No More Learning

4 It is said to bear the English signification "Pismires' Hill," and even it has been so
called by the neighbouring people.
5 See Sir James Ware, "De Hibernia et
Antiquitatibus ejus," cap. xxvi.
186, 187.
" Acta Sanctorum
6 See "Trias Colgan's
J 7
See, also, Colgan's
Thaumaturga,"
Hibernke," xxviii. Februarii. Vita S. Aidi
Epis. et Confesso—ris, n. 15, p. 422.
Article vi. " See " De Scriptoribus
Hibernke," lib. i. , cap. viii. , p. 56.
a See the Life of St. Patrick, in the Third Volume of this work, at the 17th of March,
Art. i.
3 His festival occurs, on the 19th of
August.
p. 305.
7 See "Letters containing Information re-
lative to the Antiquities of County of Louth, collected during the Progress of the Ord-
nance Survey in 1835, 1836. " Letter of Patrick O'Keefe, dated Louth, February 7th, 1836, pp. 232, 233.
8 The accompanying illustration, drawn on the wood by William F. Wakeman, has
48 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 3.
purposes. 9 Accordingtoournativerecords,herestoodareligiousestablish- ment, from a remote period, and its superiors are sometimes known as comorbans of St. Patrick or of St. Mochta. 10 About the year 1167, we are informed, that Marianus O'Gorman wrote a Martyrology, in most elegant Irish verse, during the time of Gelasius, Archbishop of Armagh. Sir James Ware" states, that the Martyrology of O'Gorman was published in 1171. However, it must have appeared later, since we find in it the name of St.
The Fairy Mount, at Louth. Gilda-Machaibeo,whodieda. d. ii74. " Marianusspeaksofhimasatower
an ark of wisdom and of 1 ^ with similar science,
of and of piety
meekness,
eulogistic epithets. He extracted a great part of his own Calendar from the
1
Martyrology of Tallagh, usually called that of ^Engus; ^ however, his own is not
to be regarded, as a mere supplement to that Calendar. ^ Marianus O'Gorman does not confine himself to the principal saints of Ireland alone ; but, he takes in promiscuously those of other countries. This Martyrology existed in the time of Colgan, and it was held in universal esteem, owing to the great
beauty Martyrology
style
fidelity
of its
and the yet preserved,
of its 16 The text of this performance.
is
x
at Bruxelles ? it is to be that
been engraved by Mrs. Millard.
» In Thomas Wright's u Louthiana," Sanctorum Hibernicc," i. Januarii, Vita S.
book i. , plates xii. , xiii. , the elevations and ground-plan of those objects mentioned in the text may be seen, as they existed in 1758.
15 See Harris' Ware, vol.
" Writers of
10 In our Irish Annals.
" See "De Scriptoribus Hibernise," nise," i. Januarii. Vita S. Fanchea? , sect, iv. ,
lib.
12 See Rev. Dr.
16 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- P- 5-
i. , cap. viii. , p. 56. Lanigan's
"Ecclesiasticsi History of Ireland," vol. iv. , chap, xxx. ,
17 In the
this copy belonged to the Franciscans.
sect, ii. , p. 251, n. 12, p. 252, ibid.
13 See ibid. , chap, xxix. , sect, vi. , p. 220,
and n. 48, p. 222.
14
This is to be collected from the state- ment of an old scholiast, in a preface to the
18 See " Recherches sur les Calend tiers
Ecclesiastiques," par le R. P. Victor de Buck, S. J. , sect, viii. , p. 19. This posthu- mous publication appeared at Bruxelles, 1877, 8>o.
; but, regretted,
Martyrology itself. See Colgan's "Acta Fanchete, sect, iv. , p. 5.
ii. , Ireland," booki. , chap, ix. , p. 71.
Burgundian Library. Formerly
July 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 49
as yet, this valuable national and ecclesiastic;)] record has not been pub- lished. 18 Our annalists trace a long line of bishops, abbots or priors, in connexion with Louth, down to the sixteenth century, when its possessions were T 9 In the
1181,
to the
July, to Maelmuire 3 3 Ua Gormain, Abbot of Lughmhagh.
Martyrology
of
Donegal,
cum," pp. 469 to 479.
20 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the iii.
Four Masters," vol. iii. , pp. 56, 57. 31 "
* Inhis"
See Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," xxiv.
Martii, Appendix ad Vitam S. Mochtei,
cap. v. , p. 737.
21
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. l86, 187.
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Julii iii. Among the pretermitted feasts, p. 629.
"
:
Article ix.
xxviii. Kelly, p. —*
23 In a note, Dr. Todd says at Maelmuire
This is the author of the
3 His Life will be found, in the Sixth Vo- lume of this work—, at that date, Art. i.
Martyrology, commonly called Marianus, which is the
See "Acta
Among the preter-
Latinized form of his name. " Article vii. — x Edited
Rev. Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Kelly, p. xxviii. *
Article xi.
by
Dr.
mitted — feasts, p. 630.
J
of Christ,
the death of
This Abbot is thought
sequestrated.
O'Dunan, Abbot of Cnoc-na-Seangan (Louth) died. 20
to have been identical with the celebrated Marianus O'Gorman ; because, as
year
Colgan states, it should appear from a prologue prefixed to his Martyrology,
21
that Marianus was superior over this establishment in the year 1172. Although it seems not an easy matter to reconcile the apparent difference of names; yet,Dr. LanigandeemsColgan'sconjecturemostprobable. Accord-
on the of 3rd
22 veneration was
ing
the of'andof. 2attheofThe Martyrologies Tallagh Donegal, 3rd July.
Bollandists,3 on the authority of Sirinus, notice Ultanus, on this day.
Article VIII. —Reputed Feast of St. Kenuinus, Abbot, in Ireland.
On the of 1 who cites the of Petrus Canisius authority Ferrarius, Martyrology
atthisdate,theBollandists2 enter"KenuinusabbasinHibernia,"butthey point out, that Ferrarius has incorrectly entered both at the 3rd of June and at the 3rd of July the feast of a saint, who was no other than Kewinus or Keivinus, otherwise Coemginus, Abbot of Glendalough. His festival belongs only to the 3rd of June. 3
Article IX. —St. Colman. A St. Colman receives insertion, at the 3rd
1
Article X. —Reputed Festival of St. Rumold, Martyr, and Patron of Mechlin, Belgium. The Bollandists 1 remark, that some Kalendars—of little authority however—place a festival for St. Rumold, Bishop and Martyr, at the 3rd of July. Yet, in Ireland, it is the date fixed for his Office, as a Duplex Majus. His Life will be found in the present volume, at the 1st of July, the chief festival for this saint.
Article XL—St. Breacnat, Virgin. It is mentioned in the Martyrology
1
of Donegal, that veneration was given at the 3rd of July to Breacnat, a
Article VII. —St. Ultan. We meet with the simple entry Ultan, in
of July, in the published Martyrology of Tallagh.
** See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiberni-
186, 187.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Julii
the —
Among pretermitted feasts, p. 629.
Article viii.
Generalis Sanctorum," 2"
Catalogus
'
Article x. tomus i. , Julii iii.
Edked the Rev. Dr. by
given,
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 186, 187.
Mulmurry
Sanctorum,"
D
56 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 4.
virgin. The Bollandists a note this entry, likewise, but through a typogra- phical error, they write "Breenada virgine victoriosa," at this same date.
Article XII. —Feast of St. Thomas' Translation. In the early Irish Church, there was a festival at the 3rd of July, to commemorate the Translation of St. Thomas' Relics, as we learn from the "Feilire" of St.
-^Engus.
appended,
us,
they
brought
1 A note is
2 which informs
had been
that
from the east, or from In—dia to Arabia or to Edessa, a town in Syria. This is
—the Apostle St.
Thomas whose chief feast occurs on the 21st of December but who is commemorated in the Coptic and Chaldaic Kalendars, on the 3idofJuly,astheBollandists3 observe.
Article XIII. —Festival of St. Cyrion, Martyr at Alexandria. At the 3rd of July, in the early Irish Church, the festival of St. Cyrion was
aswefindfromthe"Feilire" ofSt. 1 AnoteinLatinis ^Engus.
in the " LeabharBreac"
Martyrs at Alexandria, as the Bollandists 3 notice them, at the present date.
jfourti) jaap of 3ulp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. BOLCAN OF KILCOOLEY, COUNTY OF ROSCOMMON. [PROBABLY IN THE FIFTH CENTURY. ] WEcannot speak with much confidence regarding the present holy man's
his has been identified. The name history, although place Bolcan,
1
of Cill Cuile, is inserted in the Martyrology of Tallagh, as having been vene-
celebrated,
appended,
copy.
2 Hewasoneofa of company holy
rated, at the 4th of July.
It appears, that his name and festival are to be
of Marianus O'Gorman and of Charles 2 Maguire.
found in the
Indifferently he has been called Olcan, as well as Bolcan, by some writers ; and Colgan has thus confounded those names. He seems to have been referred to the times of St. Patrick, whose disciple he is said to have been.
Martyrologies
9 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Julii iii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 631.
"Thus: " cirionis . 1. circionis . i. per con- cisionem. "—Ibid. , p. cxv.
—
the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript
i. , Julii Alexandrinis
Article xii.
x
See "Transactions of
De Sanctis
Tryphone, Menelao, Cyrione, Euloyio, Porphoreo, Aprico, Chusto, Juliano, Eradio,
On the Calendar
of Oengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , item Tryphone, Oreste. Addi possunt
Series, vol. i. , part i.
p. cix.
See ibid. , p. cxv.
Cyrillus, Emerion, alter Cyrion et Julius.
Notitia ex Martyrologio Hieronymiano, p. Julii 636.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. ,
iii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 632. Article I. — Edited by Rev. Dr.
Article XIII. —* See "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu- script Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calen-
dar of Oengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. cix.
Kelly, p. xxviii.
*
The Bollandists quote Father Thomas O'Sheerin's Manuscripts of the Irish Saints for this statement in the text. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. Among the preter-
iii.
Martyribus
3 see "Acta Sanctorum," tomus
July 4. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
It was Colgan's intention to have treated about St. Olcan, at the 4th of July. 3 This is expressed, also, in his published work. * The Bollandistss have a notice of him, at this date, but with many of the doubts expressed, and which intrinsically arise from the difficulty of distinguishing this individual saint. He is known by the name Olcan of Kilmormoyle, alias Kilmoremoy or Kil- more,neartheMoy. Heissaidtohavebeenconnectedwiththechurchof
6
Kilchule, in the territory of Siolmuiredhuigh.
the diocese of Elphin. ? We are told, the present holy man was a disciple of St. Patrick, and that he was probably the Oltcanus of Tirechan's list. He was
a 8 But another account is given, about his been that Olcan only priest. having
mentioned in the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick. 9 The holy Apostle had a disciple Olcan, about whom he had a vision, while that disciple was walking along Traighe-eothuile, with Bronius and Macerca, 10 the sea-tides and tempest exposing them to great danger. From the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick we learn, that the spot, where St. Olcan received his Divine monition to estab- lish a monastery, was called Killmor uachtair Mhuaidhe. This event happened, while the Irish Apostle had been engaged making his progress
11 The where St. Olcan's founda- place,
of
tion had been commenced, is at present called Kilmore-Moy, a parish which
through
the
province
Connaught.
extends into the barony of Tireragh, in the county of Sligo, and into the
barony of Tyrawley, in the county of Mayo. It was also called Lia-na-monach, from the monks, who dwelt there, while we are told, that it likewise bore the name Cruimther Monach, or Olcan's church. In Tirechan's list of St. Patrick's disciples, there is an Olcan, as also an Oltcan. Others think, that this
12
was apparently the holy man, called Volcan, by Jocelyn,
whom we find the following account. St. Patrick had a disciple, named
Volchanus,^ a man of great virtue, but specially distinguished by most remarkable obedience. Being desirous that his virtue, known only to God, should be manifested to the world, the saint, for the edification and example of others, commanded Volchan to go and build a church, wheresoever God would vouchsafe to provide him a place. Without delay, taking an axe on his shoulders, this man went his way. Seeing the alacrity and cheerfulness of his obedience, St. Patrick said to him : " Do not despair, my most dear Vol- chan, of finding a place. Wheresoever thy hatchet shall fall, build in that place; for there thou shalt have increase of a great community. " After Volchan had walked all day long, and had engaged in prayer, towards evening, the axe slipped from his shoulder. In that place, therefore, the obedient Volchan built a monastery, wherein himself and many others lived and died in greatperfection. 14 TheforegoingaccountofSt. Volchanusbuildinghischurch is incorrectly supposed, however, to have had reference to that time, when St.
toryofIreland,"vol. i. , chap,v. ,sect,xii. ,
Actuum n.
Catalogus 120, p. 256.
Sanctorum quse MS. habentur, ordine Men- 9 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
mittedfeasts,p. 3.
3 to " According
sium et Dierum. "
4" I0
See Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Ap-
SeptimaVitaS. Patricii,lib. ii. ,cap. xlii. ,p. 135. See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xlii. ,
pendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. ,
p. 267. 5"
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Juliiiv. Among the pretermitted feasts, p. 3.
p. 135. SeeMissMaryF. Cusack's"LifeofSt.
Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," Irish Tripar-
6
nioe," xx. Februarii, Vita S. Olcani seu M. R. I. A. , part ii. , p. 426.
See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
tite Life, translated by William M. Hennessy,
Bolcani, cap. ix. , p. 377, and n. 24, p. 378. 1 See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiberni-
cum," p. 612.
*"
See Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical His-
12
See Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga," Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. cxli. , p. 96.
,3 Thus is he called by Jocelyn.
l4 See ibid. , Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap.
This was a parish church, in
and regarding
52 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [Jul* 4. Patrick travelled through the northern parts of Ireland. Again, Volchanus is
thought whom so
Olcan, Bishop other romantic incidents are
Bolcan, 18
I5 to bethesameas
of
Annoy,
16 or
1? about
many
River Moy. His relics remain at Kilmore, that is,
20
and, also, by the authors of the Tripartite Lives of St. Patrick. ^ After a holy life, St. Olchan or Bolcan, renowned for his miracles as well as for his virtues, rested in the Lord, and he was buried at his place, now known as Kihnore, near the
"
In the Martyrology of Donegal of July, St. Bolcan, Abbot.
2I
is entered Bolcan,
his monastery stood.
of Cill Cuile, at this date. The Circle of the Seasons 2a
registers,
at the
4th
Article II. —St. Finbarr or Fionubharr, Abbot of Inis Doimhle, County of Wexford. [Sixth Century. ] This holy man must have flourished in the early ages of the Irish Church, and on the father's side he descended through a very illustrious line, from Feidhlimidh Rechtmar, or the
of Ireland. 1 From the he was twelve Law-giver, King latter,
generations in immediate succession. 2 This brings him one generation later than his
illustrious relative St. Brigid,3 patroness of Ireland. He was son of Dalian, son to Liathan, son to Briun, son of Eoghan, son of Brechin, son of Artur Corb. 4 HewasbrothertothesonsofAedh,ofAth-cliath. Inthe"Feilire"5
of St. ^Engus, Findbarr of Inis Teimle is commemorated, on the 4th of July.
There is a gloss, likewise, which states, that he belonged to the land of LJi
Cennselaig, and that he lived among the Desi. Another gloss adds, that
Inis Teimle has been derived from darkness, because such was the Isle, until
the two sons of Aed of Ath Cliath, who were Findbarr and Barrfind, went
6
thither.
the name of Finbarr, Abbot of Innse Domle. Marianus O'Gorman commemo- rates him, at this same date. The Rev. Alban Butler 8 makes him the founder
In the Martyrology of Tallagh i at the 4th of July, we find entered
cxli. , p.