, KING OF IRELAND, AND THE SOUTHERN HY-NIALLS—MOENACH, KING OF MUNSTER,
RELEASES
A CAPTIVE AT HIS REQUEST—FECHIN PROCURES THE RETURN OF
, TIRECHAN TO HIS MOTHER.
, TIRECHAN TO HIS MOTHER.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
after the saint and some of his
Nor must we understand, probably, that Fechin became proprietor of the whole island. ? ^ He was considered only as the chief director. He probably acted as a magistrate over the inhabitants, who were then pagans. Taking with him some of his monks, the holy missionary undertook their conversion. At first he met with great opposition. Those people were so obstinate, that they refused even to supply him and his companions with provisions. While pre- paring for the construction of a monastery, the islanders threw the implements and utensils of Fechin and his monks into the sea. Those articles however were driven back. The island of Imay, now Anglicized Omey, is near the mainland. 79 The saint succeeded in bringing all its pagan inhabitants to theChristianfaith,andhebaptizedthem. ^° Theirzealbecamesofervent, that the islanders consigned themselves to their master and superior Fechin. ^* On a mountain, called Cobha,^^ lying northwards from the monastery in this island, the saint often prayed ; and the sole mitigation of austerity he in-
73 to 92, John O'Donovan has given a very 78 In old writings it is called Imaith and admirable historic and archaeological account Umma, but the meaning of this word does of this parish of Omey. This is illustrated not appear. It gives name to the parish of
Omey, which is bounded north by that of
Ballynakill, east by the parishes of Ballyna- kill and Moyrus, south by the parishes of Moyrus and Ballindoon, and west by the Atlantic Ocean. For further particulars regarding Omey the reader is referred to
disciples had been induced to take up their residence on it.
by four admirable ink sketches of William
F. Wakeman : one sketch represents Doon
Castle, another gives an eastern view of the
largest Cloghan on Ard-Oilean, another pre-
sents the church of St. Fechin from the west,
with ruins of the circular wall or Caisol sur-
rounding it, and the fourth sketch is that of averyprimitivechapelcalledKill,withits
ground plan, on the townland of Ballyma-
conry, now Anglicized Kingstown. The
latter object lies on the brink of that arm of
the ocean, which runs up to Streamstown,
and it is nearly opposite to Doon Castle.
This chapel measures on the inside 48 feet
in length, 1 7 feet 6 inches in width, and its herty's
walls are 2 feet 8 inches in thickness. The
east gable was totally destroyed, and the door-way which was in the west gable at that time had been reduced to a shapeless breach. This and the Castle of Doon, nearly opposite to it, a little to the north-east, are marked on the " Ordnance Survey Maps for the County of Galway. " Sheet 22.
75 See "The Martyrology of Donegal," edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 22,
Chorographical Description of West or H-Iar Connaught," n. (r), pp. 112, 113.
7* According to the "Second Life," he had this vision, while dwelling in the mon- astery at Eas-Dara. See chap, xxii. , p. 135-
T' See
nise," XX. Januarii.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Vita Prima S. Fechini, This king was the son of See Dr. Masters,"
Sheet 21, "Ordnance
Maps for the County of Galway.
Colgan's
Survey
cap. xii. , p. 131.
Colman, who died A. D. 662. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four vol. i. , pp. 372, 273.
*"
identify the position of this place from the
County of Galway.
" ofWestorH-IarConnaught. " Additional
Notes, z, pp. 279 to 281.
79 In Irish, it is called loiriAi'd or lotriAi*
V^i6iri. At low water, it can be entered from the mainland with dry feet. Within
it there is a pool of standing water, and the soil is plain and champaign. See O'Fla-
"
^ Although St. Fechin erected a monas-
tery there, we are told by O'Flaherty, that the parish church only remained in 1684.
The spot is now called Templefeheen.
^' St. Fechin's well is yet to be seen here. Towards the close of the seventeenth cen- tury, it was visited, and miraculous cures were effected in restoring many to health. The patron, St. Fechin, was also venerated on the 20th of January, in this island. The well is called Toberfeheen, and it lies a little to the south of Templefeheen and Corcon graveyard on the sea-shore. See Townland
O'Flaherty's
Chorographical Description
"
It does not seem possible at present to
" Ordnance Townland Maps for the Survey
"
January 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 363
dulged was to seek its more sheltered southern aspect, when rough winds and waves careered over the wide expanse of ocean. ^3
St. Fechin's monks while here wanted the necessaries of life. Two of them are stated to have died owing to a deficiency of food. The Almighty- was pleased, however, through the saint's intercession, to bring these again
to life. However Guaire, the pious and generous King of Connaught,^* became apprized of their distress. He then sent an abundance of provisions to sustain them. ^s it had been supposed by Ussher, that Guaire was king over the island of Immagh alone, and therefore has he been placed among those persons converted to Christianity, by St. Fechin. ^^ He thought that by *'rex terrae" was meant the island king. ^7 But those words were relative to the province of Connaught. Within it Immagh was comprised, as a sub- holding of the king. Had Ussher seen the Second Life of St. Fechin in which the same circumstance is related,^^ and where King Guaire is called son of Colman, he must have been more correct. Even the context found in the First Life, should have taught him, that Guaire was some monarch more important than king over Immagh^9 alone. The church on Omey Island, which seems to have been used in O'Flaherty's time, is now nearly buried in the sands. It is 40 feet in length, by 19 feet in width, interiorly, and the walls are 2 feet 9 inches in thickness. The only characteristic feature of thischurchremainingisarudewindowintheeasterngable. Fromitsstyle, Dr. O'Donovan thought one could safely come to the conclusion, that this was not the original church of St. Feichin. s°
According to some statements, Fechin is said to have built a monastery
"
in another isolated place called Ard-Oilean, or the
High Island. "? ^ Al-
though the transactions in Immagh are detailed, however, there is nothing stated in the First Life about his passing over to Ard-Oilean. He appears
from it to have gone directly from Immagh to Fore, although this is not rendered quite clear. But in the Second Life,9^ Fechin is introduced as
"
having erected a distinct monastery at Ard-Oilean, or stonehouses,ofamostprimitivetype,arestilltobeseen. 93 Thelatterareof
High Island. " This too seems very probable ; for even at the present time, considerable portions of the ruins remain, while several ancient stone crosses, and old cells or
*3 See "The Second Life," chap, xlvi. , p. 139.
^^ The pedigree and posterity of this king, taken from the "Book of Lecan," fol. 80,
p. b, col. 3, may be found in Dr. O'Dono-
This is now called Teampull Atha Deirg, i. e. , "the church at the Red Ford,"because a small reddish coloured mountain stream falls into Streamstown Bay immediately to the east of it, and north-east of Ballymac-conry. Its ruins are 40 feet by 20, interiorly ; and the walls are only 3 feet high. It is sur- rounded by a burial-ground,
van's
"
Genealogies, Tribes and Customs of "
Hy-Fiachrach, pp. 60 to 63.
"s We are told, he also presented his
cup—probably a chalice—to St. Fechin. See "The First Life of St. Fechin," chap.
9° The inhabitants there, when visited by Dr. O'Donovan, had Latinized St. Fechin's xii. , p. 131. This was afterwards known name to Festus. " Galway Letters of I.
as the "Cuach Fechin," Latinized, "Phiala S. Fechini. " It had been preserved as we read long after his time. See the " Second Life,"chap,xxii. ,p. 135.
O. S. ," vol. iii. , p. 75.
5' This lies a few miles north-west of
Omey Island, and further out in the Atlan- ticOcean. Itssituationisindicatedonthe " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Galway. " Sheet 21. The old abbey, its cloghans, its graveyard, peni-
^ See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
quitates," chap, xvii. , pp. 500, 501.
^^ He had read this phrase in the " First
"
Life, chap. xii. , p. 131. He seems to have tential stations, Brian Boru's well, the old
forgotten the extent of jurisdiction possessed by Guaire.
^ In the twenty-second chapter.
*9 In the parish of Omey, there was an opinion, in the time of O' Flaherty, that the ancient parochial church was at Ath-dearg.
mill-site, and its pond of water, are there sho\vn.
»' See chap, xxii. , p. 135.
»3 in O'Flaherty's time a large round wall was to be found there,
3^4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 20.
theclassknownasCloghans. 94 Someofthoseobjectsareprobablyasoldas the time of St. Feichan. Anciently this island was called Inis-hiarthuir, or the " West Island. " Except in calm, settled weather, it is inaccessible ; and
even after a landing, it is so steep, that much difficulty is experienced in climbing to the top, where there is a well and standing water, on the brook of which there was a mill. ss A large circular wall, mentioned by O'Flaherty, was much dilapidated when seen by Dr. O'Donovan in 1839. This was nearly an oblong fence ;96 but in many places, especially on the north side, it had been levelled with the earth. 97 On the north side of this enclosure,
"•^•fVAK
Church and Cloghans on Ard-Oilean, Co. Galway.
and within about 10 feet of the north wall, stands a cloghan or stone house. 9^ Its form is that of a bee-hive, interiorly squared, 8 feet 5 inches one way, and 8 feet 4 inches another ; its height from the present level of the floor, which is raised most probably, to the apex,^ is 7 feet 9 inches. The doorway is now very low,'°° and it is only 35 inches broad. The building is very smooth on the inside, and yet uncemented ; but, on the outside, it is very irregular looking. '"' On the north-west side of this, and about 15 feet dis- tant, there is another cloghan of the same form and characteristics, but of
smaller dimensions. '°^
Nearly
due west of the and at the larger cloghan,
9* The accompanying illustration of the
ruins at Ard-Oilean was drawn on the spot
by William F. Wakeman, and engraved by George A. Hanlon.
thickness.
5® In character it differs from the Cloghans
on Innishmurry or Innishglory, which are constructed nearly in the form of bee-hives.
55 See "
O'Flaherty's Chorographical
59 The is there closed cloghan
stones, one overlapping the other.
'°'
scription.
"" On the inside, it measures 6 feet 7
inches in length, and 5 feet 8 inches in
De- scription of West or H-Iar Connaught ;"
two
by
edited
Hardiraan,
raised. Mr. Wakeman's beautiful sketch of it here accompanies Mr. O'Donovan's de-
by James and n (u).
pp. 114, 115,
probably
9* From north to south, it measured 38
yards, and from east to west, 23 yards.
57 The most perfect part of it, near the north-west corner, was about 10 feet in
'°° The about it is ground
January 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 365
distance of 8 feet from it, is the little chapel of St. Fechin, mentioned by OTlaherty. On the inside, it measures 11 feet 10 inches in length, and 10 feet 8 inches in breadth. The east gable is nearly destroyed, but it contains thefragmentofapointedwindow. Thedoorway,asisusualinalltheold Irish churches of the primitive period, is placed in the middle of the west gable. ^°3 North and by west of this little church, there appears to have been another cloghan, but it is now level with the ground. ^°4 To assert that our saint built a monastery here is evidently a mistake, in the opinion of Dr. Lanigan. '°s He maintains, besides it not having been mentioned in the First Life of St. Fechin, that the patron saint of Ard-oilen was a St. Coem- hain. ^°^ From his name, that island, it has been stated, was formerly called Ard-Coemhain, while its monastery and principal church we—re called Kill- Coemhain. '°7 In what Colgan states concerning Ard-oilen although he treats of it very minutely—he does not mention the name of Fechin as the founder. ^°^ Harris follows that story contained in the Second Life ofSt. Fechin,andattributesthemonasteryofArd-Oileantohim. Archdallsays, that Kill-Coemhain was founded by Fechin. This writer goes farther than Fechin's Second Life, which does not ascribe the building of Kill-Coemhain to Fechin's instrumentality; but it exhibits him erecting a nameless monastery in Ard-Oilean, as if there might have been two conobia in that island. How- ever,therewasonlyonemonastery. Amistake—perhapsofthepress—in his account of Ard-Oilen is that of ArchdalFs confounding Coemhain, the reputed founder, with Columb. ^°9
CHAPTER IL
ST. FECHIN BUILDS A MONASTERY AT FORE—HIS RULE OF LIFE WHILE THERE— DESCRIPTION OF THIS PLACE—THE CHIEF HOLY PERSONS WITH WHOM THE SAINT ESTABLISHED A FRIENDSHIP—ST. FECHIN MAKES PEACE BETWEEN DOMNALD II.
, KING OF IRELAND, AND THE SOUTHERN HY-NIALLS—MOENACH, KING OF MUNSTER, RELEASES A CAPTIVE AT HIS REQUEST—FECHIN PROCURES THE RETURN OF
, TIRECHAN TO HIS MOTHER.
The chief foundation of St. Fechin was that of the famous monastery at Fore'—Latinized Favoria—in the county of Westmeath. This place is said tohavebeenshowninaremarkablevisiontoaholymancalledStellan. '' St.
Columba, or Columkille, through the spirit of prophecy, appointed it for
breadth; while from the level of the floor to the apex, closed by one stone, it measured 7 feet 5 inches.
This historian was led into error, relying on
the authority of Colgan.
'°7See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi-
">3 It is 4 feet 5 inches in height, one foot bemise," p. 715. However, O'Flaherty
10 inches in width, at the top, and 2 feet 2 inches at the bottom. It is 2 feet 7 inches in thickness. Here an illustration of Mr. Wakeman is inserted. It is similar to, yet
shows, that the Irish hagiologist confounded Ard-Oilean with Ard-Coemhan, one of the
a little in detail the illustra- from,
andnn " ,- . ,i (s. t).
differing
tion drawn by Mr. Wakeman for this work.
naught," pp. 90, 91,
"^ See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernia;," xxi.
104 For further description of this locality, the reader is referred to notices of St. Gorm-
gal, of Ard-Oilean, at the 5th of August.
Martii. Appendix ad Acta S. Endei, cap. vii. , p. 715.
'°5
founded an abbey here, as he did at Imay.
Yet, O'Flaherty states, that St. Feichin
272. — CHAPTER II.
'°*See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
Fewer valley, in which Fore
History
of
Ireland," chap, xli. ,
n.
141.
=" Hesawthewhole
Arran of islands. See " group
Chorogra- phical Description of West or H-Iar Con-
'"^See "Monasticon Hibemicum," p.
' Called Foure or in some old documents.
366 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 20.
Fechinevenmanyyearsbeforehewasbom. Beingurgedbythatdisciple, Stellan,3 to make a settlement there, St, Columba told him that place was
designed for another, who, in after times, should glorify God in an extraor- dinary manner. St. Nathy, of Achonry, is said to have foretold the future eminence of this place, and when St. Fechin first came to Fore* There he spent three days and nights, fasting, watching, and praying, after he had crossed the River Shannon in quest of this spot. Then he was admonished by an angel how it was the Divine will that he should settle there and build a monastery,
in which he should gather together a numerous congregation of religious souls. s With this divine admonition he complied, and at Fore he erected a
most famous monastery. Even the owner of this tract wiUingly bestowed the
delightful valley as a site for this purpose, and he was encomaged to do so by angelic visions. ^ Such numbers of devout postulants were afterwards at- tracted to this place by his reputation, and the sweet odour of his virtues, that, in course of a Uttle time, Fechin's community consisted of about three hundred pious monks. 7 This is stated in the hymn for his office. ^ These he instructed and trained in the science of Sacred Scripture, and in monastic
A certain wTiter? on our ecclesiastical antiquities has swelled the number of St Fechin's monks at Fore to three thousand. '" He even refers to Ussher as an authority; while in the very passage alluded to" and quoted, the learned writerontheBritishchurchesreckonsonlythreehundred. Theverylines, given from the office hymn, are likewise cited by Ussher. " These monks and their holy abbot subsisted by their own labour. '3 Sometimes they were reduced to great penury,'^ and in " the First Life" we are told that they had no food to entertain some guests, until their wants had been supplied, owing to the devout abbofs holy prayers. '5 Their monastery at Fore, one biography states,'^ was the earHest establishment St. Fechin founded, and
only after he had obtained a great reputation for sanctity.
As a desirable rule, especially when colleges and monasteries became
crowded with young students, St. Fechin would not allow women access to his religious establishment. '7 Even the superiors of many Irish monasteries prevented their entering churches or chapels attached. '^ We are told
discipline, according to the rules and institutes of the ancient fathers.
lies, filled with beautiful white birds, and in the middle a column of fire seemed reaching
» See Archdall's
''
Monasticon Hibemi-
to the very heavens.
chap, iii. , p. 133.
3 See ibid. , chap. ii.
See "Second Life,"
cum," p. 711.
" It is true the author of the " Second
Life" speaks of many other disciples he had in other monasteries ; but he only allows Fechin to have presided over 300 monks at Fore. See chap, ix. , p. 134.
"Page 1195, or page 500 in the London edition.
"See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum An-
* See " The Second Life," chap, ix. , p. 134. St. Nathy was then at Achonry, but he saw in a vision St. Fechin laying the foundation of his monastery at this place.
5 From our saint the parish is called St.
Feighin's, and it lies within the barony of tiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 500.
Fore. See "Ordnance Survey Townland
'3 See "The First Life," cap. x. , xi. , and cap. xiv. , p. 131.
'^ See "First Life," cap. ix. , p. 131, and "SecondLife,"cap. xxxvi. ,p. 137. From such distress they were relieved, on one oc- casion, by St. Ronan, who sent them a pre- sent of cattle,
'5 See " The First Life," cap. xi. , p. 131. '*See ibid.
'? See Ussher's "Primordia Ecclesiarum
et
''See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , §iv. , n. 60, p. 20.
Maps for the County of Westmeath.
"
Sheets
I,3,4,7,8,13. OnSheets4and8the
chief antiquities referring to Fore proper are
marked.
*See "The Second Life," chap, ix. , p. 134. This owner was the first who was in- terred under the high altar at Fore.
^ See "The First Life," chap, x. , p. 131,
^
and " The Second —
Life," cap. Ix. , p. 134.
we read as follows:
In it
" Dehinc fuit monachorum
Britannicarum," pp. 943,
seq.
Dux, et pater trecentorum : Quos instruxit lege morum Mums contra vitia. Amen. "
January 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 367
that St. Fechin would not permit servant-maids to the monastic precincts,
even for the purpose of milking cows. '9 Literature, as well as piety, was promoted at Fore. Hence, Ussher states that it was called Baile-Leabhair, or " the town of books. "^° One better versed in the Irish language has cor- rected this false et>'mology, for he considers the true traditional local deno- mination to be Bail Fobhar, " the town of the spring. "'^' Its abbots were bishops^^ in various instances, for it soon attained the distinction of becoming one of the Irish primitive sees. '3 According to tradition, here, as at other places,St. Fechinwroughtstupendousmiracles. ^* Forcorroborationofsuch statements, the author of his acts alleges the testimony of Aileranus the Wise^s and others of the faithful.
There is an air of sanctity and grandeur around the crumbling walls, the
Old Gateway at Fore, Co. Westmeath.
venerableruins,andthemagnificentsceneryofFore. "^ Thisisfurtherin- tensified by many sacred traditions and Catholic memories, that yet linger
This opinion of his seems a very correct one,
yet Dr. Lanigan takes exception to it.
*3 In St. Fechin's a cross is said to time,
'9 See "Second Life," cap. xxxvi. , p. 137-
'° Ussher adds to this " statement, quasi
Kiriath-sepher. " See " Britannicarum Ec- have stood before the church door at this
clesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 500. " Such is the opinion of John O'Dono- van in the " Letters containing information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Westmeath, collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1837," vol. ii. , p. 4. Besides water gushing from the foot of a hill called Carraig Bhailear, there are two other fine wells at Fore, viz. , Cobe^A riA CojAine and tJubAc, ^eichin. This place seems to have been called Fore, even ante-
cedent to St. Feichin's birth.
place.
* Mr. O'Donovan gives a most interesting
and detailed description of Fore and its
"
Letters con- taining information relative to the Antiqui- ties of the County of Westmeath, collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1837," vol ii. , pp. 3 to 28. A note of Dr. Petrie referring to a window and door- way of St. Fechin's church, with two
sketches, accompanies this description.
^^ He lived contemporaneously with our
saint.
**The accompanying illustration of an
ancient gateway at Fore was drawn on the
"^
episcopal see, in former times. See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of Meath," p. 138.
Harris supposed that it was a regular
various archaic objects, in
368 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 20.
about this former seat of monasticism.
and a
knelt, according to popular tradition. Every object, in fact, is redolent of pious reminiscences. ^^
Several ruins of churches and other antiquities are yet visible at Fore. We are told by Sir Henry Piers^s that it was anciently a town or university
faith is Ireland"ismagnifiedbyapilgrimagetoLoughLeneandFore. TheMonk's Island is here shown, and there it is said students fi:equented their classes in summer time. The holy well is still reverenced as a relic of ancient devotion. Here are numerous traces manifesting a high state of cultivation, to which St. Fechin's community reduced what had been only wild and profitless waste. The door lintel of the church at Fore is greatly admired by the tasteful antiquary. ^? One of St. Fechin's favourite places for prayer and meditation still bears the prints of his knees where he
elevated,
vivified,
patriotic
green
holy
A ruined monastery here presented a large pile of simple and unadornedmasonry. Inthebeginningofthepresentcentury,theoldchapel had three pointed windows, and it was in a tolerable state of preservation. The valley in which it was situated is a delightful place for retreat. One of the
churchyards here is covered with tombstones. Towards the east are earthen remains of what was formerly a strong fort.
Nor must we understand, probably, that Fechin became proprietor of the whole island. ? ^ He was considered only as the chief director. He probably acted as a magistrate over the inhabitants, who were then pagans. Taking with him some of his monks, the holy missionary undertook their conversion. At first he met with great opposition. Those people were so obstinate, that they refused even to supply him and his companions with provisions. While pre- paring for the construction of a monastery, the islanders threw the implements and utensils of Fechin and his monks into the sea. Those articles however were driven back. The island of Imay, now Anglicized Omey, is near the mainland. 79 The saint succeeded in bringing all its pagan inhabitants to theChristianfaith,andhebaptizedthem. ^° Theirzealbecamesofervent, that the islanders consigned themselves to their master and superior Fechin. ^* On a mountain, called Cobha,^^ lying northwards from the monastery in this island, the saint often prayed ; and the sole mitigation of austerity he in-
73 to 92, John O'Donovan has given a very 78 In old writings it is called Imaith and admirable historic and archaeological account Umma, but the meaning of this word does of this parish of Omey. This is illustrated not appear. It gives name to the parish of
Omey, which is bounded north by that of
Ballynakill, east by the parishes of Ballyna- kill and Moyrus, south by the parishes of Moyrus and Ballindoon, and west by the Atlantic Ocean. For further particulars regarding Omey the reader is referred to
disciples had been induced to take up their residence on it.
by four admirable ink sketches of William
F. Wakeman : one sketch represents Doon
Castle, another gives an eastern view of the
largest Cloghan on Ard-Oilean, another pre-
sents the church of St. Fechin from the west,
with ruins of the circular wall or Caisol sur-
rounding it, and the fourth sketch is that of averyprimitivechapelcalledKill,withits
ground plan, on the townland of Ballyma-
conry, now Anglicized Kingstown. The
latter object lies on the brink of that arm of
the ocean, which runs up to Streamstown,
and it is nearly opposite to Doon Castle.
This chapel measures on the inside 48 feet
in length, 1 7 feet 6 inches in width, and its herty's
walls are 2 feet 8 inches in thickness. The
east gable was totally destroyed, and the door-way which was in the west gable at that time had been reduced to a shapeless breach. This and the Castle of Doon, nearly opposite to it, a little to the north-east, are marked on the " Ordnance Survey Maps for the County of Galway. " Sheet 22.
75 See "The Martyrology of Donegal," edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 22,
Chorographical Description of West or H-Iar Connaught," n. (r), pp. 112, 113.
7* According to the "Second Life," he had this vision, while dwelling in the mon- astery at Eas-Dara. See chap, xxii. , p. 135-
T' See
nise," XX. Januarii.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Vita Prima S. Fechini, This king was the son of See Dr. Masters,"
Sheet 21, "Ordnance
Maps for the County of Galway.
Colgan's
Survey
cap. xii. , p. 131.
Colman, who died A. D. 662. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four vol. i. , pp. 372, 273.
*"
identify the position of this place from the
County of Galway.
" ofWestorH-IarConnaught. " Additional
Notes, z, pp. 279 to 281.
79 In Irish, it is called loiriAi'd or lotriAi*
V^i6iri. At low water, it can be entered from the mainland with dry feet. Within
it there is a pool of standing water, and the soil is plain and champaign. See O'Fla-
"
^ Although St. Fechin erected a monas-
tery there, we are told by O'Flaherty, that the parish church only remained in 1684.
The spot is now called Templefeheen.
^' St. Fechin's well is yet to be seen here. Towards the close of the seventeenth cen- tury, it was visited, and miraculous cures were effected in restoring many to health. The patron, St. Fechin, was also venerated on the 20th of January, in this island. The well is called Toberfeheen, and it lies a little to the south of Templefeheen and Corcon graveyard on the sea-shore. See Townland
O'Flaherty's
Chorographical Description
"
It does not seem possible at present to
" Ordnance Townland Maps for the Survey
"
January 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 363
dulged was to seek its more sheltered southern aspect, when rough winds and waves careered over the wide expanse of ocean. ^3
St. Fechin's monks while here wanted the necessaries of life. Two of them are stated to have died owing to a deficiency of food. The Almighty- was pleased, however, through the saint's intercession, to bring these again
to life. However Guaire, the pious and generous King of Connaught,^* became apprized of their distress. He then sent an abundance of provisions to sustain them. ^s it had been supposed by Ussher, that Guaire was king over the island of Immagh alone, and therefore has he been placed among those persons converted to Christianity, by St. Fechin. ^^ He thought that by *'rex terrae" was meant the island king. ^7 But those words were relative to the province of Connaught. Within it Immagh was comprised, as a sub- holding of the king. Had Ussher seen the Second Life of St. Fechin in which the same circumstance is related,^^ and where King Guaire is called son of Colman, he must have been more correct. Even the context found in the First Life, should have taught him, that Guaire was some monarch more important than king over Immagh^9 alone. The church on Omey Island, which seems to have been used in O'Flaherty's time, is now nearly buried in the sands. It is 40 feet in length, by 19 feet in width, interiorly, and the walls are 2 feet 9 inches in thickness. The only characteristic feature of thischurchremainingisarudewindowintheeasterngable. Fromitsstyle, Dr. O'Donovan thought one could safely come to the conclusion, that this was not the original church of St. Feichin. s°
According to some statements, Fechin is said to have built a monastery
"
in another isolated place called Ard-Oilean, or the
High Island. "? ^ Al-
though the transactions in Immagh are detailed, however, there is nothing stated in the First Life about his passing over to Ard-Oilean. He appears
from it to have gone directly from Immagh to Fore, although this is not rendered quite clear. But in the Second Life,9^ Fechin is introduced as
"
having erected a distinct monastery at Ard-Oilean, or stonehouses,ofamostprimitivetype,arestilltobeseen. 93 Thelatterareof
High Island. " This too seems very probable ; for even at the present time, considerable portions of the ruins remain, while several ancient stone crosses, and old cells or
*3 See "The Second Life," chap, xlvi. , p. 139.
^^ The pedigree and posterity of this king, taken from the "Book of Lecan," fol. 80,
p. b, col. 3, may be found in Dr. O'Dono-
This is now called Teampull Atha Deirg, i. e. , "the church at the Red Ford,"because a small reddish coloured mountain stream falls into Streamstown Bay immediately to the east of it, and north-east of Ballymac-conry. Its ruins are 40 feet by 20, interiorly ; and the walls are only 3 feet high. It is sur- rounded by a burial-ground,
van's
"
Genealogies, Tribes and Customs of "
Hy-Fiachrach, pp. 60 to 63.
"s We are told, he also presented his
cup—probably a chalice—to St. Fechin. See "The First Life of St. Fechin," chap.
9° The inhabitants there, when visited by Dr. O'Donovan, had Latinized St. Fechin's xii. , p. 131. This was afterwards known name to Festus. " Galway Letters of I.
as the "Cuach Fechin," Latinized, "Phiala S. Fechini. " It had been preserved as we read long after his time. See the " Second Life,"chap,xxii. ,p. 135.
O. S. ," vol. iii. , p. 75.
5' This lies a few miles north-west of
Omey Island, and further out in the Atlan- ticOcean. Itssituationisindicatedonthe " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Galway. " Sheet 21. The old abbey, its cloghans, its graveyard, peni-
^ See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
quitates," chap, xvii. , pp. 500, 501.
^^ He had read this phrase in the " First
"
Life, chap. xii. , p. 131. He seems to have tential stations, Brian Boru's well, the old
forgotten the extent of jurisdiction possessed by Guaire.
^ In the twenty-second chapter.
*9 In the parish of Omey, there was an opinion, in the time of O' Flaherty, that the ancient parochial church was at Ath-dearg.
mill-site, and its pond of water, are there sho\vn.
»' See chap, xxii. , p. 135.
»3 in O'Flaherty's time a large round wall was to be found there,
3^4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 20.
theclassknownasCloghans. 94 Someofthoseobjectsareprobablyasoldas the time of St. Feichan. Anciently this island was called Inis-hiarthuir, or the " West Island. " Except in calm, settled weather, it is inaccessible ; and
even after a landing, it is so steep, that much difficulty is experienced in climbing to the top, where there is a well and standing water, on the brook of which there was a mill. ss A large circular wall, mentioned by O'Flaherty, was much dilapidated when seen by Dr. O'Donovan in 1839. This was nearly an oblong fence ;96 but in many places, especially on the north side, it had been levelled with the earth. 97 On the north side of this enclosure,
"•^•fVAK
Church and Cloghans on Ard-Oilean, Co. Galway.
and within about 10 feet of the north wall, stands a cloghan or stone house. 9^ Its form is that of a bee-hive, interiorly squared, 8 feet 5 inches one way, and 8 feet 4 inches another ; its height from the present level of the floor, which is raised most probably, to the apex,^ is 7 feet 9 inches. The doorway is now very low,'°° and it is only 35 inches broad. The building is very smooth on the inside, and yet uncemented ; but, on the outside, it is very irregular looking. '"' On the north-west side of this, and about 15 feet dis- tant, there is another cloghan of the same form and characteristics, but of
smaller dimensions. '°^
Nearly
due west of the and at the larger cloghan,
9* The accompanying illustration of the
ruins at Ard-Oilean was drawn on the spot
by William F. Wakeman, and engraved by George A. Hanlon.
thickness.
5® In character it differs from the Cloghans
on Innishmurry or Innishglory, which are constructed nearly in the form of bee-hives.
55 See "
O'Flaherty's Chorographical
59 The is there closed cloghan
stones, one overlapping the other.
'°'
scription.
"" On the inside, it measures 6 feet 7
inches in length, and 5 feet 8 inches in
De- scription of West or H-Iar Connaught ;"
two
by
edited
Hardiraan,
raised. Mr. Wakeman's beautiful sketch of it here accompanies Mr. O'Donovan's de-
by James and n (u).
pp. 114, 115,
probably
9* From north to south, it measured 38
yards, and from east to west, 23 yards.
57 The most perfect part of it, near the north-west corner, was about 10 feet in
'°° The about it is ground
January 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 365
distance of 8 feet from it, is the little chapel of St. Fechin, mentioned by OTlaherty. On the inside, it measures 11 feet 10 inches in length, and 10 feet 8 inches in breadth. The east gable is nearly destroyed, but it contains thefragmentofapointedwindow. Thedoorway,asisusualinalltheold Irish churches of the primitive period, is placed in the middle of the west gable. ^°3 North and by west of this little church, there appears to have been another cloghan, but it is now level with the ground. ^°4 To assert that our saint built a monastery here is evidently a mistake, in the opinion of Dr. Lanigan. '°s He maintains, besides it not having been mentioned in the First Life of St. Fechin, that the patron saint of Ard-oilen was a St. Coem- hain. ^°^ From his name, that island, it has been stated, was formerly called Ard-Coemhain, while its monastery and principal church we—re called Kill- Coemhain. '°7 In what Colgan states concerning Ard-oilen although he treats of it very minutely—he does not mention the name of Fechin as the founder. ^°^ Harris follows that story contained in the Second Life ofSt. Fechin,andattributesthemonasteryofArd-Oileantohim. Archdallsays, that Kill-Coemhain was founded by Fechin. This writer goes farther than Fechin's Second Life, which does not ascribe the building of Kill-Coemhain to Fechin's instrumentality; but it exhibits him erecting a nameless monastery in Ard-Oilean, as if there might have been two conobia in that island. How- ever,therewasonlyonemonastery. Amistake—perhapsofthepress—in his account of Ard-Oilen is that of ArchdalFs confounding Coemhain, the reputed founder, with Columb. ^°9
CHAPTER IL
ST. FECHIN BUILDS A MONASTERY AT FORE—HIS RULE OF LIFE WHILE THERE— DESCRIPTION OF THIS PLACE—THE CHIEF HOLY PERSONS WITH WHOM THE SAINT ESTABLISHED A FRIENDSHIP—ST. FECHIN MAKES PEACE BETWEEN DOMNALD II.
, KING OF IRELAND, AND THE SOUTHERN HY-NIALLS—MOENACH, KING OF MUNSTER, RELEASES A CAPTIVE AT HIS REQUEST—FECHIN PROCURES THE RETURN OF
, TIRECHAN TO HIS MOTHER.
The chief foundation of St. Fechin was that of the famous monastery at Fore'—Latinized Favoria—in the county of Westmeath. This place is said tohavebeenshowninaremarkablevisiontoaholymancalledStellan. '' St.
Columba, or Columkille, through the spirit of prophecy, appointed it for
breadth; while from the level of the floor to the apex, closed by one stone, it measured 7 feet 5 inches.
This historian was led into error, relying on
the authority of Colgan.
'°7See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi-
">3 It is 4 feet 5 inches in height, one foot bemise," p. 715. However, O'Flaherty
10 inches in width, at the top, and 2 feet 2 inches at the bottom. It is 2 feet 7 inches in thickness. Here an illustration of Mr. Wakeman is inserted. It is similar to, yet
shows, that the Irish hagiologist confounded Ard-Oilean with Ard-Coemhan, one of the
a little in detail the illustra- from,
andnn " ,- . ,i (s. t).
differing
tion drawn by Mr. Wakeman for this work.
naught," pp. 90, 91,
"^ See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernia;," xxi.
104 For further description of this locality, the reader is referred to notices of St. Gorm-
gal, of Ard-Oilean, at the 5th of August.
Martii. Appendix ad Acta S. Endei, cap. vii. , p. 715.
'°5
founded an abbey here, as he did at Imay.
Yet, O'Flaherty states, that St. Feichin
272. — CHAPTER II.
'°*See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
Fewer valley, in which Fore
History
of
Ireland," chap, xli. ,
n.
141.
=" Hesawthewhole
Arran of islands. See " group
Chorogra- phical Description of West or H-Iar Con-
'"^See "Monasticon Hibemicum," p.
' Called Foure or in some old documents.
366 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 20.
Fechinevenmanyyearsbeforehewasbom. Beingurgedbythatdisciple, Stellan,3 to make a settlement there, St, Columba told him that place was
designed for another, who, in after times, should glorify God in an extraor- dinary manner. St. Nathy, of Achonry, is said to have foretold the future eminence of this place, and when St. Fechin first came to Fore* There he spent three days and nights, fasting, watching, and praying, after he had crossed the River Shannon in quest of this spot. Then he was admonished by an angel how it was the Divine will that he should settle there and build a monastery,
in which he should gather together a numerous congregation of religious souls. s With this divine admonition he complied, and at Fore he erected a
most famous monastery. Even the owner of this tract wiUingly bestowed the
delightful valley as a site for this purpose, and he was encomaged to do so by angelic visions. ^ Such numbers of devout postulants were afterwards at- tracted to this place by his reputation, and the sweet odour of his virtues, that, in course of a Uttle time, Fechin's community consisted of about three hundred pious monks. 7 This is stated in the hymn for his office. ^ These he instructed and trained in the science of Sacred Scripture, and in monastic
A certain wTiter? on our ecclesiastical antiquities has swelled the number of St Fechin's monks at Fore to three thousand. '" He even refers to Ussher as an authority; while in the very passage alluded to" and quoted, the learned writerontheBritishchurchesreckonsonlythreehundred. Theverylines, given from the office hymn, are likewise cited by Ussher. " These monks and their holy abbot subsisted by their own labour. '3 Sometimes they were reduced to great penury,'^ and in " the First Life" we are told that they had no food to entertain some guests, until their wants had been supplied, owing to the devout abbofs holy prayers. '5 Their monastery at Fore, one biography states,'^ was the earHest establishment St. Fechin founded, and
only after he had obtained a great reputation for sanctity.
As a desirable rule, especially when colleges and monasteries became
crowded with young students, St. Fechin would not allow women access to his religious establishment. '7 Even the superiors of many Irish monasteries prevented their entering churches or chapels attached. '^ We are told
discipline, according to the rules and institutes of the ancient fathers.
lies, filled with beautiful white birds, and in the middle a column of fire seemed reaching
» See Archdall's
''
Monasticon Hibemi-
to the very heavens.
chap, iii. , p. 133.
3 See ibid. , chap. ii.
See "Second Life,"
cum," p. 711.
" It is true the author of the " Second
Life" speaks of many other disciples he had in other monasteries ; but he only allows Fechin to have presided over 300 monks at Fore. See chap, ix. , p. 134.
"Page 1195, or page 500 in the London edition.
"See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum An-
* See " The Second Life," chap, ix. , p. 134. St. Nathy was then at Achonry, but he saw in a vision St. Fechin laying the foundation of his monastery at this place.
5 From our saint the parish is called St.
Feighin's, and it lies within the barony of tiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 500.
Fore. See "Ordnance Survey Townland
'3 See "The First Life," cap. x. , xi. , and cap. xiv. , p. 131.
'^ See "First Life," cap. ix. , p. 131, and "SecondLife,"cap. xxxvi. ,p. 137. From such distress they were relieved, on one oc- casion, by St. Ronan, who sent them a pre- sent of cattle,
'5 See " The First Life," cap. xi. , p. 131. '*See ibid.
'? See Ussher's "Primordia Ecclesiarum
et
''See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , §iv. , n. 60, p. 20.
Maps for the County of Westmeath.
"
Sheets
I,3,4,7,8,13. OnSheets4and8the
chief antiquities referring to Fore proper are
marked.
*See "The Second Life," chap, ix. , p. 134. This owner was the first who was in- terred under the high altar at Fore.
^ See "The First Life," chap, x. , p. 131,
^
and " The Second —
Life," cap. Ix. , p. 134.
we read as follows:
In it
" Dehinc fuit monachorum
Britannicarum," pp. 943,
seq.
Dux, et pater trecentorum : Quos instruxit lege morum Mums contra vitia. Amen. "
January 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 367
that St. Fechin would not permit servant-maids to the monastic precincts,
even for the purpose of milking cows. '9 Literature, as well as piety, was promoted at Fore. Hence, Ussher states that it was called Baile-Leabhair, or " the town of books. "^° One better versed in the Irish language has cor- rected this false et>'mology, for he considers the true traditional local deno- mination to be Bail Fobhar, " the town of the spring. "'^' Its abbots were bishops^^ in various instances, for it soon attained the distinction of becoming one of the Irish primitive sees. '3 According to tradition, here, as at other places,St. Fechinwroughtstupendousmiracles. ^* Forcorroborationofsuch statements, the author of his acts alleges the testimony of Aileranus the Wise^s and others of the faithful.
There is an air of sanctity and grandeur around the crumbling walls, the
Old Gateway at Fore, Co. Westmeath.
venerableruins,andthemagnificentsceneryofFore. "^ Thisisfurtherin- tensified by many sacred traditions and Catholic memories, that yet linger
This opinion of his seems a very correct one,
yet Dr. Lanigan takes exception to it.
*3 In St. Fechin's a cross is said to time,
'9 See "Second Life," cap. xxxvi. , p. 137-
'° Ussher adds to this " statement, quasi
Kiriath-sepher. " See " Britannicarum Ec- have stood before the church door at this
clesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 500. " Such is the opinion of John O'Dono- van in the " Letters containing information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Westmeath, collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1837," vol. ii. , p. 4. Besides water gushing from the foot of a hill called Carraig Bhailear, there are two other fine wells at Fore, viz. , Cobe^A riA CojAine and tJubAc, ^eichin. This place seems to have been called Fore, even ante-
cedent to St. Feichin's birth.
place.
* Mr. O'Donovan gives a most interesting
and detailed description of Fore and its
"
Letters con- taining information relative to the Antiqui- ties of the County of Westmeath, collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1837," vol ii. , pp. 3 to 28. A note of Dr. Petrie referring to a window and door- way of St. Fechin's church, with two
sketches, accompanies this description.
^^ He lived contemporaneously with our
saint.
**The accompanying illustration of an
ancient gateway at Fore was drawn on the
"^
episcopal see, in former times. See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of Meath," p. 138.
Harris supposed that it was a regular
various archaic objects, in
368 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 20.
about this former seat of monasticism.
and a
knelt, according to popular tradition. Every object, in fact, is redolent of pious reminiscences. ^^
Several ruins of churches and other antiquities are yet visible at Fore. We are told by Sir Henry Piers^s that it was anciently a town or university
faith is Ireland"ismagnifiedbyapilgrimagetoLoughLeneandFore. TheMonk's Island is here shown, and there it is said students fi:equented their classes in summer time. The holy well is still reverenced as a relic of ancient devotion. Here are numerous traces manifesting a high state of cultivation, to which St. Fechin's community reduced what had been only wild and profitless waste. The door lintel of the church at Fore is greatly admired by the tasteful antiquary. ^? One of St. Fechin's favourite places for prayer and meditation still bears the prints of his knees where he
elevated,
vivified,
patriotic
green
holy
A ruined monastery here presented a large pile of simple and unadornedmasonry. Inthebeginningofthepresentcentury,theoldchapel had three pointed windows, and it was in a tolerable state of preservation. The valley in which it was situated is a delightful place for retreat. One of the
churchyards here is covered with tombstones. Towards the east are earthen remains of what was formerly a strong fort.
