Matthew Kelly,
Here the of Doctor lyeth body
On this the reader is referred to subject
Patrick Cassidy, who departed September 27th, 1720; 1702, Rev.
Here the of Doctor lyeth body
On this the reader is referred to subject
Patrick Cassidy, who departed September 27th, 1720; 1702, Rev.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v9
Dr.
Lanigan,^
Like many of the pioneers of Christianity in Ireland, the very distin- guished Cenobiarch, whose festival occurs at this date, descends through a
11
See Acta Sanctorum. " tomus iv. ,
exalted
16
to the race of son to Connal Irial,
very
Cearnaigh, ? he was seventh in descent from Crum Badhraighe, son to Eochaidh Cobha, son of Fiacha Araidhe. 18 St. Molaise or Molaisi, called also Laisren or Laisrean,10 was the son of Natfraich, and born in Carberry, near Sligo, according to the most probable accounts ; while Dr. Lanigan, with some others, states it as not improbable, that he was a native ofBrefifny. Monua was the name of his mother, as the account is found in his own Life. 20 The Virgin Osnata21 was daughter to Nadfraic, and sister to St. Molassius of Damhinis, and to the Saints, Talulla and Muadhnata, according to Marianus*, at the 6th of January, on' which day the feast of these three sisters was celebrated. 22 Marianus adds, that St. Muadhnata was comme- morated at a place called Caille, in the territory of Cairbre, and that St.
Septembris xii. saints, p. 2.
12 He adds " :
Among the pretermitted
1
lineage.
Belonging
10 See "
quae MS. habentur, ordine Mensium et Dierum. "
whom it is carried to Adam, up
Catalogus
Actuum Sanctorum
through
This mistake must have crept in at a modern period, but that it is an error is evident by a reference to the pedigrees of the Irish Saints in the Leabhar Breac and Mac Firbis, where this St. Molaise of
Praeterea,
Damh-inis,
of the race of Fiacha Araide, from whom are the Dalaradians. See Eugene O'Curry's
ille, qui hodie obiisse dicitur ab aliquibus,
refregantibus tamen aliis, de ejus cultu nobis
" of MSS. in the Irish Catalogue Royal
Academy," series i. , vol. i. , p. 208.
l8 See Dr. Reeves, quoting the "Annals
of Ulster. "—Ibid.
I9 " The name Molaise in the Irish is also
written Molaisre, and Laisre, and Latinised Molassius and Lasserianus, and hence he is mentioned by several writers as St. Lasse- rian. " See Owen Connellan's translation of the "Annals of the Four Masters," at a. d. 1505, note 3. In the same note, our Saint is
non constat. Vide
sive Molassio adxvm. Aprilis. "
13 See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitates,'' cap. xvii. , pp. 497, 498.
14 See "Britannia
Sancta," part ii. , pp.
igitur
dicta de Lasreano
128, 129.
15 See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
vol. ii. , pp. 183 to 185, and pp. 218 to 221.
*'See a very admirable article by W. F,
si forte aliis sit
on is set down as Lough Erne,
"
with appropriate and correct drawings, styled "a native of Breffney," pp. 354,
The Antiquities of Devenish,"
Wakeman,
in "The Journal of the Royal Historical
355. 2°
and
vol. iil. , Fourth
Association
of Ireland,
"
to the in the O'Clerys,
v. is
Archaeological Series,
No.
17, p. Royal
"
According Martyrology
17 The Irish Life in the
demy commences with the Pedigree of Molaise, son of Nadfraoch, son of Barrain, son to Conbrain, son of Tuaislein mac Deaga, son of Crunn badraoi, and so far it is correct ; but afterwards, it is ingrafted on the pedigree of Natfraich, King of Munster,
60.
of
for this statement,
Irish Aca-
quoted
2I See the notice of her, at that date, in
the First Volume of this work, Art. xi.
23 The Martyrology of Tallagh and the continuator of /Enguss treat regarding them at the same day, while observirjg, that they were venerated in Enac-ard.
Donegal. " Chapter
300 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [September 12.
2
Talulla was Abbess of Kiklare. 3 Molasi is falsely said, by some authors,
to have been a brother of Aengus, the first Christian King of Munster.
His education and religious instruction were received at the celebrated
2
school of Clonard, and under St. Finian, * as we find these circumstances
related, in the Acts of this latter holy Abbot. He was'one of the twelve chief disciples of that saint, and these were commonly called the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. Having planted the seeds of piety and ecclesiastical learning deeply in his mind, a fixed object appears to have been the desire of embracing a religious life, and the training up under his own direction a community of men, who might be induced to follow his example and emulate his virtues. In the Life of St. Maidoc of Ferns,"* we find the following legend, that he and St. Laisrean were bosom friends j and one day, while both saints sat under the shade of two trees, they asked from God a mani: festation of His holy will, as to whether they should live together or separate. Then, by a Divine decree, the two trees under which they were seated fell. That tree, under which Lasserian sat, inclined towards the North, and that under which Maidoc had been seated fell towards the South. Then, being filled with the spirit of God, they concluded those signs to have been an admonition from Heaven, indicating the course each was destined to take. Tenderly embracing each other, and in tears, Maidoc set out for the Southern part of Ireland, where he afterwards founded the monastery of Ferns while Laiserian directed his course towards the Northern parts,
;
where he could prosecute his intention of promoting God's greater glory, and of attending to the interests of his own immortal soul. 26
With a view to attain his cherished purpose, St. Molaise selected a charming site for the foundation of a religious establishment. At an early age, our saint fixed his habitation on the lone Island of Devenish, at the
entrance to Lower Lough Erne, and about —two miles distant, from t—he "
present town of Enniskillen. 3 The situation one of romantic beauty was equally distinguished for retirement, which excluded in a great measure the presence of externa and a knowledge of the every day occurrences in life. According to the pseudo-antiquarian writer, Ledwich, the religious
28
the celebrated disciples of St. Columba 9 continued to exercise their piety and virtue, till overborne by superstition and an intolerant religion. 3°
foundation on the Island was originally a Culdean establishment, 2
where
Devenish is remarkably fertile, comprising nearly one hundred acres, and the shores slope gently down to the surface of that placid, expansive, and lovely lake, by the waters of which it is surrounded. At what precise period St. Molaise established himself on this island cannot be accurately ascertained.
The Island of Devenish is undoubtedly one of the foremost and most
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- ruins on that island, is given in Ledwich's
a3See
niae," xv. Februarii, n. 36, pp. 339, 340.
Colgan's
"
34 — ofhim the—
See some notices at 23rd day
his Life may be found.
2s See his Life, at the 31st of Ianuary, in the First Volume of this work, Art. i.
26 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae,"' xxxi. Januarii, pp. 208, 209, Vita S.
notes
Also,
7 An* Engraving of Devenish, and the
Antiquities of Ireland,'' p. 517.
this Ledwich
'For statement, quotes
of February one
Ussher and Ware.
"»See his Life, at the 9th of June, in the
Sixth Volume of this work. Art. i.
Eie adds the following wholly gratuitous,
churches, began an abbey here, bat not so earlyasstatedintheAnnals- TheCuldees were not expelled, but lived tor some ages
"
in subjection to their new masters. "— An-
tiquities of Ireland," p. 517-
of his festivals
Second Volume of this work, Art. ix. His chief feast is at the I2th of December, where
Maidoci, cap. vii. (
pp.
208, 209.
10, II, 12, p. 216, ibid. a
in the
"
ignorant and false statement
tinians, who seized everywhere the Culdean
:
" The Augus-
September 12. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 301
Erne 1 As the visitor sails down the Lough Archipelago. 3
modern priory, appear over the Island's highest ridge towards the south. On proceeding, wooded promontories throw their broad shadows across the still bays ; the fair slopes and lawny knolls stand greenly out from among the dark sylvan scenery ; while islands seem to be floating, as on a chrystal sea, until the tourist reaches Devenish Island. 33 The soil is exceedingly fertile and covered with the rankest and greenest grass. Over this the pilgrim, landing from his well appointed pleasure-boat, will be sure to turn his steps in the direction of various old buildings, lying in proximate position, and yet somewhat separated, in some instances. The ruins, which yet
remain on their insular situation, are of extraordinary antiquarian interest. 34 Although frequently presented to the public in engravings,35 until of late,
6
these have been copied from inaccurate drawings, 3
The buildings upon Devenish may be enumerated as follows : firstly, the
foundations and a portion of the walls of the House or Oratory of the saint ; secondly, the Round Tower; thirdly, the Great Chu—rch ; fourthly the Abbey ;
of the
lake from Enniskillen, after
interesting
the
Tower tops, with the upper windows and the square Bell Tower of a more
the foundations of an unknown enclosure
31 See Sir Cusack P.
spend a Month in Ireland," pp. 144, 145.
32 Deny has the meaning "wood," and
accomplished pupil
—" I confi- dently assert, that lower Loch Erne, take it all in all, is the most beautiful lake in the three kingdoms ; and but for the majestic Alpine outline, that bounds the horizon on the upper part of Lake Leman,—Lake
illustrated work, " Ireland
writer, Henry D. Inglis, states
:
; its Character and Scenery," have given engravings some- what similar, and as acknowledged, from
Leman itself could not contend in beauty, with this little-visited lake in the county of
—"Ireland in Fermanagh/' 1834,"
vol.
ii. ,
tive on the " of article, Antiquities
Rooney's
" —WilliamF. towant the
turning
point
the ah—
two cemeteries called
east north. The is about 128 — running nearly by intervening space yards,
and right between th—e cemeteries stand the ruins of St. Molaise's House as it is locally called and the Round Tower. The stones belonging to St. Molaise's Oratory38 are of immense size, laid in the Cyclopean style, and
fifthly,
burial place of the early abbots. 3 ?
respectivelythe"upper"and"lower onDevenish. Theseareuponaline,
" How to
—as artist and anti-
"
inch means "an island" or "a peninsula. " Petrie's original drawings. " Again Mr.
and Mrs. S. C. Hall, in their beautifully
the same source.
35 However, we rely on the accuracy of
those taken on the spot by William F. Wakeman, and we desire in this connexion to refer the reader to his admirably descrip-
33 The well-known English traveller and
Devenish," published in " The Journal of In the Dublin Penny Journal," the Royal Historical and Archaeological vol. i. ( No. 35, pp. 273 to 275, will be Association of Ireland," for 1874, fourth
ft and a very interesting notice appended, series, vol. iii. , part i. , pp. 59 to 94. This
chap, ix. , 1 p, 163, 164. 34 "
w ith a wood-engraving representing the ruins.
35 An officer of the Royal Engineers on the Irish Ordnance Survey, who happened to be in charge of the Enniskillen district, took a sketch of the ruins on Devenish in the summer of 1835, while the Round Tower was undergoing a process of repair. After- wards, Dr. George 1'etrie reproduced some of these . drawings in the published wood- cuts of his celebrated work on the Round Towers and Ancient Architecture of Ireland. However, those purporting to represent the
graven cornice, which supports the cap of the very beautiful floigtheach, are said by his
shall be our chief authority for the succeed-
ing archaeological notices, both in the text and notes.
3? Much of the descriptive particulars which follow are taken from personal
inspection, and local tradition, as commu- nicated on the spot. The caretaker on this Island of Devenish, and the herd for Mr. Denny, the proprietor, was named Henry Corn, at the period of our visit, in the month of July, 1868. He had been living there, and with his family solely, for seven- teen years. He usually officiated as guide and. informant to parties visiting his secluded home.
There are
of 2 the Round Derryinch,3
probably
erla or
Wakeman,
unvarying truth and archaeological creme of
quary
3° 2 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [September 12.
—appeartohavebeenrudelyhammered. Thewallswereofgreatthickness39
on account, of the stone roof wer—
weighty
support. No trace of window or other feature now remains indeed, little
is left but the foundations, and some three feet in height of the side-walls. *
The local guide told the writer, that his aunt recollected the building known
12
as St. Molaise's Kitchen,* to have been roofed over with stone. * Eighty
years or even later, previous to the period of his visit, the writer was
informed, the whole of this building was quite perfect, although it is now
sadly disfigured43 and in ruins. 44
St. Molaisse's House, like that of St. Columba still remaining at Kells in the
county of Meath, was a small oblong edifice, roofed with stone. In the
beginning of this century, it stood in a tolerably perfect state. 4* Tradition was possibly right in referring it to the time of Molaisse—the sixth century— when it might have been the dwelling and oratory of the saint, afterwards converted into a church. The Round Tower, which in point of age ranks next to the little Oratory—if indeed it be not nearly coeval—may be considered as one of the most beautiful and perfect structures of its class remaining in Ireland. *6 All of it that had ever been constructed of stone remains perfectly preserved. 47 The wooden floors are gone, the bell or bells have disappeared, and the door, and external and internal ladders with it, have left no trace of their former existence. Without and within, its sides
3b This building was a rectangle, measur- reproduced in the " Ulster Journal of
probably,
ing thirty feet by eighteen, placed east by north.
39 Measuring four feet six inches. Upon the interior they rose vertically to about half the extreme height of the structure, at which point the sides sloped towards each other, forming a kind of ogee arch, upon whicli a ponderous high pitched roof of stone rested. There was no croft.
40 It is a melancholy reflection, that in the memory of persons still living, or but re- cently dead, this inestimable relic of ancient
Irish architecture, Su intimately associated with the name of one of the most illustrious fathers of the Irish Church, stood as it had remained for nearly 1,300 years, and that now we can do little more than trace its dimensions on the ground.
41 Near this old building, the writer copied from a—Hat tomb stone the following inscrip-
Archaeology," vol, iv. It was accompanied by a paper on Devenish.
43 As described to the writer, it must then have greatly resembled St. Kevin's kitchen, now to be seen at Glcndalough.
44 This house had been covered and roofed with cut stone on the outside ; until Bishop Ash or Sterne of Clogher ordered it to be stripped of the cut stone to flag the floor of Enniskillen Protestant church. On the 20th of January, 1803, a violent storm threw down more than half of what remained. Such is the account given by one John Frith, Philomath, in a paper entitled " A Descrip- tion of Devenish, a. d. 1808. "
45 Since then, it has been wantonly pulled down. From the portion remaining, it is evident that the house was one of the earliest ecclesiastical structures composed of lime and stone in our Island.
tion
:
46
a learned article on "The Round Towers of Ireland," written by Rev.
Matthew Kelly,
Here the of Doctor lyeth body
On this the reader is referred to subject
Patrick Cassidy, who departed September 27th, 1720; 1702, Rev. Maurice Cassidy ; 17. 55, Kev- Phelim Cassidy : 1744, Doctor Patrick Ca>sidy. The foregoing inscription is only substantially and not literally given, for many of the letters were then obliterated. However, it seems the oldest legible epitaph to be found over any of the graves.
42 A round-headed door-way had been in
the centre of the west gable, and built in
plain Hiberno-Romanesque style. Mr. Wakeman's description of this door-way and the roof was drawn from a sketch by Mons. Besaucle, a French gentleman, and
professor of drawing in the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. This sketch was
•'
The Dublin Review," for 1845. It gives a critical analysis and notice commendatory of Mr.
Petrie's celebrated work, and his conclusions on the subject. It has since been
D. D. , and published in
e to they designed
"
Irish Church History. '' Edited by Rev.
Daniel MacCarthy, D-D. , pp. 137 to 219.
47 The presented illustration, from an
approved engraving, represents the Round Tower and some of the deserted ecclesiasti- cal ruins, now remaining on Devenish. It has been drawn on the wood and engraved by Gregor Gray.
republished. See
Dissertations chiefly on
September i2. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 303
are quite smooth. *8 The stones are so admirably laid and fitted one to
another, that at a little distance from the ground the interstices of the
masonry can scarcely be detected. The doorway is semicircular, with a
prominent architrave and inclined sides j nearly all the stones forming its
casing run the whole thickness of the wall. The Tower from base to cap
is a marvel of masonry. At the joining of the roof may be seen a unique
feature- a cornice running round the whole summit, ornamented with four
human heads,*? well executed in stone. These are placed at the cardinal
points, and each surmounting one of the four large apertures, through which the bells of old sounded. *
Devenish and Lough Erne, St. Molasi's Island.
Of the monastic remains, that called the Abbey or the Upper Church is the most perfect, and the most modem, or probably it has been re-edified at alaterperiod,thanwhenfirst built. s1 Thisabbeychurchs2 is ataconsider- able distance from the Round Tower, and near the highest part of the
48 The structure
exteriorly,
and the interior
had taken at the of the shaft root, just point
underthecone; and,duringahighwindin 1834, it was blown down, carrying with it several tons of stones. However, the Hon. and Rev, J. C. Maude, then Rector of Ennis-
killen, inaugurated a subscription to restore the roof, which was effected in 1835. It
was then discovered, that the topmost stone contained an aperture, in which was found a piece of iron. This was probably a portion of the cross, which it seems probable surmounted the whole structure.
51 It was erected by Matthew O'Dubha-
gain in the early part of the fifteenth century, as stated by an inscription, which still remains on the wall of the interior.
52 According to tradition it had been dedi-
section, with details of the Round Tower,
are drawn by Mr. Wakeman, and minutely
described ; while he was indebted to Roderick Gray, Esq. , C. E. , for most of the measurements from top to bottom. The total vertical height of the tower is 84 feet 10 inches : the thickness of the wall at base is 4 feet, 1 inch, and the circumference of the Tower at base is 49 feet, while interiorly, there were formerly five floors. The acute apex over a cornice, and which tops the roof, rises 16 feet to the upper point.
49 The beards of the heads are interlaced,
and resemble those on the western door-
way capitals of Killeshin Church, near Carlow.
50 An alder of considerable dimensions
cated to St.
Mary.
3°4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [September 12.
island. That building measures ninety-eight feet, by twenty-eight—the breadth of the nave. At present, little more than the great central square tower and some side-walls of the building remain. " The nave had been divided by a wooden floor, into two apartments ; the upper story, as well as the tower, having been intended apparently for 'the purposes of a dwelling. In the northern wall of the chancel a niche or door-way appears, the head of which is singularly decorated with foliage, having interlacing stems. 54 The basement story of the tower55 is groined, and it rests on beautifully moulded ribs. In the ceiling are two apertures, coeval with the building, through which bell ropes were formerly passed. A small pointed doorway leads to a spiral staircase, by which the battlememts of the tower are reached. The masonry—or sculpture it might almost be called—is very remarkable for its excellence. The angles of the architraves, being delicately fluted and finished equally at top as at bottom, produce an effect both light and graceful. There is a second doorway in the south wall, with an ornamental architrave ; above which, in a canopied niche, were the arms of the founder, or of some benefactortothepriory. 56 Asmalltranseptextendstothenorth,andonthis side were a number of attached edifices, which are supposed to have been theresidencesofthemonks. Thestoneusedinthebuildingofthetoweris a beautiful gray limestone, susceptible of a high polish, and one of the varieties found in that district adjoining the lake. 57
Looking over the graveyard adjoining the abbey, we see many very old carved stones, now buried in the grass. Among those, one may be noticed, but at present broken through ; it has a carved cross on the surface, and it was probably intended to mark the resting place of an abbot or of
some ecclesiastical
58 Lichen-covered
and head-stones dot t—he —ch extend near the ruins. The
accordingtolocalnomenclature ortheLowerChurchisofamoreancient
date than the and much more 60 The eastern window
dignitary.
flag
swards of old burial places,59 whi Nunnery
priory, dilapidated.
was still perfect, until a comparatively late period ; it was rudely executed, and divided into three compartments, with lancet heads, and banded on the
53 The eastern gable, and its traceried
window, have been destroyed ; but, some sculptured stones of the latter may still be found among the tombs, and evince taste and skill on the part of its builders.
54 Similar designs, but of later date, occur in the old buildings of Galway. It is interesting to observe how long this pecu- liar Irish style of ornamentation continued to be used.
55 The Tower is supported on two
admirably designed arches, the capitals of which rests on tongue-shaped corbels of a patters almost peculiar to Ireland.
; in the upper windows of the Round
Tower, or even from those of the square
Beil-Tower, a most enchanting range of vision, over the Lower Lake and its sur-
rounding shore, must open upon the eye, if surveyed on a clear summer day.
57 About the year i860, or 1861, several
human bones were dug up from a hollow,
out thecaretakeronDevenish pointed by
Island, and which lies some distance apart from the more modern abbey church and its graveyard. No graves seem to have ex-
tended to that spot, as connected with the
adjoining burial-ground. Those bones were afterwards re-interred, and stones were heaped over them.
S*A fine sandstone shaft of an ancient cross long remained covered with earth, until recently, when the Rev. Mr. Hughes of Carrickmacross had it exposed to view by digging around it. Over eight feet were uncovered, and still he did not come to the end of this cross where it joined to a soffit and pedestal rooted near it, and yet to be Been embedded in the earth. There was a very beautiful and perfect carving on one side, according to the caretaker's account. The Rev. Mr. Hughes again covered that antique cross, intending, at some future time, to have it raised and placed in its proper position.
59 These were a favourie sepulchral site for the Maguires of Portora, and their clans- men.
6oThe —ofthischurchiseightyfeetby length
twenty-three
must be gathered exclusively from the records of its fate.
a fact that in a few years more
September 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 305
inside 61 while in the southern wall were two circularly-headed windows,68 ;
and illuminating, it is said, a baptistery just below them. The Upper and Lower churches possessed the advantage of a bell suspended in each, for many years ; but, at the suppression, it was directed that they should be carried to the cathedral of Armagh. 6* Like most of the old churches in Ireland, the ruins of Devenish have not escaped the ravages of Vandalism. 6 *
CHAPTER II.
PERIOD OF ST. MOLATSSl'S SETTLEMENT IN DEVENISH—RULE DRAWN UP BY HIM FOR THE REGULATION OF THAT MONASTERY—HIS MIRACLES—VIRTUES AND LEARNING OF THE SAINT—HIS DEATH AND BURIAL AT DEVENISH—COMMEMORATIONS — CONCLUSION.
The story of St. Columba's having been ordered by Molaisse to leave
Ireland, however fabulous, yet pre-supposes that the latter was a renowned
12
Abbot about 561, the year assigned for the battle of Cul-dremni, or Cul-
drebhni. The account of its origin is of ancient date, however, and the tradition has long survived in the compositions of our bards and chroniclers. In conjunction with Saints Finian and Brendan,3 St. Molaisse is said to have advised his school-fellow, St. Columkille, to pass over into Britain. St. Molaisi is known to have lived at Damh-inis, before the departure of St. Columkille from Ireland, in the year 563, the second year after the battle of Culdrebhne, and in the forty-second year of his age/ By some writers, the foundation of St. Molaisi's monastery has been referred to the latter date. 5
61
These are represented in a drawing by to the Ordnance Memoir of Ireland ; John Frith ; the slender lights were sepa- together with the Minutes of Evidence.
rated by massive piers of stone.
6* The only one of these now remaining
has been represented, exteriorly and in- teriorly, by Mr. Wakeman, and the dimen- sions given, in his article on "The Antiquities of Devenish. "
6i The following is a local tradition.
Boats were procured for the purpose. The
bell of the upper church was conveyed
safely to shore, and carried to the place of
destination ; but the boat in which was
Molaisse's bell sunk, with its load, to the
bottom, and has never since been recovered.
Appendix and Index, presented to both Houses of Parliament by order of her
Majesty, p. 23, n—. 218.
"
If a day can influence a deed, it may have
ii.
Scotorum,"at that date, in which it is stated,
that the battle of Cuil Dremne was gained over Diarmaid Mac Cerbhaill for his trans- gressions against St. Colum Cille. Edition of William M. Hennessy, pp. 52, 53. These transgressions are supposed to have been his judgment pronounced against Columba, respecting the transcript secretly made of a copy of the Gospels belonging to St. Finian of Magh Bile. See ibid. , nn. 4, 5.
2 See Rev. Dr. " Ecclesiastical Lanigan's
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , cap. xi. , sect,
Fifth Volume of this work, Art. i.
4 See James Mackinnon's "Culture in
. done so in this instance, the 12th
St. Molaisse's festival, having been the date
—" The 64 This is proved from the following
—
for this singular occurrence. "
Scenery and Antiquities of Ireland, Illus- trated," vol. i. , chap, viii. , pp. 60, 61.
n. 220. 129, p.
evidence of the Rev. Romney Robinson "
book London, 1892, 8vo.
While Rector of Enniskillen, about
September,
:
Early Scotland,"
iii.
,
chap, i. , p. 152.
twenty years ago, I caught the tenant of
Devenish building a barn with the fragments of the east window of the monastery, and
pulling dow—n parts that were comparatively
uninjured. " Report of the Commissioners testant Reformation in England and appointed to inquire into the Facts relating Ireland," vol. ii. , County Fermanagh.
Chapter
'See the "Chronicum
sect,
3 See his Life, at the 16th of May, in the
ii. , chap, xii. ,
ix. ,
5 William Cobbett thus writes : "An abbey, built in Daimb-inis about the year 563, by St. Lase—rian : it stood until the
"
general plunder. " History of the Pro-
U
306 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [September12.
Many holy men, and among others St. Aidus of Killare, 6 visited him in his retirement. We are told in the legendary Life of St. Aidus, that when this Saint came to Devenish, he found St. Laisrean at work with his monks. The visitor then asked what he could do to assist them. St. Laisrean told him to move a tree of great size and age from its position in the earth, when he ordered the tree in the name of Christ to be uprooted. On the instant, it was miraculously raised from the earth into air, and carried off into the sea. Allwhowitnessedthismiracle
which was the school at Damhinis. There he learned fully the arts of
writing, and he acquired a knowledge of polite learning, while he became celebrated for his skill as an artist in metal work, 10 before he became bishop
over Iniskeen, in the County of Louth. So that we may conclude, a school of repute had been established on the island, so early as the sixth century. There the very crypt or cell inhabited by St. Molaise is said to be still standing, but unroofed. Its walls are of massive solidity, and traces of the covering-roof remain.
It has been stated, that St. Molaisse or Laiserian made a pilgrimage to the Eternal City, after he became Abbot over Devenish. However, the learned Dr. Lanigan thinks, that the journey Laiserian is said to have made to Rome rests on no sure foundation, and that he was probably confounded with his namesake of LeighUn. " We have already seen, that St. Moedoc, Bishop of Ferns and St. Molaise of Devenish were intimates and friends. After their first separation in Ulster, it is said, St. Molaise, before he under- took that journey to Rome, resolved on visiting his beloved acquaintance at Ferns. Then a pact of amity was again confirmed, not only between the principals, but also between the members, of their respective communities, and this bond of union, it was agreed, should be perpetual. From Rome, our saint had resolved to bring back some clay and relics to hallow his
13
cemetery at Devenish.
An ancient hymn states, that St. Molaisse shone forth as a bright lamp,
illustrating all Ireland by his sanctity and learning. He drew up a Rule for the instruction and guidance of his religious, over whom he presided as Abbot. Under his training, the monks aspired to the most sublime practices of devotion. The Life of Ciaran x 3 of Cluain
gave
that St. Daigh or Dagcus said to have been a nephew of our Saint
8
—
thankstoGod. ? Wehave — already seen,
was also a pupil of St. Laisrian and of his brother, a Deacon, who taught in the schoolatDamh-inis. WiththatDeaconanduncle,theboypaidavisitto St. Mochta, of Louth,9 and afterwards, having had his future sanctity and eminence predicted by that patriarch, both returned to the lesser monastery,
1 * that the Order of Molaissi was one of the eight Orders that were in Erinj's but perhaps, adds the calendarist, it speaks of some other saint bearing the same name.
Like many of the pioneers of Christianity in Ireland, the very distin- guished Cenobiarch, whose festival occurs at this date, descends through a
11
See Acta Sanctorum. " tomus iv. ,
exalted
16
to the race of son to Connal Irial,
very
Cearnaigh, ? he was seventh in descent from Crum Badhraighe, son to Eochaidh Cobha, son of Fiacha Araidhe. 18 St. Molaise or Molaisi, called also Laisren or Laisrean,10 was the son of Natfraich, and born in Carberry, near Sligo, according to the most probable accounts ; while Dr. Lanigan, with some others, states it as not improbable, that he was a native ofBrefifny. Monua was the name of his mother, as the account is found in his own Life. 20 The Virgin Osnata21 was daughter to Nadfraic, and sister to St. Molassius of Damhinis, and to the Saints, Talulla and Muadhnata, according to Marianus*, at the 6th of January, on' which day the feast of these three sisters was celebrated. 22 Marianus adds, that St. Muadhnata was comme- morated at a place called Caille, in the territory of Cairbre, and that St.
Septembris xii. saints, p. 2.
12 He adds " :
Among the pretermitted
1
lineage.
Belonging
10 See "
quae MS. habentur, ordine Mensium et Dierum. "
whom it is carried to Adam, up
Catalogus
Actuum Sanctorum
through
This mistake must have crept in at a modern period, but that it is an error is evident by a reference to the pedigrees of the Irish Saints in the Leabhar Breac and Mac Firbis, where this St. Molaise of
Praeterea,
Damh-inis,
of the race of Fiacha Araide, from whom are the Dalaradians. See Eugene O'Curry's
ille, qui hodie obiisse dicitur ab aliquibus,
refregantibus tamen aliis, de ejus cultu nobis
" of MSS. in the Irish Catalogue Royal
Academy," series i. , vol. i. , p. 208.
l8 See Dr. Reeves, quoting the "Annals
of Ulster. "—Ibid.
I9 " The name Molaise in the Irish is also
written Molaisre, and Laisre, and Latinised Molassius and Lasserianus, and hence he is mentioned by several writers as St. Lasse- rian. " See Owen Connellan's translation of the "Annals of the Four Masters," at a. d. 1505, note 3. In the same note, our Saint is
non constat. Vide
sive Molassio adxvm. Aprilis. "
13 See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitates,'' cap. xvii. , pp. 497, 498.
14 See "Britannia
Sancta," part ii. , pp.
igitur
dicta de Lasreano
128, 129.
15 See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
vol. ii. , pp. 183 to 185, and pp. 218 to 221.
*'See a very admirable article by W. F,
si forte aliis sit
on is set down as Lough Erne,
"
with appropriate and correct drawings, styled "a native of Breffney," pp. 354,
The Antiquities of Devenish,"
Wakeman,
in "The Journal of the Royal Historical
355. 2°
and
vol. iil. , Fourth
Association
of Ireland,
"
to the in the O'Clerys,
v. is
Archaeological Series,
No.
17, p. Royal
"
According Martyrology
17 The Irish Life in the
demy commences with the Pedigree of Molaise, son of Nadfraoch, son of Barrain, son to Conbrain, son of Tuaislein mac Deaga, son of Crunn badraoi, and so far it is correct ; but afterwards, it is ingrafted on the pedigree of Natfraich, King of Munster,
60.
of
for this statement,
Irish Aca-
quoted
2I See the notice of her, at that date, in
the First Volume of this work, Art. xi.
23 The Martyrology of Tallagh and the continuator of /Enguss treat regarding them at the same day, while observirjg, that they were venerated in Enac-ard.
Donegal. " Chapter
300 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [September 12.
2
Talulla was Abbess of Kiklare. 3 Molasi is falsely said, by some authors,
to have been a brother of Aengus, the first Christian King of Munster.
His education and religious instruction were received at the celebrated
2
school of Clonard, and under St. Finian, * as we find these circumstances
related, in the Acts of this latter holy Abbot. He was'one of the twelve chief disciples of that saint, and these were commonly called the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. Having planted the seeds of piety and ecclesiastical learning deeply in his mind, a fixed object appears to have been the desire of embracing a religious life, and the training up under his own direction a community of men, who might be induced to follow his example and emulate his virtues. In the Life of St. Maidoc of Ferns,"* we find the following legend, that he and St. Laisrean were bosom friends j and one day, while both saints sat under the shade of two trees, they asked from God a mani: festation of His holy will, as to whether they should live together or separate. Then, by a Divine decree, the two trees under which they were seated fell. That tree, under which Lasserian sat, inclined towards the North, and that under which Maidoc had been seated fell towards the South. Then, being filled with the spirit of God, they concluded those signs to have been an admonition from Heaven, indicating the course each was destined to take. Tenderly embracing each other, and in tears, Maidoc set out for the Southern part of Ireland, where he afterwards founded the monastery of Ferns while Laiserian directed his course towards the Northern parts,
;
where he could prosecute his intention of promoting God's greater glory, and of attending to the interests of his own immortal soul. 26
With a view to attain his cherished purpose, St. Molaise selected a charming site for the foundation of a religious establishment. At an early age, our saint fixed his habitation on the lone Island of Devenish, at the
entrance to Lower Lough Erne, and about —two miles distant, from t—he "
present town of Enniskillen. 3 The situation one of romantic beauty was equally distinguished for retirement, which excluded in a great measure the presence of externa and a knowledge of the every day occurrences in life. According to the pseudo-antiquarian writer, Ledwich, the religious
28
the celebrated disciples of St. Columba 9 continued to exercise their piety and virtue, till overborne by superstition and an intolerant religion. 3°
foundation on the Island was originally a Culdean establishment, 2
where
Devenish is remarkably fertile, comprising nearly one hundred acres, and the shores slope gently down to the surface of that placid, expansive, and lovely lake, by the waters of which it is surrounded. At what precise period St. Molaise established himself on this island cannot be accurately ascertained.
The Island of Devenish is undoubtedly one of the foremost and most
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- ruins on that island, is given in Ledwich's
a3See
niae," xv. Februarii, n. 36, pp. 339, 340.
Colgan's
"
34 — ofhim the—
See some notices at 23rd day
his Life may be found.
2s See his Life, at the 31st of Ianuary, in the First Volume of this work, Art. i.
26 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae,"' xxxi. Januarii, pp. 208, 209, Vita S.
notes
Also,
7 An* Engraving of Devenish, and the
Antiquities of Ireland,'' p. 517.
this Ledwich
'For statement, quotes
of February one
Ussher and Ware.
"»See his Life, at the 9th of June, in the
Sixth Volume of this work. Art. i.
Eie adds the following wholly gratuitous,
churches, began an abbey here, bat not so earlyasstatedintheAnnals- TheCuldees were not expelled, but lived tor some ages
"
in subjection to their new masters. "— An-
tiquities of Ireland," p. 517-
of his festivals
Second Volume of this work, Art. ix. His chief feast is at the I2th of December, where
Maidoci, cap. vii. (
pp.
208, 209.
10, II, 12, p. 216, ibid. a
in the
"
ignorant and false statement
tinians, who seized everywhere the Culdean
:
" The Augus-
September 12. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 301
Erne 1 As the visitor sails down the Lough Archipelago. 3
modern priory, appear over the Island's highest ridge towards the south. On proceeding, wooded promontories throw their broad shadows across the still bays ; the fair slopes and lawny knolls stand greenly out from among the dark sylvan scenery ; while islands seem to be floating, as on a chrystal sea, until the tourist reaches Devenish Island. 33 The soil is exceedingly fertile and covered with the rankest and greenest grass. Over this the pilgrim, landing from his well appointed pleasure-boat, will be sure to turn his steps in the direction of various old buildings, lying in proximate position, and yet somewhat separated, in some instances. The ruins, which yet
remain on their insular situation, are of extraordinary antiquarian interest. 34 Although frequently presented to the public in engravings,35 until of late,
6
these have been copied from inaccurate drawings, 3
The buildings upon Devenish may be enumerated as follows : firstly, the
foundations and a portion of the walls of the House or Oratory of the saint ; secondly, the Round Tower; thirdly, the Great Chu—rch ; fourthly the Abbey ;
of the
lake from Enniskillen, after
interesting
the
Tower tops, with the upper windows and the square Bell Tower of a more
the foundations of an unknown enclosure
31 See Sir Cusack P.
spend a Month in Ireland," pp. 144, 145.
32 Deny has the meaning "wood," and
accomplished pupil
—" I confi- dently assert, that lower Loch Erne, take it all in all, is the most beautiful lake in the three kingdoms ; and but for the majestic Alpine outline, that bounds the horizon on the upper part of Lake Leman,—Lake
illustrated work, " Ireland
writer, Henry D. Inglis, states
:
; its Character and Scenery," have given engravings some- what similar, and as acknowledged, from
Leman itself could not contend in beauty, with this little-visited lake in the county of
—"Ireland in Fermanagh/' 1834,"
vol.
ii. ,
tive on the " of article, Antiquities
Rooney's
" —WilliamF. towant the
turning
point
the ah—
two cemeteries called
east north. The is about 128 — running nearly by intervening space yards,
and right between th—e cemeteries stand the ruins of St. Molaise's House as it is locally called and the Round Tower. The stones belonging to St. Molaise's Oratory38 are of immense size, laid in the Cyclopean style, and
fifthly,
burial place of the early abbots. 3 ?
respectivelythe"upper"and"lower onDevenish. Theseareuponaline,
" How to
—as artist and anti-
"
inch means "an island" or "a peninsula. " Petrie's original drawings. " Again Mr.
and Mrs. S. C. Hall, in their beautifully
the same source.
35 However, we rely on the accuracy of
those taken on the spot by William F. Wakeman, and we desire in this connexion to refer the reader to his admirably descrip-
33 The well-known English traveller and
Devenish," published in " The Journal of In the Dublin Penny Journal," the Royal Historical and Archaeological vol. i. ( No. 35, pp. 273 to 275, will be Association of Ireland," for 1874, fourth
ft and a very interesting notice appended, series, vol. iii. , part i. , pp. 59 to 94. This
chap, ix. , 1 p, 163, 164. 34 "
w ith a wood-engraving representing the ruins.
35 An officer of the Royal Engineers on the Irish Ordnance Survey, who happened to be in charge of the Enniskillen district, took a sketch of the ruins on Devenish in the summer of 1835, while the Round Tower was undergoing a process of repair. After- wards, Dr. George 1'etrie reproduced some of these . drawings in the published wood- cuts of his celebrated work on the Round Towers and Ancient Architecture of Ireland. However, those purporting to represent the
graven cornice, which supports the cap of the very beautiful floigtheach, are said by his
shall be our chief authority for the succeed-
ing archaeological notices, both in the text and notes.
3? Much of the descriptive particulars which follow are taken from personal
inspection, and local tradition, as commu- nicated on the spot. The caretaker on this Island of Devenish, and the herd for Mr. Denny, the proprietor, was named Henry Corn, at the period of our visit, in the month of July, 1868. He had been living there, and with his family solely, for seven- teen years. He usually officiated as guide and. informant to parties visiting his secluded home.
There are
of 2 the Round Derryinch,3
probably
erla or
Wakeman,
unvarying truth and archaeological creme of
quary
3° 2 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [September 12.
—appeartohavebeenrudelyhammered. Thewallswereofgreatthickness39
on account, of the stone roof wer—
weighty
support. No trace of window or other feature now remains indeed, little
is left but the foundations, and some three feet in height of the side-walls. *
The local guide told the writer, that his aunt recollected the building known
12
as St. Molaise's Kitchen,* to have been roofed over with stone. * Eighty
years or even later, previous to the period of his visit, the writer was
informed, the whole of this building was quite perfect, although it is now
sadly disfigured43 and in ruins. 44
St. Molaisse's House, like that of St. Columba still remaining at Kells in the
county of Meath, was a small oblong edifice, roofed with stone. In the
beginning of this century, it stood in a tolerably perfect state. 4* Tradition was possibly right in referring it to the time of Molaisse—the sixth century— when it might have been the dwelling and oratory of the saint, afterwards converted into a church. The Round Tower, which in point of age ranks next to the little Oratory—if indeed it be not nearly coeval—may be considered as one of the most beautiful and perfect structures of its class remaining in Ireland. *6 All of it that had ever been constructed of stone remains perfectly preserved. 47 The wooden floors are gone, the bell or bells have disappeared, and the door, and external and internal ladders with it, have left no trace of their former existence. Without and within, its sides
3b This building was a rectangle, measur- reproduced in the " Ulster Journal of
probably,
ing thirty feet by eighteen, placed east by north.
39 Measuring four feet six inches. Upon the interior they rose vertically to about half the extreme height of the structure, at which point the sides sloped towards each other, forming a kind of ogee arch, upon whicli a ponderous high pitched roof of stone rested. There was no croft.
40 It is a melancholy reflection, that in the memory of persons still living, or but re- cently dead, this inestimable relic of ancient
Irish architecture, Su intimately associated with the name of one of the most illustrious fathers of the Irish Church, stood as it had remained for nearly 1,300 years, and that now we can do little more than trace its dimensions on the ground.
41 Near this old building, the writer copied from a—Hat tomb stone the following inscrip-
Archaeology," vol, iv. It was accompanied by a paper on Devenish.
43 As described to the writer, it must then have greatly resembled St. Kevin's kitchen, now to be seen at Glcndalough.
44 This house had been covered and roofed with cut stone on the outside ; until Bishop Ash or Sterne of Clogher ordered it to be stripped of the cut stone to flag the floor of Enniskillen Protestant church. On the 20th of January, 1803, a violent storm threw down more than half of what remained. Such is the account given by one John Frith, Philomath, in a paper entitled " A Descrip- tion of Devenish, a. d. 1808. "
45 Since then, it has been wantonly pulled down. From the portion remaining, it is evident that the house was one of the earliest ecclesiastical structures composed of lime and stone in our Island.
tion
:
46
a learned article on "The Round Towers of Ireland," written by Rev.
Matthew Kelly,
Here the of Doctor lyeth body
On this the reader is referred to subject
Patrick Cassidy, who departed September 27th, 1720; 1702, Rev. Maurice Cassidy ; 17. 55, Kev- Phelim Cassidy : 1744, Doctor Patrick Ca>sidy. The foregoing inscription is only substantially and not literally given, for many of the letters were then obliterated. However, it seems the oldest legible epitaph to be found over any of the graves.
42 A round-headed door-way had been in
the centre of the west gable, and built in
plain Hiberno-Romanesque style. Mr. Wakeman's description of this door-way and the roof was drawn from a sketch by Mons. Besaucle, a French gentleman, and
professor of drawing in the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. This sketch was
•'
The Dublin Review," for 1845. It gives a critical analysis and notice commendatory of Mr.
Petrie's celebrated work, and his conclusions on the subject. It has since been
D. D. , and published in
e to they designed
"
Irish Church History. '' Edited by Rev.
Daniel MacCarthy, D-D. , pp. 137 to 219.
47 The presented illustration, from an
approved engraving, represents the Round Tower and some of the deserted ecclesiasti- cal ruins, now remaining on Devenish. It has been drawn on the wood and engraved by Gregor Gray.
republished. See
Dissertations chiefly on
September i2. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 303
are quite smooth. *8 The stones are so admirably laid and fitted one to
another, that at a little distance from the ground the interstices of the
masonry can scarcely be detected. The doorway is semicircular, with a
prominent architrave and inclined sides j nearly all the stones forming its
casing run the whole thickness of the wall. The Tower from base to cap
is a marvel of masonry. At the joining of the roof may be seen a unique
feature- a cornice running round the whole summit, ornamented with four
human heads,*? well executed in stone. These are placed at the cardinal
points, and each surmounting one of the four large apertures, through which the bells of old sounded. *
Devenish and Lough Erne, St. Molasi's Island.
Of the monastic remains, that called the Abbey or the Upper Church is the most perfect, and the most modem, or probably it has been re-edified at alaterperiod,thanwhenfirst built. s1 Thisabbeychurchs2 is ataconsider- able distance from the Round Tower, and near the highest part of the
48 The structure
exteriorly,
and the interior
had taken at the of the shaft root, just point
underthecone; and,duringahighwindin 1834, it was blown down, carrying with it several tons of stones. However, the Hon. and Rev, J. C. Maude, then Rector of Ennis-
killen, inaugurated a subscription to restore the roof, which was effected in 1835. It
was then discovered, that the topmost stone contained an aperture, in which was found a piece of iron. This was probably a portion of the cross, which it seems probable surmounted the whole structure.
51 It was erected by Matthew O'Dubha-
gain in the early part of the fifteenth century, as stated by an inscription, which still remains on the wall of the interior.
52 According to tradition it had been dedi-
section, with details of the Round Tower,
are drawn by Mr. Wakeman, and minutely
described ; while he was indebted to Roderick Gray, Esq. , C. E. , for most of the measurements from top to bottom. The total vertical height of the tower is 84 feet 10 inches : the thickness of the wall at base is 4 feet, 1 inch, and the circumference of the Tower at base is 49 feet, while interiorly, there were formerly five floors. The acute apex over a cornice, and which tops the roof, rises 16 feet to the upper point.
49 The beards of the heads are interlaced,
and resemble those on the western door-
way capitals of Killeshin Church, near Carlow.
50 An alder of considerable dimensions
cated to St.
Mary.
3°4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [September 12.
island. That building measures ninety-eight feet, by twenty-eight—the breadth of the nave. At present, little more than the great central square tower and some side-walls of the building remain. " The nave had been divided by a wooden floor, into two apartments ; the upper story, as well as the tower, having been intended apparently for 'the purposes of a dwelling. In the northern wall of the chancel a niche or door-way appears, the head of which is singularly decorated with foliage, having interlacing stems. 54 The basement story of the tower55 is groined, and it rests on beautifully moulded ribs. In the ceiling are two apertures, coeval with the building, through which bell ropes were formerly passed. A small pointed doorway leads to a spiral staircase, by which the battlememts of the tower are reached. The masonry—or sculpture it might almost be called—is very remarkable for its excellence. The angles of the architraves, being delicately fluted and finished equally at top as at bottom, produce an effect both light and graceful. There is a second doorway in the south wall, with an ornamental architrave ; above which, in a canopied niche, were the arms of the founder, or of some benefactortothepriory. 56 Asmalltranseptextendstothenorth,andonthis side were a number of attached edifices, which are supposed to have been theresidencesofthemonks. Thestoneusedinthebuildingofthetoweris a beautiful gray limestone, susceptible of a high polish, and one of the varieties found in that district adjoining the lake. 57
Looking over the graveyard adjoining the abbey, we see many very old carved stones, now buried in the grass. Among those, one may be noticed, but at present broken through ; it has a carved cross on the surface, and it was probably intended to mark the resting place of an abbot or of
some ecclesiastical
58 Lichen-covered
and head-stones dot t—he —ch extend near the ruins. The
accordingtolocalnomenclature ortheLowerChurchisofamoreancient
date than the and much more 60 The eastern window
dignitary.
flag
swards of old burial places,59 whi Nunnery
priory, dilapidated.
was still perfect, until a comparatively late period ; it was rudely executed, and divided into three compartments, with lancet heads, and banded on the
53 The eastern gable, and its traceried
window, have been destroyed ; but, some sculptured stones of the latter may still be found among the tombs, and evince taste and skill on the part of its builders.
54 Similar designs, but of later date, occur in the old buildings of Galway. It is interesting to observe how long this pecu- liar Irish style of ornamentation continued to be used.
55 The Tower is supported on two
admirably designed arches, the capitals of which rests on tongue-shaped corbels of a patters almost peculiar to Ireland.
; in the upper windows of the Round
Tower, or even from those of the square
Beil-Tower, a most enchanting range of vision, over the Lower Lake and its sur-
rounding shore, must open upon the eye, if surveyed on a clear summer day.
57 About the year i860, or 1861, several
human bones were dug up from a hollow,
out thecaretakeronDevenish pointed by
Island, and which lies some distance apart from the more modern abbey church and its graveyard. No graves seem to have ex-
tended to that spot, as connected with the
adjoining burial-ground. Those bones were afterwards re-interred, and stones were heaped over them.
S*A fine sandstone shaft of an ancient cross long remained covered with earth, until recently, when the Rev. Mr. Hughes of Carrickmacross had it exposed to view by digging around it. Over eight feet were uncovered, and still he did not come to the end of this cross where it joined to a soffit and pedestal rooted near it, and yet to be Been embedded in the earth. There was a very beautiful and perfect carving on one side, according to the caretaker's account. The Rev. Mr. Hughes again covered that antique cross, intending, at some future time, to have it raised and placed in its proper position.
59 These were a favourie sepulchral site for the Maguires of Portora, and their clans- men.
6oThe —ofthischurchiseightyfeetby length
twenty-three
must be gathered exclusively from the records of its fate.
a fact that in a few years more
September 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 305
inside 61 while in the southern wall were two circularly-headed windows,68 ;
and illuminating, it is said, a baptistery just below them. The Upper and Lower churches possessed the advantage of a bell suspended in each, for many years ; but, at the suppression, it was directed that they should be carried to the cathedral of Armagh. 6* Like most of the old churches in Ireland, the ruins of Devenish have not escaped the ravages of Vandalism. 6 *
CHAPTER II.
PERIOD OF ST. MOLATSSl'S SETTLEMENT IN DEVENISH—RULE DRAWN UP BY HIM FOR THE REGULATION OF THAT MONASTERY—HIS MIRACLES—VIRTUES AND LEARNING OF THE SAINT—HIS DEATH AND BURIAL AT DEVENISH—COMMEMORATIONS — CONCLUSION.
The story of St. Columba's having been ordered by Molaisse to leave
Ireland, however fabulous, yet pre-supposes that the latter was a renowned
12
Abbot about 561, the year assigned for the battle of Cul-dremni, or Cul-
drebhni. The account of its origin is of ancient date, however, and the tradition has long survived in the compositions of our bards and chroniclers. In conjunction with Saints Finian and Brendan,3 St. Molaisse is said to have advised his school-fellow, St. Columkille, to pass over into Britain. St. Molaisi is known to have lived at Damh-inis, before the departure of St. Columkille from Ireland, in the year 563, the second year after the battle of Culdrebhne, and in the forty-second year of his age/ By some writers, the foundation of St. Molaisi's monastery has been referred to the latter date. 5
61
These are represented in a drawing by to the Ordnance Memoir of Ireland ; John Frith ; the slender lights were sepa- together with the Minutes of Evidence.
rated by massive piers of stone.
6* The only one of these now remaining
has been represented, exteriorly and in- teriorly, by Mr. Wakeman, and the dimen- sions given, in his article on "The Antiquities of Devenish. "
6i The following is a local tradition.
Boats were procured for the purpose. The
bell of the upper church was conveyed
safely to shore, and carried to the place of
destination ; but the boat in which was
Molaisse's bell sunk, with its load, to the
bottom, and has never since been recovered.
Appendix and Index, presented to both Houses of Parliament by order of her
Majesty, p. 23, n—. 218.
"
If a day can influence a deed, it may have
ii.
Scotorum,"at that date, in which it is stated,
that the battle of Cuil Dremne was gained over Diarmaid Mac Cerbhaill for his trans- gressions against St. Colum Cille. Edition of William M. Hennessy, pp. 52, 53. These transgressions are supposed to have been his judgment pronounced against Columba, respecting the transcript secretly made of a copy of the Gospels belonging to St. Finian of Magh Bile. See ibid. , nn. 4, 5.
2 See Rev. Dr. " Ecclesiastical Lanigan's
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , cap. xi. , sect,
Fifth Volume of this work, Art. i.
4 See James Mackinnon's "Culture in
. done so in this instance, the 12th
St. Molaisse's festival, having been the date
—" The 64 This is proved from the following
—
for this singular occurrence. "
Scenery and Antiquities of Ireland, Illus- trated," vol. i. , chap, viii. , pp. 60, 61.
n. 220. 129, p.
evidence of the Rev. Romney Robinson "
book London, 1892, 8vo.
While Rector of Enniskillen, about
September,
:
Early Scotland,"
iii.
,
chap, i. , p. 152.
twenty years ago, I caught the tenant of
Devenish building a barn with the fragments of the east window of the monastery, and
pulling dow—n parts that were comparatively
uninjured. " Report of the Commissioners testant Reformation in England and appointed to inquire into the Facts relating Ireland," vol. ii. , County Fermanagh.
Chapter
'See the "Chronicum
sect,
3 See his Life, at the 16th of May, in the
ii. , chap, xii. ,
ix. ,
5 William Cobbett thus writes : "An abbey, built in Daimb-inis about the year 563, by St. Lase—rian : it stood until the
"
general plunder. " History of the Pro-
U
306 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [September12.
Many holy men, and among others St. Aidus of Killare, 6 visited him in his retirement. We are told in the legendary Life of St. Aidus, that when this Saint came to Devenish, he found St. Laisrean at work with his monks. The visitor then asked what he could do to assist them. St. Laisrean told him to move a tree of great size and age from its position in the earth, when he ordered the tree in the name of Christ to be uprooted. On the instant, it was miraculously raised from the earth into air, and carried off into the sea. Allwhowitnessedthismiracle
which was the school at Damhinis. There he learned fully the arts of
writing, and he acquired a knowledge of polite learning, while he became celebrated for his skill as an artist in metal work, 10 before he became bishop
over Iniskeen, in the County of Louth. So that we may conclude, a school of repute had been established on the island, so early as the sixth century. There the very crypt or cell inhabited by St. Molaise is said to be still standing, but unroofed. Its walls are of massive solidity, and traces of the covering-roof remain.
It has been stated, that St. Molaisse or Laiserian made a pilgrimage to the Eternal City, after he became Abbot over Devenish. However, the learned Dr. Lanigan thinks, that the journey Laiserian is said to have made to Rome rests on no sure foundation, and that he was probably confounded with his namesake of LeighUn. " We have already seen, that St. Moedoc, Bishop of Ferns and St. Molaise of Devenish were intimates and friends. After their first separation in Ulster, it is said, St. Molaise, before he under- took that journey to Rome, resolved on visiting his beloved acquaintance at Ferns. Then a pact of amity was again confirmed, not only between the principals, but also between the members, of their respective communities, and this bond of union, it was agreed, should be perpetual. From Rome, our saint had resolved to bring back some clay and relics to hallow his
13
cemetery at Devenish.
An ancient hymn states, that St. Molaisse shone forth as a bright lamp,
illustrating all Ireland by his sanctity and learning. He drew up a Rule for the instruction and guidance of his religious, over whom he presided as Abbot. Under his training, the monks aspired to the most sublime practices of devotion. The Life of Ciaran x 3 of Cluain
gave
that St. Daigh or Dagcus said to have been a nephew of our Saint
8
—
thankstoGod. ? Wehave — already seen,
was also a pupil of St. Laisrian and of his brother, a Deacon, who taught in the schoolatDamh-inis. WiththatDeaconanduncle,theboypaidavisitto St. Mochta, of Louth,9 and afterwards, having had his future sanctity and eminence predicted by that patriarch, both returned to the lesser monastery,
1 * that the Order of Molaissi was one of the eight Orders that were in Erinj's but perhaps, adds the calendarist, it speaks of some other saint bearing the same name.
