; but, Michomer declared, if it should not be a cause of regret for his master, and if it were not necessary for the service of Christ, that he should continue in the world, he desired rather to be dissolved, and to be with him in heaven. The holy bishop assenting to his wishes, Michomer reclined his head, and wenttohisfinalrest,allwhowerepresentbeingingreatadmiration; Then, in honour of the holy pilgrim, an oratory was built over his remains ; and, in ages long subsequent, these relics were visited by crowds of the faithful, who receivedvariousbenefits,throughhisintercession. Abouttheyear1231,N. , Count of Tornodor, built or rebuilt the chapel over St. Michomer's tomb ;
' This is stated, in the Auxerre Manu- script.
' In the time of the
Nero, A. d.
which remained longest in the possession of the Roman Emperors. Its history is well set forth, in " Memoires Histori-
Emperor
69, the city of Bcsan9on was besieged, by
the Roman General Rufus. . See Le Sieur K. de Mezeray's "Ilisloire de France," &c. ,
tome i. , liv. ii. , sect, v. , p. 63.
' Thus it is called, in Eric's Vita S.
Germani. "
Beaugier's
ques de la Province de Champagne," and in
" The " Oppidum Tomodorum," or ""
Themadorum, lay in Celtic Gaul, and within the Duchy of Biiri^ndy. See Bavd- rand's " Novum Lexicon Geographicum," tomusii. , p. 275.
" An interesting description and view of this city will be fuund m Elisee Rectus'
" Nouvelle Geographic Universelle," tome ii. , pp. 376 to 380.
" A view of this city will be found in A. "
" In it, Celidonius, a bishop, was deposed.
Hugo's France Pittoresque,"&c. , tome i. , p. 191.
See Sir Harris Nicolas' "
' See an interesting account of this place in Elisee Reclus' "Nouvelle Gdographie Universelle," tome ii. , pp. 698, 699.
of '^ This was one of the parts of Gaul,
History," p. 218.
"
Beraut's " Hisioire de Comtes de Cham-
pagne et de Brie," Paris, 1839.
' Also called Bour};ogne. In ancient
times, this country was chiefly inhabited by the ^Edui, a powerful Celtic tribe, whose capital was Bibracte, the modem Autun.
See Charles Knight's "English Cyclope- dia," Geography, vol. ii. , col. 76.
'^ See Elisee Reclus' " Nouvelle Geogra-
phie Universelle," tome ii , pp.
698 to 700,
for a description of this city, and for a map of its immediate surroundings.
Chronolc^y
570 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 30.
but, although it formerly bore his name, afterwards, it was called the chapel of St. Loup le Reclus. '^ Formerly, a stone statue of our saint had been
placed on the top of that oratory, and it represented him, holding a travel- ler's staff in his hand, with a large and peculiarly-shaped head-gear, while at
"
the base was this inscription :
Deioratores,annoDominimdxi. "'9 AparchmentManuscriptMissalhas a special Missa de Heato Michomere,'° in which there is a remarkable Bene- diction for wine to be used for sick persons, and in which the intercession of Micomir, confessor, from Hibernia,^' is invoked. A large tomb, elevated two or three feet over the ground, was formerly seen in the middle of that chapel, and near the altar ; but, owing to practices savouring of superstition, it is said to have been demolished in 1628, when the remains of St. Michomer are thought to have been disturbed, without a capability of these being now identified.
Article IV. —St. Ronan, of Liath Ros, probably in the County
OF Louth. This holy man must have lived, at a remote period, for he has
an early commemoration, in our calendars. So far as we can learn, from the
""
Feilire of St. ^ngns,' at this date, he was known as Ronan the gray, and
his place was called Ross Uainni. The commentator on this Tract in the " Leabhar Breac " seems to be doubtful, regarding the site of that habitation ;
for, he offers a conjecture, that it was at Senbuaile, in Conaill Muirthemne, Ronan lived, or, as lie adds, in anotlier place. Then Ronan of Liath-ross, or Lethross, is said to be one name, while, it is thought, he had been a mis- sionary out of Ireland. The territory of Conaille-Muirtheimhne is also called Magh-Muirtheimhne,' and Machaire-Oirghiall. It is a level plain, extend- ing from the River Boyne to the mountains of Cuailgne, or Carlingford, and it is situated in the present county of Loudi. 3 Dundalk, Louth, Druimiskin and Monasterboice are mentioned, as having been within this level district of country. ^ The name Ronan, of Liath Ross, is found in the published Martyrology of Tallagh,s at the 30th of April ; and, witli this corresponds the Franciscan copy. ' In like manner, and from the same authority, the Bol- landists? merely record Ronanus de Liathros, in Conallia Murtheninensi. On this day, likewise, the Martyrology of Donegal ' mentions, that venera-
" Papebroke, in noticing this chapel, soris ab Hibernia, Aquilonica et remota re-
states
:
" niiiu aS. Liipo dkliiin :quod mill-
gione," &c. — Article iv.
tis ante seciilis titulum S. Michomeris/^'«/! <-
lisse, pratti- constantem tnajorum tradi-
tionem ; charta tabularii Molismensis docent : in quibus Guilielmns Comes Tornodorensis dedisse insuper scribitttr Domino Roberto Abbati Molismensi Capella—m S. Michome- ris, qu£E est extra castrum. " "Acta Sane- torum," tomus iii. , Aprilis xxx. De Sancto Michomere Tornodori in Campania Galli- cana, num. I, p. 775.
'Such is tlie account given by Robert Luyt, a canon ofTornodor, in a little French book, which was published, AD. 1656.
'
See "Transactions of
Vocor Micomeres, convocans ad Reclusium
* See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the "" In the Collect of his Mass, this prayer Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (u), p. 10.
is found: " Deus qui B. Michomerem ex
Hibernia ad hunc clivum rupis venire fecisti,
concede propitius, ut per ejus adventum ad
electorum tuorum pervenire meieamur con- rilis xxx. Among the pretermitted saints, sortium. "
:
»' The words are
p. 722.
" Micomiris confes ' FMited by Drs, Todd and Reeves. See
the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On tiie Calendar of
Oengus, by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. Ixxvii.
"
See Ussher's" Primordia," pp. 627, 705, 827, 902.
' See the Annals of Tighernach," at A. D. 1002, where these people are called the fol- lowers of Conall. Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibernicarum . Scriptores," tomus ii. , p. 270.
' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxii.
'
There entered, Tlonaiii Lidch Hoi)-,
' See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Ap-
April 30. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 571
tion was given to Ronan, of Liathros, in Conaille Muirtheimhne, in Uladh. He was even commemorated, in Scotland ; for, at the 30th of April, the Kalendar of Driinimond, has an entry of his festival. '
Article V. —St. Luith, Virgin, of Druim-dairbhreach. The
chaste sjiouse of Christ is a living evidence of those higher and nobler feel-
ings, after whicli Christian beings aspire, in many casaal instances; but, it is only the few who carry out in continuous and unwearied action the Divine
counsels of perfect purity and of real goodness. An entry appears, in the Martyrology of Tallagh," at tlie 30th of April, which describes a holy female
as ofDromadairbreacli. This Luta, virgin,
place
hill ;" but, it has not been identified. However, it is mentioned, in the
Annals of the Four Masters,' at the year 1062, and, in such a manner as to indicate, that it must have been situated within the territory of Leinster, as
then recognised. The Bollandists 3 quote the Tallagh Martyrology, at this date, for the festival of the virgin Luta of Droma-airbreach. The name of
Luith, virgin, of Druim-dairbhreach, also occurs in the Martyrology of Done- gal,* as having had veneration paid her, on this day.
Article VL—St. Failchon, or Faelchu, Bishop. This name Failchon Bishop, appears in the Martyrology of Tallagh," at this date. With this notice corresponds an entry in the Franciscan copy. ' Following such statement, the Bollandists ' also enter Foelchus, Bishop, at the 30th of April. The place, with which he was connected, does not seem to be known. Again, the festival of Faelchu, Bishop, was celebrated on this day, according to the Martyrology of Donegal. *
Article VIL—The Family of Eaoo, or Island of Egg, Scotland, accordingtosomeaccounts. Thepresentseemstohavebeenentered, as a doubtful festival. It may luve crept in as an error of position, reference having been made to this place, at the previous day. At this date, we tind
"
dicunt," which signifies, that a feast had been assigned to tlie religious family
Before his arrival a settlement of the Gall- there,
in the
inserted, however, Martyrology
of
Tallagh,"
Familia
ut — Eago, quidam
those ' St. Donnan's administration of Egg monas- martyrs during
prob—ably
tery by certain writers. '
Appendix to the Introduction, p. xlviL,and pp. 114, 115.
' Thus is the matter menticned, at ii. Kl. "Hoc quoqiie die apud Hibcr- iii. im Natale Sancti Confessoris Ronar. i
1 14, 115. Article vi.
—'
Edited by Rev. Dr.
' — Forbes' celebratur. Bishop
of ScoUish Sain—ts," p. 12. '
w^ 'Opom t)<Mi>bpe<sch, at this date.
' See Dr. O Donovan's Edition, vol. ii. ,
pp. 882, 883, and n. (c), ibid.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Ap-
rilis xxx. Among the pretermitted s. -»ints,
p. 722.
« Edited by Drs, Todd and Reeves, pp.
Kelly, p. xxii.
' Thus entered V^il^lion epi.
' See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Ap-
Rev. Dr.
p. xxii. The Franciscan copy has Lucj
P- 722.
* Edited
Drs. Todd and
—
Article V. Edited by
Kelly,
by 114, 115.
Reeves, pp.
"
Kalendars
rilis xxx. the Among
ARTICLE vii.
Kelly, p. xxii. '
Edited by Rev. Dr.
meansin "Oak- English
See an account of them already given,
at the 17th of April,
' The Franciscan copy of the Tallagh
Martyrology thus notices, at the 301)1 <jf April, V<»'"'l-i<x CgAuc «l,ti oicunc.
pretermitted saints,
572 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 30.
gaedhil was in tlie place ; and, by this term, it seems to us, are we to under-
stand settlers of the Irish nation. * This name was originally borne by the
Galhvegians, and in its territorial sense it is still used as synonymous with
Galloway,5 whose kings or chiefs are often called Ri Gallgaidhel. * The
Island of Egg, or Eig, is the most easterly of that group of islands lying
betweenthepromontoryofArdnamurchan' andtheIslandofSkye. *Itfaces
that wild and rugged district on the mainland, extentling from Ardnamurchan
to Glenelg. It is still known by the denomination of Garbheriochan, or
"
monastic family," to the Gallgaedalu, or Western Isles of Scot- land. 9 At that time, the Christian religion appears hardly to have penetrated the western districts north of Ardnamurchan ; but, the people seem to have been favourable to the little Christian colony established in t,he Island of
Egg,bySt. Donnan. Itisthoughttohavebeenreserved,asapasturagefor sheep, by the inhabitants of that district. However, the rule had passed into thehandsofaqueen,whowasstillapagan. Movedbyhatredtothemonks,she engagedpiratestodestroythem. WhileofTeringtheHolyEucharist,these miscreants burnt the wooden church, in which they were assembled. '" How- ever, the fifty-two "—or according to other authorities fifty-four"—martyrs obtameda short respite, until Mass had ended, when they were all slain, "3 on the 17th of April, a. d. 617. m The gloss on the Martyrology of Tallagh, already given in detail, at that day of this month, contains their various names,andthetaleoftheirmartyrdom. MarianusO'Gormanhastheircom- memoration entered, in his calendar ;'5 while the celebrity of these sufferers for the Faith has been preserved, in the early Scottish church.
rough bounds. " Early in the seventh century, St. Donnan went with his
"
Muintir, or
* However, Dr. Joha O'Donovan con- siders the Gall-Gaeidhil to be the Dano- Gaels of the Hebrides. See "Annals of the Four . Masters," at A. D. 1154, vol. ii. , n. (u), p|). U12, 1113.
5 . See William F. Skene's " Celtic Scot-
land : a History of Ancient Alban," vol. i. ,
Marianus O'Gorman, in whose account the exact number is not given.
" The commentator on the calendar of
St. y5£ngus has ** Dond. in ega . i. ega
ainm oilein fil in alpain 7 isannside ata
donnan no icattaib et ibi donnan sanctus
cum sua familia obiit . i. li'i. " It is thus
translated into English by Dr. Whitley
Stokes "' '
: Donnan of Ega t. e. Ega the
name of an Island which is in Scotland, and there Donnan is, or in Caithness. And there Saint Donnan di—ed with his
Uook i. , cliap. vii. , p. 345.
' In Annates Ultonienes, at a. d.
1190. See Rev. Dr. O'C'onor's " Rerum Hiberni-
" caruinScriptores, tomusiv.