" See
lithograph
copy, issued by daughter to Fedlimid, son to Tigernac, and the Royal Irish Academy, p.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
Yet, others make him, by family and birth, a native of Rhoetus Curiensis.
*^ They state, also, that he was a native of the country, near Constance,7 in Switzerland, of which see he became the bishop.
By some of the Continental writers he is styled Beatus f' while this title, or that of Saficfus, is pretermitted, by various other writers.
His feast seems to be wanting, in the Breviaries and Kalendars of the Church, at Constance,
mean " a Soggart,
or Sanclus^ ^'a saint,"
the rank of this holy man has not been determined.
is quoted by Dempster. ^^ "
3 See the Bollandists' Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxvi. Among the pre- termitted saints, p. 625.
priest,''
may
Catholics Ibernise Compendium," tomusi. , lib. iv,, cap. xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii. , p. 57.
lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii. , p. 57 '
^° See his " Menologium Scoticum. "
Article viii. — This is probably an error for Cronan, the correct name.
" The German Martyrology of Canisius
See his Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xiv. , num. 987, p. 518.
'3 See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
^ Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvi. *'
Scottish Saints,"
'* See "Acta Sanctorum Ilibernise," xxvi.
Februarii. De S. Ogano, alias Ogrino,
Epibcopo, p. 415.
'5 Dempster states, that some have the
56,57.
Article ix. —'^
pp. See "Lignum Vitix%"
this date. See "
Menologium
Scoticum,"
Life of St. Gall, at the luth of October, ^ "
p. 193.
festival of Soghan and Sophan, Bishops, at
In CatalogusGeneralis Sanctorum. " 3 111 the fust edition.
* In the second edition,
s According to Demochares. See the
xxvii. Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 193. Dempster forgets
to mention the foregoing bishops in his nus, Ecclesiastical History.
'" See O SuUevan Beare's " Historiae Catholicse IberniiXi Compendium," tomus i. ,
^ See Theodoras, Abbas Campidonensis, "In Vita S. Magni, sive Magnoaldi, Ma-
^^ It is that evident,
4 Edited Drs. Todd and Reeves, by
lib. ii. , cap. xxxix. -"
See Bruschius, De Episcopis Ger- manise," as also Jacobus ManliusBriganti-
"
by Pistorius.
In Chronico Coustantiensi," edited
7i6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 26.
printed in the sixteenth centiiry. 9 Yet, Henricus Murerus'° styles him Beatus, stating that the day of his death was unknown. He is said to have been the eleventh Bishop of Constance, in the order of succession. Demp- ster, Camerarius, and Henry Fitzsimon, have his festival, at the 15th of December, while Murerus sets it down, for the 25th of the same month. At the present date, the Bollandists place on record the previous statements re- garding him, but conditionally promise, at the 15th or 25th of December, to add other particulars if they could be revealed, in reference to Bishop John's claim, or title, to be included with the beatified. "
Article X. —St. Ethnea, Eithene, Athna, Ethna, Hethna, or Ethni. Nothingispositivelyknown,regardingthefamily,placeortimeof this holy woman. However, her name is found, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 26th of February, where she is called Ethni. Likewise, in the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman, at this date, Ethnea, a Virgin, is entered. ^* On the same day. Father John Colgan has a double notice,^ viz. : regarding St. Ethnea, that virgin, who is mentioned with her sister, Fedelmia,^ in St. Patrick's Acts,5 as also in reference to the Blessed Ethnea, a widow, and the mother of the illustrious St. Columkille. ^ He is doubtful, as to whether the present holy Ethnea was one or the other ; for, he contrives to distinguish her from certain Ethneas, named in our Irish Calendars. The fact, that she is styled a virgin, by Marianus O'Gorman, should exclude the notion, that the present saint could have been the mother7 of St. Columba.
If she be that royal convert, mentioned in St. Patrick's Acts, while Probus "
calls her Aethne Alba, or Ethne the White,''^ Jocelyn styles her Etne Rufa, or " Ethne the Ruddy. ^ In the absence of proof, regarding Ethnea, noted
in our Calendars, at the present day, conjectures can alone be hazarded. As we have seen, this noble virgin is thought to have had identity with a Saint
Ethnea, Athna, Ethna, or Hethna,^° whose festival has been already assigned to the nth day of January, where full notices regarding her occur. On the
present day, Eithne, was venerated, as we read in the Martyrology of Done- gal," but nothing more is added, to throw any further light on her history.
gistri," at the 6th of September, and Wala- Iridus Strabo, "In Vita S. Galli. "
^ As by Bruschius, Arnold Wion, &c.
5 Jacobus Manlius, in his work, intituled, "Catalogus Sanctorum indigenarum et ad- venarum Vindonissensis et Constantiensis DicEcesis," has no mention of this Jolm, although towards the end, he even adds
some persons, reputed to be saints there, yet without mention in the canon.
'° "
In Helvetia . ^acra. "
See *'Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Vidua, p, 416.
4 See the Acts of both, at the nth of
January.
s See St. Patrick's Life, at the 17th of
March.
^
See his Life, at the 9th of June.
^ For further particulars, regarding her, the reader is referred to the Lite of her re-
vSee Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga. " Quinta Vita S. Fatricii, lib. ii. , cap. xiv. , ? • 53.
^ See ibid. Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. Iviii. , p. 77.
^'
Februarii xxvi. Among the pretermitted
saints, pp. 626,—627. '
'°
Article x. Edited by Rev. p. xvi.
Dr.
Kelly,
Thus is she variously named in Henry
* tomus
See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
" HistoricC Catholicai Ibernite
dium," tomus i. , lib. iv,, cap. xii. , pp. 52, 54.
Februarii xxvi.
the Among pre-
Compen-
iii. ,
termitted saints, p. 625.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," Feb-
ruarii xxvi. De SS. Ethnea et Fedelmia,
VV. , pp. 415, 416, and De B. Ethnea 58, 59.
nowned son.
** "
"
torum Ibernioe. " See O'SuUevan Beare's
Fitzsimon's
Catalogus Aliquorum Sanc-
" Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
February 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 717
Ch)ent2-'J>ebentI) lanp of jFebruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. COMGAN, OR COMDHAN, ABBOT OF GLEANN-USSEN, OR KILLESHIN, QUEEN'S COUNTY.
[POSSIBLY IN THE NINTH CENTURY. }
/^UR primitive saints always remembered, that the Kingdom of Heaven
\^^ was not to be taken, but by violence, according to the admonition of our Divine Redeemer ;' and hence, they regarded self-love as one of their chiefest enemies. By self-denial and by voluntary mortifications, they used violence towards their passions and appetites, while they loved a monastic state, as serving morally and materially to regulate the temper and the will. There, too, they studied to find out their predominant passions, and laboured
to suppress them, by the holy exercises of prayer and penance.
Making due acknowledgments to Father John Colgan, for notices supplied to them, the Bollandists have a brief account referring to this saint, in three paragraphs, —at the present date. ^ His name is written Comgan, in the Book
of Leinster3 and this is the most general form
;
however, it is Com- spelled
dhan, in the Martyrologies. -^ From varioiis sources, Colgan has gleaned what- ever he thought necessary, to compile Acts of the present holy abbot. s However, it must be acknowledged, those sources, for illustration of his Life
and career, are unsatisfactory, and very meagre. Some confusion appears to have arisen, in reference to his history, owing to variations of statement about
his pedigree, and regarding the epithet affixed to his name, written Comgan,
cen-dindis. ^ This adjunct seems to have been thought equivocal, by a
•' "
Scholiast, on the Feilire of St. ^ngus. 7 His father's name was Deirmit,
son to Dega, or Degadius, of the Dalcassian race. ^ This tribe had its origin from Cormac Cas, who gave name to it. According to accounts left us, his
mother was Ethnea,9 daughter to Fedlimid, or Feidhlimidh, son to Tigher- nach. ^° Some have said she was a sister to St. Columkille. " This is clearly
Article i, —^ St. Matt, xi. , 12. ^ In the "Menologic Genealogy," chap. ^"
See Acta Sanctorum," tomusiii. , Feb- 35, the pedigree of our saint is referred to
niarii xxvii. De S. Comgano Abbate Glinnussensi in Hibernia, p. 682.
3 Fol. 126, a 2.
4 See Miss Stokes' " Christian Inscrip- lions in the Irish Language," vol. i. , p. 19. s See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae,"
Februarii xxvii. De S. Comgano Abbate
de Gleann-Ussen, pp. 417, 418.
^ We find "cen-dindis " rendered "with-
out reproach," in Miss Stokes' "Christian
Inscriptions in the Irish Language," vol. ii. , p. 85, where allusion is made to the
present saint.
^ We find it thus explained, in a gloss on
the text, in the Leabhar Breac copy, at
"
i. e. without dishonor, or Cend-innis, a proper name of a hill, in the region of Comgan, in (the territory of)
Cormac Cas. In the " Leabhar Breac "
copy of Irish saintly pedigrees, we have this account : Comdhan of Glenn Ussen, the son of Dermit, son of Dega, son of Temni, son of Fircorb, son of Mogacorb, son of Cormacass, son of Oiliol Olum. See lithograph copy, p. 19.
9 in the copy of the Treatise, "On the
Mothers of the Irish Saints," which I
possess, she is called eichtie ingen ITei-o-
timit) tnx^cel^ ComgAin 5linx)i tlifen,
" Eithne, the daughter of Fedlilimid, mother to Comgain of Glenn Uissen. "
'" The O'Clerys have this pedigree of her, in their Martyrology.
"In the "Maternal Genealogies of the Irish Saints," attributed to yEngus the Cul- dee, it is stated, however, that Ethnea was
Ceii'onTOi]' :
Dalgas.
" See lithograph copy, issued by daughter to Fedlimid, son to Tigernac, and the Royal Irish Academy, p. 82. mother to Comgan of Gleann-ussen.
7iS LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[February 27.
a mistake," for Fedhlemid, who was the flither of St. Columba, should not
becalledthesonofTigernac,butratherthesonofFergus. '3 Again,weare
told, that Tighernach was Fedhlemid's brother, and the father of Saints
ColmanandCiian. ^4 Thisaccountofourgenealogistsshows,thathisfamily
relationship removes all suspicion about Comgan being the nephew of St.
Columkille. ^5 Various mistakes,'^ in connexion with the statements^7 of
writers, have thus obscured genealogical accounts, regarding this holy abbot.
He had five brothers, it is said, and all of these were distinguished for their '2
June.
'*
According logy," chap. i.
to the "
Menelogic
Genea-
'' For a diversity of
spelling, regarding
They were named, Mernocli, or Ernan, Moelchua, or Melchuo,
sanctity.
Mirilius, otherwise Mirinus, or Imrilius, Moeldubh, or Moeldubhiiis, and Telduhius, or Teldubius, the Poet. ^9 This supposes, however, that they were sons to Degill and of Cumine, or Cumenia, the sister of St. Columba ;'° but, as we have already stated, they were not brothers to our saint.
St. Comgan was born, as we are told, in a part of Munster province," calledKeann-Indse. Yet,thisisprobablyanunfoundedsupposition,since, as we have seen, Comgan, cin-dinis, or " without reproach," may have been
mistaken for the proper name of his place. Besides, this Ceann-Indis, or Ceann-Indeas, has not been identified. In what year his birth took place is unknown. It has been supposed, that Saint Comgan built a church, within the Dalcassian territory, and that it was known as Ceann-Indis or Keann- Indse. This place, also called Ceann-Innis, and Ceann-Indeas, is said to have been the name for a hill, in that territory of the Dalcassians, where Comgan was born. This building must have been situated, on some hill, it is thought, in the county of Clare. ^^ Whether this structure had been erected, before or after our saint's elevation to the rank of abbot over Gleann- Ussen Monastery, has not been determined -p but, probably the statement
" Eithne or Ethnea, the mother of St. Columba, was the daughter of Dioma, son of Noe, according to the Tract, "On the
an inspired poet of Aidhne ; six sons of the victorious Ethnea, daughter to Fedhlemid ; these were glorious towers of probation.
Mothers of the Irish Saints. " MS. copy Nearly the same account is found in the ""
from the Leabhar Lecan," /<? «<? j ««<r^^r/j.
She descended from Cathaoir Mor, King of
Ireland, A. D. 120 to 123. See Dr. O'Dono-
*'
Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 102, 103.
•3 This Colgan promised to prove, in his notes to St. Columkille's Acts, at the 9th of
gloss to the "FeiUre," in the Leabhar
Breac," p. 82, of the lithographed copy. The amiable and great sister of St. Columba,
sprung from the renowned family of Conall the Great, was their motfier. This the Scho- liast writes in a style, as we are told, very
van's
'5 See, likewise, that interesting Genea- logical Table of the early Abbots of Ily, in
these several names, the reader is referred
to that text of our Saint's Life, furnished by
Colgan, and to the extract from Maguire's
Martyrology. See nn. 5, 6.
Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
"
Life of St. Columba. " Additional notes (n), p. 342.
=°
Colgan treats about these, and two ad-
'^ See "Trias Thaumaturga," p. 478.
See, also, appended to the Life of this Bran, in his Trias Thaumaturga. " Quarta
. saint, in the " Acta Sanctorum Hibemiac,"
nn. 5, 6, p. 418.
'7 The Genealogy, said to have been com-
piled by . ^ngus, differs from that given by Cathal Maguire, who makes our . saint a
nephew to St. Columkille, in his Martyr- ology, at the 27th of February. The same
lithographed copy.
*^ Cathald Maguire writes, that St. Com-
gan's brothers were SS. Mernochus, Moel- ghua, Imrilius, Moeldubius and Teldubius,
Appendix ad Acta S. Columbas, cap. ii. ,
"
in the " Leabhar Breac," at p. 82, of the
logic Genealogy," chap, iii. , in Maguire, at the 27th of February, and in other authori- ties. See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi- hernia;," xxvii. Februarii. Vita S. Comgani, n. 2, p. 418.
^= Our saint belonged to this place, ac-
cording to the Scholiast on St. Angus the
Culdee, according to the Calendar of Cashel, and to Charles Maguire.
"3 See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His*
thing is done, in a gloss to the
Feilire,"
" Hibernias," xxvii. Februarii, p. 418.
archaic. See Colgan's
Acta Sanctorum
ditional holy brothers, St. Lasren and St. "
pp. 478, 479. and cap. x. , pp. 488 to 491. *' "
This statement is found in the Mene-
February 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 719
is not deserving of any consideration. When treating about St. Ita,'^ Colgan says, that in her time hved, as one of her famihar friends, a certain Comdan,'5 or Comgan. ^^'^ He adds, also, that St. Cumineus, brother to such Comgan,
was a disciple of St. Ita. Although that Comgan is regarded as a saint, by some writers ; yet, Colgan rather thinks the Comgan, mentioned in St. Ita's Acts,wasAbbotofGlenn-Ussen,andbearingthatname. "7 Webelievethis, however, to be an unfounded conjecture, since it is inconsistent with any evidence, that can be adduced.
That St. Comgan was connected with Gleann-Ussen appears, from the
authority of the Menelogium Genealogicum, the Martyrologies of Tallagh, of Cashel and of Marianus O'Gorman. This was the name of a remarkable glen, situated in the territory of Hi-Bairche, about two Irish miles to the west of Carlow. There exists a considerable portion of the ruins of an ancient church, called CiU Ussin,, anglice^ Killeshin. This monastery was situated,
in the south-eastern part of the Queen's County.
^"^
Yet Archdall'9 identifies
the church of Gleann-Uissin with Gleane, or Glin, near Firbane,3° on the
River Brusna, in the barony of Garrycastle, and King's County. But, this
is a childish guess, because Gleann-Uisean is described in the authorities referred to by Archdall himself, as being in the territory of Ui-Bairche. In this, the Church of Sletty, close to Carlow, was situated. 3^ At Killeshin, St. Diarmaid or Diermit is said to have built or presided over a church or monastery;32 and,this'musthavebeenaslateastheninthcentury,ifweare to identify him with that Diarmaid, Abbot of Gleann-Uissean,33 whose death is recorded at a. d. 874. 34 Now, Comgan is generally allowed to have suc- ceeded him ; but, at what particular date is not clearly ascertainable, for we cannot find any well-known allusion to him in our Annals. At Killeshin are still to be seen, on the hill slopes of Slievemarigue, the interesting ruins of a very ancient ecclesiastical structure. It is in the Irish Romanesque style. The cloicethech, or bell-house, there, was destroyed, in the year 1703. 35 There are various details of the Church at Killeshin represented by wood- cuts and described by Mr. Wakeman. 36
It has been assumed, that when St. Comgan37 found himself at the end of his mortal course, he entreated St. Ita, that she would come in Christ's name to place her holy hand upon his lips, and close his mouth, on the day of departure. Comgan also said, he learned from an Angel of the Lord, how the
tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, xiv. , n. 245, p. 79.
=4 See her Life, at the 15th of January.
=5 He was surnamed, Mac Dacheard. This seems to establish the fact, that he was a different person from our saint.
=^ He died dunng the reign of Domhnall, who began his reign in the year 624. See O'Donovan's" Annals of the Four Masters,"
vol. i. , pp. 246, 247.
-^ Being set down, with his festival, at
the 27th of February, in some of our Irish
Calendars, Colgan promised to treat con- cerning him on that day, and our national
hagiologist redeemed his promise, so far as
he could find materials or safe conjecture to
complete his notices.
Killagally. See " Ordnance Survey Town- land Maps for the King's County," Sheet 14.
'^ ** See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. ,
tions in the Irish Language," vol. ii. , p. 80, and n.
3^ See ** Archaeologia Hibemica. A Hand-Book of Irish Antiquities, Pagan and Christian," part ii. Early Christian Anti*
quities, chap, iii. , pp. 79 to 81.
37 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber*
of Ireland," xxxviii. , chap,
Antiquities 264.
p.
=5 In his " Monasticon Hibernicum," p.
398.
3° The places here named are situated in
the
parish
of Gallen, and of Wheery or
"
Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (y), pp. 464, 465.
3' gee Dr. O'Donovan's
Annals of the
"
^2 See Father Hugh Ward's Rumoldi, &c. , Acta. " Dissertatio Histonca de Patria S. Rumoldi, sect. 9, p, 159.
33 See notices of him, at the bth of July.
34 gee Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 520, 521.
35 And on the 8th of March, as appears
by a manuscript entry, on the fly-leat of an Abridgment of the Public Printed Irish
Statutes, now in the possession of R. Clayton Browne, Esq. , D. L. , Browne's Hill, Car-
low. See Miss Stokes'
"
Christian Inscrip-
Sancti
720 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February27.
soul of that person would be conducted to Heaven, on whose wasting body,
the hands of St. Ita should be placed. But, the holy virgin, sincerely humble, remonstrated with the abbot and assured him, that he had enter- tained too exalted opinion of her sanctity, by supposing her touch could give him any sort of guarantee, that God's blessed Angels would receive his soul
on her account, and after death. St. immediately
"
Comgan replied,
I say, that because of what I have asked, no demon shall dare approach our
path, nor in any manner accuse us. " His request was complied with, and
after St. Ita had predicted the holy man's future happiness, he departed,3S before the year 569,39 supposed to have been that of St. Ita's death. As we have already indicated, the whole foregoing account must be referred to a Comgan, who flourished some centuries before the present saint. We find him placed after St. Diarmaid, in the government of Kilieshin Monastery, and he cannot have enjoyed this position, before the close of the ninth century. -^® Probably this was about the time, when our St. Comgan was abbot over that establishment.
It is supposed, by Dr. Laniganj-^^ that his departure occurred atCeann-Indis, and in his assumed native country, Thomond, from the circumstance of it
being nearer to St. Ita's monastery, at Cluain-Credhail,'^^ than was Gleann- Usshin, over which, it is thought, he had been abbot.
mean " a Soggart,
or Sanclus^ ^'a saint,"
the rank of this holy man has not been determined.
is quoted by Dempster. ^^ "
3 See the Bollandists' Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxvi. Among the pre- termitted saints, p. 625.
priest,''
may
Catholics Ibernise Compendium," tomusi. , lib. iv,, cap. xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii. , p. 57.
lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii. , p. 57 '
^° See his " Menologium Scoticum. "
Article viii. — This is probably an error for Cronan, the correct name.
" The German Martyrology of Canisius
See his Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xiv. , num. 987, p. 518.
'3 See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
^ Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvi. *'
Scottish Saints,"
'* See "Acta Sanctorum Ilibernise," xxvi.
Februarii. De S. Ogano, alias Ogrino,
Epibcopo, p. 415.
'5 Dempster states, that some have the
56,57.
Article ix. —'^
pp. See "Lignum Vitix%"
this date. See "
Menologium
Scoticum,"
Life of St. Gall, at the luth of October, ^ "
p. 193.
festival of Soghan and Sophan, Bishops, at
In CatalogusGeneralis Sanctorum. " 3 111 the fust edition.
* In the second edition,
s According to Demochares. See the
xxvii. Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 193. Dempster forgets
to mention the foregoing bishops in his nus, Ecclesiastical History.
'" See O SuUevan Beare's " Historiae Catholicse IberniiXi Compendium," tomus i. ,
^ See Theodoras, Abbas Campidonensis, "In Vita S. Magni, sive Magnoaldi, Ma-
^^ It is that evident,
4 Edited Drs. Todd and Reeves, by
lib. ii. , cap. xxxix. -"
See Bruschius, De Episcopis Ger- manise," as also Jacobus ManliusBriganti-
"
by Pistorius.
In Chronico Coustantiensi," edited
7i6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 26.
printed in the sixteenth centiiry. 9 Yet, Henricus Murerus'° styles him Beatus, stating that the day of his death was unknown. He is said to have been the eleventh Bishop of Constance, in the order of succession. Demp- ster, Camerarius, and Henry Fitzsimon, have his festival, at the 15th of December, while Murerus sets it down, for the 25th of the same month. At the present date, the Bollandists place on record the previous statements re- garding him, but conditionally promise, at the 15th or 25th of December, to add other particulars if they could be revealed, in reference to Bishop John's claim, or title, to be included with the beatified. "
Article X. —St. Ethnea, Eithene, Athna, Ethna, Hethna, or Ethni. Nothingispositivelyknown,regardingthefamily,placeortimeof this holy woman. However, her name is found, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 26th of February, where she is called Ethni. Likewise, in the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman, at this date, Ethnea, a Virgin, is entered. ^* On the same day. Father John Colgan has a double notice,^ viz. : regarding St. Ethnea, that virgin, who is mentioned with her sister, Fedelmia,^ in St. Patrick's Acts,5 as also in reference to the Blessed Ethnea, a widow, and the mother of the illustrious St. Columkille. ^ He is doubtful, as to whether the present holy Ethnea was one or the other ; for, he contrives to distinguish her from certain Ethneas, named in our Irish Calendars. The fact, that she is styled a virgin, by Marianus O'Gorman, should exclude the notion, that the present saint could have been the mother7 of St. Columba.
If she be that royal convert, mentioned in St. Patrick's Acts, while Probus "
calls her Aethne Alba, or Ethne the White,''^ Jocelyn styles her Etne Rufa, or " Ethne the Ruddy. ^ In the absence of proof, regarding Ethnea, noted
in our Calendars, at the present day, conjectures can alone be hazarded. As we have seen, this noble virgin is thought to have had identity with a Saint
Ethnea, Athna, Ethna, or Hethna,^° whose festival has been already assigned to the nth day of January, where full notices regarding her occur. On the
present day, Eithne, was venerated, as we read in the Martyrology of Done- gal," but nothing more is added, to throw any further light on her history.
gistri," at the 6th of September, and Wala- Iridus Strabo, "In Vita S. Galli. "
^ As by Bruschius, Arnold Wion, &c.
5 Jacobus Manlius, in his work, intituled, "Catalogus Sanctorum indigenarum et ad- venarum Vindonissensis et Constantiensis DicEcesis," has no mention of this Jolm, although towards the end, he even adds
some persons, reputed to be saints there, yet without mention in the canon.
'° "
In Helvetia . ^acra. "
See *'Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Vidua, p, 416.
4 See the Acts of both, at the nth of
January.
s See St. Patrick's Life, at the 17th of
March.
^
See his Life, at the 9th of June.
^ For further particulars, regarding her, the reader is referred to the Lite of her re-
vSee Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga. " Quinta Vita S. Fatricii, lib. ii. , cap. xiv. , ? • 53.
^ See ibid. Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. Iviii. , p. 77.
^'
Februarii xxvi. Among the pretermitted
saints, pp. 626,—627. '
'°
Article x. Edited by Rev. p. xvi.
Dr.
Kelly,
Thus is she variously named in Henry
* tomus
See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
" HistoricC Catholicai Ibernite
dium," tomus i. , lib. iv,, cap. xii. , pp. 52, 54.
Februarii xxvi.
the Among pre-
Compen-
iii. ,
termitted saints, p. 625.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," Feb-
ruarii xxvi. De SS. Ethnea et Fedelmia,
VV. , pp. 415, 416, and De B. Ethnea 58, 59.
nowned son.
** "
"
torum Ibernioe. " See O'SuUevan Beare's
Fitzsimon's
Catalogus Aliquorum Sanc-
" Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
February 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 717
Ch)ent2-'J>ebentI) lanp of jFebruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. COMGAN, OR COMDHAN, ABBOT OF GLEANN-USSEN, OR KILLESHIN, QUEEN'S COUNTY.
[POSSIBLY IN THE NINTH CENTURY. }
/^UR primitive saints always remembered, that the Kingdom of Heaven
\^^ was not to be taken, but by violence, according to the admonition of our Divine Redeemer ;' and hence, they regarded self-love as one of their chiefest enemies. By self-denial and by voluntary mortifications, they used violence towards their passions and appetites, while they loved a monastic state, as serving morally and materially to regulate the temper and the will. There, too, they studied to find out their predominant passions, and laboured
to suppress them, by the holy exercises of prayer and penance.
Making due acknowledgments to Father John Colgan, for notices supplied to them, the Bollandists have a brief account referring to this saint, in three paragraphs, —at the present date. ^ His name is written Comgan, in the Book
of Leinster3 and this is the most general form
;
however, it is Com- spelled
dhan, in the Martyrologies. -^ From varioiis sources, Colgan has gleaned what- ever he thought necessary, to compile Acts of the present holy abbot. s However, it must be acknowledged, those sources, for illustration of his Life
and career, are unsatisfactory, and very meagre. Some confusion appears to have arisen, in reference to his history, owing to variations of statement about
his pedigree, and regarding the epithet affixed to his name, written Comgan,
cen-dindis. ^ This adjunct seems to have been thought equivocal, by a
•' "
Scholiast, on the Feilire of St. ^ngus. 7 His father's name was Deirmit,
son to Dega, or Degadius, of the Dalcassian race. ^ This tribe had its origin from Cormac Cas, who gave name to it. According to accounts left us, his
mother was Ethnea,9 daughter to Fedlimid, or Feidhlimidh, son to Tigher- nach. ^° Some have said she was a sister to St. Columkille. " This is clearly
Article i, —^ St. Matt, xi. , 12. ^ In the "Menologic Genealogy," chap. ^"
See Acta Sanctorum," tomusiii. , Feb- 35, the pedigree of our saint is referred to
niarii xxvii. De S. Comgano Abbate Glinnussensi in Hibernia, p. 682.
3 Fol. 126, a 2.
4 See Miss Stokes' " Christian Inscrip- lions in the Irish Language," vol. i. , p. 19. s See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae,"
Februarii xxvii. De S. Comgano Abbate
de Gleann-Ussen, pp. 417, 418.
^ We find "cen-dindis " rendered "with-
out reproach," in Miss Stokes' "Christian
Inscriptions in the Irish Language," vol. ii. , p. 85, where allusion is made to the
present saint.
^ We find it thus explained, in a gloss on
the text, in the Leabhar Breac copy, at
"
i. e. without dishonor, or Cend-innis, a proper name of a hill, in the region of Comgan, in (the territory of)
Cormac Cas. In the " Leabhar Breac "
copy of Irish saintly pedigrees, we have this account : Comdhan of Glenn Ussen, the son of Dermit, son of Dega, son of Temni, son of Fircorb, son of Mogacorb, son of Cormacass, son of Oiliol Olum. See lithograph copy, p. 19.
9 in the copy of the Treatise, "On the
Mothers of the Irish Saints," which I
possess, she is called eichtie ingen ITei-o-
timit) tnx^cel^ ComgAin 5linx)i tlifen,
" Eithne, the daughter of Fedlilimid, mother to Comgain of Glenn Uissen. "
'" The O'Clerys have this pedigree of her, in their Martyrology.
"In the "Maternal Genealogies of the Irish Saints," attributed to yEngus the Cul- dee, it is stated, however, that Ethnea was
Ceii'onTOi]' :
Dalgas.
" See lithograph copy, issued by daughter to Fedlimid, son to Tigernac, and the Royal Irish Academy, p. 82. mother to Comgan of Gleann-ussen.
7iS LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[February 27.
a mistake," for Fedhlemid, who was the flither of St. Columba, should not
becalledthesonofTigernac,butratherthesonofFergus. '3 Again,weare
told, that Tighernach was Fedhlemid's brother, and the father of Saints
ColmanandCiian. ^4 Thisaccountofourgenealogistsshows,thathisfamily
relationship removes all suspicion about Comgan being the nephew of St.
Columkille. ^5 Various mistakes,'^ in connexion with the statements^7 of
writers, have thus obscured genealogical accounts, regarding this holy abbot.
He had five brothers, it is said, and all of these were distinguished for their '2
June.
'*
According logy," chap. i.
to the "
Menelogic
Genea-
'' For a diversity of
spelling, regarding
They were named, Mernocli, or Ernan, Moelchua, or Melchuo,
sanctity.
Mirilius, otherwise Mirinus, or Imrilius, Moeldubh, or Moeldubhiiis, and Telduhius, or Teldubius, the Poet. ^9 This supposes, however, that they were sons to Degill and of Cumine, or Cumenia, the sister of St. Columba ;'° but, as we have already stated, they were not brothers to our saint.
St. Comgan was born, as we are told, in a part of Munster province," calledKeann-Indse. Yet,thisisprobablyanunfoundedsupposition,since, as we have seen, Comgan, cin-dinis, or " without reproach," may have been
mistaken for the proper name of his place. Besides, this Ceann-Indis, or Ceann-Indeas, has not been identified. In what year his birth took place is unknown. It has been supposed, that Saint Comgan built a church, within the Dalcassian territory, and that it was known as Ceann-Indis or Keann- Indse. This place, also called Ceann-Innis, and Ceann-Indeas, is said to have been the name for a hill, in that territory of the Dalcassians, where Comgan was born. This building must have been situated, on some hill, it is thought, in the county of Clare. ^^ Whether this structure had been erected, before or after our saint's elevation to the rank of abbot over Gleann- Ussen Monastery, has not been determined -p but, probably the statement
" Eithne or Ethnea, the mother of St. Columba, was the daughter of Dioma, son of Noe, according to the Tract, "On the
an inspired poet of Aidhne ; six sons of the victorious Ethnea, daughter to Fedhlemid ; these were glorious towers of probation.
Mothers of the Irish Saints. " MS. copy Nearly the same account is found in the ""
from the Leabhar Lecan," /<? «<? j ««<r^^r/j.
She descended from Cathaoir Mor, King of
Ireland, A. D. 120 to 123. See Dr. O'Dono-
*'
Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 102, 103.
•3 This Colgan promised to prove, in his notes to St. Columkille's Acts, at the 9th of
gloss to the "FeiUre," in the Leabhar
Breac," p. 82, of the lithographed copy. The amiable and great sister of St. Columba,
sprung from the renowned family of Conall the Great, was their motfier. This the Scho- liast writes in a style, as we are told, very
van's
'5 See, likewise, that interesting Genea- logical Table of the early Abbots of Ily, in
these several names, the reader is referred
to that text of our Saint's Life, furnished by
Colgan, and to the extract from Maguire's
Martyrology. See nn. 5, 6.
Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
"
Life of St. Columba. " Additional notes (n), p. 342.
=°
Colgan treats about these, and two ad-
'^ See "Trias Thaumaturga," p. 478.
See, also, appended to the Life of this Bran, in his Trias Thaumaturga. " Quarta
. saint, in the " Acta Sanctorum Hibemiac,"
nn. 5, 6, p. 418.
'7 The Genealogy, said to have been com-
piled by . ^ngus, differs from that given by Cathal Maguire, who makes our . saint a
nephew to St. Columkille, in his Martyr- ology, at the 27th of February. The same
lithographed copy.
*^ Cathald Maguire writes, that St. Com-
gan's brothers were SS. Mernochus, Moel- ghua, Imrilius, Moeldubius and Teldubius,
Appendix ad Acta S. Columbas, cap. ii. ,
"
in the " Leabhar Breac," at p. 82, of the
logic Genealogy," chap, iii. , in Maguire, at the 27th of February, and in other authori- ties. See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi- hernia;," xxvii. Februarii. Vita S. Comgani, n. 2, p. 418.
^= Our saint belonged to this place, ac-
cording to the Scholiast on St. Angus the
Culdee, according to the Calendar of Cashel, and to Charles Maguire.
"3 See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His*
thing is done, in a gloss to the
Feilire,"
" Hibernias," xxvii. Februarii, p. 418.
archaic. See Colgan's
Acta Sanctorum
ditional holy brothers, St. Lasren and St. "
pp. 478, 479. and cap. x. , pp. 488 to 491. *' "
This statement is found in the Mene-
February 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 719
is not deserving of any consideration. When treating about St. Ita,'^ Colgan says, that in her time hved, as one of her famihar friends, a certain Comdan,'5 or Comgan. ^^'^ He adds, also, that St. Cumineus, brother to such Comgan,
was a disciple of St. Ita. Although that Comgan is regarded as a saint, by some writers ; yet, Colgan rather thinks the Comgan, mentioned in St. Ita's Acts,wasAbbotofGlenn-Ussen,andbearingthatname. "7 Webelievethis, however, to be an unfounded conjecture, since it is inconsistent with any evidence, that can be adduced.
That St. Comgan was connected with Gleann-Ussen appears, from the
authority of the Menelogium Genealogicum, the Martyrologies of Tallagh, of Cashel and of Marianus O'Gorman. This was the name of a remarkable glen, situated in the territory of Hi-Bairche, about two Irish miles to the west of Carlow. There exists a considerable portion of the ruins of an ancient church, called CiU Ussin,, anglice^ Killeshin. This monastery was situated,
in the south-eastern part of the Queen's County.
^"^
Yet Archdall'9 identifies
the church of Gleann-Uissin with Gleane, or Glin, near Firbane,3° on the
River Brusna, in the barony of Garrycastle, and King's County. But, this
is a childish guess, because Gleann-Uisean is described in the authorities referred to by Archdall himself, as being in the territory of Ui-Bairche. In this, the Church of Sletty, close to Carlow, was situated. 3^ At Killeshin, St. Diarmaid or Diermit is said to have built or presided over a church or monastery;32 and,this'musthavebeenaslateastheninthcentury,ifweare to identify him with that Diarmaid, Abbot of Gleann-Uissean,33 whose death is recorded at a. d. 874. 34 Now, Comgan is generally allowed to have suc- ceeded him ; but, at what particular date is not clearly ascertainable, for we cannot find any well-known allusion to him in our Annals. At Killeshin are still to be seen, on the hill slopes of Slievemarigue, the interesting ruins of a very ancient ecclesiastical structure. It is in the Irish Romanesque style. The cloicethech, or bell-house, there, was destroyed, in the year 1703. 35 There are various details of the Church at Killeshin represented by wood- cuts and described by Mr. Wakeman. 36
It has been assumed, that when St. Comgan37 found himself at the end of his mortal course, he entreated St. Ita, that she would come in Christ's name to place her holy hand upon his lips, and close his mouth, on the day of departure. Comgan also said, he learned from an Angel of the Lord, how the
tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, xiv. , n. 245, p. 79.
=4 See her Life, at the 15th of January.
=5 He was surnamed, Mac Dacheard. This seems to establish the fact, that he was a different person from our saint.
=^ He died dunng the reign of Domhnall, who began his reign in the year 624. See O'Donovan's" Annals of the Four Masters,"
vol. i. , pp. 246, 247.
-^ Being set down, with his festival, at
the 27th of February, in some of our Irish
Calendars, Colgan promised to treat con- cerning him on that day, and our national
hagiologist redeemed his promise, so far as
he could find materials or safe conjecture to
complete his notices.
Killagally. See " Ordnance Survey Town- land Maps for the King's County," Sheet 14.
'^ ** See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. ,
tions in the Irish Language," vol. ii. , p. 80, and n.
3^ See ** Archaeologia Hibemica. A Hand-Book of Irish Antiquities, Pagan and Christian," part ii. Early Christian Anti*
quities, chap, iii. , pp. 79 to 81.
37 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber*
of Ireland," xxxviii. , chap,
Antiquities 264.
p.
=5 In his " Monasticon Hibernicum," p.
398.
3° The places here named are situated in
the
parish
of Gallen, and of Wheery or
"
Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (y), pp. 464, 465.
3' gee Dr. O'Donovan's
Annals of the
"
^2 See Father Hugh Ward's Rumoldi, &c. , Acta. " Dissertatio Histonca de Patria S. Rumoldi, sect. 9, p, 159.
33 See notices of him, at the bth of July.
34 gee Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 520, 521.
35 And on the 8th of March, as appears
by a manuscript entry, on the fly-leat of an Abridgment of the Public Printed Irish
Statutes, now in the possession of R. Clayton Browne, Esq. , D. L. , Browne's Hill, Car-
low. See Miss Stokes'
"
Christian Inscrip-
Sancti
720 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February27.
soul of that person would be conducted to Heaven, on whose wasting body,
the hands of St. Ita should be placed. But, the holy virgin, sincerely humble, remonstrated with the abbot and assured him, that he had enter- tained too exalted opinion of her sanctity, by supposing her touch could give him any sort of guarantee, that God's blessed Angels would receive his soul
on her account, and after death. St. immediately
"
Comgan replied,
I say, that because of what I have asked, no demon shall dare approach our
path, nor in any manner accuse us. " His request was complied with, and
after St. Ita had predicted the holy man's future happiness, he departed,3S before the year 569,39 supposed to have been that of St. Ita's death. As we have already indicated, the whole foregoing account must be referred to a Comgan, who flourished some centuries before the present saint. We find him placed after St. Diarmaid, in the government of Kilieshin Monastery, and he cannot have enjoyed this position, before the close of the ninth century. -^® Probably this was about the time, when our St. Comgan was abbot over that establishment.
It is supposed, by Dr. Laniganj-^^ that his departure occurred atCeann-Indis, and in his assumed native country, Thomond, from the circumstance of it
being nearer to St. Ita's monastery, at Cluain-Credhail,'^^ than was Gleann- Usshin, over which, it is thought, he had been abbot.
