Finian wrought a
remarkable
miracle, by making a sign of the cross over a very large stone.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v8
De B.
Ultano Scoto, seu Hiberno, Lindisfarnensi Monacho, with notes, p.
109.
4 At the 17t—h day of January. '
Augusti viii. 2"
'
Alphabetical
August 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 123
This place must be Cloonlogher, in a parish of the same name,3 barony of
Dromahaire, and County of Leitrim. 4 It is a vicarage in the Diocese of
of mountain land. 5 Her name also, in Kilmore, consisting chiefly appears,
the of 6 at this same date, as Curcach, of Cluain- Martyrology Donegal,
lothair, Virgin. There is a Curcach, daughter to Dael, son of Maisine, and belonging to the race of Colla Menn, adds the calendarist. There is a Cluain Lothaire in Breifne O'Ruairc, and Curcach is patron there, follows the foregoing announcement.
Article VI. —Reputed Feast of Daig, son to Cairell of Inis-Cain-
2
fMnti) JBap of august.
ARTICLE I. —ST. NATHY, PATRON OF ACHONRY DIOCESE, COUNTY OF SLIGO.
[SIXTH CENTURY. ]
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—AUTHORITIES FOR THE LIFE OF ST. NATHI—HIS BIRTH—HIS EARLY TRAINING—THE RELATIONS BETWEEN ST. FINIAN AND ST. NATHI—FOUNDATION OF ACHONRY, AND ST. NATHI PLACED THERE AS PASTOR.
dawn of a bright and glorious era was destined for Ireland, when St. Patrick's bark first drew near her and she well
be addressed in these words of " be for inspired Isaias, Arise, enlightened;
thy light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the
THE
shores, might
[Sixth Century. ']
Gentiles shall walk in
thy light,
and
Kings
in the
of
1
Townlandsand
i.
Article —Chapterl—* Ix.
UndertheheadofInisCaindegha,1 DualdMac
Degha.
Firbis enters Daig, son of Cairell, who died a. d. 586,3 August 8th. In the " Chronicum Scotorum," his rest is noted at the same year. * Nothing more seems to be known regarding him.
ParishandBaronies
s 24<"
Towns, of Ireland, p. 269.
Isaias,
See Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. i. , pp. 366, 367.
6
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 212, 213.
Article vi. -1 in the Inisbkeen,
I to 3.
In the Leabhar Breac copy is ihe
following stanza, with its English rendering, by Dr. Whitlev Stokes :—
ruh. 11 C]\et)Al crnntnchep.
"Remember thou the passion of Anto-
ninus (and) of Firmus, a mighty family. In Achad Cain is buried Nathi a pious priest. " " Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," —
the Calendar of Oengus, p. cxxiii.
County of Louth, according to William M. Hen-
£eich lacpaif
JMjmu po|\cj\en rnumcep 1n ^cluro cain clancajv
nessy's note. 3"
•
3
According to Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals
See Proceedings of the Royal Irish
Academy,"IrishMSS. series,vol. i. , parti. ,
pp. 114, 115.
of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 212, 213, and n. (k. ) ibid.
4 See William M. 62, 63.
Hennessy's edition, pp.
Irish vol. i. Manuscript series, i. , part
On
brightness
thy rising. "
Ancom
124 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 9.
One of the fruits drawn from the Irish Apostle's preaching was revealed in the number of holy converts he made, through the Divine assistance, and from these was drawn many a zealous pastor to guide souls in the way of salvation.
From the earliest times, the present holy man appears to have been held " "a
in veneration. Thus, in the Feilire of St. ^Engus, at the 9th of August, there is a commemoration of Nathi—eulogized as a pious priest. And to this is affixed a comment in Irish that Achad Cain—the name of his place - was Achad Conaire, in Luigni of Connaught. 3 In Rev. Alban Butler's " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and other principal Saints,"* at the 9th of August, St. Nathy, or David, Priest, Patron of the Diocese of Achonry, anciently called Achad, is commemorated. Also notices of him occur in the Rev. Dr. Lanigan's History,* in Archdeacon Henry Cotton's Collections6 and in the Rev. S. Baring-Gould's work. 7
8
The birth of this saint, with that of others,? is said to have been pre-
dictedbyaholyabbotinWestConnaught,andwhois namedCorbmac. 10 Such an account is to be met with in an ancient Irish life of the latter holy man, and which is to be found in the Book of Lecan, belonging to the Royal Irish Academy. Nathi is thought to have first seen the light in the earlier part of the sixth century. If a statement, according to which Nathi should have been a priest in 530, were to be admitted, it must follow, that he was born as early, at least, as 500; yet this account can hardly be reconciled
11
with his having lived until Fechin also became a priest.
However, not admitting that early date furnished by Sir James Ware, for the erection of
12
Achonry into a See, Nathi is thought to have been born not later than the
year 5 20. '3 He was the son of Conamalius, son of Neill. 14
St. Nathy is variedly called Nathi, Nathin, Nathias, Nathineus, and Nathyus. Dathyus, Dathi, and David are names also applied to him in different accounts where he is mentioned. He bore, likewise, the additional
titlesofCruimthirandofComrah. 's Heappearstohavebeenanativeof
Lugne territory.
of County Sligo,
It is now commensurate with the barony of Leyny, in the
16 and Province of
Connaught.
1 ? Some of our writers have
3 See ibid. , p. cxxx.
4 See vol. viii. , August ix.
s See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
vol. ii. , chap, xii. , sect. iii. ,and nn. 37 to
41, pp. 190 to 193.
6 See "Fasti Ecclesiae Hibernicae," vol.
iv. , p. 98.
7 See "Lives of the Saints," vol. viii. ,
" See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol ii. , chap, xji. , sec.
August 9, p. 107.
Achonry," p. 658.
I3 Such is the opinion of Rev. Dr.
Lanigan, who remarks that as he had been a priest since the days of Finnian of Clonard, who died in 552, and some time prior to his death, Nathi's birth cannot be placed later than 520. See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xii. , sect, v. , n. 40, p. 192.
M See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi*
bernioe," xxvi. Martii. Vita S. Corbmaci,
cap. xv. , p. 753.
,s See Archdeacon Henry Cotton's " Fasti
" Acta Sanctorum Hi- bernioe," xxvi. Martii. Vita S. Corbmaci Abbatis, cap. xv. , p. 753, and in 31, p. 756.
9 Namely, Luthrenna, Virgin, the daughter of Failbe, venerated on the 8th of June, at which date, notices of her may be found in the Sixth Volume of this work, Art. ii. ; St. Fechin, Abbot of Fore, venerated on the 26th of January, at which date his Acts may be found, in the First Volume of this work, Art. ii. ; St. Mobian—surnamed Claireneach —whose feast is kept on the 1 2th of October, and at this date notices of him may be found
n the Tenth Volume of this work.
10 See the Life of St. Corbmac, at the 13th
8 See
Colgan's
of December.
l8
His Life may be found, at the 12th of
v. , n. 40, pp. 192, 193.
,2 "
See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , Bishops of
Ecclesiae Hibernicae," vol. iv. , p. 98. ,6 "
See The Topographical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na Naomh
O'Huidhrin," edited by John O'Donovan, LL. D , n. 280, p. xxxix.
I7 This also is agreeing with a statement
of the O'Clerys.
August 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 135
18
too hastily assumed that Nathy was a disciple of St. Finian of Clonard. But, he was ordained priest, at or before that time, when the celebrated Abbot of Clonard visited Connaught, as may be read in the published Acts of
20 91
32 seems nearer to the fact. When St. Finian came to that place,
fifth
1? taken from the Salamanca Codex. That visit is Manuscript
St. Finnian,
incorrectly stated to have been made, so early as about the year 530. However, at this date, St. Finian had scarcely begun to teach at Clonard. A short time before St. Finian's demise, which took place in the middle of the
century,
where our saint dwelt, he was admonished by an angel to bu—ild a church, on
3
a suitable and pleasing site. * But, the king of that country called Luigne,
— wasnamed 2* his That even and who Keanfahola, opposed design. dynast
wished to expel the saint from his territory. However, in order to move his obdurate heart, and to bend his will to the obedience of Divine Faith, St.
Finian wrought a remarkable miracle, by making a sign of the cross over a very large stone. This immediately split into three distinct parts. At such a miraculous exercise of power, the obdurate and inhospitable king changed from being a wolf in human form to becoming a lamb in gentleness and condescension.
2
Some of our writers ^ make Nathi a disciple of Finnian. However,
Nathi seems to have been a priest, before Finnian had been acquainted with him. About this time, according to the order of narrative in St. Finian's old Life, almost all his celebrated disciples at Clonard had left his school to foundestablishmentsoftheirown. ThedateforthistransactioninLuighne
26
year 550.
the miracle already related,
Keonfahola, on bended knees, offered St. Finnian that site, where such
2
miracles had been wrought. ? It was afterwards called Achad-Chonaire, or
Achonry, being at present a large parochial division, and the seat of an
was about the
St. Finian effected the
conversion — through
2? and at a
anciently said to have been Achad-Chaion. 28 Struck with admiration,
episcopal see, in Sligo county. 3° In the Annals of Ireland, when Latinized, "1
it is invariably called Campus Conarii. "*
Whether the holy Abbot of Clonard erected a church or a monastery
there, does not appear to be well known. He was carried off in that dreadful mortality the Crom Conaill, which broke out in Ireland, towards the middle of the sixth century. This is thought to have been a more aggravated form of that disease known as the Buidhe Chonnaill. Contemporaneous authori.
December—the chief day for his festival— in the Twelfth Volume of this work.
19 See Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," xxiii. Februarii. Vita S. Finniani seu Fineni, Abbatis de Cluain-Eraird, cap. xxvi. , p. 396.
20
See "Harris' Ware," vol. i. , Bishops of Achonry," p. 658.
21
According to Rev. Dr. Lanigan's cal- culations.
22 "
The "Chronicum Scotorum places it
See edition of William M.
23 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi-
berniav* xxiii. Februarii. Vita S. Finiani,
cap, xxvi. , p. 396.
*4 This proper name is found Latinized
2? According to the series of his trans-
actions, as given in his Acts, it appears to be one of the last, and just before the close
at A. D.
tical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xii. ,
sect, v. , nn. 38, 39, p. 192.
28
See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of Achonry," p. 658.
29 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi-
berniae," xxiii. Februarii. Vita S. Finniani
seu Fineni, cap. xxvi. , p. 296.
3° See Rev. Dr. " Ecclesiastical Lanigan's
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xii. , sect. iii. , n. 40, p. 192.
3I Little information has been given re-
garding the place, by Thomas O'Conor, who wrote the account of it in a dissertation, dated 21 Great Charles-street, October 10th,
551. Hennessey, pp. 50, 51.
"
25 "
wolf-headed. "
caput hipi, or
Among these are Colgan, Ware, and
Harris.
26 To this period Dr. Lanigan assigns it.
1836. See Letters containing Information collected during the Progress of the Ord- nance Survey in 1836," pp. 388, 389.
king's
place called Achad Chonair and
of his life. See Dr. Lanigan's
"
Ecclesias-
ia6 LIVES OF THE WISH SAINTS.
[August 9.
ties not only confirm the authority of our Irish records, but serve to throw more light upon the nature of that pestilent affection. The Welsh Annals in particular are explicit upon this subject. It is in these records called Vail
Velen,** the dark coloured yellowness, or the yellow plague. 33 It is further described in the Book of Llandaff as having been called the yellow pestilence, because it occasioned all persons who were seized by it to be yellow and without blood. It was likewise described by other early Welsh writers as a watery cloud, which passed over the face of the country, descending into its valleys, and affecting whatever living creatures it touched with its pesti- ferous blast, so that they immediately died, or forthwith sickened. 34 This great and widespread pestilence, which marked a special epidemic in the middle of the sixth century, is supposed to have been of the nature of that disease known to the moderns as yellow fever ;35 although, from a description collected36 from the early writers, as it appeared in the Levant, it would seem to be a true bubonic plague ; but, it is not improbable, that the one might have degenerated into the other. Partly contemporaneous with, and succeeding the first Buidhe Chonnail, appeared an epidemic which seems to have been a leprosy. It is denominated in the Irish Annals the samthrusc, literally the mange, or scaly leprosy ; and, in various authorities, it is denominated Samtrusg and Samthrosc. ^ Moreover, Buidhechair was a term employed, expressive of a greenish yellow colour, perhaps arising from
another appearance, which icteritic patients assumed38.
This word is not
even yet altogether lost, but it is still occasionally applied to jaundice.
At Achonry, it is stated that St. Finian placed our saint,39 and probably just before his own death, which has been assigned to a. d. 552. 4° At Achonry, likewise, Nathi discharged the offices of a faithful pastor ; but, in
32 We are informed that " Mailcun rex discovered in Ireland, in the earlier part of Genedotx," or Maelgwyn Gwynedh, King the present century ; but, at present that
of North Wales, died of this plague in a. d. 547, according to the " Annales Cambrise," edited by the Rev. John Williams ab Ithel, M. A. , Taliesin, one of the
disease is for the most part confined to the
West Indies, or to tropical regions.
36 By Gibbon.
37 All these terms evidently show that one
of the most striking manifestations of the
disease was the colour of the skin. yellow
Referring to this plague, as it affected Europe in the middle of the sixth century,
"
Dr. Short states, that
men looked like charcoal-wood, their coun- tenance was senseless and stern. " We find more difficulty in our analysis of the term Blejed or Bleffrth—applied to it by some annalists—which was in all probability an imported name, and it may be, by a slight transmutation of letters, the Irish acceptation of the Welsh word Cleved—sickness gene-
38 The first date assigned to this epidemic,
which continued for upwards of twenty
years, is A. D. 550.
39See likewise Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum
Hibernire," xx. Januarii. Vita Prima S.
Fechani, cap. iv. , v. , p. 130. Vita Secunda
p. 4. early poets
the — country, represented pestilence
of that
under the form of a woman,
strange creature will come from the marsh of Rhiavedd, to punish the crimes of Mael- gwyn Gwynedh ; its hair, its teeth, and its eyes are yellow, and this will destroy Mael- gwyn Gwynedh. ' St. Teilo fled from Wales on account of this pestilence. From the account relating to him, as from the Cam- brian Annals generally, it would appear that such a disease prevailed fust in Wales, and
was thence carried here by those of that —ation, who departed into distant countries
n
"
to this in all cases of clay,
of them into Ireland. "
33 While inaccurate regarding the date for
its appearance in Wales, Giraldus Cambren-
sis, in his Itinerary of Bishop Baldwin, alludes to this disease as the disorder called
the yellow plague, while by physicians it was termed the Iliac passion.
34 In one of the Welsh Triads translated
in the " Myvyrian Archaeology of Wales," it is referred to as the second great pesti-
lence, or the "yellow plague of Rhos, which was caused by the carcases of the slain. "
35 Some cases of yellow fever have been
some
and,
epidemic disease, the peasantry of Ireland say the person is affected with "the sick- ness. "
saying
" A
rally ;
S. Fechini, cap. vi. , vii. , viii. , p. 134, 40 "
See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's Lives of the Saints," vol. viii. , August 9, p. 107.
bile was redundant,
August 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 117
what special capacity has not been decided. The parish itself is of very considerable extent. * 1 It consists of two pretty equal divisions ; one of moor and mountain ; the other of pasture and of arable land. The latter has in past years gained greatly on the former, owing to the industry of the people. Moreover, a fine limestone subsoil greatly facilitates the work of reclamation and improvement. When Achonry had been constituted an episcopal see, however, appears to be unknown. An early date has been claimed for its erection ; yet, this is rather doubtful. It has been stated, thatlongbeforeAchonrybecamethedesignationofaparish,it gavename to a diocese. 42 Still, the exact time has baffled the enquiries of our ecclesi- astical historians.
CHAPTER II.
ANCIENT REMAINS AT ACHONRY—CONTEMPORARIES OF ST. NATHI—SCHOOL FOUNDED AT ACHONRY—DEATH OF THE SAINT—HIS FESTIVAL AND COMMEMORATION— CONCLUSION.
The earlier records of this very ancient church have not been recovered,
while the list of its more ancient Prelates is sadly imperfect, and from the
sixth to the twelfth century, no account of a bishop presiding over this see
has been given.
1
In the ancient annals of Ireland, the Prelates of Achonry
are called, for the most part, bishops of Luigne, or Leney, as this was the name of that territory or district it included. 2 Moreover, Achonry is not found among the five dioceses assigned by the Synod of Rathbreasil in n18 to the Province of Connaught ; these dioceses being Tuam, Clonfert, Cong, Killala and Ardcarne. Nor does its area appear to be comprehended in any
ofthosedioceses,unlikeElphin,whichis foundpartlyinTuam,andpartly in Ardcarne, though omitted —as a separate diocese. The two dioceses which
bordered on Achonry were
:
first, Ardcarne, from Ardcarne to stretching
Slieve-an-iern, and from Ceis Coriann to Huircuilten, apparently Cul-na-
bragher, in the parish of Ballysodare ; and, secondly, Killala, extending from Nephin to Assaroe, and from Cill Ard Bille to Srath an Fearainn, no doubt,
Srahmore, adjoining Cul-na-bragher. 3
Tradition alone—seems to affirm
It is now
Diocese of Achonry united with that of Killala. It occurs under the name
—n an ancient
Achonry to have bee bishopric.
being
called the
ofAchadhChonaire,inourIrishAnnals. * Thepeoplewereaccustomedto call the cathedral, which —was thought to have been founded here by St.
Nathi, Teampul Achonra5 Teampall being the general name of a church, atwhichthereisaburial. Averysmallpartofthewallsnowremainsatthe Protestant parish church, which stands on its site, and it goes under the name of the Cathedral Church of St. Crumnathy. 6 The saint himself was commonly called Comrah, or Cruimther, the latter being only an addition
41 The Irish-speaking people call this parish parxAifce -Acon^A.
42 See Archdeacon O'Rorke's "History of Sligo: Town and County," vol. ii. , chap.
3 See Archdeacon T. O'Rorke's "History of Sligo : Town and County," vol. ii. , chap. xxiii. , pp. 94, 95.
4 See those of the Four Masters, at the
years 1328, 1398, 1409, 1434, in Dr. John O'Donovan's edition.
5 Written in Irish, UeAtnpAll -dconru*.
xxii. , pp. 92, 93—.
Chapter
ii.
'
See Archdeacon
Cotton's "Fasti Ecclesias Hibernicse," vol.
iv. , pp. 97, 98.
2
See "Harris' Ware," vol. i. , Bishops of Achonry," p. 658. 1
Henry
6
See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ire-
land," vol. i. , p. 9.
"
What Comrah signifieth I am not so
128 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August 9.
4 At the 17t—h day of January. '
Augusti viii. 2"
'
Alphabetical
August 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 123
This place must be Cloonlogher, in a parish of the same name,3 barony of
Dromahaire, and County of Leitrim. 4 It is a vicarage in the Diocese of
of mountain land. 5 Her name also, in Kilmore, consisting chiefly appears,
the of 6 at this same date, as Curcach, of Cluain- Martyrology Donegal,
lothair, Virgin. There is a Curcach, daughter to Dael, son of Maisine, and belonging to the race of Colla Menn, adds the calendarist. There is a Cluain Lothaire in Breifne O'Ruairc, and Curcach is patron there, follows the foregoing announcement.
Article VI. —Reputed Feast of Daig, son to Cairell of Inis-Cain-
2
fMnti) JBap of august.
ARTICLE I. —ST. NATHY, PATRON OF ACHONRY DIOCESE, COUNTY OF SLIGO.
[SIXTH CENTURY. ]
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—AUTHORITIES FOR THE LIFE OF ST. NATHI—HIS BIRTH—HIS EARLY TRAINING—THE RELATIONS BETWEEN ST. FINIAN AND ST. NATHI—FOUNDATION OF ACHONRY, AND ST. NATHI PLACED THERE AS PASTOR.
dawn of a bright and glorious era was destined for Ireland, when St. Patrick's bark first drew near her and she well
be addressed in these words of " be for inspired Isaias, Arise, enlightened;
thy light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the
THE
shores, might
[Sixth Century. ']
Gentiles shall walk in
thy light,
and
Kings
in the
of
1
Townlandsand
i.
Article —Chapterl—* Ix.
UndertheheadofInisCaindegha,1 DualdMac
Degha.
Firbis enters Daig, son of Cairell, who died a. d. 586,3 August 8th. In the " Chronicum Scotorum," his rest is noted at the same year. * Nothing more seems to be known regarding him.
ParishandBaronies
s 24<"
Towns, of Ireland, p. 269.
Isaias,
See Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. i. , pp. 366, 367.
6
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 212, 213.
Article vi. -1 in the Inisbkeen,
I to 3.
In the Leabhar Breac copy is ihe
following stanza, with its English rendering, by Dr. Whitlev Stokes :—
ruh. 11 C]\et)Al crnntnchep.
"Remember thou the passion of Anto-
ninus (and) of Firmus, a mighty family. In Achad Cain is buried Nathi a pious priest. " " Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," —
the Calendar of Oengus, p. cxxiii.
County of Louth, according to William M. Hen-
£eich lacpaif
JMjmu po|\cj\en rnumcep 1n ^cluro cain clancajv
nessy's note. 3"
•
3
According to Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals
See Proceedings of the Royal Irish
Academy,"IrishMSS. series,vol. i. , parti. ,
pp. 114, 115.
of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 212, 213, and n. (k. ) ibid.
4 See William M. 62, 63.
Hennessy's edition, pp.
Irish vol. i. Manuscript series, i. , part
On
brightness
thy rising. "
Ancom
124 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 9.
One of the fruits drawn from the Irish Apostle's preaching was revealed in the number of holy converts he made, through the Divine assistance, and from these was drawn many a zealous pastor to guide souls in the way of salvation.
From the earliest times, the present holy man appears to have been held " "a
in veneration. Thus, in the Feilire of St. ^Engus, at the 9th of August, there is a commemoration of Nathi—eulogized as a pious priest. And to this is affixed a comment in Irish that Achad Cain—the name of his place - was Achad Conaire, in Luigni of Connaught. 3 In Rev. Alban Butler's " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and other principal Saints,"* at the 9th of August, St. Nathy, or David, Priest, Patron of the Diocese of Achonry, anciently called Achad, is commemorated. Also notices of him occur in the Rev. Dr. Lanigan's History,* in Archdeacon Henry Cotton's Collections6 and in the Rev. S. Baring-Gould's work. 7
8
The birth of this saint, with that of others,? is said to have been pre-
dictedbyaholyabbotinWestConnaught,andwhois namedCorbmac. 10 Such an account is to be met with in an ancient Irish life of the latter holy man, and which is to be found in the Book of Lecan, belonging to the Royal Irish Academy. Nathi is thought to have first seen the light in the earlier part of the sixth century. If a statement, according to which Nathi should have been a priest in 530, were to be admitted, it must follow, that he was born as early, at least, as 500; yet this account can hardly be reconciled
11
with his having lived until Fechin also became a priest.
However, not admitting that early date furnished by Sir James Ware, for the erection of
12
Achonry into a See, Nathi is thought to have been born not later than the
year 5 20. '3 He was the son of Conamalius, son of Neill. 14
St. Nathy is variedly called Nathi, Nathin, Nathias, Nathineus, and Nathyus. Dathyus, Dathi, and David are names also applied to him in different accounts where he is mentioned. He bore, likewise, the additional
titlesofCruimthirandofComrah. 's Heappearstohavebeenanativeof
Lugne territory.
of County Sligo,
It is now commensurate with the barony of Leyny, in the
16 and Province of
Connaught.
1 ? Some of our writers have
3 See ibid. , p. cxxx.
4 See vol. viii. , August ix.
s See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
vol. ii. , chap, xii. , sect. iii. ,and nn. 37 to
41, pp. 190 to 193.
6 See "Fasti Ecclesiae Hibernicae," vol.
iv. , p. 98.
7 See "Lives of the Saints," vol. viii. ,
" See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol ii. , chap, xji. , sec.
August 9, p. 107.
Achonry," p. 658.
I3 Such is the opinion of Rev. Dr.
Lanigan, who remarks that as he had been a priest since the days of Finnian of Clonard, who died in 552, and some time prior to his death, Nathi's birth cannot be placed later than 520. See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xii. , sect, v. , n. 40, p. 192.
M See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi*
bernioe," xxvi. Martii. Vita S. Corbmaci,
cap. xv. , p. 753.
,s See Archdeacon Henry Cotton's " Fasti
" Acta Sanctorum Hi- bernioe," xxvi. Martii. Vita S. Corbmaci Abbatis, cap. xv. , p. 753, and in 31, p. 756.
9 Namely, Luthrenna, Virgin, the daughter of Failbe, venerated on the 8th of June, at which date, notices of her may be found in the Sixth Volume of this work, Art. ii. ; St. Fechin, Abbot of Fore, venerated on the 26th of January, at which date his Acts may be found, in the First Volume of this work, Art. ii. ; St. Mobian—surnamed Claireneach —whose feast is kept on the 1 2th of October, and at this date notices of him may be found
n the Tenth Volume of this work.
10 See the Life of St. Corbmac, at the 13th
8 See
Colgan's
of December.
l8
His Life may be found, at the 12th of
v. , n. 40, pp. 192, 193.
,2 "
See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , Bishops of
Ecclesiae Hibernicae," vol. iv. , p. 98. ,6 "
See The Topographical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na Naomh
O'Huidhrin," edited by John O'Donovan, LL. D , n. 280, p. xxxix.
I7 This also is agreeing with a statement
of the O'Clerys.
August 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 135
18
too hastily assumed that Nathy was a disciple of St. Finian of Clonard. But, he was ordained priest, at or before that time, when the celebrated Abbot of Clonard visited Connaught, as may be read in the published Acts of
20 91
32 seems nearer to the fact. When St. Finian came to that place,
fifth
1? taken from the Salamanca Codex. That visit is Manuscript
St. Finnian,
incorrectly stated to have been made, so early as about the year 530. However, at this date, St. Finian had scarcely begun to teach at Clonard. A short time before St. Finian's demise, which took place in the middle of the
century,
where our saint dwelt, he was admonished by an angel to bu—ild a church, on
3
a suitable and pleasing site. * But, the king of that country called Luigne,
— wasnamed 2* his That even and who Keanfahola, opposed design. dynast
wished to expel the saint from his territory. However, in order to move his obdurate heart, and to bend his will to the obedience of Divine Faith, St.
Finian wrought a remarkable miracle, by making a sign of the cross over a very large stone. This immediately split into three distinct parts. At such a miraculous exercise of power, the obdurate and inhospitable king changed from being a wolf in human form to becoming a lamb in gentleness and condescension.
2
Some of our writers ^ make Nathi a disciple of Finnian. However,
Nathi seems to have been a priest, before Finnian had been acquainted with him. About this time, according to the order of narrative in St. Finian's old Life, almost all his celebrated disciples at Clonard had left his school to foundestablishmentsoftheirown. ThedateforthistransactioninLuighne
26
year 550.
the miracle already related,
Keonfahola, on bended knees, offered St. Finnian that site, where such
2
miracles had been wrought. ? It was afterwards called Achad-Chonaire, or
Achonry, being at present a large parochial division, and the seat of an
was about the
St. Finian effected the
conversion — through
2? and at a
anciently said to have been Achad-Chaion. 28 Struck with admiration,
episcopal see, in Sligo county. 3° In the Annals of Ireland, when Latinized, "1
it is invariably called Campus Conarii. "*
Whether the holy Abbot of Clonard erected a church or a monastery
there, does not appear to be well known. He was carried off in that dreadful mortality the Crom Conaill, which broke out in Ireland, towards the middle of the sixth century. This is thought to have been a more aggravated form of that disease known as the Buidhe Chonnaill. Contemporaneous authori.
December—the chief day for his festival— in the Twelfth Volume of this work.
19 See Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," xxiii. Februarii. Vita S. Finniani seu Fineni, Abbatis de Cluain-Eraird, cap. xxvi. , p. 396.
20
See "Harris' Ware," vol. i. , Bishops of Achonry," p. 658.
21
According to Rev. Dr. Lanigan's cal- culations.
22 "
The "Chronicum Scotorum places it
See edition of William M.
23 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi-
berniav* xxiii. Februarii. Vita S. Finiani,
cap, xxvi. , p. 396.
*4 This proper name is found Latinized
2? According to the series of his trans-
actions, as given in his Acts, it appears to be one of the last, and just before the close
at A. D.
tical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xii. ,
sect, v. , nn. 38, 39, p. 192.
28
See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of Achonry," p. 658.
29 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi-
berniae," xxiii. Februarii. Vita S. Finniani
seu Fineni, cap. xxvi. , p. 296.
3° See Rev. Dr. " Ecclesiastical Lanigan's
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xii. , sect. iii. , n. 40, p. 192.
3I Little information has been given re-
garding the place, by Thomas O'Conor, who wrote the account of it in a dissertation, dated 21 Great Charles-street, October 10th,
551. Hennessey, pp. 50, 51.
"
25 "
wolf-headed. "
caput hipi, or
Among these are Colgan, Ware, and
Harris.
26 To this period Dr. Lanigan assigns it.
1836. See Letters containing Information collected during the Progress of the Ord- nance Survey in 1836," pp. 388, 389.
king's
place called Achad Chonair and
of his life. See Dr. Lanigan's
"
Ecclesias-
ia6 LIVES OF THE WISH SAINTS.
[August 9.
ties not only confirm the authority of our Irish records, but serve to throw more light upon the nature of that pestilent affection. The Welsh Annals in particular are explicit upon this subject. It is in these records called Vail
Velen,** the dark coloured yellowness, or the yellow plague. 33 It is further described in the Book of Llandaff as having been called the yellow pestilence, because it occasioned all persons who were seized by it to be yellow and without blood. It was likewise described by other early Welsh writers as a watery cloud, which passed over the face of the country, descending into its valleys, and affecting whatever living creatures it touched with its pesti- ferous blast, so that they immediately died, or forthwith sickened. 34 This great and widespread pestilence, which marked a special epidemic in the middle of the sixth century, is supposed to have been of the nature of that disease known to the moderns as yellow fever ;35 although, from a description collected36 from the early writers, as it appeared in the Levant, it would seem to be a true bubonic plague ; but, it is not improbable, that the one might have degenerated into the other. Partly contemporaneous with, and succeeding the first Buidhe Chonnail, appeared an epidemic which seems to have been a leprosy. It is denominated in the Irish Annals the samthrusc, literally the mange, or scaly leprosy ; and, in various authorities, it is denominated Samtrusg and Samthrosc. ^ Moreover, Buidhechair was a term employed, expressive of a greenish yellow colour, perhaps arising from
another appearance, which icteritic patients assumed38.
This word is not
even yet altogether lost, but it is still occasionally applied to jaundice.
At Achonry, it is stated that St. Finian placed our saint,39 and probably just before his own death, which has been assigned to a. d. 552. 4° At Achonry, likewise, Nathi discharged the offices of a faithful pastor ; but, in
32 We are informed that " Mailcun rex discovered in Ireland, in the earlier part of Genedotx," or Maelgwyn Gwynedh, King the present century ; but, at present that
of North Wales, died of this plague in a. d. 547, according to the " Annales Cambrise," edited by the Rev. John Williams ab Ithel, M. A. , Taliesin, one of the
disease is for the most part confined to the
West Indies, or to tropical regions.
36 By Gibbon.
37 All these terms evidently show that one
of the most striking manifestations of the
disease was the colour of the skin. yellow
Referring to this plague, as it affected Europe in the middle of the sixth century,
"
Dr. Short states, that
men looked like charcoal-wood, their coun- tenance was senseless and stern. " We find more difficulty in our analysis of the term Blejed or Bleffrth—applied to it by some annalists—which was in all probability an imported name, and it may be, by a slight transmutation of letters, the Irish acceptation of the Welsh word Cleved—sickness gene-
38 The first date assigned to this epidemic,
which continued for upwards of twenty
years, is A. D. 550.
39See likewise Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum
Hibernire," xx. Januarii. Vita Prima S.
Fechani, cap. iv. , v. , p. 130. Vita Secunda
p. 4. early poets
the — country, represented pestilence
of that
under the form of a woman,
strange creature will come from the marsh of Rhiavedd, to punish the crimes of Mael- gwyn Gwynedh ; its hair, its teeth, and its eyes are yellow, and this will destroy Mael- gwyn Gwynedh. ' St. Teilo fled from Wales on account of this pestilence. From the account relating to him, as from the Cam- brian Annals generally, it would appear that such a disease prevailed fust in Wales, and
was thence carried here by those of that —ation, who departed into distant countries
n
"
to this in all cases of clay,
of them into Ireland. "
33 While inaccurate regarding the date for
its appearance in Wales, Giraldus Cambren-
sis, in his Itinerary of Bishop Baldwin, alludes to this disease as the disorder called
the yellow plague, while by physicians it was termed the Iliac passion.
34 In one of the Welsh Triads translated
in the " Myvyrian Archaeology of Wales," it is referred to as the second great pesti-
lence, or the "yellow plague of Rhos, which was caused by the carcases of the slain. "
35 Some cases of yellow fever have been
some
and,
epidemic disease, the peasantry of Ireland say the person is affected with "the sick- ness. "
saying
" A
rally ;
S. Fechini, cap. vi. , vii. , viii. , p. 134, 40 "
See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's Lives of the Saints," vol. viii. , August 9, p. 107.
bile was redundant,
August 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 117
what special capacity has not been decided. The parish itself is of very considerable extent. * 1 It consists of two pretty equal divisions ; one of moor and mountain ; the other of pasture and of arable land. The latter has in past years gained greatly on the former, owing to the industry of the people. Moreover, a fine limestone subsoil greatly facilitates the work of reclamation and improvement. When Achonry had been constituted an episcopal see, however, appears to be unknown. An early date has been claimed for its erection ; yet, this is rather doubtful. It has been stated, thatlongbeforeAchonrybecamethedesignationofaparish,it gavename to a diocese. 42 Still, the exact time has baffled the enquiries of our ecclesi- astical historians.
CHAPTER II.
ANCIENT REMAINS AT ACHONRY—CONTEMPORARIES OF ST. NATHI—SCHOOL FOUNDED AT ACHONRY—DEATH OF THE SAINT—HIS FESTIVAL AND COMMEMORATION— CONCLUSION.
The earlier records of this very ancient church have not been recovered,
while the list of its more ancient Prelates is sadly imperfect, and from the
sixth to the twelfth century, no account of a bishop presiding over this see
has been given.
1
In the ancient annals of Ireland, the Prelates of Achonry
are called, for the most part, bishops of Luigne, or Leney, as this was the name of that territory or district it included. 2 Moreover, Achonry is not found among the five dioceses assigned by the Synod of Rathbreasil in n18 to the Province of Connaught ; these dioceses being Tuam, Clonfert, Cong, Killala and Ardcarne. Nor does its area appear to be comprehended in any
ofthosedioceses,unlikeElphin,whichis foundpartlyinTuam,andpartly in Ardcarne, though omitted —as a separate diocese. The two dioceses which
bordered on Achonry were
:
first, Ardcarne, from Ardcarne to stretching
Slieve-an-iern, and from Ceis Coriann to Huircuilten, apparently Cul-na-
bragher, in the parish of Ballysodare ; and, secondly, Killala, extending from Nephin to Assaroe, and from Cill Ard Bille to Srath an Fearainn, no doubt,
Srahmore, adjoining Cul-na-bragher. 3
Tradition alone—seems to affirm
It is now
Diocese of Achonry united with that of Killala. It occurs under the name
—n an ancient
Achonry to have bee bishopric.
being
called the
ofAchadhChonaire,inourIrishAnnals. * Thepeoplewereaccustomedto call the cathedral, which —was thought to have been founded here by St.
Nathi, Teampul Achonra5 Teampall being the general name of a church, atwhichthereisaburial. Averysmallpartofthewallsnowremainsatthe Protestant parish church, which stands on its site, and it goes under the name of the Cathedral Church of St. Crumnathy. 6 The saint himself was commonly called Comrah, or Cruimther, the latter being only an addition
41 The Irish-speaking people call this parish parxAifce -Acon^A.
42 See Archdeacon O'Rorke's "History of Sligo: Town and County," vol. ii. , chap.
3 See Archdeacon T. O'Rorke's "History of Sligo : Town and County," vol. ii. , chap. xxiii. , pp. 94, 95.
4 See those of the Four Masters, at the
years 1328, 1398, 1409, 1434, in Dr. John O'Donovan's edition.
5 Written in Irish, UeAtnpAll -dconru*.
xxii. , pp. 92, 93—.
Chapter
ii.
'
See Archdeacon
Cotton's "Fasti Ecclesias Hibernicse," vol.
iv. , pp. 97, 98.
2
See "Harris' Ware," vol. i. , Bishops of Achonry," p. 658. 1
Henry
6
See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ire-
land," vol. i. , p. 9.
"
What Comrah signifieth I am not so
128 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August 9.
