In the
Martyrology
of Christ Church, at iii.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v6
Ledwich very loosely and in- correctly states, that this Round Tower is
26 roof.
It has a very steep-pitched
stone
27 It is 7 feet, in height, and in breadth, it is 2 feet, 4 inches, at the top, and 2 feet 1 1 inches, at the bottom. There is a rude draw- ingof thestones, composing this doorway, by Mr.
See "
with measurements.
28 From north corner of the gable, to this
doorway, it is 9 feet, 8 inches.
39 It is 5 feet, 6 inches, long, and 1 1 inches
high.
30 The ridge of its roof is estimated, by Rev.
about feet in 45
O'Donovan,
height, of Ireland," p. 40,
Antiquities
Dr. Ledwich, to be
"
about 30 feet above the
34 From the ground to its vertex, the height is nearly 45 feet.
33 Two are placed near the base, one at the eastandanotheratthewestside; whilefour face the cardinal points, near the top, and immediately under the Bencover or conical cap.
ground. "
3I |The height of its side wall to the roof is
36 According to Mr. O'Donovan, this little 32 The accompanying illustration, drawn Erdam, rendered sacristy, leading off the on the spot, by William F. Wakeman, and by choir to the north, is a stone-roofed cell,
1 1 feet.
June 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 7i
stones constructing it are not now observable. Over the coved arch of the
nave is a loft,39 and near the west gable, there is a quadrangular aperture in the ceiling, through which from below the inside of the Round Tower, on the west end, can be partially seen. The chancel at St. Kevin's House fell, or was pulled down, about the year 1840. 40 Yet, the roofs of its nave and belfry wanted some repairs, as the rain began to percolate through them, and to in- jurethevault; but,withinthelastfewyears,thisrestorationhasbeencare- fully made. An iron doorway, with gratings, enables all visitors to see the
1
interior, without the necessity of entering this building. *
When St. Kevin had consoled his monks and imparted his benediction,
his thoughts were solely devoted to preparation for his departure from that place, so endeared to him by religious associations ; and, he now turned his mind, on the abiding home he sought for in Heaven. He then received Christ'smostSacredBodyandBlood,fromthehandsofSt. Mocherog. 42 This holy man, it was thought, dwelt in a cell,43 or oratory, at Delgany, when he was called to administer the last rites of the Church to St. Kevin ; but, to us, it seems more likely, that he lived quite convenient to Glendalough. His monks stood around, in tears and lamentations, when their venerable superior breathed his last. Having lived, in this world, according to common report, for the extraordinary and lengthened period of one hundred and twenty years,44 he departed to join choirs of Angels and Archangels, in the HeavenlyJerusalem. TheThirdofJuneNones4$ isthedateassignedfor his death ; and, on the 3rd of June, accordingly, his festival is celebrated. 46
measuring on the inside 10 feet, 2 inches, in length, which was also the exact length of the choir, and 7 feet, 9^ inches, in breadth, which is somewhat less than the breadth of the choir. It contains a doorway on the south side, by which it communicated with the choir, and which measures 5 (? ) feet in height, and in breadth at the top 2 feet, and 2 feet, 3 inches, at the bottom. It also has a window in the east gable, placed at the height of 4 feet, from the ground. It is broad, on the inside, and it gradually narrows to the breadth of 6 inches, on the outside. Its dimensions are : breadth inside, 2 feet, 6 in- ches, height inside, 4 feet, breadth outside, 6 inches, height outside, 2 feet.
37 It had sunk to the northward ; and, it
was very ruinous, before the late repairs had been executed. A great part of its stone-
Round Tower of the cathedral, in the dis- tance.
40 The stones of which it had been built
were piled up into a large square mass, at a little distance to the eastward, until the late restorations had been carried out.
41 Within the nave of St. Kevin's kitchen are now collected all carved stones, where- ever found, and which could not be replaced in their original position, as also, all frag- ments of crosses, sepulchral slabs, &c, which are not in situ.
43 Of this saint, Baert observes, that he
knewnothing about thisjMocherog the Briton, unless perchance he was the same as Mochuarocus the Abbot, who is venerated on the 9th of February, according to Colgan : "in cujus festo dicitur obiisse inclitus Prin- ceps Donmaldus Hua Lochlainx, apud eum-
den — Martii, in Gelasio Abbate Colganum 27
43 Assuming the locality to be established, ontheauthorityofRev. Dr. Lanigan; Mrs. A. O'Byrne writes, with a good knowledge
roof had
ing from the remains.
and a thorn bush was fallen, grow-
38 It measures 8 feet, 10 inches, in height, and 5 feet, 2 inches, in breadth.
39 Over this is an apartment, lighted by the two windows, at the base of the tower,
and by a small quadrangular aperture, near the top of the choir west gable. It looked
into the choir through a window, placed im-
n. IV. "
iii. De S. Coemgino, siveKeivino, Abbate Glindelacensi in Hibernia, cap. vi. , n. (f), p. 322-
mediately
under the choir roof. The fore-
one whose ruins — exist in the demesne of yet
Down's Lodge. " "Saints of Ireland," p. 100.
44 See the O'Clerys' Calendar.
46 See Sir James Ware, " De Scriptoribus Hibernise," lib. i. , cap. hi. , p. 19.
—descriptions are rendered quite intelli- going
gible even to those who have not had an
oppo—rtunity for inspecting the building on its site by referring to two distinct pen and ink
sketches, from opposite points, by William F. Wakeman. He also gives an imaginary third view of St. Kevin's Kitchen, before the choir had been removed, with the great
45
iii. Vita S. Coemgeni, cap. vi. , num. 49, p. 322.
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii
of local topography, that it is
"
possible the
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus
i. ,
Junii
72
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 3.
8 This saint's death has been variously assigned, to the years 617,47 6i8,4 and
622. 49 If this latter were the real year of St. Coemgen's death, it will follow, that he was born in 502, or late in 501, supposing that he lived to the age of
120 years. s°
According to a former tradition, 51 St. Kevin was said to have been buried,
52 but, now, there is not a vestige of his tomb," which is believed to have remained unbroken, down to the middle of the last century. Again, the supposed tomb of this saint is said to have rested, within a small chapel or oratory, 54 about fourteen feet long, by twelve wide. For many centuries subsequent to St. Kevin's death, great numbers were accustomed to visit Glendalough, in order to celebrate the festival of its holypatron. 55 Thepenaltimeswereevencharacterizedbydevotionspeculiar to the memory of this saint, within the secluded recesses of Glendalough valley. 56 At a much later period, that singular and interesting ruin, which is locally called " St. Kevin's Kitchen," served as a place of worship, for CatholicslivingintheparishofGlendalough. Yet,itmusthavebeenquite insufficient to afford proper accommodation for the congregated worshippers,
at Our Lady's Church, in Glendalough ;
owing to its very limited dimensions. 5?
47 "The Age of Christ, 617. The seventh year of Suibhna. St. Caemhghin, Abbot of
ss The Rev, Dr. Lanigan has some well-
directed against the
"
tury was the era of the saintship of St.
Kevin," while he had already told us, that St. Coemgen was not known until after the
"
merited Gleann-da-locha, 3rd June, mighty
sarcasms, Ledwich, who
in his "
died on the of
Antiqui- ties of Ireland," p. 46, that the ninth cen-
after having spent one h—undred and twenty years of his age till then. " Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 240, 241. The Annals of Ulster have the same date.
"
48 The Annals of Tigernach, Harris Ware, Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, x. , n. 163,
vol. i. ,
Bishops of Glendalough," p. 373 ;
p. 50.
50 Within the
"
chap, hi. , p. 22. See also, Rev. Dr. rounding the ruined cathedral, are still
vol.
Lanigan's
Writers of Ireland," book
enclosure, sur-
and,
ii. ,
"
i. ,
Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
graveyard
land," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, x. , p. 44.
Through amisprint, the death of St. Coemgen
of Ireland is put down at 1618, in the " Circle of the Seasons. " See p. 155.
pointed out to strangers, the tombs of two priests, who died about the middle of the last century. Here they were interred. One of these ecclesiastics is said to have died in the odour of sanctity, and his memory is tradi-
"9 " Annis cxx. vitse exactis. iii. Nonas tionally held in great veneration, by the
Junii, circa annum dcxviii. vil dcxxii. a—d
Christum Coemgenus migravisse, dicitur. " Ussher's " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
neighbouring peasantry. These were in the habit of removing and preserving clay that covered his remains. To their faith and
quitates," cap. xvii. , p. 495. In his Index prayers, in its application, miraculous results Chronologicus, p. 537, Ussher places the are attributed ; but, it must be remarked,
death of our saint, at the year 618.
these and similar practices have been dis-
50 See Rev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect. x. , n. 160, p. 49.
countenanced the local by
Lanigan's
clergy.
57 In an interesting article on Glenda-
" Ecclesiastical
51 So states William F. Wakeman, in an ""
article headed Glendalough. " for the Irish Penny Magazine," Mr. John
52 There is a fine woodcut and description D'Alton says, at the year 1810 " St. :
of Our Lady's Church, Glendalough, in the
"
Irish Literary Gazette," vol. iii. , No. xlvi. , PP- 54, 57-
53 If it be true, that St. Kevin was buried in this church, we might hope to find here,
Kevin's Kitchen was about this time and for some years subsequently used as a Roman
Catholic Chapel : in 1827, however, it was allowed to relapse into the desolation that seems " to suit the gloomy habit of the soil. "
on exploration, if not his tombstone, at least vol. i. , No. 5, p. 34. The cause of this
the tombs of some among his earlier succes- sors.
54 It had lain for ages beneath the ruins of
an adjoining church, until discovered by the
antiquarian zeal of the late S. Hayes, Esq. ,
of Avondale. See Mrs. A.
"desolation" is afterwards explained, by this same writer in a different work, when giving the biography of the late William Magee, Protestant Archbishop of Dublin, who died a. d. 1831.
"
O'Byrne's late,
says :
also to
Saints of Ireland," p. 103.
thirteenth. See
Ecclesiastical History of
lough, which forms No. v. , in a series of
"Illustrations of Irish Topography," written
the writer
have prohibited the natives of the valley of
says
Speaking of this Pre-
" He is known
June 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 73
In the " Feilire "s8 of St. yEngus, this holy Abbot is commemorated, with
a high eulogy, at the 3rd of June. 5 ? The Martyrology of Tallagh ^ records a festival, in honour of Coemgin, Abbot of Glinni da Locha, at this same date.
In the Martyrology of Christ Church, at iii. of the June Nones, there is an entry ofSt. Coemgin's Natalis. 61 This day, the Martyrology of Done-
62 records veneration for
Abbot of Gleann-da-loch. 63 The
Caoimhghin,
anonymous Catalogue, published by O'Sullevan Beare, contains an entry of
Coenginus, or Kivinus, at this date ; as also, in Father Henry Fitzsimon's
gal
list is Coenginus Abbas 6* included.
the Cathedral Church of Dublin. 69 His festival is also noticed, in various ancientCalendars. ? AsspecialPatronoftheunitedDiocesesofDublinand
60
Duald Mac Firbis enters
In Scotland, his feast was celebrated, on the same day, as we find his Natalis, in the Kalendar of 6? and in Thomas "
Dublin," p. 359.
58 In the " Leabhar Breac "
Christ Church, Dublin," edited by John Clarke Crosthwaite, A. M. , and Rev. Dr.
we find the following stanza, with English transla-
Henthorn 122. Todd, p.
copy, tion, by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. :—
James
63 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
mil Cr\iyc icfuch nerxenn A\m Ainm -OAfi cunro C|\ec1iAH
Coemgen cato cahi cAichper» •Angbnt) •oaiin'o bechan.
" A soldier of Christ into Ireland's border :
a high name over the sea's wave : Coemgen,
chaste, fair wa—rrior, in the glen of the two
broad linns. " " Transactions of the Royal
Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series,
142 to 145.
63 A note by Dr. Todd states, at Gleann-
da-loch : "Over this word is the gloss . 1. OAboch ptev Ann, 7 ac LecnA, "/. <? . , there are two lakes there, and they are very ex- tensive. "
64 He quotes Floratius, " Idem Kenuis. " See O'Sullevan Beare's " Historia; Catholi- cse Ibernise Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , xii. , pp. 50, 53.
On the Calendar of
59 We find the following commentary on
vol. i. i. , part
Irish Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part i. ,
p. xcii.
his name " nomen : Coemlog
patris eius, Coemell nomen matris eius. Coeman et Nat- coemi nomina duorum fratrum eius. Aibind
Scottish Saints," p. 14.
68 Thus entered: "Keuini
— in abbatis,
Caoimhghin
of Glenn da
locha,
66 for the of
3rd June.
Drummond, Dempster's Menologium Scotorum. "68 An office for this saint, in Nine Lessons, was formerly read, in
Glendalough from celebrating Mass, as they
had theretofore done, in their ancient and
venerated cathedral of St. Kevin, availing
himself of his right as archbishop to the
ground on which the chapel stood. "— ChurchoftheHolyTrinity,commonlycalled D'Alton's "Memoirs of the Archbishops of
Oengus,
Royal
sororcula—eorum. " Then follows an Irfsh Insulis Scoticis oriundi. Girald. " Ibid. ,
quatrain
Coe-man, Coemgin, mo-choemi Crvi true choemA choenubbe DAiiiAich muniArt b^AchA}\
Cjm 1111c michA^ Aibmne.
It is thus rendered into English — :
"
A
201.
69 See " Book of Obits and Martyrology
of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,
commonly called Christ Church, Dublin,"
edited by John Clarke Crosthwaite, A. M. ,
with an Introduction by Rev. Dr. James
Henthorn Todd, p. 66.
Ain Li- Manuscript Trinity College
brary, Dublin, classed B, 1, 3, contains a notice, at June the 3rd, Nones iii. , Sancti Keivini Abbatis, Duplex fin. per constit. Dublin. Another, classed B, 1, 4, contains a notice at June the 3rd, Nones iii. , Sancti Kevini Abbatis, Duplex f. , ix. Lect. Ano-
:
,
p.
Coeman, Coemgin, Mo-choeme, Three lovable sons of Coemell, Good was the triad. of brothers, Three sons of a delightful mother. "
"
Afterwards, . 1. -AibeiTO AiToenbpup, Ai- ther classed B, 3, 10, contains a notice, at
benn was the sister. " On his place is the June 3, Nones iii. , Sancti Kevini Abbatis
comment . 1. t)iboc1i pbec Ant) Agup ix. Lect. Another, classed B, 3, 12, con-
"
ifAdecViAn iac, —two lakes are therein,
tains a notice at June 3, Nones iii. , Coem-
and broad are they. " Ibid. , p.
xcviii.
geni
Abbatis et
Conf. ,
ix. Lect.
Another,
Under the head of Glenn-da-lacha,6s
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxvi.
61 Thus : "In Hybernia natalis sancti
Coemgini abbatis et confessoris. "Book of Obits and Martyrology of the Cathedral
5
6 Glenn-da-locha
66 See " of the Proceedings
of Wicklow.
pp. 112, 113.
6' See Forbes' "Kalendars of Bishop
; William M. Hennessy's note.
? °
County
;— "
74 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 3.
of Glendalough, the 3rd of June is celebrated, as a Double of the First-class, with an octave ; while, throughout Ireland generally, it is regarded as a greater Double.
Nothing can exceed in interest and beauty the romantic scenery of Glen- dalough. The Round Tower first attracts notice, on entering the valley ; and then, as the tourist advances, one after another, several ruined objects of
7I
tothe 2 Thesortofancientenclosure gaze. ?
appear
about Glendalough was probably a rampart, built of or faced with stone, and
archaeological curiosity
called a Caiseal. Traces of it remained, down to the present century. The
gateway of the Caiseal was well restored a few years ago, and it is now in a
fairly good condition. The old city is thought to have extended from Rea-
fert Church, on the west, to the Ivy Church, on the east, and to have been
built on either bank of the River Glendassan, before its junction with the
Avonmore, at the extreme eastern entrance to this magnificent valley. 73 The
siteofaformermarket-place74 maystillbetraced,withinasmallsquareplot
of ground, where the market-cross once stood ; its base only remains at pre-
sent. It lies north of Glendassan River. 75 The debris of a paved street,
leading westward from this spot towards the county of Kildare, can yet be
traced for a considerable distance. It now takes the name of St. Kevin's
Road. At the present day, the singular and venerable group of ruins, known
as the " Seven Churches,"? 6 and the sublime scenes of the Glendalough wildly
region around, attract the regards of antiquaries, artists, and tourists. The mountain, called Camederry, rises over the northern margin of the two lakes. Theseliedeepbeneathitssummits. Onitssouthernside,younglarchand
coppice woods are now flourishing luxuriantly; while, their trees form an agreeable contrast, with the steep heath-covered rocks, rising beyond the Lakes. At the head of the Upper Lake, and entering it, may be seen the
broken torrent of a stream, called Glanealo, descending the valley, and coming
from the west, in a succession of miniature cascades.
Beyond Camederry,
and descending from the central range of the Wicklow Mountains, opens the
rugged valley of Glendassan, through which a river, bearing the same name
flows. It joins the Glanealo, a little below the old Cathedral and Round Tower. 77 St. Kevin's Well is shown, somewhat below this confluence. 78 Camederry and Brocha mountains enclose Glendassan,7? on either side ; and, St. Kevin's Road, extending from Glendalough up the defile, is an ancient
classed B, contains, at 3rd, Nones 3, 13, June
iii. ,thisentry,SanctiKeviniAbbatis.
5" One of the giants of modern romantic literature, Sir Walter Scott, describes Glen-
See Rev. Dr. Ledwich's " of Antiquities
Ireland,"p. 176. Secondedition.
76 Among our Irish ancestors, there must have been some mystic veneration for the
number
scene of Irish Antiquities. " "Quarterly places, in which that number of churches is
as "the —
dalough inexpressibly singular
on account of the
Seven, many
Review," vol. xli. , p. 148.
72 See Mr. and Mrs. Hall's " Ireland ; its
Scenery, Character," &c, vol. ii. , pp. 212 to 230, for illustrations and descriptions of this secluded spot.
" There is a pen-and-ink sketch of the ruins of Glendalough, copied from a drawing of Colonel Burton Conyngham's artists, by William F. Wakeman, in the Wicklow Ordnance Survey Letters, vol. i,, p. 462.
7* About a furlong west from the Ivy Church, and on the same side of the River Glendassan.
75 It is nearly opposite the Hotel. For-
merly, an ancient bridge spanned the River, and it was leading towards the Cathedral.
traditionally said to have existed.
" At this point, a bridge anciently crossed
it. Acloghan, composed of stepping-stones,
replaced it, in the earlier part of this cen-
tury.
? 8 Stations were performed near it, by the
country people. The Deer stone convenient to an ancient roadway, and higher up the valley, has a legend associated with the name of St. Kevin.
? ' The Lead Mines, belonging to the Mining Company of Ireland, lie chiefly with- in Glendassan basin. The washings from these mines banished fish from the stream ;
but, as the mines are now unworked, the fishes have again returned.
June 3 . ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 7 5
pass over the Wicklow Mountains, towards the level plains of Kildare. The entrance to the cemetery and cathedral, at Glendalough, has a gateway, inter-
nally and externally arched,80 semicircular at top, and perfectly Roman in its style of architecture. Sl To all appearance, it is old as any of the buildings
head is in good preservation. In some respects, the old city of Glendalough appears to have possessed features, in common with the older and long-buried cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. The gates of these were in some instances found to have been double, so as to offer a greater obstacle to assault. Whether such was the object intended or not at Glendalough, the gate which entered its cemetery is found to have been composed of double
archways, spreading wide apart. 85 Here, too, as in ancient Pompeii, the streets are shown to have been extremely narrow, for the most part, and to have been worn into irregular ruts. 86
We shall here present a brief account of the various objects of ecclesias- tical and antique interest, at Glendalough, in addition to the ancient build- ings and features, to which allusion has been already incidentally made. 8?
Very detailed descriptions of the chief antiquities have been given, by John O'Donovan,88 and with these are associated certain incidents in the Life of St. Kevin. 80 Numerous pen-and-ink sketches have been introduced, to illustratetheantiquities. TheremainsatGlendaloughwerereportedoflateto beinaverydecayingcondition,? andsuitablesuggestionsweremadefortheir restoration. The chief causes assigned for the rapid disappearance of several interesting architectural features were, the appropriation as headstones over humble graves of several carved or dressed stones, the luxuriant growth of trees, through interstices of the ecclesiastical structures, and near the walls, as also the tendency of tourists or visitors to steal away sculptured blocks.
within the walls of old
formed part of the former walls. 3 This gateway had originally a tower over it, of which fragments still remain. The internal part of the arch 84 over-
80
See a characteristic engraving of it, in
Irish Penny Magazine," vol. i. , No. v. , p. 35. 86 See W. H. Davenport Adams' "Buried
City of Campania; or Pompeii and Hercu-
the "Irish Literary Gazette," vol. iii. , No.
xlix. , p.
26 roof.
It has a very steep-pitched
stone
27 It is 7 feet, in height, and in breadth, it is 2 feet, 4 inches, at the top, and 2 feet 1 1 inches, at the bottom. There is a rude draw- ingof thestones, composing this doorway, by Mr.
See "
with measurements.
28 From north corner of the gable, to this
doorway, it is 9 feet, 8 inches.
39 It is 5 feet, 6 inches, long, and 1 1 inches
high.
30 The ridge of its roof is estimated, by Rev.
about feet in 45
O'Donovan,
height, of Ireland," p. 40,
Antiquities
Dr. Ledwich, to be
"
about 30 feet above the
34 From the ground to its vertex, the height is nearly 45 feet.
33 Two are placed near the base, one at the eastandanotheratthewestside; whilefour face the cardinal points, near the top, and immediately under the Bencover or conical cap.
ground. "
3I |The height of its side wall to the roof is
36 According to Mr. O'Donovan, this little 32 The accompanying illustration, drawn Erdam, rendered sacristy, leading off the on the spot, by William F. Wakeman, and by choir to the north, is a stone-roofed cell,
1 1 feet.
June 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 7i
stones constructing it are not now observable. Over the coved arch of the
nave is a loft,39 and near the west gable, there is a quadrangular aperture in the ceiling, through which from below the inside of the Round Tower, on the west end, can be partially seen. The chancel at St. Kevin's House fell, or was pulled down, about the year 1840. 40 Yet, the roofs of its nave and belfry wanted some repairs, as the rain began to percolate through them, and to in- jurethevault; but,withinthelastfewyears,thisrestorationhasbeencare- fully made. An iron doorway, with gratings, enables all visitors to see the
1
interior, without the necessity of entering this building. *
When St. Kevin had consoled his monks and imparted his benediction,
his thoughts were solely devoted to preparation for his departure from that place, so endeared to him by religious associations ; and, he now turned his mind, on the abiding home he sought for in Heaven. He then received Christ'smostSacredBodyandBlood,fromthehandsofSt. Mocherog. 42 This holy man, it was thought, dwelt in a cell,43 or oratory, at Delgany, when he was called to administer the last rites of the Church to St. Kevin ; but, to us, it seems more likely, that he lived quite convenient to Glendalough. His monks stood around, in tears and lamentations, when their venerable superior breathed his last. Having lived, in this world, according to common report, for the extraordinary and lengthened period of one hundred and twenty years,44 he departed to join choirs of Angels and Archangels, in the HeavenlyJerusalem. TheThirdofJuneNones4$ isthedateassignedfor his death ; and, on the 3rd of June, accordingly, his festival is celebrated. 46
measuring on the inside 10 feet, 2 inches, in length, which was also the exact length of the choir, and 7 feet, 9^ inches, in breadth, which is somewhat less than the breadth of the choir. It contains a doorway on the south side, by which it communicated with the choir, and which measures 5 (? ) feet in height, and in breadth at the top 2 feet, and 2 feet, 3 inches, at the bottom. It also has a window in the east gable, placed at the height of 4 feet, from the ground. It is broad, on the inside, and it gradually narrows to the breadth of 6 inches, on the outside. Its dimensions are : breadth inside, 2 feet, 6 in- ches, height inside, 4 feet, breadth outside, 6 inches, height outside, 2 feet.
37 It had sunk to the northward ; and, it
was very ruinous, before the late repairs had been executed. A great part of its stone-
Round Tower of the cathedral, in the dis- tance.
40 The stones of which it had been built
were piled up into a large square mass, at a little distance to the eastward, until the late restorations had been carried out.
41 Within the nave of St. Kevin's kitchen are now collected all carved stones, where- ever found, and which could not be replaced in their original position, as also, all frag- ments of crosses, sepulchral slabs, &c, which are not in situ.
43 Of this saint, Baert observes, that he
knewnothing about thisjMocherog the Briton, unless perchance he was the same as Mochuarocus the Abbot, who is venerated on the 9th of February, according to Colgan : "in cujus festo dicitur obiisse inclitus Prin- ceps Donmaldus Hua Lochlainx, apud eum-
den — Martii, in Gelasio Abbate Colganum 27
43 Assuming the locality to be established, ontheauthorityofRev. Dr. Lanigan; Mrs. A. O'Byrne writes, with a good knowledge
roof had
ing from the remains.
and a thorn bush was fallen, grow-
38 It measures 8 feet, 10 inches, in height, and 5 feet, 2 inches, in breadth.
39 Over this is an apartment, lighted by the two windows, at the base of the tower,
and by a small quadrangular aperture, near the top of the choir west gable. It looked
into the choir through a window, placed im-
n. IV. "
iii. De S. Coemgino, siveKeivino, Abbate Glindelacensi in Hibernia, cap. vi. , n. (f), p. 322-
mediately
under the choir roof. The fore-
one whose ruins — exist in the demesne of yet
Down's Lodge. " "Saints of Ireland," p. 100.
44 See the O'Clerys' Calendar.
46 See Sir James Ware, " De Scriptoribus Hibernise," lib. i. , cap. hi. , p. 19.
—descriptions are rendered quite intelli- going
gible even to those who have not had an
oppo—rtunity for inspecting the building on its site by referring to two distinct pen and ink
sketches, from opposite points, by William F. Wakeman. He also gives an imaginary third view of St. Kevin's Kitchen, before the choir had been removed, with the great
45
iii. Vita S. Coemgeni, cap. vi. , num. 49, p. 322.
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii
of local topography, that it is
"
possible the
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus
i. ,
Junii
72
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 3.
8 This saint's death has been variously assigned, to the years 617,47 6i8,4 and
622. 49 If this latter were the real year of St. Coemgen's death, it will follow, that he was born in 502, or late in 501, supposing that he lived to the age of
120 years. s°
According to a former tradition, 51 St. Kevin was said to have been buried,
52 but, now, there is not a vestige of his tomb," which is believed to have remained unbroken, down to the middle of the last century. Again, the supposed tomb of this saint is said to have rested, within a small chapel or oratory, 54 about fourteen feet long, by twelve wide. For many centuries subsequent to St. Kevin's death, great numbers were accustomed to visit Glendalough, in order to celebrate the festival of its holypatron. 55 Thepenaltimeswereevencharacterizedbydevotionspeculiar to the memory of this saint, within the secluded recesses of Glendalough valley. 56 At a much later period, that singular and interesting ruin, which is locally called " St. Kevin's Kitchen," served as a place of worship, for CatholicslivingintheparishofGlendalough. Yet,itmusthavebeenquite insufficient to afford proper accommodation for the congregated worshippers,
at Our Lady's Church, in Glendalough ;
owing to its very limited dimensions. 5?
47 "The Age of Christ, 617. The seventh year of Suibhna. St. Caemhghin, Abbot of
ss The Rev, Dr. Lanigan has some well-
directed against the
"
tury was the era of the saintship of St.
Kevin," while he had already told us, that St. Coemgen was not known until after the
"
merited Gleann-da-locha, 3rd June, mighty
sarcasms, Ledwich, who
in his "
died on the of
Antiqui- ties of Ireland," p. 46, that the ninth cen-
after having spent one h—undred and twenty years of his age till then. " Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 240, 241. The Annals of Ulster have the same date.
"
48 The Annals of Tigernach, Harris Ware, Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, x. , n. 163,
vol. i. ,
Bishops of Glendalough," p. 373 ;
p. 50.
50 Within the
"
chap, hi. , p. 22. See also, Rev. Dr. rounding the ruined cathedral, are still
vol.
Lanigan's
Writers of Ireland," book
enclosure, sur-
and,
ii. ,
"
i. ,
Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
graveyard
land," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, x. , p. 44.
Through amisprint, the death of St. Coemgen
of Ireland is put down at 1618, in the " Circle of the Seasons. " See p. 155.
pointed out to strangers, the tombs of two priests, who died about the middle of the last century. Here they were interred. One of these ecclesiastics is said to have died in the odour of sanctity, and his memory is tradi-
"9 " Annis cxx. vitse exactis. iii. Nonas tionally held in great veneration, by the
Junii, circa annum dcxviii. vil dcxxii. a—d
Christum Coemgenus migravisse, dicitur. " Ussher's " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
neighbouring peasantry. These were in the habit of removing and preserving clay that covered his remains. To their faith and
quitates," cap. xvii. , p. 495. In his Index prayers, in its application, miraculous results Chronologicus, p. 537, Ussher places the are attributed ; but, it must be remarked,
death of our saint, at the year 618.
these and similar practices have been dis-
50 See Rev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect. x. , n. 160, p. 49.
countenanced the local by
Lanigan's
clergy.
57 In an interesting article on Glenda-
" Ecclesiastical
51 So states William F. Wakeman, in an ""
article headed Glendalough. " for the Irish Penny Magazine," Mr. John
52 There is a fine woodcut and description D'Alton says, at the year 1810 " St. :
of Our Lady's Church, Glendalough, in the
"
Irish Literary Gazette," vol. iii. , No. xlvi. , PP- 54, 57-
53 If it be true, that St. Kevin was buried in this church, we might hope to find here,
Kevin's Kitchen was about this time and for some years subsequently used as a Roman
Catholic Chapel : in 1827, however, it was allowed to relapse into the desolation that seems " to suit the gloomy habit of the soil. "
on exploration, if not his tombstone, at least vol. i. , No. 5, p. 34. The cause of this
the tombs of some among his earlier succes- sors.
54 It had lain for ages beneath the ruins of
an adjoining church, until discovered by the
antiquarian zeal of the late S. Hayes, Esq. ,
of Avondale. See Mrs. A.
"desolation" is afterwards explained, by this same writer in a different work, when giving the biography of the late William Magee, Protestant Archbishop of Dublin, who died a. d. 1831.
"
O'Byrne's late,
says :
also to
Saints of Ireland," p. 103.
thirteenth. See
Ecclesiastical History of
lough, which forms No. v. , in a series of
"Illustrations of Irish Topography," written
the writer
have prohibited the natives of the valley of
says
Speaking of this Pre-
" He is known
June 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 73
In the " Feilire "s8 of St. yEngus, this holy Abbot is commemorated, with
a high eulogy, at the 3rd of June. 5 ? The Martyrology of Tallagh ^ records a festival, in honour of Coemgin, Abbot of Glinni da Locha, at this same date.
In the Martyrology of Christ Church, at iii. of the June Nones, there is an entry ofSt. Coemgin's Natalis. 61 This day, the Martyrology of Done-
62 records veneration for
Abbot of Gleann-da-loch. 63 The
Caoimhghin,
anonymous Catalogue, published by O'Sullevan Beare, contains an entry of
Coenginus, or Kivinus, at this date ; as also, in Father Henry Fitzsimon's
gal
list is Coenginus Abbas 6* included.
the Cathedral Church of Dublin. 69 His festival is also noticed, in various ancientCalendars. ? AsspecialPatronoftheunitedDiocesesofDublinand
60
Duald Mac Firbis enters
In Scotland, his feast was celebrated, on the same day, as we find his Natalis, in the Kalendar of 6? and in Thomas "
Dublin," p. 359.
58 In the " Leabhar Breac "
Christ Church, Dublin," edited by John Clarke Crosthwaite, A. M. , and Rev. Dr.
we find the following stanza, with English transla-
Henthorn 122. Todd, p.
copy, tion, by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. :—
James
63 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
mil Cr\iyc icfuch nerxenn A\m Ainm -OAfi cunro C|\ec1iAH
Coemgen cato cahi cAichper» •Angbnt) •oaiin'o bechan.
" A soldier of Christ into Ireland's border :
a high name over the sea's wave : Coemgen,
chaste, fair wa—rrior, in the glen of the two
broad linns. " " Transactions of the Royal
Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series,
142 to 145.
63 A note by Dr. Todd states, at Gleann-
da-loch : "Over this word is the gloss . 1. OAboch ptev Ann, 7 ac LecnA, "/. <? . , there are two lakes there, and they are very ex- tensive. "
64 He quotes Floratius, " Idem Kenuis. " See O'Sullevan Beare's " Historia; Catholi- cse Ibernise Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , xii. , pp. 50, 53.
On the Calendar of
59 We find the following commentary on
vol. i. i. , part
Irish Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part i. ,
p. xcii.
his name " nomen : Coemlog
patris eius, Coemell nomen matris eius. Coeman et Nat- coemi nomina duorum fratrum eius. Aibind
Scottish Saints," p. 14.
68 Thus entered: "Keuini
— in abbatis,
Caoimhghin
of Glenn da
locha,
66 for the of
3rd June.
Drummond, Dempster's Menologium Scotorum. "68 An office for this saint, in Nine Lessons, was formerly read, in
Glendalough from celebrating Mass, as they
had theretofore done, in their ancient and
venerated cathedral of St. Kevin, availing
himself of his right as archbishop to the
ground on which the chapel stood. "— ChurchoftheHolyTrinity,commonlycalled D'Alton's "Memoirs of the Archbishops of
Oengus,
Royal
sororcula—eorum. " Then follows an Irfsh Insulis Scoticis oriundi. Girald. " Ibid. ,
quatrain
Coe-man, Coemgin, mo-choemi Crvi true choemA choenubbe DAiiiAich muniArt b^AchA}\
Cjm 1111c michA^ Aibmne.
It is thus rendered into English — :
"
A
201.
69 See " Book of Obits and Martyrology
of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,
commonly called Christ Church, Dublin,"
edited by John Clarke Crosthwaite, A. M. ,
with an Introduction by Rev. Dr. James
Henthorn Todd, p. 66.
Ain Li- Manuscript Trinity College
brary, Dublin, classed B, 1, 3, contains a notice, at June the 3rd, Nones iii. , Sancti Keivini Abbatis, Duplex fin. per constit. Dublin. Another, classed B, 1, 4, contains a notice at June the 3rd, Nones iii. , Sancti Kevini Abbatis, Duplex f. , ix. Lect. Ano-
:
,
p.
Coeman, Coemgin, Mo-choeme, Three lovable sons of Coemell, Good was the triad. of brothers, Three sons of a delightful mother. "
"
Afterwards, . 1. -AibeiTO AiToenbpup, Ai- ther classed B, 3, 10, contains a notice, at
benn was the sister. " On his place is the June 3, Nones iii. , Sancti Kevini Abbatis
comment . 1. t)iboc1i pbec Ant) Agup ix. Lect. Another, classed B, 3, 12, con-
"
ifAdecViAn iac, —two lakes are therein,
tains a notice at June 3, Nones iii. , Coem-
and broad are they. " Ibid. , p.
xcviii.
geni
Abbatis et
Conf. ,
ix. Lect.
Another,
Under the head of Glenn-da-lacha,6s
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxvi.
61 Thus : "In Hybernia natalis sancti
Coemgini abbatis et confessoris. "Book of Obits and Martyrology of the Cathedral
5
6 Glenn-da-locha
66 See " of the Proceedings
of Wicklow.
pp. 112, 113.
6' See Forbes' "Kalendars of Bishop
; William M. Hennessy's note.
? °
County
;— "
74 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 3.
of Glendalough, the 3rd of June is celebrated, as a Double of the First-class, with an octave ; while, throughout Ireland generally, it is regarded as a greater Double.
Nothing can exceed in interest and beauty the romantic scenery of Glen- dalough. The Round Tower first attracts notice, on entering the valley ; and then, as the tourist advances, one after another, several ruined objects of
7I
tothe 2 Thesortofancientenclosure gaze. ?
appear
about Glendalough was probably a rampart, built of or faced with stone, and
archaeological curiosity
called a Caiseal. Traces of it remained, down to the present century. The
gateway of the Caiseal was well restored a few years ago, and it is now in a
fairly good condition. The old city is thought to have extended from Rea-
fert Church, on the west, to the Ivy Church, on the east, and to have been
built on either bank of the River Glendassan, before its junction with the
Avonmore, at the extreme eastern entrance to this magnificent valley. 73 The
siteofaformermarket-place74 maystillbetraced,withinasmallsquareplot
of ground, where the market-cross once stood ; its base only remains at pre-
sent. It lies north of Glendassan River. 75 The debris of a paved street,
leading westward from this spot towards the county of Kildare, can yet be
traced for a considerable distance. It now takes the name of St. Kevin's
Road. At the present day, the singular and venerable group of ruins, known
as the " Seven Churches,"? 6 and the sublime scenes of the Glendalough wildly
region around, attract the regards of antiquaries, artists, and tourists. The mountain, called Camederry, rises over the northern margin of the two lakes. Theseliedeepbeneathitssummits. Onitssouthernside,younglarchand
coppice woods are now flourishing luxuriantly; while, their trees form an agreeable contrast, with the steep heath-covered rocks, rising beyond the Lakes. At the head of the Upper Lake, and entering it, may be seen the
broken torrent of a stream, called Glanealo, descending the valley, and coming
from the west, in a succession of miniature cascades.
Beyond Camederry,
and descending from the central range of the Wicklow Mountains, opens the
rugged valley of Glendassan, through which a river, bearing the same name
flows. It joins the Glanealo, a little below the old Cathedral and Round Tower. 77 St. Kevin's Well is shown, somewhat below this confluence. 78 Camederry and Brocha mountains enclose Glendassan,7? on either side ; and, St. Kevin's Road, extending from Glendalough up the defile, is an ancient
classed B, contains, at 3rd, Nones 3, 13, June
iii. ,thisentry,SanctiKeviniAbbatis.
5" One of the giants of modern romantic literature, Sir Walter Scott, describes Glen-
See Rev. Dr. Ledwich's " of Antiquities
Ireland,"p. 176. Secondedition.
76 Among our Irish ancestors, there must have been some mystic veneration for the
number
scene of Irish Antiquities. " "Quarterly places, in which that number of churches is
as "the —
dalough inexpressibly singular
on account of the
Seven, many
Review," vol. xli. , p. 148.
72 See Mr. and Mrs. Hall's " Ireland ; its
Scenery, Character," &c, vol. ii. , pp. 212 to 230, for illustrations and descriptions of this secluded spot.
" There is a pen-and-ink sketch of the ruins of Glendalough, copied from a drawing of Colonel Burton Conyngham's artists, by William F. Wakeman, in the Wicklow Ordnance Survey Letters, vol. i,, p. 462.
7* About a furlong west from the Ivy Church, and on the same side of the River Glendassan.
75 It is nearly opposite the Hotel. For-
merly, an ancient bridge spanned the River, and it was leading towards the Cathedral.
traditionally said to have existed.
" At this point, a bridge anciently crossed
it. Acloghan, composed of stepping-stones,
replaced it, in the earlier part of this cen-
tury.
? 8 Stations were performed near it, by the
country people. The Deer stone convenient to an ancient roadway, and higher up the valley, has a legend associated with the name of St. Kevin.
? ' The Lead Mines, belonging to the Mining Company of Ireland, lie chiefly with- in Glendassan basin. The washings from these mines banished fish from the stream ;
but, as the mines are now unworked, the fishes have again returned.
June 3 . ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 7 5
pass over the Wicklow Mountains, towards the level plains of Kildare. The entrance to the cemetery and cathedral, at Glendalough, has a gateway, inter-
nally and externally arched,80 semicircular at top, and perfectly Roman in its style of architecture. Sl To all appearance, it is old as any of the buildings
head is in good preservation. In some respects, the old city of Glendalough appears to have possessed features, in common with the older and long-buried cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. The gates of these were in some instances found to have been double, so as to offer a greater obstacle to assault. Whether such was the object intended or not at Glendalough, the gate which entered its cemetery is found to have been composed of double
archways, spreading wide apart. 85 Here, too, as in ancient Pompeii, the streets are shown to have been extremely narrow, for the most part, and to have been worn into irregular ruts. 86
We shall here present a brief account of the various objects of ecclesias- tical and antique interest, at Glendalough, in addition to the ancient build- ings and features, to which allusion has been already incidentally made. 8?
Very detailed descriptions of the chief antiquities have been given, by John O'Donovan,88 and with these are associated certain incidents in the Life of St. Kevin. 80 Numerous pen-and-ink sketches have been introduced, to illustratetheantiquities. TheremainsatGlendaloughwerereportedoflateto beinaverydecayingcondition,? andsuitablesuggestionsweremadefortheir restoration. The chief causes assigned for the rapid disappearance of several interesting architectural features were, the appropriation as headstones over humble graves of several carved or dressed stones, the luxuriant growth of trees, through interstices of the ecclesiastical structures, and near the walls, as also the tendency of tourists or visitors to steal away sculptured blocks.
within the walls of old
formed part of the former walls. 3 This gateway had originally a tower over it, of which fragments still remain. The internal part of the arch 84 over-
80
See a characteristic engraving of it, in
Irish Penny Magazine," vol. i. , No. v. , p. 35. 86 See W. H. Davenport Adams' "Buried
City of Campania; or Pompeii and Hercu-
the "Irish Literary Gazette," vol. iii. , No.
xlix. , p.
