In any event, his
arguments
are quite inconclusive to establish an inference, that Conlaeth was both bishop and abbot, while at Kildare.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
m.
3619to 3649.
' It must be acknowledged, however, that some serious chronological and genealogical difficulties seem to interpose, in connecting St.
Brigid ^ as a collateral relation and contemporary of St.
Conleth.
We find this latter saint the twenty-fifth in descent from Ugaine Mor, if indeed—according to Irish Manuscripts quoted—he be not even the thirty-sixth in a line-genera-
tion ; while, St. Brigid's branch of pedigree was the thirty-first, according to O'Flaherty's reduction, or the thirty-filth, according to Colgan,3 from the same common ancestor. This uncertainity of calculation is set forth by our writers, who have specially dealt with the intricacies of old Irish pedigrees. '*
It has been very satisfactorily shown, that the goldsmith's and lapidary's art had been brought to great perfection, at a very early period, in Ireland. ^ Indua, St. Conleth, had probably been a worker in metals before his religious
5* Speaking of St. Brigid, the First Life says ;
Quot patravit miracula
Non est qui plene possit referre : Benedixit paramenia sacra Conlaido QuK ex Italia attulit.
Quando erant ei necessaria
Ejus filius ate earn fecit rem perfaus-
tam
Attulit ilia paramenia varicolari
QuK posuit in curru duarum rotarum.
—Ibid. , Vita Prima S. Brigidse, sect. 40, 41,
^ From the scholiast on the Feihre of St.
/Engus, the late learned Irisli scholar, O'Beirne Crowe, A. B. , has furnished tlie following translation of his pedigree : " That is Candla, son of Cormac, son of Aengus, son of Echa, son of Setne, son of Fotha, son of Echa Lam-Derg, son of Mesincorb. "
^ See her family descent in "Trias Thau- maturga. " Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigitix," cap. 2, p. 613.
^ See Very Rev. James Henthorn Todd's " Life of St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland. " Appendix A. , Tables iv. , v. , pp. 252, 253.
= At the earliest period, St. Patrick is said to have had no less than three artis's, belong- ing to his household, besides embroiderers and smiths. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals
p. 517. — Chapter II.
' See O'Flaherty's " Ogy- gia," pars, iii. , cap. xxxviii. , pp. 260, 261.
J.
May 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
79
retirement, for he was distinguished as St. Brigid's " chief artificer,"^ accord- ing to a gloss on the FeiHre-^ngus. The word Indua denotes an artist in gold, silver, and other metals. In Irish ecclesiastical records, another famous artist,namedConln,isalsomentioned. 7 Butheisnottobeconfoundedwith St. Conleth of Kildare. We may probably infer, that the latter lashioned many useful and ornamental objects for ecclesiastical purposes. Among these, chalices of gold, or silver, church vessels, and shrines for holy relics, may probably be included. In fictile as in pictorial art, a high degree of ex- cellence our early Christian artists must have attained; not alone from acquaintance with works of art on the Continent, but even from actual recorded accounts and surviving specimens of iheir proficiency reached at home. *^ Ancient Irish ecclesiastics of the highest rank considered it a suitable occu- pation, to work as artificers in the manufacture of reliquaries, shrines, pastoral staffs or croziers, bells, covers for sacred books, and other ornaments, suit- able for churches and for their minsters. Several beautiful specimens of art are
still preserved, and many of these are the works of ecclesiastics, belonging to centuries preceding the English invasion of Ireland. Many other speci- mens appear to have been destroyed, and melted down by the Danes, who re- morselesslyplunderedchurchesandmonasteriesoftheirvaluables. 9 Especially, they seized altar ornaments and vessels, formed from the precious metals. '°
It is likely, St. Conlaeth's chief place of residence was at Old Con- nellj" and thence, his reputation for sanctity became so widely diffused, that he had not only the approbation of St. Brigid, but even the petitions of the people, concurring in his election to the episcopal dignity. '^ Were we to admit his relationship with the holy abbess, it seems probable enough, he
was known to her from early youth. His near residence also warrants the assumption, that he had visited Brigid, long before the incidental relation to be met with in her Acts had originated. Still there are vestiges of a very remote period, near the spot he had selected for a home, which formerly had been called Condail of the Kings. '3
of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 134 to 141, and nn. , ibid.
Great Connell, on which are some interest- ing ruins of the monastery—which had been founded by Lord Meyler Fitz Henry, who died a. d. 1220, and who was there buried,
* In a table, subjoined to the " Martyr-
ology of Donegal," he is termed, "brazier
of Jirigid, first bishop of Cilldara, and See Jacobi Grace, Kilkenniensis, " Annales archbishop also. " See, also, /^/if. , pp. 388, 389. Hibernice," pp. 28, 29. Edition by Rev.
7 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Richard Butler, M. R. I. A.
Prince O'Donnell, in the Vita Quinta S. Columbre, hb. i. , cap. xcix. , p. 405.
'- This the Italian " Breviarium Gienen-
See Colgan's " Trias Thaumaturga," Appendix on the mechanical and liberal arts, as prac- Prima ad Acta S. Brigidas, p. 601.
^ The Rev. Dr. C. O'Conor's dissertations
tised in Ireland, are not the least interesting, among the valuable comments annexed to his edited works. See " Rerum Hibernica- rum Scriptores,"voliv. Annales Ultonienses, Annotationes, ad ssec. viii. , i^p. 134 to 172.
9 Here there is a mine of information to be developed, and worthy the most accom- plished antiquary's serious and fuller inves- ligation.
'° See Dr. Todd's "Life of St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland. " Introductory Disserta- tion, p. 26.
All of the foregoing townlands are now included within Great Connell parish. Several years ago, while Mr. Flood, ofNewhall, and Mr. Duggan, of Ladytown, were engaged in walling in the cemetery at their own ex- pense, several fragments of sculptured figures were exhumed, and piously re-erected. After- wards, brick and stone were taken from it, while Colonel Gray was engaged in building Conall-More Lodge. These exhibited here and there specimens of tesselated tihng, almost unknown in modern architecture. See The Leinster Independatt, of Satur-
" On the right bank of the Liffey are
these various townlands: first, that of Old day, February 24th, 1872.
Connell, on which was the site of the oldest church, near Old Connell house; secondly, Little Connell, in which nothing of antiqua- rian interest can be met with ; and thirdly,
'3 xhus identified, at n. (k), by Dr.
O'Donovan, in the "Three Fragments of Annals," p. 44.
Not far removed from the site of Old
sis" states, in its Second Lection.
—
8o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 3.
Connell burial ground, an ancient artificial mound, and rising to considerable altitude, may yet be seen ; some large trees grow on its sides and summit. ''* It is rather remarkable, that many similar elevations may still be found, near the site of our most ancient religious establishments ; nor are instances want- ing, in that extent of country, not far removed from theplace. 's However, it seems possible enough, that many, if not most, of those ancient tumuli are pre-Christian.
In the time, and with the approval of St. Brigid herself, as Colgan supposes, there v. 'ere tlnee distinct ecclesiastical jurisdictions estab- lished within the city of Kildare—viz. , those of Bishop, of Abbot, and of
Moat at Old Connell, County of Kiklaie.
Abbess. Hethinks,thatthiscanbeproved,fromanarchitecturaldescrip- tion,'^ regarding the church of Kildare, pointing out its divisions, and the uses for which each compartment had been destined. It would seem, that while there was but one monastery tliere, monks and nuns lived in it, although effectually separated by a wall or an enclosure, as well in the church, as in the house. '7 To the former, it is noticed, that thebisliop, with liisbaud of regu- lars, entered from the east, and through a door at tiie right. The abbess, with her nuns, approached by another door, at the left side of the cathedral. '^
' The accompanying representation was formed a much wider line of separation. sketched on the spot, by the writer, in See Dr. Lanigan's " Ecclesiastical History August, 1883. It has been transferred to of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, xvi. , n. 141, the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and it p. 414.
was engraved, by Mrs. Millard. '* Colgan add : " Pr? eterea quia utrumque '5 It is sufficient to mention Clonenagh, sexum ordinis S. Brigidse, seu Biigittse,
and At^haboe.
'" Wiiich is given by Cogitosus.
'' Colgan imagined that both habitations
were separated merely by a wall ; but the church—and a very large one it was
Suecic in codem Cxnobio commorari vide- mus : non est enim vero absimile hanc sanc- tam feminam ordinem suum instituisse ad imitationem S. Brigida; noslnr, cujus et no- men prsetulit et virtutes in multis aliis imi-
May 3 ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
It has been remarked,'? that a question may be raised—if the abbot witli liis monks Avere subject to the Abbess of Kildare, from the time of St. Brigid's death, and for many subsequent years ? The affirmative, Colgan deems pro- bable, because St. Conlaeth, whom he supposes first superior over a com- munity of monks at Kildare, ^° had been subject to St. Brigid, the first abbess
; and because, in the order of St. Brigid of Sweden, which he imagines to have been framed on the rules of St. Brigid of Kildare's religious institute, the abbess had jurisdiction over the abbot, governing communities of men. Col- gan adduces various reasons, to establish his supposition, that the Bishop of Kildare united episcopal and abbatial functions in his own person, during the primitive times of that See. He says, first, from Cogitosus and from other writers of St. Brigid's Acts, it can be shown, that St. Conlaeth, first Arch- bishop of Kildare, presided over a community of monks ; secondly, there seem to have been both bishops and abbots of Kildare, within the same city
and monastery ; and, thirdly, he states, our ancient writers call the bishops of the place abbots. These reasons, however, he submits under doubt. In pursuance of this train of argument, he remarks, that the Abbot of Armagh, or in other words, the Archbishop of that See, is placed foremost among all persons,^' whether ecclesiastical or secular, who were exempt from royal exac- tions, contributions, and other burthens, according to the constitutions of the kingdom of Ireland. If he were only simply an abbot, there would be no reason, argues Colgan, why he should have precedence over many kings, all the bishops and abbots of the kingdom, and, in fine, over the Archbishop of Armagh himself. ^^
Although it is said, that a body of inferior clergy or of regular canons served the church, and under direction of St. Conlaeth -p there is no just reason for supposing, that this bishop presided over a com- munity of monks at Kildare. Nor is there any allusion to a monastic estab- lishmentbeingatKildare,untillongafterthetimeofSt. BrigidandofSt. Conlaeth, when St. Aidus, or Aid Dubh,^4 officiated in the double capacity of Bishop and of Abbot. ^s Besides, it has been observed, that no monks are mentioned, as having been there governed by St. Conlaeth. Nor is he called abbot,=^ nor by any title except one, and that strictly referring to his episcopal dignity. There is still less reason for admitting the strange assertion of Col- gan, that Bishop Conlaeth was subject to St. Brigid. Whence, he would con- clude, moreover, that abbesses, after her time, and for a long period, had been invested with jurisdiction over the abbots, or what should amount to nearly
tata est. "—"Trias Thaumaturga," Appen- dix Quinta ad Acta S. Brigid^, cap. i. , p. 627.
Acts, that Conlaeth presided over monks whenBishopofKildare. See"TriasThau- maturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Brigidse, cap. i. , p. 627. But, he refers to
'9 By Colgan.
^° Perhaps, however, this community had no particular passage, for proof of such
been established at Old Connell.
^' Even before the kings of Meath and of
Dr. O' Donovan's " Annals of the Four Mas- With regard to those assertions of ters," vol. i. , pp. 256, 257.
Munster. ^'^
Colgan, it inay be asked, if the archiepisco- pal and abbatial dignities had not been united in the same person, in some instances referred to, or if the Abbot of Armagh did not enjoy some special privilege in those cases cited ?
In any event, his arguments are quite inconclusive to establish an inference, that Conlaeth was both bishop and abbot, while at Kildare.
^^ Colgan says, it appears from Cogi- tosus and from other writers of St. Brigid's
=^5 Thecollegecalledofmonks,overwhich Aidus presided, was in reality the chapter of the catliedral, as plainly appears from Cogito- sus, who, describing the church, tells us, that the bishop used to enter the sane- tuary by a door, in the right side of the church, together with the collegiate body and clerical assistants. See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Secunda Vita S. Brigidce, cap. xxxv. , pp. 523, 524.
^^ Notwithstanding, this term is frequently F
statements.
'^'- His death is recorded, at a. d. 638. See
82 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 3.
the same thing, over the bishops of Kildare. ^7 There is no just foundation for such a statement ; while, it is certain, that the bisliops of Kildare differed not—so far as independent jurisdiction was concerned—from other Irish pre- lates. It may be admitted, perhaps, that its church expenses had been defrayed from the monastic funds, while its furniture and ornaments were probably derived from the same source, in the time of St. Brigid. ^^ It is pro- bable, also, her successors claimed a right to the church at Kildare, in virtue of that original foundation, by the first abbess of the place ; but, while abbesses presided over their peculiar institute, bishops certainly governed the diocese. As a matter of mutual agreement and convenience, the church or cathedral might have remained under the joint management of both parties. '9
St. Brigid appears to have founded that beautiful church at Kildare, and which served the uses of her community, as also for die faithful at large. It existed to the time of Cogitosu? , who flourished before the ninth century,5° and who gives a faithful description, regarding its architectural peculiarities in his day. We are informed, that it covered a considerable area, and that it was high in proportion. This church was decorated with paintings on wood, of which material it appears to have been altogether built, in the opinion of of many,3' while others maintain, it was a stone-built church. It contained three oratories or chapels, divided by wooden compartments, however, under the large roof. This covered the whole. One of its walls was deco- rated and painted with various images, besides being covered with tapestry and along the breadth, in the eastern side of the church, it extended from one partition wall to the other. There were two doors, at either extremity of this wall. Through that door on the right hand side, the bishop,3^ with his canons, and those who assisted at ecclesiastical rites, entered the sanctuary, when approaching to offer the Dominical sacrifice 33 on the altar; while the abbess, with her nuns and postulants, entered through a door towards the left, whenever they prepared, to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord and Saviour. 34 Another wall divided the ground floor of the church into two equal parts, and it extended from the eastern 35 side to
employed in Irish histoiy, wherever bishops had monasteries annexed to their cathe- drals.
'^ In alluding to " this whimsical and truly uncanonical position " of Colgan, Rev. Dr. Lanigan, in continuation, remarks : "Colgan took it into his head that as there was an affinity between the names Brigid and Birget, their monastic institutions were likewise formed on a similar plan. What has a like- ness of names to do in this matter ? Besides, in the institution of St. Brigitta there was no such thing as jurisdiction over bishops. Colgan ought to have reflected, that this Swedish princess, most probably, knew little or nothing concerning the system of St. Brigid ; for at the time of her forming her establishment — viz. , not long before A. D. 1370, the nunnery of Kildare was in a state of great insignificance. Archdall has given to his readers in a positive manner what Colgan had proposed as a matter of doubt, and tells them that the abbots of Kildare were for several years subject to the abbess. " —" Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sect, xi. , n. 142, pp. 414,
415;
*' These conjectures may receive confirma-
tion, from an anecdote already related, when St. Brigid, assuming the ownership of some sacerdotal vestments, undertook their distri- bution in favour of the poor, having no other alms to offer.
''See ibid. , nn. I43, I44, 145, pp. 411, 415-
3° We are even told, Cogitosus is supposed to have written his Life of St. Brigid before A. D. 594. See Wills' " Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , part I, First Period, p. 103.
3' In his usual pleasing style, the late venerable Archbishop of Calcutta has furnished us with a description of this church, from passages in Cogitosus ; while he seems inclined to believe, that the church itself hadbeenentirelyconstructedofwood. See Carew's "Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," chap, vi. , pp. 233, 234.
3- The words of Cogitosus are, that the bishop entered " eum sua regular! schola, et his qui sacris sunt deputaii ministerii^. "
33 Tile words are "sacra ct Dominica immolare sacrificia. "
3« The words are " ut convivio corporis et sanguinis fruantur Jesu Chrisli. "
35 RicU " western. "
;
May 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 83
the opposite wall, lying across the breadth. There was one door, highly ornamented, on the riglit hand side of this church. Through it, the priests and maleportionofthecongregationentered; whileanotherwasonthelefthand side, through which the religious of the nunnery and the female contingent of the congregation passed. 3° There were many windows in the walls, to admit light within the church. Various divisions of the faithful, according to rank, station, and sex, afforded to all an opportunity for assisting at the Divine mysteries and various ceremonies carried out in the church, accord- ing to an established order, and the requireiiients of ecclesiastical discipline. 37
A miracle, which occurred in repairing this church, and which, Cogitosus thinksshouldnotbepassedoverinsilence,hasbeenplacedonrecord. 3^ When the old door of the left side passage, through which St. Brigid used to enter the church, had been altered, repaired, and placed on its former hinges, by artisans, it could not exactly cover the opening as required. A fourth part of this space appeared exposed, without anything left to fill it ; and, if a fourth more were added and joined to the height of ^he gate, then it might fill up
the entire altitude of this reconstructed and lo^ty passage. The workmen held a consultation, about making another new and larger door to fill up this entrance, or to prepare a panel for an addition to the old door, so as to make it the required size. A principal artisan among the Irish then spoke : " On this night, we should fervently implore the Lord, before St. Brigid, that before morning she may counsel us what course we ought to pursue, in refer- encetothismatter," Afterthesewords,hepassedawholenightinprayer, beside St. Brigid's tomb. On the morning he arose. He then found, on forcing and settling the old door on its hinge, the whole passage was filled, so that a single chink was not left uncovered, nor in its height was any, even the least, excess discovered. Thus, it happened, as the whole aperture was filled, that St. Brigid—as was generally believed—had miraculously extended that door in height. Nor did any part appear open, except when the door was moved on entering her church. This miracle, accomplished by Divine omnipotence, was evidently manifested to the eyes of all, who looked upon the door and the passage. 39
It is but fair to state, moreover, that not only the antiquity of St. Brigid's Acts, by Cogitosus, has been doubted by some writers, but even their authenticity has been denied by others, in consequence, chiefly—if not altogether—of details given in the preceding description, regarding the church atKildare. t° Averypresumptuousandanexceedinglyincompetentwriter*' on our country's antiquities asserts, that what evinces the work of Cogitosus to be suppositious, is his description, concerning the monuments of St. Bridget and of St. Conlaeth, on the right and left sides of the altar, at Kildare. They were not only highly finished with gold and silver ornaments, with gems and
3* Thus, the great aisle of it outside the 39 The foregoing description in the text sanctuary was divided by a partition separa- substantially agrees with the thirty-fifth ting the males from the females, and chapter of Cogitosus, the Latin of which,
each division had a door peculiar to itself. From what has been now observed, we see that the nuns had not a separate church for themselves, although their habitation ad- joined it on one side, while that of the bis- hop and chapter seems to have been close to it on the other. See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, xvi. , n. 141, p. 414.
37 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Secunda Vita S. Brigidas, cap. xxxv. , pp. 523, 524.
3* See ibid. , p. 524.
witli a faithful literal translation, will be found in Mr. I'etrie's splendid work, "The Ecclesiastical Architecture and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. subs, i. , pp. 197 to 199.
*° Basnage, the editor of Canisius, thinks that Cogitosus' supposed description of the church of Kildare, "smelt strongly of later ages," than those when he flourished. See "Antique Lectiones," tomus v. , p. 625.
-t' The Rev. Edward Ledwich.
*- Therefore, the superficial writer Led- wich, when treating about Irish Literature
84 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 3.
precious stones, suspended gold and silver crowns, but the wall of the chan- cel was painted with portraits. '*^ This church architecture, he deems to be the work of fancy, and that it could not have existence earlier than the twelfth century. The Irish, in his opinion, had no stone edifices, in the sixth century; and, this statement, he thinks, had been conclusively proved by himself. To these groundless assertions, the learned Dr. Petrie replies, that such objec- tions betray a great want of antiquarian research, and are of very little weight. '*^ Even Dr. Lanigan—who considered the work of Cogitosus as an- terior, at least, to the ninth century, while arguing in support of its antiquity —need not have supposed, that the early church at Kildare was a wooden structure. This supposition—wholly improbable and gratuitous—the text willbynomeansauthorize. Variousevidenceshavebeenadduced,relative totheantiquityofstonechurchesinIreland. Numberlessillustrationsareavail- able to prove, that the plan and general form of this church, which consisted of a nave and chancel, were designs exactly and commonly adopted in the abbeyorcathedralstonechurchesthroughoutIreland. ''* Itshavingtwolateral doorways, instead of a single western portal, is pointed out as a peculiarity quite necessary, owing to the circumstances of the structure having been de- signed for the use of two religious communities and belonging to different sexes. 45 These had distinct and separate places assigned them, according to an almost universal practice of ancient times. '^^ A necessity for this separa- tion of the sexes possibly led to a division of the nave, by a wooden partition, andintotwoequalportions. Thesewereenteredbythelateraldoorways,already mentioned; andthisarrangementledagain,perhaps,toapiercingoffthewall, or partition, which separated the nave from the chancel. A doorway was on either side of the chancel arch. It was opened there, in order to admit an en- trance into the chancel for the bishop with his chapter, on the right or south side, and for the abbess with her nuns, on the left or north side. Another peculiar feature is noticeable, in the description of this church. It had a number of windows, although the Irish churches were remarkable for the few- ness of such apertures yet, in the notice of such peculiarity, there is as little
;
to excite a suspicion, regarding the truth of the general description, as in the
other instance. The very arrangement of the church into a double nave ne- cessarily required a double number of windows in order to light \\. ^^
It does not appear from our records, wiien the use of glass had been intro-
in the Middle Ages, has pronounced the book of Cogito-sus tobe suppositious. See "Anti- quities of Ireland," p. 352. Yet, there is nothing therein described inconsistent with historic truth ; nay more, capable of being sustained by demonstrative proof.
'"Although he not only freely acknow- ledges, there is great reason to doubt, that the work of Cogitosus, as had been supposed by Colgan, Vossius, Dr. O'Conor, and others —even by the judicious Ware—belonged to the sixth century ; and, he had even under- taken to prove, that its real age was some early part of the ninth century yet. Dr.
;
Petrie by no means concurred in Dr. Led- wich's sweeping scepticism, as to the truth of that description, relating to the church, and which tiie latter regarded as altogether fan- ciful, and posterior to the twelfth century.
See ibid.
** It is not to be inferred, that any of the
existing antiquarian remains at Kildare are referable to the time of St. Brigid or St.
Conleth. Even, in later times, and near our own epocli, these have undergone considera- ble mutilation, repairs and unmeaning alterations. See "Official Illustrated Guide to the Great Southern and Western Rail- way, " by George S. Measom, pp. 8, 9.
''5 SeeBingham's"OriginesEcclesiasticae; Antiquities of the Christian Church," book viii. , cap. iii. , with plans and illustrations,
'•^ See ihid. ^ cap. v. , sect. 6.
"^ The Rev. Dr. O'Conor has well re- marked, that if the writer had described these windows as having been glazed, it might have afforded some historical argu- ment against supposing that he lived in the sixth or seventh century, inasmuch as glass was not usually found in the windows of English churches, until the close of the latter but, even that would be noevidence to prove, that the writer did not flourish previously to the twelfth centur)', because the use of glass mighthave been introduced into Ireland long before that age, through intercourse of the
;
May 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 85
duced from abroad ;'^^ however, there are vitreous specimens found in Ireland, and of a very remote age. "*? We know, that St. Bennet, bishop and abbot of Weremouth in England, after the year 674, went over to France, and thence invited glaziers, to make glass windows for his churcli and to light its upper galleries. 5° There is no reason for supposing, that the Irish ecclesiastics could have lagged behind, in the adoption of glazed windows for their churches jSi on the contrary, it is quite possible, they had antici- pated the British, in the art of glass making,52 by very many years. A prac- tice ofornamenting saints' shrines, in the manner described by Cogitosus, was derived from the most primitive ages of the Church, the early Chris- tians being accustomed to decorate their martyrs' tombs. S3 Hence, it is more ancient, than even the time of St. Brigid. Nor can it be fairly supposed, such art was then unknown or unpractised in Ireland. We have abundant proofs afforded, that from the first introduction of Christianity into this island, our artificers and ecclesiastics were distinguished for taste and skill, in designing and in executing sacred vessels and shrines. 54 In these respects, they were not surpassed, even by their contemporaries on the Con- tinent. ss Even, the present subject of our biography has the reputation of having been a skilled artist, and of working the precious metals. With perfect dispositions and sentiments of complete worldly abandonment, St. Conleth devoted his life to God, serving him, moreover, in public minis- trations, as in quiet and retirement. He had many interviews and counsels with St. Brigid, while he lived ; and, he most zealously aided or directed her efforts, for the progress of religion, during the infancy of our Irish Church.
Irish with Italy and Gaul. We also know
that a constant influx of English and other
illustrious foreigners visited Ireland for their
education. However, as Cogitosus makes
no mention, concerning glass in the windows
of the churcli at Kildare, it affords evidence,
not only regarding the truth of his descrip-
tion, but also of its antiquity, although that
antiquity may not be so great as many have
imagined. At all events, if he had been many fine Monuments and objects of the
fabricating any fanciful description of this church, while glazed windows were still of rare occurrence, probably he would not have neglected to have added so important a fea- ture, to heighten his description of the gene- ral effect produced. See Dr. Petrie's " Ecclesiastical Architecture of Ireland and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. , subs, i. , pp.
tion ; while, St. Brigid's branch of pedigree was the thirty-first, according to O'Flaherty's reduction, or the thirty-filth, according to Colgan,3 from the same common ancestor. This uncertainity of calculation is set forth by our writers, who have specially dealt with the intricacies of old Irish pedigrees. '*
It has been very satisfactorily shown, that the goldsmith's and lapidary's art had been brought to great perfection, at a very early period, in Ireland. ^ Indua, St. Conleth, had probably been a worker in metals before his religious
5* Speaking of St. Brigid, the First Life says ;
Quot patravit miracula
Non est qui plene possit referre : Benedixit paramenia sacra Conlaido QuK ex Italia attulit.
Quando erant ei necessaria
Ejus filius ate earn fecit rem perfaus-
tam
Attulit ilia paramenia varicolari
QuK posuit in curru duarum rotarum.
—Ibid. , Vita Prima S. Brigidse, sect. 40, 41,
^ From the scholiast on the Feihre of St.
/Engus, the late learned Irisli scholar, O'Beirne Crowe, A. B. , has furnished tlie following translation of his pedigree : " That is Candla, son of Cormac, son of Aengus, son of Echa, son of Setne, son of Fotha, son of Echa Lam-Derg, son of Mesincorb. "
^ See her family descent in "Trias Thau- maturga. " Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigitix," cap. 2, p. 613.
^ See Very Rev. James Henthorn Todd's " Life of St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland. " Appendix A. , Tables iv. , v. , pp. 252, 253.
= At the earliest period, St. Patrick is said to have had no less than three artis's, belong- ing to his household, besides embroiderers and smiths. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals
p. 517. — Chapter II.
' See O'Flaherty's " Ogy- gia," pars, iii. , cap. xxxviii. , pp. 260, 261.
J.
May 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
79
retirement, for he was distinguished as St. Brigid's " chief artificer,"^ accord- ing to a gloss on the FeiHre-^ngus. The word Indua denotes an artist in gold, silver, and other metals. In Irish ecclesiastical records, another famous artist,namedConln,isalsomentioned. 7 Butheisnottobeconfoundedwith St. Conleth of Kildare. We may probably infer, that the latter lashioned many useful and ornamental objects for ecclesiastical purposes. Among these, chalices of gold, or silver, church vessels, and shrines for holy relics, may probably be included. In fictile as in pictorial art, a high degree of ex- cellence our early Christian artists must have attained; not alone from acquaintance with works of art on the Continent, but even from actual recorded accounts and surviving specimens of iheir proficiency reached at home. *^ Ancient Irish ecclesiastics of the highest rank considered it a suitable occu- pation, to work as artificers in the manufacture of reliquaries, shrines, pastoral staffs or croziers, bells, covers for sacred books, and other ornaments, suit- able for churches and for their minsters. Several beautiful specimens of art are
still preserved, and many of these are the works of ecclesiastics, belonging to centuries preceding the English invasion of Ireland. Many other speci- mens appear to have been destroyed, and melted down by the Danes, who re- morselesslyplunderedchurchesandmonasteriesoftheirvaluables. 9 Especially, they seized altar ornaments and vessels, formed from the precious metals. '°
It is likely, St. Conlaeth's chief place of residence was at Old Con- nellj" and thence, his reputation for sanctity became so widely diffused, that he had not only the approbation of St. Brigid, but even the petitions of the people, concurring in his election to the episcopal dignity. '^ Were we to admit his relationship with the holy abbess, it seems probable enough, he
was known to her from early youth. His near residence also warrants the assumption, that he had visited Brigid, long before the incidental relation to be met with in her Acts had originated. Still there are vestiges of a very remote period, near the spot he had selected for a home, which formerly had been called Condail of the Kings. '3
of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 134 to 141, and nn. , ibid.
Great Connell, on which are some interest- ing ruins of the monastery—which had been founded by Lord Meyler Fitz Henry, who died a. d. 1220, and who was there buried,
* In a table, subjoined to the " Martyr-
ology of Donegal," he is termed, "brazier
of Jirigid, first bishop of Cilldara, and See Jacobi Grace, Kilkenniensis, " Annales archbishop also. " See, also, /^/if. , pp. 388, 389. Hibernice," pp. 28, 29. Edition by Rev.
7 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Richard Butler, M. R. I. A.
Prince O'Donnell, in the Vita Quinta S. Columbre, hb. i. , cap. xcix. , p. 405.
'- This the Italian " Breviarium Gienen-
See Colgan's " Trias Thaumaturga," Appendix on the mechanical and liberal arts, as prac- Prima ad Acta S. Brigidas, p. 601.
^ The Rev. Dr. C. O'Conor's dissertations
tised in Ireland, are not the least interesting, among the valuable comments annexed to his edited works. See " Rerum Hibernica- rum Scriptores,"voliv. Annales Ultonienses, Annotationes, ad ssec. viii. , i^p. 134 to 172.
9 Here there is a mine of information to be developed, and worthy the most accom- plished antiquary's serious and fuller inves- ligation.
'° See Dr. Todd's "Life of St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland. " Introductory Disserta- tion, p. 26.
All of the foregoing townlands are now included within Great Connell parish. Several years ago, while Mr. Flood, ofNewhall, and Mr. Duggan, of Ladytown, were engaged in walling in the cemetery at their own ex- pense, several fragments of sculptured figures were exhumed, and piously re-erected. After- wards, brick and stone were taken from it, while Colonel Gray was engaged in building Conall-More Lodge. These exhibited here and there specimens of tesselated tihng, almost unknown in modern architecture. See The Leinster Independatt, of Satur-
" On the right bank of the Liffey are
these various townlands: first, that of Old day, February 24th, 1872.
Connell, on which was the site of the oldest church, near Old Connell house; secondly, Little Connell, in which nothing of antiqua- rian interest can be met with ; and thirdly,
'3 xhus identified, at n. (k), by Dr.
O'Donovan, in the "Three Fragments of Annals," p. 44.
Not far removed from the site of Old
sis" states, in its Second Lection.
—
8o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 3.
Connell burial ground, an ancient artificial mound, and rising to considerable altitude, may yet be seen ; some large trees grow on its sides and summit. ''* It is rather remarkable, that many similar elevations may still be found, near the site of our most ancient religious establishments ; nor are instances want- ing, in that extent of country, not far removed from theplace. 's However, it seems possible enough, that many, if not most, of those ancient tumuli are pre-Christian.
In the time, and with the approval of St. Brigid herself, as Colgan supposes, there v. 'ere tlnee distinct ecclesiastical jurisdictions estab- lished within the city of Kildare—viz. , those of Bishop, of Abbot, and of
Moat at Old Connell, County of Kiklaie.
Abbess. Hethinks,thatthiscanbeproved,fromanarchitecturaldescrip- tion,'^ regarding the church of Kildare, pointing out its divisions, and the uses for which each compartment had been destined. It would seem, that while there was but one monastery tliere, monks and nuns lived in it, although effectually separated by a wall or an enclosure, as well in the church, as in the house. '7 To the former, it is noticed, that thebisliop, with liisbaud of regu- lars, entered from the east, and through a door at tiie right. The abbess, with her nuns, approached by another door, at the left side of the cathedral. '^
' The accompanying representation was formed a much wider line of separation. sketched on the spot, by the writer, in See Dr. Lanigan's " Ecclesiastical History August, 1883. It has been transferred to of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, xvi. , n. 141, the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and it p. 414.
was engraved, by Mrs. Millard. '* Colgan add : " Pr? eterea quia utrumque '5 It is sufficient to mention Clonenagh, sexum ordinis S. Brigidse, seu Biigittse,
and At^haboe.
'" Wiiich is given by Cogitosus.
'' Colgan imagined that both habitations
were separated merely by a wall ; but the church—and a very large one it was
Suecic in codem Cxnobio commorari vide- mus : non est enim vero absimile hanc sanc- tam feminam ordinem suum instituisse ad imitationem S. Brigida; noslnr, cujus et no- men prsetulit et virtutes in multis aliis imi-
May 3 ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
It has been remarked,'? that a question may be raised—if the abbot witli liis monks Avere subject to the Abbess of Kildare, from the time of St. Brigid's death, and for many subsequent years ? The affirmative, Colgan deems pro- bable, because St. Conlaeth, whom he supposes first superior over a com- munity of monks at Kildare, ^° had been subject to St. Brigid, the first abbess
; and because, in the order of St. Brigid of Sweden, which he imagines to have been framed on the rules of St. Brigid of Kildare's religious institute, the abbess had jurisdiction over the abbot, governing communities of men. Col- gan adduces various reasons, to establish his supposition, that the Bishop of Kildare united episcopal and abbatial functions in his own person, during the primitive times of that See. He says, first, from Cogitosus and from other writers of St. Brigid's Acts, it can be shown, that St. Conlaeth, first Arch- bishop of Kildare, presided over a community of monks ; secondly, there seem to have been both bishops and abbots of Kildare, within the same city
and monastery ; and, thirdly, he states, our ancient writers call the bishops of the place abbots. These reasons, however, he submits under doubt. In pursuance of this train of argument, he remarks, that the Abbot of Armagh, or in other words, the Archbishop of that See, is placed foremost among all persons,^' whether ecclesiastical or secular, who were exempt from royal exac- tions, contributions, and other burthens, according to the constitutions of the kingdom of Ireland. If he were only simply an abbot, there would be no reason, argues Colgan, why he should have precedence over many kings, all the bishops and abbots of the kingdom, and, in fine, over the Archbishop of Armagh himself. ^^
Although it is said, that a body of inferior clergy or of regular canons served the church, and under direction of St. Conlaeth -p there is no just reason for supposing, that this bishop presided over a com- munity of monks at Kildare. Nor is there any allusion to a monastic estab- lishmentbeingatKildare,untillongafterthetimeofSt. BrigidandofSt. Conlaeth, when St. Aidus, or Aid Dubh,^4 officiated in the double capacity of Bishop and of Abbot. ^s Besides, it has been observed, that no monks are mentioned, as having been there governed by St. Conlaeth. Nor is he called abbot,=^ nor by any title except one, and that strictly referring to his episcopal dignity. There is still less reason for admitting the strange assertion of Col- gan, that Bishop Conlaeth was subject to St. Brigid. Whence, he would con- clude, moreover, that abbesses, after her time, and for a long period, had been invested with jurisdiction over the abbots, or what should amount to nearly
tata est. "—"Trias Thaumaturga," Appen- dix Quinta ad Acta S. Brigid^, cap. i. , p. 627.
Acts, that Conlaeth presided over monks whenBishopofKildare. See"TriasThau- maturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Brigidse, cap. i. , p. 627. But, he refers to
'9 By Colgan.
^° Perhaps, however, this community had no particular passage, for proof of such
been established at Old Connell.
^' Even before the kings of Meath and of
Dr. O' Donovan's " Annals of the Four Mas- With regard to those assertions of ters," vol. i. , pp. 256, 257.
Munster. ^'^
Colgan, it inay be asked, if the archiepisco- pal and abbatial dignities had not been united in the same person, in some instances referred to, or if the Abbot of Armagh did not enjoy some special privilege in those cases cited ?
In any event, his arguments are quite inconclusive to establish an inference, that Conlaeth was both bishop and abbot, while at Kildare.
^^ Colgan says, it appears from Cogi- tosus and from other writers of St. Brigid's
=^5 Thecollegecalledofmonks,overwhich Aidus presided, was in reality the chapter of the catliedral, as plainly appears from Cogito- sus, who, describing the church, tells us, that the bishop used to enter the sane- tuary by a door, in the right side of the church, together with the collegiate body and clerical assistants. See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Secunda Vita S. Brigidce, cap. xxxv. , pp. 523, 524.
^^ Notwithstanding, this term is frequently F
statements.
'^'- His death is recorded, at a. d. 638. See
82 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 3.
the same thing, over the bishops of Kildare. ^7 There is no just foundation for such a statement ; while, it is certain, that the bisliops of Kildare differed not—so far as independent jurisdiction was concerned—from other Irish pre- lates. It may be admitted, perhaps, that its church expenses had been defrayed from the monastic funds, while its furniture and ornaments were probably derived from the same source, in the time of St. Brigid. ^^ It is pro- bable, also, her successors claimed a right to the church at Kildare, in virtue of that original foundation, by the first abbess of the place ; but, while abbesses presided over their peculiar institute, bishops certainly governed the diocese. As a matter of mutual agreement and convenience, the church or cathedral might have remained under the joint management of both parties. '9
St. Brigid appears to have founded that beautiful church at Kildare, and which served the uses of her community, as also for die faithful at large. It existed to the time of Cogitosu? , who flourished before the ninth century,5° and who gives a faithful description, regarding its architectural peculiarities in his day. We are informed, that it covered a considerable area, and that it was high in proportion. This church was decorated with paintings on wood, of which material it appears to have been altogether built, in the opinion of of many,3' while others maintain, it was a stone-built church. It contained three oratories or chapels, divided by wooden compartments, however, under the large roof. This covered the whole. One of its walls was deco- rated and painted with various images, besides being covered with tapestry and along the breadth, in the eastern side of the church, it extended from one partition wall to the other. There were two doors, at either extremity of this wall. Through that door on the right hand side, the bishop,3^ with his canons, and those who assisted at ecclesiastical rites, entered the sanctuary, when approaching to offer the Dominical sacrifice 33 on the altar; while the abbess, with her nuns and postulants, entered through a door towards the left, whenever they prepared, to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord and Saviour. 34 Another wall divided the ground floor of the church into two equal parts, and it extended from the eastern 35 side to
employed in Irish histoiy, wherever bishops had monasteries annexed to their cathe- drals.
'^ In alluding to " this whimsical and truly uncanonical position " of Colgan, Rev. Dr. Lanigan, in continuation, remarks : "Colgan took it into his head that as there was an affinity between the names Brigid and Birget, their monastic institutions were likewise formed on a similar plan. What has a like- ness of names to do in this matter ? Besides, in the institution of St. Brigitta there was no such thing as jurisdiction over bishops. Colgan ought to have reflected, that this Swedish princess, most probably, knew little or nothing concerning the system of St. Brigid ; for at the time of her forming her establishment — viz. , not long before A. D. 1370, the nunnery of Kildare was in a state of great insignificance. Archdall has given to his readers in a positive manner what Colgan had proposed as a matter of doubt, and tells them that the abbots of Kildare were for several years subject to the abbess. " —" Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sect, xi. , n. 142, pp. 414,
415;
*' These conjectures may receive confirma-
tion, from an anecdote already related, when St. Brigid, assuming the ownership of some sacerdotal vestments, undertook their distri- bution in favour of the poor, having no other alms to offer.
''See ibid. , nn. I43, I44, 145, pp. 411, 415-
3° We are even told, Cogitosus is supposed to have written his Life of St. Brigid before A. D. 594. See Wills' " Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , part I, First Period, p. 103.
3' In his usual pleasing style, the late venerable Archbishop of Calcutta has furnished us with a description of this church, from passages in Cogitosus ; while he seems inclined to believe, that the church itself hadbeenentirelyconstructedofwood. See Carew's "Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," chap, vi. , pp. 233, 234.
3- The words of Cogitosus are, that the bishop entered " eum sua regular! schola, et his qui sacris sunt deputaii ministerii^. "
33 Tile words are "sacra ct Dominica immolare sacrificia. "
3« The words are " ut convivio corporis et sanguinis fruantur Jesu Chrisli. "
35 RicU " western. "
;
May 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 83
the opposite wall, lying across the breadth. There was one door, highly ornamented, on the riglit hand side of this church. Through it, the priests and maleportionofthecongregationentered; whileanotherwasonthelefthand side, through which the religious of the nunnery and the female contingent of the congregation passed. 3° There were many windows in the walls, to admit light within the church. Various divisions of the faithful, according to rank, station, and sex, afforded to all an opportunity for assisting at the Divine mysteries and various ceremonies carried out in the church, accord- ing to an established order, and the requireiiients of ecclesiastical discipline. 37
A miracle, which occurred in repairing this church, and which, Cogitosus thinksshouldnotbepassedoverinsilence,hasbeenplacedonrecord. 3^ When the old door of the left side passage, through which St. Brigid used to enter the church, had been altered, repaired, and placed on its former hinges, by artisans, it could not exactly cover the opening as required. A fourth part of this space appeared exposed, without anything left to fill it ; and, if a fourth more were added and joined to the height of ^he gate, then it might fill up
the entire altitude of this reconstructed and lo^ty passage. The workmen held a consultation, about making another new and larger door to fill up this entrance, or to prepare a panel for an addition to the old door, so as to make it the required size. A principal artisan among the Irish then spoke : " On this night, we should fervently implore the Lord, before St. Brigid, that before morning she may counsel us what course we ought to pursue, in refer- encetothismatter," Afterthesewords,hepassedawholenightinprayer, beside St. Brigid's tomb. On the morning he arose. He then found, on forcing and settling the old door on its hinge, the whole passage was filled, so that a single chink was not left uncovered, nor in its height was any, even the least, excess discovered. Thus, it happened, as the whole aperture was filled, that St. Brigid—as was generally believed—had miraculously extended that door in height. Nor did any part appear open, except when the door was moved on entering her church. This miracle, accomplished by Divine omnipotence, was evidently manifested to the eyes of all, who looked upon the door and the passage. 39
It is but fair to state, moreover, that not only the antiquity of St. Brigid's Acts, by Cogitosus, has been doubted by some writers, but even their authenticity has been denied by others, in consequence, chiefly—if not altogether—of details given in the preceding description, regarding the church atKildare. t° Averypresumptuousandanexceedinglyincompetentwriter*' on our country's antiquities asserts, that what evinces the work of Cogitosus to be suppositious, is his description, concerning the monuments of St. Bridget and of St. Conlaeth, on the right and left sides of the altar, at Kildare. They were not only highly finished with gold and silver ornaments, with gems and
3* Thus, the great aisle of it outside the 39 The foregoing description in the text sanctuary was divided by a partition separa- substantially agrees with the thirty-fifth ting the males from the females, and chapter of Cogitosus, the Latin of which,
each division had a door peculiar to itself. From what has been now observed, we see that the nuns had not a separate church for themselves, although their habitation ad- joined it on one side, while that of the bis- hop and chapter seems to have been close to it on the other. See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, xvi. , n. 141, p. 414.
37 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Secunda Vita S. Brigidas, cap. xxxv. , pp. 523, 524.
3* See ibid. , p. 524.
witli a faithful literal translation, will be found in Mr. I'etrie's splendid work, "The Ecclesiastical Architecture and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. subs, i. , pp. 197 to 199.
*° Basnage, the editor of Canisius, thinks that Cogitosus' supposed description of the church of Kildare, "smelt strongly of later ages," than those when he flourished. See "Antique Lectiones," tomus v. , p. 625.
-t' The Rev. Edward Ledwich.
*- Therefore, the superficial writer Led- wich, when treating about Irish Literature
84 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 3.
precious stones, suspended gold and silver crowns, but the wall of the chan- cel was painted with portraits. '*^ This church architecture, he deems to be the work of fancy, and that it could not have existence earlier than the twelfth century. The Irish, in his opinion, had no stone edifices, in the sixth century; and, this statement, he thinks, had been conclusively proved by himself. To these groundless assertions, the learned Dr. Petrie replies, that such objec- tions betray a great want of antiquarian research, and are of very little weight. '*^ Even Dr. Lanigan—who considered the work of Cogitosus as an- terior, at least, to the ninth century, while arguing in support of its antiquity —need not have supposed, that the early church at Kildare was a wooden structure. This supposition—wholly improbable and gratuitous—the text willbynomeansauthorize. Variousevidenceshavebeenadduced,relative totheantiquityofstonechurchesinIreland. Numberlessillustrationsareavail- able to prove, that the plan and general form of this church, which consisted of a nave and chancel, were designs exactly and commonly adopted in the abbeyorcathedralstonechurchesthroughoutIreland. ''* Itshavingtwolateral doorways, instead of a single western portal, is pointed out as a peculiarity quite necessary, owing to the circumstances of the structure having been de- signed for the use of two religious communities and belonging to different sexes. 45 These had distinct and separate places assigned them, according to an almost universal practice of ancient times. '^^ A necessity for this separa- tion of the sexes possibly led to a division of the nave, by a wooden partition, andintotwoequalportions. Thesewereenteredbythelateraldoorways,already mentioned; andthisarrangementledagain,perhaps,toapiercingoffthewall, or partition, which separated the nave from the chancel. A doorway was on either side of the chancel arch. It was opened there, in order to admit an en- trance into the chancel for the bishop with his chapter, on the right or south side, and for the abbess with her nuns, on the left or north side. Another peculiar feature is noticeable, in the description of this church. It had a number of windows, although the Irish churches were remarkable for the few- ness of such apertures yet, in the notice of such peculiarity, there is as little
;
to excite a suspicion, regarding the truth of the general description, as in the
other instance. The very arrangement of the church into a double nave ne- cessarily required a double number of windows in order to light \\. ^^
It does not appear from our records, wiien the use of glass had been intro-
in the Middle Ages, has pronounced the book of Cogito-sus tobe suppositious. See "Anti- quities of Ireland," p. 352. Yet, there is nothing therein described inconsistent with historic truth ; nay more, capable of being sustained by demonstrative proof.
'"Although he not only freely acknow- ledges, there is great reason to doubt, that the work of Cogitosus, as had been supposed by Colgan, Vossius, Dr. O'Conor, and others —even by the judicious Ware—belonged to the sixth century ; and, he had even under- taken to prove, that its real age was some early part of the ninth century yet. Dr.
;
Petrie by no means concurred in Dr. Led- wich's sweeping scepticism, as to the truth of that description, relating to the church, and which tiie latter regarded as altogether fan- ciful, and posterior to the twelfth century.
See ibid.
** It is not to be inferred, that any of the
existing antiquarian remains at Kildare are referable to the time of St. Brigid or St.
Conleth. Even, in later times, and near our own epocli, these have undergone considera- ble mutilation, repairs and unmeaning alterations. See "Official Illustrated Guide to the Great Southern and Western Rail- way, " by George S. Measom, pp. 8, 9.
''5 SeeBingham's"OriginesEcclesiasticae; Antiquities of the Christian Church," book viii. , cap. iii. , with plans and illustrations,
'•^ See ihid. ^ cap. v. , sect. 6.
"^ The Rev. Dr. O'Conor has well re- marked, that if the writer had described these windows as having been glazed, it might have afforded some historical argu- ment against supposing that he lived in the sixth or seventh century, inasmuch as glass was not usually found in the windows of English churches, until the close of the latter but, even that would be noevidence to prove, that the writer did not flourish previously to the twelfth centur)', because the use of glass mighthave been introduced into Ireland long before that age, through intercourse of the
;
May 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 85
duced from abroad ;'^^ however, there are vitreous specimens found in Ireland, and of a very remote age. "*? We know, that St. Bennet, bishop and abbot of Weremouth in England, after the year 674, went over to France, and thence invited glaziers, to make glass windows for his churcli and to light its upper galleries. 5° There is no reason for supposing, that the Irish ecclesiastics could have lagged behind, in the adoption of glazed windows for their churches jSi on the contrary, it is quite possible, they had antici- pated the British, in the art of glass making,52 by very many years. A prac- tice ofornamenting saints' shrines, in the manner described by Cogitosus, was derived from the most primitive ages of the Church, the early Chris- tians being accustomed to decorate their martyrs' tombs. S3 Hence, it is more ancient, than even the time of St. Brigid. Nor can it be fairly supposed, such art was then unknown or unpractised in Ireland. We have abundant proofs afforded, that from the first introduction of Christianity into this island, our artificers and ecclesiastics were distinguished for taste and skill, in designing and in executing sacred vessels and shrines. 54 In these respects, they were not surpassed, even by their contemporaries on the Con- tinent. ss Even, the present subject of our biography has the reputation of having been a skilled artist, and of working the precious metals. With perfect dispositions and sentiments of complete worldly abandonment, St. Conleth devoted his life to God, serving him, moreover, in public minis- trations, as in quiet and retirement. He had many interviews and counsels with St. Brigid, while he lived ; and, he most zealously aided or directed her efforts, for the progress of religion, during the infancy of our Irish Church.
Irish with Italy and Gaul. We also know
that a constant influx of English and other
illustrious foreigners visited Ireland for their
education. However, as Cogitosus makes
no mention, concerning glass in the windows
of the churcli at Kildare, it affords evidence,
not only regarding the truth of his descrip-
tion, but also of its antiquity, although that
antiquity may not be so great as many have
imagined. At all events, if he had been many fine Monuments and objects of the
fabricating any fanciful description of this church, while glazed windows were still of rare occurrence, probably he would not have neglected to have added so important a fea- ture, to heighten his description of the gene- ral effect produced. See Dr. Petrie's " Ecclesiastical Architecture of Ireland and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. , subs, i. , pp.
