No More Learning

Article XV. —St. JNEochonna, or Dachonna, of Daire, or Derry. According to Marianus O'Gorman, two saints—Conna denominated—were venerated on this day. The foregoing, son of Ere, he distinguishes from Moc- honna,ofDoria,orDerry. Thetimeandplaceofthislattersaintareinvolved inverygreatobscurity, Thisuncertainty,Colgan,'whohasgivensomenotices of this saint, at the present day, acknowledges. The BoUandists^ do not undertake to remove the doubts raised regarding him. There is a notice of a certain Conedus, a Bishop, by Jocelyn ;3 but, it seems ditiicult to identify him, with any of the saints, noted in our Calendars ; and, probably, he was distinct from the present Conna or Mochonn. We learn, that in Scotia, Conan, a bishop, and Chronan, a monk, were venerated, according to Demp- ster's " Menologium Scoticum," at the 8th of March. 4 Now, Colgan thinks, the present holy man, whom he calls Mochonn and Dachonna, to have been Bishop of Derry, a well-known city in the north of Ireland, and the See of a
bishop, from a remote period. Here, it is sui)posed, he assisted, at that Synod,5 convoked by St. Elann,^ the Primate of Ireland, and by St. Adam- nan,7 who is called Archimandrite. Colgan possessed the Acts of this Synod. But, the learned compilers of the " Memoir of the City and North-Western
'° See his Life, at the Qlh of June.
" The parish of lioyle, wliich also gives name to a barony so called is on the " Ordnance Survey Townhnid Maps for the County of Roscommon," Slieets i, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10. The town itself is on Sheet 6.
" St. Patrick is said to have predicted the establishment of this foundation by St. Columba. See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, ii. , cap. ci.
'3 See, Isaac Weld's "Statistical Survey
of the County Roscommon," pp. 237, 238. '* See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba. " Appendix. Addi-
tional notes, G. 16, pp. 281, 282.
'5 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvii.
AKTiCLt; xv. —' See " Acta Sanctorum
liiberniit," viii. Martii. De S. Mochonn, qui et Dachonna Antistite Dorensi, pp. 565,
566. ^
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Martii viii. Among the pretermitted Saints, jt. 749.
3 y^e Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Sexla Vita S. Palricii, cap. xci. , and n. 102,
•' Edited 70, 71.
by
Drs. Todd and
Reeves, pp.
a. d. 715. See Hams' Ware, voL
"
i. ,
p. 113.
* See Bisliop Forbes'
"
Kalendars of
Scottisli Saints," p. 194.
^ Convoked ad. 695.
* He was called, also, Flann-Febia, and
he presided as Archbishop of Armagh for twenty-seven years, having died April 24th,
Archbishops of Armagh," p. 40.
268 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 8.
Liberties of Londonderry" ^ do not consider the very distinguished man, Mochonna or Dachonna, Abbot of Derry, who subscribed to the Acts of that
Synod, held by Flann, Archbishop of Armagh, and by St. Adamnan, to have been connected with the modern Londonderry. ^ He was rather abbot, and he is said to have been founder of a house, called after him. '° In the genea- logies —of the Irish Saints, found in the Book of Lecan, he is styled Patron of
ofa
Derry which appellation is only applied to the builder religious house.
Yet, it is certain, he was not founder of the monastery, at Derry-Columkille, which was also called Derry-Calgach, for some centuries after the time, in which St. Mochonna flourished. The Annals of Ulster, and of the Four Masters, at the years 704 and 705, record the death of this Mochonna, or Dachonna, Abbot of Derry. " We find the name, Moconna Daire, entered, at the 8th of March, in the Martyrology of Tallagh. " Marianus O'Gorman and Maguire have similar notices, at the same date, as also at the 13th of May ; Colgan intimating, that this festival may not have reference to a different saint. Again,onthisday,wasveneratedMochonna,ofDaire,aswereadin the Martyrology of Donegal's There are various places in Ireland com- pounded with the word Daire, meaning " an oak wood," so that we are left, at a loss, in not being able to discover this saint's locality.
Article XVI. —St. Derchairthinn, perhaps of Oughterard, County of Kildare. When this holy woman flourished has not transpired ;
Round Tower and Church of Oughterard, County of Kildare.
but, we read this day, in the Martyrology of Donegal,' regarding Derchair- thinn, of Uachtar-aird, as having a festival celebrated in her honour. She
7 See his at the of Life, 23rd
September.
'Oipi\c OAconnA, chonna. "
or "
Derry-disirt
of Da-
*
See Part ii. , sect. 2, p. 27.
' Colgan, Dr. O'Conor, Dr. Lanigan, with other eminent ecclesiastical antiqua- ries, were led to the erroneous conclusion, that Mochonna was Abbot of Derry-Colum- kille. See Ibid.
" It was known as Ooii\e ITIocorinA or "Derry of Mochonna," as also, X)oij\e
" See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 306, 307, and n. (z).
" Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii.
'3 Edited by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 70, 71.
March 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 269
descended from the race of CoUa Uais, who was Monarch of Erinn. The ancient name of her place has been Anglicized, into Oughterard. There is
a hill, bearing such a name, in the barony of South Salt, in the county of Kildare. A parish is called from the height. ^ On its summit are the ruins of a Round Tower, and of an ancient church. 3 The doorway is formed by a circular arch, 10 feet from the ground ; and, 10 feet higher, on the south side, is a window of the same shape and dimensions. * Here, too, are the ruins of a small church, rebuilt, in 1609, on the site of a very ancient chantry. s Under the west end is an old crypt. ^ Besides this, there is a celebrated place, called Oughterard,? in the county of Galway, and said to have been famous in ancient times. Many antiquities are there shown f but, it is not deemed to have been that place, connected with the present saint.
Article XVII. —St. Siadhal Ua Commain, Abbot of Kinlough, County of Leitrim. {Eighth Century? ^ Notices of this holy man will be found, as given by Colgan' and by the Bollandists. ^ He seems to have been born early in the eighth century. On the 8th of March, the Martyrology of Tallagh3 mentions the name of Siadail, Chinnlocha. The Anglicised form of this name is Kinlough, which means " Head of the Lake," and it is common enough in Ireland. Siadhal, of Ceann-lacha, is recorded, in the Martyrology of Donegal,* as having been venerated, at this date. In the table appended, a commentator adds, that in his opinion, this saint was Siadhul, son of Tinne, and of whom an account is contained, probably, in the Penitentiary of Melruain. s At the entry of this saint's death, in the "Annals of the Four Masters,"'' at a. d. 974, he is called St. Sidhal Ua Commain, and he is designated Abbot of Ceann-lacha, or Kinlough. This is considered, by Dr. 0'Donovan,7 as possibly identifiable with Kinlough,^ at the north-western extremity of Lough Melvin, in the parish of Rossinver, in
'
Article xvi. — Edited by Drs. Todd
and Reeves, pp. 70, 71.
" It is on the " Ordnance defined, Survey
Townland Maps for the County of Kildare," Sheets 14, 15, 19, 20. The townland proper is on Sheet 15.
3 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , n. (o), p. 946.
* The accompanying illustration is from a sketch of William F. Wakeman, drawn on the spot, and transferred to the wood. The engraving is by George A. Hanlon.
5 See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , pp. 451, 452.
ofMoyculien. It is defined on the
Episcopo Dubliniensi, p. 315, and -n. 5. Ibid.
*
are interred.
p. 749.
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xviii.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
70, 71.
s Commenting on this passage, Dr.
Reeves says : "The word pennA'oon\ is an Irish form of pcenitorium, for the . Latin,
pmnitentiarium ; and the letters trip. fl. in the copy should probably be tnt. Tl. , a con- traction of the proper name iriAel-fluAin. Colgan, in one of his notes on St. Sedulius of Dublin, seems to re—fer to the name in
In it, the Ponsonbys of Bishop's Court ^ In the parish of Kilcummin, and barony
"In
b. Malruani fit mentio S. Sedulii filii Thesd—ae
[Thennee ? ] de Lismoria in Momonia. "
Actt. SS. , p. 315 b, n. 8. See, t(J/a'. , pp.
468, 469, n. 2.
nance Survey Townland Maps for the
County of Galway," Sheet 54. Kilcummin
is one of the largest parishes in Ireland, to
be found, with its islands and detaclied portions, on Sheets 27, 38, 39, 40, 41, 52, 53. 54, 55, 65, 66, 67, 68, 77, 78, 79, 89, 90, 91.
*
See Dr. O'Donovan's Edition, vol. i. ,
** See a
"Ireland: Its Scenery, Character," &c.
,
on the " Ordnance Townland Survey
for the County of Leitrim," Sheet 2.
"
description
in Mr. and Mrs. Hall's
Maps
"
Ord-
^ See "Acta tomus Sanctorum,"
i. , Martii viii. Among the pretermitted saints,
question, when he says
:
psenitentiario
pp. 402, 403.
^ See n. (a). Ibid.
^
This town and townland will be found
9 on
It is noted, the
Ordnance '*
vol. iii. , — pp. 466, 467.
Article xvii.
Hihernias," xii. Fel)ruarii. De S, Sedulio Sheets 122. 123.
Survey See "Acta Sanctorum Towniand Maps for the County of Mayo,
2 70 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, [March 8.
the barony of Rosclogher, and county of Leitrim. There is another Kinlough,' in the parish of Shrule, in the barony of Kilmaine, and county of Mayo.
Article XVIII. —St. Beoadh, or Beatus, Bishop of Ardcarne, County of Roscommon. \Fifth and Sixth Centuries? )^ It has been thought, by Colgan, who inserts an account of him, at the 8th of March/ that the Acts of thissaintwereextantintheseventeenthcentury. TheBollandistsonlysupplya passing notice of him. ' The father of this holy man was Olcan, the son of Coman, son to Tren, son of Mathenn, son to Eochad, son of Conall, son to Tren, son of Duach, son to Macneid, son of Macon, i. e. , Lugad, son to Mac- neid. 3 Thus,washedescendedfromthenobleraceofLughaidh,sonofIth, through a long line of ancestors. Our saint was born in the fifth century, and his first name is said to have been Aedh or Aldus, to which the prefix Bo was added, on account of the greatness of his virtues. '* Hence, the name became resolved into Beoadh, which is found Latinized, Beoadus, or Beatus, butincorrectlyBeda. Heisthoughttohaveflourished,towardsthecloseof the fifth age. 5 In the Acts of St. Patrick,^ there is a St. Bean classed among thedisciplesofIreland'sgreatApostle. 7 ASt. Beatushadbeensetasbishop over the church of Dun-crathen, by the Irish Apostle, when in the territory of Kiennact, in the nortn of Ireland ; but, although there be an accordance of time, office, and name, he is not supposed to be identical with the present holy patron. Rather was our saint consecrated Bishop of Ard-Charna, in the plain of Mag-Luirg, and in the province of Connaught. The name of Ardcarne townland and parish,^ situated in the barony of Boyle, and county of Roscommon, is derived from an ancient cairn, situated on a hill, near the church. Here once stood a considerable village, or town, vestiges of which areyettraceable,inaconsiderableextentofwalls,nowsoddedover; avery
ancient road marks one of its former approaches. ^ This place was formerly the seat of the rural Bishop of Ardcarne,'" and some most lovely views are
presented, especially along the banks of the River Boyle. Here St. Beoadh was distinguished for his virtues, during life, and for his miracles before and
'•
after death. Thence, too, the Ceolan-Beoaidh, or
in a singularly beautiful cover of silver, and adorned with gems, passed to Baile na cclereach, in the territory of Breffny, where it was held in the greatest veneration, in Colgan's time ; and, regarded as a relique, many miracles, wrought through it, were ascribed to the heavenly merits of St.
Article xviii. —'See "Acta Sancto- rum Hiberniae," viii. Martii. De S. Beoado sive Beato Episcopo et Confessore, pp. 562,
563.
* See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. ,
Martii viii. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 748.
3 Such is the pedigree, as given in the
" Sanctilogic Genealogy," chap, xxxviii. , more exactly than it is lound in the Calen-
dar of Cashel. Lugid, surnanied Maccon,
son to Macneid, and by some called Monarch
over Ireland, was killed A. D. 225, according to Dr. ODonovan's '•Aunals ot the Four
Masters," vol. i. , pp. no, iil.
Tims Bo- Aedh is rendered "vivid" or
" vigorous Aedh. "
5 Selbach treats about him in the attri-
buted work " De Genealogia Sanctoru—m Hiberius," and in the Lile of St. Callin
whose contemporary he was—a notice also
Bell of St. Beoaidh," kept
occurs. *"
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. Septima Vita S. Patricii, p. 156, and n. 62, p. 186.
7 See ibid. Appendix Quinta ad Acta S. Patricii, p. 267.
^The parish is delineated on the " Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Roscommon," Sheets 3, 4, 6, 7, 10. The townland proper is on Sheet 6.
» A very interesting account of this
parish, with three exquisite engravings, including the church and Oak-port house, will be
"
found in John D'Alton's
land and Aimals of Boyle," voL i. , pp. 93 to 116.
'°
Before the beginning of the present century, a great market lor wool was held
here. See ibid. , p. 95.
History of Ire-
March 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 271
Beoadh. In addition to the episcopal office, he is thought to have- ruled over a monastery there, and he exercised generous hospitality towards all strangers and pilgrims. Cuimin, of Coindeire, in the poem which begins
" Patrick of Macha loved," states, that Beoaedh was—accustomed with, great
to give lodging" and gifts to every person. It is thus he says
lodging, "Lit. , Stranger's House. '"
"
"Colgan understands this to signify,
that he eniertained all the saints of Iieland,
with hospitality and gifts. But, the original
does not bear this out. " So Dr. O'Dono- van asserts, in a note, which he has added to the published Martyrology.
"
Before all the saints of Erin,
Beoaedh, the affectionate loved.
House of guests and presents,
He to each " gave person. "
Inthe"ChroniconScotorum,"'3 thedeceaseofBeoid,BishopofArdcarna, is entered at a. d. 518. Although, in the records of his own church, and in
the Martyrology of Tallagh,''* the name of Beoaedh, of Airdcarna, occurs at the 7th of March, as we have seen on the day previous, the entry, however, seems more properly referable to the present date, as all other authorities appeartostate. The"AnnalsoftheFourMasters"'splacethedeathofthis
holy man, at the 8th of March, a. d. 523. St. ^ngus, Marianus O'Gorman, with his Scholiast, Maguire, as also the Calendar of Cashel, and the Martyr- ology of Donegal,'^ mention, that on this day was venerated, Beoaedh,
Bishop, of Ardcarna, in Connauglit. Confirming the foregoing particulars, Duald Mac Fiibis interprets his name, in Latin, as Aedus vtvus. '^'' Little more seems to be known regarding him, although he seems to have been very distinguished, at the time when he flourished.
Article XIX. —St. Corcaria, Corcair, Curcach, or Cucagia, or QUORRAIR, SAID TO BE OF ClUAIN-LoTHUIR, OR OF KiLL-CORCAIGE. \T/iought to have been of the Sixth Century? \ The devout nun is toiling con- stantly with energy and with fruit, towards perpetuating in the Church, to which she is so closely bound, an abiding attachment to the memory and the virtues of those who have preceded her, in the luminous course through which she is bound to walk, on the road to salvation. Some difficulty exists, in determining the identity of this holy woman. Colgan has collected some unsatisfactory notices regarding her, at this date. ^ He supposes, that the sister, Quorrair, of St. Frigidian,* Bishop of Lucca, who is thought, in mistake, to have been identical with St. Finnian, Abbot of Maghbile,3 should more correctly be called Corcair or Curcach, or as Latinized, Corcaria or Cucagia, Yet, this theory is brought into doub—t by the Boliandists, at this day. -* Failing iden- tification with the —
to have been a transcriber's mistake for CorcairorCurcah wecanonlypassoverwhatColganhaswritten,andnote
Quorrair thought what is found in our Calendars. Now,
Colgan supposes, in one place,5 she
within brackets, and seemingly referring to him: "[Beaius ; See Molanus 31 Oct. on the translation of Notburga to Mount St. Beatus, nearCoblentz. ]" /did. , pp. 364, 365.
''See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. " Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part i. , pp. h6, 87, an—d nn. 12, 13, 14.
'
" In a note, Dr. Todd says at this word '
Article xix.
'3 See William Maunsell Hennessy's Hibernise," viii. Martii. De S. Corcaria
Edition, pp. 40, 41, and nn. 2, 3, idid.
'-* Edited Rev. Dr. xvii. by Kelly, p.
sive Cucagia, Virg. , pp. 563, 564.
'5 See Dr. O'Donovau's pp. 170, 171.
'^
Life, i. , Lite,
Edition,
vol.
at ihe loih of
* See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus L,
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
70, 71. In the table, postfixed to this p. 748.
Martyrology, immediately alter his name ^ See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," xv. and place, appears the lollowing comment, Februarii, n. 32, p. 339.
'^ See his
at the ibih of
November.
^ See his
See "Acta
Sanctorum
Martii viii. Among the pretermitted saints,
:
September,
272 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 8.
may have been the Corcaria*^ Caoin, who assisted at the great Council of Dromceat, a. d. 580 ; and, in another passage, that she may have flourished under the name of Crocha, in the time of St. Patrick. ' 7'hese, however, are only very crude conjectures. In the Martyrology of Tallagh^ is entered a virgin, under the title of Corcach Cluana Lothair, at the 8th of March. Marianus O'Gorman, and Cathal Maguire have also their several notices of Corcagia. Marianus O'Gorman and the O'Clerys think, however, that a holy woman of this name, venerated at the 8th of August, was connected with CluainLothair. Colgansupposesthisplacetob—eidenticalwithDoireLothair,^ whichwasintheterritoryofLea,'°inUltonia thoughttobethecountryof this virgin. He also imagines, she had a double," or even perchance, a third," festival day. We are told, there was a Cluain Lothair, in Breifne O'Ruairc, of which a St. Curcach, Virgin, is Patroness. Again, he thinks, this present saint may be identical with the virgin Curcach, of Cill-Curcaighe. In the Martyrology of Donegal, ^3 Curcach'* is mentioned, as having venera- tion paid to her, at this date. There is a Curcach, says the writer, and she was daughter to Enna, son to Corbmac, descended from the race of Colla-da- chrioch. This, however, is only a passing and an inconclusive conjecture, concerning her pedigree. It may safely be asserted, that very little is known, with any degree of certainty, regarding this virgin.
ArticleXX. —St. ColmannCirr,orKearr. AccordingtotheBol-
landists,' who quote Colgan's statement, in an Index, the present holy man was a disciple of St. Endeus, although, the reference does not indicate how or where the fact may be capable of demonstration. Again, we find inserted, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 8th of March, the name of Colman Cirr.
Article XXI. —Reputed Festival of a Mac Colaim chirr. We read in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' that Mac Colaim chirr had veneration paidhim,atthe8thofMarch. Elsewhere,wedonotfindanycorroboration of tliis statement, and we suspect some error of insertion.
Article XXII. —St. Molaisse, Son of Aedh.