Two of their people were killed, and the bishops
returned
returned
to their houses.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
*^ Conall, Bishop, is again registered, in the Martyrology of Donegal/9 as having been venerated, on this day.
Article IV. —St. Moedoc, or Maedhog, of Cluain-esgrach. We
find the name and his locality given, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at this date. Both are precisely similar, in the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman, whorecordsMaidocus,ofCluainEscragh. ^ IntheAppendixtotheActsof
on the 9th of February, and on the nth of
fought on the 12th of July, 1691, took place, is shown on Sheet 87.
'7 Edited by the Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xix.
August. be found.
At the latter day, her Acts may
" the
baronies of Clonmacnowen and of Kil-
"
ep.
connell, is shown on the
"
Ordnance Survey
'9 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 80, 81.
or In the Franciscan we ridge," copy,
's
hill. "
'^ The parish of Aughrim, situated in the '^ Thus, CoriALluf Gp,
Anglicised,
horse's
find, ConAl. ivif
Article iv. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Sheets 86, 87, 98, 99. The town of Kelly, p. xix. In the Franciscan copy, we
TownlandMapsfortheCountyofGalway,"
Aughrim, where the celebrated battle, read, niAi'DOCiif •oe cLuAin e^c^AAch.
March i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 839
St. Moedoc, Bishop of Ferns,3 Colgan has a notice of Moedocus de Cluain Escrach, whose feast is set down for the 14th of March f but neither at such date,noratthisday,istherefurthernoteregardinghim. s Itisnotaneasy matter to discover the present name of his place. Again, the Martyrology of Donegal^ mentions, as having a festival on this day, a St. Maedhog, of Cluain- esgrach.
ArticleV,—St. Toman,orThoman,Bishop. ThisnameThomanus,
abishop,appears,intheMartyrologyofTallagh,^attheiSthofMarch. It is entered, in a similar manner, in the Calendar of Marianus O'Gorman. ^ In reference to this saint, the BoUandists remark,3 that he was unknown to Colgan, and to themselves ; unless, indeed, he could be identified with the St. Tomienus, or Tomianus, Archbishop of Armagh, and whose Acts have been already given, at the loth of January. The festival of St. Toman, Bishop, is entered in the Martyrology of Donegal,* at this date.
Article VI. —St. Christianus, or Giolla Criost O'Conarchy, first
Abbot of Mellifont, County of Louth. {Twelfth Century. '] The last
of the Fathers, as St. Bernard^ is affectionately termed by the Church, infused
new vitality into the decaying monastic spirit of Western Europe ; and, at a
time when, but for a mighty spiritual influence, the fervour of religious
observance might have languished. From France, his institute extended to
these islands. So early as 1128, Gififard, Bishop of Winchester, had intro-
duced the Cistercian Order into Great Britain. It was originally instituted,
by Stephen Harding, an Englishman of remarkable energy and holiness, and, it had one of the most illustrious of the mediaeval saints for its true patron.
ThefounderofWaverleyAbbeyhadnobleimitators. Soon,FurnessAbbey,
in Lancashire, Fountains Abbey,^ in Yorkshire, New-Minster, Kirksted, and Roche, followed. The Order went on spreading, until the work of monas- ticism was finished in England. Then, it was found, that there were seventy- five Cistercian houses of men, in England, and twenty-six nunneries, belonging to the same Order. Notwithstanding, however, their great influence, the English branch is singularly barren, in historical memorials. At a somewhat later period, the Cistercian Order was introduced to Ireland, and the present holy abbot presided over the fi—rst house there established. The Life of this holy man, Christianus, or Christian, sometimes called Christianus Ua Condoirche,
= Thus,mAioocuf•oecLuAinefc|\ac1i.
3 His Life is given, at the 31st of Ja-
nuary.
* See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," xxxi.
Januarii. Appendix ad Acta S. Maidoci,
cap. I, p. 221.
s See the BoUandists' " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Martii xviii. Among the preter- mitted saints, p. 613.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
80, 81. —
Article v. 'Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xix. In the Franciscan copy, it is
UhoiTiAnufe-p. ^
Thus, choTnAnui" Op.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Martii xviii. Among the pretermitted saints," p. 613.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 80, 8i.
Articlevi. —^Thisgreatsahitwasborn, A. d. 1091, and he died, a. d. 1153, on the 20th of August, the date for his festival,
^ For an account of this magnificent erection, the reader is referred to "Memo- rials of the Abbey of St. Mary of Fountains. Collected and Edited by John Richard Walbran, F. S. A. , for the Surtees Society. " 1863. Thisgreathousewasfounded,onthe 26th of December, 1132. At the request of Sigward, Bishop of Bergen, in Norway, a colony of monks went forth from Fountains, A. D. 1 146, to carry their Order into his diocese. Theyfoundedanabbey,alittleto the south of which received the
or Klaustr' a Lysa, show, that, like its Eng- lish parent, the House of the Valley of Light was a noble structure. See pp. xlvi. , 89.
3 See Dr. Jeoffry Keating's enumeration
Bergen,
nameofLysa. The ruins of Lyse-kloster,
840 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i8.
or Giolla Criost 0'Conarchy,3—had been frequently promised to Colgan ; yet, he was not able to procure it, when he published from various sources those Acts, which are to be found in his work. * The Bollandists, at this day, only have a few brief notices regarding him, and they preferred waiting to see, if his life should turn up, and reveal to them evidence, that any ancient writer had called him Sanctus or Beatiis. ^ The English Martyrology,^ Arnold Wion,7 Ferrarius,^ Vincentius,9 and Hugh Menard, insert his name, in their severalCalendars. Accordingtosomeaccounts,hewasbornoreducated,at Bangor, in Ulster ;^° and, if we credit Colgan, this holy man was a disciple, and also the Archdeacon, of St. Malachy O'Morgair," Archbishop of Armagh ; and, afterwards, he most probably travelled with the venerable prelate, when first leaving Ireland for Rome, about the year 1138, and when he visited Clairvaux, the great house of St. Bernard, on his way. Returning by the same route, it seems probable, that Christian was one of the four disciples, who remained as postulants, under the charge of St. Bernard, and who were admitted as monks of the Cistercian Order. When St. " Malachy reached Ire- land, he felt a great desire to found a house, and to procure a superior and monksfromthatOrdertoinhabitit; sothatsoontheAbbeyofMellifont,a few miles from Drogheda, in the present county of Louth, was founded by Donough O'Carroll, and, in the year 1141, St. Bernard sent over Christian, when duly trained, as the superior of some French brothers, to plant the good seed. About the year 1142, Mellifont seems to have been occupied, and here Christian lived for some time," with his monks. It has been asserted,'3 that Christian was subsequently elevated to the See of Lismore, and that he was the identical Papal Legate, who was present at the Council of Kells, assembled in the springtime of the year ii52,^'» and over which Cardinal John Paparo, Priest of St. Laurence in Damaso, presided, at the instance of Pope Eugene III. Besides, the distinction given to Christianus O'Conairche, as Bishop of Lismore, and Legate of the Sovereign Pontiff for Ireland, he is called head of the Irish monks ; but, in the latter case, we must understand, probably, only those of the Cistercian Order, in Ireland. It is untrue, as has been advanced by some, that he was bishop over Down, '3 succeeding St. Malachy O'IMorgair there, or that he presided as Archbishop
over ^^ Armagh.
that he
this so life,
false is the
early as a. d. i 148. ^7 It has been supposed, that Christianus presided over one
or two other Synods held in Ireland, and in the capacity of Apostolic Legate. Mellifont Abbey having been completed, about the year 1 1 5 7, it was conse-
crated, with a magnificent rite and solemnity. Then and there, a numerous
Equally
account,
departed
of the bishops, assembled at Kells, in his
" General History of Ireland," translated by
Dermod O'Connor, part ii. , p. 518. Duffy's edition.
Lismore," p. 550.
" His Life is given, at the 3rd of Novem-
ber.
" According to Arnold Wion's Benedic-
* See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernire," xviii. tine
Martii. De B. Christiano Abbate Melli- fontensi Episcopo et Legato Apostolico, pp. 652 to 655.
s See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Martyrology,
Speaking of the Millifont monks, at
Christiano — Martii xviii. Among the pretermitted Lismorensi Episcopo). "
saints, p. 613.
^ At the I Sth of March.
7 This writer states, in the Benedictine
" Coenobia Cister-
ciei;sia Hibernice," p. 62.
^"^ See an account of this remarkable
Synod, in the notices of St. Gille, or Gilli- Martyrology, that a German Calendar bert, at the 4th of February,
mentions him, at this date. '5 According to Hugh Menard.
^ '^ In Catalogo Generali, at the i8th of
March.
9 In Speculo, lib. xxix. , cap. 11, 12.
According to Ferrarius.
'? According to Arnold Wion, the English
Martyrology, and Philip Ferrarius.
'^ Seventeen is the number besides given,
" See Hairis' Ware, vol. " i. ,
Bishops
of
" factus est Abbas Caeno- bii Suriensis et Millifontensis. "
'3
1 142, Sir James Ware states
" Abbate illis proeposito O'Conarchy (posted
:
March iS. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 841
Synod of bishops'^—the Archbishop of Armagh included, with kings, chiefs and princes attending—was assembled. ^9 Large gifts were bestowed on the
Abbe}^, by these magnates. ^" Again, in the year 11 58, it is stated, that a Synod of the clergy of Ireland was convened, at Eri-mic-Taidhg,^^ in Lae- ghaire, at which twenty-five bishops assisted,^^ with the Legate of St. Peter's successor. Their object was to ordain rules and good morals. The Comor- ban of St. Patrick was present, and the assembled clergy ordered a chair, like every other bishop's in Ireland, for Flaithbheartach Ua Brolchain, the successor of St. Colum-Cille, and also they decreed the arch-abbacy of the Irish churches in general, as his due. ^3 The present holy abbot must not be confounded with Christian O'Morgair, the brother of St. Malachy, and who presided over the See of Clogher. ^-* Citing the authority of Petrus de Nata- libus, and of the English Martyrology, in the list of Henry Fitzsimon, we haveChristianus,Bishop,entered,atthei8thofMarch. Intheanonymous Catalogue of National Saints, published by O'SuUevan Beare,^5 at the same date, he is simply called Christianus. The Bishop of Lismore, Christian O'Conarchy, must either have resigned his See, or died before 1 159, for even at this date, we find recorded the death of his successor, Maelmaire Ua Loingseach, Bishop of Lismore. ^^ In Harris' Ware,^7 it is stated, that Christian O'Conarchy resigned his See, about the year 11 75, and that having grown tired of all worldly pomp, this resignation happened a long time before his death. He is said to have lived to an advanced age, and to have died, in the year 1186. Again, it is related, that he was buried at Odorney,*^ alias Kyrieleyson,—a monastery of his own Order,—in the county of Kerry. ^s However, regarding the foregoing statements, and the present holy man's identification, in reference to them, much uncertainty remains.
the Legate of the Pope, and the Archbishop
of Armagh.
'9 At this Synod, the successor of St.
Patrick consecrated the church, and Donn- chadh Ua Maeleachiainn was excommuni- Gated by the clergy of Ireland, and, afterwards, he was banished by the kings from the kingdom of Meath. Then, like-
his brother Diarmaid was made wise, king
in his place.
^° Thus Muircheartach Ua Lochlainn,
otherwise called Murtogh O'Lochlin, King of Ireland, gave as a pious offering, for his soul, to God and to the monks of Mellifont, 140 oxen or cows, 60 ounces of gold, and a townland, near Drogheda, called Finnavair
of the Daughters. Sixty ounces of gold
were presented by O'Carroll, prince of
Oriel ; while, as many more were given,
by Dervorgilla, the celebrated wife of Survey Townland Maps for the County of
^ For this statement. Sir James Ware quotes these words of a certain anonymous author of Irish Annals, in reference to the
O'Rourke, prince of Breffny, together with
a golden chalice for the Virgin's altar, to-
getherwith sacred vestments and ornaments,
for each of the other nine altars, that were
in the church. See Moore's "History of year 1186 : "Christianus, illustris ille
Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xxvi. , pp. 196, 197. -' Or the " Hill of the son of Tadhg,"
which was near Trim, in the county of Meath.
'' While the Bishops of Connaught were on their way to this Synod, after they had left Clonmacnoise, at a place near it, called Cuirr-Cluana, on the Shannon, and in the
Prtesul Lismorensis, quondam Icgatus Hiber- nicB, ccmitlaior virtutiun (inquit Author
anonymus annalium nostrorum) qiias viderat, et aiuiierat a Sancto Patn suo Bernardo,
sitvanoque Pontifice viro venerabili Eugenio, cu»i —quo fiiit in probatorio, apud Clareval- /«;/. " "Coenobia Cisterciensia Hibemice,"
p. 67.
King's County, they were set upon, plundered and beaten, by the soldiers of Diarmaid Ua Maeleachiainn, King of Meath.
Two of their people were killed, and the bishops returned to their houses.
^^ See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. I128, I129, and nn. (t, u. ) Ibid.
^'^ His death took on the 12th of place,
June, A. D. 11 38.
-5 See " Historise Catholicse Ibernias
Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 50, and cap. xii. , p. 53.
^*
See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. I132, 1133.
''^
^^ See vol. i. , "Bishops of Lismore," pp; 550, 551.
The parish of O'Dorney, in the barony of Clanmaurice, is noted on the " Ordnance
Kerry," Sheets 15, 21.
and n. 88,
177. Also lib.
iii. ,cap. xxxvii. ,
25, 31.
Ibid. in the " Also,
p. and n.
Parliamentary i. , p. 253.
baronies, and it is noted, on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Tipperary," Sheets 31, 37.
4 These and the succeeding particulars, we
glean, from a series of papers, published by
the proprietor and editor, Maurice Lenihan,
p. 157,
Article viii. See
"3 Acta Sancto-
Ireland,"
in the parish of Kilvellane, in the same
rum," tomus ii. , Martii xviii.
pretermitted saints, p. 614. ""
Among the
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i8.
ArticleVII. —St. Caemhan,theHoly. Caemhan,denominatedthe
Holy, is set down in the Martyrology of Donegal,^ as having a festival, at this date. The BoUandists^ notice a St. Caimanus, a Bishop, occurring at the 1 8th of March, in two distinct Irish Martyrologies. Colgan thinks a disciple of St. Patrick, known as Coeman of Kill-rath, may be identified with the present saint. The same writer identifies the latter with a Coeman, Deacon, mentioned in St. Patrick's Acts. 3 There appears to be much con- fusion, in the short notes of writers, as relating to the present saint's identity.
Article VIII. —Natalis of St. Fridian, or Frigidian, Bishop, and
Patron of Lucca, Italy. \Sixth Century. '] St. Frigidian's festival is com- memorated on this day—said to have been his Natalis—in the Roman Martyrology, as in many of the more ancient Calendars. However, as the Bollandists observe,^ his chief festival is kept, in the city of Lucca, which honours him as patron, on the iSth of November, the day on which his relics were transferred ; and, at this date, more extended notices of him will be foundelsewhere. InStephenWhite,"inColgan,3intheRev. AlbanButler,* and in various other works,5 there iare accounts of him, at this date.
Article IX. —St. Commaneth, of Kilcomenty Parish, County of TiPPERARY. Thisalmostunknownsainthasatraditionalfameamongthe
—formerly called TuUagh—there is to be seen an old graveyard, containing several tombs and graves, the most curious of holy wells, and places of pilgrimage, with the remains of an ancient church. They well reward a visit from the tourist or antiquary. * Old men remember the walls of the ancient church standing. A curiously-cut holy water font was taken at a former time, out of the ruins, and brought to Birdhill. In and about the churchyard, there are remains of well-carved muUions, and other work, which show how beautiful was the tracery, and mouldings, in the windows of the old church. It is said to have been dedicated to St. Cummaneth, whose festival is observed, in the parish of Kilcomenty, on the iSth of March. The district is called Kilcommenthy, or the country about the church of St. Commenath. The well is shaded over by an enormous ash tree, which near the base of the trunkdividesitselfintotwogreatshafts. Fromthese,aquantityofbranches project, all covered with leaves in summer, and these shelter numerous
people of Kilcomenty parish,' county of Tipperary. Within two and a-half miles of Birdhill" railway station, and two and a-half of the town of Newport^
Article vii. —' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 80, 81.
s See " Circle—of the Seasons," p. 78.
"See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Martii xviii. Anaong the pretermitted scribed on the Ordnance Survey Town-
saints, p. 613.
3 See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima
Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xlvii. , p. 136,
land Maps for the County of Tipperary," Sheets 25, 31, 37.
— 186. Gazetteer of 68, p.
vol.
»
See Apologia pro Hibernia," cap. ii,, p. 15, cap. iv. , pp. 36, 37.
3 See Martii.
'*
Acta Sanctorum Hibernire," xviii.
Vita S. Fridiani sive Findiani
Epis. , pp. 633 to 651.
in the
"
Limerick Vindicator. " See
See "Lives of the " Cashel of the Fathers, Martyrs, Kings,"
and other principal Saints," March xviii. 3rd, 1S73.
in the No. for
June
Article ix,
* It is in the situated,
baronies of Owney and Arra, and it is de- *'
==
See a description of this place, on Sheets
March i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
pilgrims, who make their " rounds "5 of the well, and who pray for the inter- cession of the local saint, in order to be relieved from bodily and mental ail- ments. In this well are two of the mysterious trout, said to frequent nearly every holy well in Ireland. ^ The water,? by which the well is supplied, comes in a rivulet or stream, from Ballinahinch, some two miles off. Various traditional stories are current, among the people about Birdhill. ^ About two hundred yards north-east of the well, in the midst of hawthorn and alder trees, there is a great Druidic rock basin, of brown sandstone, quite unHke stone of the immediate place, which is limestone. The stone is about two and a-half feet in height from the ground, in breath at the top, it is two and a-half feet, and rounding off in form, it becomes broader, until at the extremity, it is about four and a-half feet in breadth. Within a few yards from the stone, the well runs under the ground, for about two hundred yards, and then it emerges from under the great shady ash tree, within a few yards of the churchyard. The stream thence continues to run a considerable distance, until it empties into the bog of Shower. 9 On the top of the stone are two circular basins, about a foot in diameter, always full or half full of
water
on the — of the there are two
; and, top stone, perpendicularcuttings,
six
like Ogam characters the top one, containing strokes, the lower one, or
one about the middle of the stone, eight. This curious stone, according to
a popular tradition, had been the bed of St. Cummaneth, and the perpen- dicular strokes, are regarded, as the marks of his hands, and of his ribs. '" The period of this saint is not discoverable to us.
Article X. —St. Finan. The festival of St. Finianus, or Finan, in the
Martyrology for the use of the Church of Aberdeen, is entered for the i8th
of March," or the xv. Kalends of April, which corresponds. ^ In the Breviary of Aberdeen, his ofhce is in nine Lessons. In Adam King's Calendar, we
s The "rounds" are seven in number.
Each time they are made by the individual
Ossian's famous hounds, killed on Moon a Lua, "the bog of the Black Bird, "i and on which the railway station has been built, a
pilgrim, who, in the first instance, takes up
seven bright pebbles from the brook which celebrated prehistoric Black Bird, from
runs out of the well, and having seven times
repeated the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Creed, and the Gloria, &c. , he throws a pebble into the brook or well. Then he proceeds to walk around the ground, about the well, through the churchyard, and from the churchyard to the front of the well, where the pilgrim kneels and prays. So on he continues, until the rounds are concluded, and until the seven pebbles are returned to the brook.
A
7 It rises in the lands of Mr. Patrick
which the Tipperary hill and parish derive their name. In a History of the Dalcassians,
published in the Limerick Vindicator, Mr. Lenihan fui'nishes interesting notes of these traditions.
5 There is a curious story told about the
well. It is said, that at some distant period,
it was situated near the stone, just described, but that the shepherds and herds of the place allowed sheep and cattle to sully the water, and, in one night, the well moved
down to its site, existing
* The
person of the neighbourhood, at one time, scorning to respect the well, took one of these trout home, and made an effort to roast it ; nothing but blood appeared, and the rascal had to bring the trout back to the well ; but from that day forward, the family have not had good luck.
following
is a local
legend.
Coffee, of that place, and increasing by perfectly correct. —
'
small tributary streams, it comes through
butter-cup covered,
^ One of these runs, that Ossian's bronze trumpet is buried beneath a rock, on Carri- geen» Again, it is stated, Bran, one of
See Bishop Forbes* p. 347.
and in the summer season.
pleasant fields, daisy
" xv. Kl.
'°
There is no doubt, that the stone lay, in
its present position, long before the period of the patron saint. On the conversion of the Druids, he may have used the basins for baptizing the early Christians of the place, and may have rested on it occasionally, There is nothing impossible or improbable in this presumption, and tradition may be
Article x.
" Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
* Thus do we find him noticed
Aprilis. In Scotia Sancti Finniani episcopi et confessoris qui abiectis calcatisque viciis orationi et ieiuniis vacare studuit gloriosum-
:
844 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 19.
read of " S. Finnane bischope confess, in Scotland vnder king ferquhard 2,"3 at the i8th of March. 4 The Bollandists,^ who notice this holy man, state, that they consider him to be hardly diiferent from the St. Finnan, who came from lona, as a monk, and who was afterwards known as Bishop over Lin- disfarne, in Northumbria, of which province he became the Apostle, accord- ing to Dempster. ^ Ferrarius has followed this account. We have only to refer the reader to his life, given at the 9th of January, and to some notices, regarding him, at the i6th and 17th of February.
Article XI. —Festival of St. Timothy, and of his Companions, Martyrs. In the Festilogy of St. ^-Engus, the Culdee, we find entered, at the 18th of IVIarch, the festival of St. Timothy, and of his companions,^ who
were martyrs.
5. xu. kl.
Co mo|\ bui-oin md]\CA TlApcA^ Viite LocVicA
La ciATtTOA
xx. TniLet) nioclicA.
With the great troops of March, Who were not all faulty,
With Timothy are reckoned Twenty champions who perished. ^
^meUentl) Bai) of Alanlj.
yvo ^ximit)
ARTICLE I. —ST. LACTEAN, OR LACTINUS, ABBOT OF FRESHFORD, COUNTY OF KILKENNY.
[SIXTH AND SEVENTH CENTURIES. ]
some of our large modern towns and cities, the thought of death
NEAR
under the
seems to be even in their
cemeteries,
concealed,
garniture
of shrubs and flowers, or under those refined sentiments, produced by the
sculptor'schisel,andoverpartialepitaph. Notso,however,doholypersons
seek to disguise from themselves, realities of life and death, in a religious course. This saint, called also Lactenus, Lactinius, and Lactanus,^ is com-
que sanctitatis nome« promeruit et miracu- lisclaruit. "—" Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland," vol. ii. , p.
263.
3 Ferchardus II. is said to have flourished,
about A. D.
Article IV. —St. Moedoc, or Maedhog, of Cluain-esgrach. We
find the name and his locality given, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at this date. Both are precisely similar, in the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman, whorecordsMaidocus,ofCluainEscragh. ^ IntheAppendixtotheActsof
on the 9th of February, and on the nth of
fought on the 12th of July, 1691, took place, is shown on Sheet 87.
'7 Edited by the Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xix.
August. be found.
At the latter day, her Acts may
" the
baronies of Clonmacnowen and of Kil-
"
ep.
connell, is shown on the
"
Ordnance Survey
'9 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 80, 81.
or In the Franciscan we ridge," copy,
's
hill. "
'^ The parish of Aughrim, situated in the '^ Thus, CoriALluf Gp,
Anglicised,
horse's
find, ConAl. ivif
Article iv. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Sheets 86, 87, 98, 99. The town of Kelly, p. xix. In the Franciscan copy, we
TownlandMapsfortheCountyofGalway,"
Aughrim, where the celebrated battle, read, niAi'DOCiif •oe cLuAin e^c^AAch.
March i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 839
St. Moedoc, Bishop of Ferns,3 Colgan has a notice of Moedocus de Cluain Escrach, whose feast is set down for the 14th of March f but neither at such date,noratthisday,istherefurthernoteregardinghim. s Itisnotaneasy matter to discover the present name of his place. Again, the Martyrology of Donegal^ mentions, as having a festival on this day, a St. Maedhog, of Cluain- esgrach.
ArticleV,—St. Toman,orThoman,Bishop. ThisnameThomanus,
abishop,appears,intheMartyrologyofTallagh,^attheiSthofMarch. It is entered, in a similar manner, in the Calendar of Marianus O'Gorman. ^ In reference to this saint, the BoUandists remark,3 that he was unknown to Colgan, and to themselves ; unless, indeed, he could be identified with the St. Tomienus, or Tomianus, Archbishop of Armagh, and whose Acts have been already given, at the loth of January. The festival of St. Toman, Bishop, is entered in the Martyrology of Donegal,* at this date.
Article VI. —St. Christianus, or Giolla Criost O'Conarchy, first
Abbot of Mellifont, County of Louth. {Twelfth Century. '] The last
of the Fathers, as St. Bernard^ is affectionately termed by the Church, infused
new vitality into the decaying monastic spirit of Western Europe ; and, at a
time when, but for a mighty spiritual influence, the fervour of religious
observance might have languished. From France, his institute extended to
these islands. So early as 1128, Gififard, Bishop of Winchester, had intro-
duced the Cistercian Order into Great Britain. It was originally instituted,
by Stephen Harding, an Englishman of remarkable energy and holiness, and, it had one of the most illustrious of the mediaeval saints for its true patron.
ThefounderofWaverleyAbbeyhadnobleimitators. Soon,FurnessAbbey,
in Lancashire, Fountains Abbey,^ in Yorkshire, New-Minster, Kirksted, and Roche, followed. The Order went on spreading, until the work of monas- ticism was finished in England. Then, it was found, that there were seventy- five Cistercian houses of men, in England, and twenty-six nunneries, belonging to the same Order. Notwithstanding, however, their great influence, the English branch is singularly barren, in historical memorials. At a somewhat later period, the Cistercian Order was introduced to Ireland, and the present holy abbot presided over the fi—rst house there established. The Life of this holy man, Christianus, or Christian, sometimes called Christianus Ua Condoirche,
= Thus,mAioocuf•oecLuAinefc|\ac1i.
3 His Life is given, at the 31st of Ja-
nuary.
* See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," xxxi.
Januarii. Appendix ad Acta S. Maidoci,
cap. I, p. 221.
s See the BoUandists' " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Martii xviii. Among the preter- mitted saints, p. 613.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
80, 81. —
Article v. 'Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xix. In the Franciscan copy, it is
UhoiTiAnufe-p. ^
Thus, choTnAnui" Op.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Martii xviii. Among the pretermitted saints," p. 613.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 80, 8i.
Articlevi. —^Thisgreatsahitwasborn, A. d. 1091, and he died, a. d. 1153, on the 20th of August, the date for his festival,
^ For an account of this magnificent erection, the reader is referred to "Memo- rials of the Abbey of St. Mary of Fountains. Collected and Edited by John Richard Walbran, F. S. A. , for the Surtees Society. " 1863. Thisgreathousewasfounded,onthe 26th of December, 1132. At the request of Sigward, Bishop of Bergen, in Norway, a colony of monks went forth from Fountains, A. D. 1 146, to carry their Order into his diocese. Theyfoundedanabbey,alittleto the south of which received the
or Klaustr' a Lysa, show, that, like its Eng- lish parent, the House of the Valley of Light was a noble structure. See pp. xlvi. , 89.
3 See Dr. Jeoffry Keating's enumeration
Bergen,
nameofLysa. The ruins of Lyse-kloster,
840 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i8.
or Giolla Criost 0'Conarchy,3—had been frequently promised to Colgan ; yet, he was not able to procure it, when he published from various sources those Acts, which are to be found in his work. * The Bollandists, at this day, only have a few brief notices regarding him, and they preferred waiting to see, if his life should turn up, and reveal to them evidence, that any ancient writer had called him Sanctus or Beatiis. ^ The English Martyrology,^ Arnold Wion,7 Ferrarius,^ Vincentius,9 and Hugh Menard, insert his name, in their severalCalendars. Accordingtosomeaccounts,hewasbornoreducated,at Bangor, in Ulster ;^° and, if we credit Colgan, this holy man was a disciple, and also the Archdeacon, of St. Malachy O'Morgair," Archbishop of Armagh ; and, afterwards, he most probably travelled with the venerable prelate, when first leaving Ireland for Rome, about the year 1138, and when he visited Clairvaux, the great house of St. Bernard, on his way. Returning by the same route, it seems probable, that Christian was one of the four disciples, who remained as postulants, under the charge of St. Bernard, and who were admitted as monks of the Cistercian Order. When St. " Malachy reached Ire- land, he felt a great desire to found a house, and to procure a superior and monksfromthatOrdertoinhabitit; sothatsoontheAbbeyofMellifont,a few miles from Drogheda, in the present county of Louth, was founded by Donough O'Carroll, and, in the year 1141, St. Bernard sent over Christian, when duly trained, as the superior of some French brothers, to plant the good seed. About the year 1142, Mellifont seems to have been occupied, and here Christian lived for some time," with his monks. It has been asserted,'3 that Christian was subsequently elevated to the See of Lismore, and that he was the identical Papal Legate, who was present at the Council of Kells, assembled in the springtime of the year ii52,^'» and over which Cardinal John Paparo, Priest of St. Laurence in Damaso, presided, at the instance of Pope Eugene III. Besides, the distinction given to Christianus O'Conairche, as Bishop of Lismore, and Legate of the Sovereign Pontiff for Ireland, he is called head of the Irish monks ; but, in the latter case, we must understand, probably, only those of the Cistercian Order, in Ireland. It is untrue, as has been advanced by some, that he was bishop over Down, '3 succeeding St. Malachy O'IMorgair there, or that he presided as Archbishop
over ^^ Armagh.
that he
this so life,
false is the
early as a. d. i 148. ^7 It has been supposed, that Christianus presided over one
or two other Synods held in Ireland, and in the capacity of Apostolic Legate. Mellifont Abbey having been completed, about the year 1 1 5 7, it was conse-
crated, with a magnificent rite and solemnity. Then and there, a numerous
Equally
account,
departed
of the bishops, assembled at Kells, in his
" General History of Ireland," translated by
Dermod O'Connor, part ii. , p. 518. Duffy's edition.
Lismore," p. 550.
" His Life is given, at the 3rd of Novem-
ber.
" According to Arnold Wion's Benedic-
* See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernire," xviii. tine
Martii. De B. Christiano Abbate Melli- fontensi Episcopo et Legato Apostolico, pp. 652 to 655.
s See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Martyrology,
Speaking of the Millifont monks, at
Christiano — Martii xviii. Among the pretermitted Lismorensi Episcopo). "
saints, p. 613.
^ At the I Sth of March.
7 This writer states, in the Benedictine
" Coenobia Cister-
ciei;sia Hibernice," p. 62.
^"^ See an account of this remarkable
Synod, in the notices of St. Gille, or Gilli- Martyrology, that a German Calendar bert, at the 4th of February,
mentions him, at this date. '5 According to Hugh Menard.
^ '^ In Catalogo Generali, at the i8th of
March.
9 In Speculo, lib. xxix. , cap. 11, 12.
According to Ferrarius.
'? According to Arnold Wion, the English
Martyrology, and Philip Ferrarius.
'^ Seventeen is the number besides given,
" See Hairis' Ware, vol. " i. ,
Bishops
of
" factus est Abbas Caeno- bii Suriensis et Millifontensis. "
'3
1 142, Sir James Ware states
" Abbate illis proeposito O'Conarchy (posted
:
March iS. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 841
Synod of bishops'^—the Archbishop of Armagh included, with kings, chiefs and princes attending—was assembled. ^9 Large gifts were bestowed on the
Abbe}^, by these magnates. ^" Again, in the year 11 58, it is stated, that a Synod of the clergy of Ireland was convened, at Eri-mic-Taidhg,^^ in Lae- ghaire, at which twenty-five bishops assisted,^^ with the Legate of St. Peter's successor. Their object was to ordain rules and good morals. The Comor- ban of St. Patrick was present, and the assembled clergy ordered a chair, like every other bishop's in Ireland, for Flaithbheartach Ua Brolchain, the successor of St. Colum-Cille, and also they decreed the arch-abbacy of the Irish churches in general, as his due. ^3 The present holy abbot must not be confounded with Christian O'Morgair, the brother of St. Malachy, and who presided over the See of Clogher. ^-* Citing the authority of Petrus de Nata- libus, and of the English Martyrology, in the list of Henry Fitzsimon, we haveChristianus,Bishop,entered,atthei8thofMarch. Intheanonymous Catalogue of National Saints, published by O'SuUevan Beare,^5 at the same date, he is simply called Christianus. The Bishop of Lismore, Christian O'Conarchy, must either have resigned his See, or died before 1 159, for even at this date, we find recorded the death of his successor, Maelmaire Ua Loingseach, Bishop of Lismore. ^^ In Harris' Ware,^7 it is stated, that Christian O'Conarchy resigned his See, about the year 11 75, and that having grown tired of all worldly pomp, this resignation happened a long time before his death. He is said to have lived to an advanced age, and to have died, in the year 1186. Again, it is related, that he was buried at Odorney,*^ alias Kyrieleyson,—a monastery of his own Order,—in the county of Kerry. ^s However, regarding the foregoing statements, and the present holy man's identification, in reference to them, much uncertainty remains.
the Legate of the Pope, and the Archbishop
of Armagh.
'9 At this Synod, the successor of St.
Patrick consecrated the church, and Donn- chadh Ua Maeleachiainn was excommuni- Gated by the clergy of Ireland, and, afterwards, he was banished by the kings from the kingdom of Meath. Then, like-
his brother Diarmaid was made wise, king
in his place.
^° Thus Muircheartach Ua Lochlainn,
otherwise called Murtogh O'Lochlin, King of Ireland, gave as a pious offering, for his soul, to God and to the monks of Mellifont, 140 oxen or cows, 60 ounces of gold, and a townland, near Drogheda, called Finnavair
of the Daughters. Sixty ounces of gold
were presented by O'Carroll, prince of
Oriel ; while, as many more were given,
by Dervorgilla, the celebrated wife of Survey Townland Maps for the County of
^ For this statement. Sir James Ware quotes these words of a certain anonymous author of Irish Annals, in reference to the
O'Rourke, prince of Breffny, together with
a golden chalice for the Virgin's altar, to-
getherwith sacred vestments and ornaments,
for each of the other nine altars, that were
in the church. See Moore's "History of year 1186 : "Christianus, illustris ille
Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xxvi. , pp. 196, 197. -' Or the " Hill of the son of Tadhg,"
which was near Trim, in the county of Meath.
'' While the Bishops of Connaught were on their way to this Synod, after they had left Clonmacnoise, at a place near it, called Cuirr-Cluana, on the Shannon, and in the
Prtesul Lismorensis, quondam Icgatus Hiber- nicB, ccmitlaior virtutiun (inquit Author
anonymus annalium nostrorum) qiias viderat, et aiuiierat a Sancto Patn suo Bernardo,
sitvanoque Pontifice viro venerabili Eugenio, cu»i —quo fiiit in probatorio, apud Clareval- /«;/. " "Coenobia Cisterciensia Hibemice,"
p. 67.
King's County, they were set upon, plundered and beaten, by the soldiers of Diarmaid Ua Maeleachiainn, King of Meath.
Two of their people were killed, and the bishops returned to their houses.
^^ See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. I128, I129, and nn. (t, u. ) Ibid.
^'^ His death took on the 12th of place,
June, A. D. 11 38.
-5 See " Historise Catholicse Ibernias
Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 50, and cap. xii. , p. 53.
^*
See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. I132, 1133.
''^
^^ See vol. i. , "Bishops of Lismore," pp; 550, 551.
The parish of O'Dorney, in the barony of Clanmaurice, is noted on the " Ordnance
Kerry," Sheets 15, 21.
and n. 88,
177. Also lib.
iii. ,cap. xxxvii. ,
25, 31.
Ibid. in the " Also,
p. and n.
Parliamentary i. , p. 253.
baronies, and it is noted, on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Tipperary," Sheets 31, 37.
4 These and the succeeding particulars, we
glean, from a series of papers, published by
the proprietor and editor, Maurice Lenihan,
p. 157,
Article viii. See
"3 Acta Sancto-
Ireland,"
in the parish of Kilvellane, in the same
rum," tomus ii. , Martii xviii.
pretermitted saints, p. 614. ""
Among the
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i8.
ArticleVII. —St. Caemhan,theHoly. Caemhan,denominatedthe
Holy, is set down in the Martyrology of Donegal,^ as having a festival, at this date. The BoUandists^ notice a St. Caimanus, a Bishop, occurring at the 1 8th of March, in two distinct Irish Martyrologies. Colgan thinks a disciple of St. Patrick, known as Coeman of Kill-rath, may be identified with the present saint. The same writer identifies the latter with a Coeman, Deacon, mentioned in St. Patrick's Acts. 3 There appears to be much con- fusion, in the short notes of writers, as relating to the present saint's identity.
Article VIII. —Natalis of St. Fridian, or Frigidian, Bishop, and
Patron of Lucca, Italy. \Sixth Century. '] St. Frigidian's festival is com- memorated on this day—said to have been his Natalis—in the Roman Martyrology, as in many of the more ancient Calendars. However, as the Bollandists observe,^ his chief festival is kept, in the city of Lucca, which honours him as patron, on the iSth of November, the day on which his relics were transferred ; and, at this date, more extended notices of him will be foundelsewhere. InStephenWhite,"inColgan,3intheRev. AlbanButler,* and in various other works,5 there iare accounts of him, at this date.
Article IX. —St. Commaneth, of Kilcomenty Parish, County of TiPPERARY. Thisalmostunknownsainthasatraditionalfameamongthe
—formerly called TuUagh—there is to be seen an old graveyard, containing several tombs and graves, the most curious of holy wells, and places of pilgrimage, with the remains of an ancient church. They well reward a visit from the tourist or antiquary. * Old men remember the walls of the ancient church standing. A curiously-cut holy water font was taken at a former time, out of the ruins, and brought to Birdhill. In and about the churchyard, there are remains of well-carved muUions, and other work, which show how beautiful was the tracery, and mouldings, in the windows of the old church. It is said to have been dedicated to St. Cummaneth, whose festival is observed, in the parish of Kilcomenty, on the iSth of March. The district is called Kilcommenthy, or the country about the church of St. Commenath. The well is shaded over by an enormous ash tree, which near the base of the trunkdividesitselfintotwogreatshafts. Fromthese,aquantityofbranches project, all covered with leaves in summer, and these shelter numerous
people of Kilcomenty parish,' county of Tipperary. Within two and a-half miles of Birdhill" railway station, and two and a-half of the town of Newport^
Article vii. —' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 80, 81.
s See " Circle—of the Seasons," p. 78.
"See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Martii xviii. Anaong the pretermitted scribed on the Ordnance Survey Town-
saints, p. 613.
3 See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima
Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xlvii. , p. 136,
land Maps for the County of Tipperary," Sheets 25, 31, 37.
— 186. Gazetteer of 68, p.
vol.
»
See Apologia pro Hibernia," cap. ii,, p. 15, cap. iv. , pp. 36, 37.
3 See Martii.
'*
Acta Sanctorum Hibernire," xviii.
Vita S. Fridiani sive Findiani
Epis. , pp. 633 to 651.
in the
"
Limerick Vindicator. " See
See "Lives of the " Cashel of the Fathers, Martyrs, Kings,"
and other principal Saints," March xviii. 3rd, 1S73.
in the No. for
June
Article ix,
* It is in the situated,
baronies of Owney and Arra, and it is de- *'
==
See a description of this place, on Sheets
March i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
pilgrims, who make their " rounds "5 of the well, and who pray for the inter- cession of the local saint, in order to be relieved from bodily and mental ail- ments. In this well are two of the mysterious trout, said to frequent nearly every holy well in Ireland. ^ The water,? by which the well is supplied, comes in a rivulet or stream, from Ballinahinch, some two miles off. Various traditional stories are current, among the people about Birdhill. ^ About two hundred yards north-east of the well, in the midst of hawthorn and alder trees, there is a great Druidic rock basin, of brown sandstone, quite unHke stone of the immediate place, which is limestone. The stone is about two and a-half feet in height from the ground, in breath at the top, it is two and a-half feet, and rounding off in form, it becomes broader, until at the extremity, it is about four and a-half feet in breadth. Within a few yards from the stone, the well runs under the ground, for about two hundred yards, and then it emerges from under the great shady ash tree, within a few yards of the churchyard. The stream thence continues to run a considerable distance, until it empties into the bog of Shower. 9 On the top of the stone are two circular basins, about a foot in diameter, always full or half full of
water
on the — of the there are two
; and, top stone, perpendicularcuttings,
six
like Ogam characters the top one, containing strokes, the lower one, or
one about the middle of the stone, eight. This curious stone, according to
a popular tradition, had been the bed of St. Cummaneth, and the perpen- dicular strokes, are regarded, as the marks of his hands, and of his ribs. '" The period of this saint is not discoverable to us.
Article X. —St. Finan. The festival of St. Finianus, or Finan, in the
Martyrology for the use of the Church of Aberdeen, is entered for the i8th
of March," or the xv. Kalends of April, which corresponds. ^ In the Breviary of Aberdeen, his ofhce is in nine Lessons. In Adam King's Calendar, we
s The "rounds" are seven in number.
Each time they are made by the individual
Ossian's famous hounds, killed on Moon a Lua, "the bog of the Black Bird, "i and on which the railway station has been built, a
pilgrim, who, in the first instance, takes up
seven bright pebbles from the brook which celebrated prehistoric Black Bird, from
runs out of the well, and having seven times
repeated the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Creed, and the Gloria, &c. , he throws a pebble into the brook or well. Then he proceeds to walk around the ground, about the well, through the churchyard, and from the churchyard to the front of the well, where the pilgrim kneels and prays. So on he continues, until the rounds are concluded, and until the seven pebbles are returned to the brook.
A
7 It rises in the lands of Mr. Patrick
which the Tipperary hill and parish derive their name. In a History of the Dalcassians,
published in the Limerick Vindicator, Mr. Lenihan fui'nishes interesting notes of these traditions.
5 There is a curious story told about the
well. It is said, that at some distant period,
it was situated near the stone, just described, but that the shepherds and herds of the place allowed sheep and cattle to sully the water, and, in one night, the well moved
down to its site, existing
* The
person of the neighbourhood, at one time, scorning to respect the well, took one of these trout home, and made an effort to roast it ; nothing but blood appeared, and the rascal had to bring the trout back to the well ; but from that day forward, the family have not had good luck.
following
is a local
legend.
Coffee, of that place, and increasing by perfectly correct. —
'
small tributary streams, it comes through
butter-cup covered,
^ One of these runs, that Ossian's bronze trumpet is buried beneath a rock, on Carri- geen» Again, it is stated, Bran, one of
See Bishop Forbes* p. 347.
and in the summer season.
pleasant fields, daisy
" xv. Kl.
'°
There is no doubt, that the stone lay, in
its present position, long before the period of the patron saint. On the conversion of the Druids, he may have used the basins for baptizing the early Christians of the place, and may have rested on it occasionally, There is nothing impossible or improbable in this presumption, and tradition may be
Article x.
" Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
* Thus do we find him noticed
Aprilis. In Scotia Sancti Finniani episcopi et confessoris qui abiectis calcatisque viciis orationi et ieiuniis vacare studuit gloriosum-
:
844 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 19.
read of " S. Finnane bischope confess, in Scotland vnder king ferquhard 2,"3 at the i8th of March. 4 The Bollandists,^ who notice this holy man, state, that they consider him to be hardly diiferent from the St. Finnan, who came from lona, as a monk, and who was afterwards known as Bishop over Lin- disfarne, in Northumbria, of which province he became the Apostle, accord- ing to Dempster. ^ Ferrarius has followed this account. We have only to refer the reader to his life, given at the 9th of January, and to some notices, regarding him, at the i6th and 17th of February.
Article XI. —Festival of St. Timothy, and of his Companions, Martyrs. In the Festilogy of St. ^-Engus, the Culdee, we find entered, at the 18th of IVIarch, the festival of St. Timothy, and of his companions,^ who
were martyrs.
5. xu. kl.
Co mo|\ bui-oin md]\CA TlApcA^ Viite LocVicA
La ciATtTOA
xx. TniLet) nioclicA.
With the great troops of March, Who were not all faulty,
With Timothy are reckoned Twenty champions who perished. ^
^meUentl) Bai) of Alanlj.
yvo ^ximit)
ARTICLE I. —ST. LACTEAN, OR LACTINUS, ABBOT OF FRESHFORD, COUNTY OF KILKENNY.
[SIXTH AND SEVENTH CENTURIES. ]
some of our large modern towns and cities, the thought of death
NEAR
under the
seems to be even in their
cemeteries,
concealed,
garniture
of shrubs and flowers, or under those refined sentiments, produced by the
sculptor'schisel,andoverpartialepitaph. Notso,however,doholypersons
seek to disguise from themselves, realities of life and death, in a religious course. This saint, called also Lactenus, Lactinius, and Lactanus,^ is com-
que sanctitatis nome« promeruit et miracu- lisclaruit. "—" Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland," vol. ii. , p.
263.
3 Ferchardus II. is said to have flourished,
about A. D.
