^ Again, the same
scholiast
appears to have confounded the name of Cormac, with that of Mo-Critoc, although it is plain, that they were distinct persons.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
—
' See the BoUandists'
iv. , cap. xi. , p. 50.
" See " Catalogus Aliquorum Sanctoruna
Hibernice. "
^ yee " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
p. 493. —
Article xiv.
*AMS. in T. C. D. , classed B 3, 12, con-
' See Chapter x.
—;
May II. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
2Tt
A. D. 1226, will be found treated at much greater length, in the Life of St. Lau- rence O'Toole,' at the 14th of November. The present feast was celebrated, with an office of Nine Lessons. ^
eiebeutl) JBaj) of illaj)*
ARTICLE L—ST. CRIOTAN, OR CRIDANUS, CREDAN OR CREDANUS, OF AGHAVANNAGH, OR MACREDDIN, COUNTY OF WICKLOW.
[SIXTH OR SEVENTH CENTURY. ]
THE exigencies of life require, that a man ought not only to know those things which serve his interests, but he should strive to put that know- ledge acquired into practice, if he desire to succeed. It is moreover very necessary, that he learn, as a man of business, or as a professional man, or as one following some craft or calling, every detail of his life-day occupations, so as to exercise his skill and intelligence in their prosecution. In order to be useful and efficient, he must thoroughly understand his true aim, and well directhismeanstotheobjectofpursuit. But,theChristianhasmoresacred obligations towards God ; he should know his duty as a citizen and as the member of a family ; he must live in the discharge of every duty ; and, he should know, that he is destined for an immortal life hereafter, which will be one of happiness, for those who labour well and with purity of intention. From the eulogy pronounced on him, we may learn, that the present holy man bore the repute of having been faithful to the end. The Feilire of St. ^ngus ' enters My-Critoc, designated "a fair servant," at the nth of May. The name of Critan Mic Iladon is mentioned, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the nth of May. 3 The Bollandists,'* quoting this notice, call him Critanus, the son of Illudion,and they state, that he bore also the name Mochritocus, which may be Anglicized " My Chritoc. " Thus, from the early calendars, we learn, that his father was called Iladon or loUadon ; and, he was born—as appears most probable—some time in the sixth century. This we can discover, by reference to the period, when some of his contemporaries flourished. He is variedly called Criotan, Credan, Credanus, or Cridanus. , He seems to have been the disciple of that holy Briton, St. Petrock,5 or St. Petrocus,^ who fled
Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. , p. Ixxix.
"^ EditedbyRev. Dr. Kelly,p. xxiii.
3 read, in the Jn the Franciscan copy we
first instance Cimcaii niAC iLLa'ooii ; and subsequently, we find this entry, at the pre- gg^t date, lllochiMcoc i. e. Ctmcaii triAc iUa- . ^on A5UI' Ci\umchii\ Co|\iiiac A-^wy in ^^AAimj aca 1Se -^o choniAi\c oe -oiAbol cinnAf ^u i^ofpex) nenih. Ax) <\\. \em -oiAbol x>x. . . . The remainder seems to be obliterated. ••,. ••
^ See Acta Sanctorum, tomus 11. , Man xi. Among the pretermitted samts, p. 611. s His feast occurs, at the 4th of June, where his Life will be found, in the succeed-
tains, at May lOth, or Ides vi. Translatio Saiicti Laurentii Archiepiscopi Dubliniensis, ix. Lect.
i. ' In the "Leabhar Breac" Article —
copy, the text runs thus :
buAit) 1ob cerroeiMiiAC TJoiMsnelbAyo^TOA^AC riloch^MCOc cAiti muincet\ Aguf c^uimche|\ CoiMriAc.
It is thus rendered into English, by Dr. Whitley Stokes : " (The) victory of Job without oblivion, to (the) King of Clouds he was manifest. My-Critoc, a fair servant, and Priest Coimac. "— " On the Calendar of Oengus " See " Transactions of the Royal
212 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May II.
into Ireland,7 after having embraced the monastic state, in his own country. He passed over to this Island, and afterwards he applied to learning, and to the study of the Sacred Scriptures. For twenty years, he read assiduously in our Island ; but, we know not in what school or monastery he lived. It seemsprobable,however,thatit wassomewhereintheeasternpartofLein- ster. He afterwards returned to Britain, while Credan, Medan,^ and Dagan 9 left, perhaps, the Leinster provi)ice, where they had been his pupils, to receive further instruction from him. In Cornwall, St. Credan, with those other Irish youths, attended the lectures of Petrocus. '° We can scarcely doubt, that they became novices, in the religious state, under him. How long our saint re- mained, with so distinguished a master, does not appear; but, he returned to Ireland, and he probably selected a place for his religious retirement, not far
Moycreddin Cemetery, County of Wicklow.
from the district, where he was born. St. Credanus was venerated in Lein- ster, at a place called Acadh Einnech, on the nth of May, according to Colgan," who, however, does not particularly identify it. We think, there is a mistake, in the correct spelling of that local denomination. Tiie proper name of this place appears to have been Aghamanagh,'^ " the field of the monks. " ItisnowknownasAghavannagh,'^intheparishesofMoyneand
ing volume of this work.
* John Capgrave gives
Life of this
and at the I3lh of September.
'" John Leland is authority for this state-
ment.
"See " Acta Sanctorum Ilibernia:," xii.
Martii. De S. Dag. -ino, Abbate et Epis- cop. Ex vaiiis, cap. iv. , p. 585, and nn. II, 12, 13, p. 586.
" So described, on Sir William Petty's Maps.
saint.
'See John Leland's "Itineiarium,
ol.
viii. , p. 52.
' Among the Irish Saints, there is . i
Medan, sonof Fcchin, venerated at the 17th of February, and a Medan, son of Moil, at the i6th of September.
His feast occurs, at the 12th of March,
" There is a mountain, so called
;
while
—
May II. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 213
Ballinacor, and barony of Ballinacor South, in the county of Wicklow. It liescircledroundwitlislielteringhills, inahighlyromanticpartofthatmoun- tainous region. There is a cemetery, at the spot, and still greatly resorted to for interments. No trace of a church now remains ; but, the burial-ground is covered with large trees, beneath which, the graves and tombs are sheltered. '* Yet, tradition has it, that a church was formerly there, and the people have a great veneration for that place of interment. Not far removed from Augha- vannagh, are the townlands of Macreddin East and \Vest,'5 in the parish of Ballykine, barony of Ballinacor South, and county of Wicklow. Not many
—
centuries ago, this was written Moykredine '^—
evidently in English
plain of Credin. " At the present time, there is a Catholic church there, which was authorized to be placed under the patronage of St. Laurence 0'Toole. '7 It would seem, however, that Credin was formerly the local saint, and that he gave denomination to those townlands. The Martyrology of Donegal,''^ on this day, records the name of Criotan, son of loUadon ; but, the date for his death cannot be met with, in our annals. In the Irish Calen- dar—now kept in tlie Royal Irish Academy—at the nth of May, we find
mention of Criotan Mac lolladon. '^ A patriotic and distinguished prelate ^° of our country has remarked, that if there be beatified remains in foreign lands, we may find, too, the bones of martyred and sainted forefathers, whitening the soil around us. ^' In many of our almost forgotten and neglected ceme- teries—as in the present case—it seems more than likely, the relics of holy founders repose, with tliose of the faithful, for long past generations, while awaiting the final resurrection and sentence of the just.
Article II. St. Laeghair Lobhar, or Lughaire, the Leper. A notice of Laeghair Lobhar is found, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the nth of Mayfand,immediatelyprecedingit, thereisanentry,Luguir,Infirmitas. We cannot doubt, that there has been some error of transcription, or mis- placement, here, and not met with in the original document. The BoUan- dists copy from the Tallagh Martyrology, Lugarius in Fir. et Leogarius Lovar seuleprosus, as if they were distinct persons. 3 At the i6th of Marcli, when treating about St. Finan the Leper,-* Colgan indicates, in a note,^ that Luga- riusLobhar,i. e. ,kprosus,hadafeast,onthenthofMay. Wecannotfind
with it, the two townlands, Aghavannagh (Ram) and Aghavannagh (Revell) are de- scribed, on the "Ordnance Survey Town- land Maps for the County of Wicklow," sheets 22, 28, 29.
'^ Thus given in Irish characters, Ci\ioc<iti mclotlA'oon.
TM Right Rev. James Doyle.
*' See William John Fitzpatrick's "Life, Times, and Correspondence of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Doyle, Bisliopof Kildare and Leighlin,"
't The accompanying sketch, taken on the
spot by the writer, in August, 1874, was vol. ii. , p. 470. — Edited by Rev. Dr.
drawn on the wood, by William F. Wake- man. It was engraved by JNIrs. Millard.
Article ii. ' Kelly, p. xxiii.
-The Franciscan copy has Loe5AH^e
'5 These denominations are described, on
the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps tobo^A, at this date,
fortheCountyofWicklow,"sheet34.
'° See " Inquisitioues CancellariEC Hiber- nise Repertorum," Lagenia. Tempore Jacobi
I. , Dec. i8th, 1617.
'7 By Most Rev. Paul Cullen, Archbishop
of DubHn, on the 14th of November, 1864, and at the request of Rev. Richard Galvin, P. P. , of Rathdrum.
'^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, p. 124, 12^.
3See"ActaSanctorum,"tomusii. , Mali xi. However, they remark, that perhaps Lugarius and Leogarius may betaken for one and the same person. See, among the pretermitted saints, p. 611.
'See the account oi him, at the i6th of March, in the Third Volume of this work, Art. i.
s See " Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," Mar- tii xvi. De Sancto Finano, cognomento
" the
——
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May ii.
anything more distinctive regarding him. For this day, a festival in honour of Lughaire, a Leper, is set down, Ukewise, in the Martyrology of Donegal. ^
Article III. St. Fintan, or Fionntain, of Cluain Caoin, pro- bably Clonkeen, Queen's County. At the 7th of February,' we have already treated about a St. Fintan, of Clonkene, probably Kill of the Grange. The name of St. Fintan is entered, also, in the INIartyrology of Tallagh,^ at the nth of May. 3 From the same source, the Bollandists * have Fintanus de Cluain-Caoin or Chaoin. In giving the Life of St. Fintan, Abbot ot Clonenagh, Colgan s makes allusion to Fintanus Presbyter of Cluainchaoin, said to have been venerated, at the 7th of February, where he is not men- tioned, by that writer; but, he also has a festival, for the same holy man, at thenthofMay. AccordingtoArchdall,^thissaintwasconnectedwiththe ancient monastery of Clonkeen, not far distant from Clonenagh, in the Queen'sCounty. However,wherethatauthorreferstoColgan,forsubstan- tiation of his opinion, his reference is not verified. Although, we seem to have no warrant for Archdall's identification of this Cluain Caoin with the Queen's County Clonkeen yet, his statement is probably correct, as Fintan
;
was, and even yet is, a name much venerated, and abounding in its neigh- bourhood. Venerationwasgiven,onthisday,toFionntain,ofCluaincaoin, as we find entered, also, in the Martyrology of Donegal. 7
Article IV. —Sr, Cormac, Priest, of Achadh Finnigh, on the Dodder,CountyofDublin. Variousconjectureshavebeenthrownout, to derive the name of this saint, by the scholiast on St. ^ngus. That writer seems to have thought, he had been either Conmac,' or Cormac.
^ Again, the same scholiast appears to have confounded the name of Cormac, with that of Mo-Critoc, although it is plain, that they were distinct persons. The pious servant of Christ, St. Cormac, must have flourished, at a very early period, as we find from an entry, in the Calendar of St. Oengus,3 at the nth of May, where his ecclesiastical rank is also announced. Of this saint, we only know, that he had been a Priest. His memory appears to have been venerated, chieflyataplacecalledAchadh-Finnigh. Thisissaidtohavebeennearthe River Dothra,^ supposed to be the present River Dodder, by a learned authority. 5 Itisplaced,byacommentatoronSt. ^ngus,inHui-Donnchada,
214
Leproso, n. 2, p. 628.
' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
124, 125. — Article hi.
. i. nu\c con . 1. \xo clion aLI. c<m ]\o-oiipiAl,- C|\«ini, which is thus Englished, by Dr. \Vhiiley Stokes, "Or Conmac, i. e , son of a hound, ? >. , a she-wolf nurtured him. "
° On this name, the commentator writes : Co|\mAC . 1. coemfeixee . 1. a me [cibi] ec a re 1111I11. tiel 00^x111 oic . 1. nuvc ^xuca-o hiCA]\- puc. mine •oi. \ic. pi^ut^' -oicobACuiv. net Copnuvc . 1. ^'iluii' co]\t)i]' ii-icei\pi\ecAru]\. It is thus rendered, by Dr. Whitley Stokes : "Cormac i. e. , mutual (? ) love from me to thee and from thee to me. Or Cormac i. e. , child (mat) that was l)orn in a chariot. " "Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca- demy," Irish Manuscript . Scries, vol. i. ,
In the Second Volume of this work, Art. xi.
'
' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxiii.
3 Tiie Franciscan copy enters pncAin CbuAin Caiii.
* . See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. Mail xi. Among tlie pretermitted saints, p. 6n.
5 See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernire," Feb- ruarii xvii. Appendix ad Vitam S. Fintani, cap. i, p. 355.
* See " Slonaslicon Ilibernicum," p.
part i. ' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, Ixxxv.
On the Calendar of Oengus, p.
593.
pp. 124, 125.
Article iv. — ' lie writes
:
3 Edited by Dr. Whitley Stokes. See no ConmAC "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy,"
following legend is thus found inserted
'' in Arainn ata Ise ro imcomairce do diabol cinnas ro seisedh nemh. Ad quem Diabolus
:
—
May II. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
ill the west—rather should it be the east—of Leinster. ^ Such, however, is not a correct statement, according to another opinion. In the Rev. Dr. Kelly's edition of the Tallagh Martyrology, we find the feast of " Cormaic in Achadh Finnmaighi " placed, at the v. of the Ides, or at the nth of May. ? In a suc- ceeding page, Achadh Finnmaigh is identified, by the editor, with Finmoy, in Iveagh, county of Down f but, this may be regarded as a mistaken identifica- tion. 9 On the authority of tlie Tallagh Martyrology, the BoUandists '° insert a notice of him, in like manner, at this date. Colgan " thought Achadh- Finnigh to have been situated in the province of Leinster. " He has offered a conjecture, likewise, that the present Cormac may not be different from that son to the King of South Leinster, who seems to have studied at Clonenagh, under St. Fintan,'3 and who was afterwards kept a close prisoner by the King of North Leinster, until released, through the intercession of the holy Abbot. Then, he lived for a long time in the kingdom of Leinster, before he became a monk, under St. Comgall, Abbot of Bangor. ^ Here he died, in the odour of sanctity. 'S But, as we have already seen,'^ his place in Leinster was else- where,noris thereanyaccountofthatCormachavingbeenconnectedwith Achadh Finnigh. Tlie Ui-Dunchadha were a tribe, seated in that district of Dublin County, through which the River Dothair, now the Dodder, flows. '? This tribe descended from Dunchadh,'^ grandson of Bran Mut, the common ancester of the Leinster O'Byrnes and O'Tooles. There was another Ui-Donnchadha, or O'Donaghue territory, in Ireland; but, its situation has not been ascertained. '9 The Dodder has its source among the Mountains nearKippnre,inthesouthernpartofDublinCounty. Severalsmallstreams unite their branches, in the romantic valley of Glenismole, whence the River
vol. i. , part i. , p. Ixxix.
• Dothair (fern. ) Dothia.
5 See " teAbliA^A ha 5-CeAy\c, or Book of
Rights," edited by John O'Donovan, p. I2, n. (f).
* See Dr. Whitley Stokes, on the Calen- dar of Oengus. "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. , p. Ixxxv.
^ In the Fransciscan copy, we find, Co|\- 111AC111 <\c1nro pn'omiiji.
* See " Calendar of Irish Saints," &c. , pp. xxiii. and 9.
9 There appearsa second entry of Mocritoc or Critan Mac Illadon, and of Crumlhir Cormac, at the same day, and afterwards, ni the published Martyrology of Tallagh, the
dixit. Diamba Cieirech nirbat irach. " Ibid. , p. xxiv.
'» See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. . Mail xi. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 611.
" See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," xvii. Februarii. Appendix ad Vitam S. Cormaci, cap. i. , p. 360.
'^ He writes : " S. Cormacus Prsesbyter de Acahdh-finnigh juxta fluvium Dothra, in Lagenia II. Mail.
'3 See his Life, in the Second Volume of this work, at the 17th of February, Art. i.
''» SeetheBoUandists'"ActaSanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Maiix. De SanctoComgalloAbbate Benchorensi in Hibernia. Vita ex MS. an- tiquo et editione Sirini, cap. iii. , num. ^^
586, 587.
'S SeeColgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nii-e," Februarii xvii. Vita S. Fintani Abbatis de Cluain-Edaech, cap. xviii. , and n. 19, pp. 352, 354-
'^ See his Life, at the day preceding, Art. i. , chap,iv.
'7 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Leabhar na g-Ceart, or Book of Ri^jhts," n. (f), p. 12.
'* According to another account, Dun- cuan, son of Tuatal, prince of I'Mureday, lived about a. d. iooo, the period when patronymics had been adopted in Ireland, "suivant I'invitation du roi Brian Borouma. " This Duncuan is said to have adopted first the name of Ua-Tuatal, or O'Toole. descendants formerent le clan ou la Tribu des O'Toole, laquelle aveccelle des O'Byrne, s'est particulierement illustree par sa con- stance dans la lutte contre la race Anglaise pendent 400 ans, quoique son territoire fut situe pour ainsi dire a—ux portes de Dublin, capitale de I'ennemi. " " Les O'Toole," &c. Extrait des collections Nationales Ireland- aises de Charles-Denis Cte. O'Kelly-Farrell, p. I, Folio, La Reole, 1S64.
'9 See Dr. O'Donovan's edition of " Topo- graphical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Coilla na Naomh O'lluidhrinn," pp. 72, 73, and n. 355, p. xlvi.
*°JohnD'Altonthusdescribesthecourse
»i5
40, pp.
"Ses
2l6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May II.
has its main issue, over a rock-impeded course,='° on towards Templeogue and Rathfarnham, until winding round Dublin city, it takes a north-easterly course, beforeitjoinstheLiffey,atRingsend. ''' ThechurchofAchadh-Finche"was situated on the Dodder's brink, as a gloss on the Feilire-Aenguis, at this day, slates. ^3 Cill IMochritoc appears to have been another name, for the same church. ^* That place has been clearly indicated, by the compiler of that Irish
View of the River Dodder, County Dublin.
Calendar,^5 now preserved in the Royal Irish Academy, at the nth of May, when uniting this saint's name and festival, with those of Criotan Mac lolladon. According to the Calendar of Cashel, St. Cormac rests in an Island of Tyrconnell, called Inis-Caoil. ^^ This Island, near the mouth of Gweebarra
of this river. "Its early character is wild =•' See Dr. O'Donovan's "Topographical and boisterous, foaming amidst rocks, and Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na usually swelled by mountain floods and Naonih O'Huidhrinn," n. 59, p. xiv.
showers; the close of its course, however, is gentle even to sluggishness. "—" History of the County of Dublin," Ninth Excursion, p. 847.
-5 In it, we have the following entry, Co|\- r»u\c Saj;ai\c. 111 <Xch<i-o V'^^'S r<Jl^ ^r^ Doc]\A muib •ouiicAt)A.
' See the BoUandists'
iv. , cap. xi. , p. 50.
" See " Catalogus Aliquorum Sanctoruna
Hibernice. "
^ yee " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
p. 493. —
Article xiv.
*AMS. in T. C. D. , classed B 3, 12, con-
' See Chapter x.
—;
May II. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
2Tt
A. D. 1226, will be found treated at much greater length, in the Life of St. Lau- rence O'Toole,' at the 14th of November. The present feast was celebrated, with an office of Nine Lessons. ^
eiebeutl) JBaj) of illaj)*
ARTICLE L—ST. CRIOTAN, OR CRIDANUS, CREDAN OR CREDANUS, OF AGHAVANNAGH, OR MACREDDIN, COUNTY OF WICKLOW.
[SIXTH OR SEVENTH CENTURY. ]
THE exigencies of life require, that a man ought not only to know those things which serve his interests, but he should strive to put that know- ledge acquired into practice, if he desire to succeed. It is moreover very necessary, that he learn, as a man of business, or as a professional man, or as one following some craft or calling, every detail of his life-day occupations, so as to exercise his skill and intelligence in their prosecution. In order to be useful and efficient, he must thoroughly understand his true aim, and well directhismeanstotheobjectofpursuit. But,theChristianhasmoresacred obligations towards God ; he should know his duty as a citizen and as the member of a family ; he must live in the discharge of every duty ; and, he should know, that he is destined for an immortal life hereafter, which will be one of happiness, for those who labour well and with purity of intention. From the eulogy pronounced on him, we may learn, that the present holy man bore the repute of having been faithful to the end. The Feilire of St. ^ngus ' enters My-Critoc, designated "a fair servant," at the nth of May. The name of Critan Mic Iladon is mentioned, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the nth of May. 3 The Bollandists,'* quoting this notice, call him Critanus, the son of Illudion,and they state, that he bore also the name Mochritocus, which may be Anglicized " My Chritoc. " Thus, from the early calendars, we learn, that his father was called Iladon or loUadon ; and, he was born—as appears most probable—some time in the sixth century. This we can discover, by reference to the period, when some of his contemporaries flourished. He is variedly called Criotan, Credan, Credanus, or Cridanus. , He seems to have been the disciple of that holy Briton, St. Petrock,5 or St. Petrocus,^ who fled
Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. , p. Ixxix.
"^ EditedbyRev. Dr. Kelly,p. xxiii.
3 read, in the Jn the Franciscan copy we
first instance Cimcaii niAC iLLa'ooii ; and subsequently, we find this entry, at the pre- gg^t date, lllochiMcoc i. e. Ctmcaii triAc iUa- . ^on A5UI' Ci\umchii\ Co|\iiiac A-^wy in ^^AAimj aca 1Se -^o choniAi\c oe -oiAbol cinnAf ^u i^ofpex) nenih. Ax) <\\. \em -oiAbol x>x. . . . The remainder seems to be obliterated. ••,. ••
^ See Acta Sanctorum, tomus 11. , Man xi. Among the pretermitted samts, p. 611. s His feast occurs, at the 4th of June, where his Life will be found, in the succeed-
tains, at May lOth, or Ides vi. Translatio Saiicti Laurentii Archiepiscopi Dubliniensis, ix. Lect.
i. ' In the "Leabhar Breac" Article —
copy, the text runs thus :
buAit) 1ob cerroeiMiiAC TJoiMsnelbAyo^TOA^AC riloch^MCOc cAiti muincet\ Aguf c^uimche|\ CoiMriAc.
It is thus rendered into English, by Dr. Whitley Stokes : " (The) victory of Job without oblivion, to (the) King of Clouds he was manifest. My-Critoc, a fair servant, and Priest Coimac. "— " On the Calendar of Oengus " See " Transactions of the Royal
212 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May II.
into Ireland,7 after having embraced the monastic state, in his own country. He passed over to this Island, and afterwards he applied to learning, and to the study of the Sacred Scriptures. For twenty years, he read assiduously in our Island ; but, we know not in what school or monastery he lived. It seemsprobable,however,thatit wassomewhereintheeasternpartofLein- ster. He afterwards returned to Britain, while Credan, Medan,^ and Dagan 9 left, perhaps, the Leinster provi)ice, where they had been his pupils, to receive further instruction from him. In Cornwall, St. Credan, with those other Irish youths, attended the lectures of Petrocus. '° We can scarcely doubt, that they became novices, in the religious state, under him. How long our saint re- mained, with so distinguished a master, does not appear; but, he returned to Ireland, and he probably selected a place for his religious retirement, not far
Moycreddin Cemetery, County of Wicklow.
from the district, where he was born. St. Credanus was venerated in Lein- ster, at a place called Acadh Einnech, on the nth of May, according to Colgan," who, however, does not particularly identify it. We think, there is a mistake, in the correct spelling of that local denomination. Tiie proper name of this place appears to have been Aghamanagh,'^ " the field of the monks. " ItisnowknownasAghavannagh,'^intheparishesofMoyneand
ing volume of this work.
* John Capgrave gives
Life of this
and at the I3lh of September.
'" John Leland is authority for this state-
ment.
"See " Acta Sanctorum Ilibernia:," xii.
Martii. De S. Dag. -ino, Abbate et Epis- cop. Ex vaiiis, cap. iv. , p. 585, and nn. II, 12, 13, p. 586.
" So described, on Sir William Petty's Maps.
saint.
'See John Leland's "Itineiarium,
ol.
viii. , p. 52.
' Among the Irish Saints, there is . i
Medan, sonof Fcchin, venerated at the 17th of February, and a Medan, son of Moil, at the i6th of September.
His feast occurs, at the 12th of March,
" There is a mountain, so called
;
while
—
May II. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 213
Ballinacor, and barony of Ballinacor South, in the county of Wicklow. It liescircledroundwitlislielteringhills, inahighlyromanticpartofthatmoun- tainous region. There is a cemetery, at the spot, and still greatly resorted to for interments. No trace of a church now remains ; but, the burial-ground is covered with large trees, beneath which, the graves and tombs are sheltered. '* Yet, tradition has it, that a church was formerly there, and the people have a great veneration for that place of interment. Not far removed from Augha- vannagh, are the townlands of Macreddin East and \Vest,'5 in the parish of Ballykine, barony of Ballinacor South, and county of Wicklow. Not many
—
centuries ago, this was written Moykredine '^—
evidently in English
plain of Credin. " At the present time, there is a Catholic church there, which was authorized to be placed under the patronage of St. Laurence 0'Toole. '7 It would seem, however, that Credin was formerly the local saint, and that he gave denomination to those townlands. The Martyrology of Donegal,''^ on this day, records the name of Criotan, son of loUadon ; but, the date for his death cannot be met with, in our annals. In the Irish Calen- dar—now kept in tlie Royal Irish Academy—at the nth of May, we find
mention of Criotan Mac lolladon. '^ A patriotic and distinguished prelate ^° of our country has remarked, that if there be beatified remains in foreign lands, we may find, too, the bones of martyred and sainted forefathers, whitening the soil around us. ^' In many of our almost forgotten and neglected ceme- teries—as in the present case—it seems more than likely, the relics of holy founders repose, with tliose of the faithful, for long past generations, while awaiting the final resurrection and sentence of the just.
Article II. St. Laeghair Lobhar, or Lughaire, the Leper. A notice of Laeghair Lobhar is found, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the nth of Mayfand,immediatelyprecedingit, thereisanentry,Luguir,Infirmitas. We cannot doubt, that there has been some error of transcription, or mis- placement, here, and not met with in the original document. The BoUan- dists copy from the Tallagh Martyrology, Lugarius in Fir. et Leogarius Lovar seuleprosus, as if they were distinct persons. 3 At the i6th of Marcli, when treating about St. Finan the Leper,-* Colgan indicates, in a note,^ that Luga- riusLobhar,i. e. ,kprosus,hadafeast,onthenthofMay. Wecannotfind
with it, the two townlands, Aghavannagh (Ram) and Aghavannagh (Revell) are de- scribed, on the "Ordnance Survey Town- land Maps for the County of Wicklow," sheets 22, 28, 29.
'^ Thus given in Irish characters, Ci\ioc<iti mclotlA'oon.
TM Right Rev. James Doyle.
*' See William John Fitzpatrick's "Life, Times, and Correspondence of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Doyle, Bisliopof Kildare and Leighlin,"
't The accompanying sketch, taken on the
spot by the writer, in August, 1874, was vol. ii. , p. 470. — Edited by Rev. Dr.
drawn on the wood, by William F. Wake- man. It was engraved by JNIrs. Millard.
Article ii. ' Kelly, p. xxiii.
-The Franciscan copy has Loe5AH^e
'5 These denominations are described, on
the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps tobo^A, at this date,
fortheCountyofWicklow,"sheet34.
'° See " Inquisitioues CancellariEC Hiber- nise Repertorum," Lagenia. Tempore Jacobi
I. , Dec. i8th, 1617.
'7 By Most Rev. Paul Cullen, Archbishop
of DubHn, on the 14th of November, 1864, and at the request of Rev. Richard Galvin, P. P. , of Rathdrum.
'^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, p. 124, 12^.
3See"ActaSanctorum,"tomusii. , Mali xi. However, they remark, that perhaps Lugarius and Leogarius may betaken for one and the same person. See, among the pretermitted saints, p. 611.
'See the account oi him, at the i6th of March, in the Third Volume of this work, Art. i.
s See " Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," Mar- tii xvi. De Sancto Finano, cognomento
" the
——
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May ii.
anything more distinctive regarding him. For this day, a festival in honour of Lughaire, a Leper, is set down, Ukewise, in the Martyrology of Donegal. ^
Article III. St. Fintan, or Fionntain, of Cluain Caoin, pro- bably Clonkeen, Queen's County. At the 7th of February,' we have already treated about a St. Fintan, of Clonkene, probably Kill of the Grange. The name of St. Fintan is entered, also, in the INIartyrology of Tallagh,^ at the nth of May. 3 From the same source, the Bollandists * have Fintanus de Cluain-Caoin or Chaoin. In giving the Life of St. Fintan, Abbot ot Clonenagh, Colgan s makes allusion to Fintanus Presbyter of Cluainchaoin, said to have been venerated, at the 7th of February, where he is not men- tioned, by that writer; but, he also has a festival, for the same holy man, at thenthofMay. AccordingtoArchdall,^thissaintwasconnectedwiththe ancient monastery of Clonkeen, not far distant from Clonenagh, in the Queen'sCounty. However,wherethatauthorreferstoColgan,forsubstan- tiation of his opinion, his reference is not verified. Although, we seem to have no warrant for Archdall's identification of this Cluain Caoin with the Queen's County Clonkeen yet, his statement is probably correct, as Fintan
;
was, and even yet is, a name much venerated, and abounding in its neigh- bourhood. Venerationwasgiven,onthisday,toFionntain,ofCluaincaoin, as we find entered, also, in the Martyrology of Donegal. 7
Article IV. —Sr, Cormac, Priest, of Achadh Finnigh, on the Dodder,CountyofDublin. Variousconjectureshavebeenthrownout, to derive the name of this saint, by the scholiast on St. ^ngus. That writer seems to have thought, he had been either Conmac,' or Cormac.
^ Again, the same scholiast appears to have confounded the name of Cormac, with that of Mo-Critoc, although it is plain, that they were distinct persons. The pious servant of Christ, St. Cormac, must have flourished, at a very early period, as we find from an entry, in the Calendar of St. Oengus,3 at the nth of May, where his ecclesiastical rank is also announced. Of this saint, we only know, that he had been a Priest. His memory appears to have been venerated, chieflyataplacecalledAchadh-Finnigh. Thisissaidtohavebeennearthe River Dothra,^ supposed to be the present River Dodder, by a learned authority. 5 Itisplaced,byacommentatoronSt. ^ngus,inHui-Donnchada,
214
Leproso, n. 2, p. 628.
' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
124, 125. — Article hi.
. i. nu\c con . 1. \xo clion aLI. c<m ]\o-oiipiAl,- C|\«ini, which is thus Englished, by Dr. \Vhiiley Stokes, "Or Conmac, i. e , son of a hound, ? >. , a she-wolf nurtured him. "
° On this name, the commentator writes : Co|\mAC . 1. coemfeixee . 1. a me [cibi] ec a re 1111I11. tiel 00^x111 oic . 1. nuvc ^xuca-o hiCA]\- puc. mine •oi. \ic. pi^ut^' -oicobACuiv. net Copnuvc . 1. ^'iluii' co]\t)i]' ii-icei\pi\ecAru]\. It is thus rendered, by Dr. Whitley Stokes : "Cormac i. e. , mutual (? ) love from me to thee and from thee to me. Or Cormac i. e. , child (mat) that was l)orn in a chariot. " "Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca- demy," Irish Manuscript . Scries, vol. i. ,
In the Second Volume of this work, Art. xi.
'
' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxiii.
3 Tiie Franciscan copy enters pncAin CbuAin Caiii.
* . See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. Mail xi. Among tlie pretermitted saints, p. 6n.
5 See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernire," Feb- ruarii xvii. Appendix ad Vitam S. Fintani, cap. i, p. 355.
* See " Slonaslicon Ilibernicum," p.
part i. ' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, Ixxxv.
On the Calendar of Oengus, p.
593.
pp. 124, 125.
Article iv. — ' lie writes
:
3 Edited by Dr. Whitley Stokes. See no ConmAC "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy,"
following legend is thus found inserted
'' in Arainn ata Ise ro imcomairce do diabol cinnas ro seisedh nemh. Ad quem Diabolus
:
—
May II. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
ill the west—rather should it be the east—of Leinster. ^ Such, however, is not a correct statement, according to another opinion. In the Rev. Dr. Kelly's edition of the Tallagh Martyrology, we find the feast of " Cormaic in Achadh Finnmaighi " placed, at the v. of the Ides, or at the nth of May. ? In a suc- ceeding page, Achadh Finnmaigh is identified, by the editor, with Finmoy, in Iveagh, county of Down f but, this may be regarded as a mistaken identifica- tion. 9 On the authority of tlie Tallagh Martyrology, the BoUandists '° insert a notice of him, in like manner, at this date. Colgan " thought Achadh- Finnigh to have been situated in the province of Leinster. " He has offered a conjecture, likewise, that the present Cormac may not be different from that son to the King of South Leinster, who seems to have studied at Clonenagh, under St. Fintan,'3 and who was afterwards kept a close prisoner by the King of North Leinster, until released, through the intercession of the holy Abbot. Then, he lived for a long time in the kingdom of Leinster, before he became a monk, under St. Comgall, Abbot of Bangor. ^ Here he died, in the odour of sanctity. 'S But, as we have already seen,'^ his place in Leinster was else- where,noris thereanyaccountofthatCormachavingbeenconnectedwith Achadh Finnigh. Tlie Ui-Dunchadha were a tribe, seated in that district of Dublin County, through which the River Dothair, now the Dodder, flows. '? This tribe descended from Dunchadh,'^ grandson of Bran Mut, the common ancester of the Leinster O'Byrnes and O'Tooles. There was another Ui-Donnchadha, or O'Donaghue territory, in Ireland; but, its situation has not been ascertained. '9 The Dodder has its source among the Mountains nearKippnre,inthesouthernpartofDublinCounty. Severalsmallstreams unite their branches, in the romantic valley of Glenismole, whence the River
vol. i. , part i. , p. Ixxix.
• Dothair (fern. ) Dothia.
5 See " teAbliA^A ha 5-CeAy\c, or Book of
Rights," edited by John O'Donovan, p. I2, n. (f).
* See Dr. Whitley Stokes, on the Calen- dar of Oengus. "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. , p. Ixxxv.
^ In the Fransciscan copy, we find, Co|\- 111AC111 <\c1nro pn'omiiji.
* See " Calendar of Irish Saints," &c. , pp. xxiii. and 9.
9 There appearsa second entry of Mocritoc or Critan Mac Illadon, and of Crumlhir Cormac, at the same day, and afterwards, ni the published Martyrology of Tallagh, the
dixit. Diamba Cieirech nirbat irach. " Ibid. , p. xxiv.
'» See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. . Mail xi. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 611.
" See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," xvii. Februarii. Appendix ad Vitam S. Cormaci, cap. i. , p. 360.
'^ He writes : " S. Cormacus Prsesbyter de Acahdh-finnigh juxta fluvium Dothra, in Lagenia II. Mail.
'3 See his Life, in the Second Volume of this work, at the 17th of February, Art. i.
''» SeetheBoUandists'"ActaSanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Maiix. De SanctoComgalloAbbate Benchorensi in Hibernia. Vita ex MS. an- tiquo et editione Sirini, cap. iii. , num. ^^
586, 587.
'S SeeColgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nii-e," Februarii xvii. Vita S. Fintani Abbatis de Cluain-Edaech, cap. xviii. , and n. 19, pp. 352, 354-
'^ See his Life, at the day preceding, Art. i. , chap,iv.
'7 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Leabhar na g-Ceart, or Book of Ri^jhts," n. (f), p. 12.
'* According to another account, Dun- cuan, son of Tuatal, prince of I'Mureday, lived about a. d. iooo, the period when patronymics had been adopted in Ireland, "suivant I'invitation du roi Brian Borouma. " This Duncuan is said to have adopted first the name of Ua-Tuatal, or O'Toole. descendants formerent le clan ou la Tribu des O'Toole, laquelle aveccelle des O'Byrne, s'est particulierement illustree par sa con- stance dans la lutte contre la race Anglaise pendent 400 ans, quoique son territoire fut situe pour ainsi dire a—ux portes de Dublin, capitale de I'ennemi. " " Les O'Toole," &c. Extrait des collections Nationales Ireland- aises de Charles-Denis Cte. O'Kelly-Farrell, p. I, Folio, La Reole, 1S64.
'9 See Dr. O'Donovan's edition of " Topo- graphical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Coilla na Naomh O'lluidhrinn," pp. 72, 73, and n. 355, p. xlvi.
*°JohnD'Altonthusdescribesthecourse
»i5
40, pp.
"Ses
2l6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May II.
has its main issue, over a rock-impeded course,='° on towards Templeogue and Rathfarnham, until winding round Dublin city, it takes a north-easterly course, beforeitjoinstheLiffey,atRingsend. ''' ThechurchofAchadh-Finche"was situated on the Dodder's brink, as a gloss on the Feilire-Aenguis, at this day, slates. ^3 Cill IMochritoc appears to have been another name, for the same church. ^* That place has been clearly indicated, by the compiler of that Irish
View of the River Dodder, County Dublin.
Calendar,^5 now preserved in the Royal Irish Academy, at the nth of May, when uniting this saint's name and festival, with those of Criotan Mac lolladon. According to the Calendar of Cashel, St. Cormac rests in an Island of Tyrconnell, called Inis-Caoil. ^^ This Island, near the mouth of Gweebarra
of this river. "Its early character is wild =•' See Dr. O'Donovan's "Topographical and boisterous, foaming amidst rocks, and Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na usually swelled by mountain floods and Naonih O'Huidhrinn," n. 59, p. xiv.
showers; the close of its course, however, is gentle even to sluggishness. "—" History of the County of Dublin," Ninth Excursion, p. 847.
-5 In it, we have the following entry, Co|\- r»u\c Saj;ai\c. 111 <Xch<i-o V'^^'S r<Jl^ ^r^ Doc]\A muib •ouiicAt)A.
