No More Learning

^
See his Acts, ibid. , tomus v. , Junii
xxvi. , pp. 195,—196.
Sanctorum" of the
xvi. Februarii, pp. 868 to 884.
=
See ibid. , p. 885. 3 See ibid. , p. 886.
tomus
^ See the Bollandists' " Acta
tomus ii. , Februarii xvi. , pp. 863, 864.
'
referable to those of St.
feast occurs at the 21st of October.
whose
An account of this
Article x.
virgin and martyr will be found in the "Acta
Bollandists,
ii. ,
Sanctonxm,"
"Oemon -oo
iriAi^
itToel.
To the virgin Julian,
The name [honoured] to the borders of the clouds ;
By the relation of the tidings of his adventures, The demon he completely extirpated (or fettered).
holy
Ursula,
venerated as and — saints, virgins martyrs,
There are no less than four female
in the ancient Church Kalendars, at the i6th of February. These are Juliana, a virgin, of Nicomedia, and a martyr, venerated at Bruxelles, in Belgium •,'^ Juliana, virgin and martyr, at Verona, in Italy f Juliana, a
Roman virgin and martyr, at Bononia, in Italy ;3 as also, a Jtiliana,^ one of the companions of St. Ursula, a virgin and martyr, whose name is inscribed on the Kalendar, and whose relics are preserved in the Cathedral Church of Osnaburgh, in Westphalia,s But, in addition to the foregoing, and at this same date, there was a St. Julian, a bishop, and a martyr, with a vast number of companions, martyrs, in Egypt f as also, a St. Julian, a martyr, with many other martyr companions, at Caesarea, in Palestine. 7 To the former of these latter saints, we beHeve the stanza in the " Feilire " has special reference, especially, as this holy man and his festival have been noticed in the ancient Martyrology, attributed to St. Jerome. It is said, that no less than five thousand shared his passion in Asia, while their memories are celebrated, both in the Eastern and Western Churches.
4 See among the pretermitted saints, in * See ibid. , p. 855. In Adam King's Ka- *'Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii lendar at the i6th of February, we read,
xvi. , p. 855.
Article ix. —^ See "Acta
" S. Juliana —virgine et mart, at cunis vnder
Maximinus. " Forbes' "Kalendars Bishop
of Scottish Saints," p. 144.
s There she has a proper office, but the
Acts of her martyrdom are more properly
7 See ibid,, p. 855.
:
574 LIVES OP THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 17.
^ebenteentl) Baj) of jfrtruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. FINTAN, ABBOT AND PATRON OF CLONENAGH, QUEEN'S COUNTY.
[SIXTff CENTURY. I
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—ACTS OF ST. FINTAN—HIS PARENTAGE-MIRACLE PRECEDING HIS BIRTH—PERIOD WHEN THIS OCCURRED—CLONKEEN—ST. FINTAN's BAPTISM AND EARLY EDUCATION—HE LIVES FOR SOME TIME UNDER ST. COLUMBA MAC CKIM- THAINN AT TIRDAGLAS—ACCOMPANIED BY THE LATTER HOLY MAN, AND WITH TWO DISCIPLES, ST, FINTAN VISITS THE SITE OF CLONENAGH AND SELECTS IT FOR HIS PLACE OF HABITATION.
THE
adoptation of monastic life usually happens at an age, when the mind is firm and and from the the cenobite shows
clear, very outset, holy
a passion for spiritual exercises. He seems to live only in and for prayer. Direct communion with heaven becomes the occupation of his existence. Thus, the great master of a spiritual life guides his subjects in this practice, and those who come to him were given to prayer, since they adopted it as a panacea, for all ills. This sacred fire consumed their very souls, and yet did
not prevent our early monks from the laborious occupations of agricultural and mechanical pursuits. The brain was evolving lessons from its well-
stored chambers, and the mind was enlightened by those lessons, which the daily course of life served to consecrate. No one can follow the lucid rea-
soning, which fixes man's obligations to his Creator, without deriving untold benefit. The great saint of our present consideration led the life of an exemplar ; he has left sufficient for record, to teach mankind, how to strive for the possession of virtue ; and no religious mind ought to be without the aid, which such a holy contemplative's and worker's career is calculated to inspire or direct.
An ancient Life of this saint, extracted from the Codex-Kilkenniensis,^
is published by Colgan, at this day. '' He supposed it to have been written, shortly after Fintan's death. It cannot, with certainty, be allowed such an
early date of composition ; and the i)assage cited, to prove this position, does not at all establish it. 3 That the Life, however, is a very ancient one cannot be disputed. Several old copies of St. Fintan's Life are yet pre- served. 4 His Acts, in four chapters, and in twenty-six sections, with a previous commentary, will be found, likewise, in the great Bollandist coUec-
Article I. —Chapter i. —^ The manu-
'•
Codex Kilkenniensis," con- tained in Marsh's Library, Dublin, gives a
3 " Videntes proeterita completa secundum vaticinium viri Dei," does not indicate, that the author of this Life was an eye-witness
script, called
Lile of St. Fintanus, fol. 74 to 77. This of events he records; and, "quod est in-
probably does not differ from a Vita S. Fin- tani, in a large folio manuscript, vol. xxii. , belonging to the Burgundiau Library, Bruxelles, fol. loi to 106.
It has an appendix in five chapters, pp. 355 to 357.
futuro," manifestly refers to tho day of judgment, of whicfi he speaks, or perhaps, to his belief, in the fullilment of St. Fintan's prophecy, in the other Life. See iOid. ,
"Acta Sanctonim Iliber-
'' See
nia:," xvii. Februarii. Vita S. P'intani, Abbatis de Cluain-Ednech, pp. 349 to 355.
cap. xiii. ,
* Among these are the following : MS.
Bodl. Rawl. B. 505, pp. 214-217, veil. folio, xiv. cent. Also, MS. Bodl. Rawl, B. 485, fol. 220, veil. 4to, xiv. cent.
Colgan's
p. 351.
February 17. J LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 575
tion. s From this work, likewise, Bishop Challenor purports to have drawn hisbiographyofSt. Fintan. ^ TheRev. AlbanButlerhasanaccountofSt. Fintan of Cluain Ednech. 7 So, in like manner, the Rev, S. Baring-Gould includesabriefnoticeofhim,inhiswork. ^ Besidestheforegoing,Bishop Forbes has an interesting account of this very holy abbot. 9
The father of our saint was named Gabhren,^° son to Corcran, son of Echach, son to Bressal, son of Denius, son to Conla, son of Arti or Artur Corb, son to Corbre Niadh, son of Cormac, son of ^nguss Meann, son of Echach, son of Echadh Finn. " The mother of our saint was named Findath," or Findathea. ^3 In his appendix to our saint's Life, Colgan conjectured, that she may have been sister to St. Lugedius, of Coolbannagher. ^+ St. Fintan descended from the race of Eochaidh Finnfuathairt ; and, from this stock, likewise, the great St. Brigid^s derived her origin. '^
According to the most probable conjecture, St. Fintan was born in Lagenia, or Leinster, during the sixth century. ^7 His nativity took place, after 520,'^ sometime between the years 525 and 530; for, St. Columkille,'^ who first saw the light, about a. d. 521, is spoken of as a young man, while Fintanwasyetaboy. ^° Whenaboutgivingbirthtotheinfantinherwomb, an angel appeared to Findath, and warned her to retire into a secret place, where she should be removed from all intercourse with men, until the time of her delivery. The angel promised, also, that her son should be holy and great, both in the sight of God and of man. She complied with this admo- nition, and spent seven days under the shade of a certain tree, whilst in the meantime she was miraculously sustained by food from Heaven. ^^ Her child was born, at the end of this time. According to the conjectures of a learned Irish ecclesiastical historian, this event happened, in the neighbour- hood of New Ross. "*^ Were we to follow local tradition, however, St. Fintan wasbornnearMaryborough,intheQueen'sCounty. ^3 Now,hisplaceof
"
ruarii xvii. , pp. i6 to 21. been St. Finneda venerated at the nth of
Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Feb- if such were the case, whether she may have See "Britannia Sancta," part i. , pp. August, or the mother of a St. Mochua,
s See
^
120 to 124.
called Finnachta. See ibid. , n. 3, p. 353.
^ See "Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs,
and other Principal Saints," vol. ii. , Feb-
See Lives of the Saints," vol. ii. , Feb- ruary xvii. , pp. 324, 325.
'^ ^s ^^
gge Appendix, cap. ii. , p. 355, ibid, gee her Life, at the 1st of this month,
ruaryxvii. ^"
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidse, cap, 3, p. 613.
'7 See Bishop Challoner's "Britannia Sancta," part i. , p. 120.
^^ See Dr. " Ecclesiastical His- Lanigan's
tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , cap. xii. , sect, xi. , p. 227, and n. 162, p. 229.
'5, tjee his Life, at the 9th of June,
"
9 See
349.
*° See
been a mistake of the writer.
Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," xvii. Februarii. Vita S. Fintani, cap. i. , p. 349. The father is called Gau- renus, son of Corcran, by other genealogies, in appendix, cap. ii. , p. 355, and cap. v. , p. 356; but, the names of their ancestors are the same, as those given in our text.
In the Manuscript Lives of St. Fintan, as found in the Codex Insulensis and in the Sala- mancan copy, his father's name is given as Crimthan. This Colgan supposes to have
2, p. 353.
Colgan's
to the "
ology of Irish Saints," chapter xv.
" This seems to have been derived from
the Irish words, Finn, which signifies "fair," or " white," and Z>a^/^, which means "colour. "
*3 Colgan seems in doubt, as to whether she had a festival in the Irish Church 3 and,
" According
Men- Wexford is Genealogic county,
Set ibid. , n.
De S. Fintano Presbytero, &c. , cap. i. ,
num. i. , p. 17.
^^
In one Life, which Colgan quotes, the place for St. Fintan's birth is called Cluain- mhic-Trein, i. e. , "Cluain of the sons of Trein. " As the ancient name of Ross, in
^°
ter of St. Fintan's Life,
^'
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii.
Such is a statement in the second chap*
Ros-mhic-Trein, Dr. Lanigan thinks, it may be "justly inferred, that said Cluain and Ross lay in one and
=3 During a visit to Clonenagh, on the 29th of August, 1856, and in compauy with
—" Ecclesiastical
the same district. "
of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xii. , sec. xi. , n. 161, p. 229.
History
576 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February17.
birth was Cluain, as given in St. Fintan's Acts ; but, Colgan appears doubt- ful, as to whether Cluain, was identical with Ross, or with Cluain-chain, a place near Clonenagh. Here, too, was the site of an ancient monastery. =** Afterwards, the same writer appears to consider, the ancient territory of Leix, as having been that, in which St. Fintan was born. ^s
Clonkeen^^ is situated in the united parishes of Clonenagh and of Clona-
gheen, in the barony of Maryborough West, Queen's County. The site of its ancient church may be reached, through an intricate old roadway, which debouches from the Dublin and Limerick great road, on the south side, betweenMaryboroughandMountrath. Acuriousandveryancienthollow way leads immediately to the spot, on the verge of a very extensive bog,
Site of Churchfield Cemetery, at Clonkeen, Queen's County.
Stretching to the south and east. Several fine and fertile arable, meadow, and pasture fields, lying low, however, surround it to the north and west. ^7
The place is designated Churchfield, which proves that a church formerly stood there, on the site of the present obliterated cemetery. Within the
memory of persons living, corpses were there interred ; but, of late years, the land has been occupied by a farmer, and the graveyard, having been opened for a sheep range, was deserted. ^'^ The headstones have been re- moved, and not even the trace of a grave now remains.
FolloAving the account in St. Fintan's Life, it appears to have been on
the eighth day succeeding his birth, that Findath's infant was brought to, and baptized by, a holy man, who dwelt at this place. The child was afterwards
instructed, by the same person, until he made great progress in virtue and learning. While yet a boy, Fintan told his instructor to prepare a banquet
residing in the neighbourhood, furnished This townland is defined on the Ord- information, to this effect. It also admir- nance Survey Townland Maps for the ably agrees, with the historic record. How- Queen's County. " Sheets 12, 17, iS.
ever, I have now quite forgotten that place, ^^ The accompanying illustration, after a as named to me by the countryman. sketch taken by the author, in July, 1873,
^* See " Acta Sanctorum HibemicC," was transferred to the wood by William F. xvii. Februarii, n. 4, p. 353. Wakeman, and engraved by Mrs. Millard.
an antiquarian friend, an intelligent peasant, ^s See ibid. . Appendix, cap. v. , p. 356. =* "
February 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 577
for guests, who were about to visit them, and that St. Columkille with some
of his companions should arrive, on that very day. Being reproachfully asked, by the holy senior, how this could have been known to him, the boy answered, that it was revealed, by our Lord Jesus Christ. The event cor- responded with this prediction. While St. Columkille was on a journey this day, and passing near Cluain, he told his companion, they should turn a little from their course, to visit a holy senior, and a youth, who dwelt there. Columkille also foretold the future eminence of the boy, and desired his guardian to retract those harsh expressions, used towards Fintan, for his apparent presumption, in announcing the arrival of his present visitors. The aged instructor readily believed this prophecy ; for, the grace of God, mira- culously exhibited before his birth, fructified, during the childhood of Fintan. It gave promise of still greater increase, during the years of his maturity. And, while St. Columkille declared, that he had a Divine intuition regarding
those reproofs of the old man towards his youthful charge, he warned the former, to avoid such remarks for the future ; for, it was destined, that both himself, and his place of habitation, should be subject to St. Fintan's rule during succeeding ages. ^^ It is somewhat remarkable, that at present, the united parishes of Clonenagh and Clonagheen'9 do not appear to have dis- tinguishable boundaries, however they might at a former period. 3°
While yet a very young man, having received the blessing of the venerable
priest, with whom he spent his early days, St. Fintan set out for Tir-da-glasss^ Monastery, which had been built near the borders of the River Shannon, not far from the upper waters of Lough Dearg, in the North Riding of the present county of Tipperary. Here St. Columba,32 son to Crimthainn, had a famous school ; and, in company with other distinguished pupils, Fintan passed a novitiate, under the direction of their beloved superior. He dis- charged towards them parental offices, and protected them, with great care, while he imparted necessary secular and religious teaching. —
In company with two other disciples, n—amed Coemhanss and Mocumin,34 anotheraccounthasthreecompanions,35 oursaintearnestlydesiredtodis-
^^ See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber*
niae," Februarii xvii. Vita S. Fintani, cap.
i. , ii. , pp. 349, 350.
*9 For both, there used to be but the one
composition of tithes, and one return of po- *'
He is venerated, at the 1st of May.
33 Fintan Mac Echach is the third com- panion, as set down, in the " Book of the Island," chapter iii. And the same ac- count, regarding his disciples, is found in
pulation. See Lewis'
the thirteenth chapter of the Life of St. Dictionary of Ireland," vol. i. , pp. 346, Columba, Abbot of Tirdaglass. There is
levelled evenly with the surface of a large field. On the old Elizabethan Map of Leax
and Ophaly, this Clonkeyn is represented as a large church.
Topographical
358> 359- ^"^ apparent discrepancy between both Lives 3° Three irregularly-shaped sides of the of St. Fintan, in these particular passages ; burial-ground remain, at Clonkeen, and for, in one Life, he is called son to Gabhren, these are indicated by high ditches, crowned and his fellow student is named Mocumin, with hawthorns and some fine ash-trees. whilst in the other Life, our Saint is called The fourth ditch has been removed, and son to Echach, and his fellow-disciple is denominated Mochuma. But, there is no essential difference. For, that same Fintan, who in one Life is called son to Gabhren, on account of his immediate progenitor, in the other Life is designated as son to Echach,
3' This place is now known as Terryglass,
a parish in the barony of Lower Ormond.
It is defined on the "Ordnance Survey name. This was a custom among the Irish,
Townland Maps for the County of Tipper- who distinguished families by O or Hua, """
ary. " Sheets 3, 4, 6, 7, The townland i. e. , a grandson" or a descendant, and proper is to be found on Sheet 6. by Mac, ? >. , "son" or "descendant. " 32 See his Life, at the 13th of December. Thus, Echach or Eochaidh, as found in the
33 Of Annatrim, whose Life will be found nominative case, was grandfather to St. at the 3rd of November. Fintan. The disciple, in like manner, who 34 This latter saint is variously called is called Mochuma, in one Life ; by diminu- Nathcoeme, Mochoerae, and Mochuma, tion, has his name Mochumin in another,
Vol. II. —No. io. 2 p
from his great grandfather, who bore that
578 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February17.
cover a place, where they should remain, in order more effectually to serve God. They selected a spot, on the borders of Leinster. However, they first asked, St. Columba's opinion, regarding their determination. Gifted with the spirit of prophecy, he told them that this place was destined for a St. Mobhius,36 not yet born. Whereupon, in company with St. Columba, theycametothesiteofClonenagh. Anextensivetractofbogcompletely insulates, on almost every side, that fertile and elevated oasis, on which an old ruined church, and several graveyards, are to be seen, at the present day. The country around Clonenagh, judging by the local denominations, com- pounded with Derry, must formerly have abounded in oak woods. An extensivebogliestothesouth,asalsotothenorthandeast; but,indeed, most of the land, surrounding the townland, appears to have been reclaimed from morasses, which once covered a very considerable surface.
The place is now known as " the Seven Churches of Clonenagh f because,
according to local tradition, there were seven churches here erected. The
ruinsonlyofoneyetremain. Thisbuildingdoesnotappear,however,to
have been a very ancient structure. The great Dublin and Limerick road,
leading from Maryborough to Mountrath,37 passes in a direct line, beside
ClonenaghChurch,anditssurroundingcemetery. Attheoppositesideofthe
road, leading from Maryborough to Mountrath, there is another graveyard. This is used exclusively as the burial ground of Catholics. It contains a
great number of graves, and it rises considerably above the road level, and adjoining fields. s^ There are no remains of any old buildings traceable at
as Columba, Columbanus and Colmanus accustomed to resort to it for the cure of
form but one and the same appellation.
various diseases, leaving humble votive
to mark their sense of the oiferings, sanitary
favours there received. Its Protestant
thus relieve his lands from a constant influx of those he deemed troublesome and super- stitious visitants. Such was an account re- ceived by the writer, on occasion of a visit to the spot, already alluded to, when he was shown a sycamore tree, on the side of the pubUc road and opposite the " well of St. Fintan. " Within two or three cavities in the tnmk of this tree, and at a considerable elevation from the ground, a small quantity of water was to be seen. It was stated, that this water was first discovered, when the outrage to Catholic feeling had been committed, in this successful effort to divert the holy well, from its original site. During the greatest heats of summer, or the coldest days of winter, this water is to be found un- diminished in quantity and unfrozen. Its production is regarded as miraculous, and as indicative of St. Fintan's displeasure, for what the peasantry are pleased to consider a desecration of his well. In consequence of prevailing traditions, that veneration en-
"
tertained even yet for
Fintan" has been more universally trans- ferred or extended to this tree in question. Its branches are constantly covered with scraps of ribbon, linen, &c. , as votive offer- ings. Its gnarled trunk and boughs exhibit marks of the footsteps of devout or curious
visitants, who are obliged to climb some distance, in order to procure water con-
See
" Acta Sanctorum Hibernian,"
Colgan's
xvii. Februarii, nn. 7, 8, pp. 353, 354.
3^ In the Life of St. Fintan, Mobliius is
called son to Cumalde ; but, Colgan is of spring from his field to the road-side, and
opinion, Culmade was the father's true name. He never read, as he states, about an Irish saint, whose father's name was Cumalde, Mobhiusshouldratherbecalled, son to Culmaide, or Colmaidhe, who had threeothersaintedsonsbesideshim. And, in the " Opuscula S. . ^ngussii," lib. 4, among the maternal genealogies of Irish Saints, n. 6, we read, "that Coeltigerna the daughter of Coemlog, and sister to St. Coemgen, was the mother of four sons, Colmaide, nempe Dagan de Inberdaoile, of Moboeus, of Molibba, and of Menoc of Glenn-faidhle. Wherefore, the Mobhius, here mentioned, is not Mobhius, son to Comgell, noted by Marianus and by others, at the 22nd of July, nor Mobhius, son to Beoan, venerated on the 12th of October.
He is rather that Mobhius or Mobaius of Cluain-fhionnabair, who is set down in the
Martyrologies of . ^ngus, of Marianus and of others, at the 13th of December. See
ibid. , n. 9, p. 354.
37 Midway between Clonenagh and Mount-
rath is a very remarkable and an extensive old fort, now known as Red Castle, situated on an eminence.
38 Near this graveyard, and on the road- side, may be seen the " well of St. Fintan," from which a stream of clear water flows. The " well of St. Fintan" does not at pre- sent occupy its original site. Persons were
the well of St.
landed proprietor contrived to divert the
February 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 579
present,inthelast-describedgraveyard; norwerethereanyancientmonu- ments to be found39 at Clonenagh, with the exception of a small cross of stone,veryrudelyshaped. 4° Inthefirstdescribedgraveyard,theoldruins yet remaining had been roofed, and used as a Protestant church, for Clone nagh parish, almost within the memory of persons yet living. '^'^ Evidences
Ruined Church of Clonenagh.
of this fact are presented, in the shape of plastered walls, and ot modern
additions,tosomeoldermasonry. 42 Thecemetery,surroundingtheruins, is well fenced. 43
*'
tained in the higher cavity. Owing to a
peculiar formation of the tree, this ascent is
by no means difficult or dangerous. Those
cavities, in which the water lies, are really
curious, and by no means of artificial con-
struction. It need scarcely be observed,
that this water is not of a pure quality, al-
though perfectly clear. Hence it is not
drunk, but is only used for lotions. From
the person, who pointed out this interesting
object, the writer also learned, that accord-
ing to local tradition, those waters, contained
in the original "well of St. Fintan," on
being diverted from their first site, were in
great part transferred immediately to Cre-
mogue, about three miles distant. On their
way thither, wherever a drop of those waters
fell, a spring or pool was produced on the
instant. The origin of this deposit, in the
road-side tree, was thus accounted for ; and
reference was made to many other places,
where water existed, on a direct line, from
the "well of St. Fintan," at Clonenagh, to
a spring, denominated from him in like
manner, near the old church and graveyard
of Cremogue. Many of the peasantry, to et Bisson, Paris» The writer has endea-
the present day, when passing
St.