''
5^ The O'Clerys slate, that he was son to Diarmaid, son to Deghadh, descended from the race of Cormac Cas, son to Oilill Oluim.
5^ The O'Clerys slate, that he was son to Diarmaid, son to Deghadh, descended from the race of Cormac Cas, son to Oilill Oluim.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
] 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. Again, Dr. Lanigan sup- poses, that Ceann-indis could not have been very far from Cluain-Credhuil,
and that probably it was within a few miles, being separated, perhaps, by little more than the River Shannon. But, we have already seen, all this is built
upon the authority of a conjectural gloss, over St. Comgan's name, and on his presumed identity with a Comgan, living in the sixth century. In addi- tion to all this, Archdall tells us, in one place, that St. Comgan died, on the
27th of February, a. d. 565, and at a respectable old age. 43 In another part of his work, that writer merely states, how our saint, whom he calls St. Com- gall, died before the year 569. 44 The Abbot of Kilieshin did not bear the latter name,45 but he was called Comdan, Comdhan, or Comghan. ^^ How- ever, the probable date for his death was towards the close of the ninth, or aboutthebeginningofthetenth,century. Atthisday,heiscommemorated in our Irish Calendars. We find the simple entry, Comgan, of Gliuni Usin,
inserted in the Martyrology of Tallagh,47 at the 27th of February. St. ^ngus '*
the Culdee, likewise, has placed his festival in the Feilire. 4^ The Kalendar
Lea- bharBreac copy,withitsEnglishtransla- 38 The time of that Comgan must have tion, has —been furnished by Professor
been in the sixth century. O'Looney 39 This was the year of St. Ita's death,
according to Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of "b. 111. kl. tA cefA-o ^Xbuii-oi,
niae," p. 67.
xv.
Januarii.
Vita S. Itce,
cap.
x. ,
the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 206, 207.
•mo)\ Al/Ai-oib Laiiiai]' ;
jTeiL chortigAiii Cenx)inT)if ;
4° See Archdall's
"
Monasticon Hiber-
nicum," p. 398.
4' See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
land," vol. ii. , chap, xi. , sect, iii. , n. 18, p. 89.
4» Dr. Lanigan imagines the Abbot would not have required her attendance, at his death, had she been separated from him by a greater distance.
43 See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiberni* cum," p. 398.
44
Ibid. , p. 43.
45 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Iliber-
nise," xxvii. Februarii, pp. 417, 418.
4* In the Irish language, the letters g and
d aspirated sound similarly.
47 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xVii.
^ipec
cinx)
lohAnif.
4'* The following stanza, from the "
"
:
With the suffering of Abundus, Great his gifts of poems ;
The feast of Comgan, Cend
Inis,
The finding of the head of
John [the Baptist].
The foreign saint here mentioned seems to have been identical with Abundantius or Abundius, one of the Martyrs of Thessa* lonica, in Macedonia, and whose feast occurs at this day. See an account, in the BoUan- dists' "Acta Sanciorum," tomus iii. , Feb* ruarii xxvii. , pp. 676, 677.
Truly,
February 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
of Cashel, the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman, and the Martyrology of Cathal Maguire, have entered his festival, at the 27th of February. '*! ? The
Martyrology of Donegal,5° on this day, records, Comdhan [/>. , Diarmaid],^' of Glenn Uissen. s- This holy man appears to have been greatly venerated,
in Ireland, where his Office, containing nine Lessons, was lormerly recited. 53 At the iii. of the March Kalends, or at the 27th of February, we learn from the Kalendar of Diummond, that in the Island of Hibernia, the Natalis of the holy Confessor Comgan, who went to Christ, was celebrated. s^ No further biographical statements, in reference to him, have been preserved.
Article 1 1. —St. Comman, Mac Ua Theimhne. Remarking that
Father John Colgan passes over this saint, at the 27th of February, the
Bollandists briefly notice him, although confessing they knew notliing of his
history. ^ This name occurs, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,'* at the same date, and it is written there, Comman mac h. Themin. That of Marianus
O'Gorman, in the ecgraph, or extract, furnished to the Bollandists,3 had " Comanus filius Va Temne ;" while, we find mentioned, in the Martyrology
of Donegalj-^ that Comman, Mac Ua Theimhne, had a festival, celebrated on this day. His place is not recorded.
Article III. —Reputed Festival of Socman and Sophan, Bishops. Dempster' has, at the 27th of February, a festival for St. Soghan and St.
49 See
niae," xxvii. hcbmarii, n. 15, p. 418.
Colgan's
50 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
58, 59.
5' In a note, Dr. Todd here adds to his
text, "The words within brackets are
written as a gloss, but in the original hand, over the name Comdhan.
''
5^ The O'Clerys slate, that he was son to Diarmaid, son to Deghadh, descended from the race of Cormac Cas, son to Oilill Oluim.
53 A MS. , belonging to T. C. D. , classed, B. I, 4, contains, at li'ebruary the 27th, or Kal. iii. Martii, Sancti cogAni Abbatis, ix. Lect.
^
whom other writers at the 26th of this month. =" place,
Sophan, Bishops,
Ferrarius seems to follow Dempster, in this statement. The Bollandists
think it clear, that Soganus has been written for S. Oganus, by some incon- siderate writer ; but, they are of opinion, there are no grounds whatever for Sophanus having been set down as an individual, distinct from S. Ophanus. 3
Article IV. —Reputed Festival of St. Hildulph, First Bishop of
Treves, or Triers, Germany. [Seventh and Eighli Centuries. ] In the Life' of St. Florentius,^ Bishop of Sirasburgh, mention is made^ of St. Hil-
dulf. Confessor, who, with St. Argobasf^ and Theodatus, erected an oratory at the wood, called Hasle. s The Bollandists barely allude to him, at the 27th of February. ^ They promise a further consideration of this saint, whom
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
3 By Father John Colgan.
^ Edited by Drs. TocU and Reeves, pp.
58, 59.
Article hi. —' See "iMenologium Scoti-
cum. "
^ See Bishop Forbes' "Kalcndars of
Scottish Saints," p. 193.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomusiii. , Feb-
ruarii xxvii. Among the pretermiued saints,
p. 673.
Article iv. — This was found, in an
old manuscript, -the style of which was
changed by Surius.
= His feast occurs, at the 7th of November. 3 See Surius' " De Probatis Sanctorum
*'
54 See Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of Historiis," tomus vi. Vita S. Florentii
Scottish Saints,—" p. 6. Episcopi Argentinensis, &c. Novembris '"
Article II. See Acta Sanctorum," vii. , p. 147.
tomus iii. , Februarii xxvii. Among the ^ see hisLife, at the 21st of July,
s it is said to have been where the River = Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvii. Bruscha flows from the Vosges Mountains.
pretermitted saints, p. 672.
722 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS, [February27.
they suppose to be the first bishop of Treves, or Triers,? in Germany, at the nth of July. ^ At the same date, fuller notices of the holy prelate shall be given. David Camerarius inserts him, in the Calendar, at the 27th of Feb- ruary.
Article V. —Reputed Festival of a St. Oganus, Bishop. At the
27th of February, the holy Bishop Oganus was venerated, according to Floratius and Henry Fitzsimon. '^ The same date has been assigned, by Dempster, for his festival. ^' The reader is referred to the account of this bishop, which will be found at the previous day.
Article VI. —Reputed Festival of St. Eluius, Elueus, Helv^us, OR Alb^us, a supposed Bishop of Menevia, Wales. {^Fifth Century\ For notices of the present saint, who is mentioned under different forms of name, the Breviary of Sarum' is cited by John Wilson, in the second edition of his English Martyrology. ^ Albaeus is said to have baptized St. David,3 when theformerreturnedfromIreland,andtouchedataport,calledGleysad. The Bollandists seem to infer, that the present holy man cannot be distinct, from St. Helv3eus, or Ailba2us,4 a Munster Bishop ; yet, they do not understand why Wilson placed his festival, at this date, when it should rather be assigned tothe12thofSeptember. Atthislatterdate,weshallhavemoretosay,re- garding St. Ailbceus, or Ailbe, Bishop of Emly.
Article VII. —St. Oda, or Odda, Virgin, at Rhoda, Belgium.
[Duri/ig or after the Eighth Century^ Dempster, in his Scottish Menology, and Ferrarius, in his general Catalogue, insert a festival for St. Oda, Virgin, of Rhoda, in Taxandria, of Brabant, at the 27th of February. The Bollan- dists briefly allude to her, at the same date, although referring her festival to the 27th of November. ^ Dempster== states, that at Rhoda,3 St. Odda, a Virgin, was venerated, at the 27th of February. She was daughter to a king, and patroness of this place. Othbert, the Bishop, raised her precious re- mains, in 1103,'^ to a place of honour. s It is said, by Dempster, that she was daughter to Eugene V. , King of the Scots, and a virgin, who led a most holylife. ^ However,theauthoritiesquotedbyhim,7onlymakeherdaughter
^ See ** Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Feb- ruariixxvii. Amongthepretermittedsaints, p. 673.
7 This was a large and noted to\vn, before Augustus settled a colony in it; subse-
3 See his Life, at the 1st of March,
4 See his Life,—at the I2th of September. Article vii. ' See " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus iii. , Kebruarii xxvii. Among the
quently,
it became an
arcliiepiscopal city.
=^ See " Scoticum. " Menologium
"
3 This was a town in Gallia Narboncnsis. See Baudrand's edition of Ferrarius' " No- vum Lexicon Geographicum," tomus ii. , p. 130, Pliny mentions it, as a colony of the
*'
Rhodii, lib. iii. , 4.
and has left no trace. " William Smith's "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geo- graphy," vol. ii. , p. 712.
bus SS. Canonicorum," at the 27t]i of November.
s See Bishop Forbes' ** Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 193.
"See "Historia Eccleslastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xiv. , num. 971, pp. 509, 510.
7 Thus state the English Martyrology,
See
pp. 563, 564. Irish edition.
Encyclopedia
Britannica," vol.
xviii. ,
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Julii xi. De S. Hildulpho, Confessore, &c. ,
pp. 205 to 238. —
Article v. See O'Sullevan Beare's
"Historise Catholicne Iberniae Compen-
dium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 56.
= See " Ilistoria Eccleslastica Gentis
—The place is gone
^
Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xiv. , num. 987. ^
Article VI. — "Officium S. Uavidis Episcopi," Lect. vi. , at the 1st of March.
=
The IBoUandists remark, that all mention of him is omitted, in the first edition. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxvii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 673.
pretermitted saints, p. 673.
* See Constantinus Ghinius' " In Natali-
February 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
to a King of the Scots. ^ It is thought, she flourished, about the year 500,
althoughanothermoreprobablestatementhas700,and713. Shewasseizedwith
bhndness, but going to the tomb of St. Lambert,^ Bishop and Martyr, at ''°
she there prayed and recovered her sight. " Through gratitude, she
Liege,
then vowed her virginity to God ; nor, afterwards, could her father persuade hertomarry. FollowingaDivineimpulse,OddawenttoTaxandria,andby her residence, she sanctified the whole Rhodan territory. It is related, that while she secretly prayed in a wood, a magpie betrayed this secret to men. Hence, in art, she is painted with a magpie. Renowned for her virtues and miracles, she was called, at last, to the nuptials of her Divine Spouse, and her body was deposited in a collegiate church at Rhoda, where she is commemo- ratedaschiefpatroness. '^ Wearetold,thathermemorywasgreatlyvenerated, and that churches were erected to her honour, in various parts of the kingdom of Scotland. ^3 Her festival occurs, in the Kalendar of King Charles First's Prayer-book,^4 probably in virtue of her royal descent. Her Acts are said to be more fully written, in the Scotichronicon, by the Monk of Paisley, by John Molan,^5 by Constantinus Ghinius, in the English Martyrology, and in other works. In the anonymous Catalogue of Irish Saints, published by O'Sullevan Beare, and in the ^' Historia Sanctorum Lovanii/' ^^ as also in Father Henry Fitzsimon's list of Irish Saints, at the 27th of February,^7 we find entered, St.
Oda, Virgo. However, the the eighth centurv.
"
English Martyrology" refers her feast, to the 27diofNovember. ByFatherStephenWhite,'^sheissaidtohavelivediu
Cto^ntg--®igftt6'JBap of jfefaruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. SILLAN, SIOLLAN, SILVAN, OR SYLVAN, ABBOT OF, BANGOR, COUNTY OF DOWN.
[SIXTH AND SEVENTH CENTURIES. ]
the middle of the sixth century, the famous abbey of Bangor, in
ABOUT
reputation his sanctity acquired, that in a short time, he had several thousand monks under his jurisdiction. This parent establishment was the fruitful
the of was founded St. Such was the county Down, by Comgall.
Constantinus Ghinius, the Benedictine Ka-
leniiar, Jacobus Cheyn^us, Adamus Valas-
sar, &c.
®
This should give Ireland, at least, as clear a claim to her nativity, as Scotland.
9 His feast occurs, on the 17th of Sep-
""
See Constantinus Ghinius, In Natali-
bus SS. Canonicomm. "
^3 Xhe Scottish Breviary is quoted. See
Dempster's "Historia Ecclesiastica Gcntis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xiv. , num. 971, p. 510.
tember. Hisdeathtook A. D. place
'•» At the of November, as Ode, 27th
709.
"^ A city of Belgium, on the River Maas
Virgin. See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars
or Meuse. -
" On this subject, Petrus Transianus Bas-
of Scottish Saints," pp.
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. Again, Dr. Lanigan sup- poses, that Ceann-indis could not have been very far from Cluain-Credhuil,
and that probably it was within a few miles, being separated, perhaps, by little more than the River Shannon. But, we have already seen, all this is built
upon the authority of a conjectural gloss, over St. Comgan's name, and on his presumed identity with a Comgan, living in the sixth century. In addi- tion to all this, Archdall tells us, in one place, that St. Comgan died, on the
27th of February, a. d. 565, and at a respectable old age. 43 In another part of his work, that writer merely states, how our saint, whom he calls St. Com- gall, died before the year 569. 44 The Abbot of Kilieshin did not bear the latter name,45 but he was called Comdan, Comdhan, or Comghan. ^^ How- ever, the probable date for his death was towards the close of the ninth, or aboutthebeginningofthetenth,century. Atthisday,heiscommemorated in our Irish Calendars. We find the simple entry, Comgan, of Gliuni Usin,
inserted in the Martyrology of Tallagh,47 at the 27th of February. St. ^ngus '*
the Culdee, likewise, has placed his festival in the Feilire. 4^ The Kalendar
Lea- bharBreac copy,withitsEnglishtransla- 38 The time of that Comgan must have tion, has —been furnished by Professor
been in the sixth century. O'Looney 39 This was the year of St. Ita's death,
according to Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of "b. 111. kl. tA cefA-o ^Xbuii-oi,
niae," p. 67.
xv.
Januarii.
Vita S. Itce,
cap.
x. ,
the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 206, 207.
•mo)\ Al/Ai-oib Laiiiai]' ;
jTeiL chortigAiii Cenx)inT)if ;
4° See Archdall's
"
Monasticon Hiber-
nicum," p. 398.
4' See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
land," vol. ii. , chap, xi. , sect, iii. , n. 18, p. 89.
4» Dr. Lanigan imagines the Abbot would not have required her attendance, at his death, had she been separated from him by a greater distance.
43 See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiberni* cum," p. 398.
44
Ibid. , p. 43.
45 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Iliber-
nise," xxvii. Februarii, pp. 417, 418.
4* In the Irish language, the letters g and
d aspirated sound similarly.
47 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xVii.
^ipec
cinx)
lohAnif.
4'* The following stanza, from the "
"
:
With the suffering of Abundus, Great his gifts of poems ;
The feast of Comgan, Cend
Inis,
The finding of the head of
John [the Baptist].
The foreign saint here mentioned seems to have been identical with Abundantius or Abundius, one of the Martyrs of Thessa* lonica, in Macedonia, and whose feast occurs at this day. See an account, in the BoUan- dists' "Acta Sanciorum," tomus iii. , Feb* ruarii xxvii. , pp. 676, 677.
Truly,
February 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
of Cashel, the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman, and the Martyrology of Cathal Maguire, have entered his festival, at the 27th of February. '*! ? The
Martyrology of Donegal,5° on this day, records, Comdhan [/>. , Diarmaid],^' of Glenn Uissen. s- This holy man appears to have been greatly venerated,
in Ireland, where his Office, containing nine Lessons, was lormerly recited. 53 At the iii. of the March Kalends, or at the 27th of February, we learn from the Kalendar of Diummond, that in the Island of Hibernia, the Natalis of the holy Confessor Comgan, who went to Christ, was celebrated. s^ No further biographical statements, in reference to him, have been preserved.
Article 1 1. —St. Comman, Mac Ua Theimhne. Remarking that
Father John Colgan passes over this saint, at the 27th of February, the
Bollandists briefly notice him, although confessing they knew notliing of his
history. ^ This name occurs, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,'* at the same date, and it is written there, Comman mac h. Themin. That of Marianus
O'Gorman, in the ecgraph, or extract, furnished to the Bollandists,3 had " Comanus filius Va Temne ;" while, we find mentioned, in the Martyrology
of Donegalj-^ that Comman, Mac Ua Theimhne, had a festival, celebrated on this day. His place is not recorded.
Article III. —Reputed Festival of Socman and Sophan, Bishops. Dempster' has, at the 27th of February, a festival for St. Soghan and St.
49 See
niae," xxvii. hcbmarii, n. 15, p. 418.
Colgan's
50 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
58, 59.
5' In a note, Dr. Todd here adds to his
text, "The words within brackets are
written as a gloss, but in the original hand, over the name Comdhan.
''
5^ The O'Clerys slate, that he was son to Diarmaid, son to Deghadh, descended from the race of Cormac Cas, son to Oilill Oluim.
53 A MS. , belonging to T. C. D. , classed, B. I, 4, contains, at li'ebruary the 27th, or Kal. iii. Martii, Sancti cogAni Abbatis, ix. Lect.
^
whom other writers at the 26th of this month. =" place,
Sophan, Bishops,
Ferrarius seems to follow Dempster, in this statement. The Bollandists
think it clear, that Soganus has been written for S. Oganus, by some incon- siderate writer ; but, they are of opinion, there are no grounds whatever for Sophanus having been set down as an individual, distinct from S. Ophanus. 3
Article IV. —Reputed Festival of St. Hildulph, First Bishop of
Treves, or Triers, Germany. [Seventh and Eighli Centuries. ] In the Life' of St. Florentius,^ Bishop of Sirasburgh, mention is made^ of St. Hil-
dulf. Confessor, who, with St. Argobasf^ and Theodatus, erected an oratory at the wood, called Hasle. s The Bollandists barely allude to him, at the 27th of February. ^ They promise a further consideration of this saint, whom
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
3 By Father John Colgan.
^ Edited by Drs. TocU and Reeves, pp.
58, 59.
Article hi. —' See "iMenologium Scoti-
cum. "
^ See Bishop Forbes' "Kalcndars of
Scottish Saints," p. 193.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomusiii. , Feb-
ruarii xxvii. Among the pretermiued saints,
p. 673.
Article iv. — This was found, in an
old manuscript, -the style of which was
changed by Surius.
= His feast occurs, at the 7th of November. 3 See Surius' " De Probatis Sanctorum
*'
54 See Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of Historiis," tomus vi. Vita S. Florentii
Scottish Saints,—" p. 6. Episcopi Argentinensis, &c. Novembris '"
Article II. See Acta Sanctorum," vii. , p. 147.
tomus iii. , Februarii xxvii. Among the ^ see hisLife, at the 21st of July,
s it is said to have been where the River = Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvii. Bruscha flows from the Vosges Mountains.
pretermitted saints, p. 672.
722 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS, [February27.
they suppose to be the first bishop of Treves, or Triers,? in Germany, at the nth of July. ^ At the same date, fuller notices of the holy prelate shall be given. David Camerarius inserts him, in the Calendar, at the 27th of Feb- ruary.
Article V. —Reputed Festival of a St. Oganus, Bishop. At the
27th of February, the holy Bishop Oganus was venerated, according to Floratius and Henry Fitzsimon. '^ The same date has been assigned, by Dempster, for his festival. ^' The reader is referred to the account of this bishop, which will be found at the previous day.
Article VI. —Reputed Festival of St. Eluius, Elueus, Helv^us, OR Alb^us, a supposed Bishop of Menevia, Wales. {^Fifth Century\ For notices of the present saint, who is mentioned under different forms of name, the Breviary of Sarum' is cited by John Wilson, in the second edition of his English Martyrology. ^ Albaeus is said to have baptized St. David,3 when theformerreturnedfromIreland,andtouchedataport,calledGleysad. The Bollandists seem to infer, that the present holy man cannot be distinct, from St. Helv3eus, or Ailba2us,4 a Munster Bishop ; yet, they do not understand why Wilson placed his festival, at this date, when it should rather be assigned tothe12thofSeptember. Atthislatterdate,weshallhavemoretosay,re- garding St. Ailbceus, or Ailbe, Bishop of Emly.
Article VII. —St. Oda, or Odda, Virgin, at Rhoda, Belgium.
[Duri/ig or after the Eighth Century^ Dempster, in his Scottish Menology, and Ferrarius, in his general Catalogue, insert a festival for St. Oda, Virgin, of Rhoda, in Taxandria, of Brabant, at the 27th of February. The Bollan- dists briefly allude to her, at the same date, although referring her festival to the 27th of November. ^ Dempster== states, that at Rhoda,3 St. Odda, a Virgin, was venerated, at the 27th of February. She was daughter to a king, and patroness of this place. Othbert, the Bishop, raised her precious re- mains, in 1103,'^ to a place of honour. s It is said, by Dempster, that she was daughter to Eugene V. , King of the Scots, and a virgin, who led a most holylife. ^ However,theauthoritiesquotedbyhim,7onlymakeherdaughter
^ See ** Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Feb- ruariixxvii. Amongthepretermittedsaints, p. 673.
7 This was a large and noted to\vn, before Augustus settled a colony in it; subse-
3 See his Life, at the 1st of March,
4 See his Life,—at the I2th of September. Article vii. ' See " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus iii. , Kebruarii xxvii. Among the
quently,
it became an
arcliiepiscopal city.
=^ See " Scoticum. " Menologium
"
3 This was a town in Gallia Narboncnsis. See Baudrand's edition of Ferrarius' " No- vum Lexicon Geographicum," tomus ii. , p. 130, Pliny mentions it, as a colony of the
*'
Rhodii, lib. iii. , 4.
and has left no trace. " William Smith's "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geo- graphy," vol. ii. , p. 712.
bus SS. Canonicorum," at the 27t]i of November.
s See Bishop Forbes' ** Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 193.
"See "Historia Eccleslastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xiv. , num. 971, pp. 509, 510.
7 Thus state the English Martyrology,
See
pp. 563, 564. Irish edition.
Encyclopedia
Britannica," vol.
xviii. ,
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Julii xi. De S. Hildulpho, Confessore, &c. ,
pp. 205 to 238. —
Article v. See O'Sullevan Beare's
"Historise Catholicne Iberniae Compen-
dium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 56.
= See " Ilistoria Eccleslastica Gentis
—The place is gone
^
Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xiv. , num. 987. ^
Article VI. — "Officium S. Uavidis Episcopi," Lect. vi. , at the 1st of March.
=
The IBoUandists remark, that all mention of him is omitted, in the first edition. See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxvii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 673.
pretermitted saints, p. 673.
* See Constantinus Ghinius' " In Natali-
February 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
to a King of the Scots. ^ It is thought, she flourished, about the year 500,
althoughanothermoreprobablestatementhas700,and713. Shewasseizedwith
bhndness, but going to the tomb of St. Lambert,^ Bishop and Martyr, at ''°
she there prayed and recovered her sight. " Through gratitude, she
Liege,
then vowed her virginity to God ; nor, afterwards, could her father persuade hertomarry. FollowingaDivineimpulse,OddawenttoTaxandria,andby her residence, she sanctified the whole Rhodan territory. It is related, that while she secretly prayed in a wood, a magpie betrayed this secret to men. Hence, in art, she is painted with a magpie. Renowned for her virtues and miracles, she was called, at last, to the nuptials of her Divine Spouse, and her body was deposited in a collegiate church at Rhoda, where she is commemo- ratedaschiefpatroness. '^ Wearetold,thathermemorywasgreatlyvenerated, and that churches were erected to her honour, in various parts of the kingdom of Scotland. ^3 Her festival occurs, in the Kalendar of King Charles First's Prayer-book,^4 probably in virtue of her royal descent. Her Acts are said to be more fully written, in the Scotichronicon, by the Monk of Paisley, by John Molan,^5 by Constantinus Ghinius, in the English Martyrology, and in other works. In the anonymous Catalogue of Irish Saints, published by O'Sullevan Beare, and in the ^' Historia Sanctorum Lovanii/' ^^ as also in Father Henry Fitzsimon's list of Irish Saints, at the 27th of February,^7 we find entered, St.
Oda, Virgo. However, the the eighth centurv.
"
English Martyrology" refers her feast, to the 27diofNovember. ByFatherStephenWhite,'^sheissaidtohavelivediu
Cto^ntg--®igftt6'JBap of jfefaruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. SILLAN, SIOLLAN, SILVAN, OR SYLVAN, ABBOT OF, BANGOR, COUNTY OF DOWN.
[SIXTH AND SEVENTH CENTURIES. ]
the middle of the sixth century, the famous abbey of Bangor, in
ABOUT
reputation his sanctity acquired, that in a short time, he had several thousand monks under his jurisdiction. This parent establishment was the fruitful
the of was founded St. Such was the county Down, by Comgall.
Constantinus Ghinius, the Benedictine Ka-
leniiar, Jacobus Cheyn^us, Adamus Valas-
sar, &c.
®
This should give Ireland, at least, as clear a claim to her nativity, as Scotland.
9 His feast occurs, on the 17th of Sep-
""
See Constantinus Ghinius, In Natali-
bus SS. Canonicomm. "
^3 Xhe Scottish Breviary is quoted. See
Dempster's "Historia Ecclesiastica Gcntis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xiv. , num. 971, p. 510.
tember. Hisdeathtook A. D. place
'•» At the of November, as Ode, 27th
709.
"^ A city of Belgium, on the River Maas
Virgin. See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars
or Meuse. -
" On this subject, Petrus Transianus Bas-
of Scottish Saints," pp.
