No More Learning

3 See Rev. Alban Butler's
January 13. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 191
are supposed to have been Italians. The first in point of time probably wrote St. Hilary's life in the first book. The second, Venantius Fortunatus, Bishop of Poitiers, it is thought Avro'e the saint's miracles, in the second book. St. Gregory of Tours, Alcuin, Flodoard, Dom Contant, Tillemont, Cellier, Rivet, Rev. Alban Butler, with many other ancient and modern writers, have very fully recorded his acts. Into biographical particulars, the scope of this work will not enable us to enter; but as many ancient ofllices, antiphonaries, and calendars of Ireland have his name inscribed, we could not wholly omit to notice him. When he started from Ireland, St, Fridolin, first visited Poi- tiers. s Thence he passed by the Moselle and Strasburg. He founded churches dedicated to St. Hilary, first at Glarus, which still retains in its name the trace of his presence, and finally at Seckingen, near Basle,^ A circle of churches in that neighbourhood, dedicated to St, Hilary, or to St. Fridolin himself, serves to prove the reality of this story. 7 Not alone in Gaul, but in more distant countries, did St. Hilary labour and suffer much for thefaith; andatlength,hehappilydepartedonthe13thdayofJanuary,a. d. 368, at Poitiers.
Article IV. —St. Mochonna, Bishop of Leamhchoill, said to be the PRESENTLowHiLL,CouNTYOFKILKENNY. Trucsanctityengagestheinte- rest and love of true Christians. Thousands catch some utterance or witness some sign from God's holiest servants. Thus sanctity becomes a great moving power even on earth. Mochonna, Bishop of Leamhchoill, is recorded in the Martyrology of Donegal,' on th:s day. A nearly similar entry is found in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ on the 13th of January. This place has been identified with Lowhill, in the Queen's County, by William M. Hennessy. 3 Among the townland denominations of Ireland, we have not been able to identify this particular etymon ; but we have been further in- formed by an excellent Irish topographer,-* that the old place must be recognised under the present Loughill, near Ballynakill, in the Queen's County. It lay, however, within the old territory of Idough. There are no less than three Loughills in this part of Kilkenny County, and all within the present barony of Fassadinin. s One is in the parish of Abbeyleix, another in that of Attanagh, and a third in that of Rosconnell. ^ On that part of
Abbeyleix parish, outside the Queen's County, and within the barony of Fassadinin, in the county of Kikenny, may be seen the ornamental grounds around Loughill House. Here an abbey in ruins, and a St. Chadden's Church in ruins, are in close proximity. ? This is likely to have been the site of St,
5 There can hardly be a doubt, that as St. Hilary was the master of St. Martin of Tours, the instructor in turn of our illustrious Apostle St. Patrick, a great traditional re- verence towards him grew up among the early Irish Christians. See Le Comte de
Article IV. —'Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 14, 15.
=" Edited Rev. Dr. xii. In by Kelly, p.
the Franciscan copy we read at this date niochonde ©p bemchAibb Ooliiijdch.
3 See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," IrishMSS. series, vol. i. , part i. ,
Montalembert's
"
Les Moines d'Occident,"
tome i. , liv. iii. , Les Precurseurs Monas- nn. 27, 30, p. 117.
tiques en Occident, p. 222. Rev. John F. Shearman, C. C. . Howth.
''
Bishop Greith tells us, that the text of s See "General Alphabetical Index to St. Matthew, used in St. Hilary's Com- the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and
mentary on the Gospel, agrees with that in the MS. Gospels, which are preserved at St.
"
Gall. See Haddan's
tinent," in "Christian Remembrancer,"
vol, xliii. , p. 477.
^ See Bishop Forbes'
Baronies of Ireland," p. 673.
* There is an interesting old ruin in this
parish, at which a patron had been formerly held,
7 See "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps fortheCountyofKilkenny. " Sheeti,
" Scottish Saints," pp. 358, 359.
Scots on the Con-
Kalendar of the
192 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 13.
Mochonna's place ;^ and perhaps, owing to some corruption of spelling or pronunciation, Chadden has been used for Conna, the original form of this holy man's name. When he lived, we have not been able to ascertain. Under the head of Leamhchoill, Duald Mac Firbis, enters a feast to
Mochonna, bishop of this place, at January i3th. 9 Moderate and wise in his views, the true pastor of souls is staunch and firm in discharging his Christian duties.
Article |V. —St. Barnitus or Barrintus, Abbot, Probably of Drum-
CULLEN Parish, King's County. \Possibly in the Sixth Century. '] A holy man of this name was venerated in Scotland, on the 13th of January. We are led to infer from Bishop Forbes' proximate allusion to St. Barrendeus,' Abbot of Druimcuillen," in Fearceal, on the borders of Munster and Leinster, that he was identical with the present saint. 3 According to Dempster, he was a companion of St. Brandan, and honoured in Argyle. * His relics were venerated at Dreghom, August 6th. 5 Some writers place his festival at the 5th of January. ^
Article VI. —St. Saran, Bishop. A festival in honour of Saran, a
bishop, is entered for the 13th of January, in the Martyrology of Tallagh. *
Morethanthisannouncementwehavenotbeenabletodiscover foritis ;
only simply repeated in the Martyrology of Donegal," where we find Sar^, bishop, venerated on this day.
Article VII. —St. Ronan. The real love of God, and the love of our neighbour, are identified in the soul of the Christian. They serve as a living evidence, when we pass from death to life. Those marks of that Divine charity, of which St. Paul speaks, never leave a doubt of man's resurrection from the death of sin to the happy life of God's grace. And so do they ever burn most ardently in the happy souls of holy persons. The festival of Ronan, is entered in the published Martyrology of Tallagh,' as also in that of Donegal,'onthisparticularday. ThereisafragmentofaLifeofSt. Ronan,
' The Franciscan entry leaves no doubt
and on the north bank of Carrig River (Sheet 36) may be seen Drumcullen Church, marked in ruins, within the surrounding
regarding this site, which agrees not only
with the localized denomination, but also
with the territory of Ui-Duach or Idough. cemetery. It lies within a mile of Kinnity.
This was long considered to have been co- ^See
"
extensive with the barony of Fassadinin, in
the of but O'Huidhrin county Kilkenny;
Kalendars of the Scottish Saints," pp. 274, 275.
p. gives them the "fair wide plain of the 190. Dempster has his feast at the 5th of
Feoir" (Nore). See " The Topographical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na
Naomh O'Huidhrin. " Edited
"
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSS. series, vol. i. , part i. ,
January.
5 See ibid. , p. 208.
' This we learn from the Scottish entries
in the Kalendar of David Camerarius. See ibid. , p. 233. The " Scoti-Chronicon" is here quoted ; but we find this follows the placing of St. Barnitus, confessor, at the
13th of January. —
Article vi. 'Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xii. In the Franciscan copy the ' Now Drumcullen parish, barony of entry is S4j\aitii Op.
by John O'Donovan, LL. D. , p. 95, and n. 496, p.
lix.
9 See
pp. 116, 117. — Article v.
'
According to Ussher, a. d. 591. See his works, vol. vi. , pp. 532, 598.
Eglish, King's County. The site of an
ancient church can now be seen in the
graveyard of Tinnacross townland. See
"Ordnance Survey Townland Maps of Kelly, p. xii.
the King's County," Sheet 30. Sheets 31, ''Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 35 and 36, complete the plans for this parish, 14, 15,
* See " Scoticum," ibid. , Menologium
" Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
14, 15. — Article Vll.
' Edited Rev. Dr. by
January 13. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 193
son of Berach,3 among the manuscripts preserved in the Burgundian Library atBruxelles;* butfromanimperfectdescription,wecannotsurmisewhether or not it refers to the present saint, or to some other similarly named. s
Article VIII. —St. Deoraith or Deuraid, of Eadardrum, Diocese OF Elphin. Sj^ifth or Sixth Century. '] This holy man was of royal and British origin. His parents were Bracan, of Irish descent, and his mother was Din, daughter to a King of the Saxons. '^ With several of his sainted brothers, he emigrated to Ireland. According to Colgan, he appears to have lived at Eadardruim, where a monastery formerly stood. At present it is a parish in the diocese of Elphin. ^ Deoraith is recorded in the Martyrology of Donegal,3 on this day. In the Martyrology of Tallagh,4 he is called Deuraid. Marianus O'Gorman records him at this date. This saint appears to have lived towards the close of the fifth or the beginning of the sixth cen- tury. It is to be regretted, we have not been able to glean ampler materials to extend his biography.
Article IX. —St. Mochonna, Doconna, or Connan, Bishop of Inis- Patrick, County Dublin. Holy persons are not so selfish as to care only for themselves, their kindred or their class ; but they wish and procure the safety and security of society. This saint is said to have been descended from an illustrious family. He was still more distinguished for his virtues and graces. In the Martyrologies of Tallagh, Marianus O'Gorman, Cathal Maguire,and Donegal,^ we find the nameDochonna,Theoconna,Conna,Conda, Theoconda, or Mochonna, of Inis-Patraig, set down as having a festival on this day. 2 Foreign writers call him Connanus, Connidrius, or Condeus. He is called Daconna in the Martyrology of Tallagh,3 and without further title or locality assigned. His conjectural Acts are entered by Colgan at this date. '* It is to be apprehended, that misled by later writers, Colgan has confounded the Inis-Patrick, or Patrick's Island,^ to the east of Skerries, county of Dublin, with Sodor or the Isle of Man.
At an early period this saint very probably built a monastery on the island first named, where he lived for the most part, died, and was buried. *^ His remains appear to have been preserved in a rich shrine, one of the earliest to attract the cupidity of the Danes, when they landed on the Irish shores towards the close of the eighth century. 7
3 ex buiLe puibne.
* It is classed in the Catalogue, vol. iv. ,
nos. 2324-2340, fol. 59.
5 The Franciscan copy of the Tallagh
is a note added in Wm. M. Hennessy's copy
of the Donegal Martyrology.
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xii. In the
Franciscan copy is read Ceochonne Cti|\Ane Martyrology has HonAni Ajti^ CotTnAni Ajvif "OetiiAAinc. In the published copy
Chi|\^. — Article viii.
'
the foregoing inscription seems so divided as if three separate names were intended.
See the Life of St. Beoc
or Dabeoc—brother to the present saint— See
"
Acta Sanctorum Hibeniise," xiii.
at the 1st of this month.
* See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," xi.
Februarii. Vita S. Canoci, pp. 311, 312.
It was in the Tuath-ainlighe district, as
Colgan learned from a Catalogue of the
Churches of Elphin diocese, sent to him by church on St. Patrick's Island has been
the pious, learned and patriotic Bishop Boetius Egan. See n. 12.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 14, 15.
drawn on the spot by William F. Wakeman, and engraved by George A. Hanlon.
^ There are very interesting drawings of the old ruins at Holmpatrick, near Skerries,
'* Edited —Rev. Dr. by
'
xii. of
county Dublin, among
the sketches of
Kelly, p.
Art. IX. Edited by Drs. Todd and
George Du Noyer, preserved in the Royal Irish Academy, vol. vii. , Nos. 4, 5, on large drawing paper.
q
Reeves, pp. 14, 15.
^"
See Felir—e (Land 610) at 13 January," Vol. I. No. 4.
''
Januarii. Vita S. Connani, pp. 59, 60.
5 See it represented on the "Ordnance
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Dublin. " Sheet 5.
^ The accompanying sketch of the old
194 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 13.
The date is variously assigned to a. d. 793,^ 794,^ 797," and 798. " Then they burned Inis-Patrick, and bore away the shrine of St. Dochonna. There are some remains of a very old church on St. Patrick's Island, which comprises aboutnineacres. " ThevolumeofDublinExtracts,preservedJntheRoyal
Doorway of primitive Church on Patrick's Island, Skerries.
Irish Academy,^3 has a notice of Inis Padruic, with the present saint, who was there venerated on the 13th of January. Most probably he lived before the eighth century.
Article X. —St. Mainchinn, Son of Collan, in Corann. Men of
venerated on this day, according to the Martyrology of Donegal,^ Mainchin, son of Collan, in Corann. Deidi, daughter of Tren, son to Dubhthach Ua Lughair, was his mother. This Dubhthach was chief poet to Laoghaire, son of Niall, who was king over Erinn, at the coming of St. Patrick. From this genealogical statement, we may assume he flourished in the fifth, or at or after the commencement of the sixth century. Colgan seems to think he might have been identical with a certain domestic of St. Patrick, and who is called
'"
See Dr. O'Donovan's Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 400, 401. 9 The " Annals of Clonmacnoise. "
'"The "Annals of Ulster. "
"
Dr. O'Donovan maintains that this is
130. —
Art. X. ' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p.
xii. In the Franciscan copy the reading is tTlAricViiiii rriAC CoblAni.
' Edited Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. by
14, 15.
the true date. See n. (y. ) ""
See D'Alton's History of the County
of Dublin," p. 444. The island in
is called after our national Apostle, who is
question
the children of God are alone at rest.
the world live a fevered life
Mancin mac CoUain is mentioned in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 13th of January. And, in addition to this entry, we read, as having been
;
supposed to have landed there, about a. d. 432.
'3 " Irish Ordnance Survey Records," p.
January 13. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 195
his provider of wood for the fire. He is also called St. Monachus, a priest. 3 In the Scottish Kalendars, it would seem the name of St. Mainchin has been changed into that of Mancina. This is the name of a woman,* how-
andintheDunkeld wefindMancinachclassed— the
ever, Litany among virgins
at the of we cannot find Camerarius,^ 13th January
on what authority has St. Mancina, a virgin, formerly celebrated in the Hebrides for her miraculous gifts. ? It is to be suspected he had unwit-
tingly confounded this assumed personage with the present holy man, whose place is not well known. There is a townland denomination of Cooraun,
andwidows. s Dav
in the
of of — and ofWexford parish Edermine, barony Ballaghkeen, county f
there are two Corrans in the — county
ofCavan oneinthe of
parish Temple-
—id
port, and barony of Tullyhaw the other in the parish of Killashandra, and barony of Tullyhunco ; there is another Corran in the parish of Lisnadill, barony of Upper Fews, and county of Armagh ; there is a Corran, in the parish of Dunderrow, barony of East Muskerry, and county of Cork, East
of West
Article XI. —St. Colman, Son of Tighernach. Colman is men-
tioned in the Martyrology of Tallagh,* at the 13th of January. This simple entry is somewhat amplified in a later calendar, when his descent is traced.
We have recorded in the Martyrology of Donegal,^^ on this day, Colman, son of Tighernach, son to Fearghus. He descended from the tribe of Conall Gulban, son of Niall.
Article XII. —St. Colman Cirr, of Sail-beg. Time, the destroyer of human memories and monuments, has dealt too harshly with the mortal and moral characteristics of very many among our holy ones in Ireland. Thus Colman Cirr, of Sail-beg, is only mentioned in the Martyrology of Donegal,' on this day. The place where he was venerated is not known. We find him entered, on the 13th of January, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^^ under the
while there is a Corran
in the — of
Beg, parish Kilmoe, barony
Riding
Carbery,andcountyofCork,WestRiding? allthese,however,withmany other denominations compounded with the word, are not Hkely to be identified withtheplaceherenamed. ItmustprobablybethepresentbaronyofCor- ran, in the county of Sligo, that is here meant. '"
;
simple designation of Colman Cirr. place or period.
3 See "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. iii. , cap. xcvii. , p. 167, and n. 127, p. 188.
It does not seem possible to identify his
the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland," p. 298.
9 See ibid. , p. 314.
* Inthe ' ' of Martyrology Donegal"
we
'° In this district there is a
called Kilmorgan, in a townland and parish of the same name. See "Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the County of Sligo. " Sheet 34. But it would not seem to be referable in etymology to St. Main- chinn. —
find a woman's name Mannsena, pp. 189, 321. Dr. Forbes maintains, this is an in- stance of the change of sex, as happened in the case of a well-known Irish saint, Moch- aemhoc, pronounced Mo-kee-voc, venerated at the 1 3th of March, having been converted into a St. Kevoca, an assumed virgin, com- memorated in Scotland on the same day. See his work, pp. 374 to 377.
Art. xr.
'
graveyard
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
5 See Bishop Forbes'
"
Kalendars of Scot-
p. xii. After the entry of thirteen foreign
saints, at the 13th of January, the Francis-
can copy begins the Irish list with the pre-
sent saint, simply inscribed CobmAni.
tish Saints. " Appendix to Preface, p. Ixi. ,
and p. 387.
*
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
*
David Camerarius.
Scottish Entries in the Kalendar of
14, 15. — Art. Xll.
^ See ibid. , p. 233.
Reeves, pp. 14, 15.
**
See "General Alphabetical Index to Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xii.
'
Edited by Drs. Todd and
196 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 14.
ArticleXIII. —St. Supplicius. "WTioeverthissaintwasdoesnotap- pear to have been discovered ; however, we have the simple mention of his name in the unpubHshed Martyrology of Tallagh," at this date.