See "Lives of the Fathers, Mar- tyrs and other
Principal
Saints," vol.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
He was bom in Cambria, and his family belonged to Britain.
In youth, he was emulous of learning from the best scholars of his day.
It would seem from his writings, that he studied among the Scots of Hibernia.
He has unjustly been accused^* of imposture and inventions in his works.
'^s His book on the wonders of Britain^^ he commenced a.
d.
829.
This, however, was not the sole composition he left.
^?
The present Gildas is thought to have been
living, as an old man, in a. d. 860, during the reign of King Ethelbert of Eng-
land. ^^ ThepossibilityofdistinguishingorconfoundingoneGildaswithano- ther must be apparent, from the fact stated by Dr. O'Conor, that not less than one thousand historical persons were adorned with this name. ^9 With these observations premised, we must proceed with the involved narrative of
'3 This holy man is celebrated by John walader, Last King of the Britains ; and of
monastic habit in the cenobium at great
Bangor.
great
Capgrave, as also by Galfridus and Ponticus.
He is distinguished from the Cambrian Gil-
das. See ibid. , and Appendix.
'*
See John Lewis' "History of Great Britain, from the first Inhabitants thereof, 'till the Death of Cadwaladar, Last King of
of Scotland
the Kings of Scotland to Eugene V. ," &c. See also this latter work, at p. 206.
*3 As we have already seen in his life at the 29th of January (chap. iv. ), to Gildas Badonicus or the Wise, John Bale attributes various works.
='• Leland and other By Polydore Vergil,
writers.
^5 See likewise the remarks of the Hon.
Algernon Herbert, prefixed to his and Dr. Todd's edition of "The Irish Version of the Historia Britonum of Nennius," pp. 19, 20.
the Britains ;
and of the
Kings to Eugene V. ," &c. , p. 176.
'7 See them already noticed, in the life of
St. Gildas Badonicus or the Wise (chap, iv. ,
n. 47), at the 29th of January.
'"John Bale's'* Scriptorum Illustrium Ma-
joris Brytannise quam nunc Angliam et Sco- tiam vocant Catalogus," cent, i. , p. 49.
-*
nostrorum veterum. " See Thomas
'9 See ibid. ,
^° "
^^ to Alluding
the est DePrimis Stagnum. "
p. 59.
Stephen's Literature of the Kymry," chap. i. , p. 17. ^1 The—following is said to be a list of his works : Breviarium Gildce, lib. i. ; it com- mences with " A principio mundi usque ad diluvium. De Mirabilibus Brytannias, lib. i. , commencing wiih " Primum Miraculum
Polydore Virgil is quoted as anauthority for this statement.
^' The Rev. John Williams, in his " Ec- clesiastical Antiquities of the Cymry," seems only to regard this Gildas, called the son of Law. See chap, v. , p. 136.
as
Gildas,
writer Folydorus, the Welsh antiquary, Humfrey Lhuyd, vindicated the ancient
Britons from his too sweeping charges, by telling us " he was no Hystoriographer, but a Priest and a Preacher. Whose custome is
very sharply to inueigh agaynst the faultes
of their hearers," See " The
Britayne. As this most renowned Hand was of auncient time diuided into three Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Wales," &c. , p. 51. Appended to John Lewis' "History of Great Britain, from the first Inhabitants thereof, 'till the Death of Cad-
quoted by
habitatoribus, lib. i. ; De Rege Arthuro, lib. i. ; De Se-
pulchro ejus incognito, lib. i. ; De esse peri- culoso, lib. i. ; De milite Leonis, lib. i, ; De Percevallo et Lanceloto, lib. i. ; De Gal- guano et aliis, lib. i. Besides these, it is said he wrote other tracts.
"'^ See Bale's " Illustrium John Scriptorum
Majoris BrytanniiB quam nunc Angliam et Scotiam vocant Catalogus," cent, ii. , pp.
122, 123,
="9 See "Rerum Hibemicarura Scriptores,"
tomus i. , p. 198,
Breviary
of
In this he alludes ',to "antiquis libris
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 605
yet another Gildas. It is supposed, that the present saint's origin was derived from a respectable family, and that he had been born in British Armorica. 3°
We find related, that his pious parents brought their son to be baptized by the holy Philibert,^^ who was then living in the Island of Oya, Hoia or Ogia,
where a monastery stood, about the beginning of the seventh century. 3^ Re- liable accounts do not warrant us in stating, that he was abbot at Hoya,33 although he discharged that ofiice in the adjoining Island of Hero. The same Philibert is said to have been his master in sacred letters. 34 In these Gildasmadewonderfulprogress,ashewasmoststudious. Ofelegantshape and appearance, his genius and dispositions were noble and intellectual. He
disregarded human applause and fame, having resolved on a religious life ; while his staid modest deportment indicated an evident turn for the monastic
state. In chastity and austerity of life he had no superior and few equals. From earliest youth, he was remarkable for a devotion to truth. He prac-
tised alms-giving and charity ; while he spent whole nights in vigil, and was frequently noticed with his hands and eyes directed to heaven in the attitude of sublime contemplation. 35 He is said to have tasted food only three times each week. He built a monastery called Blavet,3^ near the sea-shore, and beside the river thus denominated. 37 Thither many disciples resorted, and here, too, his ancient legend relates, that the saint was sorely tried by temp- tation. ss Four demons are said to have appeared, and habited as monks.
3° In his " Martyrologium Gallicanum," Andrew Saussay makes the Abbot Gildas a resident of Minor Britain, in his Supplement, at the 29th of January.
3' He is called, Abbas Tomodorensium,
in the life of Gildas, by the anonymous
Monk of Ruys. . This is a mistake, however, biarchae Camotensis. " Supplementum ad for the saint held no such position there, al-
though some of his successors had been ele-
vated to that dignity. Papirius Masson calls
the
Fluminibus Galliae. " Other writers call it Tomasium, and Tomusium. Philibert is said to have sailed over the sea with St. Germanus, that he might evangelize some
nodurensis. Neither in Sebastian Rouilard's
place Tornachium,
"
Christiana," is there mention made of St.
western people. See the Bollandists'
"
Acta
Philibert, nor of his monastery among the Camutes.
33 Thisis also related regarding the Blessed
Martin, according to the old Cornouaille
Breviary, lect. i.
3* The old Breviary of Cornouaille calls it
Baluet. The Bollandists state, that it is not to be distinguished from the Monastery of Ruys. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxix. Januarii. De. S. Gilda Sapiente. Prsemium, § iii. , 18, p. 954.
Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxix. Januarii. De S. Gilda Sapiente Abbate in Britannia
Armorica. Prsemium, §§ iii. , iv. , pp. 955, 956- This latter seems to have been the
St. Germanus, Bishop of Leon, in Armorica, who succeeded St. Paul, in that see, and who flourished about A. D. 640. See Andrew
"
Saussay's Martyrologium Gallicanum,"
Ca-
other writers, he is called Goluenus.
3^ Authors chiefly notice St. Philibert, as first abbot over the Monastery of Jumieges, in Normandy, and afterwards abbot in the
Gazetteer of the World," vol.
in his ' ' De work,
"
37 It is in the maratime department of talogus Episcoporum Leonensium," and by Morbihan, in the north-west of France.
Appendix. By Claude Robert, in his
in Britannic Armorica.
This river enters the sea below Lorient. It has a tide navigation up to Hennebout. See Charles Knight's "English Cyclopedia," Geography, vol. iii. , col. 864.
3** This related in detail legend, greater
in the Coumouaille Breviary, lect. iii. , iv. , v. , vi. , vii. , viii. , has been abridged in the Bollandist collection. It is interesting, merely as exhibiting illustrations of religious and social customs, in those early times. Thus, when tempted, Gildas retired to his oratory, and signed himself with a sign of the cross. He then took a book of the
Island of
Jumieges is on the right bank of the Seine, in the Department of Seine-Inferieure, and the ruins of an ancient abbey are there to be
found. See
"
Hero,
vii. , p. 417.
33 His acts are to be met with in Surius,
at the 20th of August, with the style some- what changed by the editor. This was ad-
dressed by the unknown writer to the Abbot Coschinus and to the brethern of Coenobiuni Gemmeticensis. See "De Probatis Sanc- torum Historiis," tomus iv. , pp. 785 to 791.
^ According to Andrew Saussay, Gildas ''
is called a disciple, S. Philiberti Coeno-
xxix. Januarii. However, this appears to
beSx\error; and,itisprobable,Carnotensis
has been substituted for Tornutiensis or Tor-
Historia Carnutensi," nor in the "Gallia
6o6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[January 31.
These told him, they had been sent by St. Philibert, who desired to see Gildas before death. That holy man was the first abbot of Jumieges,39 and afterwardsofHermoutier,nowNoirmoutier. 4° Hediedtowardsthecloseof the seventh century. ^^ Gildas had intuition regarding the pretences of his tempters, and said no monks were near to accompany him, nor seamen to prepare a bark, and steer it on the voyage. -*^ In a miraculous manner, how- ever, he was wafted over the sea and at length he safely reached the Island of Noirmoutier,43 where he saw the abbot St. Philibert. t+ The latter heard with awe the account of Gildas, but he gave thanks to God, who never de- serts his servants when in peril. +s Our saint then asked his blessing, and re- turningtothepost,hetookpostinthepoopofaship. Afterwardshestood out to sea, wishing to steer for the coast of Gaul. But, as God willed, a northern wind beat against him, and after some difficulty experienced during the navigation, he reached the shores of Ireland. We cannot find any re- liable record of his proceedings while in our country. -**^ That he blessed her land with his living presence is a circumstance to regard with pleasure, and he well deserves to rank among the holy ones there, who had been regarded as his contemporaries and friends. ''?
Gospels, in its case, which he had written over the altar, and this was placed on his bosom. Thengoingout,hemetthedemons, who declared they would accompany him as monks, and that they had a ship well manned, to convey him to \ki& exequicc of St. Philibert. Gildas put on his cloak and belt, while tak- ing a staff in his hand, and all sailed out to sea in the vessel provided. The bark moved with great velocity, until Gildas requested the directors to slacken speed, while they should sing God's praises at the first hour of the day. To this they demurred, as likely to delay their voyage, and to prevent their arriving that evening, to witness the death of Venerable Philibert. But Gildas insisted on carrying out his purpose, went on his knees, and began the Divine Office, with these words, " Deus-in adjutorium meum in- tende. " Instantly the phantom ship and monks disappeared, while the saint, spread- ing his cloak over the waves, sat on it. Then he was wafted with incredible speed to the
A,D. 684.
See "Lives of the Fathers, Mar- tyrs and other Principal Saints," vol. viii.
Augustxxii. TheMartyrologiesoftheninth century commemorate him at the 20th and
22nd of August.
** The Bollandists treat all this as a fabu-
lous account, and assert that the real Gildas the Wise flourished at least a century before the death of St. Philibert. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxix. Januarii. De S. Gilda Sapiente. Praemium, § iv. , pp. 955. 977-
*3 Its position is shown on J. Arrowsmith's " London Atlas of Universal Geography," No. II, France. It is the most north- westerly part of the Vendeean Department.
** He is said to have lived contemporane-
ously with Dagobert I. and Clovis II. , Kings of France. According to the writers of the " Modem Part of a Universal History, from the Earliest Accounts to the Present Time," the former king ruled from a. d. 628 to 638, vol. xix. ,chap. Ixviii. , sect, i. , pp. 241 to 245. The reign of Clovis II. from a. d. 638 to A. D. 654, 655, or 656, is well treated in le Pere G. Daniel's " Histoire de France," tome i. , pp. 415 to 425.
^5 St. Philibert flourished A. D. 649, ac-
Island of Oya, or Hoia, where he met St. "
Philibert. See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum
Hiberniae," xxxi. Januarii. De S. Gildasio Confessore, p. 226. Also the Bollandists'
''
ActaSanctorum,"tomusii. , xxix. Januarii. De S. Gilda Sapiente Abbate in Britannia Armorica.
39 In Latin, " Gemeticense Ccenobium. "
See Philippus Ferrarius "Novum Lexicon
Geographicum," tomus i. , p. 316. It is situated in Normandy.
*° It lies within the Department of Vendee, in the west of France. It is about 12 miles long from north-north-west to south-south- east, and in one part it is nearly 5 miles broad. It is separated from the m9. inland at its south-eastern extremity by a narrow channel, about half a mile across. See Charles Knight's "English Cyclopedia," Geography, vol, iv. , col. 986.
' According to the Rev. Alban Butler,
cording to Sigebert. See Dom. Martin "
Although many of the foregoing names.
Bouquet's Recueil des Historiens des Gaules et de la France," tome iii. , "Ex Sigeberti Gemblacensis Monachi Chronico," P- 342.
*^ Unless, indeed, we apply the Monk of Ruys' acts of Gildas to him.
to pronounce decidedly a judgment on the diverse individuality of the present Gildas ; yet, he thinks in reference to his acts, that one alternative from these two following
'^^ In about the treating
present saint, Colgan has noticed coincidences, in his acts, and likewise various discrepancies, between them and those of the Gildases, mentioned atthe29thofthismonth. Hedoesnotwish
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 607
places, times and circumstances bore a similarity to others previously re- corded ;48 still there are differences of festivals, dates, and contemporaneous personages to disturb accordance and remove parallel lines of adjustment. From all we can now glean or guess, the present St. Gildas lived in the seventh century, and probably died towards its close, or he may have sur- vived to the beginning of the eighth age. Thus, in point of time, he seems to have flourished at a period different from that when the renowned men of his name, and whose acts already have been so hesitatingly and dubiously treated, are known to have lived.
Article XV. —St, Lug, or Lughaedh, son to Eochaidh, of Tir-
da-Chraobh, now Teernacreeve, Parish of Castletown Kindalen, County of Westmeath. {Sixth Century. '] If the want of abundant re- cords, on the one hand, has reduced history into a closer compass, on the other,ithasoccasionedgreatconfusionanduncertainty. ' Atanearlyperiod of our Christian days, this holy man lived. A festival, to honour Lug, Tir- da-craebh, and the son of Eachaich, is registered in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ and of Marianus 0'Gorman,3 at the 31st of January. Some doubt seems to have been entertained—but now —regarding
it is removed the locality with which he had been connected. On this day, in the Martyrology of Donegal,'^ we find entered Lughaedh, son to Eochuidh,^ of Tir-da-chraobh. He descended by five generations from Laeghaire, son to Niall the Great, Monarch of Ireland. This saint was a brother to St. Fintan, who is vene- rated on the I St day of this month, as also to St. Coluim, or Columbanus,^ andtoSt. Comaigh. 7 TheMartyrologyofDonegalhasanobservation,that there is a Tir-da-chraobh in Cinel Fiachach. Again, the compiler of this calendar, remarks, he knew of no church, at that place called Tir-da-chraobh. Such a statement is fully borne out, by the fact, that a close examination of the Ordnance Survey Maps for the parish of Castletown Kindalen,' within
which the townland of Teernacreeve^ is situated, shows no trace whatever of
ecclesiastical ''° The antiquities.
of Cinel-Fiachach com- originally
territory
prised the countries of O'MoUoy, now in the King's County, and of Ma-
conclusions must necessarily be admitted.
First, either the author of the Lessons, in the
Quarta Vita S. Columbas, n. 67, p. 377.
• Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
old Breviary of Couraouaille, and the anony-
mous monk of Ruys, attributed or appro-
priated false statements and acts as applic-
able to their respective subjects of biography;
or, secondly, if those vyriters drew their ac-
counts from respectable sources, a distinc-
tion of Gildases must be admitted, even al-
though synonymous persons were liable to
have the facts of their separate history mis-
understood and misapplied. The latter ex- for the County of Westmeath, Sheets 24, hibits nothing unusual nor inconsistent with 25, 31, 32, 38.
thebonafidesofawriter; nordoesColgan ^ThetownlandofTeernacreeveismarked
seem inclined to doubt its applicability in the present case. See " Acta Sanctorum
out on Sheets 32, 38, ibid.
'° In the " Letters Containing Informa-
tion relative to the Antiquities of the County of Westmeath Collected during the Progress
De S. Gildasio
See the "Universal His- tory from the earliest Accounts to the Pre- sent Time," vol. i. , chap, i. , sect, i. , pp.
I, 2.
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiv.
Hibemias," xxxi. Januarii. Confessore, p. 227.
*^ —
At the 29th of January.
'
of the Ordnance
Article xv.
Mr. T.
pass, October ilth, 1837, describes Castle- tovra-Kindalen and its antiquities, but he
3 See Colgan's
"
Trias Thaumaturga.
32, 33.
s His pedigree is further evolved, when
treatingofhisbrotherSt. Fintan,ofBealach, at the ist of January, Art. xill.
°
See notices of him at the 6th of Sep- tember.
^ See notices of her at the 27th of May.
^ In the barony of Moycashel it is shown
on the
•'
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps "
in vol. Survey 1837," i. ,
passes over altogether St. Lugaedh and Teernacreeve. See pp. 308 to 314.
O'Conor,
Tyrrells-
in a letter headed
6oS LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
geoghegan. " Atalaterperiod,itwasconfinedtothebaronyofMoycasliel, in the county of Westmeath. " It extended in ancient times from Birr to the
hillofUisneach. '3 WhetherornotSt,Columbafoundedthemonasteryof Tirdachroebh, in the county of Westmeath, seems uncertain, but one stood
there in his time. ^-* ISTow the present saint lived contemporaneously with St. Columba, and is classed among his disciples. We are furnished with the ac- count of a visit paid by Columkille to his brethren at Tir-da-Croabh, which is Latinized Duum Ruris Rivulorum,'5 "the tract of the two rivulets. "'^ Here he opened the oratory door, in a miraculous manner, to the great ad- mirationofhisbrethren,whoveryhospitablyentertainedhim. '? Thepresent holy man was kinsman to St. Columkille, and he lived about the year 590. '^ This saint is also supposed to have been that confidential brother, surnamed Lathir,'9 whose name occurs in the acts of this great patron, on more than oneoccasion. ^" Ifso,however,hisconnexionwithTeernacreeveisnotquite obvious.
For the present, we rest at this first stage of our upward progress, as the ascending traveller occasionally stops to note his course, and to recover strength, while gazing over the scenes he has passed. These are more dis- tinctly surveyed from the eminence occupied, while their relative bearing
and outlines are better ascertained, with a greater variety of objects, and a widerprospectunderhisview. Thesummittobegainedisstillfardistant, but to attain that vantage ground is worth the trial, and must open a clearer field of vision. The pilgrim needs time and perseverance to effect his object : with the Almighty Disposer of events solely remains the conversion of toil into triumph.
""
An old Map, made in the year 1567, tinized, ager duorum ramorum," or "the
and the Third Part of the State Papers, as land of the two branches. " Some error published, describe the extent of " Mc must have crept into the published copies of Eochagan's Country, called Kenaliaghe. " Adamnan. See Colgan's "Trias Thauma-
'* When the junior family of O'Molloy turga. " Quarta Vita S. Columbae, lib. ii. ,
became independent of the Magheoghegans, the former family retained the southern divi- sion, and latter clan possessed only the nor- thern part of Cinel-Fiachach. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Topographical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na Naomh
Huidhrin," n. 30, p. viii.
'3 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (e), p. 1^6.
'* See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.
cap. xxxvi. , p. 358, n. 67, p. 377 and p. 493-
'* The River Brosna, and a nameless stream actually unite, within the limits of this townland.
^^ See Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of
St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 36, pp. 152,
153- '*
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," n. 67. P- 377-
'9 In the Irish language, Ia6<X]\ means
"strength" or "vigour. "
'° See ibid. , and Adamnan's or "
Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbae, cap.
ii. , p. 493. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
of Ireland," vol. ii.
living, as an old man, in a. d. 860, during the reign of King Ethelbert of Eng-
land. ^^ ThepossibilityofdistinguishingorconfoundingoneGildaswithano- ther must be apparent, from the fact stated by Dr. O'Conor, that not less than one thousand historical persons were adorned with this name. ^9 With these observations premised, we must proceed with the involved narrative of
'3 This holy man is celebrated by John walader, Last King of the Britains ; and of
monastic habit in the cenobium at great
Bangor.
great
Capgrave, as also by Galfridus and Ponticus.
He is distinguished from the Cambrian Gil-
das. See ibid. , and Appendix.
'*
See John Lewis' "History of Great Britain, from the first Inhabitants thereof, 'till the Death of Cadwaladar, Last King of
of Scotland
the Kings of Scotland to Eugene V. ," &c. See also this latter work, at p. 206.
*3 As we have already seen in his life at the 29th of January (chap. iv. ), to Gildas Badonicus or the Wise, John Bale attributes various works.
='• Leland and other By Polydore Vergil,
writers.
^5 See likewise the remarks of the Hon.
Algernon Herbert, prefixed to his and Dr. Todd's edition of "The Irish Version of the Historia Britonum of Nennius," pp. 19, 20.
the Britains ;
and of the
Kings to Eugene V. ," &c. , p. 176.
'7 See them already noticed, in the life of
St. Gildas Badonicus or the Wise (chap, iv. ,
n. 47), at the 29th of January.
'"John Bale's'* Scriptorum Illustrium Ma-
joris Brytannise quam nunc Angliam et Sco- tiam vocant Catalogus," cent, i. , p. 49.
-*
nostrorum veterum. " See Thomas
'9 See ibid. ,
^° "
^^ to Alluding
the est DePrimis Stagnum. "
p. 59.
Stephen's Literature of the Kymry," chap. i. , p. 17. ^1 The—following is said to be a list of his works : Breviarium Gildce, lib. i. ; it com- mences with " A principio mundi usque ad diluvium. De Mirabilibus Brytannias, lib. i. , commencing wiih " Primum Miraculum
Polydore Virgil is quoted as anauthority for this statement.
^' The Rev. John Williams, in his " Ec- clesiastical Antiquities of the Cymry," seems only to regard this Gildas, called the son of Law. See chap, v. , p. 136.
as
Gildas,
writer Folydorus, the Welsh antiquary, Humfrey Lhuyd, vindicated the ancient
Britons from his too sweeping charges, by telling us " he was no Hystoriographer, but a Priest and a Preacher. Whose custome is
very sharply to inueigh agaynst the faultes
of their hearers," See " The
Britayne. As this most renowned Hand was of auncient time diuided into three Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Wales," &c. , p. 51. Appended to John Lewis' "History of Great Britain, from the first Inhabitants thereof, 'till the Death of Cad-
quoted by
habitatoribus, lib. i. ; De Rege Arthuro, lib. i. ; De Se-
pulchro ejus incognito, lib. i. ; De esse peri- culoso, lib. i. ; De milite Leonis, lib. i, ; De Percevallo et Lanceloto, lib. i. ; De Gal- guano et aliis, lib. i. Besides these, it is said he wrote other tracts.
"'^ See Bale's " Illustrium John Scriptorum
Majoris BrytanniiB quam nunc Angliam et Scotiam vocant Catalogus," cent, ii. , pp.
122, 123,
="9 See "Rerum Hibemicarura Scriptores,"
tomus i. , p. 198,
Breviary
of
In this he alludes ',to "antiquis libris
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 605
yet another Gildas. It is supposed, that the present saint's origin was derived from a respectable family, and that he had been born in British Armorica. 3°
We find related, that his pious parents brought their son to be baptized by the holy Philibert,^^ who was then living in the Island of Oya, Hoia or Ogia,
where a monastery stood, about the beginning of the seventh century. 3^ Re- liable accounts do not warrant us in stating, that he was abbot at Hoya,33 although he discharged that ofiice in the adjoining Island of Hero. The same Philibert is said to have been his master in sacred letters. 34 In these Gildasmadewonderfulprogress,ashewasmoststudious. Ofelegantshape and appearance, his genius and dispositions were noble and intellectual. He
disregarded human applause and fame, having resolved on a religious life ; while his staid modest deportment indicated an evident turn for the monastic
state. In chastity and austerity of life he had no superior and few equals. From earliest youth, he was remarkable for a devotion to truth. He prac-
tised alms-giving and charity ; while he spent whole nights in vigil, and was frequently noticed with his hands and eyes directed to heaven in the attitude of sublime contemplation. 35 He is said to have tasted food only three times each week. He built a monastery called Blavet,3^ near the sea-shore, and beside the river thus denominated. 37 Thither many disciples resorted, and here, too, his ancient legend relates, that the saint was sorely tried by temp- tation. ss Four demons are said to have appeared, and habited as monks.
3° In his " Martyrologium Gallicanum," Andrew Saussay makes the Abbot Gildas a resident of Minor Britain, in his Supplement, at the 29th of January.
3' He is called, Abbas Tomodorensium,
in the life of Gildas, by the anonymous
Monk of Ruys. . This is a mistake, however, biarchae Camotensis. " Supplementum ad for the saint held no such position there, al-
though some of his successors had been ele-
vated to that dignity. Papirius Masson calls
the
Fluminibus Galliae. " Other writers call it Tomasium, and Tomusium. Philibert is said to have sailed over the sea with St. Germanus, that he might evangelize some
nodurensis. Neither in Sebastian Rouilard's
place Tornachium,
"
Christiana," is there mention made of St.
western people. See the Bollandists'
"
Acta
Philibert, nor of his monastery among the Camutes.
33 Thisis also related regarding the Blessed
Martin, according to the old Cornouaille
Breviary, lect. i.
3* The old Breviary of Cornouaille calls it
Baluet. The Bollandists state, that it is not to be distinguished from the Monastery of Ruys. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxix. Januarii. De. S. Gilda Sapiente. Prsemium, § iii. , 18, p. 954.
Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxix. Januarii. De S. Gilda Sapiente Abbate in Britannia
Armorica. Prsemium, §§ iii. , iv. , pp. 955, 956- This latter seems to have been the
St. Germanus, Bishop of Leon, in Armorica, who succeeded St. Paul, in that see, and who flourished about A. D. 640. See Andrew
"
Saussay's Martyrologium Gallicanum,"
Ca-
other writers, he is called Goluenus.
3^ Authors chiefly notice St. Philibert, as first abbot over the Monastery of Jumieges, in Normandy, and afterwards abbot in the
Gazetteer of the World," vol.
in his ' ' De work,
"
37 It is in the maratime department of talogus Episcoporum Leonensium," and by Morbihan, in the north-west of France.
Appendix. By Claude Robert, in his
in Britannic Armorica.
This river enters the sea below Lorient. It has a tide navigation up to Hennebout. See Charles Knight's "English Cyclopedia," Geography, vol. iii. , col. 864.
3** This related in detail legend, greater
in the Coumouaille Breviary, lect. iii. , iv. , v. , vi. , vii. , viii. , has been abridged in the Bollandist collection. It is interesting, merely as exhibiting illustrations of religious and social customs, in those early times. Thus, when tempted, Gildas retired to his oratory, and signed himself with a sign of the cross. He then took a book of the
Island of
Jumieges is on the right bank of the Seine, in the Department of Seine-Inferieure, and the ruins of an ancient abbey are there to be
found. See
"
Hero,
vii. , p. 417.
33 His acts are to be met with in Surius,
at the 20th of August, with the style some- what changed by the editor. This was ad-
dressed by the unknown writer to the Abbot Coschinus and to the brethern of Coenobiuni Gemmeticensis. See "De Probatis Sanc- torum Historiis," tomus iv. , pp. 785 to 791.
^ According to Andrew Saussay, Gildas ''
is called a disciple, S. Philiberti Coeno-
xxix. Januarii. However, this appears to
beSx\error; and,itisprobable,Carnotensis
has been substituted for Tornutiensis or Tor-
Historia Carnutensi," nor in the "Gallia
6o6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[January 31.
These told him, they had been sent by St. Philibert, who desired to see Gildas before death. That holy man was the first abbot of Jumieges,39 and afterwardsofHermoutier,nowNoirmoutier. 4° Hediedtowardsthecloseof the seventh century. ^^ Gildas had intuition regarding the pretences of his tempters, and said no monks were near to accompany him, nor seamen to prepare a bark, and steer it on the voyage. -*^ In a miraculous manner, how- ever, he was wafted over the sea and at length he safely reached the Island of Noirmoutier,43 where he saw the abbot St. Philibert. t+ The latter heard with awe the account of Gildas, but he gave thanks to God, who never de- serts his servants when in peril. +s Our saint then asked his blessing, and re- turningtothepost,hetookpostinthepoopofaship. Afterwardshestood out to sea, wishing to steer for the coast of Gaul. But, as God willed, a northern wind beat against him, and after some difficulty experienced during the navigation, he reached the shores of Ireland. We cannot find any re- liable record of his proceedings while in our country. -**^ That he blessed her land with his living presence is a circumstance to regard with pleasure, and he well deserves to rank among the holy ones there, who had been regarded as his contemporaries and friends. ''?
Gospels, in its case, which he had written over the altar, and this was placed on his bosom. Thengoingout,hemetthedemons, who declared they would accompany him as monks, and that they had a ship well manned, to convey him to \ki& exequicc of St. Philibert. Gildas put on his cloak and belt, while tak- ing a staff in his hand, and all sailed out to sea in the vessel provided. The bark moved with great velocity, until Gildas requested the directors to slacken speed, while they should sing God's praises at the first hour of the day. To this they demurred, as likely to delay their voyage, and to prevent their arriving that evening, to witness the death of Venerable Philibert. But Gildas insisted on carrying out his purpose, went on his knees, and began the Divine Office, with these words, " Deus-in adjutorium meum in- tende. " Instantly the phantom ship and monks disappeared, while the saint, spread- ing his cloak over the waves, sat on it. Then he was wafted with incredible speed to the
A,D. 684.
See "Lives of the Fathers, Mar- tyrs and other Principal Saints," vol. viii.
Augustxxii. TheMartyrologiesoftheninth century commemorate him at the 20th and
22nd of August.
** The Bollandists treat all this as a fabu-
lous account, and assert that the real Gildas the Wise flourished at least a century before the death of St. Philibert. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xxix. Januarii. De S. Gilda Sapiente. Praemium, § iv. , pp. 955. 977-
*3 Its position is shown on J. Arrowsmith's " London Atlas of Universal Geography," No. II, France. It is the most north- westerly part of the Vendeean Department.
** He is said to have lived contemporane-
ously with Dagobert I. and Clovis II. , Kings of France. According to the writers of the " Modem Part of a Universal History, from the Earliest Accounts to the Present Time," the former king ruled from a. d. 628 to 638, vol. xix. ,chap. Ixviii. , sect, i. , pp. 241 to 245. The reign of Clovis II. from a. d. 638 to A. D. 654, 655, or 656, is well treated in le Pere G. Daniel's " Histoire de France," tome i. , pp. 415 to 425.
^5 St. Philibert flourished A. D. 649, ac-
Island of Oya, or Hoia, where he met St. "
Philibert. See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum
Hiberniae," xxxi. Januarii. De S. Gildasio Confessore, p. 226. Also the Bollandists'
''
ActaSanctorum,"tomusii. , xxix. Januarii. De S. Gilda Sapiente Abbate in Britannia Armorica.
39 In Latin, " Gemeticense Ccenobium. "
See Philippus Ferrarius "Novum Lexicon
Geographicum," tomus i. , p. 316. It is situated in Normandy.
*° It lies within the Department of Vendee, in the west of France. It is about 12 miles long from north-north-west to south-south- east, and in one part it is nearly 5 miles broad. It is separated from the m9. inland at its south-eastern extremity by a narrow channel, about half a mile across. See Charles Knight's "English Cyclopedia," Geography, vol, iv. , col. 986.
' According to the Rev. Alban Butler,
cording to Sigebert. See Dom. Martin "
Although many of the foregoing names.
Bouquet's Recueil des Historiens des Gaules et de la France," tome iii. , "Ex Sigeberti Gemblacensis Monachi Chronico," P- 342.
*^ Unless, indeed, we apply the Monk of Ruys' acts of Gildas to him.
to pronounce decidedly a judgment on the diverse individuality of the present Gildas ; yet, he thinks in reference to his acts, that one alternative from these two following
'^^ In about the treating
present saint, Colgan has noticed coincidences, in his acts, and likewise various discrepancies, between them and those of the Gildases, mentioned atthe29thofthismonth. Hedoesnotwish
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 607
places, times and circumstances bore a similarity to others previously re- corded ;48 still there are differences of festivals, dates, and contemporaneous personages to disturb accordance and remove parallel lines of adjustment. From all we can now glean or guess, the present St. Gildas lived in the seventh century, and probably died towards its close, or he may have sur- vived to the beginning of the eighth age. Thus, in point of time, he seems to have flourished at a period different from that when the renowned men of his name, and whose acts already have been so hesitatingly and dubiously treated, are known to have lived.
Article XV. —St, Lug, or Lughaedh, son to Eochaidh, of Tir-
da-Chraobh, now Teernacreeve, Parish of Castletown Kindalen, County of Westmeath. {Sixth Century. '] If the want of abundant re- cords, on the one hand, has reduced history into a closer compass, on the other,ithasoccasionedgreatconfusionanduncertainty. ' Atanearlyperiod of our Christian days, this holy man lived. A festival, to honour Lug, Tir- da-craebh, and the son of Eachaich, is registered in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ and of Marianus 0'Gorman,3 at the 31st of January. Some doubt seems to have been entertained—but now —regarding
it is removed the locality with which he had been connected. On this day, in the Martyrology of Donegal,'^ we find entered Lughaedh, son to Eochuidh,^ of Tir-da-chraobh. He descended by five generations from Laeghaire, son to Niall the Great, Monarch of Ireland. This saint was a brother to St. Fintan, who is vene- rated on the I St day of this month, as also to St. Coluim, or Columbanus,^ andtoSt. Comaigh. 7 TheMartyrologyofDonegalhasanobservation,that there is a Tir-da-chraobh in Cinel Fiachach. Again, the compiler of this calendar, remarks, he knew of no church, at that place called Tir-da-chraobh. Such a statement is fully borne out, by the fact, that a close examination of the Ordnance Survey Maps for the parish of Castletown Kindalen,' within
which the townland of Teernacreeve^ is situated, shows no trace whatever of
ecclesiastical ''° The antiquities.
of Cinel-Fiachach com- originally
territory
prised the countries of O'MoUoy, now in the King's County, and of Ma-
conclusions must necessarily be admitted.
First, either the author of the Lessons, in the
Quarta Vita S. Columbas, n. 67, p. 377.
• Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
old Breviary of Couraouaille, and the anony-
mous monk of Ruys, attributed or appro-
priated false statements and acts as applic-
able to their respective subjects of biography;
or, secondly, if those vyriters drew their ac-
counts from respectable sources, a distinc-
tion of Gildases must be admitted, even al-
though synonymous persons were liable to
have the facts of their separate history mis-
understood and misapplied. The latter ex- for the County of Westmeath, Sheets 24, hibits nothing unusual nor inconsistent with 25, 31, 32, 38.
thebonafidesofawriter; nordoesColgan ^ThetownlandofTeernacreeveismarked
seem inclined to doubt its applicability in the present case. See " Acta Sanctorum
out on Sheets 32, 38, ibid.
'° In the " Letters Containing Informa-
tion relative to the Antiquities of the County of Westmeath Collected during the Progress
De S. Gildasio
See the "Universal His- tory from the earliest Accounts to the Pre- sent Time," vol. i. , chap, i. , sect, i. , pp.
I, 2.
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiv.
Hibemias," xxxi. Januarii. Confessore, p. 227.
*^ —
At the 29th of January.
'
of the Ordnance
Article xv.
Mr. T.
pass, October ilth, 1837, describes Castle- tovra-Kindalen and its antiquities, but he
3 See Colgan's
"
Trias Thaumaturga.
32, 33.
s His pedigree is further evolved, when
treatingofhisbrotherSt. Fintan,ofBealach, at the ist of January, Art. xill.
°
See notices of him at the 6th of Sep- tember.
^ See notices of her at the 27th of May.
^ In the barony of Moycashel it is shown
on the
•'
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps "
in vol. Survey 1837," i. ,
passes over altogether St. Lugaedh and Teernacreeve. See pp. 308 to 314.
O'Conor,
Tyrrells-
in a letter headed
6oS LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
geoghegan. " Atalaterperiod,itwasconfinedtothebaronyofMoycasliel, in the county of Westmeath. " It extended in ancient times from Birr to the
hillofUisneach. '3 WhetherornotSt,Columbafoundedthemonasteryof Tirdachroebh, in the county of Westmeath, seems uncertain, but one stood
there in his time. ^-* ISTow the present saint lived contemporaneously with St. Columba, and is classed among his disciples. We are furnished with the ac- count of a visit paid by Columkille to his brethren at Tir-da-Croabh, which is Latinized Duum Ruris Rivulorum,'5 "the tract of the two rivulets. "'^ Here he opened the oratory door, in a miraculous manner, to the great ad- mirationofhisbrethren,whoveryhospitablyentertainedhim. '? Thepresent holy man was kinsman to St. Columkille, and he lived about the year 590. '^ This saint is also supposed to have been that confidential brother, surnamed Lathir,'9 whose name occurs in the acts of this great patron, on more than oneoccasion. ^" Ifso,however,hisconnexionwithTeernacreeveisnotquite obvious.
For the present, we rest at this first stage of our upward progress, as the ascending traveller occasionally stops to note his course, and to recover strength, while gazing over the scenes he has passed. These are more dis- tinctly surveyed from the eminence occupied, while their relative bearing
and outlines are better ascertained, with a greater variety of objects, and a widerprospectunderhisview. Thesummittobegainedisstillfardistant, but to attain that vantage ground is worth the trial, and must open a clearer field of vision. The pilgrim needs time and perseverance to effect his object : with the Almighty Disposer of events solely remains the conversion of toil into triumph.
""
An old Map, made in the year 1567, tinized, ager duorum ramorum," or "the
and the Third Part of the State Papers, as land of the two branches. " Some error published, describe the extent of " Mc must have crept into the published copies of Eochagan's Country, called Kenaliaghe. " Adamnan. See Colgan's "Trias Thauma-
'* When the junior family of O'Molloy turga. " Quarta Vita S. Columbae, lib. ii. ,
became independent of the Magheoghegans, the former family retained the southern divi- sion, and latter clan possessed only the nor- thern part of Cinel-Fiachach. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Topographical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na Naomh
Huidhrin," n. 30, p. viii.
'3 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (e), p. 1^6.
'* See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.
cap. xxxvi. , p. 358, n. 67, p. 377 and p. 493-
'* The River Brosna, and a nameless stream actually unite, within the limits of this townland.
^^ See Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of
St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 36, pp. 152,
153- '*
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," n. 67. P- 377-
'9 In the Irish language, Ia6<X]\ means
"strength" or "vigour. "
'° See ibid. , and Adamnan's or "
Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbae, cap.
ii. , p. 493. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
of Ireland," vol. ii.
