No More Learning

chap, vi. , vii. ,
"*
See his life, at the 9th of June. Also "
viii. ,
3* See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vii. , §vi. , n. 65, p. 345.
Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," xx. Januarii. Vita Prima S. Fechini, cap. i. , ii. , p. 130. Also Supplementum Vitse S. Fe- chini, cap. i. , ii. , p. 133.
33 See ibid. , vol. ii. , chap, xii. , § iii. , and n. 40, pp. 190 to 193.
"' Other saints, such as a Cmemus, or pos- sibly Cruminus, venerated at the 28th of
berniaj,"xx. Januarii. VitaSecunda S. Fe- chini, cap. viii. , p. 134.
_
133. 134-
^
.
This is said to have been seen by a
3* " The First Life," chap v. , p. 130.
35 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi-
January 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 359
living a considerable time, and until Fechin, already ordained priest, had founded some monasteries. But how long Fechin continued at Achonry does notseemtobeknown. s^ Nathiwasagrown-upmanbeforea. d. 552,when the death of Finnian took place at Clonard, Nor is it likely Fechin could havebeenapriestpriortobetweentheyears610and620. SupposingNathi had lived until the year 620, it must follow that when he died, this holy in- structor had attained an extreme old age. According to another account, which appears more consistent, Fechin left the school at Achonry several years before his ordination. He probably went to learn from some other pious master. While engaged at studies under Nathy, it had been remarked by one of his biographers, that he was a youth of good natural dispositions. 37 His going to another school. Dr. Lanigan suggests was very probably owing to Nathi's death. 3^ This we may conjecture to have occurred about the beginning of the seventh century. To what school our saint went, or who thatotherholymanwas,isnotfoundmentioned. ConcerningSt. Fechin having been a disciple under Kieran of Clonmacnoise,39 must be re- garded as a fabulous statement. 4° Thus a man, who lived until 665, could not have been a scholar under an abbot who died a. d. 549. "^^ Such a story, however, may have been founded on a truth misunderstood. Fechin, it is possible, studied at the great school of Clonmacnoise. '^^ This used to be
called Kieran's school or college. From its having been stated that Fechin studied there, it might have grown into a belief that St. Kieran was his master. Whether dates answered to the proper computation had not been sufficiently investigated. St. Fintan Moeldubh'»3 is stated by the CalendarofCasheltohavebeenoneofSt. Fechin'smasters. 44 Thishappened most probably after he left the school of St. Nathi. Under the latter he ap- pears merely to have learned as a boy. ^s And as St. Fintan Maeldubh presided over Clonenagh monastery^'^ from a. d. 603 to 626,47 this time may well accord with the probable studies of St. Fechin's early manhood.
When the holy young man had been advanced to the priesthood, he
desired earnestly to gain souls to Christ. For this purpose, he thought, it is
stated, of founding certain churches in the territory of Lugne. Although several of these are mentioned in his supplementary acts, it has been doubted-*^ if—with the exception of a limited number—all noticed had been
3® The parish of Achonry, the head of the diocese so called, is of very great extent. It is situated within the barony of Leyny, anditisdefinedonthe"Ordnance
25. 31, 32, 33, 37, 38, 42, 43- On the §xi. ,n. 174, p. 231.
Survey
Maps for the County of Sligo. Sheets 24, History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xii. ,
townland of Achonry (Sheet 32) are marked
the sites of an abbey, an old church, and a
45 See ibid. , vol. iii. , § x. , n. 133, p. 46. Also "The First Life," chap, vi. , and
graveyard.
3^ See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. iii,, chap, xvii. , § x. , n. 133, p.
46.
35 See his life, at the 9th of September.
4° Yet Colgan would not venture to dis-
pute its accuracy.
4' Colgan thinks, that considering the long
term of life assigned to many of our Irish saints, this account may not be wholly in-
37 See
bemiae," xx, Januarii. chini, cap. vi. , p. 130.
Colgan's
. _
Clonagheen are situated in the baronies of
Cullenagh, Maryborough East and Mary- borough West. See *' Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps of the Queen's County. " Sheets 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24. The united parishes contain over 47, 189 acres. On Sheet 1 7 the antiquities at de- nenagh are marked.
47 See Archdall's " Monasticon Hibemi-
cum," p. 592.
48 See Dr. Lanigan's remarks on this sub-
admissible. See n. at 8,
p. 140. ject.
" Ecclesiastical of
History Ireland,"
"
" Acta Sanctorum Hi- Vita Prima S. Fe-
4^ Such is Dr. Lanigan's solution of this difficulty.
vol. iii. , chap, xvii. , § x. , and n. 137, pp. 44 to 50.
43 This holjr man died A. D. 626. See Dr.
O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters,"
vol. i. , pp. 248, 249.
«'
Second Life," chap. vi.
46 The united of and parishes Clonenagh
44gee Dr. "Ecclesiastical Lanigan's
36o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 20.
founded by him. Yet the First Life states, so soon as he was ordained priest, that he withdrew from his own country. Had he formed these
establishments, among his relatives, most likely they should have been mentioned. Certainly some reason ought to have been assigned for his leaving them, to found his chief establishment in a more distant part of the country.
It has been said,^? that prior to his visiting Fore, this saint had erected
anoblechurchataplacecalledEas-dare. s° Besidesthis,wearetold,the
chief of bestowed tracts of land for its maintenance, s' That he Lugne large
built a church at Eas-dare, can only be allowed. At the monastery of that place, he is said to have healed a person, whose face had been much de- formed. Afterwards the features of this individual became remarkable for comeliness and grace. s^ Eas-Dara possessed some land, which had been called Teaimann Fechin. This undoubtedly was ground dedicated to our saint. Yet it does not at all follow, that he founded a monastery there, or that he obtained certain grants, by which in course of time it had been enriched. 53 If Ballysadare monastery had been founded by Fechin, this would probably have been stated, when allusion had been made to the erection of the church, s^ To account for the name Tearmann Fechin, it would be sufficient that Ballysadare church,55 to which a monastery was afterwards annexed, had been denominated from its patron. Both the church and monastery—by whomsoever founded—seem to have been
dedicated to St. Fechin, from a very remote date.
At Bile,5^ where he was born, a church is stated to have been erected by
him. s7 But the monastery there seems to have been a later foundation. A
called — or "the cell of the
religious house, Kill-na-manach, monks,"58
one at Druimratha, one at Killgarvan,59 and the third at Edarguidhe, otherwise denominated Ecclas-roog,^ are all stated to
49 See "Vita Secunda S. Fechini," cap. on the mouth of the Ballysadare river, as it viii. , p. 134, and n. 3, pp. 140, I41, where enters the bay, likewise so denominated,
gether with three churches,
Colgan says in his time it was a monastery for Canons Regular of Achonry diocese. Even then it had a farm attached, known
may be seen.
so This was a parochial church, in the
diocese of Achonry, and territory of Lugne, as Tearmann Fechin, the refuge or in Colgan's time. Formerly it was known
"
limit of Fechin. " ^
as Bile Fechin.
57 According to the "Second Life,"
chap, viii. , p. 134.
58 This was within the territory of Lugne.
5° This place has been identified with Ballysadare, county of Sligo, by Dr. Lani- gan.
been attached ; and from the river flowing by it to the sea, a large tract was assigned in perpetuity.
5^ See "The Second Life," chap, xiii. , p. 134.
S3 After St. Fechin's time, the Augusti- nians erected a religious establishment there, the ruins of which remain. They are drawn
To^vnland Maps for the County of Sligo. Sheet 26.
"
''"
5' It would seem that a monastery had It is marked on the "Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of by T. Cocking, A. D.
1 79 1, and are engraved Mayo. " Sheets 31, 32, 40, 41. Killna-
''
in two separate views. See Grose's An-
tiquities of Ireland," vol. i. , pp. 51, 52. s^To which attention has been called in
the " Second Life. "
ss The parish of Ballysadare, situated in the baronies of Leyny and Tirerrill, is de- fined on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Sligo. " Sheets 19, 20, 25, 26, 33. On Sheet 20, the town and site of the old church, within its graveyard,
garvan seems to indicate, however, that the founder of this church was not St. Fechin, butonewhowascalledGarvan. OnSheet 40 is to be seen the old graveyard and near it the well called Toberbreanal.
^Edarguidhe, or Kill-roe, was in the territory of Tyrawley and diocese of Killala. See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," xx. Januarii. Second Life, rm. 3, 4, pp.
140, 141, Edarguidhe is omitted from the
29 Also called Kill na Garbhan. It lay in the territory of Galenga, and it is pro- bably identical ^vith Kilgarvan, a parish in the barony of Gallen, and county of Mayo,
''
See its extent marked on the
^-q.
January 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 361
have owed their origin to him. ^^ Yet, not one of these foundations, however, although mentioned in the second, has been alluded to in the First Life of St. Fechin. Bile-Fechin seems to have been so called from the circumstance of the saint having been bom there. The church of Bile, and the monastery of Killnamanach were not founded by Fechin, in the opinion of Dr. Lanigan, and he thinks this seems almost certain. The monastery of Kilnamanach,^^ although in a distinct 'place, so far as can be understood, is represented as at Bile. ^3 Harris and Archdall have a monastery at Druimratha,^* although in the Second Life of St. Fechin, it is called a church. Nor does Colgan otherwise speak of it. It has been identified with Drumrath, in the barony
of Corran, and in the county of Sligo. ^s
In the Second Life of St. Fechin, he is mentioned as having been in his
monastery of Cong. ^^ He is said to have wrought a miracle, on behalf of an old man, who was a villager, and whose whole family with himself had been converted to the Christian faith. To Jhim was born a son, called Bectola, according to the suggestion of Fechin, and he was afterwards a child of great virtue. The convert devoted himself, his family, and his posterity to the service of our saint. Cong is situated within the barony of Kilmaine, and in the county of Mayo. ^7 In the First Life of St. Fechin, there is no noticeregardingthemonasteryatCong. ^^ Suchanomissionappearsvery, strange, if it had been founded by Fechin. ^9 Among the many abbots of
"
It seems to be established, that he founded a religious house in the Island
ofImmagh,7^orOmey. ? ^ InsteadofadistinguishedqjonasteryatImmagh, in Colgan's and the O'Clerys' time, only a parish church was there. 73 St. Fechin was its patron, and also of that island,74 which is placed in the
Cong, not one has been called his successor or
comorban. "7°
list of St. Fechin's churches, by Harris and
Archdall. Colgan says it was an oratory. Dr. Lanigan thinks it was placed somewhere in Lugne. It is a townland in the parish of Killala. See its position on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Mayo. " Sheet22.
in the barony of Kilmaine, as shovra on the
^Dr. Laniganhasasuspicionthat"suo *' "
In the "Second Life," chap, viii. , p. 134-
monasterio had been inserted in the Se- cond Life of St. Fechin, without any suffi- cient authority.
*9 Moloccus has been generally regarded as the first abbot of Cong, He was the saint whose name used to be joined to that
^^
Harris and Archdall had no right to
place a monastery at Bile, supposing Kill- namanagh to have been situated in some
other locality.
"
*3 Colgan, however, appears to distinguish ''
of Cong, as we see in Colgan's phical Index," at Cunga.
Topogra-
them as in different situations. See Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," xx. Januarii. Ap- pendix ad Acta S. Fechini, cap. ii. , p. 143.
7° This title generally indicated the saints who were either founders, or first distin- guished in those monasteries or churches to which their names are annexed.
7' That island, now called Inismain, in the bay of Galway, and which is a rectory in the Tuam diocese, is supposed incorrectly by Dr. Lanigan to represent this place.
'^ The parish of Omey, in the barony of
of Galway. " Sheets 21, 22, 23, 34, 35, 36. 73 See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," xx.
** Archdall places St. Enan at Drumrath, in the county of Sligo. Yet St. Enan was earlier by many years than Fechin. The former belonged to Drumrath, in the county of Westmeath.
*s Archdall says, however, that it was
situated near BalJysadare, and in the barony
of Leyny, in the same county.
^ " In suo monasterio de Conga. " See
Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibemioe. " Vita Secunda S. Fechini, cap. xix. , p. 135.
The parish of Cong itself is of very great extent. It lies partly within the barony of Ross, as shown on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Galway,"
" nance Survey Townland Maps for the County
Januarii. Acta S. Fechini, n, 12, p. 141. 7* In "Letters Containing Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Galway collected during the Progress of the Sheets 25, 26, 27, 38, 39, 40 ; and partly Ordnance Survey in 1839," vol. iii,, pp.
''
Ordnance Survey,Townland Maps for the "
County of Mayo, Slieets 117, 120, 121, 123. Altogether it includes over 37,729 acres.
^^ The site of the town and its antiquities is marked on the County Mayo, Sheet 120,
Ballynahinch, is represented on the
Ord-
3^2 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 20.
O'Flaherty's country,7S and within the diocese of Tuam. It lies near the town of Clifden, about six miles to the north-west off the county Galway coast. Its inhabitants accepted Fechin as their tutelar saint. An angel had indicated this as a suitable place for occupation. ? ^ It would seem, a grant of this island had been made by King Guaire,? ? after the saint and some of his
Nor must we understand, probably, that Fechin became proprietor of the whole island. ? ^ He was considered only as the chief director. He probably acted as a magistrate over the inhabitants, who were then pagans. Taking with him some of his monks, the holy missionary undertook their conversion. At first he met with great opposition. Those people were so obstinate, that they refused even to supply him and his companions with provisions. While pre- paring for the construction of a monastery, the islanders threw the implements and utensils of Fechin and his monks into the sea. Those articles however were driven back. The island of Imay, now Anglicized Omey, is near the mainland. 79 The saint succeeded in bringing all its pagan inhabitants to theChristianfaith,andhebaptizedthem. ^° Theirzealbecamesofervent, that the islanders consigned themselves to their master and superior Fechin. ^* On a mountain, called Cobha,^^ lying northwards from the monastery in this island, the saint often prayed ; and the sole mitigation of austerity he in-
73 to 92, John O'Donovan has given a very 78 In old writings it is called Imaith and admirable historic and archaeological account Umma, but the meaning of this word does of this parish of Omey. This is illustrated not appear. It gives name to the parish of
Omey, which is bounded north by that of
Ballynakill, east by the parishes of Ballyna- kill and Moyrus, south by the parishes of Moyrus and Ballindoon, and west by the Atlantic Ocean. For further particulars regarding Omey the reader is referred to
disciples had been induced to take up their residence on it.
by four admirable ink sketches of William
F. Wakeman : one sketch represents Doon
Castle, another gives an eastern view of the
largest Cloghan on Ard-Oilean, another pre-
sents the church of St. Fechin from the west,
with ruins of the circular wall or Caisol sur-
rounding it, and the fourth sketch is that of averyprimitivechapelcalledKill,withits
ground plan, on the townland of Ballyma-
conry, now Anglicized Kingstown. The
latter object lies on the brink of that arm of
the ocean, which runs up to Streamstown,
and it is nearly opposite to Doon Castle.
This chapel measures on the inside 48 feet
in length, 1 7 feet 6 inches in width, and its herty's
walls are 2 feet 8 inches in thickness. The
east gable was totally destroyed, and the door-way which was in the west gable at that time had been reduced to a shapeless breach. This and the Castle of Doon, nearly opposite to it, a little to the north-east, are marked on the " Ordnance Survey Maps for the County of Galway. " Sheet 22.
75 See "The Martyrology of Donegal," edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 22,
Chorographical Description of West or H-Iar Connaught," n. (r), pp. 112, 113.
7* According to the "Second Life," he had this vision, while dwelling in the mon- astery at Eas-Dara. See chap, xxii. , p. 135-
T' See
nise," XX. Januarii.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Vita Prima S. Fechini, This king was the son of See Dr. Masters,"
Sheet 21, "Ordnance
Maps for the County of Galway.
Colgan's
Survey
cap. xii. , p. 131.
Colman, who died A. D. 662. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four vol. i. , pp. 372, 273.
*"
identify the position of this place from the
County of Galway.
" ofWestorH-IarConnaught. " Additional
Notes, z, pp. 279 to 281.
79 In Irish, it is called loiriAi'd or lotriAi*
V^i6iri. At low water, it can be entered from the mainland with dry feet. Within
it there is a pool of standing water, and the soil is plain and champaign. See O'Fla-
"
^ Although St. Fechin erected a monas-
tery there, we are told by O'Flaherty, that the parish church only remained in 1684.
The spot is now called Templefeheen.
^' St. Fechin's well is yet to be seen here. Towards the close of the seventeenth cen- tury, it was visited, and miraculous cures were effected in restoring many to health. The patron, St. Fechin, was also venerated on the 20th of January, in this island. The well is called Toberfeheen, and it lies a little to the south of Templefeheen and Corcon graveyard on the sea-shore. See Townland
O'Flaherty's
Chorographical Description
"
It does not seem possible at present to
" Ordnance Townland Maps for the Survey
"
January 20. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 363
dulged was to seek its more sheltered southern aspect, when rough winds and waves careered over the wide expanse of ocean. ^3
St. Fechin's monks while here wanted the necessaries of life. Two of them are stated to have died owing to a deficiency of food. The Almighty- was pleased, however, through the saint's intercession, to bring these again
to life. However Guaire, the pious and generous King of Connaught,^* became apprized of their distress. He then sent an abundance of provisions to sustain them. ^s it had been supposed by Ussher, that Guaire was king over the island of Immagh alone, and therefore has he been placed among those persons converted to Christianity, by St. Fechin. ^^ He thought that by *'rex terrae" was meant the island king. ^7 But those words were relative to the province of Connaught. Within it Immagh was comprised, as a sub- holding of the king. Had Ussher seen the Second Life of St. Fechin in which the same circumstance is related,^^ and where King Guaire is called son of Colman, he must have been more correct. Even the context found in the First Life, should have taught him, that Guaire was some monarch more important than king over Immagh^9 alone. The church on Omey Island, which seems to have been used in O'Flaherty's time, is now nearly buried in the sands. It is 40 feet in length, by 19 feet in width, interiorly, and the walls are 2 feet 9 inches in thickness. The only characteristic feature of thischurchremainingisarudewindowintheeasterngable. Fromitsstyle, Dr. O'Donovan thought one could safely come to the conclusion, that this was not the original church of St. Feichin. s°
According to some statements, Fechin is said to have built a monastery
"
in another isolated place called Ard-Oilean, or the
High Island. "? ^ Al-
though the transactions in Immagh are detailed, however, there is nothing stated in the First Life about his passing over to Ard-Oilean. He appears
from it to have gone directly from Immagh to Fore, although this is not rendered quite clear. But in the Second Life,9^ Fechin is introduced as
"
having erected a distinct monastery at Ard-Oilean, or stonehouses,ofamostprimitivetype,arestilltobeseen. 93 Thelatterareof
High Island. " This too seems very probable ; for even at the present time, considerable portions of the ruins remain, while several ancient stone crosses, and old cells or
*3 See "The Second Life," chap, xlvi.