Both lay in
the barony of Inishowen West.
the barony of Inishowen West.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
53.
Acta S. Patricii, — xxiii. , cap. p.
The word
'" Vol. xxii. It commences
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii.
"
at fol. 218.
= See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Martii xi. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 53-
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
72, 73.
5 See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima
Vita S. Patricii, lib. iii. , cap. c, p. 167, and n. 147, p. 188. Also Quinta Appendix ad
'
3 See 373,374,444.
268. Article vil See O'Sullevan Beare's
at this
? Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
"Historise Catholicse Ibernias Compen- int)iu.
dium," tomus i. , Hb. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 54.
=
See "Acta Sanctorum," Martii xi.
Among the pretermitted saints, p. 54.
3 See his Life, at the 2ist of March.
Article viii. —• See "Acta Sancto- mitted
' See "Acta
Kalendars of Scottish Saints," pp.
* He accepts the identification, on the authority of Rev. Dr. Reeves.
s Pars Hyemalis, at the nth of March, fol. IxvL , b.
*
formed, " The more recent hand adds here,
In a note by Dr. Todd we are here in- Senin Ay Aintn oo \o aj ^onguy inciog :
"
Felire of
incioj, we are told, is a corrupt spelling for
Senan is his name in Aongus (2>. , in the
Aongus),
day. "
74,75. —
Article ix. Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Martii xi. Among the preter- saints, p. ' 53.
March 12. ] LIVES OF TffE IRISH SAINTS. 329
CtoelftJ) Bap of ilanlft*
ARTICLE I. —ST. MURA, MURUS, OR MURANUS, ABBOT AND PATRON OF FAHAN, COUNTY OF DONEGAL.
[SE VENTH CENTUR K]
Acts of this saint, on the day of his festival Colgan remarks,
there can be no doubt, his Life was GIVING
formerly
come into his possession, our Irish hagiographer had been unable to present
more than some of the following special particulars regarding him. The
^ Bollandists have an account of him, likewise, at this day it is
; borrowed from Colgan, The " Memorial of British Piety," 3
chiefly
0'Byrne,4 and Bishop Challoner,5 have a few remarks, at the same date, in reference to him. The Rev. William Reeves has written a very interesting paper on Saint Mura. ^ A brief notice is in Rev. S. Baring-Gould's work. 7 This saint sprung from an illustrious family, and from the founder, Niall, who gave name to the O'Neills, he being son to Feredach,^ who was son to Ronan, son of Eugene Mercheom, son to Muredach, son of Eugene, son to the aforesaid Niall, called the Great. 9 The mother of St. Mura was called Derinilla, and she obtained the surname, Cethuir
"
Chicheach, Anglicised,
referring to any monstrosity of figure or birth ; but, rather, as seems most probable, on account of her having nurtured one child, or more children, by four different husbands. Yet, the real meaning of Cethuir-Chicheach
"
must be rendered,
of the four provinces," according to the Rev. Dr.
p.
was his mother, and the mother of Domhan- gart, son of Eochaidh, and a number of other saints.
'^
In the "Opuscula," attributed to St. . ^ngus, it is stated, that Derinilla, surnamed Cethuir Chicheach, was the mother of St.
Domangart, son of Eochod, of St. Aillean, of St. Aidan, of St. Muran of Fathen, of St. Machumman of Druimbo, and of St. Cillen of Achadh-cail, in the territory of Leith- Cathuil, at the banks of Duindroma estuary, lib. iv. , cap. vii.
'3 This is the Irish form of the name.
'* The two latter forms are used in Latin.
See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," xii. Martii, nn. I, 2, p. 587.
'S Harris says erroneously, that Fathan Othna monastery was founded by St. Murus. See his edition of Sir James Ware's Works, vol. ii. , "TheAntiquitiesofIreland,"chap, xxxviii. , p. 265.
35-
s See "Britannia Sancta," part i. , p. 172. ^ See "The Ulster Journal of Archse-
ology," vol. i. , pp. 271 to 273.
7 See "Lives of the Saints," vol. iii. ,
March xii. , p. 238.
* The O'Clerys state, that St. Mura was
descended, from the race of Eoghan, son to Niall.
9 Such is the paternal pedigree, as found
in the
"
Sanctilogic Genealogy," chap. ii.
The Psalter of Cashel, as we are told, in-
serts the same pedigree. See Colgan's
"Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," Martii xii. ,
nn, 3, 4, p. 587.
" See " Ecclesiastical Antiquities of
of the four breasts. " Colgan explains this, as not
Reeves. '° This woman was of noble and as origin,
she birth to gave
stated,
six children, by different husbands. " All of these children are numbered
among the saints. " St. Muro or Mura,'3 Murus, or Muranus,'* was Abbot of Fathen,^5 on the west side of the Peninsula of Inishowen, and in the county of Donegal. It was in the diocese of Derry. The most ancient documents
Article i. —'See "Acta Sanctorum
HibernijE," Martii xii. De S. Muro sive
Murano, p. 587.
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Martii xii. It is written in four paragraphs,
212.
3 See p. 50.
*See "The Saints of Ireland," pp. 34,
extant not \ but,
Down, Connor and Dromore. " Appendix S. , p. 236.
"The that Deirinill O'Clerys observe,
but,
Mrs. Anastasia
having
330 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 12.
and Martyrologies, quoted by Colgan,^^ ascribe its foundation to St. Columba. '7 This monastery was about five miles, westward from the city already named. It
lay near romantic Lough Swilly. The monastery, at this place, likewise, was
called Othan-mor. ^^ St. Muro was looked upon, as the patron of this parochial
district "9 and, he was also revered, as tutelar saint of the O'Neill family, ;
beingsixthindescentfromEoghan,theirlocalfounder. Fromhimthenameof Innishowen was derived ; and, it is probable, that Mura had ancestral claims, on the lonely spot he had selected for his retirement. ''" This saint flourished afterthebeginning,oraboutthemiddle,oftheseventhcentury. ^' OurIrish
authorities
the death of St. Abbot of —to a. d. assign Kellach, Fathen-Mura,
ss He must have been a successor of and unle—
657. ^' Mura, consequently
we are to suppose that Mura resigned the government of the monastery Kellach was a survivor of our saint. ^3 Mura is said to have written a Metrical Life of St. Columkille,^'* and to have composed it in the Irish language. '5 Fragments of this are to be found quoted, in other Acts of St. Columba. This poem was preserved for many ages at Fahan, and until the six- teenth century. The Reformers carried it off or destroyed it, with many other monumentsbelongingtothischurch. Therewasalsopreserved,here,andbe- fore Colgan's time, a very ancient Book of Chronicles, and other histories of the whole country. ^^ These were held in great esteem, by learned anti- quarians. Various relics, having relation to St. Muro, and to other saints of this neighbourhood, for many centuries had been preserved in Fahan mon-
Formerly it served for the pastoral staff of our saint. It was richly orna- mented with gold and precious stones, and many miracles were said to have been wrought, in connection with this relic. The people, living in this neighbourhood, and especially the O'Neill families, were accustomed to swear on St. Mura's staff, and it was popularly believed, in all cases, to have been
andchurch ^^ in astery ; but,
oneofthose
Irish BachuU Mura, or, the " Staff of Mura," was kept with great veneration.
'* See " Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Ap- pendix ad Acta S. Columbse, cap. ii. , num. 49,p. 495.
268, 269, and Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," xiv. Februarii. De S. Cellaco, &c. ,n. 7,p. 334. Insteadof657,Archdall
shown on Sheets 20, 28, 19,
29, 30, 38,
the parish of Upper Fahan containing i. ,chap. iv. , p. 26.
10,040 acres i rood and 12 acres, is des- cribed on Sheets 29, 38, 39.
Both lay in
the barony of Inishowen West. See
Sheet 38.
^5 At the year 600, Edward O'Reilly says : "St. Murus lived at this time. He wrote t—he Acts of St. Columb. Cille, in Irish
nance Townland Survey
verse. " " Account of Chronological
Maps
County of Donegal. " The townland of Fahan proper, parish of Upper Fahan, is on
nearly
^°
See the "Ulster Journal of Archie-
Four Hundred Irish Writers," p. xli.
^ Yet, among the many lost books of Ancient Erinn, enumerated by Professor
Eugene O'Curry, no mention ot these is to be found. See " Lectures on the Manu- script Materials of Ancient Irish History," lect. i. , pp. i to 28.
^^ Colgan was unable to tell, whither they had been removed, if they had been saved from the Protestant spoilers, he living in Belgium, an exile from this locality, with which formerly he had been well ac- quainted.
''^
It was formerly kept by the O'Neills ; but, it is believed to have passed into the
ology," vol. i. St. Mura, by Rev. William
Reeves, D. D. , p. 272.
="
Colgan infers this, as well from his
family pedigree, as also from the fact, that he wrote the Acts of St. Columba, who died A. D. 597. See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," Martii xii. , n. 2, p. 587.
"See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Appendbc ad Acta S. Columbse, cap. ix. , p. 510. Also, Dr. O'Donovan's "AnnalsoftheFourMasters,"vol. i. , pp.
Colgan's time,
relics,
called the by
'*
'' Rev. Dr. Charles O'Conor's Biblio- has (at Fahan) by mistake, 637. See
theca MS. Stowensis," vol.
" See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i, pp. 268, 269.
'9 The parish of Lower Fahan, containing 24,782 acres 2 roods and 24 perches, is and
" Monasticon Hibemicum,"
i. , pp. 33, 34.
p. 98.
"
for the
Ord-
^^ See Rev. Dr.
tical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap. xvii. , sect, viii. , n. iii, p. 38.
*•* See the account contained in Harris'
vol. " Writers of book Ware, iii. , Ireland,"
Lanigan's
" Ecclesias-
March 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
instrumental for establishing the truth of an assertion. Any perjury, which
was deliberately perpetrated during the course of an investigation, and then committed, was visited by some signal and miraculous punishment on the
delinquents^ TheBellofSt. Mura^^isaveryinterestingrelic,anddrawings of it, with an elaborate description, are to be found, in the Ulster Journal of
Archaeology. 3° Likewise, there is an interesting account of it, and a drawing, among John Windale's collection of Manuscripts. 3^ Several curious legends are told, in connexion with it. It has no tongue, and tradition asserts, that it appeared at first descending from heaven to earth, while its approach was announced by loud ringing. When almost within reach of the people, attracted by its sounds, it suddenly ceased to ring, the tongue was observed to detach itself from the bell, and to return towards the skies. 3^ In an Ap- pendix to the Introduction of the Donegal Martyrology, a commentator re- marks, that in a certain discourse or tract, relating to a St. Murro,33 he saw it stated, that this saint subdued wild beasts, and raised a person to life, who had been dead for three days. 34 It seems probable enough, this St. Murro was identical with St. Mura of Fahan ; at least, we can find no other name, in our Irish Calendars, more closely corresponding. Calculating from the names of his kinsmen, who are equidistant from a common ancestor, and making an average for his age, the Rev. Dr. Reeves arrives at a. d. 635, for St. Mura's obit, or allowing for his being an ecclesiastic, it is thought, that tenmaybesetdowninaddition. Hence,a. d. 645shouldbeanapproxima- tion, for the date of his death. ss This very celebrated abbot departed some time before a. d. 658,3^ according to a conjecture of Dr. Tanigan, as Kellach, successor to our saint, died during that year. 3? His memory was venerated, on the 1 2th of March, in Fathan church, and in the territory of Inishowen. Marianus O'Gorman calls him the great Murus of Fathen, and Maguire notes
him 38 while on this day, we find registered, in the Martyrology of Donegal,39
;
Mura, of Fathain, in Inis Eoghain. His church had once been richly
endowed with lands and possessions. However, through lapse of time and owing to neglect, this noble Fathan monastery became ruinous, and, at length, it was converted into a parish church. During the seventeenth century, the day of his festival was observed, in that part of the country, with which he was connected. It is to be regretted, that ho trace of his once
collection of Mr. John Bell, Dungannon. See article on "The Bell of St. Mura," communicated by John M'Clelland, Jun. of Dungannon, to the "Ulster Journal of Archaeology," vol. i. , p. 274.
''s It was lately in possession of John M'Clelland. Jun. , of Dungannon, and it
probably remains with him, having been purchased from the former holder, to the great discontent of the Fahan people.
3° There are two lithographic illustrations
of this Bell of St. Mura of Fahan, together
with two interesting and appropriate com- munications, one from the Rev. William Reeves, and the other from John M'Clel- land, Jun. , Dungannon, in the "Ulster Journal of Archaeology," vol. i. , pp. 271 to 275.
3' See "Irish Researches," vol. vi. , pp. 861 to 865, in the Royal Irish Academy. No. 51.
3^ See "Ulster Journal of Archeology," vol. i. Mr. John M'Clelland's communica-
tion, p. 275.
33 In the margin, the following comment
has been attached to this proper name by
the commentator : "rneAcui|\ . 1. tnAchA|\e, seu Meacharius. " I cannot find such a
name, or even one very similar, in our Martyrologies, except as the father of two saints, viz. , Diarmaid, son of Meachair, at the i6th of January, and again, the daughter of Meachar, at the 6th of September,
^4 gge, ibid. , p. xlvi.
^5 gee the " Ulster Journal of Archae-
ology," vol. i. Saint Mura, by the Rev.
William Reeves, D. D. , p. 271.
3* £)i-_ Lanigan is in the habit of advanc-
ing the Chronology of the Four Masters, by one year. Their date is A. D. 657.
3? See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His- toryofIreland,"vol. iii. , chap,xvii. ,sect. viii. , p. 37.
38 gge Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nige," xii. Martii, n. 10, p. 587.
39 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
74, 75.
•° ** Inishowen : its His- Maghtochair's
332 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 12.
faiftous abbey now exists, in the parish of Fahan ; but, his grave is yet pointed out, and a holy well is dedicated to him. These revered objects are
muchfrequentedbypeoplelivingintheneighbourhood/" Wearetoldby Colgan, that he saw a fragment of this Saint's Office, containing a relation of his virtues ; but, he does not state—probably he could not learn—if it escaped the ravages of sacrilegious hands.
Article II. —St. Kennanack, or Ceannannach, of Inis Meadhoin, OR Middle Island, of Aran, and Patron of Ballynakill Parish, County of Galway. Very little appears to be known about St. Kennanach —called in the Irish language Ceannfhionnac—except the popular tradition, that he was son to a King of Leinster. ^ Who his father had been, is not stated, nor when he reigned. Yet, it is believed, that St. Ceannannach was one of the earliest among Christian preachers, in the extreme west of Ireland. He must have lived for some time in the curious oratory, which is still so perfect, on Inis Meadhoin, or the Middle Island, of Aran. After him, it is
TeropuU Ceannanach, on Inis Meadhoin, or the Middle Island, of Aran.
calledTempullCeannanach. ^ BythehavenofDowrassstandstheparish church of Ballynakill parish,^ off the western coast, and in the county of
Galway. Its patron, St. Kennanack, was venerated, on the 12th of March. It is thought, he was identical with the St. Kennanack, who was celebrated in the Middle Island of Aran,5 and whose ancient oratory, on the south
tory, Traditions and Antiquities," chap. 3 This denomination is not noted on the viii. , p. 55. — Ordnance Survey Maps.
'* Article ii. See Dr. Petrie's "Eccle-
This very extensive cure, vs^ith its islands,
siastical Architecture and Round Towers of
Ireland," part ii. , sect, iii. , subsect. I, p.
189.
"
Dr. Petrie's work contains an engraving of this very curious old oratory, as it stood, over thirty years ago.
is in the barony of Ballynahinch. It is des- cribed on the " Ordnance Survey Townland
Maps for the County of Galv/ay," Sheets 9, 10, II, 22, 23, 24, 37.
s See Roderic O'Flaherty's "Chorogra- phical Description of West or H-Iar Con-
March 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 2>^^
shore, is so picturesque an object, standing just over the verge of the Atlantic waves.
Acta S. Patricii, — xxiii. , cap. p.
The word
'" Vol. xxii. It commences
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii.
"
at fol. 218.
= See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Martii xi. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 53-
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
72, 73.
5 See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima
Vita S. Patricii, lib. iii. , cap. c, p. 167, and n. 147, p. 188. Also Quinta Appendix ad
'
3 See 373,374,444.
268. Article vil See O'Sullevan Beare's
at this
? Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
"Historise Catholicse Ibernias Compen- int)iu.
dium," tomus i. , Hb. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 54.
=
See "Acta Sanctorum," Martii xi.
Among the pretermitted saints, p. 54.
3 See his Life, at the 2ist of March.
Article viii. —• See "Acta Sancto- mitted
' See "Acta
Kalendars of Scottish Saints," pp.
* He accepts the identification, on the authority of Rev. Dr. Reeves.
s Pars Hyemalis, at the nth of March, fol. IxvL , b.
*
formed, " The more recent hand adds here,
In a note by Dr. Todd we are here in- Senin Ay Aintn oo \o aj ^onguy inciog :
"
Felire of
incioj, we are told, is a corrupt spelling for
Senan is his name in Aongus (2>. , in the
Aongus),
day. "
74,75. —
Article ix. Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Martii xi. Among the preter- saints, p. ' 53.
March 12. ] LIVES OF TffE IRISH SAINTS. 329
CtoelftJ) Bap of ilanlft*
ARTICLE I. —ST. MURA, MURUS, OR MURANUS, ABBOT AND PATRON OF FAHAN, COUNTY OF DONEGAL.
[SE VENTH CENTUR K]
Acts of this saint, on the day of his festival Colgan remarks,
there can be no doubt, his Life was GIVING
formerly
come into his possession, our Irish hagiographer had been unable to present
more than some of the following special particulars regarding him. The
^ Bollandists have an account of him, likewise, at this day it is
; borrowed from Colgan, The " Memorial of British Piety," 3
chiefly
0'Byrne,4 and Bishop Challoner,5 have a few remarks, at the same date, in reference to him. The Rev. William Reeves has written a very interesting paper on Saint Mura. ^ A brief notice is in Rev. S. Baring-Gould's work. 7 This saint sprung from an illustrious family, and from the founder, Niall, who gave name to the O'Neills, he being son to Feredach,^ who was son to Ronan, son of Eugene Mercheom, son to Muredach, son of Eugene, son to the aforesaid Niall, called the Great. 9 The mother of St. Mura was called Derinilla, and she obtained the surname, Cethuir
"
Chicheach, Anglicised,
referring to any monstrosity of figure or birth ; but, rather, as seems most probable, on account of her having nurtured one child, or more children, by four different husbands. Yet, the real meaning of Cethuir-Chicheach
"
must be rendered,
of the four provinces," according to the Rev. Dr.
p.
was his mother, and the mother of Domhan- gart, son of Eochaidh, and a number of other saints.
'^
In the "Opuscula," attributed to St. . ^ngus, it is stated, that Derinilla, surnamed Cethuir Chicheach, was the mother of St.
Domangart, son of Eochod, of St. Aillean, of St. Aidan, of St. Muran of Fathen, of St. Machumman of Druimbo, and of St. Cillen of Achadh-cail, in the territory of Leith- Cathuil, at the banks of Duindroma estuary, lib. iv. , cap. vii.
'3 This is the Irish form of the name.
'* The two latter forms are used in Latin.
See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," xii. Martii, nn. I, 2, p. 587.
'S Harris says erroneously, that Fathan Othna monastery was founded by St. Murus. See his edition of Sir James Ware's Works, vol. ii. , "TheAntiquitiesofIreland,"chap, xxxviii. , p. 265.
35-
s See "Britannia Sancta," part i. , p. 172. ^ See "The Ulster Journal of Archse-
ology," vol. i. , pp. 271 to 273.
7 See "Lives of the Saints," vol. iii. ,
March xii. , p. 238.
* The O'Clerys state, that St. Mura was
descended, from the race of Eoghan, son to Niall.
9 Such is the paternal pedigree, as found
in the
"
Sanctilogic Genealogy," chap. ii.
The Psalter of Cashel, as we are told, in-
serts the same pedigree. See Colgan's
"Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," Martii xii. ,
nn, 3, 4, p. 587.
" See " Ecclesiastical Antiquities of
of the four breasts. " Colgan explains this, as not
Reeves. '° This woman was of noble and as origin,
she birth to gave
stated,
six children, by different husbands. " All of these children are numbered
among the saints. " St. Muro or Mura,'3 Murus, or Muranus,'* was Abbot of Fathen,^5 on the west side of the Peninsula of Inishowen, and in the county of Donegal. It was in the diocese of Derry. The most ancient documents
Article i. —'See "Acta Sanctorum
HibernijE," Martii xii. De S. Muro sive
Murano, p. 587.
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Martii xii. It is written in four paragraphs,
212.
3 See p. 50.
*See "The Saints of Ireland," pp. 34,
extant not \ but,
Down, Connor and Dromore. " Appendix S. , p. 236.
"The that Deirinill O'Clerys observe,
but,
Mrs. Anastasia
having
330 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 12.
and Martyrologies, quoted by Colgan,^^ ascribe its foundation to St. Columba. '7 This monastery was about five miles, westward from the city already named. It
lay near romantic Lough Swilly. The monastery, at this place, likewise, was
called Othan-mor. ^^ St. Muro was looked upon, as the patron of this parochial
district "9 and, he was also revered, as tutelar saint of the O'Neill family, ;
beingsixthindescentfromEoghan,theirlocalfounder. Fromhimthenameof Innishowen was derived ; and, it is probable, that Mura had ancestral claims, on the lonely spot he had selected for his retirement. ''" This saint flourished afterthebeginning,oraboutthemiddle,oftheseventhcentury. ^' OurIrish
authorities
the death of St. Abbot of —to a. d. assign Kellach, Fathen-Mura,
ss He must have been a successor of and unle—
657. ^' Mura, consequently
we are to suppose that Mura resigned the government of the monastery Kellach was a survivor of our saint. ^3 Mura is said to have written a Metrical Life of St. Columkille,^'* and to have composed it in the Irish language. '5 Fragments of this are to be found quoted, in other Acts of St. Columba. This poem was preserved for many ages at Fahan, and until the six- teenth century. The Reformers carried it off or destroyed it, with many other monumentsbelongingtothischurch. Therewasalsopreserved,here,andbe- fore Colgan's time, a very ancient Book of Chronicles, and other histories of the whole country. ^^ These were held in great esteem, by learned anti- quarians. Various relics, having relation to St. Muro, and to other saints of this neighbourhood, for many centuries had been preserved in Fahan mon-
Formerly it served for the pastoral staff of our saint. It was richly orna- mented with gold and precious stones, and many miracles were said to have been wrought, in connection with this relic. The people, living in this neighbourhood, and especially the O'Neill families, were accustomed to swear on St. Mura's staff, and it was popularly believed, in all cases, to have been
andchurch ^^ in astery ; but,
oneofthose
Irish BachuU Mura, or, the " Staff of Mura," was kept with great veneration.
'* See " Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Ap- pendix ad Acta S. Columbse, cap. ii. , num. 49,p. 495.
268, 269, and Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," xiv. Februarii. De S. Cellaco, &c. ,n. 7,p. 334. Insteadof657,Archdall
shown on Sheets 20, 28, 19,
29, 30, 38,
the parish of Upper Fahan containing i. ,chap. iv. , p. 26.
10,040 acres i rood and 12 acres, is des- cribed on Sheets 29, 38, 39.
Both lay in
the barony of Inishowen West. See
Sheet 38.
^5 At the year 600, Edward O'Reilly says : "St. Murus lived at this time. He wrote t—he Acts of St. Columb. Cille, in Irish
nance Townland Survey
verse. " " Account of Chronological
Maps
County of Donegal. " The townland of Fahan proper, parish of Upper Fahan, is on
nearly
^°
See the "Ulster Journal of Archie-
Four Hundred Irish Writers," p. xli.
^ Yet, among the many lost books of Ancient Erinn, enumerated by Professor
Eugene O'Curry, no mention ot these is to be found. See " Lectures on the Manu- script Materials of Ancient Irish History," lect. i. , pp. i to 28.
^^ Colgan was unable to tell, whither they had been removed, if they had been saved from the Protestant spoilers, he living in Belgium, an exile from this locality, with which formerly he had been well ac- quainted.
''^
It was formerly kept by the O'Neills ; but, it is believed to have passed into the
ology," vol. i. St. Mura, by Rev. William
Reeves, D. D. , p. 272.
="
Colgan infers this, as well from his
family pedigree, as also from the fact, that he wrote the Acts of St. Columba, who died A. D. 597. See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," Martii xii. , n. 2, p. 587.
"See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Appendbc ad Acta S. Columbse, cap. ix. , p. 510. Also, Dr. O'Donovan's "AnnalsoftheFourMasters,"vol. i. , pp.
Colgan's time,
relics,
called the by
'*
'' Rev. Dr. Charles O'Conor's Biblio- has (at Fahan) by mistake, 637. See
theca MS. Stowensis," vol.
" See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i, pp. 268, 269.
'9 The parish of Lower Fahan, containing 24,782 acres 2 roods and 24 perches, is and
" Monasticon Hibemicum,"
i. , pp. 33, 34.
p. 98.
"
for the
Ord-
^^ See Rev. Dr.
tical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap. xvii. , sect, viii. , n. iii, p. 38.
*•* See the account contained in Harris'
vol. " Writers of book Ware, iii. , Ireland,"
Lanigan's
" Ecclesias-
March 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
instrumental for establishing the truth of an assertion. Any perjury, which
was deliberately perpetrated during the course of an investigation, and then committed, was visited by some signal and miraculous punishment on the
delinquents^ TheBellofSt. Mura^^isaveryinterestingrelic,anddrawings of it, with an elaborate description, are to be found, in the Ulster Journal of
Archaeology. 3° Likewise, there is an interesting account of it, and a drawing, among John Windale's collection of Manuscripts. 3^ Several curious legends are told, in connexion with it. It has no tongue, and tradition asserts, that it appeared at first descending from heaven to earth, while its approach was announced by loud ringing. When almost within reach of the people, attracted by its sounds, it suddenly ceased to ring, the tongue was observed to detach itself from the bell, and to return towards the skies. 3^ In an Ap- pendix to the Introduction of the Donegal Martyrology, a commentator re- marks, that in a certain discourse or tract, relating to a St. Murro,33 he saw it stated, that this saint subdued wild beasts, and raised a person to life, who had been dead for three days. 34 It seems probable enough, this St. Murro was identical with St. Mura of Fahan ; at least, we can find no other name, in our Irish Calendars, more closely corresponding. Calculating from the names of his kinsmen, who are equidistant from a common ancestor, and making an average for his age, the Rev. Dr. Reeves arrives at a. d. 635, for St. Mura's obit, or allowing for his being an ecclesiastic, it is thought, that tenmaybesetdowninaddition. Hence,a. d. 645shouldbeanapproxima- tion, for the date of his death. ss This very celebrated abbot departed some time before a. d. 658,3^ according to a conjecture of Dr. Tanigan, as Kellach, successor to our saint, died during that year. 3? His memory was venerated, on the 1 2th of March, in Fathan church, and in the territory of Inishowen. Marianus O'Gorman calls him the great Murus of Fathen, and Maguire notes
him 38 while on this day, we find registered, in the Martyrology of Donegal,39
;
Mura, of Fathain, in Inis Eoghain. His church had once been richly
endowed with lands and possessions. However, through lapse of time and owing to neglect, this noble Fathan monastery became ruinous, and, at length, it was converted into a parish church. During the seventeenth century, the day of his festival was observed, in that part of the country, with which he was connected. It is to be regretted, that ho trace of his once
collection of Mr. John Bell, Dungannon. See article on "The Bell of St. Mura," communicated by John M'Clelland, Jun. of Dungannon, to the "Ulster Journal of Archaeology," vol. i. , p. 274.
''s It was lately in possession of John M'Clelland. Jun. , of Dungannon, and it
probably remains with him, having been purchased from the former holder, to the great discontent of the Fahan people.
3° There are two lithographic illustrations
of this Bell of St. Mura of Fahan, together
with two interesting and appropriate com- munications, one from the Rev. William Reeves, and the other from John M'Clel- land, Jun. , Dungannon, in the "Ulster Journal of Archaeology," vol. i. , pp. 271 to 275.
3' See "Irish Researches," vol. vi. , pp. 861 to 865, in the Royal Irish Academy. No. 51.
3^ See "Ulster Journal of Archeology," vol. i. Mr. John M'Clelland's communica-
tion, p. 275.
33 In the margin, the following comment
has been attached to this proper name by
the commentator : "rneAcui|\ . 1. tnAchA|\e, seu Meacharius. " I cannot find such a
name, or even one very similar, in our Martyrologies, except as the father of two saints, viz. , Diarmaid, son of Meachair, at the i6th of January, and again, the daughter of Meachar, at the 6th of September,
^4 gge, ibid. , p. xlvi.
^5 gee the " Ulster Journal of Archae-
ology," vol. i. Saint Mura, by the Rev.
William Reeves, D. D. , p. 271.
3* £)i-_ Lanigan is in the habit of advanc-
ing the Chronology of the Four Masters, by one year. Their date is A. D. 657.
3? See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His- toryofIreland,"vol. iii. , chap,xvii. ,sect. viii. , p. 37.
38 gge Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nige," xii. Martii, n. 10, p. 587.
39 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
74, 75.
•° ** Inishowen : its His- Maghtochair's
332 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 12.
faiftous abbey now exists, in the parish of Fahan ; but, his grave is yet pointed out, and a holy well is dedicated to him. These revered objects are
muchfrequentedbypeoplelivingintheneighbourhood/" Wearetoldby Colgan, that he saw a fragment of this Saint's Office, containing a relation of his virtues ; but, he does not state—probably he could not learn—if it escaped the ravages of sacrilegious hands.
Article II. —St. Kennanack, or Ceannannach, of Inis Meadhoin, OR Middle Island, of Aran, and Patron of Ballynakill Parish, County of Galway. Very little appears to be known about St. Kennanach —called in the Irish language Ceannfhionnac—except the popular tradition, that he was son to a King of Leinster. ^ Who his father had been, is not stated, nor when he reigned. Yet, it is believed, that St. Ceannannach was one of the earliest among Christian preachers, in the extreme west of Ireland. He must have lived for some time in the curious oratory, which is still so perfect, on Inis Meadhoin, or the Middle Island, of Aran. After him, it is
TeropuU Ceannanach, on Inis Meadhoin, or the Middle Island, of Aran.
calledTempullCeannanach. ^ BythehavenofDowrassstandstheparish church of Ballynakill parish,^ off the western coast, and in the county of
Galway. Its patron, St. Kennanack, was venerated, on the 12th of March. It is thought, he was identical with the St. Kennanack, who was celebrated in the Middle Island of Aran,5 and whose ancient oratory, on the south
tory, Traditions and Antiquities," chap. 3 This denomination is not noted on the viii. , p. 55. — Ordnance Survey Maps.
'* Article ii. See Dr. Petrie's "Eccle-
This very extensive cure, vs^ith its islands,
siastical Architecture and Round Towers of
Ireland," part ii. , sect, iii. , subsect. I, p.
189.
"
Dr. Petrie's work contains an engraving of this very curious old oratory, as it stood, over thirty years ago.
is in the barony of Ballynahinch. It is des- cribed on the " Ordnance Survey Townland
Maps for the County of Galv/ay," Sheets 9, 10, II, 22, 23, 24, 37.
s See Roderic O'Flaherty's "Chorogra- phical Description of West or H-Iar Con-
March 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 2>^^
shore, is so picturesque an object, standing just over the verge of the Atlantic waves.
