" " This
diligence
is required of us, in building a church to God," said Mochaoi.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v6
i.
, Life of St.
Patrick, chap.
viii.
433.
,3 See " Trias Colgan's
Lanigan's
Ecclesiast cr. i
Thaumaturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap.
June 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
in
1
ford Lough. * In due time, Mochaoi received clerical tonsure. 1 * No doubt, he
had been carefully instructed in the Christian doctrine, by the Irish Apostle, and
towards his disciple took place during any single visit, which he made to
this particular locality, where Mochaoi lived. Perhaps, indeed, the holy
youth followed his illustrious master through those places where the latter
beforehisinitiationto Orders. 16 Weare Holy
told, moreover, that St. Patrick presented his youthful disciple with a Book of Gospels, and with other utensils, whichwerenecessaryfortheobservancesoftheChurch. 1? Wearenotobligedto' suppose, however, that all of these attentions directed by the great Irish Apostle
18
It is also said, that St. Patrick taught h—is neophyte the
preached.
—by which we are to understand the Roman one
l 9
alphabet the purpose of induct- for, the old Irish alphabet, called Bethluisnon, was of quite a different construction from the Roman. We may well understand, how necessary it became for the Irish, who wished to learn Latin, to make themselves previously acquainted with its alphabet, and
in a similar manner as those, who wish to know Greek in our own day, or any of the Oriental languages, must first learn the Greek or Oriental letters of that
21 with which
On a certain day, whilst St. Patrick and his disciples were engaged in a
discourse on religious subjects, a miracle is recorded to have taken place, which was supposed to have manifested the will of heaven. For wonderful to relate ! a pastoral staff, falling down from on high, rested with its lower endorpointonthebreastofMachaoi,whilstits headorcrooktouchedthe bosomofSt. Patrick. ^ Machaoiwastoldbyhismaster,thatthissymbolof the pastoral office betokened his election thereto ; he received consecration at the earnest instigation of St. Patrick, although not without most humble protestations of unworthiness on his part. This event is supposed to have
taken place, before or about a. d. 433, and prior to the journey of St. Patrick towards Tara. Soon after his consecration, our saint was appointed Abbot
ing
him to a
knowledge
of the Latin
language ;
2°
particular language,
they
desire to be 92 conversant.
*s The second Life has it: "
the earlier whowere Bollandists,
with the Irish
nearly so with Irish history, had rashly con- eluded, that alphabetic writing was un-
eum ac — et dedit ei
totondit, Evangelium
et
unacquainted
language,
and
Ministeir. " Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Secunda S. Patricii, cap. xxxii. , p. 14. 16 See the Third Volume of this work, at the 17th of March, Art. i. , Life of St.
Patrick, chap, viii.
17 The Tripartite Life, having mentioned
the and adds " Baptism Tonsure, : Reliquit
discipulo vir Dei sacrum Evangeliarum co- —dicem cum aliis sacri ministerii utensilibus. "
known in Ireland, until the arrival of St. "
Baptizavit pies,
totally
" Trias
Vita S. Patricii, lib. i. , cap. liii. p. 325.
havenolettersoftheirown. " "Ecclesias-
Colgan's
Thaumaturga," Septima
being Europeans
not read Arabic books without being taught
18SeeRev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, v. , sect. iii. ,p. 216, 217.
tical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, v. , sect, hi. , n. 32, p. 220.
19 Not to mention the Ogham inscriptions,
so frequently found on rude stone monu-
ments in Ireland, and regarding which Gene-
ral Vallancey has published some tracts, in
his "Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis,"
vol. vi. , parts i. and ii. ; in Harris Ware, Survey of County Kilkenny," part hi. , there are some observations on the antiquity sect. 19. Antiquities, p. 622. How- of Irish characters and writing which deserve ever, it is now generally known, that the
"
Antiquities of Ire- land," chap, iii. , pp. 18 to 29.
20 From the mention often made of St.
attention. See vol. ii. ,
Patrick
giving Alphabets
to his Irish disci-
for
Patrick. See Acta Sanctorum," tomusii. , Martii xvii. , Vita S. Patricii, Commentarius Praevius, sect, i. , num. 4, 5, 6, pp. 517, 518.
2I onthis theRev.
Treating special topic,
Dr. Lanigan very properly remarks :
"
The
Bollandists' argument is like that of an Arab,
who, on told that the can-
"Ecclesiastical theletters,wouldthenceconcl—ude,that Lanigan's they
" Mr. Tighe has published an inscription which he supposed to have been in alphabe- tic characters, and prior to the period of
"
characters in question are of rather modern production, and apparently chiselled out to exercise the speculations of antiquaries.
23 See the Third Volume of this work, at
Christianity in Ireland, in his
Statistical
772 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 23.
of Eteach Mochai,2* or
Nendrum,
25 now Mahee
26 a of Island, portion Tully-
nakill which lies in parish,
Strangford Lough.
27
In a
gloss
on the
Martyr-
ology of -^Engus, occurring at the mention of our saint's name, we read: "/. <? . , Mochoe of Oendruim in Delbna or Delvin Ethra. Or nine ridges are in the
"one "onehillinthe ridge," i. e. ,
—
Muilinn^ Mill, Daire-Chaechain or Derrykeighan 3 in Dal-Riada, founded his primitive monastic establishment, having been called from his lowly position of swine- herd to govern a religious community. 33 Archdall speaks of two distinct foundations, in the county of Down; one of these he calls Neddrum,34 and the other Noendrum. 35 The same writer states, likewise, that the abbey at Neddrum 36 did not long exist; but, he is unable to assign the cause for its extinction. That it was founded on an island appears to him sufficiently established ; yet, he falls into an error, when he conjectures, that it might have been the largest of the Copeland 37 Islands, at the entrance into Belfast
whereinhischurchis. On whole island, and on Loch Cuan it is. "
place
Oendruim, 28
This place —known as Inis-Mochaoi, or Mahee Island
29
is distant about thirteen miles, N. N. E. from Downpatrick. 3° Here it was that St. Mochay, whoissaidtohavebeenbrotherofSt. Colman 1 orofthe of
17th March, Art. i. Life of St. Patrick, chap. viii.
34 The name now in use is a corruption of Irnr" niocAoi (Inis-Mochee), and it is derived from St. Machaoi, who was the founder and
patron saint of the church.
35 It is the n Oerropuim of the Irish
Annals ; the Nendrum of the "Acta Sancto- rum Hibernise," and the Neddrum of the "Monasticon Hibernicum. "
the Saints of Ireland, attributed to St. /Engus the Culdee. See a further account of him, in the First Volume of this work, at the 1st January, Art. iv.
32 In the county of Antrim.
33 It is stated, that while St. Patrick
journeyed from Saul to Bright, where Ros
lived, he met St. Mochay as a swine-herd on
the way. See Very Rev. James O'Laverty's
"
Historical Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Ancient and Modern,"
36 It is shown, on the '• Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the County of vol. i. , p. 143.
34
27 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "Ecclesasti- county of Down, Archdall says :
Down," sheet 17.
Under the heading Neddrum, in the
cal Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dro-
more," p. 10, n. (e).
88 To this comment, some Irish verses are
found appended, and they are thus tran—slated
"
Sir John De Courcey, in the year 1 1 79, granted to the monks of St. Bega of Copuland the church founded on this island, to serve God
therein, together with a large portion (two
into English, by Dr. Whitley Stokes
A sleep without withering of flesh Mochoe of Noendruim slept.
Of the folk of the congregation
wherein the sage had been Nought remained save their skulls. To Mochoe the beautiful sang The little bird from the heavens Three songs from the tree-top, Fifty years in each song. "
of the issues and and lands of profits
11
—"Transactions of the
part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. cvii. 29 A very complete history of it may be found in Very Rev. James O'Laverty's "His- torical Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Ancient and Modern," vol. i. , pp.
Royal
demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
353to368.
30 See Rev. Dr. Reeves'
"
Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore,"
Appendix A, p. 148.
•* He is stated, to have been also the son
of Bronach, in the Tract on the Mothers of
:
thirds)
theisland; hegrantedtothemalsoseveral other lands in 1 Dunese-
Irish Aca-
2
and 194, Roger de
;
forthe made them a large grant, as did
Brien de Eschallers on the 9th of June, A. D. 1202, in the lifetime of the founder. John, the Cardinal Legate, confirmed these several
— as also those of prior Walrann,
to the
grants
many other persons. " nicum," p. 126.
"
35 The latter is said to have been ruled by St. Coelan, about a. d. 520, and its situation was unknown to Archdall.
36 However, the Rev. Dr. Reeves very
clearly shows, that those two names are only
a variety of the same word, being both in- tended for n Aononuim of the Irish, which from our saint as patron is now called Mahee Island,situatedinStrangfordLough. See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix F, p. 187.
37 Coupland alluded to in Sir John De Courcey's grant was situated in Cumberland. See Dodsworlh's and Dugdale's "Monas-
Monasticon Hiber-
June 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
773
Lough. 38 In company with others, St. Mochaoi undertook hewing planks for the erection of his church, which appears to have been constructed of wood;30 and, he laboured in perfecting the details of this building/ This wooden structure preceded the stone church, the ruins of which yet remain, accord- ingtoamostprobableconjecture. Inthismonasticinstitute,instructionwas combined with a regular discipline; and, among many other famous and holy persons there educated may be mentioned the names of St. Finian,41 founder of Moville, and St. Colman,42 founder of Dromore. 43
The learned Dr. Lanigan thinks it not improbable, that our saint was
Usually, however, the Irish Annalists call him simply "Mochay of Nen- drum. "4? The Rev. Dr. Lanigan seems inclined to doubt, whether Machaoi was consecrated bishop or not, although adducing testimonies in favour of an affirmative supposition.
The following legendary ancedotes relate to St. Mochaoi. 48 He went with seven score young men to cut wattles to make a church. He was engagedhimselfatthework,andcuttingtimberliketherest. Hehadaload ready before the others, and he kept it by his side. While he was resting, says the legend, he heard a bright bird, singing on the blackthorn near him. This bird was more beautiful than any birds of this world. The bird said : "This is diligent work, O cleric.
" " This diligence is required of us, in building a church to God," said Mochaoi. " Who is addressing me? " " A man of the people of my Lord is here," said the bird, meaning an angel of God from heaven. " Hail to thee," said Mochaoi, "and wherefore hast thou come hither? " "To address thee from thy Lord and to delight thee for a while. "
" I like this," said Mochaoi. That bird afterwards fixed his beak in the feathers of his wing. The legend then states, that for three 4° hundred years did Mochaoi remain listening to the music of that bird, and having his bundle of sticks by his side, in the middle of the wood ; while the wood was not more withered, nor did the time seem to him longer than one hour of the day. The angel afterwards bade him farewell. At the end of that term, Mochaoi
made as Abbot,
44
abbot that of bishop 4S is affixed to Mochaoi's name in some instances/6
early
at least as the
year 465 ;
but,
besides
the title of
ticon Anglicanum," vol. ii. , Coenobia Hiber-
nica, p. 1023. Editio, Londini, 1655, 1661, fol.
Bishop of Lindisfarne, in the year 652, built " ecclesiam episcopali sedi congruam ; quam
tamen more Scottorum, nondelapide, sedde robore secto totam composuit, atque harun- dine texit. "
40 This is stated, in theO'Clerys' Calendar.
41 His feast was kept, on the 10th of Sep- tember .
42 His festival was held, on the 7th of June, where his Life is already given, in the pre- vious portion of this volume, Art. i.
43 It must be remarked, their ancient Acts state, that they had been educated by St. Caolin, who, as we believe, had been a different personage from St. Mochay, but his successor in the same monastery.
44 See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vii. , sect. vii. . p. 346.
45 Referring to St. Mochaoi's consecration, by St. Patrick, Jocelin thus expresses it,
"tandem ilium in Episcopum praefato ba- culo sibi collato co—nsecravit, et /Edrumensi
"
Ecclesia prsefecit. " Colgan's Trias Thau-
maturga," Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxxvii. ,
p. 73.
*6 Thathecombinedtheepiscopalwiththe
abbatial office is affirmed by the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, which designates him —as the first Antistes, or bishop of Aendruim. See ibid. , SeptimaVita S. Patricii, lib. i. , cap. liii. , p. 125.
Appendix A, p. 148. " ^ These are contained in the
"
39 It was in the same manner that Finan,
38 See
Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 126.
"
Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore,
47 See Rev. Dr. Reeves'
Ecclesiastical
Martyr- ology of Donegal," edited by Rev. Drs. Todd
and Reeves, pp. 176, 177.
"9 Other versions of this legend, however,
only make the sleep of St. Mochaoi to last for one hundred and fifty years. In either case we find, that the Irish legend-monger not alone anticipated Washington Irving, in his celebrated Legend of Sleepy Hollow, so far as time had been concerned, but also in boldness of invention.
'
'
7 74 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 23.
went to the church, having his wattles with him. The people there thought
He saw an oratory in the church, which had been erected for his soul, by his own people. 50 Mochaoi wondered at the church, which he saw. Afterwards, he went to the monastic residence, and none of themonksthereknewthestranger,51 untilMochaoitoldhisstorytothem, and related how he had been treated by the bird. When the monks heard this,theyallknelttohim; andtocommemoratesuchanevent,theymadea shrine of the wood he brought. Afterwards, they built a church, at that place,
where he had been listening to the bird.
Mistaking the identity of the founder,52 Archdall S3 incorrectly attributes
the erection of a monastery atTimahoe, formerly called Teach- Mochoe, in theQueen'sCounty,tooursaint. 5* Wearetold,moreover,thatMochaoiwas the first man of the saints of Erin, to whom Patrick gave a gospel and a crozier, i. e. , Eiteach 55 Mochaoi, or Detach-Mochae,56 which came from Heaven. This is related in the Life of St. Patrick. 5? The original wooden edifice on Nendrum, in course of time, was superseded by a more solid stonebuilding,58 sometracesofwhichyetremain,asweareinformed. The western extremity of Island Magee, on which Nendrum church and Round Tower 50 formerly stood, is something like the shape of a mallet head. About the year 550, a stone church at Nendrum appears to have been built, accord- ing to the conjecture of Dr. Reeves. 60 At the western extremity of the Island are yet traceable the foundations of a former church, encompassed by a triple cashel. 61 Three oval enclosures interrupt the ascent, from the water's edge, and successively encircle the crown of the hill, in terrace form. The lowest and outermost one of these has been subjected to the process of cultivation, and is of course in part defaced ; but, proofs are nevertheless afforded, that it was of oval shape, with the long diameter lying north and south. The second enclosure is nearly concentric, and it lies about thirty yards higher up, being
he had departed this life.
s° By these are to be understood the monks who were then living in the monas- teryofNendrum.
vii. , and nn. 73, 74, pp. 346, 348, 349.
S5 A note by Dr. Todd renders this word
Eiteach: by"thewinged,orflyingcrozier," 5' This same legend is related by the com- and it is so called from the legend. See
mentator on the "Feilire" of St. Aingus ; "6
Martyrology of Donegal," p. 178, n. 1. but, the English translation in the Martyr- s According to the Irish Tripartite Life of ologyofDonegal,"ism—oreintelligible,than St. Patrick. SeeMissM. F. Cusack's"Life
that elsewhere given
" A sleep without decay of the body, Mochaoi of Aendruim slept ;
Of the people of the congregation where the sage was,
He did not find but the descendants. Three melodies of delightful music
of St. Patrick, of Apostle
57
Ireland," p. 384.
The in ofabird angel shape
Lib. i. , cap. xvi.
s8 It arose from the water's edge, by a
gentle slope, to an elevation of sixty-six feet. 59 Judging from its diameter, it might be inferred that this Tower was below the middle standard in height, and this is proba-
bly an indication of its remote antiquity.
^See "Ecclesiastical of Antiquities
Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix F, p. 189.
:
sang. In the middle of the wood at the foot
ofthetree,
Fifty years each melody lasted. "
53 The death of St. Mochoe, who built the monastery of Teach Mochoe in Leix, is placed at the year 497, by Archdall. Hence, it is inferred to have been our saint, to whom his remarks apply.
53 See "Monasticon Hibernicum," pp.
6l
Paper designated "A Description of Nen- drum, commonly called Mahee Island, em- bracing its present condition and past History," by the Rev. William Reeves, M. B. , Impropriate Curate of Kilconriola, in the diocese of Connor. Read 5th November, 1845, PP- 23 to 39- This first published Essay gave earnest of the Rev. Dr. Reeves'
597> 598.
54 See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical capacity to deal with Irish Ecclesiastical
"
History of Ireland," vol, i. , chap, vii. , sect. Antiquities.
"
Further details may be found in that
June 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
775
more clearly defined. The third encompasses a level space, about seventy yardsindiameter,andthisapproachesnearerthefigureofacircle. Itisplaced
ontheupperpartofthatlargeoval,formedbytheexterior 6
62 Nendrum church 3 stood near the centre of this elevated platform, but of this building
only its foundations now remain. 6* A closed well, artificially
in, is situated on the eastern side, and without the enclosures. On the same side, and at
the foot of that eminence on which the church stands, a creek may 'be seen This is supposed to have been the usual landing-place, at which certain ships
Round Tower and Castle on Mahee Island, County of Down.
6*
Mochaoi. Remains of some rude stoneworks are to be found at this creek. 66 A
arrived, which had come from Britain,
although not in the time of St.
62
an excellent idea of Mahee Island and its surroundings, in that Paper to which allusion has been
already made.
63 During an examination made, several
skeletons were found, lying in and about the church site.
64 The Protestant church ot the parish is situated on a little hill, near the shore, and opposite to this island. The chuchyard is beside it, and some ruins of a church, bear- ing the date 1639 over its doorway, may be seen within the enclosure. See Rev. Mr. Reeves' "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix F, pp. 195 to 197.
65 " Et ecce naves, quibus sanctissimus
Pontifex nomine Nennio cum suis inerat, de
66 The which the site of rings encompass
Nendrum old church belong to that species of enclosure, which is technically called a Cashel. An interesting dissertation on Cashels may be found, in Dr. George Petrie's " Ecclesiastical Architecture and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. , sect, iii. , subs,
vii. , pp. 445 to 452.
67 For an illustration, and further particu-
lars, regarding Mahee Island, the reader is referred to the notices of St. Mochumma or
Documma, at the 31st of January, n the First Volume of this work, Art. ii.
68 The accompanying illustration, taken from an original drawing by J. H. Burgess, and lithographed by Marcus Ward, Belfast, has been copied by William F. Wakenian, and drawn on the wood, engraved by Mrs.
Lithographed Maps give
Britannia; venientes, — insulae coram Millard. The original view appeared, in
Sanctorum Hibernise," Martii i. De S.
Moinenno, sive Mon-Nennio, Episcopo Cluanfertensi, p. 438.
portum
Monasterio tenuerunt. " Colgan's "Acta Papers
"
read before the Down and Connor serves to illustrate the Paper of Rev.
and Dromore Church Architecture Society,
during the year 1844, Belfast, 1S45, 4t0- It
rings.
776 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 23.
fewfragmentsshowingthebaseofaRoundTower67 remainneartheoldchurch foundations,68 and not far removed are the ruins of a castle, more modern by many centuries. 6^ Desolate and lonely now appears the site of these ancient remains, yet singularly beautiful. ' The church of ^Endrom or Nendrum was situated in the same part of Ulster, as that in which the monastery of
1
Bangor had been placed. 7
There is no good foundation for the statement of Ware, Harris,? 2 and
others, that our saint, if he be identical with the person called Ccelan or Cailan, had been consecrated Bishop of Down, 73 as mentioned in those Acts, 74
cited by Archbishop Ussher. 75 On chronological grounds, objections have been raised 76 to such a statement. The writer feels inclined to consider
Mochay and Caylan 77 as distinct persons, although they may have ruled overthesamemonasteryofNendrum. Thedeathoftheformerisassigned
to the close of fifth century. We are told, however, in the Life of St. Fin-
8 of or
nian,7 Maghbile79 Moville,
8o whoflourishedinthemiddleofthesixth
century, that whilst he was a youth, he was sent to the venerable old man
Coelan,81 Abbot of ^Eondrium, to receive instruction, and that the latter
it advisable to send him 82 to a in 8 3 which
thought great monastery Britain,
was governed by Nennio. 84 Now, as St. Finnian is said to have died in the
William Reeves, " A Description of Nen- drum," &c.
*9 This was built by one Captain Browne, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and he then settled on land claimed by the Pro- testant Bishop Merryman of Down. See
O
Connor, Ancient and Modern," vol. i. , pp.
367. 368.
i° For further details, the reader is re-
carum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , P- 529-
76 By Rev. Dr. Lanigan, who argues that Cailan died while Abbot of Nendrum ; and,
therefore, he places Fergus, first on the list of the bishops of Down.
Very
Rev.
James
Laverty's
Archbishop
Ussher that after observes,
this ancient church was accurately deter- mined, by Rev. William Reeves, D. D.
found, in the eastern and maritime parts of
Ulster. Ibid.
433.
,3 See " Trias Colgan's
Lanigan's
Ecclesiast cr. i
Thaumaturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap.
June 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
in
1
ford Lough. * In due time, Mochaoi received clerical tonsure. 1 * No doubt, he
had been carefully instructed in the Christian doctrine, by the Irish Apostle, and
towards his disciple took place during any single visit, which he made to
this particular locality, where Mochaoi lived. Perhaps, indeed, the holy
youth followed his illustrious master through those places where the latter
beforehisinitiationto Orders. 16 Weare Holy
told, moreover, that St. Patrick presented his youthful disciple with a Book of Gospels, and with other utensils, whichwerenecessaryfortheobservancesoftheChurch. 1? Wearenotobligedto' suppose, however, that all of these attentions directed by the great Irish Apostle
18
It is also said, that St. Patrick taught h—is neophyte the
preached.
—by which we are to understand the Roman one
l 9
alphabet the purpose of induct- for, the old Irish alphabet, called Bethluisnon, was of quite a different construction from the Roman. We may well understand, how necessary it became for the Irish, who wished to learn Latin, to make themselves previously acquainted with its alphabet, and
in a similar manner as those, who wish to know Greek in our own day, or any of the Oriental languages, must first learn the Greek or Oriental letters of that
21 with which
On a certain day, whilst St. Patrick and his disciples were engaged in a
discourse on religious subjects, a miracle is recorded to have taken place, which was supposed to have manifested the will of heaven. For wonderful to relate ! a pastoral staff, falling down from on high, rested with its lower endorpointonthebreastofMachaoi,whilstits headorcrooktouchedthe bosomofSt. Patrick. ^ Machaoiwastoldbyhismaster,thatthissymbolof the pastoral office betokened his election thereto ; he received consecration at the earnest instigation of St. Patrick, although not without most humble protestations of unworthiness on his part. This event is supposed to have
taken place, before or about a. d. 433, and prior to the journey of St. Patrick towards Tara. Soon after his consecration, our saint was appointed Abbot
ing
him to a
knowledge
of the Latin
language ;
2°
particular language,
they
desire to be 92 conversant.
*s The second Life has it: "
the earlier whowere Bollandists,
with the Irish
nearly so with Irish history, had rashly con- eluded, that alphabetic writing was un-
eum ac — et dedit ei
totondit, Evangelium
et
unacquainted
language,
and
Ministeir. " Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Secunda S. Patricii, cap. xxxii. , p. 14. 16 See the Third Volume of this work, at the 17th of March, Art. i. , Life of St.
Patrick, chap, viii.
17 The Tripartite Life, having mentioned
the and adds " Baptism Tonsure, : Reliquit
discipulo vir Dei sacrum Evangeliarum co- —dicem cum aliis sacri ministerii utensilibus. "
known in Ireland, until the arrival of St. "
Baptizavit pies,
totally
" Trias
Vita S. Patricii, lib. i. , cap. liii. p. 325.
havenolettersoftheirown. " "Ecclesias-
Colgan's
Thaumaturga," Septima
being Europeans
not read Arabic books without being taught
18SeeRev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, v. , sect. iii. ,p. 216, 217.
tical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, v. , sect, hi. , n. 32, p. 220.
19 Not to mention the Ogham inscriptions,
so frequently found on rude stone monu-
ments in Ireland, and regarding which Gene-
ral Vallancey has published some tracts, in
his "Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis,"
vol. vi. , parts i. and ii. ; in Harris Ware, Survey of County Kilkenny," part hi. , there are some observations on the antiquity sect. 19. Antiquities, p. 622. How- of Irish characters and writing which deserve ever, it is now generally known, that the
"
Antiquities of Ire- land," chap, iii. , pp. 18 to 29.
20 From the mention often made of St.
attention. See vol. ii. ,
Patrick
giving Alphabets
to his Irish disci-
for
Patrick. See Acta Sanctorum," tomusii. , Martii xvii. , Vita S. Patricii, Commentarius Praevius, sect, i. , num. 4, 5, 6, pp. 517, 518.
2I onthis theRev.
Treating special topic,
Dr. Lanigan very properly remarks :
"
The
Bollandists' argument is like that of an Arab,
who, on told that the can-
"Ecclesiastical theletters,wouldthenceconcl—ude,that Lanigan's they
" Mr. Tighe has published an inscription which he supposed to have been in alphabe- tic characters, and prior to the period of
"
characters in question are of rather modern production, and apparently chiselled out to exercise the speculations of antiquaries.
23 See the Third Volume of this work, at
Christianity in Ireland, in his
Statistical
772 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 23.
of Eteach Mochai,2* or
Nendrum,
25 now Mahee
26 a of Island, portion Tully-
nakill which lies in parish,
Strangford Lough.
27
In a
gloss
on the
Martyr-
ology of -^Engus, occurring at the mention of our saint's name, we read: "/. <? . , Mochoe of Oendruim in Delbna or Delvin Ethra. Or nine ridges are in the
"one "onehillinthe ridge," i. e. ,
—
Muilinn^ Mill, Daire-Chaechain or Derrykeighan 3 in Dal-Riada, founded his primitive monastic establishment, having been called from his lowly position of swine- herd to govern a religious community. 33 Archdall speaks of two distinct foundations, in the county of Down; one of these he calls Neddrum,34 and the other Noendrum. 35 The same writer states, likewise, that the abbey at Neddrum 36 did not long exist; but, he is unable to assign the cause for its extinction. That it was founded on an island appears to him sufficiently established ; yet, he falls into an error, when he conjectures, that it might have been the largest of the Copeland 37 Islands, at the entrance into Belfast
whereinhischurchis. On whole island, and on Loch Cuan it is. "
place
Oendruim, 28
This place —known as Inis-Mochaoi, or Mahee Island
29
is distant about thirteen miles, N. N. E. from Downpatrick. 3° Here it was that St. Mochay, whoissaidtohavebeenbrotherofSt. Colman 1 orofthe of
17th March, Art. i. Life of St. Patrick, chap. viii.
34 The name now in use is a corruption of Irnr" niocAoi (Inis-Mochee), and it is derived from St. Machaoi, who was the founder and
patron saint of the church.
35 It is the n Oerropuim of the Irish
Annals ; the Nendrum of the "Acta Sancto- rum Hibernise," and the Neddrum of the "Monasticon Hibernicum. "
the Saints of Ireland, attributed to St. /Engus the Culdee. See a further account of him, in the First Volume of this work, at the 1st January, Art. iv.
32 In the county of Antrim.
33 It is stated, that while St. Patrick
journeyed from Saul to Bright, where Ros
lived, he met St. Mochay as a swine-herd on
the way. See Very Rev. James O'Laverty's
"
Historical Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Ancient and Modern,"
36 It is shown, on the '• Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the County of vol. i. , p. 143.
34
27 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "Ecclesasti- county of Down, Archdall says :
Down," sheet 17.
Under the heading Neddrum, in the
cal Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dro-
more," p. 10, n. (e).
88 To this comment, some Irish verses are
found appended, and they are thus tran—slated
"
Sir John De Courcey, in the year 1 1 79, granted to the monks of St. Bega of Copuland the church founded on this island, to serve God
therein, together with a large portion (two
into English, by Dr. Whitley Stokes
A sleep without withering of flesh Mochoe of Noendruim slept.
Of the folk of the congregation
wherein the sage had been Nought remained save their skulls. To Mochoe the beautiful sang The little bird from the heavens Three songs from the tree-top, Fifty years in each song. "
of the issues and and lands of profits
11
—"Transactions of the
part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. cvii. 29 A very complete history of it may be found in Very Rev. James O'Laverty's "His- torical Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Ancient and Modern," vol. i. , pp.
Royal
demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
353to368.
30 See Rev. Dr. Reeves'
"
Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore,"
Appendix A, p. 148.
•* He is stated, to have been also the son
of Bronach, in the Tract on the Mothers of
:
thirds)
theisland; hegrantedtothemalsoseveral other lands in 1 Dunese-
Irish Aca-
2
and 194, Roger de
;
forthe made them a large grant, as did
Brien de Eschallers on the 9th of June, A. D. 1202, in the lifetime of the founder. John, the Cardinal Legate, confirmed these several
— as also those of prior Walrann,
to the
grants
many other persons. " nicum," p. 126.
"
35 The latter is said to have been ruled by St. Coelan, about a. d. 520, and its situation was unknown to Archdall.
36 However, the Rev. Dr. Reeves very
clearly shows, that those two names are only
a variety of the same word, being both in- tended for n Aononuim of the Irish, which from our saint as patron is now called Mahee Island,situatedinStrangfordLough. See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix F, p. 187.
37 Coupland alluded to in Sir John De Courcey's grant was situated in Cumberland. See Dodsworlh's and Dugdale's "Monas-
Monasticon Hiber-
June 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
773
Lough. 38 In company with others, St. Mochaoi undertook hewing planks for the erection of his church, which appears to have been constructed of wood;30 and, he laboured in perfecting the details of this building/ This wooden structure preceded the stone church, the ruins of which yet remain, accord- ingtoamostprobableconjecture. Inthismonasticinstitute,instructionwas combined with a regular discipline; and, among many other famous and holy persons there educated may be mentioned the names of St. Finian,41 founder of Moville, and St. Colman,42 founder of Dromore. 43
The learned Dr. Lanigan thinks it not improbable, that our saint was
Usually, however, the Irish Annalists call him simply "Mochay of Nen- drum. "4? The Rev. Dr. Lanigan seems inclined to doubt, whether Machaoi was consecrated bishop or not, although adducing testimonies in favour of an affirmative supposition.
The following legendary ancedotes relate to St. Mochaoi. 48 He went with seven score young men to cut wattles to make a church. He was engagedhimselfatthework,andcuttingtimberliketherest. Hehadaload ready before the others, and he kept it by his side. While he was resting, says the legend, he heard a bright bird, singing on the blackthorn near him. This bird was more beautiful than any birds of this world. The bird said : "This is diligent work, O cleric.
" " This diligence is required of us, in building a church to God," said Mochaoi. " Who is addressing me? " " A man of the people of my Lord is here," said the bird, meaning an angel of God from heaven. " Hail to thee," said Mochaoi, "and wherefore hast thou come hither? " "To address thee from thy Lord and to delight thee for a while. "
" I like this," said Mochaoi. That bird afterwards fixed his beak in the feathers of his wing. The legend then states, that for three 4° hundred years did Mochaoi remain listening to the music of that bird, and having his bundle of sticks by his side, in the middle of the wood ; while the wood was not more withered, nor did the time seem to him longer than one hour of the day. The angel afterwards bade him farewell. At the end of that term, Mochaoi
made as Abbot,
44
abbot that of bishop 4S is affixed to Mochaoi's name in some instances/6
early
at least as the
year 465 ;
but,
besides
the title of
ticon Anglicanum," vol. ii. , Coenobia Hiber-
nica, p. 1023. Editio, Londini, 1655, 1661, fol.
Bishop of Lindisfarne, in the year 652, built " ecclesiam episcopali sedi congruam ; quam
tamen more Scottorum, nondelapide, sedde robore secto totam composuit, atque harun- dine texit. "
40 This is stated, in theO'Clerys' Calendar.
41 His feast was kept, on the 10th of Sep- tember .
42 His festival was held, on the 7th of June, where his Life is already given, in the pre- vious portion of this volume, Art. i.
43 It must be remarked, their ancient Acts state, that they had been educated by St. Caolin, who, as we believe, had been a different personage from St. Mochay, but his successor in the same monastery.
44 See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vii. , sect. vii. . p. 346.
45 Referring to St. Mochaoi's consecration, by St. Patrick, Jocelin thus expresses it,
"tandem ilium in Episcopum praefato ba- culo sibi collato co—nsecravit, et /Edrumensi
"
Ecclesia prsefecit. " Colgan's Trias Thau-
maturga," Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxxvii. ,
p. 73.
*6 Thathecombinedtheepiscopalwiththe
abbatial office is affirmed by the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, which designates him —as the first Antistes, or bishop of Aendruim. See ibid. , SeptimaVita S. Patricii, lib. i. , cap. liii. , p. 125.
Appendix A, p. 148. " ^ These are contained in the
"
39 It was in the same manner that Finan,
38 See
Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 126.
"
Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore,
47 See Rev. Dr. Reeves'
Ecclesiastical
Martyr- ology of Donegal," edited by Rev. Drs. Todd
and Reeves, pp. 176, 177.
"9 Other versions of this legend, however,
only make the sleep of St. Mochaoi to last for one hundred and fifty years. In either case we find, that the Irish legend-monger not alone anticipated Washington Irving, in his celebrated Legend of Sleepy Hollow, so far as time had been concerned, but also in boldness of invention.
'
'
7 74 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 23.
went to the church, having his wattles with him. The people there thought
He saw an oratory in the church, which had been erected for his soul, by his own people. 50 Mochaoi wondered at the church, which he saw. Afterwards, he went to the monastic residence, and none of themonksthereknewthestranger,51 untilMochaoitoldhisstorytothem, and related how he had been treated by the bird. When the monks heard this,theyallknelttohim; andtocommemoratesuchanevent,theymadea shrine of the wood he brought. Afterwards, they built a church, at that place,
where he had been listening to the bird.
Mistaking the identity of the founder,52 Archdall S3 incorrectly attributes
the erection of a monastery atTimahoe, formerly called Teach- Mochoe, in theQueen'sCounty,tooursaint. 5* Wearetold,moreover,thatMochaoiwas the first man of the saints of Erin, to whom Patrick gave a gospel and a crozier, i. e. , Eiteach 55 Mochaoi, or Detach-Mochae,56 which came from Heaven. This is related in the Life of St. Patrick. 5? The original wooden edifice on Nendrum, in course of time, was superseded by a more solid stonebuilding,58 sometracesofwhichyetremain,asweareinformed. The western extremity of Island Magee, on which Nendrum church and Round Tower 50 formerly stood, is something like the shape of a mallet head. About the year 550, a stone church at Nendrum appears to have been built, accord- ing to the conjecture of Dr. Reeves. 60 At the western extremity of the Island are yet traceable the foundations of a former church, encompassed by a triple cashel. 61 Three oval enclosures interrupt the ascent, from the water's edge, and successively encircle the crown of the hill, in terrace form. The lowest and outermost one of these has been subjected to the process of cultivation, and is of course in part defaced ; but, proofs are nevertheless afforded, that it was of oval shape, with the long diameter lying north and south. The second enclosure is nearly concentric, and it lies about thirty yards higher up, being
he had departed this life.
s° By these are to be understood the monks who were then living in the monas- teryofNendrum.
vii. , and nn. 73, 74, pp. 346, 348, 349.
S5 A note by Dr. Todd renders this word
Eiteach: by"thewinged,orflyingcrozier," 5' This same legend is related by the com- and it is so called from the legend. See
mentator on the "Feilire" of St. Aingus ; "6
Martyrology of Donegal," p. 178, n. 1. but, the English translation in the Martyr- s According to the Irish Tripartite Life of ologyofDonegal,"ism—oreintelligible,than St. Patrick. SeeMissM. F. Cusack's"Life
that elsewhere given
" A sleep without decay of the body, Mochaoi of Aendruim slept ;
Of the people of the congregation where the sage was,
He did not find but the descendants. Three melodies of delightful music
of St. Patrick, of Apostle
57
Ireland," p. 384.
The in ofabird angel shape
Lib. i. , cap. xvi.
s8 It arose from the water's edge, by a
gentle slope, to an elevation of sixty-six feet. 59 Judging from its diameter, it might be inferred that this Tower was below the middle standard in height, and this is proba-
bly an indication of its remote antiquity.
^See "Ecclesiastical of Antiquities
Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix F, p. 189.
:
sang. In the middle of the wood at the foot
ofthetree,
Fifty years each melody lasted. "
53 The death of St. Mochoe, who built the monastery of Teach Mochoe in Leix, is placed at the year 497, by Archdall. Hence, it is inferred to have been our saint, to whom his remarks apply.
53 See "Monasticon Hibernicum," pp.
6l
Paper designated "A Description of Nen- drum, commonly called Mahee Island, em- bracing its present condition and past History," by the Rev. William Reeves, M. B. , Impropriate Curate of Kilconriola, in the diocese of Connor. Read 5th November, 1845, PP- 23 to 39- This first published Essay gave earnest of the Rev. Dr. Reeves'
597> 598.
54 See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical capacity to deal with Irish Ecclesiastical
"
History of Ireland," vol, i. , chap, vii. , sect. Antiquities.
"
Further details may be found in that
June 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
775
more clearly defined. The third encompasses a level space, about seventy yardsindiameter,andthisapproachesnearerthefigureofacircle. Itisplaced
ontheupperpartofthatlargeoval,formedbytheexterior 6
62 Nendrum church 3 stood near the centre of this elevated platform, but of this building
only its foundations now remain. 6* A closed well, artificially
in, is situated on the eastern side, and without the enclosures. On the same side, and at
the foot of that eminence on which the church stands, a creek may 'be seen This is supposed to have been the usual landing-place, at which certain ships
Round Tower and Castle on Mahee Island, County of Down.
6*
Mochaoi. Remains of some rude stoneworks are to be found at this creek. 66 A
arrived, which had come from Britain,
although not in the time of St.
62
an excellent idea of Mahee Island and its surroundings, in that Paper to which allusion has been
already made.
63 During an examination made, several
skeletons were found, lying in and about the church site.
64 The Protestant church ot the parish is situated on a little hill, near the shore, and opposite to this island. The chuchyard is beside it, and some ruins of a church, bear- ing the date 1639 over its doorway, may be seen within the enclosure. See Rev. Mr. Reeves' "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix F, pp. 195 to 197.
65 " Et ecce naves, quibus sanctissimus
Pontifex nomine Nennio cum suis inerat, de
66 The which the site of rings encompass
Nendrum old church belong to that species of enclosure, which is technically called a Cashel. An interesting dissertation on Cashels may be found, in Dr. George Petrie's " Ecclesiastical Architecture and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. , sect, iii. , subs,
vii. , pp. 445 to 452.
67 For an illustration, and further particu-
lars, regarding Mahee Island, the reader is referred to the notices of St. Mochumma or
Documma, at the 31st of January, n the First Volume of this work, Art. ii.
68 The accompanying illustration, taken from an original drawing by J. H. Burgess, and lithographed by Marcus Ward, Belfast, has been copied by William F. Wakenian, and drawn on the wood, engraved by Mrs.
Lithographed Maps give
Britannia; venientes, — insulae coram Millard. The original view appeared, in
Sanctorum Hibernise," Martii i. De S.
Moinenno, sive Mon-Nennio, Episcopo Cluanfertensi, p. 438.
portum
Monasterio tenuerunt. " Colgan's "Acta Papers
"
read before the Down and Connor serves to illustrate the Paper of Rev.
and Dromore Church Architecture Society,
during the year 1844, Belfast, 1S45, 4t0- It
rings.
776 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 23.
fewfragmentsshowingthebaseofaRoundTower67 remainneartheoldchurch foundations,68 and not far removed are the ruins of a castle, more modern by many centuries. 6^ Desolate and lonely now appears the site of these ancient remains, yet singularly beautiful. ' The church of ^Endrom or Nendrum was situated in the same part of Ulster, as that in which the monastery of
1
Bangor had been placed. 7
There is no good foundation for the statement of Ware, Harris,? 2 and
others, that our saint, if he be identical with the person called Ccelan or Cailan, had been consecrated Bishop of Down, 73 as mentioned in those Acts, 74
cited by Archbishop Ussher. 75 On chronological grounds, objections have been raised 76 to such a statement. The writer feels inclined to consider
Mochay and Caylan 77 as distinct persons, although they may have ruled overthesamemonasteryofNendrum. Thedeathoftheformerisassigned
to the close of fifth century. We are told, however, in the Life of St. Fin-
8 of or
nian,7 Maghbile79 Moville,
8o whoflourishedinthemiddleofthesixth
century, that whilst he was a youth, he was sent to the venerable old man
Coelan,81 Abbot of ^Eondrium, to receive instruction, and that the latter
it advisable to send him 82 to a in 8 3 which
thought great monastery Britain,
was governed by Nennio. 84 Now, as St. Finnian is said to have died in the
William Reeves, " A Description of Nen- drum," &c.
*9 This was built by one Captain Browne, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and he then settled on land claimed by the Pro- testant Bishop Merryman of Down. See
O
Connor, Ancient and Modern," vol. i. , pp.
367. 368.
i° For further details, the reader is re-
carum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , P- 529-
76 By Rev. Dr. Lanigan, who argues that Cailan died while Abbot of Nendrum ; and,
therefore, he places Fergus, first on the list of the bishops of Down.
Very
Rev.
James
Laverty's
Archbishop
Ussher that after observes,
this ancient church was accurately deter- mined, by Rev. William Reeves, D. D.
found, in the eastern and maritime parts of
Ulster. Ibid.
