Patrick's
Tripartite
Life, that on the Irish Apostle's depar-
in the fifth 12 he met with St.
in the fifth 12 he met with St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v6
87.
«These remarkable ruins are to be seen,
pear the very beautiful residence and de- mesne of Lord Dowries.
l* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 174 175
part i. , pp. 128, 129.
16 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
First Volume of this work, Art. ii.
4 See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's "Life of St. Columba," Additional Notes
(O), p. 375.
s See the Third Volume of this work, at
that date, Art. viii.
6 See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's
"Life of St. Columba," Additional Notes
(O), p. 386. ;„«. * i t 7 See also Bishop Forbes "Kalendars of
'5 See "
of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
Proceedings
Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 686, 687, and Scottish Saints," p. 448.
cap. iii. , sect, v. , p. 502.
768 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 22.
can be 8 a third Abbot of this name, gleaned, regarding
ruled over the
having
community at Iona. At the 22nd of June, in the Martyrology of Donegal,9
the feast of St. Suibhne simply is entered.
Article IV. —St. Sicilde, Virgin, in the Province of Cenoman- nia, Gaul. There is a St. Sicilde, Virgin, treated in the Bollandists' Acts of
the
1
at the 22nd of The notice is in seven
graphs.
Very
regarding her,
Saints, 2
comprised,
June.
little seems to be known
a people of Celtic Gallia. Their country is now called Maine, and their chief citywascalledCenoma,nowleMans. ThePetitsBollandistes5 haveano-
tice of this holy virgin, whom they call Sainte Aclythenis or Sicildis, at this day, vulgarly called Sainte Seraute or Ce'rotte. She is said to have flourished, in the second half of the seventh century. A conjecture has been offered, that this holy virgin may be identical with the pious nun called Aleiacensis or Siccidis—converted into Sicildis or Sichildis—and that her parents were
and or 6 About two from the monas- Adalsquarius Aneglia Ognies. leagues,
tery of Anisola, stood the church ? of this holy virgin ; but, its name had been corrupted to Sainte Serolde,8 and it was regarded as one of the most beauti- ful in France. ^ Over the high altar was a picture, representing St. Sicilde in
a religious habit. In an ancient Manuscript Martyrology of Usuard, the
feast of St. Sicilde was at the 22nd of 10 There was an ancient entered, June.
officeofSt. SicildecontainingthreeLessons; and,thepeopleofthattown,in which her church was situated, were accustomed to observe her feast-day, as one of solemnity. Moreover, they kept it as a holyday, on which all work was suspended.
Article V. —St. Guaire Beg or Bic, also called Guairius. We find the name, Guaire Bic or Beg, mentioned, at the 22nd of June, in the
of 1 Allusion is made to this St. Guairius or Martyrology Tallagh.
para- save that tradition holds her to have been the servant maid of St. Osmanna,3 who is classed among our Irish Saints,* and who from Great Britain went into Gaul. Thither, it is thought, Sicilde accompanied her to the Province of the Cenomanni,
Guairenus, likewise, by Father John Colgan, as having had veneration paid to him, on
8 At least, from that erudite and very com-
plete Chronicle of the Island, which has
been compiled by the Rev. William Reeves,
and which is appended to his edition of St. Omer.
•'
Adamnan's Life of St. Columba. "
' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
260.
'It is supposed to have been erected, through the offerings of the faithful to honour their Patroness. Perhaps, also, the Counts of Sintrailles—local magnates—contributed largely to erect this building,
*74> 1 75- — Article iv.
' See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iv. , Junii xxii. De S. Sicilde Virgine, in Cenomannia Gallise Provincia, pp. 259,
8
Such is the account, furnished by Claude
3
Daniel
3 This holy Virgin and Martyr has no less
than three festivals in the Calendars : one feast is at the 1st of April, where we have already alluded to her in the Fourth Volume of this work, in Art. ix. ; another is at the 9th of September, while a third is at the 22nd of November.
4 She is traditionally believed to have been
the daughter of an Irish king.
s See " Vks des Saints," tome vii. ,
Castellan, Canon of Paris, to Father Daniel
Papebroke.
9 It was situated near Saint-Calais, in the Diocese of Mans, and it bore the name of Sainte-Cerotte or Sarthe.
,0 Thus : "Item Sanctre Sicildis Virginis. " This, however, had been destroyed in 1684, as we learn from Claude Castellan, Canon of Paris. —
These have been compiled by Father
Papebroke, S. J.
2
xxiie Jour de Juin, p. 207.
6
entombed in the Monastery of St. Bertin, at
Their remains are thought to have been
Article v.
See Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," xxiii. Februarii, n. 3, p. 391.
p. xxvii. 2"
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
June 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
769
this day, in the Irish Calendars. Little knowledge of his period or locality has been obtained. In the Martyrology of Donegal,3 the record of Guaire Beg, as having been venerated at the 22nd ofJune, is to be found.
Article VI. —Feast of James, the Son of Alphjeus, Apostle in
Persia. In the early Irish Church, as found in the " Feilire"1 ofSt.
taken from the Martyrology of St. Jerome, and from other ancient authorities, there was a festival for St. James, the son of Alphseus, at this date. How- ever, his chief feast is assigned to the istof May. The Bollandists3 also com- memorate him at that day, although they record him, likewise, at the 22nd of June.
Article VII. —Festival of St. Kilian and his Companions, Martyrs.
At the 22nd day of June, a feast for St. Kilian and his martyred companions
is noted, in a Manuscript belonging to the church of St. Maximinus, at
Treves. The 1 whohavethis deferfurther forthe Bollandists, entry, notice,
day of their chief festival, at the 8th of July.
Cfoentp4&tr& JBap of Suite*
ARTICLE I. —ST. MOCHAOI OR MOCHAY, ABBOT AND PATRON OF NENDRUM, COUNTY OF DOWN.
[FIFTH CENTURY. }
HOW agreeably do we not pass from the recollection of one national
saint to the veneration of another. Beloved the sons of among God,
we take refuge under the shadow of his protection. Sweet are the fruits of
his virtuous life ; although we may not be able to set in order all the for-
gotten particulars of his career. TheLifeofthepresentholymanisthoughttobeyetextant TheActs
of St. Cailan were specially written, and they are cited by Archbishop
to make some which cannot be recon- statements,
Ussher x these ; but,
appear
ciled with chronology, as Dr. Lanigan well remarks. . Among the Bur-
3 Edited Drs. Todd and by
Reeves, pp.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iv. , Junii xxii. Amongthe pretermitted feasts. p. 136.
174,175. Article vi.
—
«
See "Transactions of
Article VII. —* See" Acta Sanctorum," Series, vol. i. , p. i. On the Calendar of tomus iv. , Junii xxii. Among the preter-
the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Oengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. ,
mitted — feasts, p. 138.
'
p.
I.
Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sect, xiv. , and nn. 186 to
190, pp. 422 to 424.
3 In vol. xxii. , at fol. 213.
xcv.
2 The commentator on the copy in the
See William Reeves' " Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor
"Leabhar Breac" endeavours to throw
some conjectural light on the Apostle's bear- See
"
ing the name of James, but in a manner so obscure, as to be nearly unintelligible. See ibid. , p. cvii.
Vol. VI. —No. 13.
2c
Article
and Dromore," Appendix A, p. 143.
2
2
^Engus,
2
77© LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 23.
gundian Library Manuscripts,3 at Bruxelles, there is a Latin Life of a St. Mochaeus, who appears to be identical with the present holy man.
St. Mochaoi is called variously by the names Mochay, Mochai, Mochgeus, and sometimes, it is stated, by those of Caolan, Caylan, Kelanus, or Caila- nus. 4 According to the Calendar of the O'Clerys, the first denomination of our saint was Caylan, and this is said to have been his proper name. 5 This
"
latter etymon is said to have been derived from eaol, meaning narrow," or
"slender;" this epithet being frequently applied, to signify slenderness of
6 we feel inclined to that some modern writers have figure. However, think,
allowed themselves to be deceived by statements of the O'Clerys' Calendar and by Colgan, that confound the names of St. Mochay or Mochoe and St. Caylan or Coelan ; while it seems more probable, that they had been distinct persons. With a very high commendation, St. . dingus in his Metrical Irish Calendar? introduces the festival of St. Mochoe, at the 23rd of June. Tra-
dition has 8 that St. Mochaoi had been the son of Q
it, Bronach, daughter
to Milcon, with whom St. Patrick spent his years of servitude. 10 It is supposed,
that our saint first saw the light in the neighbourhood of Strangford Lough. " He was born sometime subsequent to the beginning of the fifth century.
It is related, in St.
Patrick's Tripartite Life, that on the Irish Apostle's depar-
in the fifth 12 he met with St. century,
ture from now Bretan,
Bright, early Mochay,whowasengagedasswine-herd,andthenhewasamereyouth. Moved
by an interior revelation, he knew the boy to be destined for service in the Church ; and, having announced to him the glad tidings of the Gospel, Mochaoiwasconvertedandbaptized. Hewasafterwardsfurtherinstructedin themysteries and duties of religion, by St. Patrick. He is classed, under the name
of Coelan, among the disciples of Ireland's great Apostle. 13 The holy Moc- hoe seems to have attached himself, at an early period of St. Patrick's mission, to the service of him who had now attracted the regards of his new converts, and while the latter was preaching in the immediate neighbourhood of Strang-
4 The Calendar of the O'Clerys, following perhaps some earlier authority, has these words, at the 23rd ofJune : "TttodAoi Abb n
script Series, vol. i . , parti. On the Calen- dar ofOengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. ,
p. xcv.
8 to that Tract attributed to St. According
4onT>f. omA,
" De matribus Sanctorum Hiber-
are thus
/Engus, nioe. "
CAob&n a ce-o "
which Abbot of Nendrum, whose first name was Caylan. "
Amm," translated, Mochay,
To this account
of Colgan: "Mochai sive Mochaius qui et Cailanus, proprio nomine, dicebatur. "
s See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxxvii. , p. 73, and n. 38, p. no.
6
See ibid. , QuartaVita S. Columbre, lib. i. , n. 76, p. 379. Also ibid. , Sexta Vita S.
9 " 111 on rrtibcon co m-bae bportac §1
pAcnaici n-T)Air>i margin mochaen^en-
onomA Lo6a Cuati. " Book of Lecan,
fol. 43.
,0
Colgan translates that passage, cited in the previous note, from the Book of Lecan, as follows : "Bronachia filia Milchonis filii Buanii, apud quern S. Patricius in sei vitute tenebatur, mater fuit S. Mochay jEndromen-
LL. D. — :
See Rev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vii. , sect. vii. , n. 74, p. 349.
may
be added the statement
Brigidoe, n. 1, pp. 596 to 598.
7 That copy of the " Feilire " in the sis de Loch-Cuan. " See " Acta Sanctorum
"LeabharBreac "gives the following stanza, hus translated into English, by Whitley
Stokes,
"
us. the —famous,
capes May champion happy,
of Noendruim, protect us. " "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu-
Hiberni3e,"xvi. Januarii, Appendix ad Vitam
S. Fursaei, cap. iv. , p. 95.
" "
£orvaichmec mochoe tlipnl AjvoonrelA
1 npAb rochta fona
O fleem>ntnm •oonnemA.
The date is usually calculated, at a. d.
Mochoe's commemoration is not what es-
xxiii. , pp. 265, 269.
*4 See Third Volume of this work, at the
17th of March, Art. 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.
«These remarkable ruins are to be seen,
pear the very beautiful residence and de- mesne of Lord Dowries.
l* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 174 175
part i. , pp. 128, 129.
16 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
First Volume of this work, Art. ii.
4 See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's "Life of St. Columba," Additional Notes
(O), p. 375.
s See the Third Volume of this work, at
that date, Art. viii.
6 See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's
"Life of St. Columba," Additional Notes
(O), p. 386. ;„«. * i t 7 See also Bishop Forbes "Kalendars of
'5 See "
of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
Proceedings
Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 686, 687, and Scottish Saints," p. 448.
cap. iii. , sect, v. , p. 502.
768 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 22.
can be 8 a third Abbot of this name, gleaned, regarding
ruled over the
having
community at Iona. At the 22nd of June, in the Martyrology of Donegal,9
the feast of St. Suibhne simply is entered.
Article IV. —St. Sicilde, Virgin, in the Province of Cenoman- nia, Gaul. There is a St. Sicilde, Virgin, treated in the Bollandists' Acts of
the
1
at the 22nd of The notice is in seven
graphs.
Very
regarding her,
Saints, 2
comprised,
June.
little seems to be known
a people of Celtic Gallia. Their country is now called Maine, and their chief citywascalledCenoma,nowleMans. ThePetitsBollandistes5 haveano-
tice of this holy virgin, whom they call Sainte Aclythenis or Sicildis, at this day, vulgarly called Sainte Seraute or Ce'rotte. She is said to have flourished, in the second half of the seventh century. A conjecture has been offered, that this holy virgin may be identical with the pious nun called Aleiacensis or Siccidis—converted into Sicildis or Sichildis—and that her parents were
and or 6 About two from the monas- Adalsquarius Aneglia Ognies. leagues,
tery of Anisola, stood the church ? of this holy virgin ; but, its name had been corrupted to Sainte Serolde,8 and it was regarded as one of the most beauti- ful in France. ^ Over the high altar was a picture, representing St. Sicilde in
a religious habit. In an ancient Manuscript Martyrology of Usuard, the
feast of St. Sicilde was at the 22nd of 10 There was an ancient entered, June.
officeofSt. SicildecontainingthreeLessons; and,thepeopleofthattown,in which her church was situated, were accustomed to observe her feast-day, as one of solemnity. Moreover, they kept it as a holyday, on which all work was suspended.
Article V. —St. Guaire Beg or Bic, also called Guairius. We find the name, Guaire Bic or Beg, mentioned, at the 22nd of June, in the
of 1 Allusion is made to this St. Guairius or Martyrology Tallagh.
para- save that tradition holds her to have been the servant maid of St. Osmanna,3 who is classed among our Irish Saints,* and who from Great Britain went into Gaul. Thither, it is thought, Sicilde accompanied her to the Province of the Cenomanni,
Guairenus, likewise, by Father John Colgan, as having had veneration paid to him, on
8 At least, from that erudite and very com-
plete Chronicle of the Island, which has
been compiled by the Rev. William Reeves,
and which is appended to his edition of St. Omer.
•'
Adamnan's Life of St. Columba. "
' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
260.
'It is supposed to have been erected, through the offerings of the faithful to honour their Patroness. Perhaps, also, the Counts of Sintrailles—local magnates—contributed largely to erect this building,
*74> 1 75- — Article iv.
' See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iv. , Junii xxii. De S. Sicilde Virgine, in Cenomannia Gallise Provincia, pp. 259,
8
Such is the account, furnished by Claude
3
Daniel
3 This holy Virgin and Martyr has no less
than three festivals in the Calendars : one feast is at the 1st of April, where we have already alluded to her in the Fourth Volume of this work, in Art. ix. ; another is at the 9th of September, while a third is at the 22nd of November.
4 She is traditionally believed to have been
the daughter of an Irish king.
s See " Vks des Saints," tome vii. ,
Castellan, Canon of Paris, to Father Daniel
Papebroke.
9 It was situated near Saint-Calais, in the Diocese of Mans, and it bore the name of Sainte-Cerotte or Sarthe.
,0 Thus : "Item Sanctre Sicildis Virginis. " This, however, had been destroyed in 1684, as we learn from Claude Castellan, Canon of Paris. —
These have been compiled by Father
Papebroke, S. J.
2
xxiie Jour de Juin, p. 207.
6
entombed in the Monastery of St. Bertin, at
Their remains are thought to have been
Article v.
See Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," xxiii. Februarii, n. 3, p. 391.
p. xxvii. 2"
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
June 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
769
this day, in the Irish Calendars. Little knowledge of his period or locality has been obtained. In the Martyrology of Donegal,3 the record of Guaire Beg, as having been venerated at the 22nd ofJune, is to be found.
Article VI. —Feast of James, the Son of Alphjeus, Apostle in
Persia. In the early Irish Church, as found in the " Feilire"1 ofSt.
taken from the Martyrology of St. Jerome, and from other ancient authorities, there was a festival for St. James, the son of Alphseus, at this date. How- ever, his chief feast is assigned to the istof May. The Bollandists3 also com- memorate him at that day, although they record him, likewise, at the 22nd of June.
Article VII. —Festival of St. Kilian and his Companions, Martyrs.
At the 22nd day of June, a feast for St. Kilian and his martyred companions
is noted, in a Manuscript belonging to the church of St. Maximinus, at
Treves. The 1 whohavethis deferfurther forthe Bollandists, entry, notice,
day of their chief festival, at the 8th of July.
Cfoentp4&tr& JBap of Suite*
ARTICLE I. —ST. MOCHAOI OR MOCHAY, ABBOT AND PATRON OF NENDRUM, COUNTY OF DOWN.
[FIFTH CENTURY. }
HOW agreeably do we not pass from the recollection of one national
saint to the veneration of another. Beloved the sons of among God,
we take refuge under the shadow of his protection. Sweet are the fruits of
his virtuous life ; although we may not be able to set in order all the for-
gotten particulars of his career. TheLifeofthepresentholymanisthoughttobeyetextant TheActs
of St. Cailan were specially written, and they are cited by Archbishop
to make some which cannot be recon- statements,
Ussher x these ; but,
appear
ciled with chronology, as Dr. Lanigan well remarks. . Among the Bur-
3 Edited Drs. Todd and by
Reeves, pp.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iv. , Junii xxii. Amongthe pretermitted feasts. p. 136.
174,175. Article vi.
—
«
See "Transactions of
Article VII. —* See" Acta Sanctorum," Series, vol. i. , p. i. On the Calendar of tomus iv. , Junii xxii. Among the preter-
the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Oengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. ,
mitted — feasts, p. 138.
'
p.
I.
Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sect, xiv. , and nn. 186 to
190, pp. 422 to 424.
3 In vol. xxii. , at fol. 213.
xcv.
2 The commentator on the copy in the
See William Reeves' " Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor
"Leabhar Breac" endeavours to throw
some conjectural light on the Apostle's bear- See
"
ing the name of James, but in a manner so obscure, as to be nearly unintelligible. See ibid. , p. cvii.
Vol. VI. —No. 13.
2c
Article
and Dromore," Appendix A, p. 143.
2
2
^Engus,
2
77© LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 23.
gundian Library Manuscripts,3 at Bruxelles, there is a Latin Life of a St. Mochaeus, who appears to be identical with the present holy man.
St. Mochaoi is called variously by the names Mochay, Mochai, Mochgeus, and sometimes, it is stated, by those of Caolan, Caylan, Kelanus, or Caila- nus. 4 According to the Calendar of the O'Clerys, the first denomination of our saint was Caylan, and this is said to have been his proper name. 5 This
"
latter etymon is said to have been derived from eaol, meaning narrow," or
"slender;" this epithet being frequently applied, to signify slenderness of
6 we feel inclined to that some modern writers have figure. However, think,
allowed themselves to be deceived by statements of the O'Clerys' Calendar and by Colgan, that confound the names of St. Mochay or Mochoe and St. Caylan or Coelan ; while it seems more probable, that they had been distinct persons. With a very high commendation, St. . dingus in his Metrical Irish Calendar? introduces the festival of St. Mochoe, at the 23rd of June. Tra-
dition has 8 that St. Mochaoi had been the son of Q
it, Bronach, daughter
to Milcon, with whom St. Patrick spent his years of servitude. 10 It is supposed,
that our saint first saw the light in the neighbourhood of Strangford Lough. " He was born sometime subsequent to the beginning of the fifth century.
It is related, in St.
Patrick's Tripartite Life, that on the Irish Apostle's depar-
in the fifth 12 he met with St. century,
ture from now Bretan,
Bright, early Mochay,whowasengagedasswine-herd,andthenhewasamereyouth. Moved
by an interior revelation, he knew the boy to be destined for service in the Church ; and, having announced to him the glad tidings of the Gospel, Mochaoiwasconvertedandbaptized. Hewasafterwardsfurtherinstructedin themysteries and duties of religion, by St. Patrick. He is classed, under the name
of Coelan, among the disciples of Ireland's great Apostle. 13 The holy Moc- hoe seems to have attached himself, at an early period of St. Patrick's mission, to the service of him who had now attracted the regards of his new converts, and while the latter was preaching in the immediate neighbourhood of Strang-
4 The Calendar of the O'Clerys, following perhaps some earlier authority, has these words, at the 23rd ofJune : "TttodAoi Abb n
script Series, vol. i . , parti. On the Calen- dar ofOengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. ,
p. xcv.
8 to that Tract attributed to St. According
4onT>f. omA,
" De matribus Sanctorum Hiber-
are thus
/Engus, nioe. "
CAob&n a ce-o "
which Abbot of Nendrum, whose first name was Caylan. "
Amm," translated, Mochay,
To this account
of Colgan: "Mochai sive Mochaius qui et Cailanus, proprio nomine, dicebatur. "
s See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxxvii. , p. 73, and n. 38, p. no.
6
See ibid. , QuartaVita S. Columbre, lib. i. , n. 76, p. 379. Also ibid. , Sexta Vita S.
9 " 111 on rrtibcon co m-bae bportac §1
pAcnaici n-T)Air>i margin mochaen^en-
onomA Lo6a Cuati. " Book of Lecan,
fol. 43.
,0
Colgan translates that passage, cited in the previous note, from the Book of Lecan, as follows : "Bronachia filia Milchonis filii Buanii, apud quern S. Patricius in sei vitute tenebatur, mater fuit S. Mochay jEndromen-
LL. D. — :
See Rev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vii. , sect. vii. , n. 74, p. 349.
may
be added the statement
Brigidoe, n. 1, pp. 596 to 598.
7 That copy of the " Feilire " in the sis de Loch-Cuan. " See " Acta Sanctorum
"LeabharBreac "gives the following stanza, hus translated into English, by Whitley
Stokes,
"
us. the —famous,
capes May champion happy,
of Noendruim, protect us. " "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu-
Hiberni3e,"xvi. Januarii, Appendix ad Vitam
S. Fursaei, cap. iv. , p. 95.
" "
£orvaichmec mochoe tlipnl AjvoonrelA
1 npAb rochta fona
O fleem>ntnm •oonnemA.
The date is usually calculated, at a. d.
Mochoe's commemoration is not what es-
xxiii. , pp. 265, 269.
*4 See Third Volume of this work, at the
17th of March, Art. 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.
