No More Learning

gave
the name and influence of our illustrious abbess mighty with the mightiest ;
and her protection was obtained by those kings and people, who had fostered
her great religious foundation, whenever public and private occasions called for her prayers and intercession.
wars, at various periods.
'7^ See William M. Hennessy's " Chroni-
cum Scotorum," pp. 40, 41.
^77 See Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's
**
La Santitk Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. " LibroSesto,pp. 471,472.
^78 This battle obtained by the Leinster-
men, under Cucorb's leadership, took place A. D. 506, the thirtieth year of Illand's reign,
"
It hath victoi7's life in it yetl'"— Moore's " Irish Melodies. "
'^4 Luachair means a " Rushy Place," but although there are countless places, bearing this name in Leinster, Dr. ODonovan had neverbeenabletoidentifytheexactsiteof this battle.
18S « While thus aloft the hero's corse
they bear,
Behind them rages all the storm of
war.
Confusion, tumult, horror, o'er the
throng
Ofmen, steeds, chariots, urg'd the
11. 821 to
according to the
of Leinster. " See, Colgan's "Trias Thau-
Four vol. Masters,"
" book Iliad,"
lyric
"
Brigidse,
Catalogue of the Kings
maturga," n. 53, p. 544.
^79 Such is Dr. O'Donovan's identifica-
tion.
*8° See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
i. , pp. 164, 165.
^^^ See William M. Hennessy's "Chroni-
cum Scotonim," pp. 40, 41.
^^' " Their souls are kindled at the battles
of old ; at the actions of other times. Their eyes are flames of fire. They roll in search ofthefoesoftheland. Theirmightyhands are on their swords. Lightning pours from their sides of steel. . . . Bright are the chiefs o—f battle, in the armour of their fa- thers. " James Macpherson's "Poems of Ossian. " Fingal,booki.
^^3 Such an incident, as the present one, might well have inspired "the Bard of Erin," whe—n he wrote these magnificent
— Homer's rout along. " Pope's
lines
:
And it cries, from the grave where the hero lies deep,
*
Though the day of your chieftain for
ever hath set,
leave not his sword thus inglorious to
sleep-
Vita S. Quarta
824.
^^^ An account, concerning this miracle, is also given in the "Annals of the Four Masters," at a. d. 506, as follows: "The battle of Luachair [was fought] by Cucorb
against the Ui-Neill, of which was said :
The fierce battle of Luachair, over head, Brighet saw, no vain vision ;
The bloody battle of Fionnabhair was noble, about the body of Illann after his
—death. "
See O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. , pp. 164, 165, and nn. (z, a).
^^7 See, Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
lib.
ii. , cap. x. , xi. , xii. , xiii. , pp. 551, 552. This account is abbreviated in the Vita Tertia S. Brigidae,
cap. xc, p. 538, idtd.
'^^
Vita Sexta S. Brigidae, sect, liv. , Iv. , p. 594, i6td. , where the saint is said to have promised Illand a succession of victories, it IS related, that the brother of the king, on
vii. ,
128 LIVES OF THE lETSH SAINTS. [February i.
CHAPTER IX.
OF ANCIENT LEINSTER, WHERE THE HOLY ABBESS MAY HAVE LIVED— BRIGID AND ST. SENAN—ST. BRIGID RESTORES A CRIPPLE—AN INSANE MAN— VARIOUS MIRACLES WHICH WERE WROUGHT THROUGH HER MERITS—SHE PREVENTS BLOODSHED BETWEEN CONALL AND CAIRBRE—SHE SAVES CONALL FROM HIS ENEMIES.
St. Brigid seems to have founded some religious establishment, near the Irish Sea, and on the western side of the ancient kingdom of Leinster. There are several places called alter her, in corresponding situations ; but, it is difficult now to determine if any one of them be identical with it. Hav- ing for a western boundary a pretty streamlet, which joins the Bray river,' and which divides it from Kilcroney, there is a townland of Kilbride, in the northern part of Wicklow county. ^' It lies within the parish of Bray,3 a short distance west of the town, in the barony of Rathdovvn, and very con- venient to the sea. No trace of a ruined church, however, can now be dis- covered there ; although, it seems likely one formerly existed, and which had been dedicated to our St. Brigid, from whom the townland probably derived its denomination. Besides this, there is a townland and parish of Kilbride* in the barony of Lower Talbotstown. A small stream passes the village of Kilbride, and this is soon poured into the upper waters of the River Liffey. Yet, no ruin can be traced on the site of the townland, which appears to have been named after our St. Brigid. s Again, there is a Kilbride townland and
DIFFERENT PLACES CALLED KILBRIDE, ON THE EASTERN AND SOUTH-EASTERN COAST
—— in the of ^ not its ancient name in
parish Dunganstown certainly
village
hearing her words, conceived a great desire to obtain a like favour, to become a servant of St. Brigid, and to receive baptism. Ac- cording to the metrical account, the follow- mg reply was made by our saint :
•*
length, it abounds in attractions, and identi- fies itself with the curiosities of Glencree, the wonders of the deep, dark, bosky ravine of Dargle, the exulting beauties of the demesne of Powerscourt, and the several amenities of the town of Bray. "—" Parlia- mentary Gazetteer of Ireland, vol. i. , p.
Haectibicredenti'praestabitmagnapotestas, Tempora longa prius, cum hoc regno vita
futura,
Et tua progenies post te tua regna tenebit, Donee ad extremum, veniet post terminus
jevi. "
277.
=* "
These promises of the saint are likewise said to have been fulfilled ; and Colgan, in a lengthened note, postfixed to this passage,
gives a long list of the kings of Leinster, belonging to Ailill's race, extracted from our Annals, and tending to establish the truth of such prophecy. See ibid. , n. 12, p. 598.
for the County of Wicklow. " Sheets, 4, 7, 8.
3 In the Dinnsenchus there is a legendary account, that Bray was so called from Brea, son of Seanboth, one of Parthalon's fol- lowers, who first introduced single combat
'*
Chapter ix,~-» The Bray River issues
from the romantic lough of the sam—e name, nance Survey Townland Maps for the
and runs about eight miles eastward
as to describe the segment of a circle with the convexity southward—to the sea, one- fourth of a mile below- the bridge, at the town of Bray. It has most of its course in the Wicklow half- barony of Rathdown ; but, over a short distance above its embouchure, it runs on the boundary between the counties ofDublinandWicklow, ** in
County
Though brief
fin
Daniel Beaufort's "Me- Augustus
See Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
into Ireland. See Dr. P. W. Joyce's
gin and History of Irish Names of Places," part iv. , chap, i. , p. 377. Might the valley, in which Kilbride is situated, have been called Magh-Breagh, so frequently men- tioned in the Lives of St. Brigid ?
^This parish is represented on the "Ord- but so of Wicklow. " 6.
Sheets, I, 2, 5,
5 Still in this parish, there are two old burial grounds and several raths. See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ire- One of these ruins is not far from the Catholic church of Kilbride, and surrounded by a graveyard. The ruined
walls now scarcely rise above the earth.
land," vol, ii. p. 56.
ST.
Ori-
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. T29
the barony of Arklow. 7 The townland and village are somewhat removed from the sea, which they overlook. Not far from the town of Arklow, are thetownlandandparishofKilbride,^inthebaronyofArklow. 9 Theold church here seems, however, to have been dedicated to a St. Bride, different from the holy Abbess of Kildare. The church is near the sea-shore, and it commands a fine view of the sea, and the town of Arklow. ^°
A short distance from Clondalkin, in the townland and in the parish of
Kilbride," barony of Newcastle, and county of Dublin,^=^ are the ruins of an old castle and an ancient church, which occupy a slight elevation and which
are picturesquely situated. The graveyard enclosure is nearly circular, and it adjoins a road, near Castle Bagot demesne. '3 Kilbride old church is within some short distance of the Dublin and Naas road, nearly mid-way
Ivnbriue, k^q. Dublin.
between Clondalkin and Rathcoole. In summer time, the graves in Kil- bride churchyard are almost smothered with nettles ; and, few tombstones are now there, while only a portion of the ancient church remains. ^* The choir-archgivesevidenceofitsbeingantique; while,exceptingthearching stones, which were carefully dressed, the other building stones are mostly small. The church, even when complete, seems to have been exceedingly
moir of a Map of Ireland," this parish is set
down as a rectory in the diocese of Dublin.
See Index, p. 28. The present Catholic
church stands on the site of the ancient one,
and is surrounded by the old graveyard.
Such is the traditional information given to
the writer by Rev. James Doyle, D. D. , of
St. Michan's church, Dublin, who has a ii. , p. 367.
7 See "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
fortheCountyofWicklow. " Sheet31. *
Survey Townland Maps for the County of
"
"W icklow.
5 The Parish extends along the left side of
the Ovoca river to the sea. See " Parlia-
moved from Kilbride. See ibid.
^4 The accompanying engraving by George A. Hanlon, Dublin, is from a drawing, taken on the spot, by Mr. John O'C.
VOL. II. —No.
3.
K
Sheets 40, 4 1 .
mentary Gazetteer of Ireland," vol ii. , p.
368.
^° See Lewis' " Topographical Dictionaty
of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 55.
" This parish is a chapelry, and part of
the benefice of Clondalkin. See " The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland," vol.
"See **Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Dublin. " Sheet 21. '3 On Kilmactalway townland. Near CastleBagotHousearetheruinsofanother These are shown in the "Ordnance old church, within a graveyard, not far re-
thoroughlocalknowledgeoftheneighbour- hood.
. .
I30 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
small ; yet, the walls were of great thickness. Around the choir-arch,^s the face of its wall is now much broken. A few ivy-tendrils creep up along the sides of this ruin. From the site, a splendid view of the Dublin mountains and of the Liffy valley may be obtained. This church appears to have taken its name from our St. Brigid ; still, it is doubtful enough, that she founded it, or that she there resided, at any particular period of her life. Although, in the city and county of Dublin, several churches and religious houses had
been dedicated to St. Brigid, probably at epochs long subsequent to her decease; yet, we could not presume to assert, that she ever founded or resided at any of those places during that interval, when she lived in the eastern and maritime part of Leinster.
In the county of Wexford, there is a Kilbride townland,^^ quite near the sea-shore, in the parish of Kiltennell,^7 and barony of Ballaghkeene. No trace of a ruined church is there to be found. ^^ Besides this, on Kilbride
townland,^9 removed some miles from the sea-shore, in the parish of Bally- huskard,^° and barony of Ballaghkeene, an old church and a graveyard are yet to be seen. There is a Kilbride townland,^^ not far from Duncannon
rort,^^ and near the sea, in the united parishes of St. James and Dunbrody, barony of Shelburne. No trace of a ruin can be discovered there, on the
Ordnance Survey Maps. Still, we may fairly infer, that in times remote, the great Patroness of Ireland had churches, chapels, or convents, dedicated
to her memory, in nearly all the foregoing townlands and parishes. A knowledge of these facts, however, will hardly help us to determine the exact place of her maritime abode.
While St.
Brigid lived in her convent, beside the Irish Sea, she is said to have prepared vestments =3 for the holy Bishop Senan. He then lived in an island,^4 which was situated at an opening towards the ocean, in the western part of Ireland. ^5 A wide expanse of water surrounded that island, and it lay at a long distance from Brigid's religious establishment. Just opposite the to^vn of Kilrush, and now constituted a portion of that parish, Scattery Island ^^ and its famous ruins =7 may be seen far out into the waters of the spreading Shannon. ^^ The vestments to be used in offering up the Holy
Robinson, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.
^5 A great number of old ruined churches in Ireland had been distinguished by similar
choir-arches.
^^
See "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Wexford. " Sheet 12.
^7 This parish is also called Kilbride.
See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , pp. 212, 213.
*^ The Owenvarra, which flows through Courtown demesne, falls into the sea, at the
371, 372.
=3 These are called "missalia indumenta,"
in St. Brigid's Fourth Life,
=* To this island, formerly called Inis
Cathuigh, and at present Scattery Island, allusion is frequently made in the Acts of St Senan, which will be found at the 8th of March.
=s Theaccompanyingengraving,byGeorge A. Hanlon, Dublin, is from a sketch taken near the scene by William F. Wakeman,
bay of Kilbride. See J. N. Brewer's who afterwards transferred it to the wood.
"
^^ See " Ordnance Survey Townland festival of the saint it is resorted to by
26
<<
crowds of " The Tourists' lUus- pilgrims. "—
trated Handbook for Ireland," p. 134.
=7 These are depicted on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of
Clare. " Sheet 67.
=8 A smaller island, called Inishbeg, lies
See Ordnance Survey Townland nearer to the Clare side, and a little to the
Beauties of Ireland," vol, i. , p. 389.
jj. jg ^^^ called Holy Isle
:
and on the
lor the of Wexford. " Sheets Maps County
26, 27. The church and graveyard are to be found on Sheet 26.
'°
See an account of it in "The Parlia- mentary Gazetteer of Ireland," vol. i. , p.
173-
=' "
Maps for the County of Wexford. " Sheet AA'
='
See an account of this spot in J. N. Brewer's "Beauties of Ireland," vol. i. , pp.
north-east of Scattery. See ibid.
=9 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.
"
Tertia Vita S. Brigidae, cap. cxv. , pp. 540, 541. Quarta Vita S. Brigidae, lib. ii. cap.
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 131
Sacrifice of the Mass were placed in a chest. This, it is said, was floated outonthesea. St. BrigidfullyconfidedinHeavenlyguidance,thatitshould reach St. Senan. Her confidence was not misplaced ; for, the legend states, this chest was wafted round the Irish coast towards that part of the island, where St. Senan lived. This happened through a special direction of Providence, and the box went over sea-courses, which skilled mariners could only pass with great difficulty, and in well-appointed vessels. St. Senan had a revelation concerning this gift he was to expect. On that particular day, whenthechestfloatednearhisisland,Senansaidtohismonks "Gotothe
:
sea, and bring me whatever you shall find upon it. " His brethren found the chest, and brought it, as required, to St. Senan. ^'^ The latter told them, it
Scattery Island, and Mouth of the Shannon.
was a gift sent by St. Brigid, and he gave thanks to God, while invoking a
on the — a doubt has been thrown on the blessing holy virgin. 3° However,
ofthis 3^ credibility legend
resolved from a marvel- being very
of
lous story into a narrative divested of everything incredible 3^ —
relates to our St. — Brigid. Although
in the Acts of St. Senan, Abbot of Inis- cathy ; but there, the vestments prepared for him were made by a St. Brigid, the daughter of Conchracius, of the Mactail family, and whose cell was at a place called Clan-in- fidi, near the banks of the River Shannon. See " Acta Sanctorum
quitates. " cap. xvii. , pp. 454, 488.
34 Abbate D. Giacomo Certani—who re-
Colgan's
viii. Martii. Secunda Vita, sive Supplemen- tum Vitse S. Senani, ex Hibernico transum- tum, cap. xxxix. , p. 536, rede 532.
3* See Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical History
capable
— the learned Ussher inferred 33
probably that St. Senan had been established 34 at Inis-
from reading this account
cathy, befote the de^-th of Kildare's holy Abbess ; yet, it is more likely he
Ixxxi. p. 561.
3° A somewhat similar miracle is related
of Ireland, vol. i. , chap, ix. , sec. iv. , n. 65, pp. 449, 450.
3^ As for example, the vestments, packed in a chest, might have been shipped in the ordinary way, and have been consigned to St. Senan, whom they safely reached.
33 See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
—makesSt. Senan
preside over an imaginary body of Canons Regular. See "La Santitk Prodigiosa. Vita di S.
Brigida Ibernese. " Libro Sesto, pp. 544
Hibernise,"
lates this legend
so far as it
132 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
did not setde there until some time after her death. 35 Hence, it seems pro- bable, that the present narrative has been taken—from -the acts of another St.
— and transferred
Brigid,3^ incorrectly
to the lives ones ofIreland'sillustriouspatroness.
not, however,
the earliest
Like the great Apostle of the Gentiles, regarding herself as subject to human infirmities, the blessed Abbess felt for the infirm. 37 On a certain
occasion, while Brigid was sitting at the door of a monastery, in which she
resided, she saw a man at the bank of an adjoining river. 3^ He was bearing
a burden, and, as he walked along, his body seemed curved. 39 Pitying his
condition, the compassionate superioress said to those around her, that all
should go to the man and help to bear his load. Coming towards him, St.
"
Brigid said :
Let us bear your burden, for it causes you to stoop greatly. "
The man replied, however, that the weight of his load did not cause his
curvature, but an old malady, which had troubled him during his earlier days.
Enquiring about the name of this virgin, who accosted him, he was told she
was the he " I give thanks to God, that I
holy Brigid. Thereupon, replied ;
have found her whom I have sought. " 4° Then, he addressed our abbess,
asking her to pray to the Almighty for him, that his bodily defect might be removed. Thispiousladytoldhimtoenterahospice,whereheshouldrest for the night, and afterwards, that he should obtain his request. During that night, our Saint importuned the Almighty on his behalf. ^^ The following
shesaidtotheman "Gotothe inthenameof morning, ; river,42 and,
Jesus Christ, wash yourself, praying to God, and I promise, that you shall be able to hold your neck erect. Until I desire you to do so, take care not to
depart from that place. " Obeying the holy virgin's injunctions, that man, who had been curved for eighteen years, was miraculously restored. 43 After- wards, as in duty bound, he gave heartfelt thanks to God and to St.
44 Brigid.
On a particular day, the holy woman met an insane person, running from one place to another. In his paroxysms of frenzy, this maniac caused great annoyance to all that crossed his path. When our Saint saw him, she ad- dressed him in these words " O man, announce to me the words of Christ
:
Jesus,ourLord. "4S AlthoughthecompanionsofSt. Brigidfearedverymuch
the result ; yet, they had great confidence in the holy Virgin's gifts of grace. The frenzied man at once became collected in his thoughts. He then said
" O holy Brigid, I obey thee. Love God, and all will
to the saintly abbess
lovethee; honourGod,andallwillhonourthee; fearGod,andallwillfear
Baiano, in Campania, there may have been
lo 546.
35 See Dr.
** Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol i. , chap, ix. , sec. iv. , n.
Supposed by Colgan, to have been St. Brigid ol Cluain-fidhe, whose life is to be found, at the 30ih of September.
3'
some natural curative in its properties
65, pp. 449, 450. 3*^
working of this miracle. ^Qcibid, pp. 312, 313.
^^ In the supplement for use of the Irish clergy, postfixed to "BreviariumRomanum,"
Lanigan's
waters, while the Abbess had her own part in the
37 See ii, xi. Corinthians,
' '
Noct. ii. ,Lect vi.
44 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
29, 30. This circumstance shows the
Pars we Hiemalis,
et variis
read,
languoribus aegrotanti-
:
place
39 Abbate D. Giacomo Certani imagines, Die. i. Februarii. Officium S. Brigidae.
could not have been Kildare.
bus sanitatem suis precibus impetravit. "
—
that St. Brigid was then engaged superin-
tending some operatives, who were building
a church or monastic establishment for her. *'
Vita Quarta S. Brigidae, lib. ii. , cap. xxvi. , See La Santita Prodigiosa. Vita di S. p. 553. See also, Vita Tertia S. Brigidae,
Brigida Ibemese. " Libro Quarto, p. 309. 40 See ibid. p. 310.
4' See ibid. p. 311.
4»
cap. Ivi. , p. 533, ibid. Vita Sexta S. Bri-
gidae, sec. lix. , p. 594. ibid.