Moreover, it is said, that he
returned
to Ireland, when the glowing descriptions he gave of that distant region induced St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
ii.
Letter of St.
Columba," we do not find any mention of Thomas O'Conor, dated Birr, January
of this saint, in the genealogical Tables ap- pearing in the Additional Notes, B, p. 251, or at N, p. 342.
26th, 1838, p. 50.
'' See his Life, at the gth of June, in the
succeeding volume of this work, Art. i.
^° See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbas, cap. Vita Quinta S. Columba, lib. i. , cap. xci. .
'3 Sec Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
iii. , num. 5, p. 480.
"• See Iiis Life, already given at the 1 6th
of May, in a previous part of this volume, Art. i. , chap. ii.
'S See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberni£e,"xxii. Martii. De Egressione Familiar S. Bren- dani, with notes, pp. 721 to 725.
"^ See what has been stated already, about a St. Barnitus or Barrintus of Drumcullen Parish, King's County, in the First Volume of this work, at the 13th of January, Art. v.
''' See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. i. , pp. 514, 515.
'^ See " Letters containing Information
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 21.
of this missionary centre, if reliance be had upon statements, regarding his station and rank ; although he is not now traditionally remembered, in Druim- Cuilinn. Its topographical meaning is the Ridge or Long Hill of the Holly, It is now known as Drum-Cullin,^' situated in the south of Eglish, or Fircall Barony, in the King's County. The old church in ruins is still to be seen there
; and, it stands on the ancient boundary, between Meath and Munster. '^ In
it, there is a stone arch of curious workmanship,'3 at the west end. ** The
524
Old Church, at Driimcullen, King's County.
walls are still tolerably perfect, and over them grows a thick mantle of ivy. 's Around the old church is a cemetery, of very great antiquity, as may be demon- strated at the present time, owing to the Hict, that an adjoining small river the Little Brosna—had of late encroached during floods, which sweep with force from the Slieve Bloom range, over the graveyard, and had washed away numbers of graves. Still through the freshly-disclosed soil remaining maybe seen thick layers of human bones, exposed along that side nearest the stream, now embanked by the Poor-l:iw Guardians, while the channel has been diverted into another course. This river flows through the beautiful demesne of Castle Bernard, which is near the old church. Here, St. Bairrfionn was
p. 404.
=' In the l)eginning of this century, it was
'* -See " Letters containing Information relative to the Antiquities of the King's County, collected during,' the Progress of the
an impropri. ue vicarage, in the diocese of
I^feath, and united with Killaliy. . See Ordnance Survey in 1837-8, ' vol. ii. Letter
Sir Cliaiks Coote's "General View of the Agriculture and Manufactures of the King's County,"chap, xx. , sect. 3, p. 196.
'- . See Ur. O'Donovan's " . Annals of the I'onr Masters. '' vol. i. , n. (ni). p. t,2\.
of Thomas O'Conor, dated liirr, January 26tli, 183S, p. 50.
-'^ riie accomjianying illustration, drawn by the writer, in June, 1SS5, was afterwards traiislerrcd to the wood, hy William K.
°3 See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary Wakrnian, and it was e. igraved, by Mrs. of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 514. Millard.
—
May 2 1 . ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 525
Abbot of Druim-cuillin, in the territory of Fearceall, upon the confines of Leinster and Minister; but, by mistake,^^ he has been confounded with St. Barrus of Cork,-' whose feast occurs on the 25th of September, and who is quite a different personage. Most picturesque was the site selected for that establishment ; for, at the present time, Urumcullen is dominated by the wild and barren western slopes of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, yet stretching away from their base is a pleasant and varied surface of country, having undergone modern improvements and cultivation. Several handsome mansions, villas and demesnes are to be found,^^ surrounding the old site of St. Barrfinn's monastery, which seems to have had a vigorous life, for long after the founder's death; since, here, also, St. Mochudda or Carthage ^9 and his monks halted and were refreshed, on their way from Rahan to Lismore,3° as we have seen already, in the Life of that holy Abbot, Even yet, . as it appears, tlie memory of St. Barrfionn has been intertwined with local topography ; for, near Drumcullen, there is an eminence called Knockbarron—in Irish Cnoc- Barrind—and it may be Anglicized, " the hill of Barrind. " He must have been a person of great importance in his day, thus to have left his name behind in that place, after a lapse of thirteen centuries ;3' and, as we shall see, at a spot far away from the religious house here, his fame is still preserved, in the name of an ancient church and of a parish, much nearer to his native soil.
CHAPTER II.
THE PROBABLE MIGRATION OF ST. 13ARRFOINN FROM DRUMCULLEN, TOWARDS THE NORTHERN PART OF IRELAND—HIS SETTLEMENT AT KILLBARRIND—ITS LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION—VISITED THERE BY ST. COLUMBA—ST. BARRIND IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN THE FIRST EUROPEAN DISCOVERER OF THE AiMERICAN CONTINENT —HIS PLACE IN OUR CALENDARS—CONCLUSION.
From Drumcullen St. Barrfionn emigrated, most probably, towards the north of Ireland ; and, there he is said to have fixed the site for a religious estab- lishment, of some sort, and in a very retired situation. That place is now known as Kilbarron, "the church of St. Barrind," scarcely three miles distant from Ballyshannon. ^ The greater part of this town is included, within the present parish,^ which extends along the River Erne, from the vicinity of Belleek to Donegal Bay.
Here, St. Barfhionn, Barrindeus, or Barrinthus, is said to have founded a monastery, during the sixth century. 3 This account is much more probable, than another, for which no good authority has been advanced, that a St. Colman had previously established a church there. '* Beside the river called
=* See Bishop Challenor's "Britannia chap, ix. , pp. 155, 156. Edition of 1875, 8vo.
Sancta," part ii. , p. 143.
=7 See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiherni-
cum," p. 373.
=* See " The Parliamentary Gazetteer of
Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 84.
=^9 See his Life, in the present volume, at
the 14th of May, chap. iv.
3° See Rev. A. Cognn"s "Diocese of
Meath, Ancient and Modern," vol. iii. , chap. Ixxv. p. 609.
3" See "The Early History of the Town of Birr," &c. , by the late Thomas Lalor Cooke,
Chapter ii. — ^ William Allingliam has written an interesting account of this place, in a hook, intituled : " Ballyshannon, its History and Antiquities. "
- It is traversed by thehigh road fromBally- shannon to Enniskillen, and by a road from Ballyshannon to Donegal. See the " Parlia- mentary Gazetteer of Ireland," vol. ii. , pp. 360, 361.
3 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbce, cap. iii. , num. 5, p. 480.
526
LIVES OF THE IRISHSAINTS. [May 21.
Fuinnseanach, and near the sea, St. Barind dwelt, at a time when St. Cokimba returned from Seangleann. There, both holy men had a conference. There, too,wasmiraculouslysentfromSeangleannthestaffofSt. Columba. AsSt. Barind had inspiredly declared it left in that place, and as it fell near them, a fountain of water gushed out at the spot; and afterwards, it was called Bach- all Barrinn, Latinized Baculum Barrindi,5 owing to the miracle which had
occurred, as preserved in the local tradition. Kill-Barrind old church is still to be seen, within a parish, now known as Killbarron, in the barony of Tir- hugh,andcountyofDonegal. Thewalls—evidentlyveryancient—arestill in tolerably good preservation, and of quadrangular shape. The two gables still stand, and they have apices highly pitched. On the side wall is a door-
^
Kilbarron Old Church, County of Donegal.
way, with pointed arcli, mucli resembling that in the church of St. ^^ndeus,^ on Aranmore. A large breach—formerly the place where an end window was—isnowopenononeofthegable-walls. 7 Asmaybeconjectured,fromthe abounding graves and tombstones about the old ruin, the cemetery has been for long ages a favourite place for interment, as the church was in times re- mote a place of resort, for those who venerated the holy patron. The church of Gill Bairrfhionn seems to have been called after the present saint, who was appointed its bishop, according to some accounts. The beautiful ruin of Kilbarron Castle,^ so sublimely situated on a wild rock overhanging the Atlan- tic, was once the residence of the O'Clerys, hereditary historians of the O'Donnells. Their family name has been immortalized, by producing that
* . See "The Early History of the 'J'own of Birr," &c. , by the late Thomas Lalor Cooke, cliap. ix. , p. 155.
5 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Prince O'Donnell's or Vita Quinta S. Co- lumba;, lib. i. , cap. xci. , ]). 404.
' See his Life, in the Third Volume of this work, at the 2lst of March, Art. i.
' The accompanying illustration, drawn on the spot by William Y. Wakeman, was by him transferred to the wood, which was engraved by Mrs. Millard.
" In the year 1390, this castle was demo- lished, by Domhnall O'Conor Sligo. See " Annals of Loch Cc. " Edited by William M. llennessy, vol. ii. , pp. 72, 73.
May 21. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
5 2 7
invaluable Irish Record, known as the " Annals of the Four Masters. "9 Swelling with impetuous onset, the Atlantic has lashed for centuries that rug- gedpromontory,peeringoverthewesterncoastofIreland. Undermined,rent, and excavated, the crumbled rocks have been rolled from their place ; but, from the elevated table-land above, the eye ranges over a vast and an undu- lating flow of billowy surface, sometimes sparkling gloriously under the sun- light, and sometimes hoarsely and mysteriously moaning through the misty veilandalongthestormyocean. Clyclopeanrocksandfragmentsofbroken stones are set round with a dazzling snow-white surf, dashing wildly over the
'°
pebble-strewn shore.
Belonging to an early period, and to the second class of Irish Saints, as by
many has been thought • St. Barrind is also said to have been the first Euro- pean discoverer of the American Continent," for, ivs related in the Acts of St. Brendan, there was a Father Barrindan, who had informed that celebrated navigator, about his own wonderful adventures, while away from Ireland on the great ocean. It is supposed, too, that from Kilbarron, in conjunction with his disciple, Mernoc,'^ St. Barrind sailed off in search of a great western island. This he is supposed to have found, when he landed on the shores of the American Continent. They travelled for fifteen days, before reaching the end of it.
Moreover, it is said, that he returned to Ireland, when the glowing descriptions he gave of that distant region induced St. Brendan the Navigator to adventure in the same direction. '3 That western country, in which St. Barrind travelled, is called "a Land of Promise of the Saints,"'* and that which the Lord would grant to successive races " in the latter times," Modern commentators have just reason for referring this prophetic passage to the extraordinary emigration of Irish people and missionaries to America, during the present century.
St. Barrind died, on the 21st of May, and some time, it is thought, before the close of the sixth age. 'S Most probably, his first removal from DrumcuUen to Killbarrind may suggest the idea, that he was buried in the latter place, with which his memory appears to have been most associated. Marianus O'Gorman and Cathal Maguire, referring St. Barrindus to both places, has his feast, at the 21st of May. '^ The Martyrology of Donegal '7 mentions, that veneration was given on this day to Bairrfhionn, Bishop of Druim-Cuiliun, and of Cill-Bairrfhinn, to the north of Eas-Ruaidh—now the well-known waterfall designated Assaroe, and a chief feature of interest
9 So ably edited in the present century, by John O'Donovan, LL. D.
'° The scene to which allusion has been made, with its associated family history, has been well introduced in the pages of the " Irish Penny Journal," vol. i. , No. 29, at pp. 225 to 227, by Dr. George Petrie, who was author of the descriptive article.
" See Rev. A. Cogan's '" Diocese of Meath, Ancient and Modern," vol. iii. , chap. Ixxiv. , pp. 609, 610.
" Otherwise called Mernocus and Terno- cus. Colgan defers his allusions regarding him, to the 2nd of July, the i8th of August, and the 3rd of October.
'3 See our account of that adventure, in the present volume, at May i6th, Art. i. , chap. ii.
^4 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- ni^," Martii xxii. DeEgressione Farnilise S. Brendani, pp. 721 to 724.
'5 See Rev. A. Cogan's "Diocese of Meath, Ancient and Modern," vol. iii. , chap. Ixxv. , pp. 609, 610.
'* See Colgan's " Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Quinta S. Columba;, n. 76. p. 451.
^^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
I34) IjS-
'^ The surrounding scene is well described,
by a native poet, William Allingham, in "The Winding Banks of Erne, or the Emi- grant's Adieu to Ballyshannon :"
" The music of the waterfall, the mir- ror of the tide,
When all the green-hill'd harbour is full from side to side-
From Portnasun to Buliebawns, and round the Abbey Bay,
From the little rocky island to Cool- nargit sandhills grey. "
—
8—M.
5 2 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[ ay21
toallnortherntourists. '^ Afterfoamingoveraseriesofrocks,inminorcascades, theRiverErneis heremagnificentlyprecipitatedintothewatersoftheAtlantic. On tiie Island of Saimer below it, Partholan, an early eastern colonist of Ire- land, is said to have located its first inhabitants ; and, on a small promontory, almost on every point inaccessible or perpendicular near it, and upon the Ballyshannon side, there is a Dun or Cahir, like that on Aranmore, and called Diibh-Cathair. That old fortification is divided from the mainland, by a fosse cut through earth and rock. \Vhat renders this fortress of remote anti- quity most interesting is, that it contains a subterranean house, partly exca- vated in a living rock, and partly constructed of Cyclopean masonry, the roof having been formed of enormous flags, resting on the inclined sides of cham- bers and galleries. '9 At this date, also, St. Barinnus was venerated in Scot- land,^" together with St. Colman, both Irish saints. ^' An Irish Calendar ^^ commemorates Barrfionn Bishop from Druim-Chuilinn, and from Kilbarfinn, near Easruadh to the north. Under the head of Druini Cuilinn, and at the 2ist of May, Duald Mac Firbis enters, Bairrionn bishop. ^3 It seems proba- ble, therefore, that this primitive saint exercised the episcopal as well as the abbatial functions, in the ministry in the early Irish Church.
Taking our solitary walks, in several almost deserted localities of this Island, we are always sure to observe some crumbling fane, where various sacred forms and emblems still cling to the walls of ancient parish churches in that country. These proclaim, in silent but intelligible language, that such structures could have neither been designed nor erected for any other purpose than Catholic worship ; and, did we need further confirmation of that fact, our history is not altogether silent on such themes. The very " stone shall cry out of the wall,"^-* according to the prophet's expression, even when pro- claiming the ravages of the Chaldeans, and of the conquerors, who ruled by rapine and injustice ; so, while the primitive church has gone to decay, sub- jected to a temporary desecration, we may still exclaim amid its ruins, " the Lord is in his holy temple : let all the earth keep silence before him. "*5 The material erection is perishable, like all the works of man ; still, the Church of Christ is indestructible, and in Ireland yet vigorous, the hope and the gua- rantee of spiritual progress in the future, with the happy return of peace and prosperity to a free, united, and Heaven-protected nation.
Article II. St. Silaus, Bishop and P. a. tron at Lucca, in Hetru- KiA, Italy. While travelling through many beautiful cities on the Continent, how little does it occur to the average class of Irish tourists, that our Island has given saints and sages to their peoi)le, who still remember with veneration and affection the moral and religious blessings, which have been received as their most precious inheritance. Areflection occurs to the great master of Roman eloquence, when he declares, that we are moved in some unaccount- able manner by the very localities, in which are found traces of those, whom weshouldloveoradmire. Headds,thateventhecityofAthensdidnotso much delight him by the splendour of its public works, and by its exquisite
'9 See William F. Wakeman's " Tourists' Guide to Ireland," p. 203.
'" At the xii. of tiie June Kalends, the Kaleiular of Drummond states : " Apud Hibftniam Naiale Sanctorum Confessorum Colmani et Barinni. "
="SeeBishopForbes'"KalendarsofScot- tish . Saints," p. 13.
" Belonging to the Royal Irish Academy,
an<l formerly known as Common Place Book F, belonging to the Irish Ordnance Survey. See May 21st.
"^ See " Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part i. . pp. 108, 109.
"' Ilahacuc,ii. , il. '5 Habacuc, ii. , 20.
May 2 1. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
529
remains of ancient art, as through the memory of those iUustrious men, who once dwelt there, and who, on that very spot, were wont to hold their dispu- tations and to teach their schools. Even their tombs did he contemplate with interest. ^ Such a sentiment belongs not to the frivolous and half-edu- cated wanderers on earth, who gaze superficially on fine exterior objects. It can only be evoked, from the cultivated intellect and high-toned sensibility, which are united in the quest for solid instruction and useful information. Where our saints are known abroad, and unremembered at home—as in the present case—it seems scarcely surprising, that Irish religious and patriotic feeling should be so often alike ignored or divorced, when our travellers range the fair city of Lucca, nor bear back to Ireland some associated memories of her famous sons and of the spot where their remains still repose. ^ Although with foreign errors, inseparable from distant and hOiiie communication, on the subjectofthisbiography yet,maywesuppose,thechiefpointsofinterestit
;
contains to rest on some good sources of tradition. From a Manuscript, be-
longing to the church of St. Justina,3 appears to have been originally taken the accounts of St. Silaus, as they now appear in print. It was edited by Francesco MariaFiorentini,4 who also wrote the Life of St. Silaus,s in Italian, and at considerable length. ° It was published, at Lucca, in a thin quarto shape, A. D. 1662 ; and, it is preceded by a few pages of an introduction. ? This Life contains fifteen chapters, together with two other supplementary Lives in Latin, followed by some verses of compliments paid to the author, and to Signor Gioralmo Cremona. At the end of his Italian Life of our saint, FrancescoMariaFiorentinii)ublishestheofficeofSilaus. ^ Itconsistsofnine Lessons, with Responses ; but, as we are told, the use of this office had been suspended or set aside, by a Roman decree. The Acts of this holy bishop have been published, likewise, by the Bollandists. 9 It is evident, however, that although the Italian compilers of the old Acts had some acquaintance with the personages and narratives of Irish hagiography, they had little real knowledge about the chronology and contemporaries of Irish ecclesiastical history. That Manuscript, from which the Life was taken, had been collated with another, belonging to Father Francis Harold,^° the nephew and suc- cessor to Father Luke Wadding. " There are, however, two omissions of
Articleii. —^ SeeCicero,"DeLegi- bus," lib. ii. , cap. 2.
^ St. Frigidian, whose festivals occur on the 13th of March, and at the i8th of November, was an Irishman and a Bishop here, as well as the present saint. See Ughelli's "Italia Sacra," tomus i. , Lucenses Episcopi, col. 794.
3 At Lucca, of which city St. Frigidian or Fridian is said to have been the first Bishop as he is its patron. See " Cronica " di Gio- vanni Villain a miglior lezione ridotta cull' ainto de Testi a Penna. tomo i. , lilsro primo, cap. xlix. , p. 70, Firenze, 1823, 8vo.
* When quoting his work, the Bollandists have Latinized his name into Florentinius. He was a learned medical doctor of Lucca. See Ughelli's "Italia Sacra," tomus i. , Lucenses Episcopi, col. 791.
5 It bears the following title: "Vita, Mi- racoli, e Memorie di S. Silao Ve. scovo Irian- dese, 11 cui Corpo si conserua in Lucca ap- presso le Antiche e Nobili Monache di S. Givstina. " Raccolte, e con probabili coniet- ture spiegate da Francesco Maria Fioren-
tini Nob : Lucchese. The copy of this book now in my possession was presented, by the late Denis Florence MacCarthy.
* This published Life appears to have been extracted, froin one written towards the close of the twelfth century according to the Bol- landists.
^ This is addressed, Alle Nobili e Reli- giose Monache di S. Givstina I'Avtore, and it is followed by a protestation of the writer to observe the Decree of Pope Urban VIII. , in reference to the publication of Saints' Acts.
^ See ibid. , pp. 108 to III.
' See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. . Mail xxi. De S. Silao Episc. Hiberno Luc£e in Hetruria, pp. 62 to 68.
"Rewrote " Vita Fr. Lucce Waddingi," which was prefixed to the second edition of " Annales Minorum, in quibus Res omnes trium Ordinum Franciscanorum tranctan- tur. " Romse, A. D. 1731. Sixteen volumes, folio.
'^ This latter obtained his copy, by having had a transcript made, at Lucca, and the
IL
530
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 21.
passages, where asterisks occur; and these have been introduced, most pro- bably, to mark the worthlessness of what was to be found in the original. A previous commentary," written by the Bollandists, takes exception to some statements, contained in this Life, which appears to be of very legendary character. According to St. Silaus' ancient Acts, as published by the Bol- landists, this saint was of high royal origin, in his native countr}^, Ireland of the Scots. But, it is uncertain or unknown, in what particular part of it he was born, '3 as also in what year or century ; for, the account contained in his old Acts is evidently erroneous, where it is stated, that our saint was a dis- ciple of St. Patrick,'* who brought him to Rome, in the time of Pope St. Gregory I. , nor does the alternative conjecture 's suthce to throw light on his period, that probably Pope Gelasius I. should be understood for that Sovereign
Pontiff. However, it does not appear to be probable, that St. Silaus could have lived so early as the fifth century. His infancy is said to have been illus- trated with miracles. One of these states, that the house in which he lived was surrounded with a celestial light, which indicated his future sanctity. Nor is this the only miracle related, regarding that period of his life. '^ He is said to have had a brother named Medogh,'? and a sister named Mingarda. '^ The first master under whom he studied is named Signabus or Sibnabus. 's From earliest youth, Silaus had been instructed, in the liberal arts and sciences ; while, in his more matured age, having diligently read the Sacred Scriptures, he became a cleric. During the time of his pupilage, it is stated, that one dark night, he wrote the Gospel of St. Matthew with his right hand, while holding up the fingers of his left hand, from which five different jets of lightproceeded. ThevirtuesofSt. Silausarehighlycommended. Hewas distinguished by a peculiar suavity and humility of disposition, and for his constant exercise of prayer. If we are to believe the old traditions regarding Silaus, he lived contemporaneously with the great Apostle of Ireland, St. Patrick, and became his disciple,^° until under such tuition, he finally was raised to the grade of Deacon. Then it was said, that going to Rome with St. Patrick,'' Silaus was ordained priest by St. Gregory the Pope. All this is exceedingly apocryphal and contradictory ; as also the statement, that St. Patrick summoned a synod of Bishops and of clerics in a province called Tesmoria,'' in the middle of Ireland,^3 and in which there was a city, known as Cluen. ^'* There, too, was a great monastery, the Abbot over which is named Cheranus,^5 the grandson of St.
of this saint, in the genealogical Tables ap- pearing in the Additional Notes, B, p. 251, or at N, p. 342.
26th, 1838, p. 50.
'' See his Life, at the gth of June, in the
succeeding volume of this work, Art. i.
^° See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbas, cap. Vita Quinta S. Columba, lib. i. , cap. xci. .
'3 Sec Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
iii. , num. 5, p. 480.
"• See Iiis Life, already given at the 1 6th
of May, in a previous part of this volume, Art. i. , chap. ii.
'S See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberni£e,"xxii. Martii. De Egressione Familiar S. Bren- dani, with notes, pp. 721 to 725.
"^ See what has been stated already, about a St. Barnitus or Barrintus of Drumcullen Parish, King's County, in the First Volume of this work, at the 13th of January, Art. v.
''' See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. i. , pp. 514, 515.
'^ See " Letters containing Information
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 21.
of this missionary centre, if reliance be had upon statements, regarding his station and rank ; although he is not now traditionally remembered, in Druim- Cuilinn. Its topographical meaning is the Ridge or Long Hill of the Holly, It is now known as Drum-Cullin,^' situated in the south of Eglish, or Fircall Barony, in the King's County. The old church in ruins is still to be seen there
; and, it stands on the ancient boundary, between Meath and Munster. '^ In
it, there is a stone arch of curious workmanship,'3 at the west end. ** The
524
Old Church, at Driimcullen, King's County.
walls are still tolerably perfect, and over them grows a thick mantle of ivy. 's Around the old church is a cemetery, of very great antiquity, as may be demon- strated at the present time, owing to the Hict, that an adjoining small river the Little Brosna—had of late encroached during floods, which sweep with force from the Slieve Bloom range, over the graveyard, and had washed away numbers of graves. Still through the freshly-disclosed soil remaining maybe seen thick layers of human bones, exposed along that side nearest the stream, now embanked by the Poor-l:iw Guardians, while the channel has been diverted into another course. This river flows through the beautiful demesne of Castle Bernard, which is near the old church. Here, St. Bairrfionn was
p. 404.
=' In the l)eginning of this century, it was
'* -See " Letters containing Information relative to the Antiquities of the King's County, collected during,' the Progress of the
an impropri. ue vicarage, in the diocese of
I^feath, and united with Killaliy. . See Ordnance Survey in 1837-8, ' vol. ii. Letter
Sir Cliaiks Coote's "General View of the Agriculture and Manufactures of the King's County,"chap, xx. , sect. 3, p. 196.
'- . See Ur. O'Donovan's " . Annals of the I'onr Masters. '' vol. i. , n. (ni). p. t,2\.
of Thomas O'Conor, dated liirr, January 26tli, 183S, p. 50.
-'^ riie accomjianying illustration, drawn by the writer, in June, 1SS5, was afterwards traiislerrcd to the wood, hy William K.
°3 See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary Wakrnian, and it was e. igraved, by Mrs. of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 514. Millard.
—
May 2 1 . ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 525
Abbot of Druim-cuillin, in the territory of Fearceall, upon the confines of Leinster and Minister; but, by mistake,^^ he has been confounded with St. Barrus of Cork,-' whose feast occurs on the 25th of September, and who is quite a different personage. Most picturesque was the site selected for that establishment ; for, at the present time, Urumcullen is dominated by the wild and barren western slopes of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, yet stretching away from their base is a pleasant and varied surface of country, having undergone modern improvements and cultivation. Several handsome mansions, villas and demesnes are to be found,^^ surrounding the old site of St. Barrfinn's monastery, which seems to have had a vigorous life, for long after the founder's death; since, here, also, St. Mochudda or Carthage ^9 and his monks halted and were refreshed, on their way from Rahan to Lismore,3° as we have seen already, in the Life of that holy Abbot, Even yet, . as it appears, tlie memory of St. Barrfionn has been intertwined with local topography ; for, near Drumcullen, there is an eminence called Knockbarron—in Irish Cnoc- Barrind—and it may be Anglicized, " the hill of Barrind. " He must have been a person of great importance in his day, thus to have left his name behind in that place, after a lapse of thirteen centuries ;3' and, as we shall see, at a spot far away from the religious house here, his fame is still preserved, in the name of an ancient church and of a parish, much nearer to his native soil.
CHAPTER II.
THE PROBABLE MIGRATION OF ST. 13ARRFOINN FROM DRUMCULLEN, TOWARDS THE NORTHERN PART OF IRELAND—HIS SETTLEMENT AT KILLBARRIND—ITS LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION—VISITED THERE BY ST. COLUMBA—ST. BARRIND IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN THE FIRST EUROPEAN DISCOVERER OF THE AiMERICAN CONTINENT —HIS PLACE IN OUR CALENDARS—CONCLUSION.
From Drumcullen St. Barrfionn emigrated, most probably, towards the north of Ireland ; and, there he is said to have fixed the site for a religious estab- lishment, of some sort, and in a very retired situation. That place is now known as Kilbarron, "the church of St. Barrind," scarcely three miles distant from Ballyshannon. ^ The greater part of this town is included, within the present parish,^ which extends along the River Erne, from the vicinity of Belleek to Donegal Bay.
Here, St. Barfhionn, Barrindeus, or Barrinthus, is said to have founded a monastery, during the sixth century. 3 This account is much more probable, than another, for which no good authority has been advanced, that a St. Colman had previously established a church there. '* Beside the river called
=* See Bishop Challenor's "Britannia chap, ix. , pp. 155, 156. Edition of 1875, 8vo.
Sancta," part ii. , p. 143.
=7 See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiherni-
cum," p. 373.
=* See " The Parliamentary Gazetteer of
Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 84.
=^9 See his Life, in the present volume, at
the 14th of May, chap. iv.
3° See Rev. A. Cognn"s "Diocese of
Meath, Ancient and Modern," vol. iii. , chap. Ixxv. p. 609.
3" See "The Early History of the Town of Birr," &c. , by the late Thomas Lalor Cooke,
Chapter ii. — ^ William Allingliam has written an interesting account of this place, in a hook, intituled : " Ballyshannon, its History and Antiquities. "
- It is traversed by thehigh road fromBally- shannon to Enniskillen, and by a road from Ballyshannon to Donegal. See the " Parlia- mentary Gazetteer of Ireland," vol. ii. , pp. 360, 361.
3 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbce, cap. iii. , num. 5, p. 480.
526
LIVES OF THE IRISHSAINTS. [May 21.
Fuinnseanach, and near the sea, St. Barind dwelt, at a time when St. Cokimba returned from Seangleann. There, both holy men had a conference. There, too,wasmiraculouslysentfromSeangleannthestaffofSt. Columba. AsSt. Barind had inspiredly declared it left in that place, and as it fell near them, a fountain of water gushed out at the spot; and afterwards, it was called Bach- all Barrinn, Latinized Baculum Barrindi,5 owing to the miracle which had
occurred, as preserved in the local tradition. Kill-Barrind old church is still to be seen, within a parish, now known as Killbarron, in the barony of Tir- hugh,andcountyofDonegal. Thewalls—evidentlyveryancient—arestill in tolerably good preservation, and of quadrangular shape. The two gables still stand, and they have apices highly pitched. On the side wall is a door-
^
Kilbarron Old Church, County of Donegal.
way, with pointed arcli, mucli resembling that in the church of St. ^^ndeus,^ on Aranmore. A large breach—formerly the place where an end window was—isnowopenononeofthegable-walls. 7 Asmaybeconjectured,fromthe abounding graves and tombstones about the old ruin, the cemetery has been for long ages a favourite place for interment, as the church was in times re- mote a place of resort, for those who venerated the holy patron. The church of Gill Bairrfhionn seems to have been called after the present saint, who was appointed its bishop, according to some accounts. The beautiful ruin of Kilbarron Castle,^ so sublimely situated on a wild rock overhanging the Atlan- tic, was once the residence of the O'Clerys, hereditary historians of the O'Donnells. Their family name has been immortalized, by producing that
* . See "The Early History of the 'J'own of Birr," &c. , by the late Thomas Lalor Cooke, cliap. ix. , p. 155.
5 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Prince O'Donnell's or Vita Quinta S. Co- lumba;, lib. i. , cap. xci. , ]). 404.
' See his Life, in the Third Volume of this work, at the 2lst of March, Art. i.
' The accompanying illustration, drawn on the spot by William Y. Wakeman, was by him transferred to the wood, which was engraved by Mrs. Millard.
" In the year 1390, this castle was demo- lished, by Domhnall O'Conor Sligo. See " Annals of Loch Cc. " Edited by William M. llennessy, vol. ii. , pp. 72, 73.
May 21. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
5 2 7
invaluable Irish Record, known as the " Annals of the Four Masters. "9 Swelling with impetuous onset, the Atlantic has lashed for centuries that rug- gedpromontory,peeringoverthewesterncoastofIreland. Undermined,rent, and excavated, the crumbled rocks have been rolled from their place ; but, from the elevated table-land above, the eye ranges over a vast and an undu- lating flow of billowy surface, sometimes sparkling gloriously under the sun- light, and sometimes hoarsely and mysteriously moaning through the misty veilandalongthestormyocean. Clyclopeanrocksandfragmentsofbroken stones are set round with a dazzling snow-white surf, dashing wildly over the
'°
pebble-strewn shore.
Belonging to an early period, and to the second class of Irish Saints, as by
many has been thought • St. Barrind is also said to have been the first Euro- pean discoverer of the American Continent," for, ivs related in the Acts of St. Brendan, there was a Father Barrindan, who had informed that celebrated navigator, about his own wonderful adventures, while away from Ireland on the great ocean. It is supposed, too, that from Kilbarron, in conjunction with his disciple, Mernoc,'^ St. Barrind sailed off in search of a great western island. This he is supposed to have found, when he landed on the shores of the American Continent. They travelled for fifteen days, before reaching the end of it.
Moreover, it is said, that he returned to Ireland, when the glowing descriptions he gave of that distant region induced St. Brendan the Navigator to adventure in the same direction. '3 That western country, in which St. Barrind travelled, is called "a Land of Promise of the Saints,"'* and that which the Lord would grant to successive races " in the latter times," Modern commentators have just reason for referring this prophetic passage to the extraordinary emigration of Irish people and missionaries to America, during the present century.
St. Barrind died, on the 21st of May, and some time, it is thought, before the close of the sixth age. 'S Most probably, his first removal from DrumcuUen to Killbarrind may suggest the idea, that he was buried in the latter place, with which his memory appears to have been most associated. Marianus O'Gorman and Cathal Maguire, referring St. Barrindus to both places, has his feast, at the 21st of May. '^ The Martyrology of Donegal '7 mentions, that veneration was given on this day to Bairrfhionn, Bishop of Druim-Cuiliun, and of Cill-Bairrfhinn, to the north of Eas-Ruaidh—now the well-known waterfall designated Assaroe, and a chief feature of interest
9 So ably edited in the present century, by John O'Donovan, LL. D.
'° The scene to which allusion has been made, with its associated family history, has been well introduced in the pages of the " Irish Penny Journal," vol. i. , No. 29, at pp. 225 to 227, by Dr. George Petrie, who was author of the descriptive article.
" See Rev. A. Cogan's '" Diocese of Meath, Ancient and Modern," vol. iii. , chap. Ixxiv. , pp. 609, 610.
" Otherwise called Mernocus and Terno- cus. Colgan defers his allusions regarding him, to the 2nd of July, the i8th of August, and the 3rd of October.
'3 See our account of that adventure, in the present volume, at May i6th, Art. i. , chap. ii.
^4 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- ni^," Martii xxii. DeEgressione Farnilise S. Brendani, pp. 721 to 724.
'5 See Rev. A. Cogan's "Diocese of Meath, Ancient and Modern," vol. iii. , chap. Ixxv. , pp. 609, 610.
'* See Colgan's " Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Quinta S. Columba;, n. 76. p. 451.
^^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
I34) IjS-
'^ The surrounding scene is well described,
by a native poet, William Allingham, in "The Winding Banks of Erne, or the Emi- grant's Adieu to Ballyshannon :"
" The music of the waterfall, the mir- ror of the tide,
When all the green-hill'd harbour is full from side to side-
From Portnasun to Buliebawns, and round the Abbey Bay,
From the little rocky island to Cool- nargit sandhills grey. "
—
8—M.
5 2 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[ ay21
toallnortherntourists. '^ Afterfoamingoveraseriesofrocks,inminorcascades, theRiverErneis heremagnificentlyprecipitatedintothewatersoftheAtlantic. On tiie Island of Saimer below it, Partholan, an early eastern colonist of Ire- land, is said to have located its first inhabitants ; and, on a small promontory, almost on every point inaccessible or perpendicular near it, and upon the Ballyshannon side, there is a Dun or Cahir, like that on Aranmore, and called Diibh-Cathair. That old fortification is divided from the mainland, by a fosse cut through earth and rock. \Vhat renders this fortress of remote anti- quity most interesting is, that it contains a subterranean house, partly exca- vated in a living rock, and partly constructed of Cyclopean masonry, the roof having been formed of enormous flags, resting on the inclined sides of cham- bers and galleries. '9 At this date, also, St. Barinnus was venerated in Scot- land,^" together with St. Colman, both Irish saints. ^' An Irish Calendar ^^ commemorates Barrfionn Bishop from Druim-Chuilinn, and from Kilbarfinn, near Easruadh to the north. Under the head of Druini Cuilinn, and at the 2ist of May, Duald Mac Firbis enters, Bairrionn bishop. ^3 It seems proba- ble, therefore, that this primitive saint exercised the episcopal as well as the abbatial functions, in the ministry in the early Irish Church.
Taking our solitary walks, in several almost deserted localities of this Island, we are always sure to observe some crumbling fane, where various sacred forms and emblems still cling to the walls of ancient parish churches in that country. These proclaim, in silent but intelligible language, that such structures could have neither been designed nor erected for any other purpose than Catholic worship ; and, did we need further confirmation of that fact, our history is not altogether silent on such themes. The very " stone shall cry out of the wall,"^-* according to the prophet's expression, even when pro- claiming the ravages of the Chaldeans, and of the conquerors, who ruled by rapine and injustice ; so, while the primitive church has gone to decay, sub- jected to a temporary desecration, we may still exclaim amid its ruins, " the Lord is in his holy temple : let all the earth keep silence before him. "*5 The material erection is perishable, like all the works of man ; still, the Church of Christ is indestructible, and in Ireland yet vigorous, the hope and the gua- rantee of spiritual progress in the future, with the happy return of peace and prosperity to a free, united, and Heaven-protected nation.
Article II. St. Silaus, Bishop and P. a. tron at Lucca, in Hetru- KiA, Italy. While travelling through many beautiful cities on the Continent, how little does it occur to the average class of Irish tourists, that our Island has given saints and sages to their peoi)le, who still remember with veneration and affection the moral and religious blessings, which have been received as their most precious inheritance. Areflection occurs to the great master of Roman eloquence, when he declares, that we are moved in some unaccount- able manner by the very localities, in which are found traces of those, whom weshouldloveoradmire. Headds,thateventhecityofAthensdidnotso much delight him by the splendour of its public works, and by its exquisite
'9 See William F. Wakeman's " Tourists' Guide to Ireland," p. 203.
'" At the xii. of tiie June Kalends, the Kaleiular of Drummond states : " Apud Hibftniam Naiale Sanctorum Confessorum Colmani et Barinni. "
="SeeBishopForbes'"KalendarsofScot- tish . Saints," p. 13.
" Belonging to the Royal Irish Academy,
an<l formerly known as Common Place Book F, belonging to the Irish Ordnance Survey. See May 21st.
"^ See " Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part i. . pp. 108, 109.
"' Ilahacuc,ii. , il. '5 Habacuc, ii. , 20.
May 2 1. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
529
remains of ancient art, as through the memory of those iUustrious men, who once dwelt there, and who, on that very spot, were wont to hold their dispu- tations and to teach their schools. Even their tombs did he contemplate with interest. ^ Such a sentiment belongs not to the frivolous and half-edu- cated wanderers on earth, who gaze superficially on fine exterior objects. It can only be evoked, from the cultivated intellect and high-toned sensibility, which are united in the quest for solid instruction and useful information. Where our saints are known abroad, and unremembered at home—as in the present case—it seems scarcely surprising, that Irish religious and patriotic feeling should be so often alike ignored or divorced, when our travellers range the fair city of Lucca, nor bear back to Ireland some associated memories of her famous sons and of the spot where their remains still repose. ^ Although with foreign errors, inseparable from distant and hOiiie communication, on the subjectofthisbiography yet,maywesuppose,thechiefpointsofinterestit
;
contains to rest on some good sources of tradition. From a Manuscript, be-
longing to the church of St. Justina,3 appears to have been originally taken the accounts of St. Silaus, as they now appear in print. It was edited by Francesco MariaFiorentini,4 who also wrote the Life of St. Silaus,s in Italian, and at considerable length. ° It was published, at Lucca, in a thin quarto shape, A. D. 1662 ; and, it is preceded by a few pages of an introduction. ? This Life contains fifteen chapters, together with two other supplementary Lives in Latin, followed by some verses of compliments paid to the author, and to Signor Gioralmo Cremona. At the end of his Italian Life of our saint, FrancescoMariaFiorentinii)ublishestheofficeofSilaus. ^ Itconsistsofnine Lessons, with Responses ; but, as we are told, the use of this office had been suspended or set aside, by a Roman decree. The Acts of this holy bishop have been published, likewise, by the Bollandists. 9 It is evident, however, that although the Italian compilers of the old Acts had some acquaintance with the personages and narratives of Irish hagiography, they had little real knowledge about the chronology and contemporaries of Irish ecclesiastical history. That Manuscript, from which the Life was taken, had been collated with another, belonging to Father Francis Harold,^° the nephew and suc- cessor to Father Luke Wadding. " There are, however, two omissions of
Articleii. —^ SeeCicero,"DeLegi- bus," lib. ii. , cap. 2.
^ St. Frigidian, whose festivals occur on the 13th of March, and at the i8th of November, was an Irishman and a Bishop here, as well as the present saint. See Ughelli's "Italia Sacra," tomus i. , Lucenses Episcopi, col. 794.
3 At Lucca, of which city St. Frigidian or Fridian is said to have been the first Bishop as he is its patron. See " Cronica " di Gio- vanni Villain a miglior lezione ridotta cull' ainto de Testi a Penna. tomo i. , lilsro primo, cap. xlix. , p. 70, Firenze, 1823, 8vo.
* When quoting his work, the Bollandists have Latinized his name into Florentinius. He was a learned medical doctor of Lucca. See Ughelli's "Italia Sacra," tomus i. , Lucenses Episcopi, col. 791.
5 It bears the following title: "Vita, Mi- racoli, e Memorie di S. Silao Ve. scovo Irian- dese, 11 cui Corpo si conserua in Lucca ap- presso le Antiche e Nobili Monache di S. Givstina. " Raccolte, e con probabili coniet- ture spiegate da Francesco Maria Fioren-
tini Nob : Lucchese. The copy of this book now in my possession was presented, by the late Denis Florence MacCarthy.
* This published Life appears to have been extracted, froin one written towards the close of the twelfth century according to the Bol- landists.
^ This is addressed, Alle Nobili e Reli- giose Monache di S. Givstina I'Avtore, and it is followed by a protestation of the writer to observe the Decree of Pope Urban VIII. , in reference to the publication of Saints' Acts.
^ See ibid. , pp. 108 to III.
' See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. . Mail xxi. De S. Silao Episc. Hiberno Luc£e in Hetruria, pp. 62 to 68.
"Rewrote " Vita Fr. Lucce Waddingi," which was prefixed to the second edition of " Annales Minorum, in quibus Res omnes trium Ordinum Franciscanorum tranctan- tur. " Romse, A. D. 1731. Sixteen volumes, folio.
'^ This latter obtained his copy, by having had a transcript made, at Lucca, and the
IL
530
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 21.
passages, where asterisks occur; and these have been introduced, most pro- bably, to mark the worthlessness of what was to be found in the original. A previous commentary," written by the Bollandists, takes exception to some statements, contained in this Life, which appears to be of very legendary character. According to St. Silaus' ancient Acts, as published by the Bol- landists, this saint was of high royal origin, in his native countr}^, Ireland of the Scots. But, it is uncertain or unknown, in what particular part of it he was born, '3 as also in what year or century ; for, the account contained in his old Acts is evidently erroneous, where it is stated, that our saint was a dis- ciple of St. Patrick,'* who brought him to Rome, in the time of Pope St. Gregory I. , nor does the alternative conjecture 's suthce to throw light on his period, that probably Pope Gelasius I. should be understood for that Sovereign
Pontiff. However, it does not appear to be probable, that St. Silaus could have lived so early as the fifth century. His infancy is said to have been illus- trated with miracles. One of these states, that the house in which he lived was surrounded with a celestial light, which indicated his future sanctity. Nor is this the only miracle related, regarding that period of his life. '^ He is said to have had a brother named Medogh,'? and a sister named Mingarda. '^ The first master under whom he studied is named Signabus or Sibnabus. 's From earliest youth, Silaus had been instructed, in the liberal arts and sciences ; while, in his more matured age, having diligently read the Sacred Scriptures, he became a cleric. During the time of his pupilage, it is stated, that one dark night, he wrote the Gospel of St. Matthew with his right hand, while holding up the fingers of his left hand, from which five different jets of lightproceeded. ThevirtuesofSt. Silausarehighlycommended. Hewas distinguished by a peculiar suavity and humility of disposition, and for his constant exercise of prayer. If we are to believe the old traditions regarding Silaus, he lived contemporaneously with the great Apostle of Ireland, St. Patrick, and became his disciple,^° until under such tuition, he finally was raised to the grade of Deacon. Then it was said, that going to Rome with St. Patrick,'' Silaus was ordained priest by St. Gregory the Pope. All this is exceedingly apocryphal and contradictory ; as also the statement, that St. Patrick summoned a synod of Bishops and of clerics in a province called Tesmoria,'' in the middle of Ireland,^3 and in which there was a city, known as Cluen. ^'* There, too, was a great monastery, the Abbot over which is named Cheranus,^5 the grandson of St.
