Damianus, a
companion
of St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v6
, cap.
i.
, p.
3.
142, 143. — Article iv.
«
In his ticum. " See Bishop Forbes'
Sco- Kalendars of
rather to the 2nd of day
Scottish Saints. " p. 192.
2 See the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , xiv. Februarii. Among the pre- termitted saints, p. 742.
3 See the Second Volume of this work, Art. ii.
4 See "HistoriaEcclesiasticaGentis Scoto- rum," tomus i. , lib. hi. , num. 272, pp. 160,
161.
s See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scot-
tish Saints," p. 299.
"Menologium "
26 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June
are informed. Likewise, at the 2nd day of June, the Bollandists ' have allusion to Ceolachus, Cellacus, Colatus, or Colachus, who has been com- memoratedasasaint,byCamerarius,8 andwhohasbeensorecognised,ina Manuscript Calendar of St. Benedict's Order.
Article V. —St. Conall, Lough Gill, County of Sligo. There is a well, on the northern shore of Lough Gill, called Tobar Chonaill. 1 On the
2
Lake, there is an Island, called St. Conall's Island. wasformerlycelebrated,onthe2ndofJune,atthewell. 3 Wearenotableto discover any memorials relating to him. Without particularizing the exact day or locality, the traveller Henry D. Inglis * visited a holy well, two or three hun- dred yards from the banks of Lough Gill, where eleven devotees were engaged at some religious ceremonies. Some of the lake boatmen declare, that on a particularly bright and still day, a noble and buried city, with its towers and houses, may still be traced distinctly beneath its waters. It is a local tradi- tion, that where the waters of the Lough now spread, there was formerly a rich plain ; and, the people relate, that its name has been derived from a hapless lady, named Gill, who met her fate on its banks. 5
" Menolo- gium Scoticum/'? at the 2nd of June, and as living in " Monasterio Divini
and of St. Columba,6 noted in Thomas bishop disciple
Dempster's
Juris. " He is also introduced, by the same writer, as living at the " Monas-
a. d. 8 He cites Hector Boetius 609.
terium Divini and as Ruris,
flourishing
for an account of St. Conallus, but he does not give a reference. Ferrarins
mentionshim,ontheauthorityofDempster. TheBollandists9 merelystate
the foregoing particulars, at the 2nd of June ; but, they wait for further infor- mation, to elucidate his Acts.
Article VI. —St. Farounon, of Lua. This day, the Martyrology of
*
Donegal mentions Farounon, of Lua, as having been venerated. In the
2
Appendix to the Introduction of this work, he is called Forandan. His place
or period is unknown to us.
Article VII. —St. Aedhan, of Cluain Domhuil. We read, in the
Martyrology
of 1 thatonthis was ofCluain Donegal, day venerated, Aedhan,
6 See Venerable Bede's " Historia Eccle-
siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. xxii. , xxiv.
7 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii ii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 157.
8 Thus is he noticed ' ' Sanctus Ceolachus,
:
8"
of Scottish Saints. " See Scottish Entries iu See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco-
the Kalendar o—f David Camerarius, p. 237. torum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 286, p. 167. *»"
ii.
Cellacus, Colathus vel Colachus Episcopus
Lindisfarniae—et Leichfeldensis, Apostolus
Merciorum. " Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars tish Saints," p. 201.
Article v. In the Irish characters
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii
Coba^ChonAiLbe,Latinized"FonsConalli. "
the — saints, Among pretermitted p. 15S.
2 In the Irish characters 01 Lean Latinized "Insula Conalli. "
ChonAilt,
Article VI. '
Edited Urs. Todd by
3 See "Sligo Letters," vol. i. , ofthe Irish Ordnance Survey, in the R. I. A. Thomas O'Conor's letter, dated Grange, September the 5th, 1836, p. 71.
and Reeves, pp. 142, 143.
2 In the Irish character, written Vopan-
'O&n. See p. xlvi—i. Article vii.
Tradition says, his day
We find a Connallus,
4 See his "Journey throughout Ireland during the Spring, Summer, and Autumn of 1834," chap, xxii. , p. 275.
s See William F. Wakeman's "Tourists' Guide to Ireland," p. 259.
6 See his Life, in this Volume, at the 9th ofJune, Art. i.
i See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scot-
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 142, 143.
»
June 2. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 27
Domhuil,atAlmain. Heissaidtohavedescended,fromtheraceofCorb- macCas,sontoOiliollOluim. Wehavenotbeenabletoidentifyhisplace or period.
Article VIII. —St. Luran, Son of Conan. According to the
of 1 we find that a St. Martyrology Donegal,
Luran,
ration given to him, on this day. When or where he lived seems to be
unknown.
Article IX. —St. Femdidh. A festival, in honour of Femdidh, was
celebrated on this as we read in the of
1 day, Martyrology Donegal.
Article X. —St. Foim. The simple record Foim, without any other
1 distinguishing epithet, appears, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at this date.
The writer strongly suspects, this present saint may be identified with Fem- didh, who is set down at the same day, in the Martyrology of Donegal.
Article XL—St. Senan, or Seanan. An entry is found, in the 1
Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 2nd of June, regarding a festival in honour of St. Senan. It does not appear to be an easy matter to find his family, period,
or place ; but, probably he flourished, in the earlier ages of Irish Chris-
His feast is set
stated, that veneration was given to Seanan, on this day.
2 it is where,
tianity.
down,
in the
Martyrology
of
Donegal ;
Article XII. —St. Erasmus, Bishop, and his Companions, Martyrs.
In the Irish Church, on the 2nd of June, was commemorated the Festival of
St. Erasmus, Bishop, and of his companions, who were Martyrs, as we find
recorded in the "Feilire"1 ofSt. a The Bollandistss have ^Engus.
published Acts of St. Erasmus—the authenticity of which has been suspected—and these
state, that three hundred and thirty men suffered with him as Martyrs, in the city ofAntioch. 4
Articleviii. —• Edited byDrs. Todd withardour ofmight! —took unto Christ a and Reeves, pp. 142, 143. victorious train—three hundred praiseworthy
x
Article ix. — Edited by Drs. Todd thousands. " "Transactions of the Royal
and Reeves, —
pp. 142, 143.
Irish Irish
Academy," Manuscript Series,
Article x.
*
Edited by Rev. Dr.
vol. i. i.
On the Calendar
of
xxvi.
Article xi. ' Edited by Rev. Dr. 2 comment is affixed Erasmus . i.
Kelly,p. Kelly, p. xxvi.
xcii. p. A
—
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
"
3
142, 143. — Article xil.
antio—ch [i] ae a dioclitiano imperatore passus est. " Ibid. , p. xcviii.
*
In the
Leabhar Breac"
De S. Erasmo miis in Campania.
copy, we have the following Irish quatrain, with its translati—on into English, by Whitley
Stokes, LL. D.
e-r\Ar-mur' incefcop
•Anbjveo combrvucn bju^e ber»c co Crvifc cbeirv mbUA'OA . ccc. moLbcAch mile.
—"Erasmusthe a
bishop, splended
in IO ; paragraphs
:
previous commentary,
then follow the Acta Suspecta, in two chap-
"
Junii For- Father Godefrid Hen- schen, who has edited his Acts, gives a
ters, containing twelve paragraphs, with notes ; afterwards, an Appendix, compiled by Father Daniel Papebroke is introduced, in eleven paragraphs, pp. 211 to 219.
4 At this date, also, the Bollandists have a
flame
separate article,
"De Plurimis Sanctis
ii. ,
Episcopo, Martyre
,
part
Oengus,
—
son of had vene- Conan,
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. ,
28 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 3.
Article XIII. —Reputed Festival of St. Damianus, Companion of
1
St Regulus, Scotland. Among the Scottish Entries, in the Kalendar of
David Camerarius, at the 2nd of June, we find a St.
Damianus, a companion of St. Regulus, or Rule. 2 On the same authority, and at this date, the Bollan- dists3 alluded to him, among the saints passed over, on the 1st day of this month; while,referenceismadetothe17thofOctober,forfurtherpossible notice.
Cinrtf ©ap of Suite,
ARTICLE I. —ST. COEMGIN OR KEVIN, ABBOT OF GLENDALOUGH, COUNTY OF WICKLOW.
[SIXTH AND SEVENTH CENTURIES. ]
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—AUTHORITIES FOR THE LIFE OF ST. KEVIN—HIS FAMILY AND PARENTAGE—HIS EARLY TRAINING—HE EMBRACES A RELIGIOUS LIKE—HIS RETIRE- MENT AND TEMPTATION—HIS HERMITAGE AT LUGGELA—HIS OBEDIENCK AND ITS REWARD—HIS HUMILITY—HE SEEKS FOR ANOTHER PLACE TO PRACTISE PRAYER AND CONTEMPLATION.
certain
details of his — which simple biography,
or
tends more to the aggregate happiness of mankind, than to have individual members of in work of real
NOTHING
society engaged promoting
utility. It was an observation, profoundly made by an ancient moralist, that several persons spend their whole lives in evil works, or in idleness, or in pur- suing objects, extraneous to their true interests. 1 Such remarks cannot justly applytothesaintsofourearlyChurch. Theirlivesandmoralswereedifying and exemplary; their toils and trials were unceasing; with entire self-
devotedness, they sought to sanctify themselves and to promote the Christian welfare of others. The actions and virtues of the saint, whose memory we
celebrate on this day, may be regarded, in many points of view, as exhibiting that love of holiness, that greatness of soul, and that force of character, he so eminently possessed. Very different characteristics—but all very admirable— are developed in the accidents of his birth, education, and position. These have received an additional and a reflected lustre, from the instructive, lauda- ble, and persevering tenor of his blameless life and conversation. The
opposite workings
of nature and of
are— best grace probably
delineated,
in
Martyribus, Antiochise passis," &c, ibid. , p. 169. These do not seem 10 differ from the
companionsofErasmus,alreadymentioned; but, there appear to be great diversities of
statement and conjectures, regarding their Acts.
Articlexiii. —« Thus:"Hoceodem die Sanctus Damianus Sancti Reguli comes. " —Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scottish
Saints," p. 238.
2 His feast has been assigned to the 30th
ofMarch,andtothe17thol October. See ibid. , p. 436.
See Seneca,
even when
serve not the less to awaken our interest and
exaggerated
a desire for more accurate information, regarding so holy and so renowned a man.
contradictory in some respects
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii ii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 157.
Article I, —Chapter " Opera," Epistola i.
—
x I.
June 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 29
Several old Acts of St. Kevin are still extant. In the time of the O'Clery's, his Irish Life was in possession of Domhnall Carrach, son of
Mac
at Eanach
in Ui 2 There is a Ceinnsellaigh.
Mor,
in prose and the other in verse, left transcribed, by Michael O'Clery, and among the Burgundian Manuscripts, at Bruxelles. 5 There is a Manuscript, Vita S. Coemgeni, preserved among the Records, belonging to the Franciscan
Eochada,
Feaghal
Manuscript,3 belonging to Trinity College, Dublin, containing an Irish Life of St. Kevin of Glendalough, in prose. In the Codex Kilkenninsis is a Life of St. Comegan, in a folio. + There were probably two of his Irish Lives, one
Dublin. 6 On the of Convent, 3rd
had intended to the produce
June, Colgan
Acts of St. Coemgen. 7 His Acts are very fully published, in the great Bol-
landist collection. 8 A previous commentary and notes, y as we may learn from the initialled marginal letters, were written by Father Francis Baert.
Our saint's Latin Life has been printed from a Manuscript, formerly belong- ing to Hugh Ward. 10 This narrative is contained in six chapters, comprising
forty-nine paragraphs. However, this Life of St. Kevin is very justly sup- posed to abound in fables. It is thought to have been written, during or before the twelfth century, and on very reasonable grounds. For, mention is made, regarding the flourishing state of Glendalough city, at the time, when this life had been written ; while, in the thirteenth century, this episcopal
perous city could have become a small village, in the ordinary course of things. Those proofs, on which the Bollandists rely for the fact of Glendalough being in a flourishing state at the time when St. Kevin's published Life had been written, shall be reproduced, in the sequel of this narrative. Baert remarks, that at first he intended to suppress many fables contained in this Life, and to issue a more compendious and reliable account, regarding our saint. After- wards, however, his mind changed on the subject, for these following reasons. Many things are related in this Life, which the author could have seen and recorded, as existing in his own time. Matters, referring to the site of places and monasteries, in or near Glendalough, are found written there, and this information need not necessarily have been derived from popular tradition. Again, there are accounts, relating to miracles and prophecies, whereby we
are not so certainly informed, indeed, regarding what St. Kevin did and pre- dicted, as respecting what had been then rumoured, and as a picture repre- senting the state of things which prevailed during the writer's own lifetime.
iii. , De S. Coemgino, sive Keivino, Abbate Glindelacen^i in IJibernia, pp. 310 to 322.
9 In seven paragraphs.
I0 in con- So endeared to every Irishman,
nexion with the order of Friars Minor of St. Francis, and who had made considerable pro- gtess in collecting the Acts of the Irish Saints, before Colgan commenced their pub- lication.
ll It was united to the See of Dublin in 1214, on the death of its Bishop William Piro. For further particulars, relating to this union of Sees, the reader is referred to Harris Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of Glenda-
lough,"pp. 375to 378.
" Such as U>sher, Colgan, &c.
I3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. ,
and wasted
supposed, that a least one hundred years must have elapsed, before a pros-
seat had dwindled into an
insignificant
village.
it was advisable to publish a document, which had not in its entirety as yet seen the
Moreover,
as several Irish
Historographers
Life,
judged
2 See "A
Henry Wace, M. A. , vol. i. , p. 590.
of Christian Biogra- phy," edited by William Smith, LL. D. , and
Dictionary
3
geni, vulgo Keiveni. prima. Abbatis Glende-
lacensis, auctore anonymo Ex MS. Hugonis Ward, ordinis Minorum MS. Marsh, Dublin,
5 See vol. iv. , Part ii. , pp. 166, 176, of the
catalogue.
6 In the "Vitse Sanctorum," ex Cod.
Inisensi, pp. 95 to 99.
7 to " Actuum Sane- According Catalogus
torumquaeMS. habentur,ordineMensiumet Dierum. "
8 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii
It is classed H. 4, 4.
* See pp. 65 to 71 of that MS. Vita Coem-
I2 used this
11 it is Now,
3o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 3.
light ; while, to judicious readers was left the option of pronouncing on its questionable or credible passages. It is supposed, by Baert, that Irish Hagiographists were accustomed to attribute miracles, in particular instances, to certain saints, which had been before related respecting other holy persons. This happened, less through a desire of practising deception, than from a motiveofmisconceivedpiety. Heallows,also,thattheremaybesometruth in various transactions related. Yet, the writers of those acts, for the most part, having received their accounts from traditions of the vulgar, these are usually accompanied with so many fabulous circumstances, that they appear in certain instances of credit. 12- The Life of blessed as
unworthy Kevin, published by Baert, tells us on its title page, that our saint was both Bishop
and Confessor. But, this title is supposed to have been supplied by some more modern commentators. In three more compendious Lives of our saint, which are also supposed to have been of considerable antiquity, this title of Bishop is wanting. 14 One of these three Lives had been written, after the manner of a short Eulogy or Panegyric on the saint ; another, which was lent by the Jesuit, Henry Fitzsimon, appears to be more filled with fabulous tra- ditions which its author had collected ; while, a third Life had been taken from a Book, belonging to the Library of Salamanca in Spain. This latter MS. was at least three centuries old, before coming into Baert's possession, and in his opinion, it contains many things, which might be tolerated and believed, iftheywerenotaccompaniedbysomemythicalaccounts. 1^ Therearenotices
6x
of this holy Abbot, by Archbishop Ussher/ Dr. Meredith Hanmer, 7 and
by Bishop Challoner. ' 8 At the 3rd of June, as also, in Rev. Alban Butler's
" Lives of the
Fathers, Martyrs
and other J 9 and in the work principal Saints,"
chronological dates,
nephew.
Junii iii. De S. Coemgino Commentarius
Prcevius, num. 4, p. 311.
14 In one of these lives the title runs as
20 See " Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, x. , pp. 43 to 50.
Mrs. Anastasia 21 22 Rev. O'Byrne, BishopForbes,
of Rev. Dr.
S. Baring-Gould, 3 he is recorded ; while, in the Dictionary of Christian Bio- graphy,24 there is an account of this celebrated Abbot.
The holy man was born, in the year 498, according to Archbishop Ussher 25 ;
and, his chronology has been accepted by most writers. Yet, there are strong
motivesfordoubtinghishavingbeenbornsoearly; and,itseemsverypro-
bable, that date for Kevin's birth should be advanced to some year, in the
earlier part of the sixth century. Nor does the year assigned well accord
withthe inreferencetohisbrother26and 2? Nor
Laniganf°by 2
" 2I"
Vita Coemgini, magnae sanctita-
"
See
follows :
tis viri ;" in the second :
and in the third : "Vita Coemgini Abbatis. " A fourth life, found in the Imperial Library, at Vienna, was " de S.
Saints of Ireland," pp. 98 to
100.
" See "Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
intituled,
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii iii. ,
vi. ,
Vita S. Coemgeno, Commentarius Proevius,
June 3, pp. 27 to 29,
24 Edited by William Smith, LL. D. , and
num. 3, p. 311.
15 In quoting the two latter documents 590.
alluded to, Baert calls that one, received
from Fitzsimon, the Acta breviora ; the
other he — as the Salmanticense designates,
Compendium. See ibid. , num. 5, p. 311. 16 See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum And-
quitates," cap. xvii. , pp. 394, 395.
17 See "Chronicle of Ireland," pp. 121,
122. .
2S " & in Hiber- Coemgenus qui Keivinus,
nia natus est : si, ut a quibusdam habetur tiaditum, annos cxx. vixerit & anno Christi dcxviii. mortem ille obierit. A. S. Cronano
18 * See "Britannia Sancta," Part i. , pp.
336, 337.
. '9 In vol. vi. , June iii.
Called St. Mocuemin, who was a disci- pie to Columba, son of Crimthann, and Abbot of Tirdaglass. Now, this Columba
Vita Coemgini,"
Coengeno. "
p. 302.
23 See "Lives of the vol. Saints,"
Rev. Henry Wace, M. A. , vol. i. , pp. 589,
presbytero — fuisse baptizatum Scriptor
Vitaj "Britannicarum Ecclesia- rum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 494. Also
ipsius indicat.
142, 143. — Article iv.
«
In his ticum. " See Bishop Forbes'
Sco- Kalendars of
rather to the 2nd of day
Scottish Saints. " p. 192.
2 See the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , xiv. Februarii. Among the pre- termitted saints, p. 742.
3 See the Second Volume of this work, Art. ii.
4 See "HistoriaEcclesiasticaGentis Scoto- rum," tomus i. , lib. hi. , num. 272, pp. 160,
161.
s See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scot-
tish Saints," p. 299.
"Menologium "
26 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June
are informed. Likewise, at the 2nd day of June, the Bollandists ' have allusion to Ceolachus, Cellacus, Colatus, or Colachus, who has been com- memoratedasasaint,byCamerarius,8 andwhohasbeensorecognised,ina Manuscript Calendar of St. Benedict's Order.
Article V. —St. Conall, Lough Gill, County of Sligo. There is a well, on the northern shore of Lough Gill, called Tobar Chonaill. 1 On the
2
Lake, there is an Island, called St. Conall's Island. wasformerlycelebrated,onthe2ndofJune,atthewell. 3 Wearenotableto discover any memorials relating to him. Without particularizing the exact day or locality, the traveller Henry D. Inglis * visited a holy well, two or three hun- dred yards from the banks of Lough Gill, where eleven devotees were engaged at some religious ceremonies. Some of the lake boatmen declare, that on a particularly bright and still day, a noble and buried city, with its towers and houses, may still be traced distinctly beneath its waters. It is a local tradi- tion, that where the waters of the Lough now spread, there was formerly a rich plain ; and, the people relate, that its name has been derived from a hapless lady, named Gill, who met her fate on its banks. 5
" Menolo- gium Scoticum/'? at the 2nd of June, and as living in " Monasterio Divini
and of St. Columba,6 noted in Thomas bishop disciple
Dempster's
Juris. " He is also introduced, by the same writer, as living at the " Monas-
a. d. 8 He cites Hector Boetius 609.
terium Divini and as Ruris,
flourishing
for an account of St. Conallus, but he does not give a reference. Ferrarins
mentionshim,ontheauthorityofDempster. TheBollandists9 merelystate
the foregoing particulars, at the 2nd of June ; but, they wait for further infor- mation, to elucidate his Acts.
Article VI. —St. Farounon, of Lua. This day, the Martyrology of
*
Donegal mentions Farounon, of Lua, as having been venerated. In the
2
Appendix to the Introduction of this work, he is called Forandan. His place
or period is unknown to us.
Article VII. —St. Aedhan, of Cluain Domhuil. We read, in the
Martyrology
of 1 thatonthis was ofCluain Donegal, day venerated, Aedhan,
6 See Venerable Bede's " Historia Eccle-
siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. xxii. , xxiv.
7 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii ii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 157.
8 Thus is he noticed ' ' Sanctus Ceolachus,
:
8"
of Scottish Saints. " See Scottish Entries iu See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco-
the Kalendar o—f David Camerarius, p. 237. torum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 286, p. 167. *»"
ii.
Cellacus, Colathus vel Colachus Episcopus
Lindisfarniae—et Leichfeldensis, Apostolus
Merciorum. " Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars tish Saints," p. 201.
Article v. In the Irish characters
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii
Coba^ChonAiLbe,Latinized"FonsConalli. "
the — saints, Among pretermitted p. 15S.
2 In the Irish characters 01 Lean Latinized "Insula Conalli. "
ChonAilt,
Article VI. '
Edited Urs. Todd by
3 See "Sligo Letters," vol. i. , ofthe Irish Ordnance Survey, in the R. I. A. Thomas O'Conor's letter, dated Grange, September the 5th, 1836, p. 71.
and Reeves, pp. 142, 143.
2 In the Irish character, written Vopan-
'O&n. See p. xlvi—i. Article vii.
Tradition says, his day
We find a Connallus,
4 See his "Journey throughout Ireland during the Spring, Summer, and Autumn of 1834," chap, xxii. , p. 275.
s See William F. Wakeman's "Tourists' Guide to Ireland," p. 259.
6 See his Life, in this Volume, at the 9th ofJune, Art. i.
i See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scot-
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 142, 143.
»
June 2. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 27
Domhuil,atAlmain. Heissaidtohavedescended,fromtheraceofCorb- macCas,sontoOiliollOluim. Wehavenotbeenabletoidentifyhisplace or period.
Article VIII. —St. Luran, Son of Conan. According to the
of 1 we find that a St. Martyrology Donegal,
Luran,
ration given to him, on this day. When or where he lived seems to be
unknown.
Article IX. —St. Femdidh. A festival, in honour of Femdidh, was
celebrated on this as we read in the of
1 day, Martyrology Donegal.
Article X. —St. Foim. The simple record Foim, without any other
1 distinguishing epithet, appears, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at this date.
The writer strongly suspects, this present saint may be identified with Fem- didh, who is set down at the same day, in the Martyrology of Donegal.
Article XL—St. Senan, or Seanan. An entry is found, in the 1
Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 2nd of June, regarding a festival in honour of St. Senan. It does not appear to be an easy matter to find his family, period,
or place ; but, probably he flourished, in the earlier ages of Irish Chris-
His feast is set
stated, that veneration was given to Seanan, on this day.
2 it is where,
tianity.
down,
in the
Martyrology
of
Donegal ;
Article XII. —St. Erasmus, Bishop, and his Companions, Martyrs.
In the Irish Church, on the 2nd of June, was commemorated the Festival of
St. Erasmus, Bishop, and of his companions, who were Martyrs, as we find
recorded in the "Feilire"1 ofSt. a The Bollandistss have ^Engus.
published Acts of St. Erasmus—the authenticity of which has been suspected—and these
state, that three hundred and thirty men suffered with him as Martyrs, in the city ofAntioch. 4
Articleviii. —• Edited byDrs. Todd withardour ofmight! —took unto Christ a and Reeves, pp. 142, 143. victorious train—three hundred praiseworthy
x
Article ix. — Edited by Drs. Todd thousands. " "Transactions of the Royal
and Reeves, —
pp. 142, 143.
Irish Irish
Academy," Manuscript Series,
Article x.
*
Edited by Rev. Dr.
vol. i. i.
On the Calendar
of
xxvi.
Article xi. ' Edited by Rev. Dr. 2 comment is affixed Erasmus . i.
Kelly,p. Kelly, p. xxvi.
xcii. p. A
—
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
"
3
142, 143. — Article xil.
antio—ch [i] ae a dioclitiano imperatore passus est. " Ibid. , p. xcviii.
*
In the
Leabhar Breac"
De S. Erasmo miis in Campania.
copy, we have the following Irish quatrain, with its translati—on into English, by Whitley
Stokes, LL. D.
e-r\Ar-mur' incefcop
•Anbjveo combrvucn bju^e ber»c co Crvifc cbeirv mbUA'OA . ccc. moLbcAch mile.
—"Erasmusthe a
bishop, splended
in IO ; paragraphs
:
previous commentary,
then follow the Acta Suspecta, in two chap-
"
Junii For- Father Godefrid Hen- schen, who has edited his Acts, gives a
ters, containing twelve paragraphs, with notes ; afterwards, an Appendix, compiled by Father Daniel Papebroke is introduced, in eleven paragraphs, pp. 211 to 219.
4 At this date, also, the Bollandists have a
flame
separate article,
"De Plurimis Sanctis
ii. ,
Episcopo, Martyre
,
part
Oengus,
—
son of had vene- Conan,
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. ,
28 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 3.
Article XIII. —Reputed Festival of St. Damianus, Companion of
1
St Regulus, Scotland. Among the Scottish Entries, in the Kalendar of
David Camerarius, at the 2nd of June, we find a St.
Damianus, a companion of St. Regulus, or Rule. 2 On the same authority, and at this date, the Bollan- dists3 alluded to him, among the saints passed over, on the 1st day of this month; while,referenceismadetothe17thofOctober,forfurtherpossible notice.
Cinrtf ©ap of Suite,
ARTICLE I. —ST. COEMGIN OR KEVIN, ABBOT OF GLENDALOUGH, COUNTY OF WICKLOW.
[SIXTH AND SEVENTH CENTURIES. ]
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—AUTHORITIES FOR THE LIFE OF ST. KEVIN—HIS FAMILY AND PARENTAGE—HIS EARLY TRAINING—HE EMBRACES A RELIGIOUS LIKE—HIS RETIRE- MENT AND TEMPTATION—HIS HERMITAGE AT LUGGELA—HIS OBEDIENCK AND ITS REWARD—HIS HUMILITY—HE SEEKS FOR ANOTHER PLACE TO PRACTISE PRAYER AND CONTEMPLATION.
certain
details of his — which simple biography,
or
tends more to the aggregate happiness of mankind, than to have individual members of in work of real
NOTHING
society engaged promoting
utility. It was an observation, profoundly made by an ancient moralist, that several persons spend their whole lives in evil works, or in idleness, or in pur- suing objects, extraneous to their true interests. 1 Such remarks cannot justly applytothesaintsofourearlyChurch. Theirlivesandmoralswereedifying and exemplary; their toils and trials were unceasing; with entire self-
devotedness, they sought to sanctify themselves and to promote the Christian welfare of others. The actions and virtues of the saint, whose memory we
celebrate on this day, may be regarded, in many points of view, as exhibiting that love of holiness, that greatness of soul, and that force of character, he so eminently possessed. Very different characteristics—but all very admirable— are developed in the accidents of his birth, education, and position. These have received an additional and a reflected lustre, from the instructive, lauda- ble, and persevering tenor of his blameless life and conversation. The
opposite workings
of nature and of
are— best grace probably
delineated,
in
Martyribus, Antiochise passis," &c, ibid. , p. 169. These do not seem 10 differ from the
companionsofErasmus,alreadymentioned; but, there appear to be great diversities of
statement and conjectures, regarding their Acts.
Articlexiii. —« Thus:"Hoceodem die Sanctus Damianus Sancti Reguli comes. " —Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scottish
Saints," p. 238.
2 His feast has been assigned to the 30th
ofMarch,andtothe17thol October. See ibid. , p. 436.
See Seneca,
even when
serve not the less to awaken our interest and
exaggerated
a desire for more accurate information, regarding so holy and so renowned a man.
contradictory in some respects
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii ii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 157.
Article I, —Chapter " Opera," Epistola i.
—
x I.
June 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 29
Several old Acts of St. Kevin are still extant. In the time of the O'Clery's, his Irish Life was in possession of Domhnall Carrach, son of
Mac
at Eanach
in Ui 2 There is a Ceinnsellaigh.
Mor,
in prose and the other in verse, left transcribed, by Michael O'Clery, and among the Burgundian Manuscripts, at Bruxelles. 5 There is a Manuscript, Vita S. Coemgeni, preserved among the Records, belonging to the Franciscan
Eochada,
Feaghal
Manuscript,3 belonging to Trinity College, Dublin, containing an Irish Life of St. Kevin of Glendalough, in prose. In the Codex Kilkenninsis is a Life of St. Comegan, in a folio. + There were probably two of his Irish Lives, one
Dublin. 6 On the of Convent, 3rd
had intended to the produce
June, Colgan
Acts of St. Coemgen. 7 His Acts are very fully published, in the great Bol-
landist collection. 8 A previous commentary and notes, y as we may learn from the initialled marginal letters, were written by Father Francis Baert.
Our saint's Latin Life has been printed from a Manuscript, formerly belong- ing to Hugh Ward. 10 This narrative is contained in six chapters, comprising
forty-nine paragraphs. However, this Life of St. Kevin is very justly sup- posed to abound in fables. It is thought to have been written, during or before the twelfth century, and on very reasonable grounds. For, mention is made, regarding the flourishing state of Glendalough city, at the time, when this life had been written ; while, in the thirteenth century, this episcopal
perous city could have become a small village, in the ordinary course of things. Those proofs, on which the Bollandists rely for the fact of Glendalough being in a flourishing state at the time when St. Kevin's published Life had been written, shall be reproduced, in the sequel of this narrative. Baert remarks, that at first he intended to suppress many fables contained in this Life, and to issue a more compendious and reliable account, regarding our saint. After- wards, however, his mind changed on the subject, for these following reasons. Many things are related in this Life, which the author could have seen and recorded, as existing in his own time. Matters, referring to the site of places and monasteries, in or near Glendalough, are found written there, and this information need not necessarily have been derived from popular tradition. Again, there are accounts, relating to miracles and prophecies, whereby we
are not so certainly informed, indeed, regarding what St. Kevin did and pre- dicted, as respecting what had been then rumoured, and as a picture repre- senting the state of things which prevailed during the writer's own lifetime.
iii. , De S. Coemgino, sive Keivino, Abbate Glindelacen^i in IJibernia, pp. 310 to 322.
9 In seven paragraphs.
I0 in con- So endeared to every Irishman,
nexion with the order of Friars Minor of St. Francis, and who had made considerable pro- gtess in collecting the Acts of the Irish Saints, before Colgan commenced their pub- lication.
ll It was united to the See of Dublin in 1214, on the death of its Bishop William Piro. For further particulars, relating to this union of Sees, the reader is referred to Harris Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of Glenda-
lough,"pp. 375to 378.
" Such as U>sher, Colgan, &c.
I3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. ,
and wasted
supposed, that a least one hundred years must have elapsed, before a pros-
seat had dwindled into an
insignificant
village.
it was advisable to publish a document, which had not in its entirety as yet seen the
Moreover,
as several Irish
Historographers
Life,
judged
2 See "A
Henry Wace, M. A. , vol. i. , p. 590.
of Christian Biogra- phy," edited by William Smith, LL. D. , and
Dictionary
3
geni, vulgo Keiveni. prima. Abbatis Glende-
lacensis, auctore anonymo Ex MS. Hugonis Ward, ordinis Minorum MS. Marsh, Dublin,
5 See vol. iv. , Part ii. , pp. 166, 176, of the
catalogue.
6 In the "Vitse Sanctorum," ex Cod.
Inisensi, pp. 95 to 99.
7 to " Actuum Sane- According Catalogus
torumquaeMS. habentur,ordineMensiumet Dierum. "
8 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii
It is classed H. 4, 4.
* See pp. 65 to 71 of that MS. Vita Coem-
I2 used this
11 it is Now,
3o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 3.
light ; while, to judicious readers was left the option of pronouncing on its questionable or credible passages. It is supposed, by Baert, that Irish Hagiographists were accustomed to attribute miracles, in particular instances, to certain saints, which had been before related respecting other holy persons. This happened, less through a desire of practising deception, than from a motiveofmisconceivedpiety. Heallows,also,thattheremaybesometruth in various transactions related. Yet, the writers of those acts, for the most part, having received their accounts from traditions of the vulgar, these are usually accompanied with so many fabulous circumstances, that they appear in certain instances of credit. 12- The Life of blessed as
unworthy Kevin, published by Baert, tells us on its title page, that our saint was both Bishop
and Confessor. But, this title is supposed to have been supplied by some more modern commentators. In three more compendious Lives of our saint, which are also supposed to have been of considerable antiquity, this title of Bishop is wanting. 14 One of these three Lives had been written, after the manner of a short Eulogy or Panegyric on the saint ; another, which was lent by the Jesuit, Henry Fitzsimon, appears to be more filled with fabulous tra- ditions which its author had collected ; while, a third Life had been taken from a Book, belonging to the Library of Salamanca in Spain. This latter MS. was at least three centuries old, before coming into Baert's possession, and in his opinion, it contains many things, which might be tolerated and believed, iftheywerenotaccompaniedbysomemythicalaccounts. 1^ Therearenotices
6x
of this holy Abbot, by Archbishop Ussher/ Dr. Meredith Hanmer, 7 and
by Bishop Challoner. ' 8 At the 3rd of June, as also, in Rev. Alban Butler's
" Lives of the
Fathers, Martyrs
and other J 9 and in the work principal Saints,"
chronological dates,
nephew.
Junii iii. De S. Coemgino Commentarius
Prcevius, num. 4, p. 311.
14 In one of these lives the title runs as
20 See " Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, x. , pp. 43 to 50.
Mrs. Anastasia 21 22 Rev. O'Byrne, BishopForbes,
of Rev. Dr.
S. Baring-Gould, 3 he is recorded ; while, in the Dictionary of Christian Bio- graphy,24 there is an account of this celebrated Abbot.
The holy man was born, in the year 498, according to Archbishop Ussher 25 ;
and, his chronology has been accepted by most writers. Yet, there are strong
motivesfordoubtinghishavingbeenbornsoearly; and,itseemsverypro-
bable, that date for Kevin's birth should be advanced to some year, in the
earlier part of the sixth century. Nor does the year assigned well accord
withthe inreferencetohisbrother26and 2? Nor
Laniganf°by 2
" 2I"
Vita Coemgini, magnae sanctita-
"
See
follows :
tis viri ;" in the second :
and in the third : "Vita Coemgini Abbatis. " A fourth life, found in the Imperial Library, at Vienna, was " de S.
Saints of Ireland," pp. 98 to
100.
" See "Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
intituled,
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii iii. ,
vi. ,
Vita S. Coemgeno, Commentarius Proevius,
June 3, pp. 27 to 29,
24 Edited by William Smith, LL. D. , and
num. 3, p. 311.
15 In quoting the two latter documents 590.
alluded to, Baert calls that one, received
from Fitzsimon, the Acta breviora ; the
other he — as the Salmanticense designates,
Compendium. See ibid. , num. 5, p. 311. 16 See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum And-
quitates," cap. xvii. , pp. 394, 395.
17 See "Chronicle of Ireland," pp. 121,
122. .
2S " & in Hiber- Coemgenus qui Keivinus,
nia natus est : si, ut a quibusdam habetur tiaditum, annos cxx. vixerit & anno Christi dcxviii. mortem ille obierit. A. S. Cronano
18 * See "Britannia Sancta," Part i. , pp.
336, 337.
. '9 In vol. vi. , June iii.
Called St. Mocuemin, who was a disci- pie to Columba, son of Crimthann, and Abbot of Tirdaglass. Now, this Columba
Vita Coemgini,"
Coengeno. "
p. 302.
23 See "Lives of the vol. Saints,"
Rev. Henry Wace, M. A. , vol. i. , pp. 589,
presbytero — fuisse baptizatum Scriptor
Vitaj "Britannicarum Ecclesia- rum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 494. Also
ipsius indicat.
