The supper usually
consists
of " sowins," or flummery.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
[^Possibly in the Sixth and Seventh Cen- turies.
^ In the early Christian ages of Scotland, it is remarked, that when a
saintly pastor died, his grateful flock dedicated a church to his memory. ^ ThishabithadbeenacquiredfromtheirearlyIrishmissionaries forinIre-
——;
land as in the present instance such usage appears to have dated back to
the time of St. Patrick himself. A festival in honour of Cairnan is simply entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh. ^ We read of Caornan, in the Mar- tyrology of Donegal,^ as being venerated on this day. In the table sub- joined to this very interesting Menologium, the present saint is thought be- longing to Cill-Chaornain, in Connaught. '^ This place is now represented by Kilcornan,5 a townland in the parish of Stradbally,^ and barony of Dun- kellen, a part of the former Clanrickard territory. ? Mr. O'Donovan was of opinion, that the old church of Kilcornan, near Mr. Redington's house,? had been the original parish church, before its position was moved to Stradbally. ^ The church here lies in ruins, and it is picturesquely situated, within Kil- cornan demesne. 9 Stradbally is classed as a vicarage in the list of County Galway benefices. '° Between Kilcornan and Moyvaela in this parish is the brook, formerly called Turloch Airt," because King Airt was there killed by the companions-in-arms of Lugad Mac Con, who invaded Galway, with a great number of foreign auxiliaries. In the introduction to the Martyrology of Donegal it is stated, that Cill-Cornain lies in Clan-Rickard. " This territory of Clanrickard comprised six baronies, in the county of Galway, namely, Leitrim,Loughreagh,Dunkellin,Killartan,ClareandAthenry. 's Ithasbeen asserted, that Caimaan or Caornan, ' the son of Brandubh, the son of Meilge,^s
was one of St. Columba's disciples.
Article X. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
'
See the Protestant writer Cosmo Innes' " Sketches of Early Scottish History and Social Progress," chap. i. , pp.
2, 3.
^
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiv.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
ibid. , pp. 374, 375.
5 It is represented on the " Ordnance Sur-
He is also said to have been a relation
chap, iii. , pp. 54, 55.
*
See"CountyofGalwayLetters,"J. O. S. vol. i. , p. 289.
» It is shown on Sheet 95 of Galway
Townland Maps.
'° "
See Hely Button's Statistical and
Agricultural Survey of the County of Gal- way," chap, v. , § xxiv. , p. 477.
p. xiv. — Article xi.
32, 33. *See
"See xxxix. p.
'3 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the vey Townland Maps for the County of Gal- Four Masters," vol. iii. , n. (d), pp. 179,
way," Sheets 95. 103.
180. Also, his "Tribes and Customs of Hy-Many. " Introductory Remarks, pp. 17, 18.
"* In the new edition of ' ' of Fordun's John
Chronicle of the Scottish Nation," trans- lated from the Latin text by Felix J. H. Skene, and edited by William F. Skene, he is called "Caymanus, also a son of Bran- dinus, son of Melgy," vol. i. , book iii. , cap. xxvi. , p. 104.
'S Brandubh and Melge are names which are known to occur in the Four Masters. See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Life of
*
In a letter, dated Galway, October 3rd,
1838, John O'Donovan gives an interesting
of and its an- description Stradbally parish,
"
mation relative to the Antiquities of the
tiquities. See
Letters containing Infor-
County of Galway, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1838," vol. i. , pp. 289 to 295.
^ The designation of Clanrickarde origi- nated in the fourteenth centuryfrom Rickard, son to Sir William or Ulick de Burgo, called
Ulicusde Anaghkeen, the first Mac William "
Lighter. See Hardiman's History of the St. Columba. " Additional Notes A, p. Town and County of the Town of Galway," 246 and n. (q), ibid.
"
See ibid. , § xxiii. , p. 472.
6oo LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[January 31.
to the great founder, of lona. '^ He was born probably towards the middle
of the sixth century. Among distinguished persons, connected with the church at Derry, he has been classed. '? The names of those disciples, who
accompanied St. Columba to Scotland, are strangely disguised by Hector Boece ;'^ while Dempster perverts almost every name, which he makes that ofanauthorandasaint. '? ArchbishopUssher^°exhibitsamorefaithfullistf^
while Colgan, borrowing from him, has given a commentary on each name in
detail.
^^
Pinkerton has printed the names very correctly,^3 and from his pages,
with a few come into the " Parochiales Scotiae. "^'^ alterations, they Origines
Now Colgan has asserted, that Cairnan, the companion of St. Columkille's voyage, was the saint bearing such a name, and who was venerated on this day. If such be the case, he flourished about the close of the sixth or be- ginning of the seventh century. His feast day has been supposed assignable to the 31st of January, or to the 28th of April, by Bishop Forbes f^ yet, Colganmaintains,thelatterfeastwasthatofadifferentCairnech. —^^ How to connect the
Kilcornan in whether of St. Columkille with —
disciple Galvvay
by birth, residence or merely commemoration still seems a difficulty ; while further light must be required, to clear any mists of doubt or error, so apt, at this distant date, to cloud our retrospect of events and men long passed away and almost to utter oblivion.
Article XH. —Reputed Festival of St. Brigid, Patroness of
Ireland. [Fifth and Sixth Centuries. ^ Were we to attach credit to a
statement, found in the Kalendar of Drummond,' this was the date for St.
Brigid's happy departure to our Lord. Elsewhere, we do not find such an
account corroborated, and at most can we admit the 31st of January to have
been the vigil of her chief festival. However, this may be, from the old
Missal of Tournay,^ it would appear, that in some churches, the holy virgin
Brigidhadbee—nveneratedonthisday. 3 Therecanbenodoubt,insome
—artsofIreland butmoreespeciallyinthediocesesofKildareandLeighlin p
it was customary with young people to assemble, on the eve of her festival, and to carry with them what had been denominated a Bride oge, which
means in English, the Virgin Brigid. *
'*
This was an improvised lay-figure,
'*
By Bishop Forbes.
=5^See 294. *
Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p.
'7 See
"
Memoir of the City and North- Londonderry," part ii. ,
'^ "
See Scotorum Historia? , a prima
Western Liberties of
-° See "Trias . " Thaumaturga
sect. 2, p. 27.
Quarta Ap- pendix ad Acta S. Columbse, cap. x. , p.
gentis origine," Hb. ix. , fol. clxxii. , b. "
488. — Article xii.
'
In the "Kalendarium
'9 See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scoioxum," passim.
Drummondiense,"attheii. oftheFebruary
* a of in the de- Tournay, city France,
partment of Jemappe, on the Scheld, is thought to be the most, ancient town of
Belgic Gaul. It was founded 6cx) years be-
fore Christ, and it was formerly the capital of Jthe Nervii. It was also a bishop's see, erected in the fifth century. See Rees'
" vol. xxxvi. Subvoce. Cyclopaedia," "
3 See the BoUandists' Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxxi. Januarii. Praetermissi et in alios dies rejecti, p. 1079.
•For more detailed particulars, relating
'°
See "Works," vol. vi. "Britanni- carura Ecclesiarmn Antiquitates," cap. xv. , p. 237.
" From the Cottonian MS. in which we
read, "Cetea Cairnaan, filius Branduib filii
Meilgi. " According to other copies Cetea and Cairnan are distinct names.
" See " Trias Thaumaturga. " Appendix Secunda ad Acta S. Columbse, pars. ii. , p.
468. Also, Quarta Appendix, cap. ix. , pp. 486, 487.
^3
"
Vitse Antiqure Sanctorum, qui habita- Vol. ii. , part i. , p. 285.
verunt in ea parte Britannia;, nunc vocata
Scotia vel in ejus insulis," p. 186.
'*
:
" Sancta quoque Virgo
Kalends, we read
Brigita in Hil)ernia hodie migrasse fertur ad Christum. " See Bishop Forbes' "Ka- lendars of Scottish Saints," p. 4.
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 601
January 31. ]
dressedinfemalecostume. Offeringsandpresentsofmoneywereusually
given to its bearers, by the farming classes, and by comfortable house- holders. This festive celebration was probably derived from carrying St.
Brigid's statue in procession, at some remote period. On this day, also, straws variously coloured were curiously arranged or plaited—frequently with
great ruritic taste and ingenuity by peasant girls—into a square shape, in the centre of which a cross was formed. These objects were called " St. Brigid's
Crosses. "s They were set up, with a prayer to St. Brigid, on the thatch or wattles, which generally roofed the farmer's or peasant's dwelling. Here
they continued, frequently discoloured by dust or smoke, during most of the year, until replaced once more by those newly fashioned. In the northern part of Antrim County, the following curious custom prevails, on the eve of St. Brigid's festival. ^ One of the household is told off to cut a bundle of rushes,whichhecarrieshome. Hethenleavesthemoutsidethedooruntil supper is ready to be put on the table.
The supper usually consists of " sowins," or flummery. At supper-time, he went outside the door, and lifted the rushes in his arms, repeating in Irish three times to this effect : " Go ye on your knees, and make humble obeisance, and let Bridget of the secrets in. '"'7 The people inside went on their knees three times, and re-
:
sponded each time to the above " She is welcome. "^ Then the person
entered, and spread those rushes on the table. That dish, containing the
supper, was placed upon them, and when all had partaken of their meal, they fell to making crosses with the rushes. One account says, the crosses were put aside for three days, and then holy water was sprinkled on them. After this, one cross was placed over the door, another over the bed, in fine, onewasputineveryconspicuousplacethroughoutthehouse. 9 IntheCounty of Waterford a custom prevailed of putting a ribbon'° outside of windows on St. Brigid's eve, in honour of the saint ; and, it was thought, they were blessed by her during the night. The people were accustomed—to bind them round their—heads for the cure of head-ache. '^ Such practices not yet wholly ex- tinct show that formerly religious celebrations and pious exercises, on this eve, ushered in the great festival of Ireland's illustrious Patroness.
Article XIII. —St. Cainneach, Priest, and Son of Ua Chil. [Eighth Century. ^ We have inferential evidence, which leads to the suppo- sition that this holy man first drew breath in the earlier part or middle of the eighth century. A festival to honour St. Cainech, a priest, is entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 31st of January. In the Martyrologies of
to this popular festivity, the reader is re- ferred to '• Irish Folk-Lore," by Lageniensis, chap, xvii. , pp. 137, 138.
' The words are repeated, however, in Irish as follows : Ca ^TAitue aici.
5 This seems to have been a pagan cus- torn, turned to Christian account in honour of St. Brigid, according to the expressed
origin.
sThe writer well remembers a very general
prevalence of such customs in the midland
parts of Ireland, and from reliable informa-
t ion communicated to him, they were known the writer thinks it is of purely Christian and practised in many districts of the south.
*For the accompanying items of interest-
ing information, the writer feels indebted to
Rev. D. B. Mulcahy, C. C. , Pharis, Parish
of Loughguile. They are contained in a catedby Rev. 'Laurence O'Byme, C. C, SS.
letter, dated 12th of January, 1875.
7 The Irish words are: CeijiT) ai^a bup
n-giume Aju-p •oeAneA'6 ji-o utribuigeAcc, AgUf LlgTO biMJiT) riA i\uti AfCeAC.
Michael and John, Dublin.
opinion of Rev. Mr. Mulcahy. However,
"
"It was called in Irish, b]\eAC biMgit)! , Brigid's cloak. "
" This information has been communi-
Article xili. — Kelly, p. xiv.
'Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
6 32 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
Marianus O'Gorman' and of Donegal,^ on this day, the name of Cainneach, son of Ua Chil, as a priest, occurs. This Uchil had the happiness of having a partner in wedlock, and she was eminent for her virtues. So do we find, that the rank and family of our saint are recorded, notv\dthstanding the opposite assertion of Colgan. ^ St. Mella was his mother,s She was like- wisetheparentofanotherholyson,namedSt. Tigernach. ^ Fromearliest years, we can have little doubt, their pious mother had been instrumental in directing her sons' vocation towards that life in religion, which she also embraced after her husband's death. The present sainfs mission has not been noticed ; but probably —its scene lay not far from Doire Melle—near the beautiful Lough Melvin? and either in the County of Leitrim or Fer- managh. Thatwoodedspotwasprobablycleared,longcenturiesago,and now both name and site appear to have been forgotten. With Doire Melle, however, Cainnech's holy mother and brother were associated, towards the close of the eighth century. Although Colgan has remarked, that the pre- sent St. Cannech may be the one baptized by St. Patrick, at the fountain Slan, in Finmagh, and in the province of Connaught;^ yet, we must ob- serve, the latter is called a bishop,^ and besides the times will not agree. Our readers are referred to another St. Coinnech's or St. Cainneach's festival, af the 23rd of January, for a little further elucidation. The year of this presentsaint'sdeathhasnotbeenascertained; but,heprobablysurvivedto the close of the eighth, or to the beginning of the ninth century. A priest in spirit and in truth, as he undoubtedly was, only tends to God and to virtues ;'" he flies from (worldlings ; he mortifies sensual desires ; he loves solitudeandsilence; heisnorespecterofpersons; heregardsrichandpoor, the powerful and the lowly, alike ; or rather, he favours the poor more than the rich, and he compassionates the humble, rather than the mighty. He loves especially to announce Gospel truths to the poor.
Article XIV. —St. Gildas, Confessor, of Blavet, in Britany,
France. \Sevetith Century? ^ Already has the reader been presented with the Life of St. Gildas, sumamed Badonicus, and the Wise ;' while some de-
gree of circumspection has been observed, in analysing the evidence which is accessible, so that on the one side, he might possibly be identified with, and
on the other be distinguished from, Gildas, called Cambrius, and Albanius, as alsofromGildasiusorGildas,AbbotofReys,inBritany. '' Nextcomesfora
question, the existence and separation of another saint, designated Gildas, whose feast has been set down at this day, in an ancient Corisopitensian Breviary. Mediseval writers state, that it belonged to the Comouaille diocese. 3 His
"
niat," xxxi. Martii. Vita S. McUje, n. 2,
p. 796.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
32, 33.
See "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima
Vita S. Patricii, n. 128, p. 179.
5 Some notices regarding her will be found
at the 31st of March, the day for her festival. ' See notices of him at the 4th of Novem-
ber, the day for his feast.
7 Its Leitrim shore is immediately over-
hung by the Dartree Hills, while its northern shores are " relieved by the wooded surface and the relative positions of the principal islands. " See "
"See Colgan's
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
'See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita S. Patricii, n. 128, ;p. 171.
5 His feast occurs, it is thought, at the 23rd of January.
Parliamentary Ireland," toI. ii. , p. 764.
Gazetteer of
Article xiv. See at the 29th day of January, art. i.
"
See ibid. , art. i. , ii,, iii.
3 According to Philippus Ferrarius, Cori-
sopitum or Quimper, was in the western part of Minor Britain, formerly called Cor- nubia. Hence the city is often called Corn- ouaille, and sometimes Quimper Corentin, from St. Corentin, its patron bishop. See "Novum Lexicon tomus
i. , p. 220.
'"
See the Canon Claude Arvisinet's
" Memoriale Vit? —e Sacerdotalis," cap. x. •
Geographicum,"
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 603
acts, so far as they had been known, are given by Father John Colgan. * The learned editor sifts reasons for and against his being taken, as a distinct
Gildas, from any of the Gildases, regarding whose acts he had previously
treated. Heinclinedrathertodistinguishthepresentholyman,butitseems
doubtful enough, if with a just regard to correctness. Nevertheless, the
Bollandists suppose,^ that St. Gildas or Gildasius, venerated on the 31st of
January, at the Church of St. Corentin, of Corisopitis,^ in Britannic Amiorica,
wasinnomannertobedistinguishedfromSt. GildastheWise. Itisstrange,
how the very existence of this latter holy man should be called in question,
simply because his history has been involved in doubt and obscurity. 7 On
similar grounds, many a historic character should be classed among mythic
personages. Most of our early and mediaeval writers fall into the error of
making several diverse titles serve to discriminate as many different persons.
Hence, we have a Gildas Cambrius, a Gildas Albanius, a Gildas Badonicus,
a Gildas Sapiens, a Gildasius or Gildas of Reys, a Gildas of Blavet, a Gildas,
otherwise called Nennius, not to speak of other disguised forms for this ancient
IrishandBritishname. ^ Attendingtowhathasbeenstated,inpreviouspages
of this work, it will only be within our power briefly to recapitulate acts,
severally attributed to those Gildases. Thus we find a Gildas Cambrius,
who was a British and who was famous for ^° He is said to poet,9 prophecy.
have been born at a time, when Roman eloquence flourished most through- out the entire world. Under the best masters, he studied Greek and Latin letters, and he was a contemporary with the most celebrated of the Latin poets," if we are to believe the account left us. " He is said, also, to have written many books. This learned man is reputed to have been a poet, a mathematician,arhetoricianandahistorian. '3 Accordingtocertainwriters,** Gildas Albanius was a disciple of the great St. Patrick, and descended from a royal stem among the Britons. He is said to have been very learned, and to have visited Gaul, whence he returned with a knowledge of the language, and with a great number of books. He opposed the Pelagian heresy ; he wasaprophetandanascetic; hewasanactivemissionaryandahermit;
" See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemi2e,"xxxi. 'See John Lewis' "History of Great Januarii. De S. Gildasio Confessore. Ex Britain, from the first Inhabitants thereof,
Breviario vetusto Corispotensi. A few elu- cidations from other sources follow, with some explanatory notes. See pp. 226 to 228.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxxi.
Januarii. Prsetermissi et in alios dies re-
jecti, p. 1078.
* As appears from the old Breviary of this
cliurch.
7 See such a statement in S. Austin Alii-
bone's " Critical Dictionary of English Li- terature, and British and American Authors, Living and Deceased, from the earliest Ac- counts to the middle of the Nineteenth Century," vol. i. , p. 669.
^ We are told, that Alawn was the bardic name for Gildas, who, with Plennydd and Gwron, three primary bards of Britain, first framed and organised the privileges, customs and institutes of bards and bardism. This, however, is from a rather doubtful source. See " An Essay on the Ncodruidic Heresy in Britannia," parti. , § 15, p. 85. By the author of "Brittannia after the Romans. "
The work here quoted is visionary, and yet
'till the Death of Cadwalader, Last King of
the Britains ; and of the Kings of Scotland
to Eugene V. ," &c. , p. 88.
"•
See ibid. , pp. 174, 193.
"Among these are reckoned, Martial,
Flaccus, Silius, Statius, Stella, Juvenal, &c.
"See John Bale's "Scriptorum Illus-
trium Majoris Brytannise quam nunc Angliam
etScotiam vocant — Catalogus,"cent. 1. , p. 19.
'3 The following is a list of his works
Annales suae Gentis, lib. i. ; Historiam
Aruiragi contra luuenalem, lib. i. ; Epitha-
lamion Gennissas, lib. i. ; Cambreidos Car-
men, lib. plures ; Lites Luddi et Nennii, lib. i. ; Poemata Diversi Generis, lib. i. ;
Epigrammaton quoque, lib. i. ; De Perdice prophetante, lib. i. ; Prophetiam ejus trans- tulit, lib. i. ; Statuta Dunuallonis vertit, lib.
i. ; Leges Molmutinas, lib. i. ; Leges Mar- tianas, lib. i.
saintly pastor died, his grateful flock dedicated a church to his memory. ^ ThishabithadbeenacquiredfromtheirearlyIrishmissionaries forinIre-
——;
land as in the present instance such usage appears to have dated back to
the time of St. Patrick himself. A festival in honour of Cairnan is simply entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh. ^ We read of Caornan, in the Mar- tyrology of Donegal,^ as being venerated on this day. In the table sub- joined to this very interesting Menologium, the present saint is thought be- longing to Cill-Chaornain, in Connaught. '^ This place is now represented by Kilcornan,5 a townland in the parish of Stradbally,^ and barony of Dun- kellen, a part of the former Clanrickard territory. ? Mr. O'Donovan was of opinion, that the old church of Kilcornan, near Mr. Redington's house,? had been the original parish church, before its position was moved to Stradbally. ^ The church here lies in ruins, and it is picturesquely situated, within Kil- cornan demesne. 9 Stradbally is classed as a vicarage in the list of County Galway benefices. '° Between Kilcornan and Moyvaela in this parish is the brook, formerly called Turloch Airt," because King Airt was there killed by the companions-in-arms of Lugad Mac Con, who invaded Galway, with a great number of foreign auxiliaries. In the introduction to the Martyrology of Donegal it is stated, that Cill-Cornain lies in Clan-Rickard. " This territory of Clanrickard comprised six baronies, in the county of Galway, namely, Leitrim,Loughreagh,Dunkellin,Killartan,ClareandAthenry. 's Ithasbeen asserted, that Caimaan or Caornan, ' the son of Brandubh, the son of Meilge,^s
was one of St. Columba's disciples.
Article X. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
'
See the Protestant writer Cosmo Innes' " Sketches of Early Scottish History and Social Progress," chap. i. , pp.
2, 3.
^
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiv.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
ibid. , pp. 374, 375.
5 It is represented on the " Ordnance Sur-
He is also said to have been a relation
chap, iii. , pp. 54, 55.
*
See"CountyofGalwayLetters,"J. O. S. vol. i. , p. 289.
» It is shown on Sheet 95 of Galway
Townland Maps.
'° "
See Hely Button's Statistical and
Agricultural Survey of the County of Gal- way," chap, v. , § xxiv. , p. 477.
p. xiv. — Article xi.
32, 33. *See
"See xxxix. p.
'3 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the vey Townland Maps for the County of Gal- Four Masters," vol. iii. , n. (d), pp. 179,
way," Sheets 95. 103.
180. Also, his "Tribes and Customs of Hy-Many. " Introductory Remarks, pp. 17, 18.
"* In the new edition of ' ' of Fordun's John
Chronicle of the Scottish Nation," trans- lated from the Latin text by Felix J. H. Skene, and edited by William F. Skene, he is called "Caymanus, also a son of Bran- dinus, son of Melgy," vol. i. , book iii. , cap. xxvi. , p. 104.
'S Brandubh and Melge are names which are known to occur in the Four Masters. See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Life of
*
In a letter, dated Galway, October 3rd,
1838, John O'Donovan gives an interesting
of and its an- description Stradbally parish,
"
mation relative to the Antiquities of the
tiquities. See
Letters containing Infor-
County of Galway, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1838," vol. i. , pp. 289 to 295.
^ The designation of Clanrickarde origi- nated in the fourteenth centuryfrom Rickard, son to Sir William or Ulick de Burgo, called
Ulicusde Anaghkeen, the first Mac William "
Lighter. See Hardiman's History of the St. Columba. " Additional Notes A, p. Town and County of the Town of Galway," 246 and n. (q), ibid.
"
See ibid. , § xxiii. , p. 472.
6oo LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[January 31.
to the great founder, of lona. '^ He was born probably towards the middle
of the sixth century. Among distinguished persons, connected with the church at Derry, he has been classed. '? The names of those disciples, who
accompanied St. Columba to Scotland, are strangely disguised by Hector Boece ;'^ while Dempster perverts almost every name, which he makes that ofanauthorandasaint. '? ArchbishopUssher^°exhibitsamorefaithfullistf^
while Colgan, borrowing from him, has given a commentary on each name in
detail.
^^
Pinkerton has printed the names very correctly,^3 and from his pages,
with a few come into the " Parochiales Scotiae. "^'^ alterations, they Origines
Now Colgan has asserted, that Cairnan, the companion of St. Columkille's voyage, was the saint bearing such a name, and who was venerated on this day. If such be the case, he flourished about the close of the sixth or be- ginning of the seventh century. His feast day has been supposed assignable to the 31st of January, or to the 28th of April, by Bishop Forbes f^ yet, Colganmaintains,thelatterfeastwasthatofadifferentCairnech. —^^ How to connect the
Kilcornan in whether of St. Columkille with —
disciple Galvvay
by birth, residence or merely commemoration still seems a difficulty ; while further light must be required, to clear any mists of doubt or error, so apt, at this distant date, to cloud our retrospect of events and men long passed away and almost to utter oblivion.
Article XH. —Reputed Festival of St. Brigid, Patroness of
Ireland. [Fifth and Sixth Centuries. ^ Were we to attach credit to a
statement, found in the Kalendar of Drummond,' this was the date for St.
Brigid's happy departure to our Lord. Elsewhere, we do not find such an
account corroborated, and at most can we admit the 31st of January to have
been the vigil of her chief festival. However, this may be, from the old
Missal of Tournay,^ it would appear, that in some churches, the holy virgin
Brigidhadbee—nveneratedonthisday. 3 Therecanbenodoubt,insome
—artsofIreland butmoreespeciallyinthediocesesofKildareandLeighlin p
it was customary with young people to assemble, on the eve of her festival, and to carry with them what had been denominated a Bride oge, which
means in English, the Virgin Brigid. *
'*
This was an improvised lay-figure,
'*
By Bishop Forbes.
=5^See 294. *
Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p.
'7 See
"
Memoir of the City and North- Londonderry," part ii. ,
'^ "
See Scotorum Historia? , a prima
Western Liberties of
-° See "Trias . " Thaumaturga
sect. 2, p. 27.
Quarta Ap- pendix ad Acta S. Columbse, cap. x. , p.
gentis origine," Hb. ix. , fol. clxxii. , b. "
488. — Article xii.
'
In the "Kalendarium
'9 See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scoioxum," passim.
Drummondiense,"attheii. oftheFebruary
* a of in the de- Tournay, city France,
partment of Jemappe, on the Scheld, is thought to be the most, ancient town of
Belgic Gaul. It was founded 6cx) years be-
fore Christ, and it was formerly the capital of Jthe Nervii. It was also a bishop's see, erected in the fifth century. See Rees'
" vol. xxxvi. Subvoce. Cyclopaedia," "
3 See the BoUandists' Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxxi. Januarii. Praetermissi et in alios dies rejecti, p. 1079.
•For more detailed particulars, relating
'°
See "Works," vol. vi. "Britanni- carura Ecclesiarmn Antiquitates," cap. xv. , p. 237.
" From the Cottonian MS. in which we
read, "Cetea Cairnaan, filius Branduib filii
Meilgi. " According to other copies Cetea and Cairnan are distinct names.
" See " Trias Thaumaturga. " Appendix Secunda ad Acta S. Columbse, pars. ii. , p.
468. Also, Quarta Appendix, cap. ix. , pp. 486, 487.
^3
"
Vitse Antiqure Sanctorum, qui habita- Vol. ii. , part i. , p. 285.
verunt in ea parte Britannia;, nunc vocata
Scotia vel in ejus insulis," p. 186.
'*
:
" Sancta quoque Virgo
Kalends, we read
Brigita in Hil)ernia hodie migrasse fertur ad Christum. " See Bishop Forbes' "Ka- lendars of Scottish Saints," p. 4.
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 601
January 31. ]
dressedinfemalecostume. Offeringsandpresentsofmoneywereusually
given to its bearers, by the farming classes, and by comfortable house- holders. This festive celebration was probably derived from carrying St.
Brigid's statue in procession, at some remote period. On this day, also, straws variously coloured were curiously arranged or plaited—frequently with
great ruritic taste and ingenuity by peasant girls—into a square shape, in the centre of which a cross was formed. These objects were called " St. Brigid's
Crosses. "s They were set up, with a prayer to St. Brigid, on the thatch or wattles, which generally roofed the farmer's or peasant's dwelling. Here
they continued, frequently discoloured by dust or smoke, during most of the year, until replaced once more by those newly fashioned. In the northern part of Antrim County, the following curious custom prevails, on the eve of St. Brigid's festival. ^ One of the household is told off to cut a bundle of rushes,whichhecarrieshome. Hethenleavesthemoutsidethedooruntil supper is ready to be put on the table.
The supper usually consists of " sowins," or flummery. At supper-time, he went outside the door, and lifted the rushes in his arms, repeating in Irish three times to this effect : " Go ye on your knees, and make humble obeisance, and let Bridget of the secrets in. '"'7 The people inside went on their knees three times, and re-
:
sponded each time to the above " She is welcome. "^ Then the person
entered, and spread those rushes on the table. That dish, containing the
supper, was placed upon them, and when all had partaken of their meal, they fell to making crosses with the rushes. One account says, the crosses were put aside for three days, and then holy water was sprinkled on them. After this, one cross was placed over the door, another over the bed, in fine, onewasputineveryconspicuousplacethroughoutthehouse. 9 IntheCounty of Waterford a custom prevailed of putting a ribbon'° outside of windows on St. Brigid's eve, in honour of the saint ; and, it was thought, they were blessed by her during the night. The people were accustomed—to bind them round their—heads for the cure of head-ache. '^ Such practices not yet wholly ex- tinct show that formerly religious celebrations and pious exercises, on this eve, ushered in the great festival of Ireland's illustrious Patroness.
Article XIII. —St. Cainneach, Priest, and Son of Ua Chil. [Eighth Century. ^ We have inferential evidence, which leads to the suppo- sition that this holy man first drew breath in the earlier part or middle of the eighth century. A festival to honour St. Cainech, a priest, is entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 31st of January. In the Martyrologies of
to this popular festivity, the reader is re- ferred to '• Irish Folk-Lore," by Lageniensis, chap, xvii. , pp. 137, 138.
' The words are repeated, however, in Irish as follows : Ca ^TAitue aici.
5 This seems to have been a pagan cus- torn, turned to Christian account in honour of St. Brigid, according to the expressed
origin.
sThe writer well remembers a very general
prevalence of such customs in the midland
parts of Ireland, and from reliable informa-
t ion communicated to him, they were known the writer thinks it is of purely Christian and practised in many districts of the south.
*For the accompanying items of interest-
ing information, the writer feels indebted to
Rev. D. B. Mulcahy, C. C. , Pharis, Parish
of Loughguile. They are contained in a catedby Rev. 'Laurence O'Byme, C. C, SS.
letter, dated 12th of January, 1875.
7 The Irish words are: CeijiT) ai^a bup
n-giume Aju-p •oeAneA'6 ji-o utribuigeAcc, AgUf LlgTO biMJiT) riA i\uti AfCeAC.
Michael and John, Dublin.
opinion of Rev. Mr. Mulcahy. However,
"
"It was called in Irish, b]\eAC biMgit)! , Brigid's cloak. "
" This information has been communi-
Article xili. — Kelly, p. xiv.
'Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
6 32 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
Marianus O'Gorman' and of Donegal,^ on this day, the name of Cainneach, son of Ua Chil, as a priest, occurs. This Uchil had the happiness of having a partner in wedlock, and she was eminent for her virtues. So do we find, that the rank and family of our saint are recorded, notv\dthstanding the opposite assertion of Colgan. ^ St. Mella was his mother,s She was like- wisetheparentofanotherholyson,namedSt. Tigernach. ^ Fromearliest years, we can have little doubt, their pious mother had been instrumental in directing her sons' vocation towards that life in religion, which she also embraced after her husband's death. The present sainfs mission has not been noticed ; but probably —its scene lay not far from Doire Melle—near the beautiful Lough Melvin? and either in the County of Leitrim or Fer- managh. Thatwoodedspotwasprobablycleared,longcenturiesago,and now both name and site appear to have been forgotten. With Doire Melle, however, Cainnech's holy mother and brother were associated, towards the close of the eighth century. Although Colgan has remarked, that the pre- sent St. Cannech may be the one baptized by St. Patrick, at the fountain Slan, in Finmagh, and in the province of Connaught;^ yet, we must ob- serve, the latter is called a bishop,^ and besides the times will not agree. Our readers are referred to another St. Coinnech's or St. Cainneach's festival, af the 23rd of January, for a little further elucidation. The year of this presentsaint'sdeathhasnotbeenascertained; but,heprobablysurvivedto the close of the eighth, or to the beginning of the ninth century. A priest in spirit and in truth, as he undoubtedly was, only tends to God and to virtues ;'" he flies from (worldlings ; he mortifies sensual desires ; he loves solitudeandsilence; heisnorespecterofpersons; heregardsrichandpoor, the powerful and the lowly, alike ; or rather, he favours the poor more than the rich, and he compassionates the humble, rather than the mighty. He loves especially to announce Gospel truths to the poor.
Article XIV. —St. Gildas, Confessor, of Blavet, in Britany,
France. \Sevetith Century? ^ Already has the reader been presented with the Life of St. Gildas, sumamed Badonicus, and the Wise ;' while some de-
gree of circumspection has been observed, in analysing the evidence which is accessible, so that on the one side, he might possibly be identified with, and
on the other be distinguished from, Gildas, called Cambrius, and Albanius, as alsofromGildasiusorGildas,AbbotofReys,inBritany. '' Nextcomesfora
question, the existence and separation of another saint, designated Gildas, whose feast has been set down at this day, in an ancient Corisopitensian Breviary. Mediseval writers state, that it belonged to the Comouaille diocese. 3 His
"
niat," xxxi. Martii. Vita S. McUje, n. 2,
p. 796.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
32, 33.
See "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima
Vita S. Patricii, n. 128, p. 179.
5 Some notices regarding her will be found
at the 31st of March, the day for her festival. ' See notices of him at the 4th of Novem-
ber, the day for his feast.
7 Its Leitrim shore is immediately over-
hung by the Dartree Hills, while its northern shores are " relieved by the wooded surface and the relative positions of the principal islands. " See "
"See Colgan's
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
'See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita S. Patricii, n. 128, ;p. 171.
5 His feast occurs, it is thought, at the 23rd of January.
Parliamentary Ireland," toI. ii. , p. 764.
Gazetteer of
Article xiv. See at the 29th day of January, art. i.
"
See ibid. , art. i. , ii,, iii.
3 According to Philippus Ferrarius, Cori-
sopitum or Quimper, was in the western part of Minor Britain, formerly called Cor- nubia. Hence the city is often called Corn- ouaille, and sometimes Quimper Corentin, from St. Corentin, its patron bishop. See "Novum Lexicon tomus
i. , p. 220.
'"
See the Canon Claude Arvisinet's
" Memoriale Vit? —e Sacerdotalis," cap. x. •
Geographicum,"
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 603
acts, so far as they had been known, are given by Father John Colgan. * The learned editor sifts reasons for and against his being taken, as a distinct
Gildas, from any of the Gildases, regarding whose acts he had previously
treated. Heinclinedrathertodistinguishthepresentholyman,butitseems
doubtful enough, if with a just regard to correctness. Nevertheless, the
Bollandists suppose,^ that St. Gildas or Gildasius, venerated on the 31st of
January, at the Church of St. Corentin, of Corisopitis,^ in Britannic Amiorica,
wasinnomannertobedistinguishedfromSt. GildastheWise. Itisstrange,
how the very existence of this latter holy man should be called in question,
simply because his history has been involved in doubt and obscurity. 7 On
similar grounds, many a historic character should be classed among mythic
personages. Most of our early and mediaeval writers fall into the error of
making several diverse titles serve to discriminate as many different persons.
Hence, we have a Gildas Cambrius, a Gildas Albanius, a Gildas Badonicus,
a Gildas Sapiens, a Gildasius or Gildas of Reys, a Gildas of Blavet, a Gildas,
otherwise called Nennius, not to speak of other disguised forms for this ancient
IrishandBritishname. ^ Attendingtowhathasbeenstated,inpreviouspages
of this work, it will only be within our power briefly to recapitulate acts,
severally attributed to those Gildases. Thus we find a Gildas Cambrius,
who was a British and who was famous for ^° He is said to poet,9 prophecy.
have been born at a time, when Roman eloquence flourished most through- out the entire world. Under the best masters, he studied Greek and Latin letters, and he was a contemporary with the most celebrated of the Latin poets," if we are to believe the account left us. " He is said, also, to have written many books. This learned man is reputed to have been a poet, a mathematician,arhetoricianandahistorian. '3 Accordingtocertainwriters,** Gildas Albanius was a disciple of the great St. Patrick, and descended from a royal stem among the Britons. He is said to have been very learned, and to have visited Gaul, whence he returned with a knowledge of the language, and with a great number of books. He opposed the Pelagian heresy ; he wasaprophetandanascetic; hewasanactivemissionaryandahermit;
" See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemi2e,"xxxi. 'See John Lewis' "History of Great Januarii. De S. Gildasio Confessore. Ex Britain, from the first Inhabitants thereof,
Breviario vetusto Corispotensi. A few elu- cidations from other sources follow, with some explanatory notes. See pp. 226 to 228.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxxi.
Januarii. Prsetermissi et in alios dies re-
jecti, p. 1078.
* As appears from the old Breviary of this
cliurch.
7 See such a statement in S. Austin Alii-
bone's " Critical Dictionary of English Li- terature, and British and American Authors, Living and Deceased, from the earliest Ac- counts to the middle of the Nineteenth Century," vol. i. , p. 669.
^ We are told, that Alawn was the bardic name for Gildas, who, with Plennydd and Gwron, three primary bards of Britain, first framed and organised the privileges, customs and institutes of bards and bardism. This, however, is from a rather doubtful source. See " An Essay on the Ncodruidic Heresy in Britannia," parti. , § 15, p. 85. By the author of "Brittannia after the Romans. "
The work here quoted is visionary, and yet
'till the Death of Cadwalader, Last King of
the Britains ; and of the Kings of Scotland
to Eugene V. ," &c. , p. 88.
"•
See ibid. , pp. 174, 193.
"Among these are reckoned, Martial,
Flaccus, Silius, Statius, Stella, Juvenal, &c.
"See John Bale's "Scriptorum Illus-
trium Majoris Brytannise quam nunc Angliam
etScotiam vocant — Catalogus,"cent. 1. , p. 19.
'3 The following is a list of his works
Annales suae Gentis, lib. i. ; Historiam
Aruiragi contra luuenalem, lib. i. ; Epitha-
lamion Gennissas, lib. i. ; Cambreidos Car-
men, lib. plures ; Lites Luddi et Nennii, lib. i. ; Poemata Diversi Generis, lib. i. ;
Epigrammaton quoque, lib. i. ; De Perdice prophetante, lib. i. ; Prophetiam ejus trans- tulit, lib. i. ; Statuta Dunuallonis vertit, lib.
i. ; Leges Molmutinas, lib. i. ; Leges Mar- tianas, lib. i.
