No More Learning

'
Gen. vii. 2.
2
Gen. xli. 2, 3.
3 Josue, vi. , 4
4 In Numbers xxiii. 1.
2 9o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July it.
Colgan thinks those may be the seven bishops venerated at Tamnach-
Buadha, on this day. 7 Selbach enumerates twenty-three saints descending
from Fiach Suighdhe, and venerated in our different Calendars. At this date,
the Martyrology of Donegal 8 records the Seven Bishops of Tamhnacli
Buadha[BishopTeddaofTamhnach. 9] Wefindsevenbishops,thesonsof
one father, adds the Calendarist, while their names and history are among
the race of Fiach Suighdhe, son to Feidhlimidh Reachtmhar, son of Tuathal
Teachtmhar. There is an almost incredible number of Irish townlands,
TO
denominated Tamhnach—Anglice Tawny or Tawnagh—either singly or in
no
nach Buadha with any one of them. The ancient etymon probably has become
obsoleteamongourmodernlocalnames. UndertheheadofTamhnach Buadha,11 Duald Mac Firbis enters the seven bishops from Tamhnach-
12
Article III. —Reputed Feast of St. Tenna, of Tamhnach Buadha.
composition ;
yet, among these,
it
appears
easy
buadha, at July 21st.
The of Martyrology
1 at the 21st of a festival to July, registers
2
Buadha. ]
locality, we have seen how difficult it must be to identify its exact position.
Indeed, the present saint may not be distinct from the bishop Tedda there mentioned; whiletheinsertionheremayhaveresultedfromanincorrectand a double entry.
Article IV. —St. Sillan or Siollan, of Glinn munire, or of Dun-
1
more, in Ui Briuin-Cualann. The Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 21st
of July, mentions, that veneration was given to Siollan of Glinn munire. This place has not been clearly identified. Following the account of Marianus
O'Gorman, we have in the copy belonging to Eugene O'Curry, Sillan of Dun Mor,2 in Uibh Briuin Cualann, recorded at this date. This was a sept, giving
name to a territory, which comprised the greater part of Rathdown barony, in the present county of Dublin, and some of the northern part of Wicklow
County. ThechurchesofCill-Inghine-Leinin,nowKilliney,Tigh-Chonaill, now Stagonnell, and Dun-mor, are set down in the O'Clerys' Irish Calendar, as being in this territory. 3 This Sillan is noticed, by Colgan,* when enume-
honour of Tamhnach [Tenna,
From the notice of this previous
1 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," xv. Januarii, Appendix ad Acta S.
Itse, cap. ii. , p. 73.
"This entry within brackets, is in the more recent hand. "
'
Article iv. — Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxix.
2 We search in vain for a bearing place
this name, within the ancient territory of Ui Briuin Cualann, on the Ordnance Survey Maps for the Counties of Dublin and Wick- low. Near the residence of Cork Abbey, and little on the left of the road from Bray to Dublin, there is a very fine and large moat, called Toole's Moat from the occupier of the land. It had a fosse all around it, but at
it is choked up with earth, present, nearly
3 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (n), p. 340.
4 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernice," xv. Februarii. Supplementum Vita S. Berachi Abbatis, cap. vii. , and n. 6, pp. 345, 348.
s see his Acts, at the 15th of February, in
8
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
196, 197.
s A note by Dr. Todd says at Tamhnach :
" The words within brackets are inserted by the more recent hand. "
10 See " General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baro- nies of Ireland," pp. 850 to 852.
11 Not identified. William M. Ilennessy's note.
12 See " of Proceedings Royal
Article hi. — 1 Edited and Reeves, pp. 198, 199.
2
Irish Aca-
Irish
vol.
demy,"
part i. , pp. 128, 129.
Manuscript Series,
i. ,
In a note the Rev. Dr. Reeves says, at the denomination Tamhnach Buadha :
Donegal,
by
Drs. Todd
matter to Tamh- identify
July 21. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
291
rating several Irish saints bearing the same name, and one of whom had been sent to a place called Rath-ond, by St. Berach. s The Martyrology of 1 tone-
gal
6 records the name of Siollan, as to in Ui Briuin belonging Dunmor,
Cualann. 7 TheIrishCalendar,belongingtotheOrdnanceSurveyRecords,
8
has a similar entry, at the 21st of July, corresponding with xii. of the August
Kalends.
Article V. —St. Curcach, Virgin, of Kilcorker, County of Ros-
common. At the 21st of
we find entered in the — of Tal- July, Martyrology
1
lagh, that veneration was paid to St. Curcaise, Cille-Curcaise
a mistake for St. Curcach, of Cill-Curcaighe, a virgin. The eminent Irish scholar and topo- grapher, William M. Hennessy, identifies this place with Kilcorker, or Kil- corkey, near Belanagare, in the county of Roscommon. 2 This church of Cill-
Curcaighe lay within the ancient territory of Greaghraighe, comprising the present barony of Coolavin, and a great part of northern Roscommon. 3 At a place near Bray, but in the county of Dublin, and now known as Cork Abbey
—already alluded to at this date—there is
a
modern brick wall and vaulted. It is approached by a door, and a little to
the west was the site of a gravegard, from which headstones and human remains have been unearthed. Somewhat to the south and west of the man- sion it lay, while local tradition held, that an old abbey had been pulled down there, towards the close of the last century, to erect in its place the more modern structure. The old people formerly called the spot Mainister Curcaighe, meaning the monastery of Curcach. s Whether or not, it may have had refer-
ence to the present Curcach, we have no means for correctly judging. In 6
the Martyrology of Donegal, St. Curcach, virgin, of Cill-Curcaighe, is placed at the 2 1 st of May. However, nothing seems to be known, which might determine the period when she flourished.
ArticleVI. —St. Lughan,Priest. Thelifeofapriestorabishopis
stillmoremeritoriousanddifficultthanthatofamonk. This,thegreatSt. T
John Chrysostom points out to his friend Basil, bishop of Raphana. The
nameof a 2 is set downin the of 3 and Lughan, Priest, Martyrologies Tallagh
4
of Donegal, at the 21st of July, but when or where he lived is unknown. We
the Second Volume of this work, Art. i.
Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (z), p. 424.
6 Edited
198, 199.
7 Anote
Drs. Todd and Reeves,
by pp.
Dr. at thus by Todd, Cualann,
4 It is not remembered in a patron.
connexion with
s The
from a letter of John O'Donovan, written
Oum muinir\4e, M. Tam. 'Of Dun from 21 Great Charles-street, Dublin, and
Munira. ' But M. Curry's copy of the M. dated August 17th, 1837.
occurs: " The more recent hand adds here,
foregoing particulars are drawn
c6 Taml. has Sillan Glinn Munire. '"
8 Thus: SciolXxin "Ouine nior\ m Uib
brunt) CuaWi«. Common Place Book F,
p. 64. In the Royal Irish Academy Library.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Article v. —1 Edited Kelly, p. xxix.
2
by
Rev. Dr.
a The more recent hand
Manuscript note in a copy belonging to him, and in his handwriting. This was obligingly lent to the writer, by Mr. Hen- nessy,whoselamenteddeathhasbeensucha loss to the cause of Irish literature, and to the promotion of which he ever lent a most willing assistance.
adds, Saxo, according to the Martyrology of Tamlacht.
The published one has Sax.
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxix.
4 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
3 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Kelly, p. xxix.
198, 199. Article vi.
— dotio, lib. vi.
See his
treatise, De Sacer-
198, 199. — Article vii.
* Edited Drs.
by Todd
well,* built up with a rather
and Reeves, pp. 10—8, 199.
•
Article viii. Edited by Rev. Dr,
292
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 2 1
may suppose from the title given to him, that he was engaged in missionary work, and that his labours were fruitful in our Lord's vineyard.
Article VII. —St. Tondach, Bishop. According to the Martyrology 1
of Donegal, veneration was paid to Tondach, Bishop, at this date. In no other Calendar are we able to discover any trace of him.
Article VIII. —St. Bradge. to the of veneration was given to Bradge, at this date. We cannot find a similar entry in any other Calendar.
Article IX. —Feast of the Martyr Helius. In the ancient Irish Church, at the 21st of July, had been celebrated a festival for the Martyr Helius, as we find it recorded, in the " Feilire" of St. ^Engus. 1 There is a saint of this name mentioned, with many other holy martyrs, at Csesena in Italy. Some brief notices regarding them are given by the Bollandists. 2
Article X. —Feast of St. Praxedes. In the "Feilire" of St. iEngus, atthe21stofJuly,thefestivalofSt. Praxedesiscommemorated. TheBol- landists2 insertsuchnoticesastheycouldfindregardingthisholyvirgin,who lived at Rome in the first or second century. In the Menologium Scoticum of Dempster, the festival of St. Praxedis, virgin, is likewise entered 3 at this date.
Article XI. —Reputed Feast of St. Claudia. In the Menologium Scoticum of Thomas Dempster, on the. 21st of July, we find entered ' a feast for a Blessed Claudia, a daughter of Scotia, or of Scota.
While noticing this intrusion of Claudia as the mother of St. Praxedis, at this same date, the Bol- landists 2 refer to the 19th of May, for what they had stated, regarding St. Prudentiana.
Ilelio, Victore, Patroclo, Cajsariano, Adrianitide, Dimeso, Felice, Aurelio, Tliy- magrate, et forte Theodolo et Juliano,
p. 163. —x Article x.
"
copy. See
Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. L, part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, by
Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. cxi.
—x The stanza is following
Article IX.
found in the " Leabhar Breac" copy. The English translation is by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. :—
Cpoch arvo belli iru\v\cir\ mohair- r\elicc bechcAig Cornn5enr\<MT> cuchcAig p<Mf pruocicip pechcndig.
" The high cross of the martyr Helius mag-
nified, a grave-abounding cemetery: with
" Leabhar Transactions of the Royal Irish
maidens the of happy shapely passion
xxi. I)c S. Praxede Virgine, Roma-, pp.
13010132.
3 Thus, at the 21st of July: "Romae
1 According Martyrology Tallagh,
Praxedes. "— " Transactions of the Royal
li ish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series,
vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus,
by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. cxi. In a Scotx filiae. ML. "—Bishop Forbes' " Ka-
note annexed is the entry Daniel propheta, at this date, p. cxx.
9 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Julii xxi. DeSS. MartyribusCa? senatibus,Adriano,
2
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Julii
In the
Breac"
Praxedis virginis. "— Bishop Forbes' "Ka- lendars of Scottish Saints," p. 206.
" lendars of Scottish Saints, p. 206.
2
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Julii xxi. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 114.
' Article xi. — Thus :
Beatse Claudia
1
July 22. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
293
€totntp--0ffoitt* Dap of 3ulp.
ARTICLE I. — ST. BITEUS OR MOBIU, CALLED ALSO DOBI, OR DAVID, ABBOT OF INIS-COOSCRY, COUNTY OF DOWN.
THE original name of the present holy man was apparently Biu ; for, we
have to that the of affection mo was but a
admit, adjunct colloquial
addition. Formerly, in Ireland, it was not, and even yet it is not, always cus-
tomary to use the title of " saint. " With a simple reverence, the people called
the holy men and women among them merely by their names, often affec-
tionately prefixing Mo, "my," or Do, "thy. " Thus, we have in general use
"
in reference to times and places. In the early period, the Irish did not call their
the phrase
Patrick's Day," or "Stephen's Green," applied as the usual forms
"
Gilbride,&c. Theseobservationsprepareusforabetterunderstandingof
changes occurring, also, in the personal etymons, applied to holy persons in our Calendars. In the published Martyrology of Tallagh, we meet at the xi.
of the Kalends of or at the 22nd of August,
children by a saint's name, without prefixing Gilla,
servant," as Gilpatrick,
July,
Cumscraidh. 1 " It would seem, that our saint had been known under different
names, as we find him variously designated, by our ancient and modern
writers, Mo-biu, Do-biii, Dabius, David, Movean, and Bite, or Bitheus.
He is called St. Movean or Dabius, of Ireland, in some of the Scottish Calendars.
" 2"
Thus, in Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of Scottish Saints, some notices of this
holy Abbot are to be found. According to Colgan, St. Dabius was born of a mother who had been childless, until St. Mochua, then at Bangor, had prayed for her, as mentioned in his Life. 3 The Sanctilogy of the Irish Saints 4 states his father to have been Comgell, son of Ere, son to Arad, son of Columb, son to Cunneth, son of Buan, from whom the Dal-Buan family sprang, and this was a celebrated tribe in Ultonia, although now extinct or unknown. * If the
genealogical line be complete in the foregoing pedigree, it would be possible to form an approximate calculation of that period at which he flourished. In the Irish Calendar, he is said to have borne the name of Bitheus, also andtohavebeenAbbotofInse 6 Sometimesthe iscalled'
Cumsgraidhe. place
Inis Cooscry ; and this name it obtained, probably from some former owner, named Cosgraidh. ? It is now known simply as Inch, a parish in Lower Lecale
barony,
"
Martii xxx. Vita S. Mochuse sive Cronani Abb. Ballensis. Ex Hiberhicis MSS. interprete PH. Osuilevano, cap. iiii. , p. 789.
4 Chapter xxii.
5 See ibid. , n. 7, p. 791.
Article i. — j See Rev. Dr.
Kelly' Calendar of Irish Saints," &c, p. xxix.
of Down. 8
and
Map of this county, the parish of Inch is situated at the south-western extre- mity of Strangford Lough. It includes with its Islands an area of 6,494 acres, 1 rood, and 12 perches, of land, with 80 acres, 1 rood, and 9 perches, under water. It is bounded on the north by Killyleagh parish, on the east by
6 In the Irish at the xi. of the Calendar,
See pp. 320 and 414. 'Diceu—r . 1. tttobni Abb. 1nre Cutrtfj;- 3 See Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- ^\AToe. " Ordnance Survey Office Copy of
county
According
to the Ordnance Index Survey
Calends of August (July 22nd), we find, 2-
nise,"
F, p. 64.
this " Dobi Innse entry,
" Common Place Book "
;This proper name often occurs in the
Irish Annals.
8"
It is marked, on the Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the County of Down. "' sheets 30, 31, 37.
294 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 22,
the waters of Strangford Lough, on the south by Down parish, and on the westbyKilmoreparish. TheparishofInchborevariousdenominations,at
different periods, according to printed and manuscript authorities. ? Opposite to the old cathedral of Down, in the Isle of Inch or Inis Curcey, and in the western branch of Lough Coyne, are the ruins of the abbey as also of the
10
abbey church at Inch.
The first church here is said to have stood near Erynach ; but, we know
not by whom it had been erected. This was situated in the barony of Lecale, aboutonemileanda-halfsouthfromDownpatrick. Ititissaid,thatMag-
nell Makenlese, Kingof Ulster, had founded an Abbeyhere, and we aretold,that aSt. EvodiushadbeenitsfirstAbbot. 11 Onthedayofhisdecease,Evodius prophesied, that his own Abbey should be destroyed in after times, but that an Abbey should be built in the Island, now known as Iniscooscry or Inch. Therefore,hegavedirectionsthathiscorpseshouldb—einterredinit. 12 Amonas- teryappearstohavebee—nerectedonthispeninsula whichexhibitsatpresent
some picturesque ruins long
As had been justly thought by some writers, Iniscooscry was not called after John de Courcey ; for, its ancient name was Inniscumhscraigh, pronounced Iniscooscry. Tigernach, Abbot of Clonmacnoise, who died in 1088, records, that in the year 1002, Sitric, King of the Danes, arrived with a fleet in Uladh/4 and at Kilclief and Iniscooscry; while the Annals of the Four Masters, and Keating, at the reign of Brian Boru, concur in recording the same occurrence, and in almost the same words that Tigernach uses. 's Under the year 1061, is recorded the death of Abbot of 16
before the arrival of the in Ireland. ^ English
Hogan O'Cormacan, Inniscumscraigh, and Hugh Maglanha, Abbot of Iniscumscray, was a subscribing witness to the charter of Newry. *7 From Down, the passage to the Island of Inch is by
9 These various names are furnished by Mr. O'Donovan in his "Correspondence, &C. , concerning Names of Places, Antiqui-
ties, &c, in the County of Down," belong- ing to the Irish Ordnance Survey Office. Thus Tollow the orthographies and authori- ties: I. Inifcumfc^ig. Tigernach, 1088. 2. Inse Cumscray. Charta Abbatice de Newry, 1160. 3. 1mf Cumr^Aij;. Dr. Jeoffry Keating, in the reign of Brian Boru. 4. Imp CvmifcrvATO, 1629, and 1nif Cumli- rqAAi'6. Annals of the Four Masters, 1636. 5. Inis Curcey and Inch Abbey. Harris' History of the County of Down, 1744. 6. Inch. County Map, 1755. Beaufort's Memoir, 1792. Dubourdieu's Statistical Survey, 1802. Carlisle's Topographical Dictionary, 1810. Abstract of Population, 1821. Irish Ecclesiastical Register, 1830. 7. Inis Curcey, and Isle of Inch. Hiberniae Nomencl, 1771. 8. Inis Courcey, Archdall's Monasticon, 1786. Dubourdieu's Statistical Survey, 1802. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland, 1829. 9. Iniscurcy, Seward's Topographia, 1795. I0> I ms> Dubourdieu's Statistical Survey, 1802. Lanigan's Ecclcsi- astical History of Ireland, 1829.
a peninsula an island ; wit—ness Inis-Owen in the county of Donegal. " "The Ancient and Present State of the County of Down," chap, iii. , sect, ii. , p. 36.
" This is said to have been a Benedictine
foundation, and to have so continued during
the times of Odo, Devincius and John, the
three succeeding abbots.
""
See Archdall's Monasticon Hibemi-
cum,"p. 120.
I3 This has been incontestably proved by
Dr. O'Donovan, in references he makes to the Irish Annals.
14 Formerly comprising the present county of Down.
I5 In some loose sheets, belonging to the Irish Ordnance Survey, when treating on Iniscourcey, John O'Donovan transcribed the Irish of Tigernach, Keating, and the Four Masters, as referring to that place. He gives a translation of the passages, from the first and last authorities, just named.
10
According to the statement of Walter
Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 880, 881, and n. (p). ,? This is supposed to bear date, about the year 1 160. This charter has been translated and published by Mr. O'Donovan, with learned notes in the Dublin PennyJournal, vol. i. , No. 13, pp. 102 to 104. I found another Manuscript copy of it, with notes altogether different from those published, and in the handwriting of Mr. ODonovan, among some loose sheets, entitled " Corre-
Harris : "The word Inch or Inis, in the
Irish and British languages, signifies an
Island ; though this here is only a peninsula, having a land passage into it on the north side. But it is common with the Irish to call
l6
See Dr. O'Donovan's" Annals of the Four
July 22. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
295
18
QuoileorCoilBridge, whichiscomposedofsixarches,andithasagate-
way over one end of it.
To what exact period we should refer the abbatial functions of St. Mob-
hius,wehavenomeansofascertaining. Hemusthaveflourishedbeforethe
ninth century, when he had a connexion with this place, as we learn from the
""
Feilire of St. /Engus. After the Anglo-Normans had landed in Ireland, one
of their most celebrated leaders ^ conducted an expedition to Down, where he subdued the local tanist. 20 As a result of this event, we learn, that John de Courcey demolished the Abbey of Carrig, which is said to have been a Bene- dictine foundation.