^ngus, agree in the
foregoing
statements.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
d.
640, when this epistle had been written.
Thus there were eleven named altoge- ther,fivebeingbishops;viz.
: Thomianus,7Columbanus,^Cronanus,9Dimanus,"* Baitanus ;" five being Abbots or Priests, viz.
Cronanus," Hemanus,'3 Las- rianus,'+ Stellanus,^5 Segianus,'^ and one Saranus,'?
who is called a Doctor.
Apostolic admonition. However, the northern part did not receive it. Scottish nation, thus divided into a northern and a southern part, could not have been Britannic Scotia, but Hibernia. This may be collected from these words of Venerable Bede,5 when treating of St. Aidan, an Irishman, he re- marks, that the Northerns of the Scottish Province, and the Picts thought, at this time, they were following the laudable and edifying writings of Anatolius. The Southern Scots of Ireland are praised by Bede, because they had long be- fore conformed to the more universal usage, and had learned to observe the ca- nonical usage for celebrating Easter, as recommended by the Apostolic See.
^ See
*'
Historia Ecclesiastica
Gentis
Cronan, Abbot of Magbile, in Ulster, died A. D. 649, on the 7th of August. '3 St. Her-
nan, son to Colman, Abbas Foragiensis, in Ulster, flourished about A. D. 650, and St. Enian, son to Aldus, flourished in the same province about A. D. 660, and died on the 1 6th of May, according to our Mar-
'"* St. sonto tyrologists. Lasrianus, Nasch,
Abbot,near Loch Laodh in Ulster, flourished about a. d. 650, and he died on the 25th of October. ^5 St. Stellan, Abbot of Inisceltra, in Connaught, flourished about the same
'*
St. Seganius, son of Hua Cuinn, died on the lOth of September, A. D. 662. Likewise a St. Sigenius, son to Fachtna, Abbot of Huen, died on the 12th of August, A. D. 651. ^^ St. Saran O'Critain died A. D. 661. These ac- counts are taken from the Annals already quoted ; and they confirm Colgan's proofs, because it is evident the bearers of those several names lived in the northern part of Ireland, which then only resisted an intro-
ductionoftheRomanrite.
Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 3, p. 166. 5 Ibid.
*
See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. v. , cap. 16, pp. 432, 433.
7 St. Thomianus, Archbishop of Armagh, who justly occupies a place on this list, died
on the loth of
A. D. 660. ^ St,
January,
Columbanus O'Telduib, Bishop of Clonard, in Meath, died on the 8th of February, A. D.
652. 9 St. Cronan, Bishop of ^ndrum, in Ulster, died A. d. 642. " St. Diman, Bishop of Connor, in Ulster, died on the 6th of
January, A. D. 658. "St. Baitan, the son of Cuanach, Bishop of Tegh-Baoithin, or of Arteach, in Connaught, flourished about A. D. 640. This saint was a disciple of St.
Columba, and contemporary with St. Moch- oemoc, who died a. d. 655, as appears from aLifeofthissameMochoemoc. Theseac-
counts, regarding the Bishops, with the ex- ception of what concerns St. Baitan, are taken from the Annals of Clonmacnoise, of AUSaints,oftheIsland,andofUlster. "St.
time, and he died on the 24th of May.
78 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 6.
The second point remaining to be proved, namely, that our saint is iden- tical with Diman named in the epistle, thus receives its solution. It has been established, that the epistle in question was addressed to the northern Irish ; for Venerable Bede declares'^ that the southern Irish had long before this time conformed to the Roman custom, whilst the northern were in opposition to it. St. Diman, at that time, was Bishop of Connor, in the northern part of Ire- land, in which also flourished those other ten dignitaries named in the epistle. For all were connected with the provinces of Meath, Connaught, or Ulster. These were regarded as appertaining to Ireland's northern part ; our island being then usually divided into north and south. Wherefore, the epistle had been directed to residents in the north. Again, from the Life of St. Colman Elo,'9it had been predicted, that St. Diman should be a futiu-e
aidandprotectortoalltheIrishChurches; andhewasconsideredassuch,
because he defended their customs and ancient rites throughout this con-
troversy.
If any objection be offered, that the persons named in the epistle were
honoured as saints, and hence, that they could not have favoured a schism
which arose, regarding the celebration of Easter, in opposition to customs observed and mandates issued by the Apostolic See ; it may easily be urged, that they, and many other saints, such as St. Columbanus of Luxeu, St. Dagan, St. Aidan, St. Finan, St. Colman of Lindisfame, St. Munna, abbot, besides several other holy men, who are venerated as saints in our Church, yet were not regarded as schismatics, because they followed different rites for the cele- bration of Easter. For, as Bede states,^° and as Baronius observes, at a. d. 634 and 664, they were not accustomed to celebrate Easter on the 14th day of the moon, after the manner of the Jews, and of other heretics, who were condemned by a council assembled at Nice ; but they held this feast on that Sunday which intervened between the 14th day of the moon unto the 20th, inclusively. ^^ Although the Irish were reprehensible in observing Easter after this manner, contrary to rites and mandates of the Apostolic See, and thus it happened, that on some occasions, they celebrated their Pasch on the samedaywiththeJews; yettheChurchjudgeditexpedienttotoleratethis practice for a time,^^ because it was not observed Avith a schismatic intention. It was done through ignorance, and through a desire to adhere to the obser- vances of St. Columba, with other saints and seniors of the Irish Church. Thus the error was a venial one until a. d. 716, when controversy on this sub- ject ceased, in accordance with an Apostolic decree. The Irish then con- formed to the Roman practice, as Baronius informs us. ^3 St. Diman prac- tised many austerities, and particularly towards the close of his career, which was prolonged beyond the usual course of human life. Full of virtues, as of years, he resigned his soul into his Creator's keeping on the 6th day of January. ^^'f He died in the year of Grace 658, according to our ancient annals. 's Popular veneration succeeded. His feast was held with great
'^ See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis An-
glorum," lib. iii. , cap. 3, p. 166.
'9 Cap. xix.
=° See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis An-
^ Baronius " Annales Ecclesiastici," tomus ix. , A. c. 716, sec. xi. , pp. 7, 8.
^3 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," vi.
Januarii, n. 11, pp. 17, 18.
lib. 206. iii. , cap. 17, p.
^^ At this date the
glorum,"
*' See Baronius "Annales Ecclesiastici,"
published MartjTology
of
tomus viii. , a. d. 634, sees, xii. , xiii. , pp. Kelly's edition. The Franciscan copy has
Tallagh 285, 286, and a. d. 664, sees. iv. to xvii. , pp. 'OitnmAe "Oub.
"
clear statement of this whole controversy, year of Diarmaid and Blathmac. Dima
415 to 418, ibid, Baronius gives a full and ^^
The Age of Christ, 658. The second
which he extracts of Venerable Bede.
from the
died on the 6th O'Donovan's "Annals of the
chiefly
History
— of
Dubh, Bishop Connor,
of January. "
has Dimma Dr. Dubh," p. xi. ,
January 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 79
devotion, on the day of his demise,^^ in the church and diocese of Conner,
over which he so faithfully and efficiently presided. ^7 His Acts, if existing, did not come under Colgan's observation. This hagiologist has obtained all notices regarding him from other sources. ^^
It is ever to be desired, that concord and charity should unite the members of Christ's mystical body, the Church. Even in general disciplinary rites and customs, this harmony is desirable. True peace is not to be found, however,
in every kmd of agreement or friendship that may exist in society, as St. Leo the Great well remarks ; for there are wicked alliances, vicious pacts, and similaritiesofpassiontounitemen. ^9 AsthosebondsareopposedtoGod's will, so they must not be dignified with the title of peace ; nor can the love of whatisevilagreewiththeloveofGod. Holypersonsardentlyaspiretobe of one mind with their Divine Lord and Master, so that they may never dis- sent from His eternal law.
ArticleIL—St. Lassar,ofAchadh-foda. Amongthemanyancient names of Irish places now escaping the identification of our topographers and archgeologists, the present denomination may be classed. Its English
would mean " andchangesmightcombinetoaltertheobjectanditsetymon. Lassar,of Achadh-foda, appears in the Martyrology of Donegal^ this day. ^ Lassar sig- nifying "a flame" or ''brightness," is the name of a female, and she is sometimes found Latinized, Lassara, or Lazat'a. No less than fourteen distinct entries of holy women so named occur in this calendar. 3 There is an Irish life of a St. Lassara, a Virgin, among the Burgundian MSS. in the
F. uiii. id, ' ' To his noble chosen went king
forth
Julian of abounding purity
Tis not meet to asperse the per-
fect joy
Of the baptism of the great son
of Mary. "
^7 See Rev. William Reeves' "Ecclesias-
tical Antiquities of Down, Connor, and Dro- more," p. 240. Also calendar in the Ap-
pendix, p. 376. ^* "
See Acta Sanctorum Hibernia;," vi. Leabhar Breac, p. 79, Vellum MSS. of the Januarii. Vita S. Dimani, cap. v. and n.
equivalent
Four Masters. " vol.
658. Dimmaingert, Episcopus Condire, et Cummine, Episcopus n. Aendroma, mortui sunt. "—Annales Ultonienses. The Annals of Clonmacnoise, and of Roscrea, Marianas O'Gonnan, and Charles Maguire, or the Commentator on St.
^ngus, agree in the foregoing statements.
^'^ To Brian
i. , pp. 268,
269. "a. D.
M. R. I. A. , Professor of Irish History and Archaeology in the Catholic. University, the writer is in- debted for the following Irish stanza of the Felire of St. -i^ngus (extracted from the
O'Loony, Esq. ,
R. LA. ,) with the accompanying English translation. As will be seen no Irish Saint's name has been introduced at this day, on which the great Festival of the Epiphany or Manifestation of Our Lord to the Gentiles takes place. It is most interesting to learn from this valuable old Irish Hymnology, that our forefathers in the Faith seem to have had a tradition that Our Divine Redeemer had been baptized by St. John on the 6th day of January. The Julian mentioned must be Julius the Martyr, who is commemorated on this day in the MS. Martyrology of St. Jerome. See " Acta Sanctorum Januarii. " tomus i. , p. 324.
p. uiii. vo. tlAicli CO A^Mj nAn C05A luLiAH Atb n-5LAine
moil5 \&! ^ flAn -pubA IdaicVict tnA't\ mAic mtn^e.
I, p. 16.
^9 Sancti Leonis Magni "Sermones,"
Sermo xcv. De Gradibus Ascensionis ad
beatitudinem, sec. ix. , pp. 425, 426. Roman
Edition, — i2mo. 1849.
'
Art. II. Edited by Drs. Todd and
Reeves, pp. 8, 9.
^
She is likewise entered in the Franciscan copy of the Martyrology of Tallagh, as l/Af|'A|\ <3l|\CA]A.
3 Besides the present saint, there is a Las- sar venerated at the i8th of February ; at the 23rd and 29th of March ; at the i8th of April; at the 7th, nth, and 14th of May; at the 23rd and 27th of July ; at 20th of August ; at the 15th and 30th of September; and at the 13th of November. See "Mar- tyrology of Donegal," pp. 430 to 433. The latter St. Lassar was venerated at Achavea, in the county of Fermanagh ; and it seems
long field,"
and it is to understand how time easy
8o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 6.
Library at Bmxelles. '^ We cannot assert, however, that it treats regarding the present, or some other St. Lassara. Not having received a fuller de- scription of the tract in question, we must be content to await that further pubhcity which the future may disclose. There is a parish called Killesher in the barony of Glenawley, county of Fermanagh. Water, mountain, and moorland, with cultivated tracts and plantations, lend diversity and interest to the surface of this extensive parish. The patron saint of this Killesher is Laisir, a Virgin. Her church lies in ruins, near the south-eastern extremity
il^^r xiia
Church Ruins at Killesher.
of Lough Mac Neane. There is a holy well near it which is called Tobar Laistreach. s The ruins of St. Lassar's church are enclosed, and sheltered by some fine trees. ^ The site is a beautiful one. The townland here gave name to the parish. Besides those objects already described, the cell of St. Lassar is pointed out, and within the townland of Killesher. ? There is
" Church of the on a Mass,"
another old called church,
Tempulnaffrin,
townland of the same name in the adjoining parish of Cleenish. ^ It is
charmingly situated on the northern bank of Lower Lough Mac Neane,9 which is the Loch-da-en of Irish history.
ArticleIII. —St, Diermaid,BishopofAirindh-Indaich. Froman early time, the zeal of our religious was manifested in those sacrifices made
possible she may have been the saint con- nectedwithKillesher, inthatcounty.
4 It was transcribed See fol. 112.
5 See Dr. O'Donovan's
Michael
^ See "Ordnance Townland Survey
by
O'Clery.
Maps 9 There is a tradition, it took name from
— dated from letter,
that two built nests eagles
Enniskillen, Nov. loth, 1834 "Fermanagh the circumstance
Letters of I. O. S. ," vol. i. , pp. 78, 79. in one of its islands. See Letters con-
MSS. in the R. I. A.
^
The accompanying view, drawn on the spot by William F. Wakeman in September,
1873, has been engraved by A. Appleton.
''
taining Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Fermanagh, collected dur- ing the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1834-5. R. 1. A. ," pp. 79, 80.
"
oftheCountyofFermanagh. Sheets26,32.
7 See
Ordnance Survey Totvnland Maps "
of Fermanagh. " Sheet 25.
January 6. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
by them, to procure the salvation of souls. Were we to admit Colgan's
conjecture, that the present saint might have been the companion of St. Columkille, when he journeyed from Ireland to Britain,' and the " ministrator "
of that great saint, we should find little difficulty in fixing the period when he flourished. The identity of name, notwithstanding, will not determine
this question. * St. Columba's companion, Diermaid, is frequently mentioned
in Columkille's various Acts. 3 That "minister" or servant, named Dier-
maid, appears to have been present at the death of his master,^ and to have
lived after 597. Various saints, bearing the name of Diermaid or Diarmait,
appear in our calendars. s Most of those are clearly distinguishable from the
companion of St. Columba ; while it seems difficult, if not impossible, to
identify any one of them with him. We find Eochod and Eachdach set
do\vn as the name of the present Diarmait's father ; but few other distinctive
particulars can be gleaned to clear the obscurity surrounding his Acts.
However, the place of this saint is found written Airiudh-Ionduigh. This
musthavebeenthenameofanancientsee; butW^illiamM. Hennessysays,
it has not been yet identified. ^ Diarmaid, Bishop of Airindh-Indaich, is set
down in the Martyrology of Donegal^ on this day. His name is somewhat
differently entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ where he is called the
son of Eachdach, and he is represented as having connexion with Airiud
sin la Cerclac. When or in what rank of bishops this St. Diermait lived
is still involved in uncertainty. His place seems to have escaped the identi-
fication of our topographical investigators. In the Franciscan MS. copy of
the Martyrology of Tallagh, the names of twenty foreign saints precede the entry of this sainfs name, as the first on the list of nine distinct holy Irish
persons. It may be observed, once for all, that the ancient Hieronymian Martyrology evidently furnished the chief authority for an insertion of various
foreign saints in the Martyrology of Tallagh, and in the Felire of St. ^ngus.
Article IV,—St. Curnan Beg, Patron of Kilcornan, Diocese and CountyofLimerick. TheFaithofoldtimeshasneverflickeredoutfrom the hearts and homes of the faithful ; but, on the contrary, it has acquired a new lustre, in its transmission to the present age, when inherited from the ministry of many a holy pastor, in many a seclu—ded locality of Ireland.
"
The
small stature is found recorded in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' with a festival to his honour, at the 6th day of January. The later Martyrology of Donegal,* while noting the veneration paid to St. Curnan Beg on this
S—t.
Art. III. —' See "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbse, cap.
ix. , p. 487. Also, Hector Boetius, "His-
toria Scotorum," lib. ix. , p. 166; Leslseus,
"
Historia Regum Scotorum," p. 150. This voyage took place about A. D. 563.
^ Nor indeed does Colgan decide anything
on this See "Trias
point. Thaumaturga,"
n. 42, p. 374.
3 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Life
of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 8, 12, 22, 25, 29j 30, 34; lib. ii. , cap. 29, 30; lib. iii. , cap. II, 23.
"* See
"Trias
*
"Diarmaid mac^ Eachdach o Airiud sin la Cerclac. " See Rev. Dr. Kelly's edition, p. xi. In the Franciscan copy, it is
'OiA|\mAi'o.
Art. iv. Edited by the Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xi. In the Franciscan MS. copy, at this same date, we find simply CAupriAn.
'
present
Curnan, styled
Beg,
httle," probably owing
Colgan's
Thaumaturga. "
—. Ocoac. ,.
Cumineus or Vita Secunda S. Columba,
cap. xxxv. , pp. 329, 330. Also O'Donell's
or Quinta Vita S. Columbae, lib. iii. , cap.
'
Becc or
to his
Diermait commemorated at the loth, 15th, and i6th of January ; at the 24th of April ;
at the 21st of June ; at the 8th of July; at the 28th of September; at the 12th of Octo- ber; and at the 12th and 20th of December,
^
See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part
•
n. 2.
7 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Apostolic admonition. However, the northern part did not receive it. Scottish nation, thus divided into a northern and a southern part, could not have been Britannic Scotia, but Hibernia. This may be collected from these words of Venerable Bede,5 when treating of St. Aidan, an Irishman, he re- marks, that the Northerns of the Scottish Province, and the Picts thought, at this time, they were following the laudable and edifying writings of Anatolius. The Southern Scots of Ireland are praised by Bede, because they had long be- fore conformed to the more universal usage, and had learned to observe the ca- nonical usage for celebrating Easter, as recommended by the Apostolic See.
^ See
*'
Historia Ecclesiastica
Gentis
Cronan, Abbot of Magbile, in Ulster, died A. D. 649, on the 7th of August. '3 St. Her-
nan, son to Colman, Abbas Foragiensis, in Ulster, flourished about A. D. 650, and St. Enian, son to Aldus, flourished in the same province about A. D. 660, and died on the 1 6th of May, according to our Mar-
'"* St. sonto tyrologists. Lasrianus, Nasch,
Abbot,near Loch Laodh in Ulster, flourished about a. d. 650, and he died on the 25th of October. ^5 St. Stellan, Abbot of Inisceltra, in Connaught, flourished about the same
'*
St. Seganius, son of Hua Cuinn, died on the lOth of September, A. D. 662. Likewise a St. Sigenius, son to Fachtna, Abbot of Huen, died on the 12th of August, A. D. 651. ^^ St. Saran O'Critain died A. D. 661. These ac- counts are taken from the Annals already quoted ; and they confirm Colgan's proofs, because it is evident the bearers of those several names lived in the northern part of Ireland, which then only resisted an intro-
ductionoftheRomanrite.
Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 3, p. 166. 5 Ibid.
*
See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. v. , cap. 16, pp. 432, 433.
7 St. Thomianus, Archbishop of Armagh, who justly occupies a place on this list, died
on the loth of
A. D. 660. ^ St,
January,
Columbanus O'Telduib, Bishop of Clonard, in Meath, died on the 8th of February, A. D.
652. 9 St. Cronan, Bishop of ^ndrum, in Ulster, died A. d. 642. " St. Diman, Bishop of Connor, in Ulster, died on the 6th of
January, A. D. 658. "St. Baitan, the son of Cuanach, Bishop of Tegh-Baoithin, or of Arteach, in Connaught, flourished about A. D. 640. This saint was a disciple of St.
Columba, and contemporary with St. Moch- oemoc, who died a. d. 655, as appears from aLifeofthissameMochoemoc. Theseac-
counts, regarding the Bishops, with the ex- ception of what concerns St. Baitan, are taken from the Annals of Clonmacnoise, of AUSaints,oftheIsland,andofUlster. "St.
time, and he died on the 24th of May.
78 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 6.
The second point remaining to be proved, namely, that our saint is iden- tical with Diman named in the epistle, thus receives its solution. It has been established, that the epistle in question was addressed to the northern Irish ; for Venerable Bede declares'^ that the southern Irish had long before this time conformed to the Roman custom, whilst the northern were in opposition to it. St. Diman, at that time, was Bishop of Connor, in the northern part of Ire- land, in which also flourished those other ten dignitaries named in the epistle. For all were connected with the provinces of Meath, Connaught, or Ulster. These were regarded as appertaining to Ireland's northern part ; our island being then usually divided into north and south. Wherefore, the epistle had been directed to residents in the north. Again, from the Life of St. Colman Elo,'9it had been predicted, that St. Diman should be a futiu-e
aidandprotectortoalltheIrishChurches; andhewasconsideredassuch,
because he defended their customs and ancient rites throughout this con-
troversy.
If any objection be offered, that the persons named in the epistle were
honoured as saints, and hence, that they could not have favoured a schism
which arose, regarding the celebration of Easter, in opposition to customs observed and mandates issued by the Apostolic See ; it may easily be urged, that they, and many other saints, such as St. Columbanus of Luxeu, St. Dagan, St. Aidan, St. Finan, St. Colman of Lindisfame, St. Munna, abbot, besides several other holy men, who are venerated as saints in our Church, yet were not regarded as schismatics, because they followed different rites for the cele- bration of Easter. For, as Bede states,^° and as Baronius observes, at a. d. 634 and 664, they were not accustomed to celebrate Easter on the 14th day of the moon, after the manner of the Jews, and of other heretics, who were condemned by a council assembled at Nice ; but they held this feast on that Sunday which intervened between the 14th day of the moon unto the 20th, inclusively. ^^ Although the Irish were reprehensible in observing Easter after this manner, contrary to rites and mandates of the Apostolic See, and thus it happened, that on some occasions, they celebrated their Pasch on the samedaywiththeJews; yettheChurchjudgeditexpedienttotoleratethis practice for a time,^^ because it was not observed Avith a schismatic intention. It was done through ignorance, and through a desire to adhere to the obser- vances of St. Columba, with other saints and seniors of the Irish Church. Thus the error was a venial one until a. d. 716, when controversy on this sub- ject ceased, in accordance with an Apostolic decree. The Irish then con- formed to the Roman practice, as Baronius informs us. ^3 St. Diman prac- tised many austerities, and particularly towards the close of his career, which was prolonged beyond the usual course of human life. Full of virtues, as of years, he resigned his soul into his Creator's keeping on the 6th day of January. ^^'f He died in the year of Grace 658, according to our ancient annals. 's Popular veneration succeeded. His feast was held with great
'^ See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis An-
glorum," lib. iii. , cap. 3, p. 166.
'9 Cap. xix.
=° See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis An-
^ Baronius " Annales Ecclesiastici," tomus ix. , A. c. 716, sec. xi. , pp. 7, 8.
^3 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," vi.
Januarii, n. 11, pp. 17, 18.
lib. 206. iii. , cap. 17, p.
^^ At this date the
glorum,"
*' See Baronius "Annales Ecclesiastici,"
published MartjTology
of
tomus viii. , a. d. 634, sees, xii. , xiii. , pp. Kelly's edition. The Franciscan copy has
Tallagh 285, 286, and a. d. 664, sees. iv. to xvii. , pp. 'OitnmAe "Oub.
"
clear statement of this whole controversy, year of Diarmaid and Blathmac. Dima
415 to 418, ibid, Baronius gives a full and ^^
The Age of Christ, 658. The second
which he extracts of Venerable Bede.
from the
died on the 6th O'Donovan's "Annals of the
chiefly
History
— of
Dubh, Bishop Connor,
of January. "
has Dimma Dr. Dubh," p. xi. ,
January 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 79
devotion, on the day of his demise,^^ in the church and diocese of Conner,
over which he so faithfully and efficiently presided. ^7 His Acts, if existing, did not come under Colgan's observation. This hagiologist has obtained all notices regarding him from other sources. ^^
It is ever to be desired, that concord and charity should unite the members of Christ's mystical body, the Church. Even in general disciplinary rites and customs, this harmony is desirable. True peace is not to be found, however,
in every kmd of agreement or friendship that may exist in society, as St. Leo the Great well remarks ; for there are wicked alliances, vicious pacts, and similaritiesofpassiontounitemen. ^9 AsthosebondsareopposedtoGod's will, so they must not be dignified with the title of peace ; nor can the love of whatisevilagreewiththeloveofGod. Holypersonsardentlyaspiretobe of one mind with their Divine Lord and Master, so that they may never dis- sent from His eternal law.
ArticleIL—St. Lassar,ofAchadh-foda. Amongthemanyancient names of Irish places now escaping the identification of our topographers and archgeologists, the present denomination may be classed. Its English
would mean " andchangesmightcombinetoaltertheobjectanditsetymon. Lassar,of Achadh-foda, appears in the Martyrology of Donegal^ this day. ^ Lassar sig- nifying "a flame" or ''brightness," is the name of a female, and she is sometimes found Latinized, Lassara, or Lazat'a. No less than fourteen distinct entries of holy women so named occur in this calendar. 3 There is an Irish life of a St. Lassara, a Virgin, among the Burgundian MSS. in the
F. uiii. id, ' ' To his noble chosen went king
forth
Julian of abounding purity
Tis not meet to asperse the per-
fect joy
Of the baptism of the great son
of Mary. "
^7 See Rev. William Reeves' "Ecclesias-
tical Antiquities of Down, Connor, and Dro- more," p. 240. Also calendar in the Ap-
pendix, p. 376. ^* "
See Acta Sanctorum Hibernia;," vi. Leabhar Breac, p. 79, Vellum MSS. of the Januarii. Vita S. Dimani, cap. v. and n.
equivalent
Four Masters. " vol.
658. Dimmaingert, Episcopus Condire, et Cummine, Episcopus n. Aendroma, mortui sunt. "—Annales Ultonienses. The Annals of Clonmacnoise, and of Roscrea, Marianas O'Gonnan, and Charles Maguire, or the Commentator on St.
^ngus, agree in the foregoing statements.
^'^ To Brian
i. , pp. 268,
269. "a. D.
M. R. I. A. , Professor of Irish History and Archaeology in the Catholic. University, the writer is in- debted for the following Irish stanza of the Felire of St. -i^ngus (extracted from the
O'Loony, Esq. ,
R. LA. ,) with the accompanying English translation. As will be seen no Irish Saint's name has been introduced at this day, on which the great Festival of the Epiphany or Manifestation of Our Lord to the Gentiles takes place. It is most interesting to learn from this valuable old Irish Hymnology, that our forefathers in the Faith seem to have had a tradition that Our Divine Redeemer had been baptized by St. John on the 6th day of January. The Julian mentioned must be Julius the Martyr, who is commemorated on this day in the MS. Martyrology of St. Jerome. See " Acta Sanctorum Januarii. " tomus i. , p. 324.
p. uiii. vo. tlAicli CO A^Mj nAn C05A luLiAH Atb n-5LAine
moil5 \&! ^ flAn -pubA IdaicVict tnA't\ mAic mtn^e.
I, p. 16.
^9 Sancti Leonis Magni "Sermones,"
Sermo xcv. De Gradibus Ascensionis ad
beatitudinem, sec. ix. , pp. 425, 426. Roman
Edition, — i2mo. 1849.
'
Art. II. Edited by Drs. Todd and
Reeves, pp. 8, 9.
^
She is likewise entered in the Franciscan copy of the Martyrology of Tallagh, as l/Af|'A|\ <3l|\CA]A.
3 Besides the present saint, there is a Las- sar venerated at the i8th of February ; at the 23rd and 29th of March ; at the i8th of April; at the 7th, nth, and 14th of May; at the 23rd and 27th of July ; at 20th of August ; at the 15th and 30th of September; and at the 13th of November. See "Mar- tyrology of Donegal," pp. 430 to 433. The latter St. Lassar was venerated at Achavea, in the county of Fermanagh ; and it seems
long field,"
and it is to understand how time easy
8o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 6.
Library at Bmxelles. '^ We cannot assert, however, that it treats regarding the present, or some other St. Lassara. Not having received a fuller de- scription of the tract in question, we must be content to await that further pubhcity which the future may disclose. There is a parish called Killesher in the barony of Glenawley, county of Fermanagh. Water, mountain, and moorland, with cultivated tracts and plantations, lend diversity and interest to the surface of this extensive parish. The patron saint of this Killesher is Laisir, a Virgin. Her church lies in ruins, near the south-eastern extremity
il^^r xiia
Church Ruins at Killesher.
of Lough Mac Neane. There is a holy well near it which is called Tobar Laistreach. s The ruins of St. Lassar's church are enclosed, and sheltered by some fine trees. ^ The site is a beautiful one. The townland here gave name to the parish. Besides those objects already described, the cell of St. Lassar is pointed out, and within the townland of Killesher. ? There is
" Church of the on a Mass,"
another old called church,
Tempulnaffrin,
townland of the same name in the adjoining parish of Cleenish. ^ It is
charmingly situated on the northern bank of Lower Lough Mac Neane,9 which is the Loch-da-en of Irish history.
ArticleIII. —St, Diermaid,BishopofAirindh-Indaich. Froman early time, the zeal of our religious was manifested in those sacrifices made
possible she may have been the saint con- nectedwithKillesher, inthatcounty.
4 It was transcribed See fol. 112.
5 See Dr. O'Donovan's
Michael
^ See "Ordnance Townland Survey
by
O'Clery.
Maps 9 There is a tradition, it took name from
— dated from letter,
that two built nests eagles
Enniskillen, Nov. loth, 1834 "Fermanagh the circumstance
Letters of I. O. S. ," vol. i. , pp. 78, 79. in one of its islands. See Letters con-
MSS. in the R. I. A.
^
The accompanying view, drawn on the spot by William F. Wakeman in September,
1873, has been engraved by A. Appleton.
''
taining Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Fermanagh, collected dur- ing the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1834-5. R. 1. A. ," pp. 79, 80.
"
oftheCountyofFermanagh. Sheets26,32.
7 See
Ordnance Survey Totvnland Maps "
of Fermanagh. " Sheet 25.
January 6. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
by them, to procure the salvation of souls. Were we to admit Colgan's
conjecture, that the present saint might have been the companion of St. Columkille, when he journeyed from Ireland to Britain,' and the " ministrator "
of that great saint, we should find little difficulty in fixing the period when he flourished. The identity of name, notwithstanding, will not determine
this question. * St. Columba's companion, Diermaid, is frequently mentioned
in Columkille's various Acts. 3 That "minister" or servant, named Dier-
maid, appears to have been present at the death of his master,^ and to have
lived after 597. Various saints, bearing the name of Diermaid or Diarmait,
appear in our calendars. s Most of those are clearly distinguishable from the
companion of St. Columba ; while it seems difficult, if not impossible, to
identify any one of them with him. We find Eochod and Eachdach set
do\vn as the name of the present Diarmait's father ; but few other distinctive
particulars can be gleaned to clear the obscurity surrounding his Acts.
However, the place of this saint is found written Airiudh-Ionduigh. This
musthavebeenthenameofanancientsee; butW^illiamM. Hennessysays,
it has not been yet identified. ^ Diarmaid, Bishop of Airindh-Indaich, is set
down in the Martyrology of Donegal^ on this day. His name is somewhat
differently entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ where he is called the
son of Eachdach, and he is represented as having connexion with Airiud
sin la Cerclac. When or in what rank of bishops this St. Diermait lived
is still involved in uncertainty. His place seems to have escaped the identi-
fication of our topographical investigators. In the Franciscan MS. copy of
the Martyrology of Tallagh, the names of twenty foreign saints precede the entry of this sainfs name, as the first on the list of nine distinct holy Irish
persons. It may be observed, once for all, that the ancient Hieronymian Martyrology evidently furnished the chief authority for an insertion of various
foreign saints in the Martyrology of Tallagh, and in the Felire of St. ^ngus.
Article IV,—St. Curnan Beg, Patron of Kilcornan, Diocese and CountyofLimerick. TheFaithofoldtimeshasneverflickeredoutfrom the hearts and homes of the faithful ; but, on the contrary, it has acquired a new lustre, in its transmission to the present age, when inherited from the ministry of many a holy pastor, in many a seclu—ded locality of Ireland.
"
The
small stature is found recorded in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' with a festival to his honour, at the 6th day of January. The later Martyrology of Donegal,* while noting the veneration paid to St. Curnan Beg on this
S—t.
Art. III. —' See "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbse, cap.
ix. , p. 487. Also, Hector Boetius, "His-
toria Scotorum," lib. ix. , p. 166; Leslseus,
"
Historia Regum Scotorum," p. 150. This voyage took place about A. D. 563.
^ Nor indeed does Colgan decide anything
on this See "Trias
point. Thaumaturga,"
n. 42, p. 374.
3 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Life
of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 8, 12, 22, 25, 29j 30, 34; lib. ii. , cap. 29, 30; lib. iii. , cap. II, 23.
"* See
"Trias
*
"Diarmaid mac^ Eachdach o Airiud sin la Cerclac. " See Rev. Dr. Kelly's edition, p. xi. In the Franciscan copy, it is
'OiA|\mAi'o.
Art. iv. Edited by the Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xi. In the Franciscan MS. copy, at this same date, we find simply CAupriAn.
'
present
Curnan, styled
Beg,
httle," probably owing
Colgan's
Thaumaturga. "
—. Ocoac. ,.
Cumineus or Vita Secunda S. Columba,
cap. xxxv. , pp. 329, 330. Also O'Donell's
or Quinta Vita S. Columbae, lib. iii. , cap.
'
Becc or
to his
Diermait commemorated at the loth, 15th, and i6th of January ; at the 24th of April ;
at the 21st of June ; at the 8th of July; at the 28th of September; at the 12th of Octo- ber; and at the 12th and 20th of December,
^
See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part
•
n. 2.
7 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
