Inis-Bofinde is
situated
within the limits of Longford county, and in Ardagh diocese.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v8
Rioch to Ireland, or at least were with him there.
14 We have no information respecting these twelve pilgrims, nor the country whence they emigrated ; but, if it be true, as stated, that Rioch was brother to Mel, and that both were nephews of St.
Patrick, we may probably recognise the native land of the latter as that whence St.
Rioch and his twelve disciples sailed for Ireland.
' 5
—ur old
but, by o writers,
he is classed 2
among
the
disciples
among
the
The Rev. Dr. Lanigan denies, that our saint had been St. Patrick's
J? and Life'8 of our lush Jocelyn's
16 in to the disciple, opposition
Tripartite
Apostle. A principal argument, on which the learned Irish Church historian
relies, is founded on the unusual term of years to which his life must have been prolonged, were we to accept such a statement. We are told,^ that Rioch had charge of the books and writings, and that he was librarian to St. Patrick. 20 This office he discharged after he had been ordained Deacon.
According to the accounts extant, St. Rioch is said to have been a
companion of his uncle, St. Patrick, during all his journeys. But, in addition
to gifts of supernatural grace our saint had acquired, and that purity of soul whereby he became the admired of all admirers, he was remark ible for a
wonderful beauty of person ; as if a bounteous Creator had specially decreed, that the virtues and amiable qualities of his soul should be enshrined,
in an earthly temple, worthy of being considered the fairest receptacle of imperishable beauty, and within an ornamental casket, which contained
the precious jewels of most extraordinary virtues. 21
It is related, that whilst engaged in spreading the Gospel throughout Ireland, St. Patrick found some difficulty, in effecting the repentance of a
feast of St. Rioch and St. Mel, at the 6th of
No. 24, p. 473.
,s
Supposing him to have been that St. Rioch visited by Bishop Aidus on Lough See Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga," Ree, while the latter died in 589. See
"
Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. ,
iv. , pp. 226 to 228, and cap. xxiii. , p. 266. chap, viii. , sect, xiii. , p. 419, and nn. 174,
13 See ibid. Septima Vita S. Patricii, 175. 176, 177, p. 421.
February, on the ground that both were
brothers. Usshersustainsthesame connexion. 12 "
pars, ii. , cap. xxi. , p 132.
14 In a note, Colgan refers to the Acts of
St. Mel, published at the 6th of February,
and the Life of our Saint, published at the
same day. If the present St. Rioch be
identical with that person mentioned in the
Litany of ^Enguss, twelve foreign saints are
invoked as being his companions, in these
terms " SS. duodecim socios S. Riochi :
"
&c. See Dr. George Petrie's "Ecclesiastical Architecture and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii, sect, ii. ,
See in Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," 5 See "Topographical Illustrations of the Quarta Vita S. Patricii, cap. lxxi. , p. 44, Southern and Western suburbs of Kit- and nn. 47. 48, p. 49. Jocelin's or Sexia
transmarinos, inuoco,
cap. xvii. , p. 382, as also Ihdex Chrono-
lo^ijus, p. 568.
2j
See"TheTripartiteLifeofSt. Patrick," edited by Whitley Stokes, LL. D.
2I
p. 138. '
in " Pro- Vita S.
ceedmgs and Papers of the Kilkenny and and nn. 91, 92, 93, p. 112. Septima Vita
South-Eastof Ireland Archaeological Society," S. Patricii, pars, ii. , cap. cxvi. , pp. 144, vol, ii. New Series, November, 1859, 145, and nn. 166, 167, p. 181,
' Mr. kenny. by
John Hogan,
Patricii, cap.
lxxxiv. , 84, 85, pp
'? "
See Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga,"
Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, ii. , cap. xxi. , p. 132, and nn. 57, 58, 59, 60, p. 175.
l8
See ibid. Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. 1. , p. 76, and nn. 52, 53, p. 100.
' 9 See Archbishop Ussher's M Complete Work. -," edited by Dr. Elrmgton, vol. vi.
"
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquiiates,"
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August i,
22 Being at
however, through the cogency of the Saint's reasonings and miracles, he obtained the grace of regeneration, in the waters of Baptism. That chieftain was remarkable for his deformed countenance and limbs. He made frequent
complaints to Patrick, on the subject, and requested the Saint to exercise communicated and supernatural power in his regard by prayers, so that a miracle might be performed, as also for the edification of people, who were already believers. Moved by the chief's entreaties, St. Patrick enquired of him, what person he should most desire to resemble in beauty of appearance.
At that time, Rioch with many others was present. Looking around through the assemblage, Eugenius at once decided on his wish to assume the likeness of the young Deacon, who was the keeper of St. Patrick's books, and a Briton by birth. In appearance, he was the most comely of all men living in those parts. Requiring both of them to lie down on the same bed to sleep, and under the same coverlid, St. Patrick stood over them, while his hands were elevated towards heaven. A wonderful miracle is said to have taken place; for when awaking from sleep, that chieftain appeared to resemble the holy Deacon so closely, that his clerical tonsure only rendered the latter distinguishable from the chief. All, who had witnessed this result, were struck with admiration. More particularly the heart of Eugenius rejoiced, as his entreaties and desires had been gratified to his perfect
satisfaction. ^
CHAPTER II.
RETIREMENT OF ST. RIOCH FROM EPISCOPAL DUTIES TO INIS-BOFINDE—DESCRIPTION OF THIS ISLAND—HE IS SAID TO HAVE FOUNDED THERE A RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT —LOCAL TRADITIONS IN KILKENNY CITY REGARDING THE STATION OF RIOCH THERE—THE FORMER CHURCH OF ST. RIOCH.
wealthy
and
powerful
man, named
Eugenius.
length converted,
By St. Patrick, his nephew Rioch is said to have been raised to the episcopacy. This office does not seem to have accorded with his own inclinations, and humility induced the holy man to distrust his abilities for that public position. We can hardly doubt, that he remonstrated with the Irish Apostle, after having had some experience of pastoral work, and it should appear, that his vocation for the cell of a recluse was deemed to be that which more became his retiring disposition.
and duties, inseparable from his episcopal functions, did not leave him sufficient leisure to indulge his desires for heavenly contemplation and a life of solitude. Conscious of his soul's pious yearnings, St. Patrick assigned St. Rioch as a place for retreat the Island of Inis-Bofinde, on Lough Ree. This is an extensive lake, through which the River Shannon continues its course, between the province of Connaught and Longford County, in Leinster. It also lies in an arm of the lake, which stretches into the latter county, to receive the River Inny. The Island of St. Rioch is also written Inishbofin or "the Island of the White Cow," owing doubtless to some ancient mythologic legend.
" He is stated to have been the brother of Laoghaire, and son to Niall of the Nine Hostages. According to one account—that of Jocelyn—he only desired personal beauty
wished also to be distinguished for height of stature, and both requests were granted to him.
* See " Colgm's Acta Sanctorum Hi- such as St. Rioch poseeued, while other berniac," vi. Februarii. De S. Riocho,
Lives of St. Patrick state, that with it, he Abbate de Inis-Bofinde, p. 267.
He found that cares
August i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
If we are to consider our saint as the nephew of St. Patrick, Rioch, bishop and abbot, founded a monastery there, about or soon after the middle of the fifth century. Wherefore, this must have been the oldest Christian
1
establishment on Lough Ree; that of Inis-Clothran being next in point of
2
time ; and that of Inis-Ainghin, being of a still later date. Others, however,
state, that St. Rioch did not found his institute there, until about the middle of the sixth century. 3 In the Annals of the Four Masters,* at the year 1089, and in reference to Lough Ree, Innis-Clothraun, now Inchcleraun,s Inis- bo-finne and Inis Ainggin are distinguished; for during that year, the churches of all three were burned by a predatory crew of the men ef Munster,
^-^^l
Old Church on Inisboffin Island, Lough Ree.
whose fleet was under the command of Muircheartach Ua Briain. 6 The old inhabitants of the Parish of Cashel,? in the County of Longford, used to
call the —Inish — a modern
present Cloghran changed by designation
into
in
" Island of the Seven Churches," which shows that formerly it was considered to be that one of greatest importance on Lough Ree. 8 The church and
1
beginning of the sixth century. of St. Peter's, barony of Athlone, and county 3"
3
,
Diocese of Meath, Ancient and Modern," vol. iii. , chap, lxxiv. ,
Quaker's Island by the title of Oilean na Seacht d' Teampull, or
English
Founded by St. Diarmaid, about the the west side of the Shannon, in the parish
Founded by St. Kiaran, before he became Roscommon. See The Tribes and Cus- Abbot of Clonmacnoise. toms of Hy-Many," edited by John
According to the statement of Rev. O'Donovan, p. 79, and n. (j).
Anthony Cogan, in his
"
* This parish with it's Islands is contained in the barony of Rathcline, and it embraces an area of 22,1500. 2r. 20/. , including of
of Ree and Lough
P- 573-
4 See Dr. O'Donovan's
vol.
water 2;-. 6,290a.
edition, PP-936» 937,andn. (d),ibid.
ii. ,
23/. 147a. or. 34/. ofsmallLoughs. Itisshown
s It is shown on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Long- ford," Sheet 21.
,
on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Longford," Sheets 17, 18, 21, 22, 25, 26.
8 See "Letters and Extracts containing Information relative to the Antiquities of
6 The church of Cluain-Eamhain, now Clponoun or Cloonown, was an old church on
bearing
Tyrconnell,
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August i.
traces of the monastic buildings on the Island of Inis-bo-finne are well
worthy of inspection^ They are still in fairly good preservation, and appear to run down towards the water's level. Extending from the front of the church, and towards the right hand corner as you enter, there is a quaint little church, with a small window peculiarly headed. 10 An elaborated window, having carved stone mulhons, at the other end iooktd into the large church.
Inis-Bofinde is situated within the limits of Longford county, and in Ardagh diocese. It is quite distinct from another ocean Island called Innisbofrm,M off Morisk barony, county of Mayo. There is a third Island,
monastery on his Island, and over that establishment he presided as Abbot. *3 For many years, it is supposed, that he lived there ; but, we have little or no evidence to determine for how long.
In the city of Kilkenny, and on three eminences, overhanging the historic valley of the Nore, are the sites of three primitive churches, claiming
St.
F. Wakeman, on the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
,6
According to Mr. John Hogan's state- ment, the site of St. Mel's church, on the east bank of the Nore, is called "Tempulna- Maul," also called St. Maul's, and there
10
Of this the writer has obtained a rude
12 now the of
county Donegal.
a similar name in
Having collected a great number of disciples, St. Rioch built a celebrated
1* St. '5 or Maul,16 and St. Rioch, as founders Mel,
Patrick,
Thus, the ancient topography of that city's suburbs is
respectively
and patrons. '7
singularly favourable to the theory regarding relationship between those three
Saints. to one 18 a church was built in According author,
to honour 20 than he, and more especially as regards the locality, asserts, that there can be little doubt the word Maul, or Maula, is a mere modification of the name, variously written"Mel,""Mela,""Mael,"or"Moel. "" Atleast,itmustbeadmitted, For, as Mr. John Hogan observes,
14 The
Letter of John O'Donovan, dated Long- said to have been Donaghmore, including ford, May 22nd, 1837, p. 54. the townland, now called Deansground. 'The accompanying view of the ancient Wherefore, in old deeds, it is called St.
church is from a photograph, kindly procured Patrick's Church of Donaghmore.
for the writer, by Very Rev. Thomas I. an- 15 See his Life, in the Second Volume of gan. D. D. It has been drawn by William this Work, at the 6th of February, Art. i.
St. Maula, the mother of St. Kenny 10 ;
but,
a much better
Kilkenny authority
that this is a very ingenious conjecture. "
the
Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1837," St. Patricks- Church, Kilkenny, stood is
the of collected County Longford
during
original
tracing, from Very Rev. Thomas Langan,
D. D. , of Athlone, in a Letter dated July many ancient roads converged. See " Kil-
25th, 1890. On the occasion of an excursion by the Members of the Kilkenny and South-
East of Ireland Archaeological Society, to this Island, the Hon. Vivian Butler, son to Lord James Butler, took a sketch of this small church, during the summer of that year.
"In the Irish Annals we read: " A. D.
667, Oilman, Bishop, accompanied by other saints went to InnisBo-Pinne, and founded a chuich, which took its name from
kenny : The Ancient City of Ossory, the Seat of its Kings, the See of its Bishops,
and the Site of its Cathedral," part ii. , p. 156. Kilkenny, 1884, 8vo.
17 See ibid. , part iv. , p. 234.
18
See Dr. Meredith Hanmer's "Chronicle of Ireland," pp. 125, 126.
M
taining Information relative to the Anti-
The late Mr. John Hogan, of Kilkenny, whose earlier contributions to the Kilkenny and South East of Ireland Archaeological Society have been transferred to his History of Kilkenny—a posthumous work.
that Island. "
Letters and Extracts con-
quities of the County of Longford, collected
19 The Patron saint of the rated on the nth of October.
"°
and vene-
" The last is the orthography adopted by the late Rev. Dr. Kelly, as the derivation See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hi- of the IrLh name, which he gives, in his
during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey
in 1873," p. 153. """
bernian," xxviii. Februarii. Vita S. Aidi Epis. et Confessoris, n. 24, p. 423.
'3 See Sir Ware's "De
James Hibernia,
et Antiquitatibus ejus," cap. xxvi. , p. 1 7 1.
"
on this
Hogan remarks: "Dr. Petric assures us,
version of the
Martyrology of Tallagh,"
at p. 69. 71
Mr.
Treating
subject,
John
name of the in which tract,
city,
August r. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
there is no saint named Maul or Maula, in any Irish or other Calendar, or
Martyrology, yet published. He also notices, that it was always contrary to ecclesiastical law and usage to dedicate churches to others than saints. 2^
It seems, that an old tradition connected the present Kilkenny city, with a St. Rioch, who is held to have built a cell there, within the shelter of a secluded vale, and in a very primitive neighbourhood. There, he is said to have lived for a time, in solitude and prayer. Afterwards, he was joined by
a numerous
2
and it was the head of a parish, * lying on the west side of th—e River Nore. 'S
It has been —
stated, moreover,
that St. Rock's as it is now churchyard
and locality to suit the altered circumstances of the times, but still retaining in the sites of the primitive churches the names of the respective founders, and the evidence that from the beginning the ecclesiastical districts or parishes of what we now call Kilkenny
were — the same as at the numerically present
Anglo-Norman Invasion,
the ancient church
"
Southern andWestern Suburbs of Kilkenny,"
belonging to it having been demolished in
the destruction of the city by Donald
O'Brien of Limerick, in 1 1 75. Immediately
afterwards, the English colonists erected the
Hightown, English part Kilkenny, which St. Mary's Church became the centre and nucleus. This settlement they enclosed with the town wall, outside of which that church lay in ruins, and, so far as can be ascertained, it was never. rebuilt. See ibid. t part, iv. , p. 232.
27 Removed since 1820.
28 In the alluded to and paper already
written by Mr. Hogan, interesting local
day. "
Topographical Illustrations of the
"
Papers of the Kilkenny and South- East —of
Ireland Archaeological Society," vol. ii. New Series, November, 1859, No. 24, pp. 474, 475.
23 The Rev. Dr. Lanigan plainly asserts,
on the authority of Ware's "Irish Writers,"
by Mr. John Hogan, in
Proceedings and
that the name of Kenny's mother was "''
Melda," and that neither she nor Laidec," his father, had been recognised as saints. See " Ecclesiastical of vol.
History Ireland," ii. , chap, xii. , sect, vi. , p. 200.
whom his —attracted to this disciples, great sanctity place
of
of retirement. A—s we only find a single St. Rioch or as more generally calledMo-Riocc intheIrishCalendar,soithasbeenconjecturallysupposed, that the Kilkenny saint was not different from the holy man venerated on this day. The former cell is thought to have occupied the centre of a piece of ground, known as the Walking Green to the citizens. Afterwards, Tempul-na-Rioc or Kill-Rioc, Anglicized St. Rock's church, was built there,
body
commonly called indicates the site of that establishment. The burial-
ground lies at the south-west angle of an open space or common, formerly
called the and the Green. 26 A of Walkings, subsequently Walking's range
cabins 37 formerly separated it from the road. In front of these huts, a cess- pool had been sunk for the manufacture of manure; and, it is said, from the ends and sides of these pools, human remains projected. This tends to show, that at one period the churchyard there lay under the present ro—ad
—to have extended down under the
line. It is thought likewise Lough
which has now disappeared and tending towards the centre of Walkin's
28
Green.
that the primitive ecclesiastical establish-
ments in Ireland were founded by the Saints
whose names they still respectively rulai:-.
Hence the relationship claimed for Rioch
with Patrick and Mel, taken in connexion
with the interesting topographical coinci-
dence just noticed, reflects a new ray of light
on our primitive ecclesiology, and exhibits
the National Apostle and his two nephews
founding here three missionary stations,
which with a fourth subsequently opened by
St. Kenny, ultimately grew up into so many
parochial establishments, modified in name 3. mural entablature has been inserted and
24 The reader may find an interesting Map of the Ancient Parish of Saint Rioch, reduced from the scale of the Irish Ordnance Survey Maps, and prepared by Mr. John
"
and South-East of Ireland Archaeological
Hogan, in
The Journal of the Kilkenny
Society. " New Series, 1858-1859, vol. ii. , part ii. , p. 475.
2
26
thus inscribed: "St. Rock's Churchyard, 1828. " Thiswasthedatewhenthegraveyard was separated from the Green, and enclosed by its present boundary wall. This cemetery was the site of one of the four parish churches of Kilkenny, at the period of the
5See John Hogan's "Kilkenny. " &c, part ii. , p. 156.
It has been modernized into Walkin-st. In the pier of the gate entering the cemetery,
or of of
30
covery, are thus narrated by Mr. Hogan :
I eye- witness who is still living, and was standing
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August i.
According to a local tradition, the bed of the Lough in Kilkenny originally had been an isolated valley, surrounded by woods, whilst a spring- well rippled from one of its slopes, and meandered as a rivulet at its bottom. The channel through which the water escaped became choked up, and thenceforth the beautiful valley of St. Rioch had been converted into a receptacle for water, which flowed from the surrounding elevations. 2? About
the commencement of this present century, the old inhabitants of Kilkenny ""
were persuaded, that a holy well had formerly existed in this place ; and since that time, its actual site was believed to have been accidentally discovered. 3°
Assuming St. Rioch to have been among the most eminent founders of abbeys and monasteries in various parts of Ireland, in the fifth century ; it is too laxly inferred, that he provided some such institute for each one of his earlycompanions. But,withgreaterprobability,aKilkennywriterconsiders it as not an unwarrantable intrusion on the province of conjecture to assume, that the which had been
regarded
spot,
his fair city, and which has perpetuated St. Rioch's name, through various vicissitudes and many generations, may have been selected, as the site for an institute. Over this, possibly he placed one of those pilgrim companions, who, out of veneration for his master, might have dedicated the locality to his memory. The same writer supposes, that he has an illustration of this
opinion here advanced, in the name of another ancient parish, situated in a
particulars of Walkin's Gate, of Walkin's Lough and of Walkin's Green may be found. See "The Journal of the Kilkenny and South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society," 1858-1859. New Series, vol. ii. , part ii. , pp. 470 to 473.
'9 Mr. John Hogan, who is our authority
for the foregoing particulars, adds in a note
"
With the above tradition, I am familiar from my childhood, and the direct medium through which it reached me was a very old and much esteemed, though humble, in- habitant of this part of the town, who died in St. Canice's parish about ten years since, Mr. James Dowling. He lived to the age of 105 years ; he was a great adept in anti- quarian lore, and fully conversant with t—he local traditions of the past generation. " Ibid. , p. 472.
years. In the course of this operation, a man named Michael Murphy, a native of this district, came on a range of stones rudely placed so as to form so many steps, about midway between the graveyard and the centre of the green, or somewhere very close to the present Gaol road, when he exclaimed
here intercepted by the lord of the soil, Mr. Mulhallin (father of Edward Mulhallin, Esq. ,
Circumstances connected with this dis-
in the graveyard as a spectator ; he heard Murphy cry out he had found the well, and he was able to recognise the stone steps at the bottom of the pit ; they were not so deep as the height of a man under the level of the road. Much interest, but no surprise, was evinced on the occasion, as then and
"
In the summer season, when the waters had evaporated, the custom had long pre- vailed amongst the people of the locality to excavate the deposits of the lough, and re- move them for manure. About the year
:
triumph
1812, one Timothy Kelly, by trade a previously no doubt was entertained that breeches-maker, but at the time of this " St. Rock's Well " was covered over by the narrative a retailer of punch and porter in waters of the lough. The next fall of rain the house in High-street lately taken down restored the place to its usual appearance, to erect the new grocery establishment of and the whole transaction was soon out of Mr. John Coyne, determined to carry on mind. At that period the graveyard was this operation on a monster scale. On a not enclosed by walls; it was inundated by July morning, he employed forty labourers water in the winter, and a desecrated to extract the mud from the bed of the basin ;
they ranged themselves in a line north from the graveyard, and speedily opened a ravine in the accumulated debris carried down by the streams for probably -some- hundreds oi
a of annual —which theless, place pilgrimage,
as " in the suburbs of holy ground,"
—
He continued to remove the stony material, and found the stones to lead to an enclosure of irregularly-shaped stones, apparently placedbydesign; furtherinvestigationswere
in a tone of
"
I have the well. "
of Seville Lodge), who prohibited the re- moval of the manure by Kelly, but permitted the excavators to carry it off for their own use. have this narative from an
common in the summer ; it was, never-
continued down to our own times.
'
pp. 172, 173.
31 In a note, he remarks j "-We are told,
Ibid. ,
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
southern part of Kilkenny county. ** This is now called Aghavillar,3* the
"
Field of the Pilgrim," 33 where formerly stood a Round Tower, the lower part of which now only remains, and above the foundation it measured fifty feet around. 34 That parish appears to have been dedicated to St. Brendan, specially honoured as Patron of the Dioceses of Ardfert and of Clonfert. There, too,
August i . ]
true orthography of which is said to be Agha-oiller, interpreted
well, in the form of a " 1 6th of May, and down to a very recent periods
CHAPTER III.
his feast was observed, at the
holy
patron,"
on the
DOUBTS EXPRESSED REGARDING THE IDENTITY OF ST. RIOCH, NEPHEW OF ST. PATRICK, BEING THE ST. RIOCH OF INIS-BOFINDE—THE LATTER VISITED BY ST. AID—ANTI- QUITIES ON LOUGH REE—DEATH OF ST. RIOCH—FESTIVALS—VENERATION IN THE CITY OF KILKENNY—CONCLUSION.
Although most usually styled Abbot, Rioch was also a Bishop, according to received accounts.
—ur old
but, by o writers,
he is classed 2
among
the
disciples
among
the
The Rev. Dr. Lanigan denies, that our saint had been St. Patrick's
J? and Life'8 of our lush Jocelyn's
16 in to the disciple, opposition
Tripartite
Apostle. A principal argument, on which the learned Irish Church historian
relies, is founded on the unusual term of years to which his life must have been prolonged, were we to accept such a statement. We are told,^ that Rioch had charge of the books and writings, and that he was librarian to St. Patrick. 20 This office he discharged after he had been ordained Deacon.
According to the accounts extant, St. Rioch is said to have been a
companion of his uncle, St. Patrick, during all his journeys. But, in addition
to gifts of supernatural grace our saint had acquired, and that purity of soul whereby he became the admired of all admirers, he was remark ible for a
wonderful beauty of person ; as if a bounteous Creator had specially decreed, that the virtues and amiable qualities of his soul should be enshrined,
in an earthly temple, worthy of being considered the fairest receptacle of imperishable beauty, and within an ornamental casket, which contained
the precious jewels of most extraordinary virtues. 21
It is related, that whilst engaged in spreading the Gospel throughout Ireland, St. Patrick found some difficulty, in effecting the repentance of a
feast of St. Rioch and St. Mel, at the 6th of
No. 24, p. 473.
,s
Supposing him to have been that St. Rioch visited by Bishop Aidus on Lough See Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga," Ree, while the latter died in 589. See
"
Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. ,
iv. , pp. 226 to 228, and cap. xxiii. , p. 266. chap, viii. , sect, xiii. , p. 419, and nn. 174,
13 See ibid. Septima Vita S. Patricii, 175. 176, 177, p. 421.
February, on the ground that both were
brothers. Usshersustainsthesame connexion. 12 "
pars, ii. , cap. xxi. , p 132.
14 In a note, Colgan refers to the Acts of
St. Mel, published at the 6th of February,
and the Life of our Saint, published at the
same day. If the present St. Rioch be
identical with that person mentioned in the
Litany of ^Enguss, twelve foreign saints are
invoked as being his companions, in these
terms " SS. duodecim socios S. Riochi :
"
&c. See Dr. George Petrie's "Ecclesiastical Architecture and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii, sect, ii. ,
See in Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," 5 See "Topographical Illustrations of the Quarta Vita S. Patricii, cap. lxxi. , p. 44, Southern and Western suburbs of Kit- and nn. 47. 48, p. 49. Jocelin's or Sexia
transmarinos, inuoco,
cap. xvii. , p. 382, as also Ihdex Chrono-
lo^ijus, p. 568.
2j
See"TheTripartiteLifeofSt. Patrick," edited by Whitley Stokes, LL. D.
2I
p. 138. '
in " Pro- Vita S.
ceedmgs and Papers of the Kilkenny and and nn. 91, 92, 93, p. 112. Septima Vita
South-Eastof Ireland Archaeological Society," S. Patricii, pars, ii. , cap. cxvi. , pp. 144, vol, ii. New Series, November, 1859, 145, and nn. 166, 167, p. 181,
' Mr. kenny. by
John Hogan,
Patricii, cap.
lxxxiv. , 84, 85, pp
'? "
See Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga,"
Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, ii. , cap. xxi. , p. 132, and nn. 57, 58, 59, 60, p. 175.
l8
See ibid. Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. 1. , p. 76, and nn. 52, 53, p. 100.
' 9 See Archbishop Ussher's M Complete Work. -," edited by Dr. Elrmgton, vol. vi.
"
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquiiates,"
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August i,
22 Being at
however, through the cogency of the Saint's reasonings and miracles, he obtained the grace of regeneration, in the waters of Baptism. That chieftain was remarkable for his deformed countenance and limbs. He made frequent
complaints to Patrick, on the subject, and requested the Saint to exercise communicated and supernatural power in his regard by prayers, so that a miracle might be performed, as also for the edification of people, who were already believers. Moved by the chief's entreaties, St. Patrick enquired of him, what person he should most desire to resemble in beauty of appearance.
At that time, Rioch with many others was present. Looking around through the assemblage, Eugenius at once decided on his wish to assume the likeness of the young Deacon, who was the keeper of St. Patrick's books, and a Briton by birth. In appearance, he was the most comely of all men living in those parts. Requiring both of them to lie down on the same bed to sleep, and under the same coverlid, St. Patrick stood over them, while his hands were elevated towards heaven. A wonderful miracle is said to have taken place; for when awaking from sleep, that chieftain appeared to resemble the holy Deacon so closely, that his clerical tonsure only rendered the latter distinguishable from the chief. All, who had witnessed this result, were struck with admiration. More particularly the heart of Eugenius rejoiced, as his entreaties and desires had been gratified to his perfect
satisfaction. ^
CHAPTER II.
RETIREMENT OF ST. RIOCH FROM EPISCOPAL DUTIES TO INIS-BOFINDE—DESCRIPTION OF THIS ISLAND—HE IS SAID TO HAVE FOUNDED THERE A RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT —LOCAL TRADITIONS IN KILKENNY CITY REGARDING THE STATION OF RIOCH THERE—THE FORMER CHURCH OF ST. RIOCH.
wealthy
and
powerful
man, named
Eugenius.
length converted,
By St. Patrick, his nephew Rioch is said to have been raised to the episcopacy. This office does not seem to have accorded with his own inclinations, and humility induced the holy man to distrust his abilities for that public position. We can hardly doubt, that he remonstrated with the Irish Apostle, after having had some experience of pastoral work, and it should appear, that his vocation for the cell of a recluse was deemed to be that which more became his retiring disposition.
and duties, inseparable from his episcopal functions, did not leave him sufficient leisure to indulge his desires for heavenly contemplation and a life of solitude. Conscious of his soul's pious yearnings, St. Patrick assigned St. Rioch as a place for retreat the Island of Inis-Bofinde, on Lough Ree. This is an extensive lake, through which the River Shannon continues its course, between the province of Connaught and Longford County, in Leinster. It also lies in an arm of the lake, which stretches into the latter county, to receive the River Inny. The Island of St. Rioch is also written Inishbofin or "the Island of the White Cow," owing doubtless to some ancient mythologic legend.
" He is stated to have been the brother of Laoghaire, and son to Niall of the Nine Hostages. According to one account—that of Jocelyn—he only desired personal beauty
wished also to be distinguished for height of stature, and both requests were granted to him.
* See " Colgm's Acta Sanctorum Hi- such as St. Rioch poseeued, while other berniac," vi. Februarii. De S. Riocho,
Lives of St. Patrick state, that with it, he Abbate de Inis-Bofinde, p. 267.
He found that cares
August i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
If we are to consider our saint as the nephew of St. Patrick, Rioch, bishop and abbot, founded a monastery there, about or soon after the middle of the fifth century. Wherefore, this must have been the oldest Christian
1
establishment on Lough Ree; that of Inis-Clothran being next in point of
2
time ; and that of Inis-Ainghin, being of a still later date. Others, however,
state, that St. Rioch did not found his institute there, until about the middle of the sixth century. 3 In the Annals of the Four Masters,* at the year 1089, and in reference to Lough Ree, Innis-Clothraun, now Inchcleraun,s Inis- bo-finne and Inis Ainggin are distinguished; for during that year, the churches of all three were burned by a predatory crew of the men ef Munster,
^-^^l
Old Church on Inisboffin Island, Lough Ree.
whose fleet was under the command of Muircheartach Ua Briain. 6 The old inhabitants of the Parish of Cashel,? in the County of Longford, used to
call the —Inish — a modern
present Cloghran changed by designation
into
in
" Island of the Seven Churches," which shows that formerly it was considered to be that one of greatest importance on Lough Ree. 8 The church and
1
beginning of the sixth century. of St. Peter's, barony of Athlone, and county 3"
3
,
Diocese of Meath, Ancient and Modern," vol. iii. , chap, lxxiv. ,
Quaker's Island by the title of Oilean na Seacht d' Teampull, or
English
Founded by St. Diarmaid, about the the west side of the Shannon, in the parish
Founded by St. Kiaran, before he became Roscommon. See The Tribes and Cus- Abbot of Clonmacnoise. toms of Hy-Many," edited by John
According to the statement of Rev. O'Donovan, p. 79, and n. (j).
Anthony Cogan, in his
"
* This parish with it's Islands is contained in the barony of Rathcline, and it embraces an area of 22,1500. 2r. 20/. , including of
of Ree and Lough
P- 573-
4 See Dr. O'Donovan's
vol.
water 2;-. 6,290a.
edition, PP-936» 937,andn. (d),ibid.
ii. ,
23/. 147a. or. 34/. ofsmallLoughs. Itisshown
s It is shown on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Long- ford," Sheet 21.
,
on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Longford," Sheets 17, 18, 21, 22, 25, 26.
8 See "Letters and Extracts containing Information relative to the Antiquities of
6 The church of Cluain-Eamhain, now Clponoun or Cloonown, was an old church on
bearing
Tyrconnell,
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August i.
traces of the monastic buildings on the Island of Inis-bo-finne are well
worthy of inspection^ They are still in fairly good preservation, and appear to run down towards the water's level. Extending from the front of the church, and towards the right hand corner as you enter, there is a quaint little church, with a small window peculiarly headed. 10 An elaborated window, having carved stone mulhons, at the other end iooktd into the large church.
Inis-Bofinde is situated within the limits of Longford county, and in Ardagh diocese. It is quite distinct from another ocean Island called Innisbofrm,M off Morisk barony, county of Mayo. There is a third Island,
monastery on his Island, and over that establishment he presided as Abbot. *3 For many years, it is supposed, that he lived there ; but, we have little or no evidence to determine for how long.
In the city of Kilkenny, and on three eminences, overhanging the historic valley of the Nore, are the sites of three primitive churches, claiming
St.
F. Wakeman, on the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
,6
According to Mr. John Hogan's state- ment, the site of St. Mel's church, on the east bank of the Nore, is called "Tempulna- Maul," also called St. Maul's, and there
10
Of this the writer has obtained a rude
12 now the of
county Donegal.
a similar name in
Having collected a great number of disciples, St. Rioch built a celebrated
1* St. '5 or Maul,16 and St. Rioch, as founders Mel,
Patrick,
Thus, the ancient topography of that city's suburbs is
respectively
and patrons. '7
singularly favourable to the theory regarding relationship between those three
Saints. to one 18 a church was built in According author,
to honour 20 than he, and more especially as regards the locality, asserts, that there can be little doubt the word Maul, or Maula, is a mere modification of the name, variously written"Mel,""Mela,""Mael,"or"Moel. "" Atleast,itmustbeadmitted, For, as Mr. John Hogan observes,
14 The
Letter of John O'Donovan, dated Long- said to have been Donaghmore, including ford, May 22nd, 1837, p. 54. the townland, now called Deansground. 'The accompanying view of the ancient Wherefore, in old deeds, it is called St.
church is from a photograph, kindly procured Patrick's Church of Donaghmore.
for the writer, by Very Rev. Thomas I. an- 15 See his Life, in the Second Volume of gan. D. D. It has been drawn by William this Work, at the 6th of February, Art. i.
St. Maula, the mother of St. Kenny 10 ;
but,
a much better
Kilkenny authority
that this is a very ingenious conjecture. "
the
Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1837," St. Patricks- Church, Kilkenny, stood is
the of collected County Longford
during
original
tracing, from Very Rev. Thomas Langan,
D. D. , of Athlone, in a Letter dated July many ancient roads converged. See " Kil-
25th, 1890. On the occasion of an excursion by the Members of the Kilkenny and South-
East of Ireland Archaeological Society, to this Island, the Hon. Vivian Butler, son to Lord James Butler, took a sketch of this small church, during the summer of that year.
"In the Irish Annals we read: " A. D.
667, Oilman, Bishop, accompanied by other saints went to InnisBo-Pinne, and founded a chuich, which took its name from
kenny : The Ancient City of Ossory, the Seat of its Kings, the See of its Bishops,
and the Site of its Cathedral," part ii. , p. 156. Kilkenny, 1884, 8vo.
17 See ibid. , part iv. , p. 234.
18
See Dr. Meredith Hanmer's "Chronicle of Ireland," pp. 125, 126.
M
taining Information relative to the Anti-
The late Mr. John Hogan, of Kilkenny, whose earlier contributions to the Kilkenny and South East of Ireland Archaeological Society have been transferred to his History of Kilkenny—a posthumous work.
that Island. "
Letters and Extracts con-
quities of the County of Longford, collected
19 The Patron saint of the rated on the nth of October.
"°
and vene-
" The last is the orthography adopted by the late Rev. Dr. Kelly, as the derivation See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hi- of the IrLh name, which he gives, in his
during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey
in 1873," p. 153. """
bernian," xxviii. Februarii. Vita S. Aidi Epis. et Confessoris, n. 24, p. 423.
'3 See Sir Ware's "De
James Hibernia,
et Antiquitatibus ejus," cap. xxvi. , p. 1 7 1.
"
on this
Hogan remarks: "Dr. Petric assures us,
version of the
Martyrology of Tallagh,"
at p. 69. 71
Mr.
Treating
subject,
John
name of the in which tract,
city,
August r. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
there is no saint named Maul or Maula, in any Irish or other Calendar, or
Martyrology, yet published. He also notices, that it was always contrary to ecclesiastical law and usage to dedicate churches to others than saints. 2^
It seems, that an old tradition connected the present Kilkenny city, with a St. Rioch, who is held to have built a cell there, within the shelter of a secluded vale, and in a very primitive neighbourhood. There, he is said to have lived for a time, in solitude and prayer. Afterwards, he was joined by
a numerous
2
and it was the head of a parish, * lying on the west side of th—e River Nore. 'S
It has been —
stated, moreover,
that St. Rock's as it is now churchyard
and locality to suit the altered circumstances of the times, but still retaining in the sites of the primitive churches the names of the respective founders, and the evidence that from the beginning the ecclesiastical districts or parishes of what we now call Kilkenny
were — the same as at the numerically present
Anglo-Norman Invasion,
the ancient church
"
Southern andWestern Suburbs of Kilkenny,"
belonging to it having been demolished in
the destruction of the city by Donald
O'Brien of Limerick, in 1 1 75. Immediately
afterwards, the English colonists erected the
Hightown, English part Kilkenny, which St. Mary's Church became the centre and nucleus. This settlement they enclosed with the town wall, outside of which that church lay in ruins, and, so far as can be ascertained, it was never. rebuilt. See ibid. t part, iv. , p. 232.
27 Removed since 1820.
28 In the alluded to and paper already
written by Mr. Hogan, interesting local
day. "
Topographical Illustrations of the
"
Papers of the Kilkenny and South- East —of
Ireland Archaeological Society," vol. ii. New Series, November, 1859, No. 24, pp. 474, 475.
23 The Rev. Dr. Lanigan plainly asserts,
on the authority of Ware's "Irish Writers,"
by Mr. John Hogan, in
Proceedings and
that the name of Kenny's mother was "''
Melda," and that neither she nor Laidec," his father, had been recognised as saints. See " Ecclesiastical of vol.
History Ireland," ii. , chap, xii. , sect, vi. , p. 200.
whom his —attracted to this disciples, great sanctity place
of
of retirement. A—s we only find a single St. Rioch or as more generally calledMo-Riocc intheIrishCalendar,soithasbeenconjecturallysupposed, that the Kilkenny saint was not different from the holy man venerated on this day. The former cell is thought to have occupied the centre of a piece of ground, known as the Walking Green to the citizens. Afterwards, Tempul-na-Rioc or Kill-Rioc, Anglicized St. Rock's church, was built there,
body
commonly called indicates the site of that establishment. The burial-
ground lies at the south-west angle of an open space or common, formerly
called the and the Green. 26 A of Walkings, subsequently Walking's range
cabins 37 formerly separated it from the road. In front of these huts, a cess- pool had been sunk for the manufacture of manure; and, it is said, from the ends and sides of these pools, human remains projected. This tends to show, that at one period the churchyard there lay under the present ro—ad
—to have extended down under the
line. It is thought likewise Lough
which has now disappeared and tending towards the centre of Walkin's
28
Green.
that the primitive ecclesiastical establish-
ments in Ireland were founded by the Saints
whose names they still respectively rulai:-.
Hence the relationship claimed for Rioch
with Patrick and Mel, taken in connexion
with the interesting topographical coinci-
dence just noticed, reflects a new ray of light
on our primitive ecclesiology, and exhibits
the National Apostle and his two nephews
founding here three missionary stations,
which with a fourth subsequently opened by
St. Kenny, ultimately grew up into so many
parochial establishments, modified in name 3. mural entablature has been inserted and
24 The reader may find an interesting Map of the Ancient Parish of Saint Rioch, reduced from the scale of the Irish Ordnance Survey Maps, and prepared by Mr. John
"
and South-East of Ireland Archaeological
Hogan, in
The Journal of the Kilkenny
Society. " New Series, 1858-1859, vol. ii. , part ii. , p. 475.
2
26
thus inscribed: "St. Rock's Churchyard, 1828. " Thiswasthedatewhenthegraveyard was separated from the Green, and enclosed by its present boundary wall. This cemetery was the site of one of the four parish churches of Kilkenny, at the period of the
5See John Hogan's "Kilkenny. " &c, part ii. , p. 156.
It has been modernized into Walkin-st. In the pier of the gate entering the cemetery,
or of of
30
covery, are thus narrated by Mr. Hogan :
I eye- witness who is still living, and was standing
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August i.
According to a local tradition, the bed of the Lough in Kilkenny originally had been an isolated valley, surrounded by woods, whilst a spring- well rippled from one of its slopes, and meandered as a rivulet at its bottom. The channel through which the water escaped became choked up, and thenceforth the beautiful valley of St. Rioch had been converted into a receptacle for water, which flowed from the surrounding elevations. 2? About
the commencement of this present century, the old inhabitants of Kilkenny ""
were persuaded, that a holy well had formerly existed in this place ; and since that time, its actual site was believed to have been accidentally discovered. 3°
Assuming St. Rioch to have been among the most eminent founders of abbeys and monasteries in various parts of Ireland, in the fifth century ; it is too laxly inferred, that he provided some such institute for each one of his earlycompanions. But,withgreaterprobability,aKilkennywriterconsiders it as not an unwarrantable intrusion on the province of conjecture to assume, that the which had been
regarded
spot,
his fair city, and which has perpetuated St. Rioch's name, through various vicissitudes and many generations, may have been selected, as the site for an institute. Over this, possibly he placed one of those pilgrim companions, who, out of veneration for his master, might have dedicated the locality to his memory. The same writer supposes, that he has an illustration of this
opinion here advanced, in the name of another ancient parish, situated in a
particulars of Walkin's Gate, of Walkin's Lough and of Walkin's Green may be found. See "The Journal of the Kilkenny and South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society," 1858-1859. New Series, vol. ii. , part ii. , pp. 470 to 473.
'9 Mr. John Hogan, who is our authority
for the foregoing particulars, adds in a note
"
With the above tradition, I am familiar from my childhood, and the direct medium through which it reached me was a very old and much esteemed, though humble, in- habitant of this part of the town, who died in St. Canice's parish about ten years since, Mr. James Dowling. He lived to the age of 105 years ; he was a great adept in anti- quarian lore, and fully conversant with t—he local traditions of the past generation. " Ibid. , p. 472.
years. In the course of this operation, a man named Michael Murphy, a native of this district, came on a range of stones rudely placed so as to form so many steps, about midway between the graveyard and the centre of the green, or somewhere very close to the present Gaol road, when he exclaimed
here intercepted by the lord of the soil, Mr. Mulhallin (father of Edward Mulhallin, Esq. ,
Circumstances connected with this dis-
in the graveyard as a spectator ; he heard Murphy cry out he had found the well, and he was able to recognise the stone steps at the bottom of the pit ; they were not so deep as the height of a man under the level of the road. Much interest, but no surprise, was evinced on the occasion, as then and
"
In the summer season, when the waters had evaporated, the custom had long pre- vailed amongst the people of the locality to excavate the deposits of the lough, and re- move them for manure. About the year
:
triumph
1812, one Timothy Kelly, by trade a previously no doubt was entertained that breeches-maker, but at the time of this " St. Rock's Well " was covered over by the narrative a retailer of punch and porter in waters of the lough. The next fall of rain the house in High-street lately taken down restored the place to its usual appearance, to erect the new grocery establishment of and the whole transaction was soon out of Mr. John Coyne, determined to carry on mind. At that period the graveyard was this operation on a monster scale. On a not enclosed by walls; it was inundated by July morning, he employed forty labourers water in the winter, and a desecrated to extract the mud from the bed of the basin ;
they ranged themselves in a line north from the graveyard, and speedily opened a ravine in the accumulated debris carried down by the streams for probably -some- hundreds oi
a of annual —which theless, place pilgrimage,
as " in the suburbs of holy ground,"
—
He continued to remove the stony material, and found the stones to lead to an enclosure of irregularly-shaped stones, apparently placedbydesign; furtherinvestigationswere
in a tone of
"
I have the well. "
of Seville Lodge), who prohibited the re- moval of the manure by Kelly, but permitted the excavators to carry it off for their own use. have this narative from an
common in the summer ; it was, never-
continued down to our own times.
'
pp. 172, 173.
31 In a note, he remarks j "-We are told,
Ibid. ,
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
southern part of Kilkenny county. ** This is now called Aghavillar,3* the
"
Field of the Pilgrim," 33 where formerly stood a Round Tower, the lower part of which now only remains, and above the foundation it measured fifty feet around. 34 That parish appears to have been dedicated to St. Brendan, specially honoured as Patron of the Dioceses of Ardfert and of Clonfert. There, too,
August i . ]
true orthography of which is said to be Agha-oiller, interpreted
well, in the form of a " 1 6th of May, and down to a very recent periods
CHAPTER III.
his feast was observed, at the
holy
patron,"
on the
DOUBTS EXPRESSED REGARDING THE IDENTITY OF ST. RIOCH, NEPHEW OF ST. PATRICK, BEING THE ST. RIOCH OF INIS-BOFINDE—THE LATTER VISITED BY ST. AID—ANTI- QUITIES ON LOUGH REE—DEATH OF ST. RIOCH—FESTIVALS—VENERATION IN THE CITY OF KILKENNY—CONCLUSION.
Although most usually styled Abbot, Rioch was also a Bishop, according to received accounts.
