Especially, from the two latter requests, and consequent privileges obtainable, we are taught to desire a Christian burial, in consecrated ground, under the
protection
of a patron saint.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
^^ Asmightbeexpected,somevenerableruinsofthepast are left.
^3 in ancient Irish MSS.
Ferns is always called Feama.
This place
took its name, according to an ancient tradition,^"* from the hero Feama, son of Caireal, King of the Decies. He was there slain in a battle by GoU, the son of Moma. ^5 Dr. O'Donovan offers a conjecture, founded on the
etymon
ofthe
word,
thatit
signifies,
"a inaldertrees. "^^ We place abounding
find various interesting memoranda, regarding this ancient see, left us by the same writer. ^?
One time, Maidoc paid a visit to a saintly man, Fintan Munnu,^^ of Teach Munnu, now Taghmon,^? in the southern part of the county of Wex- ford. This abbot9° received his guest with much honour, and told a brother servitor, to request Maidoc, that all the monks might partake of something beyond their ordinary fare, on the night he arrived. At once, Bishop Maidoc gave his assent. St. Munnu again requested his servant to inform the prelate, that all could not partake of refreshments, for many among them were then on the sick list. 9^ Maidoc
Hearing this,
petitioned for the recovery of his brethren, because the Lord, my God, is
able to restore all of them to health, on my arrival. " When he had thus spoken, all the infirm recovered ; even those supposed to be at the point of
death, were able to sup with their more robust brethren.
On the third day,
replied,
cunningly
" The abbot hath
St. Munnu said to him " Thou shalt not :
when Maidoc wished to
depart, until all those restored brethren shall be reduced to their former infirm state. " The bishop replied, that the Lord had granted their health through himself. The abbot repeated his [request, adding this sentence in
niae," n. 12, p. 216.
County of Wexford," Sheets 36, 41. On the latter Sheet are to be seen St. Munnu's well, and St. Munnu's church ruins in the old graveyard. Taghmon parish is partly situated in the barony of Bargy, and it is fully described on Sheets 36, 41, 42.
9° Otherwise called Fintan son of Tulchan
[recte of Fingaine] died} A. D. 685, according * to Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. i. , pp. 292, 293.
241.
thing. See the County of Wexford
"
Letters
the city of Ferns fere centum miliaria in« tervened. SeeVitaS. Maidoci,cap. xxxiii.
depart,
" Virtue is in Then the acceded to perfected infirmity. " bishop
Scripture,
Fintan Munnu's request. All his brethren so lately restored were again re- duced to their former state of trial and suffering. The bishop, however, did notdepartwithoutbestowinghisbenedictiononthisentirecommunity. At another time, while St. Maidoc was at a place, called Ardlatrann,^^ he saw
it, taken from the east, by William F. Wake-
man, and representing, too, its remarkable round tower, in the "Letters containing Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Wexford, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840," vol. i. , p. 62.
^^
The base and shaft of a ruined old cross, with carvings around the sides, succeeds the drawing already alluded to. This was in the churchyard at Ferns, in 1840, and it is represented in an ink sketch, by the same accomplished artist. Ibid.
^3 The accompanying illustration of the
curious round tower, yet remaining at Ferns, has been drawn by George V. Du Noyer, and it has been engraved by Mrs. Millard,
Dublin. The original is among his portfolio drawings in the R. I. A.
^'' According to the ancient Irish MSS. ,
"
and Colgan in his Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
^s We must reject all the fanciful " Dinn- "
seanchus derivations, of wliich this is one, as Mr. O'Donovan states.
^*
But if what Colgan and the ancient Irish writei-s say regarding the origin of this name be correct, such a derivation goes for no-
Containing Information for the Irish Ord- nance Survey," vol. i. , p. 77. The remarks are in the handwriting of Mr. O'Donovan. They are dated June 5th, 1840. \
^^ See the history and extracts relating to
Ferns, in the previously quoted volume,
from pp. 77 to 236.
^^
This saint's festival is observed on the 2 1st of October.
'^sThe townland and town of Taghmon
are shown in the parish of that name, and
in the barony of Shelmalire West, on the
''
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the
9' See Rev. W.
Rees' "Lives of the Cambro-BritishSaints. " VitaS. Aidui,p.
J.
^^ We are told that between this place and ""
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 555
six oxen yolked to a plough, moving towards the gate of Fems city. 93 The servant of God, beholding this sight at a distance, raised his hand to bestow benediction. At this moment, the ploughman fell between the ploughshare or some other part of the yoke. Yet, he was found to be unhurt, as the oxen remained perfectly still. s^
After this account, we are told in our saint's life, that his holy master, David, Bishop of Menevia, wished to see and confer with him, before his death, which was approaching. 95 Our saint at once obeyed. He set out for Britain, where he remained for some time with his venerated master. It has been maintained,^^ this visit of our saint must be referred to a period priortothat,whenhebecamebishop; asSt. Daviddiedsomeyearsante- cedent to 599,97 and a learned writer supposes, in the year 589, from certain calculations which are made. 9^ After this visit, St. Maidoc informed his master, on a certain day, that he had promised to be in Ireland. He was told by the latter, this promise should be instantly fulfilled. A wonderful miracle is then related to account for Maidoc's speedy transition, after he had received St. David's benediction. 99 The latter had declared, likewise, that there should be a strict fraternity between both in heaven and on earth, as between their spiritual children in after time. Taking leave of St. David, blessed Maidoc was wafted over to
^°° and he landed at the of port
^°^
disciples.
The holy bishop, after an example set by Moses^°3 and Elias,^°4 and by
our Lord Himself, ^°5 fasted for forty days and as many nights, in his monas- tery at Ferns. He took during this time nothing in the shape of nourish-
ment. Afterthisprolongedmortification,oursaintappearedtohisdisciples, rather improved in figure and appearance than he had been before the com- mencement of his fast. The Lord, it is said, granted His servant four petitions which he preferred. First, he asked, that any evil person of Leinstefs royal race, or of the seed of Brandubh, Ethach's son, who should sit in his seat, and die in it, might not rest with him in Heaven. Secondly, if any one of his monks should deny him. and become a fugitive from his house,thatinlikemannerheshouldnotbewithhiminHeaven. Thirdly, that after the Judgment Day, hell might not close upon persons who should be buried in his cemetery. And lastly, that each day he might free one soul
of
Judgment.
ing in such conduct to death and without repentance, should be deprived of
Crumchinn. ^°^ Thencehewenttohis
from until the Purgatory,
^°^ The first that petition meant,
Ireland,
Day
whoever would violently assume authority in the Church of Fems, persist-
93 Near Ardladrand was the rock Druinne. See Rev. W. J, Rees' " Lives of the Cam- bro-British Saints. " Vita S. Aidui, p. 242.
'°° a Irish Life of Preceding Manuscript
St. Maodhoge, belonging to the R. I. A. , we are informed by Mr. O'Curry, the transcri- ber, that on Mogue's return from the visit made to St. David of Wales, he landed on the coast of Wexford. See Ordnance Sur- vey " County Wexford Extracts," vol. i. , p. 379. This note should probably be ap- pended to the first visit made by Maidoc to David,
'°'The place to which allusion has been
'°^ " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- See Colgan's
nice,"xxxi. Januarii. VitaS. Maidoci,chap. xxxv, p. 212.
'°3 Exodus, xxxiv. , 28.
^°* iii. xix. , 8. Kings,
'°5Matt. , iv. , 2.
'°* '' " Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hibemise,
9^ See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap. xxxii. , xxxiii. , pp. 21 1, 212.
95 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' " On Some Eccle- siastical Bells," etc.
s* By Dr. Lanigan.
97" " See EcclesiasticalHistoryofIreland,
vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sec, x. , p. 338, and n. 137, p. 341.
9^
See ibid. , vol. i. , chap, ix. , sec. ix. , pp. 470,471,andnotessubjoined.
already made.
99 It is said in a Vita S. Aidui, that on his return to Ireland, St. Maidoc landed at Imber Cremthrain. See Rev. W. Rees'
J. "Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," p.
243.
556
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
"7 In this and in the
we have followed the interpretations ot Father John Colgan.
it ' ' etiam plains thus, Itinera, vectigalia
"* See
tis," vol.
^ The words in the original are " tormove-
lam vadi. " Tormovelse are transverse
beams or bars, placed across gates, passages or roads, through which horses or chariots are driven. Or, they are movable palings or fences, which are used to close the cn- trances to fields. This very passage from
succeeding
sentences,
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
fluviorum, in Jure Hungarico, Sambucus. " —" Glossarium Media et Infimse Latinita-
Colgan's
nias," xxxi. Januarii, nn, 33, 34, pp. 218,
'
From the earliest Chris- tian times, our Irish missionaries appear to have performed much of their travelling in
chariots, with drivers, who were probably hotise-servants and mass-servers,
vi. , p. 717,
219. — Chapter v.
the second was meant, that the same petition
of Heaven. ^°7
fate should await a monk who became a renegade or an apostate, and who continued in such a state without remorse. The third must be referred to Catholics, who died in the state of grace. The fourth petition was preferred in favour of souls suffering the pains of Purgatory, aided as those should be through St. Maidoc's merits and intercession. Our national hagiologist asserts, that we can readily believe those requests might have been reasonably sought and obtained; since many similar petitions and indulgences are granted in the Church through the merits of saints, and more especially through those of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God. He remarks, more- over, that in those petitions preferred by the saint, and regarding those privileges granted to him, nothing will be found contrary to the articles of Catholic faith or to Christian morals, nor anything savouring of vain super- stition. On the contrary, in each of those privileges prayed for, there are motives to excite the mind to a detestation of sin, and to repose hope and confidence in the prayers of God's holy saints.
Especially, from the two latter requests, and consequent privileges obtainable, we are taught to desire a Christian burial, in consecrated ground, under the protection of a patron saint. We likewise hope, through the powerful intercession of God's holy servant, and through his merits, employed in our behalf, for everlasting repose, when punishments due to our sins have been cancelled, owing to an extension of the Divine mercies towards souls, suffering in the other life. '°^ Granted, too, that this whole account may be purely legendary, it cannot tend to diminish our reverence for Ferns and St. Maidoc.
the
light
By
CHAPTER V.
ST. maidoc's adventure with the school-boys—MIRACLES WROUGHT BY HIM IN THE TERRITORY OF HY-CONNAIL GABHRA—HE BLESSES CLONCAGH PARISH AND RETURNS TO FERNS—KING BRANDUBH VISITS HIM THERE—JOURNEY OF MAIDOC TO MUNSTER AND CONNAUCHT—HE RESTORES HEALTH TO KING GUAIRE AT KIL- MACDUAGH—HIS FRIENDSHIP FOR ST. COLMAN—ST. MOLUA—MIRACLES—LEGEND REGARDING THE DEATH OF KING BRANDUBH AND HIS RESUSCITATION BY ST. MAIDOC—BURIAL IN FERNS CEMETERY OF THAT KING.
One day, while our saint was travelling in company with his charioteer,' this latter asked who should succeed in his episcopal see. They had now come
to a place called the way or passage, Imgain,^ when the bishop answered, " That saint who shall open before us the cross-bars of the passage,3 shall
xxxi. Jauuarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap. xxxvi,, p. 212.
-
The words in the original are "Vadam
Imgain. " Ducange, sub voce, Vada, ex-
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 557 occupy my chair. "* Immediately, they saw some turbulent school-boys on
the These were way.
and in their hands. 5 One targets,
with
of them, on the traveller's approach, ran forward to remove the barrier. ^
When the charioteer saw this, he felt and expressed surprise, that an undis- ciplined youth should become the future successor to the saint. But moved by the grace of God, this scholar came with humility to St. Maidoc. He
earnestly requested permission to accompany him, and to live under his di- rection. The saint asked his name,? and in what part of the country he had
bom, Luachair,^
youth replied,
part
Our saint then
province,
7. The life of our saint published by the Jesuits was furnished by Father Hugh Ward, of the Franciscan Convent, Louvain. It was taken from the Kilkenny Godex. . This was com- pared with a copy, furnished by Philip O'Sullivan Beare, from the Salamancan Irish Jesuits' College. The Bollandist acts differ little from those published by Colgan,
playing,
spears
when the " I am from that of Munster
been
called
shalt be called instead, Mochua Lothra. "'"
become a disciple of the bishop, with whom he continued until his death. " Being a wise and holy man, practising great austerities and performing many miracles, on account of his great integrity of life and purity of morals, he afterwards succeeded Maidoc in the episcopacy. '^
At another time, hearing that some of his country-people had been de-
tained as captives, in the part of Munster called Hy-Conaill Gabhra,'^ St. Maidoc set out for that place to effect their liberation. '* On his account,
St. Aidan's life is quoted as a proof for his Lothra, or more correctly, Luachra, by Mai- ''
and name is Cronan. "? my
" Thou He then received permission to
explanation, by Ducange, sub voce, ToR- doc, is said to have been St. Moling. After-
MOVELiE," ibid. , vol. vi. , p. 610.
* By this we are to understand, St. Mai-
wards he succeeded our saint, as Bishop of Ferns ; yet, for several good reasons, the person here alluded to, it is thought, must have been a different individual.
" The motives for an principal forming
opinion that the boy alluded to could not have been St. Moling of Teach Moling, are : First, the names and feasts of Mochua Luachra and Moling Luachra are distin- guished, in our Irish calendars ; Secondly, the former, according to this account already given, was a native of Munster, while the latter belonged to a Leinster family ; Thirdly,
doc's episcopal throne or see. See the Bol- "
landists' "Acta Sanctorum, to mus ii. , xxxi.
Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. vi. 1 1 1 , p.
in annotation and form. St. lived — after St. Mochua, except Moling 44 years
5 In the Rev. W. Rees' " Lives of the or Dachu Luachra this latter died
J.
Cambro-British Saints" we are told this hap-
having
in the year 652, and the former A. D. 696, according to the "Annals of the Four Mas- ters ;" and lastly, St. Moling, who died A. D. 696, cannot be considered St. Maidoc's im- mediate successor in the see of Ferns, as otherwise he must have been bishop, for 72
which is
" Colgan accounts for the Irish writer's
pened during a time of frost in winter. pp. 243, 244, 566, 567.
. See
*
Without a key. See ibid.
the
of the Mumunensians, and of the inhabitants
ply given by
boy,
family
years,
quite improbable.
MacAuliffe. It formed, however, no part
of the ancient Ciarraighe (Keriy) country. Old Luachair was the name of an extensive
territory, situated south of the Ciarraighe
country ; it reached from Kerry into the
presentcountiesofCorkandLimerick. See
'*
The Topographical Poems of John O'Dub- hagain and Giolla na naomh O'Huidhrin. "
Edited by John O'Donovan, LL. D. , pp. Ixxii. , Ixxiii. , nn. 628, 651, 652.
» Although in an Irish life, which Colgan had seen, that saint, who was called Mochua
"
Acta Sanctorum Hibernije,"
J.
Rees' " Lives of
^ We find in Rev. W.
the Cambro-British Saints" the following re-
of Hirlcore, and Cronanus is with me. "
' The plain of Luachair was the name of
that level portion of the present barony of
Magunihy, in the south-eastern part of Kerry
county. It comprised the territories of
O'Keefe, O'Callaghan, O'Donoghoe and which St. Moling's mother was a native.
"I amofthe
mistake, by stating, that both had succeeded St. Maidoc, although Mochua Luachra was his immediate successor ; and again, both had acquired the name Luachra, from a part of Munster, called I^uachuir Deghadh, of
See Colgan's
xxxi. Januarii, n. 36, p. 219.
" See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nias," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap. XXXvii. , p. 212.
'3 Now the baronies of Connello, in the westofLimerickcounty. SeeDr. O'Dono- van's "Leabhar na g-Ceart, or Book of Rights," n. (c), pp. 76, 77.
'* In the Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives of the Cambro-British Saints" he is said to have visited the regions of Niail or Neil Cluana
replied,
558 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
however, the chieftain of this country would not give him an audience, nor allow him to enter his castle. The saint of God fasted three days, before the entrance-gate. At the end of this time, a beloved daughter of the chief- taindied,andinaverysuddenmanner. Believingthatherdaughter'sdeath took place in a supernatiu*al manner, that chieftain's wife brought the dead body to our holy bishop. At the mother's entreaties and those of her com- panions, he restored the maiden to life. Notwithstanding this favour, the chieftain remained inexorable. However, a miraculous manifestation of the holy prelate's power had the effect of converting the inflexible ruler. On seeing this, he became repentant, and delivered up the kinsman to our saint, ^s He also presented a place, called Cluain Chladhbhaith or Claidheach,^'^ for thepurposesofareligiousfoundation. '? Thiswassituatedintheregionof
Hy-Connaill. '^ ThisisthoughttobethepresentCloncagh'9parish,^"inthe baronyofUpperConnello,inthecountyanddioceseofLimerick. That
"
issituatednotfarfromRathkeale. ^3 Welearn,thattheoldchurchofCloon-
cah^'* is in a great state of dilapidation. ^s From what remains, however, it appears to be a ruin of great antiquity. ^^ It consisted of a nave^? and choir. ^^ Its choir is entirely destroyed. ^9 The south walls of the nave are gone, with the exception of a very small fragment. 3° St. Maidoc blessed this place, as alsothechieftain,whoruledov—erthatdistrict. Heretooheerectedamon-
denomination is still pronounced
Cluain Cath,"^' by the parishioners. ^^ It
3'
astery. Af having probably
—terwards he left it
established a 3^
fra- ternity there and set out towards his own city of Ferns. In the following
Clabdig's descendants. See pp. 244, 567. 'S He is also said to have been the king's
son-in-law. See ibid.
'* See Rev. Dr. Reeves " On Some Ec-
&c. T—heBollandistshave"CluanaClaidblasch.
Ireland," vol. ii. , pp. 499, 500. See like- wise "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the County of Limerick," Sheets 19, 20, 28, 29, 37.
clesiastical
'' According to St. Maidoc's Irish life.
^'* Some few old monuments there.
remain
"
Bells,"
yet
Acta Sanctorum," tomus iu, xxxi. Jan- uarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. vi. , p. 1117.
'^ See much local and family information regarding it in Dr. O' Donovan's "Leabhar na g-Ceart, or Book of Rights," n. (c), pp. 76, 77.
'9 This place, wntten Cluancagh, is sup- posed by Archdall to be the Cluain Claid-
^
The west gable is up, but its little belfry
'' ^'^ iieach built by St. Maidoc. See Monas-
ticon " Wecan Hibemicum, p. 420. very
The choir dimensions cannot be deter- mined.
^9 The choir-arch is much on its injured
sides, but its semi-circular head remains. This is II feet from the present groimd level.
3° This lies near the south-west comer, from which it appears, that the wall was 2 feet 1 1 inches thick.
3' It is doubtful if any trace of this now remains, but Mr. O'Donovan has admirably described the old church of Cloncagh. See
believe that it is for the natives as- ;
easily
sert, that St. Maidoc is still remembered in
"
this parish. See its contents on Ordnance
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Limerick," Sheets 29, 37.
^ It is bounded on the north by the parish of Rathkeale, on the east by the parish of Ballingarry, on the south by Kilmeedy, and on the west by Mahoonagh and Cloonelty.
^' In the Rev. W. J. Rees' " Lives of the
Cambro-British Saints," this place is called
the Irish Ordnance Survey,
''
County Li-
Cluam Claidbich. See pp. 244, 567. "" ''
merick Letters containing Information re-
lative to the Antiquities," vol. i. , pp. 171,
172. Mr. O'Donovan's Letter, dated Bal-
lingarry, July 25th, 1840. After this de-
If correct, it would signify Battle-
field," according to Dr. O'Donovan. See
•'County Limerick Letters Containing In- formation for the Irish Ordnance Survey,"
"
^s The north wall is in good preservation :
it is 9 feet 7 inches in height, and built of
large stones, cemented with very good mortar.
scription, historical notices of the parish fol- vol. i. , pp.
took its name, according to an ancient tradition,^"* from the hero Feama, son of Caireal, King of the Decies. He was there slain in a battle by GoU, the son of Moma. ^5 Dr. O'Donovan offers a conjecture, founded on the
etymon
ofthe
word,
thatit
signifies,
"a inaldertrees. "^^ We place abounding
find various interesting memoranda, regarding this ancient see, left us by the same writer. ^?
One time, Maidoc paid a visit to a saintly man, Fintan Munnu,^^ of Teach Munnu, now Taghmon,^? in the southern part of the county of Wex- ford. This abbot9° received his guest with much honour, and told a brother servitor, to request Maidoc, that all the monks might partake of something beyond their ordinary fare, on the night he arrived. At once, Bishop Maidoc gave his assent. St. Munnu again requested his servant to inform the prelate, that all could not partake of refreshments, for many among them were then on the sick list. 9^ Maidoc
Hearing this,
petitioned for the recovery of his brethren, because the Lord, my God, is
able to restore all of them to health, on my arrival. " When he had thus spoken, all the infirm recovered ; even those supposed to be at the point of
death, were able to sup with their more robust brethren.
On the third day,
replied,
cunningly
" The abbot hath
St. Munnu said to him " Thou shalt not :
when Maidoc wished to
depart, until all those restored brethren shall be reduced to their former infirm state. " The bishop replied, that the Lord had granted their health through himself. The abbot repeated his [request, adding this sentence in
niae," n. 12, p. 216.
County of Wexford," Sheets 36, 41. On the latter Sheet are to be seen St. Munnu's well, and St. Munnu's church ruins in the old graveyard. Taghmon parish is partly situated in the barony of Bargy, and it is fully described on Sheets 36, 41, 42.
9° Otherwise called Fintan son of Tulchan
[recte of Fingaine] died} A. D. 685, according * to Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. i. , pp. 292, 293.
241.
thing. See the County of Wexford
"
Letters
the city of Ferns fere centum miliaria in« tervened. SeeVitaS. Maidoci,cap. xxxiii.
depart,
" Virtue is in Then the acceded to perfected infirmity. " bishop
Scripture,
Fintan Munnu's request. All his brethren so lately restored were again re- duced to their former state of trial and suffering. The bishop, however, did notdepartwithoutbestowinghisbenedictiononthisentirecommunity. At another time, while St. Maidoc was at a place, called Ardlatrann,^^ he saw
it, taken from the east, by William F. Wake-
man, and representing, too, its remarkable round tower, in the "Letters containing Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Wexford, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840," vol. i. , p. 62.
^^
The base and shaft of a ruined old cross, with carvings around the sides, succeeds the drawing already alluded to. This was in the churchyard at Ferns, in 1840, and it is represented in an ink sketch, by the same accomplished artist. Ibid.
^3 The accompanying illustration of the
curious round tower, yet remaining at Ferns, has been drawn by George V. Du Noyer, and it has been engraved by Mrs. Millard,
Dublin. The original is among his portfolio drawings in the R. I. A.
^'' According to the ancient Irish MSS. ,
"
and Colgan in his Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
^s We must reject all the fanciful " Dinn- "
seanchus derivations, of wliich this is one, as Mr. O'Donovan states.
^*
But if what Colgan and the ancient Irish writei-s say regarding the origin of this name be correct, such a derivation goes for no-
Containing Information for the Irish Ord- nance Survey," vol. i. , p. 77. The remarks are in the handwriting of Mr. O'Donovan. They are dated June 5th, 1840. \
^^ See the history and extracts relating to
Ferns, in the previously quoted volume,
from pp. 77 to 236.
^^
This saint's festival is observed on the 2 1st of October.
'^sThe townland and town of Taghmon
are shown in the parish of that name, and
in the barony of Shelmalire West, on the
''
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the
9' See Rev. W.
Rees' "Lives of the Cambro-BritishSaints. " VitaS. Aidui,p.
J.
^^ We are told that between this place and ""
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 555
six oxen yolked to a plough, moving towards the gate of Fems city. 93 The servant of God, beholding this sight at a distance, raised his hand to bestow benediction. At this moment, the ploughman fell between the ploughshare or some other part of the yoke. Yet, he was found to be unhurt, as the oxen remained perfectly still. s^
After this account, we are told in our saint's life, that his holy master, David, Bishop of Menevia, wished to see and confer with him, before his death, which was approaching. 95 Our saint at once obeyed. He set out for Britain, where he remained for some time with his venerated master. It has been maintained,^^ this visit of our saint must be referred to a period priortothat,whenhebecamebishop; asSt. Daviddiedsomeyearsante- cedent to 599,97 and a learned writer supposes, in the year 589, from certain calculations which are made. 9^ After this visit, St. Maidoc informed his master, on a certain day, that he had promised to be in Ireland. He was told by the latter, this promise should be instantly fulfilled. A wonderful miracle is then related to account for Maidoc's speedy transition, after he had received St. David's benediction. 99 The latter had declared, likewise, that there should be a strict fraternity between both in heaven and on earth, as between their spiritual children in after time. Taking leave of St. David, blessed Maidoc was wafted over to
^°° and he landed at the of port
^°^
disciples.
The holy bishop, after an example set by Moses^°3 and Elias,^°4 and by
our Lord Himself, ^°5 fasted for forty days and as many nights, in his monas- tery at Ferns. He took during this time nothing in the shape of nourish-
ment. Afterthisprolongedmortification,oursaintappearedtohisdisciples, rather improved in figure and appearance than he had been before the com- mencement of his fast. The Lord, it is said, granted His servant four petitions which he preferred. First, he asked, that any evil person of Leinstefs royal race, or of the seed of Brandubh, Ethach's son, who should sit in his seat, and die in it, might not rest with him in Heaven. Secondly, if any one of his monks should deny him. and become a fugitive from his house,thatinlikemannerheshouldnotbewithhiminHeaven. Thirdly, that after the Judgment Day, hell might not close upon persons who should be buried in his cemetery. And lastly, that each day he might free one soul
of
Judgment.
ing in such conduct to death and without repentance, should be deprived of
Crumchinn. ^°^ Thencehewenttohis
from until the Purgatory,
^°^ The first that petition meant,
Ireland,
Day
whoever would violently assume authority in the Church of Fems, persist-
93 Near Ardladrand was the rock Druinne. See Rev. W. J, Rees' " Lives of the Cam- bro-British Saints. " Vita S. Aidui, p. 242.
'°° a Irish Life of Preceding Manuscript
St. Maodhoge, belonging to the R. I. A. , we are informed by Mr. O'Curry, the transcri- ber, that on Mogue's return from the visit made to St. David of Wales, he landed on the coast of Wexford. See Ordnance Sur- vey " County Wexford Extracts," vol. i. , p. 379. This note should probably be ap- pended to the first visit made by Maidoc to David,
'°'The place to which allusion has been
'°^ " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- See Colgan's
nice,"xxxi. Januarii. VitaS. Maidoci,chap. xxxv, p. 212.
'°3 Exodus, xxxiv. , 28.
^°* iii. xix. , 8. Kings,
'°5Matt. , iv. , 2.
'°* '' " Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hibemise,
9^ See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap. xxxii. , xxxiii. , pp. 21 1, 212.
95 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' " On Some Eccle- siastical Bells," etc.
s* By Dr. Lanigan.
97" " See EcclesiasticalHistoryofIreland,
vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sec, x. , p. 338, and n. 137, p. 341.
9^
See ibid. , vol. i. , chap, ix. , sec. ix. , pp. 470,471,andnotessubjoined.
already made.
99 It is said in a Vita S. Aidui, that on his return to Ireland, St. Maidoc landed at Imber Cremthrain. See Rev. W. Rees'
J. "Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," p.
243.
556
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
"7 In this and in the
we have followed the interpretations ot Father John Colgan.
it ' ' etiam plains thus, Itinera, vectigalia
"* See
tis," vol.
^ The words in the original are " tormove-
lam vadi. " Tormovelse are transverse
beams or bars, placed across gates, passages or roads, through which horses or chariots are driven. Or, they are movable palings or fences, which are used to close the cn- trances to fields. This very passage from
succeeding
sentences,
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
fluviorum, in Jure Hungarico, Sambucus. " —" Glossarium Media et Infimse Latinita-
Colgan's
nias," xxxi. Januarii, nn, 33, 34, pp. 218,
'
From the earliest Chris- tian times, our Irish missionaries appear to have performed much of their travelling in
chariots, with drivers, who were probably hotise-servants and mass-servers,
vi. , p. 717,
219. — Chapter v.
the second was meant, that the same petition
of Heaven. ^°7
fate should await a monk who became a renegade or an apostate, and who continued in such a state without remorse. The third must be referred to Catholics, who died in the state of grace. The fourth petition was preferred in favour of souls suffering the pains of Purgatory, aided as those should be through St. Maidoc's merits and intercession. Our national hagiologist asserts, that we can readily believe those requests might have been reasonably sought and obtained; since many similar petitions and indulgences are granted in the Church through the merits of saints, and more especially through those of the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God. He remarks, more- over, that in those petitions preferred by the saint, and regarding those privileges granted to him, nothing will be found contrary to the articles of Catholic faith or to Christian morals, nor anything savouring of vain super- stition. On the contrary, in each of those privileges prayed for, there are motives to excite the mind to a detestation of sin, and to repose hope and confidence in the prayers of God's holy saints.
Especially, from the two latter requests, and consequent privileges obtainable, we are taught to desire a Christian burial, in consecrated ground, under the protection of a patron saint. We likewise hope, through the powerful intercession of God's holy servant, and through his merits, employed in our behalf, for everlasting repose, when punishments due to our sins have been cancelled, owing to an extension of the Divine mercies towards souls, suffering in the other life. '°^ Granted, too, that this whole account may be purely legendary, it cannot tend to diminish our reverence for Ferns and St. Maidoc.
the
light
By
CHAPTER V.
ST. maidoc's adventure with the school-boys—MIRACLES WROUGHT BY HIM IN THE TERRITORY OF HY-CONNAIL GABHRA—HE BLESSES CLONCAGH PARISH AND RETURNS TO FERNS—KING BRANDUBH VISITS HIM THERE—JOURNEY OF MAIDOC TO MUNSTER AND CONNAUCHT—HE RESTORES HEALTH TO KING GUAIRE AT KIL- MACDUAGH—HIS FRIENDSHIP FOR ST. COLMAN—ST. MOLUA—MIRACLES—LEGEND REGARDING THE DEATH OF KING BRANDUBH AND HIS RESUSCITATION BY ST. MAIDOC—BURIAL IN FERNS CEMETERY OF THAT KING.
One day, while our saint was travelling in company with his charioteer,' this latter asked who should succeed in his episcopal see. They had now come
to a place called the way or passage, Imgain,^ when the bishop answered, " That saint who shall open before us the cross-bars of the passage,3 shall
xxxi. Jauuarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap. xxxvi,, p. 212.
-
The words in the original are "Vadam
Imgain. " Ducange, sub voce, Vada, ex-
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 557 occupy my chair. "* Immediately, they saw some turbulent school-boys on
the These were way.
and in their hands. 5 One targets,
with
of them, on the traveller's approach, ran forward to remove the barrier. ^
When the charioteer saw this, he felt and expressed surprise, that an undis- ciplined youth should become the future successor to the saint. But moved by the grace of God, this scholar came with humility to St. Maidoc. He
earnestly requested permission to accompany him, and to live under his di- rection. The saint asked his name,? and in what part of the country he had
bom, Luachair,^
youth replied,
part
Our saint then
province,
7. The life of our saint published by the Jesuits was furnished by Father Hugh Ward, of the Franciscan Convent, Louvain. It was taken from the Kilkenny Godex. . This was com- pared with a copy, furnished by Philip O'Sullivan Beare, from the Salamancan Irish Jesuits' College. The Bollandist acts differ little from those published by Colgan,
playing,
spears
when the " I am from that of Munster
been
called
shalt be called instead, Mochua Lothra. "'"
become a disciple of the bishop, with whom he continued until his death. " Being a wise and holy man, practising great austerities and performing many miracles, on account of his great integrity of life and purity of morals, he afterwards succeeded Maidoc in the episcopacy. '^
At another time, hearing that some of his country-people had been de-
tained as captives, in the part of Munster called Hy-Conaill Gabhra,'^ St. Maidoc set out for that place to effect their liberation. '* On his account,
St. Aidan's life is quoted as a proof for his Lothra, or more correctly, Luachra, by Mai- ''
and name is Cronan. "? my
" Thou He then received permission to
explanation, by Ducange, sub voce, ToR- doc, is said to have been St. Moling. After-
MOVELiE," ibid. , vol. vi. , p. 610.
* By this we are to understand, St. Mai-
wards he succeeded our saint, as Bishop of Ferns ; yet, for several good reasons, the person here alluded to, it is thought, must have been a different individual.
" The motives for an principal forming
opinion that the boy alluded to could not have been St. Moling of Teach Moling, are : First, the names and feasts of Mochua Luachra and Moling Luachra are distin- guished, in our Irish calendars ; Secondly, the former, according to this account already given, was a native of Munster, while the latter belonged to a Leinster family ; Thirdly,
doc's episcopal throne or see. See the Bol- "
landists' "Acta Sanctorum, to mus ii. , xxxi.
Januarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. vi. 1 1 1 , p.
in annotation and form. St. lived — after St. Mochua, except Moling 44 years
5 In the Rev. W. Rees' " Lives of the or Dachu Luachra this latter died
J.
Cambro-British Saints" we are told this hap-
having
in the year 652, and the former A. D. 696, according to the "Annals of the Four Mas- ters ;" and lastly, St. Moling, who died A. D. 696, cannot be considered St. Maidoc's im- mediate successor in the see of Ferns, as otherwise he must have been bishop, for 72
which is
" Colgan accounts for the Irish writer's
pened during a time of frost in winter. pp. 243, 244, 566, 567.
. See
*
Without a key. See ibid.
the
of the Mumunensians, and of the inhabitants
ply given by
boy,
family
years,
quite improbable.
MacAuliffe. It formed, however, no part
of the ancient Ciarraighe (Keriy) country. Old Luachair was the name of an extensive
territory, situated south of the Ciarraighe
country ; it reached from Kerry into the
presentcountiesofCorkandLimerick. See
'*
The Topographical Poems of John O'Dub- hagain and Giolla na naomh O'Huidhrin. "
Edited by John O'Donovan, LL. D. , pp. Ixxii. , Ixxiii. , nn. 628, 651, 652.
» Although in an Irish life, which Colgan had seen, that saint, who was called Mochua
"
Acta Sanctorum Hibernije,"
J.
Rees' " Lives of
^ We find in Rev. W.
the Cambro-British Saints" the following re-
of Hirlcore, and Cronanus is with me. "
' The plain of Luachair was the name of
that level portion of the present barony of
Magunihy, in the south-eastern part of Kerry
county. It comprised the territories of
O'Keefe, O'Callaghan, O'Donoghoe and which St. Moling's mother was a native.
"I amofthe
mistake, by stating, that both had succeeded St. Maidoc, although Mochua Luachra was his immediate successor ; and again, both had acquired the name Luachra, from a part of Munster, called I^uachuir Deghadh, of
See Colgan's
xxxi. Januarii, n. 36, p. 219.
" See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nias," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap. XXXvii. , p. 212.
'3 Now the baronies of Connello, in the westofLimerickcounty. SeeDr. O'Dono- van's "Leabhar na g-Ceart, or Book of Rights," n. (c), pp. 76, 77.
'* In the Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives of the Cambro-British Saints" he is said to have visited the regions of Niail or Neil Cluana
replied,
558 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
however, the chieftain of this country would not give him an audience, nor allow him to enter his castle. The saint of God fasted three days, before the entrance-gate. At the end of this time, a beloved daughter of the chief- taindied,andinaverysuddenmanner. Believingthatherdaughter'sdeath took place in a supernatiu*al manner, that chieftain's wife brought the dead body to our holy bishop. At the mother's entreaties and those of her com- panions, he restored the maiden to life. Notwithstanding this favour, the chieftain remained inexorable. However, a miraculous manifestation of the holy prelate's power had the effect of converting the inflexible ruler. On seeing this, he became repentant, and delivered up the kinsman to our saint, ^s He also presented a place, called Cluain Chladhbhaith or Claidheach,^'^ for thepurposesofareligiousfoundation. '? Thiswassituatedintheregionof
Hy-Connaill. '^ ThisisthoughttobethepresentCloncagh'9parish,^"inthe baronyofUpperConnello,inthecountyanddioceseofLimerick. That
"
issituatednotfarfromRathkeale. ^3 Welearn,thattheoldchurchofCloon-
cah^'* is in a great state of dilapidation. ^s From what remains, however, it appears to be a ruin of great antiquity. ^^ It consisted of a nave^? and choir. ^^ Its choir is entirely destroyed. ^9 The south walls of the nave are gone, with the exception of a very small fragment. 3° St. Maidoc blessed this place, as alsothechieftain,whoruledov—erthatdistrict. Heretooheerectedamon-
denomination is still pronounced
Cluain Cath,"^' by the parishioners. ^^ It
3'
astery. Af having probably
—terwards he left it
established a 3^
fra- ternity there and set out towards his own city of Ferns. In the following
Clabdig's descendants. See pp. 244, 567. 'S He is also said to have been the king's
son-in-law. See ibid.
'* See Rev. Dr. Reeves " On Some Ec-
&c. T—heBollandistshave"CluanaClaidblasch.
Ireland," vol. ii. , pp. 499, 500. See like- wise "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the County of Limerick," Sheets 19, 20, 28, 29, 37.
clesiastical
'' According to St. Maidoc's Irish life.
^'* Some few old monuments there.
remain
"
Bells,"
yet
Acta Sanctorum," tomus iu, xxxi. Jan- uarii. Vita S. Aidani, cap. vi. , p. 1117.
'^ See much local and family information regarding it in Dr. O' Donovan's "Leabhar na g-Ceart, or Book of Rights," n. (c), pp. 76, 77.
'9 This place, wntten Cluancagh, is sup- posed by Archdall to be the Cluain Claid-
^
The west gable is up, but its little belfry
'' ^'^ iieach built by St. Maidoc. See Monas-
ticon " Wecan Hibemicum, p. 420. very
The choir dimensions cannot be deter- mined.
^9 The choir-arch is much on its injured
sides, but its semi-circular head remains. This is II feet from the present groimd level.
3° This lies near the south-west comer, from which it appears, that the wall was 2 feet 1 1 inches thick.
3' It is doubtful if any trace of this now remains, but Mr. O'Donovan has admirably described the old church of Cloncagh. See
believe that it is for the natives as- ;
easily
sert, that St. Maidoc is still remembered in
"
this parish. See its contents on Ordnance
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Limerick," Sheets 29, 37.
^ It is bounded on the north by the parish of Rathkeale, on the east by the parish of Ballingarry, on the south by Kilmeedy, and on the west by Mahoonagh and Cloonelty.
^' In the Rev. W. J. Rees' " Lives of the
Cambro-British Saints," this place is called
the Irish Ordnance Survey,
''
County Li-
Cluam Claidbich. See pp. 244, 567. "" ''
merick Letters containing Information re-
lative to the Antiquities," vol. i. , pp. 171,
172. Mr. O'Donovan's Letter, dated Bal-
lingarry, July 25th, 1840. After this de-
If correct, it would signify Battle-
field," according to Dr. O'Donovan. See
•'County Limerick Letters Containing In- formation for the Irish Ordnance Survey,"
"
^s The north wall is in good preservation :
it is 9 feet 7 inches in height, and built of
large stones, cemented with very good mortar.
scription, historical notices of the parish fol- vol. i. , pp.
