" In the "Annals of the Four Mas-
*'
Gormgalus Lagisiensis Vicarius Ec- 3' See Rev.
*'
Gormgalus Lagisiensis Vicarius Ec- 3' See Rev.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
1062, being wanting
in the Monte Casino MS.
^*
They are called deluders and hypocrites in Professor O'Looney's Irish Life of St. Brigid, pp. 29, 30.
'^ The Rev. S. Baring-Gould, a clergyman of the Anglican Church, calls the foregoing a remarkable prophecy regarding "the
miserable— of the so-called Refor- apostasy
Actb. See
Colgan's
Thaumaturga,"
"
mation. " Lives the Saints," vol. ii. ,
of
February I, p. 21.
^3 Eochaidh was prince of Oirgallia. Thus,
we find the
and motley-coloured oxen, then wild and
black animals. After these I saw sheep
and swine and wolves and dogs contending
with one another. " See Rev. S. Baring- on each of them. The little stone increased Gould's "Lives of the Saints," vol. ii. ,
February I, p. 21. '°
at the 'drop,' and silvery sparks burst from it. The large stone withered, more- over. " These words of Brigid, St. Patrick
interpreted to mean Cairpre Damhairgit, who believed and was blessed with his seed,
and Bresal, who refused to believe, when a malediction was pronounced against him. See Miss Mary F. Cusack's "Life of St.
Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," p. 452.
—St. Patrick describes the evil teachers as
**
—See Vita Sexta "
de Vere alludes to him, in the — xxvii. , Vita Tertia Aubrey poem, ii. , cap. pp. 553, 554.
*'
**
king
—Northward in Clochar. "
"Legends of St. Patrick," p. 149.
Saint Patrick and King Eochaidh"
Eochaidh, son of Cruimther, reigned, a
S.
ibid. According to some accounts, St. Patrick is said to have held nearly sixty synods in
"
Ireland. See Villaneuva's Sancti Pa-
tricii, Ibernorum Apostoli, Synodi, Ca- nones, Opuscula," &c. , pp. 7, 8.
:
BrigidiE, cap. '°
Ivii. ,
p. 533,
nealogy," chap. xiii.
'5 " I saw subsequently two stones, one
little and the other big. A drop was shed
Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vila S. Patricii, pars, iii. , cap. vi. ,
lo6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[February j.
minds and principles of the faithful in Ireland,^^ have been popularly be- lieved to furnish the correct interpretation for this remarkable Brigitine vision.
It is probable, Lemhuin and Finnabhair are the places alluded to, where St. Patrick and St. Brigid, with their religious, are said to have been assem- bled at a time the holy Apostle of Ireland did not cease giving instructions to the people, for three whole days and three nights. ^*^ The sun continued shining, as we are told ; however, during this protracted sermon, the auditors supposed, that not more than an hour had elapsed. One man only had a knowledge regarding what length of time had been spent in this place. On approaching, he asked the holy Bishop, why he had remained there for so long an interval. The Apostle asked him what time had elapsed, and was then told a duration, equal to three days and as many nights. Then said
the holy father
:
" For forty days and nights, we should have remained here,
had not a stranger warned us about our delay, nor should we have experi-
enced fatigue nor hunger, through the Divine clemency. " Afterwards, St,
Patrick and St. Brigid returned to their respective districts. =^3 Those are
not specified ; but, it may be, St. Patrick proceeded on his missionary career through Ulster, while Brigid returned to her home or convent in Meath or Leinster. '4
It is related, that Brigid visited Armagh, most probably after she had
established her parent house at Kildare. She always desired the wise counsel
of St. Patrick. ^5 it may not be unlikely, this journey was undertaken at
the special request of the Irish Apostle himself He intended Armagh to be
the seat of ecclesiastical rule ; and, here he is said to have built, not alone
several other houses. ^'^ What religious
his cathedral ^"^ but church,
likewise,
could be more desirable, than founding a holy institute, where his fervent
female converts could find a happy retreat and a career of Christian useful- ness ? Who could be chosen more capable of teaching nuns, both by word and example, than the zealous and energetic Abbess of Kildare ? ^^ If we aretobelieveamoderncompilation,St. PatrickfoundedTempleBrigidin thiscityofArmagh. ^s Itseemsmorelikely,thattheRegiesBrighde,orSt. Bride's Church, if founded during his lifetime, had been also the joint con- cern of St. Brigid, to accommodate some religious daughters, belonging to her order. Long after her decease, the coarbs. of the Regies Brighde,3° are men-
"
Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's "La Santit^ he died at Saul or Sabhal, A. D. 493. See
p. 555.
saint,
See the foregoing narative produced in this place, A. D. 455, to St. Binen ; and that
Prodigiosa, Vitadi S. Brigida Ibernese. " chap, i. , pp. 82, 84, 85.
Libro Quarto, pp. 323 to 326. ="7 An inexact historical compiler aflfinns, " See Abbate Giacomo Certani's ** La that St. Patrick founded an abbey at Ar-
Santit^ Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. " Libro Quarto, pp. 326, 327.
'3 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Quarta S. Brigidae, lib. ii. , cap. xxxiii.
In the Third Life of our
this sermon was preached, it is stated, at the request of St. Brigid. See Vita Tertia S. Brigidae, cap. Ixiii. , p. 534. Ibid.
'^The foregoing incidents are probably referable to St. Brigid's earliest interviews with St. Patrick.
»sSee "The Life of St. Brigid," by an
" James Stuart, A. B. , who has published Historical Memoirs of the City of Ar- magh," states, that St. Patrick built a ca- thedral and some other religious edifices there, A. D. 445 ; that he held a synod there,
A. D. 448 ; that he resigned the bishopric of
magh for regular Canons of St. Augustine's order, in 445 or 457. See Sir Charles Coote's " Statistical Survey of the County of Armagh," Appendix, p. 29.
''^ We are that "she was in- informed,
vited to come and—form establishments in
=9 See Sir Charles Coote's "Statistical Survey of the County of Armagh," Ap- pendix, p. 30.
30 in Irish, tlejlef btM^-oe. This little conventual church was outside the rath. Its situation is marked on the Map of the Citv of Armagh, constructed on J. Roque s Map of 1760, and R. Levingstone's Survey of 1767, prefixed to the Rev. Wm. Reeves'
Irish Priest, chap, vii. , pp, 87, 88. "*
Rev. M. Brenan's
various districts. " J. "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," chap. iii. , p. 51.
"Ancient Churches of Armagh," sec. v. ,
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 107
lionedinourannals. 3^ NowSt. Bride'ssharesitshonourswithapaddockJ^
From the expression coarb,^^ or abbatial successor, we may conclude that, though small, it was a religious house which might have traced back its
origin to the era of its reputed founder. 34 In 1179, the Regies Brighde and the Teampull-na-Fearta35 escaped a wide-spread conflagration,36 which consumedthegreaterpartofArmagh. 37 In1189,however,Armaghwas burned from St. Brigid's cross to the Regies Brighde. 38 The occupants of the nunnery here were possibly of St. Brigid's order, and observants of her rule, from the earliest period. 39 Two townlands belonging to it, at one time, paid a rental of four shillings a year. 4° Afterwards, these endowments seem to have been absorbed in some more powerful interest ; for, at the period of the suppression of religious houses, its sole possessions were the building and the surrounding premises, which occupied about one acre. ^^ At the time ofthedissolution42itwasanunnery,andpossiblyacellofTemplefertagh; for, in inquisitions and patents, both are coupled, and they have changed hands incompanyeversince. 43 TheprecinctsofTemplebreedoccupyanirregular space, situated to the south-east of the Protestant cathedral, at Armagh, and having frontage in the middle, at the south side of Castle-street. 44 The old Catholic chapel stands on the south-west bound, and the site of Temple- breed lies about thirty yards north-east of the near end of the chapel. 45 An ancient cemetery adjoined the nunnery. 4^ The historian of Armagh cor- rectly identifies Teampull na Fearta with the Dobbin holding ;47 yet, strange tosay,elsewhere,heprofesseshisinabilitytodetermineitsposition. 48 Like
p. 25. Printed for the Author, Lusk:
39
See Rev. William Reeves' "Ancient
MDCCCLX, small 8vo. Churches of Armagh," sec. i. , p. 10. ""
3' The Annals of Ulster" and Annals /"According to Primate Dowdall's Re-
of the Four Masters" record atA. D, 1085.
gister of the See of Armagh.
4' An inquisition of 1612, finds that this
was a nunnery. Ultonia Inq. Armagh, No. 3, James I.
42 Then it was occupied by a singer, or "cantator," who resided in said monastery, place, or house, called Templebreed.
43 Both lots, known as the two Abbey
Courts, or the Earl of Anglesey's Liberty, were assigned by lease in 1799, and this was converted into fee by the late Leonard Dobbin, Esq.
44 The enclosure extended back- nunnery
wards down the slope, south and south-east, to near, but not touching, Thomas-street.
43 On the Castle-street of St. frontage
Brigid's ground stood the old castellated house
which gave name to the street. It was an-
ciently called Port-Rath or Rath-Armagh,
and occasionally Rathene. See Stuart's
the death of
Gormgeal Loighseach.
See
Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibernicarum Scrip-
tores," tomusiii. , p. 648, and tomus iv. p.
350. In the former Annals, the Latinized rendering is " Vicaria Ecclesise S. Brigidse
in Ardmacha, sapiens intelligentia et pie- tate.
" In the "Annals of the Four Mas-
*'
Gormgalus Lagisiensis Vicarius Ec- 3' See Rev. William Reeves' "Ancient
ters,"
clesise Brigidse in Ardmacha, sapiens sci-
entia et religione. "
Churches of
33 The word coarb is applied to the suc-
Armagh," p. 3.
cessor or representative of the patron saint,
or founder of a original
monastery, priory, or any ecclesiastical establishment, or to the successor of a bishop. See Owen Connel- lan's and Philip MacDermott's "Annals of Ireland, translated from the original Irish
of the Four Masters," n. 2, p, i.
34 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "Ancient
"
chap, v. , p. 144.
4^ See the "Dublin for Penny Journal,"
notice of an ancient bronze seal belonging to a former Dean of Armagh, vol. ii. , p. 112. This communication of the late John Corry, the truest antiquary Armagh ever produced, is accompanied by an illustration. The seal was found on the site of Temple Brigid.
"
Historical Memoirs of the City of Armagh. " chap, xxvi. , pp. 511, 512, 514.
'''^'Stt ibid. , chap, i. , pp. 83, 87, and in the Appendices vi. and vii. Stuart conjec- tures, that it was at an old abbey, used as a cemetery in the early part of the last cen-
Churches of sec. Armagh,"
v. , p. 25.
33 This is represented as having been the
present Scotch-street, supposed by Dr. Reeves to have been called Templefartagh- street in the time of King Charles II. See ibid. , sec. i. , p. ii.
3* See Rev. Robert King's "Memoir in- troductory to the early History of the Pri- macy of Armagh," p. iii.
37 Probably on account of their position
outside the rath, and the densely-occupied portion of the town.
3^ See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. iii. , pp. 84, 85.
47 See
Historical Memoir of the City of Armagh,"
Io8 LIVES OJP THE IRISH SAINTS,
[February i.
many other cathedral cities, Armagh sprung up and extended around its minster church. It likewise grew by degrees into beauty of design and
appearance. '*^ Incomparably fine and picturesque views of it are furnished
City of Armagh, from the East.
at every point of approach ; hills and valleys and rushing streams give va- riety and interest to each of its suburbs.
The ready resources of true charity, as exercised on behalf of our neigh-
bour, are ever versatile, and applicalDle towards objects and conditions, which call forth their exercise by cloistered religious. One day, a poor
leper came to our saint, entreating permission to have his garments washed at her establishment. It is probable, that some public provision had been
there made. Brigid compassionately assented to the leper's request, and when told by the afflicted pauper, that he had no other garments for a change, while what he wore should be washed and dried, our holy abbess directed one of her nuns to present him with her second habit, which she was not obliged to wear. Having a very natural objection to give her clothes to a man, labouring under so loathsome a disease, that nun could hardly bear such a proposal. She was immediately struck with leprosy,s° for her disobedience, and she continued in this state for the lapse of an hour.
Then, indeed, she repented on account of her refusal. Through the prayers of St. Brigid, however, she was soon cleansed from this infectious disease. s^
tury, and that it was situated within the ProtestantPrimate'sdemesne. Seep. 598. *9 The annexed view, from a photograph by Frederick W. Mares, Dublin, was drawn on the wood by William F. Wakeman, and engraved by George A. Hanlon. On a high hill to the right is the new Catholic cathe-
dral, with its double flanking towers and spires. The Protestant cathedral, with its square tower, occupies a high hill in the
centre of the city.
5° The Sixth Life of our saint says
**
:
—
Virgineamque cutem percussit Candida — lepra. " "
Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga," Sexta Vita ti. Brigidse, sec. Ixiii. , p. 596.
5' The leprosy of cold climates seems to be a local disease of the cutis, its vessels
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 109
One of the other nuns, with more charity, had already presented the poor man with a garment, whilst all the community acknowledged the justice of God's judgment on their now penitent sister. When the poor leper had
resumed his own attire, the holy abbess procured for him, likewise, the blessing of a release from his miserable condition. Her sisters gave thanks to God, on witnessing these manifestations of His Almighty power. The holy abbess and her nuns dwelt in a particular cell, in that part of the
:
country, where the foregoing occurrences took place. One night, during Lenten time, eight darmg thieves came to steal four horses, which belonged tothecommunity. Anun,whoremainedawakeatthattime,announcedto our saint this robbery which had been perpetrated. The abbess said
" Be it so ; I already know it, but there will be found others, more powerful than we are, who may retaliate. " On departing with their prey, those robbers went towards the house of a peasant or farmer, from whom they took forty measures of corn. These were put on the four horses and on their own shoulders. Afterwards, they proceeded, as they thought, to their homes. Yet, the Almighty had decreed, that the thieves should retrace their course towards that granary belonging to the nuns. Having deposited their booty, they retired to rest in a corner of the barn. On the following morning, the persons, who had experienced a loss of their corn, setting out on the tracks of those thieves and of the previously-stolen horses, came in chase to St. Brigid's dwelling-place. They declared their reason for coming, and ex- plained about certain indications, which led them to suppose, they had fol- lowed in a right direction. They also requested our abbess to give them whatever information she could furnish regarding this matter. The holy
virgin then went to that granary, where she found the robbers sleeping. Having awakened them, she asked why they had dared to bring their booty
thither, when they replied, in fear and amazement, that they had been under animpressiontheyreturnedtoandsleptintheirownhomes. s" Afterwards, St. Brigid sent a message to St. Patrick, who was not far distant from that place, with a request that he would come and release those robbers. The holy prelate immediately came to our saint. Having ransomed them, they repented, and sought to atone for their crimes, by offering that corn they had taken to St. Brigid and to her nuns, being convinced, such restitution should be acceptable to God. 53 By the occurrence of this miracle, St. Brigid's fame was greatly diffused, through this particular district of country. s* While St. Brigid, with some of her nuns, was one day seated near Armagh city, two men approached, bearing water in an uncovered wooden vessel. ss On coming towards the holy abbess, they entreated her to bless this water. With their request she complied, and she also blessed themselves, at the
and glands ; but, it is much more virulent trated. See Vita Tertia S. Brigidae, cap. and contagious in warm climates. See lix. , p. 533, Ibid.
Dr. Robert Thomas' *' Modern Practice of " We are not informed, whether our Physic," &c. Article, Lepra or Leprosy, saint received this offering, which she could
London : 1834. 8vo. Tenth
Colgan's
Vita Quarta S. Brigidae, lib. ii. , cap. xxviii. , xxix. , p. 554. In another of our saint's
lives, it is said, that a deficiency of corn ex- isted at the time of this robbery, that the grain taken had been winnowed, and in- tended for seed, and that the thieves en- tered, not a barn, but a small hut, to sleep there, alter this robbery had been perpe-
only have accepted right<ully, with consent of the real owner ot the corn stolen.
54 it is the unfinished portion of probable,
our saint's Sixth Life, as found in the Bar- barini MS. , had reference also to this miracle, See Vita Sexta S. Brigidce, sec. Ixv. , p. 596. Ibid.
55 See Abbate Certani's " La Santiti Pro-
digiosa. Vita di S. Brigidalbernese. " Libro Quinto, pp. 340, 341.
pp. 729, 730. edition.
5=* See
" Trias
Thaumaturga,"
iio LIVES OF THE IRISH SAIMTS
[February i.
same time. Departing from her, it happened, that vessel containing water
fell on its side, and not only did it remain unbroken, but not even one
drop of its contents spilled through the aperture. ^^ This remarkable cir-
cumstance was attributed to the efficacy of St. Brigid's prayers. When St.
Patrick had been informed regarding such an occurrence, he grdered a part of the water contained in that vessel to be divided among particular
churches about Armagh,57 and to be used in the Eucharistic sacrifices^ Another portion he desired should be sprinkled on the fields, to make them productive. 59 His orders were obeyed, and many, who had been benefited by this distribution, gave thanks to God and to his glorious servant, St. Brigid. ^
A certain wealthy and good nobleman lived in the plain of Macha. ^^
He suffered greatly from disease and a pestilence, which baffled the skill of
physicians. At last he sent to St. Brigid, requesting a visit from her ; and,
while approaching the house, which she saw at a distance, our holy virgin
declared, that from whatever quarter the wind blew, it should bring calamity
and disease on the master of that
man, he was surprised, and declared he did not know why he should incur such a judgment, as he had done evil to no person. Then his herd re- plied, by stating, it had been rumoured, that all wayfarers without exception were in the habit of cursing this nobleman, because he had allowed his husbandmen to enclose certain fields, with hedges,^3 which had the effect of making an adjoining highway impassable, owing to their thorny obstructions. When St. Brigid heard of this, she declared it was the cause of his misfor- tune. Wherefore, that nobleman gave orders to restore the highway to its former unincumbered state. Afterwards, all passengers bestowed their bless- ings on him. He was also relieved from his infirmities, through the prayers of St. Brigid, to whom, and to the Almighty, he offered humble acknow-
dwelling.
ledgments-^-^
To the pious abbess, among other gifts, was accorded the spirit of pro-
phecy. ^5 We are told, while St. Patrick, on a certain day, preached the
s<5 In Professor O'Looney's Irish Life of
St. Brigid, it is said to have rolled from the
door of the Rathto Lochlaphain, pp. 29,30. 57 And throughout Airthiria (Orior) is
addedinProfessorO'Looney'sMS. Ibid.
"
58 Ut ad Eucharistiam sanguinis Christi
mitteretur," &c. , are ihe words used in our saint's Third and Fourth Lives. They show how early in Ireland was the practice of mingling some drops of water with wine used at Mass, thus according with the pre- sent Roman rite.
depressions and eminences, highly cultivated and improved by art.
''^
This account, with his usual classical illustrations, is also to be found elaborated in Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's " La San- tit^ Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Iber- nese. " Libro Quinto, pp. 334 to 338.
^^ This passage indicates early Irish agri- cultural improvements, in fencing landed property. These probably, in many in- stances, should favourably compare with the present state of landed proprietors' efforts
59 We are told, moreover, that it cured in Ireland. Much more should have been
every disease and distemper that was in the
country. Professor O'Looney's Irish Life
done to trim hedges and secure fields in an ornamental manner. By planting trees more generally and by building commodious and
of St. Brigid, pp. 29, 30.
^See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," handsome dwellings for farmers and cot-
Vita Quarta S. Brigidae, lib. ii. , cap. xxxii. , tiers, the natural features of our landscapes PP- 554> 555- Vita Tertia S. Brigid ae, cap. might be rendered far more picturesque, Ixii. , p. 534. Ibiii. while social order and happiness should be
*'In one reading, Colgan found **in increased,
campo Mancho, which he amends in the following comment, "rectius yJ/o^/^<7. " This
was a plain extending round Armagh, called
in Irish, Macha, n. — This Magh, 34, p. 543.
in the Monte Casino MS.
^*
They are called deluders and hypocrites in Professor O'Looney's Irish Life of St. Brigid, pp. 29, 30.
'^ The Rev. S. Baring-Gould, a clergyman of the Anglican Church, calls the foregoing a remarkable prophecy regarding "the
miserable— of the so-called Refor- apostasy
Actb. See
Colgan's
Thaumaturga,"
"
mation. " Lives the Saints," vol. ii. ,
of
February I, p. 21.
^3 Eochaidh was prince of Oirgallia. Thus,
we find the
and motley-coloured oxen, then wild and
black animals. After these I saw sheep
and swine and wolves and dogs contending
with one another. " See Rev. S. Baring- on each of them. The little stone increased Gould's "Lives of the Saints," vol. ii. ,
February I, p. 21. '°
at the 'drop,' and silvery sparks burst from it. The large stone withered, more- over. " These words of Brigid, St. Patrick
interpreted to mean Cairpre Damhairgit, who believed and was blessed with his seed,
and Bresal, who refused to believe, when a malediction was pronounced against him. See Miss Mary F. Cusack's "Life of St.
Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," p. 452.
—St. Patrick describes the evil teachers as
**
—See Vita Sexta "
de Vere alludes to him, in the — xxvii. , Vita Tertia Aubrey poem, ii. , cap. pp. 553, 554.
*'
**
king
—Northward in Clochar. "
"Legends of St. Patrick," p. 149.
Saint Patrick and King Eochaidh"
Eochaidh, son of Cruimther, reigned, a
S.
ibid. According to some accounts, St. Patrick is said to have held nearly sixty synods in
"
Ireland. See Villaneuva's Sancti Pa-
tricii, Ibernorum Apostoli, Synodi, Ca- nones, Opuscula," &c. , pp. 7, 8.
:
BrigidiE, cap. '°
Ivii. ,
p. 533,
nealogy," chap. xiii.
'5 " I saw subsequently two stones, one
little and the other big. A drop was shed
Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vila S. Patricii, pars, iii. , cap. vi. ,
lo6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[February j.
minds and principles of the faithful in Ireland,^^ have been popularly be- lieved to furnish the correct interpretation for this remarkable Brigitine vision.
It is probable, Lemhuin and Finnabhair are the places alluded to, where St. Patrick and St. Brigid, with their religious, are said to have been assem- bled at a time the holy Apostle of Ireland did not cease giving instructions to the people, for three whole days and three nights. ^*^ The sun continued shining, as we are told ; however, during this protracted sermon, the auditors supposed, that not more than an hour had elapsed. One man only had a knowledge regarding what length of time had been spent in this place. On approaching, he asked the holy Bishop, why he had remained there for so long an interval. The Apostle asked him what time had elapsed, and was then told a duration, equal to three days and as many nights. Then said
the holy father
:
" For forty days and nights, we should have remained here,
had not a stranger warned us about our delay, nor should we have experi-
enced fatigue nor hunger, through the Divine clemency. " Afterwards, St,
Patrick and St. Brigid returned to their respective districts. =^3 Those are
not specified ; but, it may be, St. Patrick proceeded on his missionary career through Ulster, while Brigid returned to her home or convent in Meath or Leinster. '4
It is related, that Brigid visited Armagh, most probably after she had
established her parent house at Kildare. She always desired the wise counsel
of St. Patrick. ^5 it may not be unlikely, this journey was undertaken at
the special request of the Irish Apostle himself He intended Armagh to be
the seat of ecclesiastical rule ; and, here he is said to have built, not alone
several other houses. ^'^ What religious
his cathedral ^"^ but church,
likewise,
could be more desirable, than founding a holy institute, where his fervent
female converts could find a happy retreat and a career of Christian useful- ness ? Who could be chosen more capable of teaching nuns, both by word and example, than the zealous and energetic Abbess of Kildare ? ^^ If we aretobelieveamoderncompilation,St. PatrickfoundedTempleBrigidin thiscityofArmagh. ^s Itseemsmorelikely,thattheRegiesBrighde,orSt. Bride's Church, if founded during his lifetime, had been also the joint con- cern of St. Brigid, to accommodate some religious daughters, belonging to her order. Long after her decease, the coarbs. of the Regies Brighde,3° are men-
"
Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's "La Santit^ he died at Saul or Sabhal, A. D. 493. See
p. 555.
saint,
See the foregoing narative produced in this place, A. D. 455, to St. Binen ; and that
Prodigiosa, Vitadi S. Brigida Ibernese. " chap, i. , pp. 82, 84, 85.
Libro Quarto, pp. 323 to 326. ="7 An inexact historical compiler aflfinns, " See Abbate Giacomo Certani's ** La that St. Patrick founded an abbey at Ar-
Santit^ Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. " Libro Quarto, pp. 326, 327.
'3 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Quarta S. Brigidae, lib. ii. , cap. xxxiii.
In the Third Life of our
this sermon was preached, it is stated, at the request of St. Brigid. See Vita Tertia S. Brigidae, cap. Ixiii. , p. 534. Ibid.
'^The foregoing incidents are probably referable to St. Brigid's earliest interviews with St. Patrick.
»sSee "The Life of St. Brigid," by an
" James Stuart, A. B. , who has published Historical Memoirs of the City of Ar- magh," states, that St. Patrick built a ca- thedral and some other religious edifices there, A. D. 445 ; that he held a synod there,
A. D. 448 ; that he resigned the bishopric of
magh for regular Canons of St. Augustine's order, in 445 or 457. See Sir Charles Coote's " Statistical Survey of the County of Armagh," Appendix, p. 29.
''^ We are that "she was in- informed,
vited to come and—form establishments in
=9 See Sir Charles Coote's "Statistical Survey of the County of Armagh," Ap- pendix, p. 30.
30 in Irish, tlejlef btM^-oe. This little conventual church was outside the rath. Its situation is marked on the Map of the Citv of Armagh, constructed on J. Roque s Map of 1760, and R. Levingstone's Survey of 1767, prefixed to the Rev. Wm. Reeves'
Irish Priest, chap, vii. , pp, 87, 88. "*
Rev. M. Brenan's
various districts. " J. "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," chap. iii. , p. 51.
"Ancient Churches of Armagh," sec. v. ,
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 107
lionedinourannals. 3^ NowSt. Bride'ssharesitshonourswithapaddockJ^
From the expression coarb,^^ or abbatial successor, we may conclude that, though small, it was a religious house which might have traced back its
origin to the era of its reputed founder. 34 In 1179, the Regies Brighde and the Teampull-na-Fearta35 escaped a wide-spread conflagration,36 which consumedthegreaterpartofArmagh. 37 In1189,however,Armaghwas burned from St. Brigid's cross to the Regies Brighde. 38 The occupants of the nunnery here were possibly of St. Brigid's order, and observants of her rule, from the earliest period. 39 Two townlands belonging to it, at one time, paid a rental of four shillings a year. 4° Afterwards, these endowments seem to have been absorbed in some more powerful interest ; for, at the period of the suppression of religious houses, its sole possessions were the building and the surrounding premises, which occupied about one acre. ^^ At the time ofthedissolution42itwasanunnery,andpossiblyacellofTemplefertagh; for, in inquisitions and patents, both are coupled, and they have changed hands incompanyeversince. 43 TheprecinctsofTemplebreedoccupyanirregular space, situated to the south-east of the Protestant cathedral, at Armagh, and having frontage in the middle, at the south side of Castle-street. 44 The old Catholic chapel stands on the south-west bound, and the site of Temple- breed lies about thirty yards north-east of the near end of the chapel. 45 An ancient cemetery adjoined the nunnery. 4^ The historian of Armagh cor- rectly identifies Teampull na Fearta with the Dobbin holding ;47 yet, strange tosay,elsewhere,heprofesseshisinabilitytodetermineitsposition. 48 Like
p. 25. Printed for the Author, Lusk:
39
See Rev. William Reeves' "Ancient
MDCCCLX, small 8vo. Churches of Armagh," sec. i. , p. 10. ""
3' The Annals of Ulster" and Annals /"According to Primate Dowdall's Re-
of the Four Masters" record atA. D, 1085.
gister of the See of Armagh.
4' An inquisition of 1612, finds that this
was a nunnery. Ultonia Inq. Armagh, No. 3, James I.
42 Then it was occupied by a singer, or "cantator," who resided in said monastery, place, or house, called Templebreed.
43 Both lots, known as the two Abbey
Courts, or the Earl of Anglesey's Liberty, were assigned by lease in 1799, and this was converted into fee by the late Leonard Dobbin, Esq.
44 The enclosure extended back- nunnery
wards down the slope, south and south-east, to near, but not touching, Thomas-street.
43 On the Castle-street of St. frontage
Brigid's ground stood the old castellated house
which gave name to the street. It was an-
ciently called Port-Rath or Rath-Armagh,
and occasionally Rathene. See Stuart's
the death of
Gormgeal Loighseach.
See
Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibernicarum Scrip-
tores," tomusiii. , p. 648, and tomus iv. p.
350. In the former Annals, the Latinized rendering is " Vicaria Ecclesise S. Brigidse
in Ardmacha, sapiens intelligentia et pie- tate.
" In the "Annals of the Four Mas-
*'
Gormgalus Lagisiensis Vicarius Ec- 3' See Rev. William Reeves' "Ancient
ters,"
clesise Brigidse in Ardmacha, sapiens sci-
entia et religione. "
Churches of
33 The word coarb is applied to the suc-
Armagh," p. 3.
cessor or representative of the patron saint,
or founder of a original
monastery, priory, or any ecclesiastical establishment, or to the successor of a bishop. See Owen Connel- lan's and Philip MacDermott's "Annals of Ireland, translated from the original Irish
of the Four Masters," n. 2, p, i.
34 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "Ancient
"
chap, v. , p. 144.
4^ See the "Dublin for Penny Journal,"
notice of an ancient bronze seal belonging to a former Dean of Armagh, vol. ii. , p. 112. This communication of the late John Corry, the truest antiquary Armagh ever produced, is accompanied by an illustration. The seal was found on the site of Temple Brigid.
"
Historical Memoirs of the City of Armagh. " chap, xxvi. , pp. 511, 512, 514.
'''^'Stt ibid. , chap, i. , pp. 83, 87, and in the Appendices vi. and vii. Stuart conjec- tures, that it was at an old abbey, used as a cemetery in the early part of the last cen-
Churches of sec. Armagh,"
v. , p. 25.
33 This is represented as having been the
present Scotch-street, supposed by Dr. Reeves to have been called Templefartagh- street in the time of King Charles II. See ibid. , sec. i. , p. ii.
3* See Rev. Robert King's "Memoir in- troductory to the early History of the Pri- macy of Armagh," p. iii.
37 Probably on account of their position
outside the rath, and the densely-occupied portion of the town.
3^ See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. iii. , pp. 84, 85.
47 See
Historical Memoir of the City of Armagh,"
Io8 LIVES OJP THE IRISH SAINTS,
[February i.
many other cathedral cities, Armagh sprung up and extended around its minster church. It likewise grew by degrees into beauty of design and
appearance. '*^ Incomparably fine and picturesque views of it are furnished
City of Armagh, from the East.
at every point of approach ; hills and valleys and rushing streams give va- riety and interest to each of its suburbs.
The ready resources of true charity, as exercised on behalf of our neigh-
bour, are ever versatile, and applicalDle towards objects and conditions, which call forth their exercise by cloistered religious. One day, a poor
leper came to our saint, entreating permission to have his garments washed at her establishment. It is probable, that some public provision had been
there made. Brigid compassionately assented to the leper's request, and when told by the afflicted pauper, that he had no other garments for a change, while what he wore should be washed and dried, our holy abbess directed one of her nuns to present him with her second habit, which she was not obliged to wear. Having a very natural objection to give her clothes to a man, labouring under so loathsome a disease, that nun could hardly bear such a proposal. She was immediately struck with leprosy,s° for her disobedience, and she continued in this state for the lapse of an hour.
Then, indeed, she repented on account of her refusal. Through the prayers of St. Brigid, however, she was soon cleansed from this infectious disease. s^
tury, and that it was situated within the ProtestantPrimate'sdemesne. Seep. 598. *9 The annexed view, from a photograph by Frederick W. Mares, Dublin, was drawn on the wood by William F. Wakeman, and engraved by George A. Hanlon. On a high hill to the right is the new Catholic cathe-
dral, with its double flanking towers and spires. The Protestant cathedral, with its square tower, occupies a high hill in the
centre of the city.
5° The Sixth Life of our saint says
**
:
—
Virgineamque cutem percussit Candida — lepra. " "
Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga," Sexta Vita ti. Brigidse, sec. Ixiii. , p. 596.
5' The leprosy of cold climates seems to be a local disease of the cutis, its vessels
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 109
One of the other nuns, with more charity, had already presented the poor man with a garment, whilst all the community acknowledged the justice of God's judgment on their now penitent sister. When the poor leper had
resumed his own attire, the holy abbess procured for him, likewise, the blessing of a release from his miserable condition. Her sisters gave thanks to God, on witnessing these manifestations of His Almighty power. The holy abbess and her nuns dwelt in a particular cell, in that part of the
:
country, where the foregoing occurrences took place. One night, during Lenten time, eight darmg thieves came to steal four horses, which belonged tothecommunity. Anun,whoremainedawakeatthattime,announcedto our saint this robbery which had been perpetrated. The abbess said
" Be it so ; I already know it, but there will be found others, more powerful than we are, who may retaliate. " On departing with their prey, those robbers went towards the house of a peasant or farmer, from whom they took forty measures of corn. These were put on the four horses and on their own shoulders. Afterwards, they proceeded, as they thought, to their homes. Yet, the Almighty had decreed, that the thieves should retrace their course towards that granary belonging to the nuns. Having deposited their booty, they retired to rest in a corner of the barn. On the following morning, the persons, who had experienced a loss of their corn, setting out on the tracks of those thieves and of the previously-stolen horses, came in chase to St. Brigid's dwelling-place. They declared their reason for coming, and ex- plained about certain indications, which led them to suppose, they had fol- lowed in a right direction. They also requested our abbess to give them whatever information she could furnish regarding this matter. The holy
virgin then went to that granary, where she found the robbers sleeping. Having awakened them, she asked why they had dared to bring their booty
thither, when they replied, in fear and amazement, that they had been under animpressiontheyreturnedtoandsleptintheirownhomes. s" Afterwards, St. Brigid sent a message to St. Patrick, who was not far distant from that place, with a request that he would come and release those robbers. The holy prelate immediately came to our saint. Having ransomed them, they repented, and sought to atone for their crimes, by offering that corn they had taken to St. Brigid and to her nuns, being convinced, such restitution should be acceptable to God. 53 By the occurrence of this miracle, St. Brigid's fame was greatly diffused, through this particular district of country. s* While St. Brigid, with some of her nuns, was one day seated near Armagh city, two men approached, bearing water in an uncovered wooden vessel. ss On coming towards the holy abbess, they entreated her to bless this water. With their request she complied, and she also blessed themselves, at the
and glands ; but, it is much more virulent trated. See Vita Tertia S. Brigidae, cap. and contagious in warm climates. See lix. , p. 533, Ibid.
Dr. Robert Thomas' *' Modern Practice of " We are not informed, whether our Physic," &c. Article, Lepra or Leprosy, saint received this offering, which she could
London : 1834. 8vo. Tenth
Colgan's
Vita Quarta S. Brigidae, lib. ii. , cap. xxviii. , xxix. , p. 554. In another of our saint's
lives, it is said, that a deficiency of corn ex- isted at the time of this robbery, that the grain taken had been winnowed, and in- tended for seed, and that the thieves en- tered, not a barn, but a small hut, to sleep there, alter this robbery had been perpe-
only have accepted right<ully, with consent of the real owner ot the corn stolen.
54 it is the unfinished portion of probable,
our saint's Sixth Life, as found in the Bar- barini MS. , had reference also to this miracle, See Vita Sexta S. Brigidce, sec. Ixv. , p. 596. Ibid.
55 See Abbate Certani's " La Santiti Pro-
digiosa. Vita di S. Brigidalbernese. " Libro Quinto, pp. 340, 341.
pp. 729, 730. edition.
5=* See
" Trias
Thaumaturga,"
iio LIVES OF THE IRISH SAIMTS
[February i.
same time. Departing from her, it happened, that vessel containing water
fell on its side, and not only did it remain unbroken, but not even one
drop of its contents spilled through the aperture. ^^ This remarkable cir-
cumstance was attributed to the efficacy of St. Brigid's prayers. When St.
Patrick had been informed regarding such an occurrence, he grdered a part of the water contained in that vessel to be divided among particular
churches about Armagh,57 and to be used in the Eucharistic sacrifices^ Another portion he desired should be sprinkled on the fields, to make them productive. 59 His orders were obeyed, and many, who had been benefited by this distribution, gave thanks to God and to his glorious servant, St. Brigid. ^
A certain wealthy and good nobleman lived in the plain of Macha. ^^
He suffered greatly from disease and a pestilence, which baffled the skill of
physicians. At last he sent to St. Brigid, requesting a visit from her ; and,
while approaching the house, which she saw at a distance, our holy virgin
declared, that from whatever quarter the wind blew, it should bring calamity
and disease on the master of that
man, he was surprised, and declared he did not know why he should incur such a judgment, as he had done evil to no person. Then his herd re- plied, by stating, it had been rumoured, that all wayfarers without exception were in the habit of cursing this nobleman, because he had allowed his husbandmen to enclose certain fields, with hedges,^3 which had the effect of making an adjoining highway impassable, owing to their thorny obstructions. When St. Brigid heard of this, she declared it was the cause of his misfor- tune. Wherefore, that nobleman gave orders to restore the highway to its former unincumbered state. Afterwards, all passengers bestowed their bless- ings on him. He was also relieved from his infirmities, through the prayers of St. Brigid, to whom, and to the Almighty, he offered humble acknow-
dwelling.
ledgments-^-^
To the pious abbess, among other gifts, was accorded the spirit of pro-
phecy. ^5 We are told, while St. Patrick, on a certain day, preached the
s<5 In Professor O'Looney's Irish Life of
St. Brigid, it is said to have rolled from the
door of the Rathto Lochlaphain, pp. 29,30. 57 And throughout Airthiria (Orior) is
addedinProfessorO'Looney'sMS. Ibid.
"
58 Ut ad Eucharistiam sanguinis Christi
mitteretur," &c. , are ihe words used in our saint's Third and Fourth Lives. They show how early in Ireland was the practice of mingling some drops of water with wine used at Mass, thus according with the pre- sent Roman rite.
depressions and eminences, highly cultivated and improved by art.
''^
This account, with his usual classical illustrations, is also to be found elaborated in Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's " La San- tit^ Prodigiosa. Vita di S. Brigida Iber- nese. " Libro Quinto, pp. 334 to 338.
^^ This passage indicates early Irish agri- cultural improvements, in fencing landed property. These probably, in many in- stances, should favourably compare with the present state of landed proprietors' efforts
59 We are told, moreover, that it cured in Ireland. Much more should have been
every disease and distemper that was in the
country. Professor O'Looney's Irish Life
done to trim hedges and secure fields in an ornamental manner. By planting trees more generally and by building commodious and
of St. Brigid, pp. 29, 30.
^See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," handsome dwellings for farmers and cot-
Vita Quarta S. Brigidae, lib. ii. , cap. xxxii. , tiers, the natural features of our landscapes PP- 554> 555- Vita Tertia S. Brigid ae, cap. might be rendered far more picturesque, Ixii. , p. 534. Ibiii. while social order and happiness should be
*'In one reading, Colgan found **in increased,
campo Mancho, which he amends in the following comment, "rectius yJ/o^/^<7. " This
was a plain extending round Armagh, called
in Irish, Macha, n. — This Magh, 34, p. 543.
