No More Learning

" See his Life, at the 8th of August.
barba-
362 OLIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 13.
or Scottish fashion. In the pecuHar turning of the arches, zig-zag and chevron mouldings of the arches and cokimns, bases and capitals, as also in the well- chiselled stones, and in the massive, well-fitted style of masonry, not to speak of many patterns in details, the Priory on Holy Island presents the closest types of Irish Romanesque architecture. '^ How long the brothers remained at Lindisfarne is not related, but, we are informed, that Gerald was promoted to be Abbot at Winchester. '3 This is denied, however, as being incompati-
Lindisfarae Friory, England.
ble with the truth of his story. ^t He cured the lame, the paralytic, and those afflicted with various diseases, while the fame of his sanctity, likewise, brought many monks to live under his rule. When St. Colman left Lindisfarne, in 664, for the purpose of going to Ireland, a doubt seems to exist, as to whether or not, he remained afterwards for three years, at lona. But, it is related, that he founded a monastery, in Inisbofinde or Bophin Island, off the coast, and within the present county of Mayo, a. d. 665,^5 or 667. '^ He had brought with him all the Scottish or Irish, that lived at Lindisfarne, and about thirty English monks, who volunteered to accompany him to his new home. '7 Whether or not, St. Gerald was one of his travelling companions'^ seems to
'* The interior view here presented exhi-
bits some of those features. It has been
drawn, by William F. Wakeman, and it was engraved, by Mrs. Millard.
'3 It is remarked, by Colgan, that there were two monasteries there ; and, that, in the older one, St. Gerald had embraced the Benedictine rule. But, all this is a mistake, for St. Gerald belonged to the Columbian, and not to the Benedictine Order. Archdall
" Ecclesiasti-
'S Such is Ussher's chronology, in " Bri-
tannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap.
xvii. , pp. 499, 539.
'*"
Argued on the supposition, that he spent three years at lona, after leaving Lin- disfarne.
'7 Long after St. Colman's death, English
and other students continued to frequent the
school, which he probably founded, at Mayo. See Ven. Bede's " Historia Eccle-
siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iv. , cap. 4.
'^ So states Sir in " De Hi- James Ware,
has copied this misstatement. See
Monas-
ticon
'* See Rev. Dr.
at Lanigan's
Hibemicum,"
cal History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xix,, sect, vii. , n. 87, pp. 167, 168.
Antiquitatibus ejus," cap. xxvi. , '9 Rev. Dr. Lanigan thinks, that if this
" Mayo, p. 505.
bernia, et p. 220.
March 13. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
563
be a mooted
case, our
embarked on
in
several ships well provided with all necessaries for the voyage, with his three
brothers, and, it is stated in the Acts, three thousand disciples, from England,
followed St. Colman, when he had left Lindisfarne. These landed at the
mouth of the Shannon, and in the province of Connaught. Our saint's
brothers are named, Ballon, Berechert and Hubriton. It is related, in the
Acts, that the voyagers met with opposition, from a certain wicked ruler
there, named Ailill,'° who was very hostile to religious men. He sent a force
to oppose their landing. However, we are told, that by a miracle of a very
unusual kind, he was mollified, and he not only gave them permission to re-
main, but they obtained possessions to found a monastery. It was called Elilheria,^^ and Colgan has ventured to conjecture, that as the word seems to
"
have a similarity to Elitheir,
Kill-na-elitheir,'3 in the county and diocese of Galway, may be identified with it. ^-* Afterwards, the legend of his Life relates miracles, performed by St. Gerald, and especially one, whereby he removed a large stone, from the bed of the River Muayd, or Moy,'5 and which caused obstruction to the nets of fishermen. St. Colman had founded a monastery at Mayo,^^ in Connaught, for English monks, and hence the place is frequently called " Mayo of the Saxons," in old documents. However, the Acts of St. Gerald mention, that a certain King of Connaught, named Ragallus,^^ hearing about the mode of living, adopted by the holy abbot and by his monks, sent a message, that they should visit him. On obeying this order, he bestowed land, whereon
were so, Gerald must have been very or " It was near to young, pilgrim," foreigner. "
question
'^'i
but,
any
saint, having
at the time of St. Colman's departure. See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iil. , chap, xix. , sect, vii. , p. i66.
'° He is thought, by Colgan, to have been identical with Ailell, the father of St. Lochan, and the son of Cathal or Cathal-
Mayo, and in the same diocese, where St. Gerald afterwards had rule. In this diocese, too, was the church, called Tech-Saxon, or "the house of the Saxons," while there was
dus, son to Cobchach, son of Ennius, son to "
the Galls. " The Irish were accustomed to
apply the latter term, more correctly to the
Gauls, at first, but afterwards it was used
for the Angles or Anglo-Saxons, who were called Gain, or "strangers," while their country was denominated Gall.
^* See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
Ailell, son of Fiach, as stated in the Sanc-
tilogic Genealogy,'"' chap. vi. The posterity of this Fiach had great power, in the west- em parts of Connaught, where St. Gerald set his foundations.
up religious
=' The Acts of St. Gerald attribute the
nise," Martii xiii. , nn. 9, 11, p. 603. Dr. Lanigan thinks, that Eliteria had been
;
a pilgrim," so the church of Ros-irial,*^ or of
origin of the name, from the legend told,
about a tame deer, that remained in the
place, during the lifetime of St. Gerald :
" Unde ab ilia cerva il)idem miraculose
permanente nominala est ilia Abbatia Elite-
ria, cerva enim in Hibernico sermone, idem History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xix. ,
sect, vii. , n. 90, p. 168.
^5 This river rises near the borders 'of
Roscommon County, and taking a northerly course, it falls into the Atlantic Ocean,
through Killala Bay.
-* This is now a in the county to parish,
which it gives name, and extending into the baronies of Clanmorris and Kilmaine. Its
"
bounds are shown, on the Ordnance
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Mayo," Sheets 90, 91, loo, loi. The town and parks are found on Sheets 90, 91.
^7 In 670, we read, that Cellach, son of Ragallach, King of Connaught, died, after taking Holy Orders See John D'Alton's
' ' of Ireland, and Annals of Boyle," History
vol. ii. , p. 112.
sonat, quod Elith," cap. vii. However, Colgan doubts, that such was the cause for this name ; and, he prefers to derive it from Elitheir, which means "a pilgrim," and which probably alludes to the fact, that the Saxons came there as In no
pilgrims. part of Connaught could he find a church, called
from "a deer," except in one instance, in the diocese and county of Galway, i. e. , Agh-
magh, not Elit-magh. In both cases, the Latin might be "cervse Campum," or the
*'
plain of the deer. "
*" Here there was a Franciscan convent, in Colgan's day. Some thought, this name might be derived, from Ros-riaghla, i. e. ,
" the
or "hill of the Rule. " *3 This could mean "the cell of the
promontory,"
another, called Kill-an-gaill, or
"
church of
possibly a dependency on Mayo, as was probably also a church in the same diocese,
called Tech-Sasson, " the house of Saxons,"
"" or of Englishmen. " See
Ecclesiastical
364 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 13.
they built an abbey, which subsequently was called Magionia. Near this spot was a place, known as the Hill of the Magi, where a chief professor of magic art had a school and a number of scholars. They were opposed to our saint's community, at first, but a wonderful miracle convinced them of their impotence to prevent the spread of Christianity in these parts. St. Gerald divided his community into three bands ; one of these he sent back to England, a second band was employed in building walls around the mon- astery, while the third was occupied at prayer for the people, or in singing theholyMassandtheCanonicalHours. TheLord'sfoldthusincreasedin honour and sanctity, under the pastoral care of St. Gerald. While here, nine robbers, who were relations, endeavoured to hide, in a lake-island, nine oxen, stolen from the saint, but these were miraculously recovered. During the joint reigns of Diermait and Blaithmac,'^ over Ireland, agreat famine prevailed, and the multitude of people in Ireland was very great. An edict went forth, that as a sufficient scope of land had not been set apart for tillage, that each inhabitant should get seven acres of plain land, or eight acres of rough land, or nineacresofwoodland,''^forpurposesofcultivation. Thisfaminewasfollowed by that pestilence, known as the Icteritia. Soon afterwards, St. Gerald jour-
neyedintothatpartofConnaught,calledCorand. 3° TheretheChieftainEtran, and a great number of people, had been afflicted with the plague, then raging. The chief besought St. Gerald to save him, and when the holy abbot had put his hood over the heads of Etran and of his family, the other people of Corand ran to obtain a like favour. All, who touched it, were healed from their infirmity ; and, as a token of gratitude, they promised on behalf of themselves and of their posterity, to accept St. Gerald as their patron, and to protect in turn his religious family. Afterwards, he is said to have gone to his monas- tery of Elitheria, where he heard about his sister's death, with that of one hundred nuns, who were her companions. She is called Segresia. 3' Fifty of his monks had also died of the pest. Then the holy abbot and his subjects went to Mayo. There he continued to live in the love of God and of his neighbour, to the very close of his life. At what time St. Gerald became
;
superior, at Mayo, is not known 3^ probably, it was not prior to the eighth
century. 33 The Acts state, that while here, the holy Abbot Adamnan34 paid him a visit, and formed a friendship with him, when he had gone over the whole of Ireland. 3s St. Gerald bestowed a farm, with a limpid fountain on
^* These monarchs are said to have com- menced their reigns a. d. 657, and to have been carried away by the Buidhe Chonnail A. D. 664. The events of their reigns are to
^x Colgan thinks, she may be identical with St. Seghnat, or Segnecia, Virgin, of Domhnach Ceime, and whose feast occurs, at the i8th of December,
32 Colgan thought, that St. Gerald must have died before A. D. 697, insomuch as he is not mentioned among those, who attended a great Synod, convened during that year, by Adamnan, whereas several other persons of less note have their names appended to the Decrees. See "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nice," Martii xiii. Appendix ad Acta S. Geraldi, cap. ii. , p. 604. However, Dr. Lanigan observes, that this omission only warrants Colgan to conclude, that Gerald was not an abbot, or much distinguished, in the year 697.
^3 This is evidently Dr. Lanigan's mean- ing, although he introduces the words "seventh century. " See "Ecclesiastical
of
History Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xix. ,
sect, vii. , p. 167, and n. 91, p. 168.
2'* See his Life, at the 23rd of
be found in Dr. O'Donovan's
*'
Annals of
the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 268 to 277. =9 Were we to place reliance on the Acts of St. Gerald, he should have been in Ire- land, A. D. 664, the year of the great pesti- lence, or even before it ; but, the legend there introduced is opposed to the Chrono- logy of Venerable Bede, and also to that of
our native Annals.
30 It seems likely enough, this district
differed not from Goran, or Corran, which extended over a large portion of Sligo
County, "comprising not only the barony of Goran, properly so called, but also the baronies of Gallen and Leney, including the residences of t—he septs of the O' Haras and M'Donoughs. " John D'AIton's "History of Ireland, and Annals of Boyle," vol. ii. ,
n. 112. (a), p.
September.
March 13. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 365
it, and recommended his church to Adamnan, so that it might be protected from the persecution of laics, after his own death. This charge, we are told, Adamnan assumed and fulfilled. 3^ However, when it is stated, that he ruled Mayo for seven years, after the death of St. Gerald, that he there was engaged transcribing books, casting bells, and teaching his monks, until he returned to depart this life, as Abbot in lona ; it is manifest, all this is a figment, and contradictedbywell-knownfacts—ofhistory.
Afterworkingmanymiracles, andfoundingmanymonasteries forinadditiontoMayoandElytheria,or Tempul-Gerald, in Connaught, that of Tegh-na-Saxon is named, besides a convent—of sacred Virgins, which he committed to the care of his sister St. Segretia he is said to have rested from his labours, in the Monastery of Mayo. Whether he was simply an abbot, at this place, or whether he exercised, in addition, episcopal functions, has been disputed. Some authori- ties call him Pontiff of Magh-Ed of the Saxons ; however, notwithstanding all the great works, attributed to him, in the Acts, he is merely styled abbot. The title, Fontifex,^7 has been often used in an equivocal manner, and some- times, in the same sense, as President. s^ St. Gerald died, on the iii. of the Ides, or on the 13th of March, according to his Acts ; and, our Calendars, likewise,containasimilarstatement. However,theRegistersofthechurch, at Mayo, note, that his Natalis was on the loth of March ; but, Colgan suspects this may be a transcriber's error, for the 12th or 13th of this month. 39 As we have already seen, the Martyrology of Tallagh has noticed it, at the
1 2th : Marianus O'Gorman and Cathal Maguire place the festival of St. Gerald, Abbot and Bishop of Mayo, at the 13th of March. -t" We read, in
the Martyrology of Donegal,'^^ that Garalt, of Maigheo, Abbot, and Bishop, had veneration paid him on this particular day. Duald Mac Firbis enters him,42 at the same date, as Gerald, Pontiff of Magh-E6 of the Saxons. In the Martyrologies of Hermann Greuen,'>3 the Florarian Manuscript, the German Martyrology of Petrus Canisius,44 in the " Memorial of Ancient British Pietyj^'^s and in the " Circle of the Seasons," ^^ St. Gerald's feast is marked, at this date.
in the '7
this is too
a the learned date, although
Ussher,
year 697
;
but,
early
named chosen as superior.
Adamnan,
had been
^° See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
Irishman,
37 Spehnan and Ducange, at the words Pontijex and Pontificium, show the shades of meaning attached to this term.
38 " I am inclined to think," writes Dr.
Lanigan, "that his having been called/^//- tifex, Pontiff of the English, gave rise to the
niss," Martii xiii. Appendix ad Acta S.
Geraldi, cap. i. , p. 604.
' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp
74, 75.
*^ See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish
Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. 1. , part i. , pp. 122, 123.
''*
Abbate et
nia, seel, i. , num. I, pp. 288, 289.
'•^
See, p. 50. ^* At p. 73.
of his been a supposition having
''3 Usuard
******
Editionof
See the Bollandists' "Acta SanctO' rum," tomus ii. , Martii xiii. De S. Geraldo
bishop. It may be, that, as tiie English were strangers in Ireland, the Abbot
enlarged.
1521.
of
some —
Mayo enjoyed particular privileges
Episcopo Mageonensi
in Hiber*
as protector of his countrymen. "
siastical of Ireland," vol. History
"
Eccle-
iii. , chap. xix. , sect, vii. , n. 94, pp. 169, 170.
According to some authorities, this holy abbot died
35 Adamnan was in Ireland, so late as
A. D. 703.
3* The Bollandists imagine, that possibly
some other Adamnan, different from the
Abbot of lona, may have been St. Gerald's
successor, at Mayo. See "Acta Sancto- siastical History. See an account of this rum," tomus ii. , Martii xiii. De S. Geraldo prelate, in Very Rev. Laurence F. Rene- Abbate et Episcopo Magionensi in Hiber- ban's "Collections on Irish Church His- nia, sect, iii. , num. 24, p. 292. But, as the tory," vol. i. , pp. 402 to 405. Edited by establishment at Mayo was exclusively
Saxon, it does not seem likely, that any
39 This Colgan had from a list of the
churches in Tuam diocese, furnished by the
Archbishop Malachy O'Keely, who was so anxious to aid Colgan's labours, and who was in addition a proficient in Irish Eccle-
Rev. Daniel MCarthy, D. D. , and now
Bishop of Kerry.
366 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i;
in making a false calculation, lent it the weight of his opinion. '*^ The year 726 is assigned, as that for his departure to Christ, in one account ;*9 while the Annals of Tighernach and of Ulster have a. d. 731. 5° The " Memorial of Ancient British Piety'' si gives a. d. 732, St. Gerald was buried at Mayo, where there was a church dedicated to God in his name,52 and of this town heisregardedasthespecialPatron. ThesuccessorsofSt. Gerald,atMayo, have been styled bishops,53 as well as abbots. The church,54 built there by
our saint, was destroyed, a. d. 818, by the Norwegian tyrant Turgesius ; how- ever, the occasion was signalized by remarkable miracles, whereby the holy patron's intercession saved some among the inhabitants. Various vicissi- tudes befell the monastery, and its records are interesting,s5 to the time of Queen Elizabeth, when its cloisters and lands were confiscated by the crown, and then rented to the burgesses and commonalty of the town of Galway.
Article IV. —St. Conchenna, Conchend, or Coincheand, Virgin, OF Kill-Slebhe, or KiLLEVEY, CouNTV OF ARMAGH. \Sroenth Century\ Colgan endeavours to evolve some incidents regarding this holy virgin, at the 13th of March. ' The Bollandists have only a short notice of St. Conchenna. ^ This saint was daughter to Tulchan, and her mother was Fethlemidia. She was a sister to St. Fintan Munnu,3 who is venerated at the 21st of October. * Thus was she descended, from the noble Hy-Niall race of Ulster. This holy virgin embraced a religious life, in a nunnery, which had been founded by
St. Monennia,s at Kill-Slebhe, now Killevey,^ at the foot of Sliabh Cuilinn, or Slieve Gullion, in the southern part of the county of Armagh. Here she lived a very holy life, and illness which caused her death happened. But she was brought to life again, by her holy brother St Munnu, and at the request of their mother. There seems to be a doubt, as to whether she was abbess over the community, at Kill-Sleblie, or a simple member of it. 7 She finally departed this life, a. d. 654;^ and, although the Four Masters give her no distinctive title, yet, Colgan remarks, they scarcely ever note the death of holy persons, not distinguished as presiding over religious houses. The Martyrologies of Tallagh^ and of Marianus O'Gorman register the name
^^ See Archdall's " Monasticon Hibemi- Article iv. —' See " Acta Sanctorum cum," p. 505. Also, John D' Alton's " His- Hibernias," xiii. Martii. De S. Conchemia
tory of Ireland, and Annals of Boyle," vol. ii. , p. 114.
'*
Virgine, pp. 606, 607.
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , .
** See
Chronologicus, ad A. D. Dcxcvii. , pp. 540,
541.
*9 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 322, 323.
s° See Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibernica-
rum Scriptores, eodem anno, tomus ii. , iv. S' See p. 51.
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum An-
Martii xiii. Among the pretermitted saints, tiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 499, and Index p. 258.
s» See Bishop Challenor's
"Britannia
Sancta," part i. , p. 172.
S3 We are told even, "for centuries after
the rural bishoprics had generally merged,
the
the County of Armagh," Sheets 18, 21, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32.
^ See Rev. Dr.
Paparo. " ^John D'Alton's History of Ire- History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xvii. ,
the d—ecrees of the
by Synod
"
of Cardinal
Lanigan's
land, and Aimals of Boyle," n. (a), p. sect, ix. , and n. 119, pp. 39, 42, 43. ^"
The of — of I14. Age Christ, 654, Coincenn,
5* The Acts state, that it had a roof, Cill-Sleibhe, died. " Dr. O'Donovan's ""
secured in some way with lead. Annals of the Four Masters, vol. i. , pp.
« See Archdall's "Monasticon Hibemi-
cum," pp. 505, 506. 9 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii. The
3 She is mentioned in Vita S. Munnse,
xvi.
* See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbas, cap. iii. , p. 482.
s See her Life, at the 6th of July.
cap.
^
of Upper and Lower Orior. It is shown on
At present, it is a parish, in the baronies
"
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for
266,267.
" Ecclesiastical
March 13. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 367
Conchend, at the 13th of March. Also, on this day, the festival of Coin- cheand was celebrated, as we read, in the Martyrology of Donegal. ^"
Article V. —St. Cuangus, Abbot of Liethmore, or Leigh, County OF TipPERARY. \Eighth Ce/ifury. ] Some brief notices of St. Cuangus are to be found in Colgan' and in the Bollandists. ^ This saint's father, accord- ing to one account,3 was named Ahll, or Ailta, and he was a man of respect-
able lineage. Our saint received the name Mac-dall, according to some of ""
our Calendars. This signifies the blind son ; probably, because he laboured under a defect of vision, in his youth, or at some future period of his hfe. Other accounts, however, seem to make his father's name, Dall.