No More Learning

4 See "Acta Sanctorum Septembris," tomus ii. Die Quarta Septembris. De S. Munessa seu Monessa, Virg. in Hibernia, pp. 225 to 228. Edited by Father Con- stantine Suysken.
s In eight paragraphs.
6
Marked with this title *J« MS. 167, D. Nomina Sanctarum Faminarum quarumdam ex Prosapia Regum Scotorum Hibernia;.
86.
12 It is generally allowed, that St. Patrick
did not write his Confession, until he had established his see at Armagh, and towards the close of his life. In it, he declares, that he would be afraid to be out of Ireland, even for so short a time as should enable him to visit his relatives, lest he should disobey the commands of Christ our Lord, who had ordered him to come among the Irish, and to remain with them for the rest of his life. See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's "Eccle- siastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , cap. vii. ,
cap. xcii. , p.
September 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 95
1
misstatements. * In the Triparite Life of St. Patrick, it is said, that the
daughter of a British king—seemingly this Munessa or Muneria—came into Ireland. She went to Kill-na-ningen, near Armagh, to be instructed by the
to the same account. As the
made her beautiful, writes Jocelyn, and the elegance of her form made her
lovely, while in her countenance the lilies and the roses of the garden were
mingled together ; very many princes of royal lineage desired her in marriage. However, in nowise could she be persuaded or compelled to give her consent. She had early formed the desire of becoming a Christian. Yet, had she not been washed in the holy font, though in her manners she represented the purity of Christian faith. Her parents being Heathens, endeavoured with words and with stripes, to frustrate her resolution ; but the firmness of her virgin purpose being built on the rock of Christ, could neither be subverted by their persuasions, nor by force. Nor could she, through any of their evil
1
doings, be moved from her fixed determination. * Having a long time thus
6
vainly laboured, by united consent, her parents brought her to St. Patrick,' the fame ot whose holiness was proved and published through all that country, by many signs and miracles. Then, they unfolded to him the purpose ol their daughter, earnestly entreating him, that he would bring her to the sight of that God, whom she so loved, and towards whom her heart had yearned. ' 7 The saint hearing this rejoiced in the Lord, giving thanks to Him, whose
x4
saint, according
spring-time
of her
youth
13 As for instance, concerning thirty British
bishops who are said to have been in Ireland.
He also states the Isle of Man had been then
subject to Britain ; not to mention the fall of
Merlin, the magician, and other absurd
narratives. See Colgan's " Trias Thauma-
turga," Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. xc, of the declivity," but the name is also obso- p. 86.
14 " See Colgan's
Dr. as "thehillof "andhe Reeves grief ;
Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. iii. , cap.
states, that the tradition of the country con- nected the memory of the nine pilgrim
virgins with Armagh Breague, in Upper Fews. Somewhat similar to the foregoing account is that in the Latin Tripartite Life, as published by Colgan, part iii. , chapters lxxiii. , lxxiv. In notes appended, he seems
lxxiii. , p. 163.
'5 The following account of the incidents
contained in the text varies considerably in
detail, yet referring apparently to the same subject matter. "One time there came
nine daughters of the King of the Long-
bards, and the daughter of the King of to regard Cruimthir, or Crumtheris, as a
Britain, on a pilgrimage to Patrick ; they
stopped at the east side of Ard-Macha,
where Coll-na-ningean is to-day. There
came messengers from them to Patrick, to
know if they should proceed to him. Patrick
said to the messengers that three of the
maidens would go to heaven, and in that
place (i. e. Coll-na-ningean) their sepulchre is. 'And let the other maidens go to
Druim-fenneda, and let one of them proceed as far as that hill in the east. ' And so it was done. Cruimthir went afterwards, and occupied Cengoba ; and Benen used to carry fragments of food to her every night from Patrick. And Patrick planted an apple tree in Achadh-na-elti, which he took from the fort, in the north of the place, i. e. Cengoba ; and hence the place is called Abhall-Patrick, in Cengoba. It was the milk of this doe, moreover, that used to be given to the lap-dog that—was near the
different person from the King of Britain's daughter, Munessa.
maiden, i. e. Cruimthir. " Miss M.
Life of St. Patrick, it may be supposed the baptism of Munessa must have been per- formed in Ireland. It is there stated, that her parents, hearing about the great reputa- tion of St. Patrick, brought her to him. See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Tertia Vita S. Patricii, cap. lxxviii. , p. 27.
•7 The author of St. Patrick's Fourth Life
states, that nine daughters of a King of the Lombards were received, with the daughter of a King of Britain, at this time, and that all were recommended by the Irish Apostle to places where they might serve God for the rest of their lives. See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Vita S. Patricii, cap. lxxxviii. , p. 46. Colgan thinks those daughters of the King of Britain are pro- bably not different from the daughters of
venerated on the of
Enoch, 9th September.
See ibid. , note 69, p. 50.
F. Cusack'b " Life of St. Patrick, Apostle of
Ireland. " William M. Hennessy's transla- tion of the Irish Tripartite Life of St.
Patrick, part iii. , pp. 485, 486. Coll-na- ningean is rendered "the hazel tree of the virgins," but the denomination is now obso- lete. Druim-fenneda is rendered " the ridge
lete. Cengoba is explained by the Rev.
16
Following the context of the Third
96 LIVESOETHEIRISHSAINTS. [September4.
breath doth blow even whither and how he listeth ; and who oftentimes calleth to Himself, without any preaching, those whom he had predestined for eternal life. Afterwards, having expounded to the damsel the rules of Christian Faith, he catechised and baptised her, while confessing her belief in the true Faith. He also strengthened her with the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. St. Ness, or Munessa, is classed among the holy virgins, who received the veil from St. Patrick. 18 The chief incidents of her life must be referred to between the year 432, when St. Patrick came to open his mission in Ireland, and to about the year 460, when he is thought to have departed this life, in the opinion of Fathers Papebroke and Suyskens. The latter supposed, that the
baptism and reception of St. Munessa happened during the last five years of J
the life of Ireland's great Apostle. 9 Having received the Holy Viaticum, Munessa fell to the ground in the midst of her prayers, and breathed forth her spirit. Thus she ascended from the font, spotless and washed from all sin, led by angels to the sight of her fair and beautiful beloved. Then did St. Patrick, and all who were present, glorify God. With honourable sepulture, they committed Munessa's holy remains to the earth. 20 The various Lives of St. Patrick do not name the place of this interment, nor where, in aftertime, the community of holy women was established, as he
21
tells us, that in his own day, the memory of St. Muneria had been observed
had then predicted.
Probus, or the author of the Apostle's Fifth Life, only
in that same 22 which place,
to have been known to him tradition. by
appears
The death of this holy virgin has been assigned to a. d. 450, in one of the
23 sent
by
Father
White2* to Father The Rosweyde.
Stephen
Martyrology of Donegal 2S states, that veneration was given at the 4th of
Manuscripts,
September,toNessofErnaidh. AccordingtoWilliamM. Hennessy,this
26
place is to be identified with Urney, in the County of Tyrone.
present Munissa be identical with the King of Britain's daughter, who with nine daughters of the Lombard King, lived or died at Coll-na-ningean, near Armagh, or at another place, called Druim-Fennedha, the foregoing statement of Mr. Hennessy cannot be admitted. Nor can the distinction between that
foregoing daughter of the British King and the present St. Munessa be 2
regarded as properly established. 7
Article IV. —St. Comhgall, of Both-Conais, County of Donegal. ^'eve? tth Century,,] At the 4th of September, we find entered in the
18
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 269.
19 See "Acta Sanctorum Septembris,"
tomus ii. Die Quarta Septembris. De S.
Munessa seu Monessa, Virg. in Hibernia.
Commentarius prrcvius, sect. 6, p. 226.
in ipsa vetere Scotia seu Hiberniaaut mortui
sunt, aut post mortem eo translati. Ex
quorum plurimis pauciorum, qui sequuntur, nomina nic (sell. Dilingen, as seams) ubi dego, reperta dabo. "
=•» Thus written: " Muneria, quae et Me-
messa virg<>, filia regis, baptisata a S- Patricio, qui ejus aniinam in coelum ascen- dentem viderat circa annum salutis CCCCL. "
=5 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
2t,6 237,
=6 See where mention is made of this place,
at lhe IIth of February, as also at the 1st
:°
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. clix. , p. 100. 21 "
See the Bollandists' Acta Sanctorum
Septembris," tomus ii. Die Quarta Sep- tembris. De S. Munessa seu Monessa, Virg. in Hiberma. Commentanus proevius, sect 2, p. 226.
"See Colgan's 'Trias Thaumaturga,'
Quinta Vita S. Patricii, lib. 11. , cap. xxvi. ,
P- 59- ^ and nn. 70, 71, p. 50, and Septima Vita S.
•3 Marked MS. 167 F , and having the Patricii, lib. iii. , cap. lxxiii. , p. 163, and nn. title: "Octavus Catalogus Sanctorum, qui 100, IOI, p. 187.
and 3rd of August.
«7 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Quarta Vita S. Patricii, cap. lxxxviii. , p. 46,
If the
September 4
]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
97
1 the name
venerated. He is said to have been the brother of St. Cele-Christ, or
Christicola, whose family and parentage have been already noticed in his Acts, which occur at the 3rd of March. 3 It is said, he descended from the race of Eoghan, son to Niall. This saint must have been born sometime about, or after, the middle of the seventh century. We read, that his place was situated in Glean Daoile, in Inis Eoghain,* or Inishowen, and it seems likely that he was a native of that part of Ireland.
Both-Chonais, mentioned in our Annals in the middle of the ninth century and at a still later period,
is rendered into " Conas' English by
of Martyrology Tallagh
Comgall
"
Dr. O'Donovan thought—although the former name was obsolete—it must
have been Templemoyle, in the parish of Culdaff, and barony of Inishowen. 5
6
But, he afterwards discovered better evidence for correcting his opinion ;
and he states, it is obviously the old grave yard, in the townland of Binnion,?
8
parish of Clonmany, barony of Inishowen, and County of Donegal.
This saint is recorded in the Martyrology of Donegal,9 at the same date, as Comhgall,sontoEochaidh,ofBoth-Conais. AccordingtoRev. JohnFrancis
10
Shearman, Cella Comgalli, or Kilcomgall, now Shankhill," in the County
of was called after this Dublin,
founder.
saint,
12 who was the
patron,
and its perhaps
Article V. —St. Cummein, Abbot of Drumsnat, County of Mona- ghan. Fromwhathasbeenalreadystatedattheistofthismonth,itseems probable, that the present saint may be identified with St. Cuimmen, son of Cuanna or Cuanach. The of 1 inserts a
published Martyrology Tallagh
festival at the the 4th of September, in honour of Comen, Abbot of Droma
That copy of it in the Book of Leinster contains a nearly similar This place is probably identical with Drumsnat, in Farney. 3
Sneachta.
insertion.
Fearnmhagh was the ancient name of this district. It is said to mean " the Alder Plain ;" and, it was the old Irish denomination for the barony of Farney, in the County of Monaghan. * The Martyrology of Donegal5 likewise registers Cummein, as Abbot of Druim Sneachta, and at this date.
2
Article VI. —St. Senan. No account remains, whereby we may determine the time in which this saint lived, the place he inhabited, or the
Article iv. —* In the copy contained in
the Book of Leinster, at this date, we find
Com^elli . 1. Ooch ConAir\
Four Masters," vol. ii. , n. (q), p. 722.
9 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
236, 237.
2 I0 See edition of Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxiii.
3 See an account of him at that date, in the Third Volume of this work, Ait. iii.
The Rev. Dr. Todd states in a note, that this inserted clause and identification are added by a second hand in the O'Clerys' Manuscript.
5 See "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (d), p. 483.
6 See Colgan's " Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. iv. , p. 231.
7 Markedonthe"OrdnanceSurveyTown-
land Maps for the County of Donegal," sheets 3, 10.
8"
See Dr. O'Donovan's Annals of the
So called in the "Concessio," dated 1198.
booth,"
tent,"
first,
of Boith a as been Conais, having
" Near Bray. """
or " hut. " At
See Loca Patriciana, part x. , p. 258. Article v. —1 Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxxiii.
2 In this form, Commein 4b "Orvomm
SneccAi.
3 See the notices in the Eighth Volume of
this work, concerning St. Molua, at the 4th day of August, Art. i. , Life, chap, ii. , and nn. 15, 16, ibid.
4 See " Dr. O'Donovan 's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (x). p. 36.
s Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
236, 237.
G
98 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. September 4.
rank to which he attained. This is unhappily the case regarding many other
Irish saints.
A festival in honour of Senan appears in the published
of Martyrology Tallagh,
1 atthe of omitsthename 4th September. Colgan
2
of this holy man, by passing over the same date, where he enumerates those
saints bearing the same name in our Irish Calendars. In the Martyrology of Donegal,3 an identical diurnal entry is to be found.
Article VII. —St. Sarbile, Virgin of Fochart, County of Louth. As Mary, mentioned in the Gospel, loved to sit at the feet of Jesus, so do holy virgins desire that calm and rest, in which His voice is best heard
Boyne to the Mountains of Cuilgne, or Carlingford. 3 The Martyrology of Donegal* simply records the name Sarbile, of Fochard, at the same date. This may have been the St. Orbilia, Virgin, whose Acts Colgan had intended to produce at the present day, as we have gathered from the list of his
5 unpublished manuscripts.
to their hearts. We find set down in the of Martyrology Tallagh,
1
speaking
at the 4th of September, that veneration was given to Sarbile, Virgin of Fochairde, or Fochart, in the old district of Murtheimhne. 2 This is now a level country in the present County of Louth. It extends from the River
Article VIII. —St. Peneux. {Sixth Century. ] In the sixth century 1
flourished a holy abbot, who is known in Bretagne, as St. Peneux, His feast is assigned to June 4th, and to September 4th.
Article IX. —St. Aedhan Amlonn, possibly at Clontarf, County
of Dublin. The name, Aedhan Amlonn, is the simple entry found in the
of 1 at the 4th of September. The Genealogic Martyrology Donegal,
2 records a saint of this name, belonging to St. Brigid's race, and he is said to have been the son of Lugar, son to Ernin, son of Coel, son to Aid, son of Sanius, son to Arturus Corb, son of Cairbre Niadh, son to Cormac, son of ^Engus Menn, son of Eochadh Finn, son to Fethlimi—d Reachtmair, King of Ireland. This saint was venerated at Cluain Tarbh now possibly Clontarf, County of Dublin—either on the 27th of August,3 or on the 4th of
September. *
Article vi. —'Edited by Rev. Dr. "Annals of The Four Musters," vol. i. , n. Kelly, p. xxxiii. It is also in that copy (u), p. 10.
Sanctilogy
contained in the Book of Leinster, thus, Senam.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," viii.
Martii. Vita S. Senani, Appendix, cap. i. ,
p. 541, {recU) 537.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
4 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
236, 237.
s See " Catalogus Actuum Sanctorum
quae MS. habentur, ordine Mensium et Dierum. "
Article viil— ' His Acts are to be found
"
236, 237. So he is simply named Senan, in Lobineau's Vies des Saints de la Bre-
in the Irish Ordnance Survey MS. copy of
tagne," tome i. , pp. 248 to 250.
this Calendar, — p. 75.
Article IX. —x Edited Reeves, pp. 236, 237.
a
by
Drs. Toddand
Article vn. Kelly, p. xxxiii.
'
Edited by Rev. Dr.
a In the copy of theTallaght Martyrology, found in the Book of Leinster, we read
Sainbile Uin. £och<yirvoe muin.
3 Dundalk, Louth, Druimiskin, Faughard
Chap. xiv.
3 See notices of St. Aedhan or Aidan, at
that day, in the Eighth Volume of this work, Art. iii.
* See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
and Monasterboice are mentioned as having
been in this place. See Dr. O'Donovan's p. 613.
Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidae, cap. 3,
September 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
99
ArticleX. —St. Failbhe. Inthe
at the 4th of September, there is a Feast for Failbe Mac Ronain, of Cluain
Airbelaig.
2 We have
already
1
seen, that in the of 3 this Martyrology Donegal,
saint's feast occurs on the 1st day of this month j and again at the 4th, there
is a festival for Failbhe. Some mistake or misplacement appears to have
published Martyrology
of
Tallagh,
that this same saint had two different one occurring on the 1st, and the other having been held on the
occurred— it
; yet, perhaps, may be, 4th of September.
festivals
Article XI. —Reputed Feast of St. Erentrudis, or Erentrude, Abbess of Salzburg. In the Martyrology of Greven, and also in one belonging to the Church of St. Martin in Treves, there is commemoration of St. Herentrude, Virgin, at the 4th of September. In their notice of this entry,
1
theBollandistsstate, thatifshebeidenticalwithSt. Erentrude,orErendrude,
Abbess, and whose Translation had been recorded on the previous day, the reader may consult her Acts, at the 30th of June, which was her chief festival.
2
Article XII. — St. Fiachrach. In that copy of the Martyrology of Tallagh, to be found in the Book of Leinster, there is the simple entry of Fiachruch,1 at this date. This name is omitted, however, in the published copy. * Moreover, Fiachrach, without any further designation, is set down in the Martyrology of Donegal,* at the 4th of September.
Article XIII. —Reputed Commemoration or Canonization of St. Swibert, or Suitbert, Bishop and Apostle of the Frisons and of the Boructuarians. The supposed Canonization of St. Swibert, or Suitbert,
1
However, it is called the commemoration—and by a better title—in the German Martyrology of Canisius. Allusion is made to this reputed Feast, by the Bollandists, at this date. 2 The Life of St. Swibert, or Suitbert, has been
already given, at the 1st of March,3 the day for his chief Festival.
Article XIV. —Reputed Feast of St. Veran, Confessor, at Rheims, France. \ Sixth Century]. Already have we mentioned Veran as one of
At the same day, an account of her will be found in this work.