During one of those voyages, an immense whale threatened his
destruction
; yet, making a sign of the cross, the man of God put this huge monster to flight.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
In one of those pages (p.
509) Colgan says, that the monastery was founded prior to the year 563, but has nothing there about the time, in which Finian died.
Archdall then adds, that others extend Finian's years to 593, or 597, and refers to his Acts.
Now in the very page referred to, neither of these dates is mentioned ; but, it is expressly
stated,—that Finian died between 674 and "
693," Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
by Rev. Dr. Lanigan, vol. ii. , chap, xi. ,
sect, x. , p. 132.
'^
See Apocalypse, vii. 14.
=^9 See Job. ii. 7.
3° This name is supposed, by Ducange, to
h—ave been at first applied to the house of a king BastXei^s in Greek. Afterwards, it was ap- plied to the sacred edifice, in which worship and sacrifices were offered to God, the King
of all. See "
"
Glossarium Mediae et Infima;
Latinitatis, tomus i. , sub voce. Basilica, p. 611. In illustration, among other authori- ties, the writer refers to Canones Hibem. , lib. 42, cap. 26.
March i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 385 been in the south of Ireland, and it may have—been that monastery, said to
have be
—en built St, on Inisfaithlen^' now-
by Finian, usually
written Innis- fallen32 a most romantically-situated island33 in the Lower Lake of Killamey.
Several^Irish^writers ascribe its foundation to the sixth century,34 assuming
Innisfallen, Lower Lake, Killarney.
that the founder had been the disciple of St. Columkille. The beautiful old oratory, with its Irish rounded door-head, and chevron mouldings, may even date back to that period. 3s It is situated on the extreme eastern point of this island, said, by the English traveller, Arthur Young, to be the most beautiful in the king's dominions, and perhaps in Europe, and having every variety, that range of beauty, unmixed with the sublime, can give. 3^ Yet, assuredly, the surroundings of broad lake and wild mountain scenery impart sublimity to it, and even in a high degree. We have already seen, at the
"
Scenery and Antiquities of Ireland," by W. H. Bartlett, there is a beautiful illustration of Innisfallen, Lake of
Killarney, in vol. ii. , p. 21, and, on a smaller scale, there is a nearly similar view,
3' In the
tion with their pupils ; here at jthe solemn, silent close of day, seated on one of those rocks which eyes have not altered, contem- plating the varied beauties of nature ; and from the splendour of the departing sun drawing inferences of the glories of that
celestial paradise, towards which th—eir enthu- "
siastic hopes unceasingly aspired. " Illus- trations of the Scenery of Killarney and the
surrounding country," sect, ii. , p. 90.
3^ Among these may be mentioned Sir
James Ware, and his editor Harris, Rev. Mervyn Archdall, Charles Smith, &c.
per- mitted, during a part of the last century, when the noble proprietor converted the chapel, standing at some distance from the abbey, into a banqueting house for the re- ception of visitors to the romantic scenes of
"
in Mr. and Mrs. Hall's
'*
Ireland ; its
Scenery, Character," &c. , vol. L, p. 241.
3* The accompanying illustration of this island and of its surrounding and distant scenery is from a photograph, by Frederick H. Mares, drawn on the wood by William F. Wakeman, and engraved by George A.
Hanlon.
33 Isaac Weld thus
35 Its desecration seems to have been
alludes to
in his valuable pictorial and descriptive
"
happily
it,
book !
in the idea, and fondly recalls the time, when
this little island was the abode of piety and
learning. Here the venerable fathers are
seen meditating in their cells ; here straying Killarney. See Archdall's Monasticon through the lofty groves in deep conversa- Hibernicum," p. 303.
Fancy at least is willing to indulge
2B
386 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i6.
previous day, that Colgan has confounded this island with Inisfaithlen, or
Ireland's Eye,37 and he has thus led some readers astray. 3^ How long St.
Finian dwelt in his island retreat of Inisfallen—if this were his home—we are
unable to determine. Few visitors to Killarney sail over its enchantingly-
beautifullakes,withoutlandinghere. Verysweetistheairofperfectpeace,
and the soft sylvan solitude, which pervade this island of the lower lake. It
is just large enough to wander about, on a balmy summer day, too small for
the possibility of fatigue. The island itself is covered with a grove of vene-
rable ash trees, which have great size and surpassing beauty. But the lion,
in the way of trees, is a gigantic holly, whose trunk is sixteen feet in circum-
ference, and which all travellers are taken to see. This holly looks, as if it
had been growing since the beginning of time. —39 Never, perhaps, was there
afitterspotforlonelystudyorpoeticmusing sofairascenethatonewould
think only gentle fancies should there come to the dreamer. '»° Indeed, the
""
poet of all circles has immortalized its lovely features of scenery, investing
them with traits of fancy and sentiment, such as he could alone draw, from the
spring of his incomparable imagination ^i nor has he been the only person ;
of refined taste and feeling, who revelled in thought on the inspirations this
lovely spot must ever excite, in the minds of poets, artists and antiquaries. ^^ Not far removed, from the ancient oratory of St. Finian, +3 are the crumbling
and ivy-crowned walls of a more modern religious establishment, in the midst ofvenerabletreesthattowerhighabovethem. 4* Pictorialanddescriptive
3* See " Tour in Ireland," p. 295.
37 In referring to Dichull, son of Nessan.
Dream of thee sometimes, as a home Of simshine he had seen and lost.
Far better in thy weeping hours To part from thee, as I do now,
When mist is o'er thy blooming bowers, Like sorrow's veil on beauty's brow.
"
See xvi. p. 92.
Acta Sanctorum Hibernias," Januarii Vita S. Furssei Confessoris, &c. , n. 6,
"
3* See Archdall's "Monasticon Hiberni-
cum," p. 301.
39 Near the centre of the island stands a
large ash tree, a deep space under the trunk of which is popularly known as "The Friar's Grave ;" another curious tree is shown, called "The Needle," also a yew tree, distinguished by the name, "Bed of Honour. "
*•" See an article in "
editor, Miss Baddon, on the occasion of her tour in Ireland.
*' " "
In the Irish Melodies is found
plaintive air :
"
" For, though unrivall'd still thy grace, Thou dost not look, as then, too blest.
But, thus in shadow, seem'st a place — Where erring man might hope to rest
" Might hope to rest, and find in thee
" or isle ! Weeping smiling, lovely —
And all the lovelier for thy tears
For though but rare thy sunny smile,
'Tis heav'n's own glance when it ap-
pears.
" Sweet Innisfallen," to a
Belgravia," by
the
on the He left its shade, when every tree,
— sung beautifully
Sweet Innisfallen, fare thee well,
May calm and sunshine long b—e thine !
How fair thou art let others tell,
To feel how fair shall
" Sweet Innisfallen, long shall dwell
"
whose are — feeling hearts, joys few,
In dream that memory's
The brightest light the sun e'er threw Is lifeless to one gleam of thine ! "
*^ We from the of three speak experience
distinct visits to this island, and with inter- vals of years between each visit, for a know- ledge of names, then fresh in the memory of our guides.
^3 From a photograph of this beautiful little oratory, taken by Frederick H. Mares, the accompanying illustration, drawn on the wood, by William F. Wakeman, has been engraved by George A. Hanlon.
sunny smile, Which o'er thee on that evening fell,
"When first I saw thy fairy isle.
'Twas light indeed, too blest for one— Who had to turn to paths of care Through crowded haunts again to run,
And leave thee bright and silent there j
" No more unto thy shores to come But, on the world's rude ocean tost,
long
A like gloom
Eden's,
Like thine, hung weeping o'er his way.
be mine. "Like
But, when indeed they come, divine
day,
March i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 387
illustrations of Innisfallen are numerous enough, in the many useful Guide Books,'5 that have been written for visitors to the Lakes of Killarney ; and, yet, it were to be desired, that historic detail and accuracy were better attended to by many of the writers. *^ Several of the Killarney stories and legends have been rendered into verse*7 and prose. <^ In this Island of Inis-
Innisfallen Oratory, County of Kerry.
fallen, the celebrated Annals, so designated, are said to have been compiled/'
During the middle ages, and after the English invasion, the monastery there established had its historical life, until the period of its dissolution, in the
thirty-seventh year of Queen Elizabeth's reign. 5° Some very legendary accounts,
* In a lately-published volume, intituled,
" The Fall of Rora, the Search after Pros-
perpine, and other Poems, meditative and
lyrical," by Aubrey de Vere, we find the
following allusion, in Sonnet viii. , to these
objects :
" Hard by were groves of ash through which
we spied
The ruined convent with its weather-
stains.
From whose calm bosom passed of old the
strains
This Eden of blue lakes that sanctified. "
—"The Island of Inisfallen," p. 275.
*S Besides the very complete description, in Mr. and Mrs. Hall's " Ireland : its
Scenery, Character," &c. , vol. i. , pp. 178
to 274, these accomplished writers have pre-
pared a separate Guide Book, elegantly illustrated.
** In this respect, Mr. John Windale's
" Hand Book to Killarney, through Bantry, Glengariff and Kemuare," is one of the
happy exceptions, among Irish Guide Books. ''^ Among such compositions may be noted, "Lays of Killarney Lakes, Descrip- tive Sonnets, and Occasional Poems," by
Thomas Galway, A. M.
—
**
A and
very amusing book,
"
graphically Killarney Le-
written, will be found in
gends," edited by T. Crofton Croker, Esq.
Inisfallen, by one O'Gorman.
"the
*9 Besides those with published,
prenota- tions, and additions, in Dr. O'Conor's "Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus ii. , pp, I to 122, from the Bodleian copy, and from the Dublin copy, pp. 2 to 83 following, there is a folio paper Manuscript, in Edward O'Reilly's collection, now be- longing to the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. It is numbered 5, 6. Again, the foUo paper MSS. , No. 4, 5, in the R. I. A. , is an English translation of the Aimals of
of this — possessions abbey
50
were granted to Captain Robert CoUann. " Charles Smith's " History of the County of Kerry," chap. vL, pp. 127, 128.
Then,
388 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i6.
while he dwelt beside the are related in his Acts s* regarding Finian, lake,5^ ;
but, these are hardly worthy of insertion, in the present account of our saint.
CHAPTER II.
ST. FINIAN LEAVES THE MONASTERY BY THE LAKE, AND GOES ELSEWHERE—HE VISITS SWORDS, AND THERE RECEIVES CHARGE OF ITS MONASTERY FROM ST. COLUMKILLE —MIRACLES RECORDED—HIS DEATH—HIS MEMORIALS, AND PLACES SAID TO HAVE BEEN UNDER HIS PATRONAGE—CONCLUSION.
In our saint's published Acts, it is stated, that some differences arose, where hedwelt,regardingtheerectionofamill; and,thenitisrelated,thatFinian departed from the lake habitation, he had at first selected, and went to a place, called Olnaimar. ^ In thus printing it, we suspect some error, probably attributable to the original writer himself ; and to us, it seems likely, that Cluain-mor, or Clonraore, was intended, since there, it is thought, St. Finian closed the latest years of his life. However, he lived in the former place, and suffered greatly from his infirmity. ^ It seems, that a penitent desired to share this suffering with him, and he even asked, to become a leper, so that with an afflicted body, his soul might be assured of salvation. However, Finian sought to disuade him from such a purpose, by telling him, he could not endure the pain. The penitent next prayed to God, that his request might be granted, and immediately his whole frame was seized with an in- tolerable itching and agony, caused by leprosy. He soon repaired to St. Finian, and besought him, that it might be removed. Our saint sent him to some water that was near, in which he washed, as directed, and again the man was restored to his former sound state. Next have we an account, re- garding a neighbouring king, to whom the clerics of that church owed an annual entertainment, and they requested Finian to intercede for them, that such an expense might be removed. He sent a maid servant, to represent this desire to the king. At first, the ruler was inexorable, but St. Finian having threatened the Divine displeasure, a wonderful miracle was wrought, which convinced the king of his error, and which caused him to fall on his knees, to ask pardon from the holy man.
Afterwards, as we are told, wishing to visit his own country, he came to a place, named Sord, where he found St. Columba. Finian expressed the
desire he had to visit when Columba Rome,
said,
" You shall not but go,
S' The traditions of Killarney people that the place in question may really be
"
assign our saint to their enchanting region,
called Inismore, or
the great Island," and
and especially to Innisfallen — :
that it with one so possibly corresponded
named, in the Life of St. Senan, at the 8th
ofMarch. Theyadd:"Inis-morenim^
Insula major est, quod Anglicana paidlo antiquiori dialecto Holma-mar dicebatur. "
* His Acts state: " Scaturiebat totum corpus ejus vermibus ob magnitudinem
"Thitherledbyvoicedivine St. Finian ceased his quest.
And reared to God a votive shrine, To man a place of rest. "
—Thomas " of
Galway's Lays Killarney leprse, fluebantque
Lakes," &c. Innisfallen, p. 68.
5^ See the Bollandists' "Acta Sancto-
rum," tomus ii. , Martii xvi. Vita Auctore Anonymo Anglo ex nostro MS. Hiberniensi,
vermes de corpore ejus ad aquam quamdam quae prope erat, et iterum revertebantur : vocatur etiam hodie via, per quam ibant, Via vermium. Accidit
autem ut nocte quadam vigilantibus sociis,
Sanctusacriteringemiseret,interrogatusque
a de sociis quid hoc esset, Unus, inquit,
civibus meis deest, et ideo non possum som-
niare. "
^
pp. 445,446. — Chapter II.
'
The Bollandists attribute
this spelling, to the ignorance of the Eng- lish writer, not accustomed to a proper pro- nunciationofIrishwords. Theyimagine,
q^hglegendwriterremarks,thatagreat
March i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 389
rather shall you remain here. " Then replied the man of God, " I have vowed
to do so, and I cannot fail to fulfil my vow. " Desiring Finian to place his
head on the knees of Columba, the former slept awhile, and afterwards
awaking, he was asked by the latter what he had seen. Finian related, how he
had been to Rome, and how he had visited all its holy places. Then said
*'
Columba, Justnow,youshallremainhere,andyoushallnotgotoRome. "
Then, St. Columba, taking his own departure therefrom, gave that place, and all its immediate bounds, to Finian. There, too, our saint healed the sick, and exercised the duties of hospitality ; he gave no rest to his limbs, but for a fourth part of the night, he sat in cold water, to sing his psalms. The other three parts of it, he lay on the cold ground, having four stones around him, and on these in regular succession his head was reclined, whenever he wished to have a little sleep. Such was the rigorous life our saint led, and for his asceticism he was renowned.
The legendary Acts relate, that one night, while he wrote, a certain rustic
looked into the place of his retirement, and saw that light was given the saint,
from the fingers of his left hand. This curiosity displeased the holy man, and on that instant, the rustic lost the sight of one eye, and a similar punish- ment fell upon his posterity, as was believed in a prevailing popular tradition. 3 While here, too, St. Finian frequently passed to a certain island,'^ and visited brotherss who were there.
During one of those voyages, an immense whale threatened his destruction ; yet, making a sign of the cross, the man of God put this huge monster to flight. Again, a great number of mice overran the island, but our saint prayed, and afterwards, not even a mouse appeared. Once when he arrived, the brothers had not a single fish taken ; notwith- standing, Finian ordered them to let down their nets, and immediately thirty salmonweresecured. Oneofthebrothers,goingroundthe. islandsomewhat incautiously, fell from a great precipice, and he was instantly killed. His other brothers came in great grief to Finian, and bewailing his death ; the man of God prayed, when, at once, he was restored to life. At length, it was intimated to him, that his sojourn on the island was not agreeable to the brethren ; and, then, he proceeded to disembark, but the winds were un- favourable. However, he raised the sails, and buffeting against the breeze, he touched at a wished-for port. When he arrived at Swords, the doors were all closed ; yet, without the knowledge of any among the inmates, those were miraculously unlocked. While there, he blessed a tree, and caused it to bear sweet fruit, although previously this was bitter. Other miracles he wrought, infavourofthepoor,oflepers,ofthemute,deaf,andcripples. OneSunday, wine was wanting for the Holy Sacrifice ; water was brought to him, and he miraculously changed it into wine. Frequently, while he celebrated Mass, all who assisted saw a globe of fire over his head. A certain man, being obliged to set out on a warlike expedition, came to the saint, to ask his prayers,andtoreceivehisblessing. Inthecourseofthatwar,hefellamong the slain, and kindred coming to search for his corpse, they called his name aloud, when the man arose to life, through the merits of St. Finian. A rustic, whose son died, bore the body to the holy man, and vowed in tears he would
not until the was revivified. Finian leave, youth
replied,
*' God is
merciful,
number of the — there—he seems to or Ireland's people Eye,
speak of Swords were bom blind, or, other- wise, with deformed limbs. This serves as a clue to indicate, that the writer must have passed some time, at Swords, for he re- marks, that he had seen what he thus re- cords.
which is not far from Swords. We may ask, too, could it be the
Innisfaithlen of his early home ?
5 These may have been the sons of Nes-
san, whose Acts have been already given, at
the 15th of this month ; or, the word
•'"
fratres may be predicated for monks
It may be, this was Inis-Mac-Nessain,
simply.
390 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i6.
he will bring your son to life," and so it immediately happened. Certain guests arrived at his monastery, in the winter season, when a vessel to warm water had been wanting. Finian prayed, and a patella^ descended from Heaven,whichforalongtimewastobeseenatthatplace. Aquarrelarose between two persons ; one of these fled to seek the protection of St. Finian ; while the other pursued, with an intent to do his opponent some grievous injury. Refusing to accept the proferred mediation of our saint, the man obdurate of heart became blind on the instant, and his adversary escaped. Among the other miracles, related in his Acts, it is mentioned, that once coming from the island, to which allusion has been made, and at the Paschal season, Finian left his Missal behind ; but, the next morning on arising, he felt sorrowful. Nevertheless, when he entered the church, there was found that Missal, restored to him, by the hands of Angels, Finian extinguished a fire, which broke out in the monastery, by making a sign of the cross. He restoredaninsanewoman,totheuseofherreason; hecausedabarrentree, by his blessing, to bear fruit ; he restored to life, by his prayers, a disciple, calledBcecan,7whohadbeendrowned. Thiswasasubjectofgreatadmira- tiontomany. Then,withoutanymention,astotheplaceofhisdeath,yet leaving it to be inferred from the context, it must have been at Swords ; the writer of his Acts states, that after performing the foregoing, and many other miracles, Finian slept in peace, and frequent miracles continued to be wrought through his relics,^ or before his tomb. 9
Now according to some other accounts, St. Finian presided over Clon- more Monastery,'" which was founded by St. Maidoc," son of Ainmire, first Bishop of Ferns, and which was called after him. But, it has been supposed, that when Finian came to this place, another St. Maidoc, the son of Setna, had succeeded there. This latter holy man died, a. d. 656, and so it is thought to be not unlikely, that Finian spent some six years under—his
—isdiction. Now, if Finian presided there at all, it had been so spiritual jur
state some subsequently to this date. It is said, indeed, that he passed the
last thirty years of his life at Cluain-mor-Msedoc, and, according to conjec- tural accounts, his last end came, about a. d. 680. " Taking these matters
into consideration, it is no wonder, that his Patron, St. Mgedoc,'3 should have appeared, as the legend states, to his subordinate at Clonmore, when about to announce the approaching dissolution of Christ's happy servant.
On the eve of St. Maidoc's feast,'* Finian saw in a vision a chariot des-
cending from Heaven, towards the city of Ferns, in which was placed a venerable old man, with a clerical habit, having a very beautiful countenance, and a virgin, covered with a cloak. Finian asked who they were, when the old man answered, " This is the most holy virgin Brigid, the Patroness of Ireland,'^ and, I am Maidoc, the servant of Christ. On to-morrow, my
* This was a sort of flat dish or pan.
7 The Bollandists think, that this is a mis- take of spelling, and that the name should rather be written, Boitan, or Baitan, which was one more common among the Irish.
^ The text has it, "apud cujus reliquias crebra fieri miracula non desinunc," &c.
"
9 See the Bollandists' Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Martii xvi. Vita Auctore Ano-
nymo Anglo ex nostro MS. Hiberniensi,
with notes, pp. 446, 447.
not most, among our modem historians, arrive at this conclusion,
'3 in a communication to me, and directed, Dublin, Patrick-street, Septem- ber 27th, 1876, supposing that St. Finian the Leper must have lived to a late period, in the seventh century, Mr. John M'Call deems this holy man to have been the second Maidoc of Clonmore.
'* The festival of St. Maidoc, Bishop of Ferns, occurs on the 31st of January, at which day may be found the record of his Life.
"5 Pier feast is held, on the 1st of February, and, at that date, her Life may be seen.
"* *'
In the present county of Carlow.
It is thought, he was venerated, on the
Ilth of April.
Following Colgan's inferences, many, if
"
MARCH i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 391
festival shall be celebrated, and on the following day, the feast of this most holy virgin ; and, now have we come, that we may bless our places, and
those, who by their gifts and oblations, honour the days of our departure. But, be you joyful and prepared, for, on the next day, you shall ascend to Heaven. " Arising in ecstasy, Finian ascended his chariot, and then went to
Kildare, the city of Brigid, relating his vision to all. As had been predicted regarding him, on the third day after this vision, he obtained relief from his infirmity, having been translated to the felicity of Heaven.
^^ in the
at Swords, is Dr. Lanigan's'9 contention ; but, holding to a theory, that Finian lived in the seventh century, he assumes, that doubts may be cast on
From this relation—which does not occur in St. Finian's proper Acts— but, given by the author of St. Maidoc's Life, it would appear, if he were the person de—signated, that our saint departed, either on the ist or 2nd day of February most likely on the latter. Hence, one or other day should repre- sent his Natalis. However, all our Martyrologies, as well native as foreign, placehisfestival,atthei6thdayofMarch. This,assomethink,commemo- rated a Translation of his relics ; but, there are no strong grounds, for not deeming it to be the actual day of his demise.
to Dr.
Ireland,'^ died Colman,^^ the pious Bishop of Inis Bo Finne ; and, about the same time, Fionnan, who pronounced his benediction over Ardfionan, left the world. This latter, however, may have been a person, altogether different fromSt. FiniantheLeper. Somewritersareofopinion,thatthedeathof St. Finian the Leper occurred at Ardfinnian. That our saint probably died
According
Jeoffry Keating,
reign
the of a genuineness
composition,
ascribed to St. ^° which Moling, and,
states, that St. Finian died, and was buried, at Clonmore, incorrectly supposed to have beeninthecountyofWexford. WerethatPoemreallythecompositionofSt.
Moling, Dr. Lanigan allows, there should be no question, regarding his death and burial, at the latter place ; for, had he died either at Swords, or at Ardfin- nian, the monks would hardly consent to allow his entire body to be removed to Clonmore. But, he questions the attributed authorship of this poem, which he is inclined to refer rather to some monk of Clonmore, who lived at a later period. Hesupposes,thatOnchuo,^'appearingtohavebeenlaterthanFinian, or Moling, and who therefore could not have been mentioned in a poem, written by the latter, had a portion of the relics belonging to St. Finian the Leper in his collection, and that these might have been deposited in Clon- more church. ^^ Now, Colgan states,=^3 that our saint was buried, neither at
'* See Dermod O'Connor's Keating's author of that little poem, attributed to HistoryofIreland,"bookii. ,p. 404. him; but,whoeverwilltakethetroubleof '7 In Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the reading over his train of reasoning must ob-
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 282 to 297, we serve, he has entirely perverted the mean-
"
find Finachta Fleadhach accorded a reign of
twenty years. Keating, however, only as-
signs him a reign of seven years, from A. D.
678 to 685.
'^
See his Life, at the 8th of August.
'9 See " Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. iii. , chap, xviii. , sect, iii. , p. 84,
and nn. 33, 34, pp. 86, 87.
^° See his Life, at the 17th of June.
" See this saint's Acts, at the 8th of Feb-
ing of the above passages from Colgan, who distinctly states, that it was at the very period of St. Onchuo's death, and not several years afterwards, that the contro- versy occurred as to which of the monas- teries he should be buried in ; and that,
according to his own dying injunctions, his remains were deposited with his numerous relics, in the cemetery of Clonmore, and in the same grave where —St. Maidoc and St. Finan were buried. " "The Antiquities and History of Cluain-mor-Maedhoc," chap,
^^^ See Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," xvi. Martii. De Sancto Finano cognomento Leproso, cap. viii. , p. 62S.
ruary.
*^ Mr. M'Call remarks
" Dr. Lanigan,
:
for what reason I cannot imagine, has en-
iii. , pp. 15, 16. "
deavouredto throw a doubt over either St. Onchuo or his relics being buried at Clon- more, or even of St. Moling being the
of Monarch of Finnacta,
392 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i6.
Swords, nor at Ardfinnian, as some suppose, but at Clonmore, and this is deemed, as being altogether the most probable statement, by those who follow his account. To prove this, Colgan cites a passage from a Poem, written in the Irish language, and which he attributes to St. Moling, Bishop of Ferns. Here, it is said, our saint was buried near the cross, and towards the southern part of the cemetery, with Saints Maidoc and Onchuo. The latter is thought to have flourished, three or four generations before Finan Lobhar,^* and to have been born in the latter end of the fifth, or in the commencement of the
year
in reference to the date. ^^
In Ireland, the feast of St. Finan or Finian, the Leper, Bishop and Con-
fessor, was formerly celebrated with an Office, consisting of Nine Lessons. ^7 In the " Feilire" of St. ^ngus, " St. Finan, the luminous Leper," is comme-
morated,atthe16thofMarch. TheMartyrologyofTallagh^'^registershim, at the i6th of March, as Finan (i Lobhar) Suird. Marianus O'Gorman, and
his Scholiast, at this date, place him at Swords, at Ciuainmor, in Lagenia, and at Inisfallen, in Lough Lene. In addition to these places, the Calendar
of Cashel adds, that he belonged to Ardfinain. Whitford, in the Martyrology
sixth ''s the exact century. Still,
of St. Finian's death is not known
; although very incorrect and even contradictory statements have been hazarded,
'* My attention has been called to this
circumstance, by Mr. John M'Call, and, to
other mistakes occurring, especially in the account of St. Oncho or Onchuo, at the 8th
dent there, and as second Bishop of Ferns, A. D. 624, This accounts for his festival day,
January 31st, having been observed, at Clonmore, so late as A. D. 1780 ; and, it also renders intelligible the closing scenes, in the life of the assumed St. Finian Lob- har, where on the eve of this feast, or Ja- nuary 30th, he saw in a vision at Clonmore
of February, in a letter, headed, Dublin, 25
Patrick-street, September 27th, 1876. In
it, Mr. M'Call states, it is asserted, and
with very positive proof, that Maidoc of
Clonmore was really the first Bishop of that holy man, his patron, and Brigid, who
Ferns, and he refers for authority to Rev.
came to warn him of his approaching end.
Mr. M'Call states, that the greater part of the Acts of the second Maidoc of the 31st of
January should more correctly be placed to the credit of his predecessor, the first Mai- doc of Clonmore, Avhose feast has been as- signed to the I ith of April. The two very distinct obits were a great mystification to writers ; when St. Meadhog, Bishop of Ferns, is placed at the 31st of January, A. D. 624, in the " Annals of the Four Masters," and Maidoc the Second, born about 570, having died, A. D. 656, according to the "ChroniconScotorum. " Webelieve,that this whole subject still requires a consider- able share of study, to clear away the obscu- rity, in which it now rests.
^° Thus, Archdall, at Swords, has his death, A. D. 563, and at Clonmore, it is placed under A. D. 680. See " Monasticon Hibernicum," pp. 256, 734.
^' This appears from Kalendars, in the
"
Being older than his uterine brother. Aid,
son of Ainmire, King of Ireland, and who was born in 532, Maidoc's birth must have occurred about 530. Sometime in the latter half of the sixth century, he founded the monastery of Cluain-mor-Masdhoc, thus called after him. Before he became Bishop of Ferns, he was president over Clonmore, when the holy Onchuo came thither, after his pilgrimage, collecting the relics of all the Irish Saints. Through the instrumen- tality of Brandubh, King of Leinster, whose great friend he was, St. Maidoc of Clon- more was advanced to the bishopric of Ferns, towards the close of the sixth cen- tury. He died a. d. 624, and he was buried in his own monastery of Clonmore.
'5 As St. Onchuo, writes Mr. M'Call, was
much advanced in years, at the time he con-
cluded his pilgrimage and rested at Clon-
more, he became very infirm, and in
verification of St. Maidoc's prophecy, he
died some time afterwards, and was buried
John F. Shearman's
Loca Patriciana. "
in
"
the angelic cemetery of Clonmore. " In
that same grave, ]\Iaidoc, first Bishop of Ferns, and Finian Lobhar, were subse-
quently interred. Now, Maidoc, of the Connacians, not being born until about A. D. S70) it is impossible that he could have been the first Bishop of Ferns, according to Mr. M'Call, who thinks, he must have succeeded his namesake of Clonmore, as second presi-
Trinity College, Dublin,
classed, B. 3. 12.
stated,—that Finian died between 674 and "
693," Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
by Rev. Dr. Lanigan, vol. ii. , chap, xi. ,
sect, x. , p. 132.
'^
See Apocalypse, vii. 14.
=^9 See Job. ii. 7.
3° This name is supposed, by Ducange, to
h—ave been at first applied to the house of a king BastXei^s in Greek. Afterwards, it was ap- plied to the sacred edifice, in which worship and sacrifices were offered to God, the King
of all. See "
"
Glossarium Mediae et Infima;
Latinitatis, tomus i. , sub voce. Basilica, p. 611. In illustration, among other authori- ties, the writer refers to Canones Hibem. , lib. 42, cap. 26.
March i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 385 been in the south of Ireland, and it may have—been that monastery, said to
have be
—en built St, on Inisfaithlen^' now-
by Finian, usually
written Innis- fallen32 a most romantically-situated island33 in the Lower Lake of Killamey.
Several^Irish^writers ascribe its foundation to the sixth century,34 assuming
Innisfallen, Lower Lake, Killarney.
that the founder had been the disciple of St. Columkille. The beautiful old oratory, with its Irish rounded door-head, and chevron mouldings, may even date back to that period. 3s It is situated on the extreme eastern point of this island, said, by the English traveller, Arthur Young, to be the most beautiful in the king's dominions, and perhaps in Europe, and having every variety, that range of beauty, unmixed with the sublime, can give. 3^ Yet, assuredly, the surroundings of broad lake and wild mountain scenery impart sublimity to it, and even in a high degree. We have already seen, at the
"
Scenery and Antiquities of Ireland," by W. H. Bartlett, there is a beautiful illustration of Innisfallen, Lake of
Killarney, in vol. ii. , p. 21, and, on a smaller scale, there is a nearly similar view,
3' In the
tion with their pupils ; here at jthe solemn, silent close of day, seated on one of those rocks which eyes have not altered, contem- plating the varied beauties of nature ; and from the splendour of the departing sun drawing inferences of the glories of that
celestial paradise, towards which th—eir enthu- "
siastic hopes unceasingly aspired. " Illus- trations of the Scenery of Killarney and the
surrounding country," sect, ii. , p. 90.
3^ Among these may be mentioned Sir
James Ware, and his editor Harris, Rev. Mervyn Archdall, Charles Smith, &c.
per- mitted, during a part of the last century, when the noble proprietor converted the chapel, standing at some distance from the abbey, into a banqueting house for the re- ception of visitors to the romantic scenes of
"
in Mr. and Mrs. Hall's
'*
Ireland ; its
Scenery, Character," &c. , vol. L, p. 241.
3* The accompanying illustration of this island and of its surrounding and distant scenery is from a photograph, by Frederick H. Mares, drawn on the wood by William F. Wakeman, and engraved by George A.
Hanlon.
33 Isaac Weld thus
35 Its desecration seems to have been
alludes to
in his valuable pictorial and descriptive
"
happily
it,
book !
in the idea, and fondly recalls the time, when
this little island was the abode of piety and
learning. Here the venerable fathers are
seen meditating in their cells ; here straying Killarney. See Archdall's Monasticon through the lofty groves in deep conversa- Hibernicum," p. 303.
Fancy at least is willing to indulge
2B
386 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i6.
previous day, that Colgan has confounded this island with Inisfaithlen, or
Ireland's Eye,37 and he has thus led some readers astray. 3^ How long St.
Finian dwelt in his island retreat of Inisfallen—if this were his home—we are
unable to determine. Few visitors to Killarney sail over its enchantingly-
beautifullakes,withoutlandinghere. Verysweetistheairofperfectpeace,
and the soft sylvan solitude, which pervade this island of the lower lake. It
is just large enough to wander about, on a balmy summer day, too small for
the possibility of fatigue. The island itself is covered with a grove of vene-
rable ash trees, which have great size and surpassing beauty. But the lion,
in the way of trees, is a gigantic holly, whose trunk is sixteen feet in circum-
ference, and which all travellers are taken to see. This holly looks, as if it
had been growing since the beginning of time. —39 Never, perhaps, was there
afitterspotforlonelystudyorpoeticmusing sofairascenethatonewould
think only gentle fancies should there come to the dreamer. '»° Indeed, the
""
poet of all circles has immortalized its lovely features of scenery, investing
them with traits of fancy and sentiment, such as he could alone draw, from the
spring of his incomparable imagination ^i nor has he been the only person ;
of refined taste and feeling, who revelled in thought on the inspirations this
lovely spot must ever excite, in the minds of poets, artists and antiquaries. ^^ Not far removed, from the ancient oratory of St. Finian, +3 are the crumbling
and ivy-crowned walls of a more modern religious establishment, in the midst ofvenerabletreesthattowerhighabovethem. 4* Pictorialanddescriptive
3* See " Tour in Ireland," p. 295.
37 In referring to Dichull, son of Nessan.
Dream of thee sometimes, as a home Of simshine he had seen and lost.
Far better in thy weeping hours To part from thee, as I do now,
When mist is o'er thy blooming bowers, Like sorrow's veil on beauty's brow.
"
See xvi. p. 92.
Acta Sanctorum Hibernias," Januarii Vita S. Furssei Confessoris, &c. , n. 6,
"
3* See Archdall's "Monasticon Hiberni-
cum," p. 301.
39 Near the centre of the island stands a
large ash tree, a deep space under the trunk of which is popularly known as "The Friar's Grave ;" another curious tree is shown, called "The Needle," also a yew tree, distinguished by the name, "Bed of Honour. "
*•" See an article in "
editor, Miss Baddon, on the occasion of her tour in Ireland.
*' " "
In the Irish Melodies is found
plaintive air :
"
" For, though unrivall'd still thy grace, Thou dost not look, as then, too blest.
But, thus in shadow, seem'st a place — Where erring man might hope to rest
" Might hope to rest, and find in thee
" or isle ! Weeping smiling, lovely —
And all the lovelier for thy tears
For though but rare thy sunny smile,
'Tis heav'n's own glance when it ap-
pears.
" Sweet Innisfallen," to a
Belgravia," by
the
on the He left its shade, when every tree,
— sung beautifully
Sweet Innisfallen, fare thee well,
May calm and sunshine long b—e thine !
How fair thou art let others tell,
To feel how fair shall
" Sweet Innisfallen, long shall dwell
"
whose are — feeling hearts, joys few,
In dream that memory's
The brightest light the sun e'er threw Is lifeless to one gleam of thine ! "
*^ We from the of three speak experience
distinct visits to this island, and with inter- vals of years between each visit, for a know- ledge of names, then fresh in the memory of our guides.
^3 From a photograph of this beautiful little oratory, taken by Frederick H. Mares, the accompanying illustration, drawn on the wood, by William F. Wakeman, has been engraved by George A. Hanlon.
sunny smile, Which o'er thee on that evening fell,
"When first I saw thy fairy isle.
'Twas light indeed, too blest for one— Who had to turn to paths of care Through crowded haunts again to run,
And leave thee bright and silent there j
" No more unto thy shores to come But, on the world's rude ocean tost,
long
A like gloom
Eden's,
Like thine, hung weeping o'er his way.
be mine. "Like
But, when indeed they come, divine
day,
March i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 387
illustrations of Innisfallen are numerous enough, in the many useful Guide Books,'5 that have been written for visitors to the Lakes of Killarney ; and, yet, it were to be desired, that historic detail and accuracy were better attended to by many of the writers. *^ Several of the Killarney stories and legends have been rendered into verse*7 and prose. <^ In this Island of Inis-
Innisfallen Oratory, County of Kerry.
fallen, the celebrated Annals, so designated, are said to have been compiled/'
During the middle ages, and after the English invasion, the monastery there established had its historical life, until the period of its dissolution, in the
thirty-seventh year of Queen Elizabeth's reign. 5° Some very legendary accounts,
* In a lately-published volume, intituled,
" The Fall of Rora, the Search after Pros-
perpine, and other Poems, meditative and
lyrical," by Aubrey de Vere, we find the
following allusion, in Sonnet viii. , to these
objects :
" Hard by were groves of ash through which
we spied
The ruined convent with its weather-
stains.
From whose calm bosom passed of old the
strains
This Eden of blue lakes that sanctified. "
—"The Island of Inisfallen," p. 275.
*S Besides the very complete description, in Mr. and Mrs. Hall's " Ireland : its
Scenery, Character," &c. , vol. i. , pp. 178
to 274, these accomplished writers have pre-
pared a separate Guide Book, elegantly illustrated.
** In this respect, Mr. John Windale's
" Hand Book to Killarney, through Bantry, Glengariff and Kemuare," is one of the
happy exceptions, among Irish Guide Books. ''^ Among such compositions may be noted, "Lays of Killarney Lakes, Descrip- tive Sonnets, and Occasional Poems," by
Thomas Galway, A. M.
—
**
A and
very amusing book,
"
graphically Killarney Le-
written, will be found in
gends," edited by T. Crofton Croker, Esq.
Inisfallen, by one O'Gorman.
"the
*9 Besides those with published,
prenota- tions, and additions, in Dr. O'Conor's "Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus ii. , pp, I to 122, from the Bodleian copy, and from the Dublin copy, pp. 2 to 83 following, there is a folio paper Manuscript, in Edward O'Reilly's collection, now be- longing to the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin. It is numbered 5, 6. Again, the foUo paper MSS. , No. 4, 5, in the R. I. A. , is an English translation of the Aimals of
of this — possessions abbey
50
were granted to Captain Robert CoUann. " Charles Smith's " History of the County of Kerry," chap. vL, pp. 127, 128.
Then,
388 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i6.
while he dwelt beside the are related in his Acts s* regarding Finian, lake,5^ ;
but, these are hardly worthy of insertion, in the present account of our saint.
CHAPTER II.
ST. FINIAN LEAVES THE MONASTERY BY THE LAKE, AND GOES ELSEWHERE—HE VISITS SWORDS, AND THERE RECEIVES CHARGE OF ITS MONASTERY FROM ST. COLUMKILLE —MIRACLES RECORDED—HIS DEATH—HIS MEMORIALS, AND PLACES SAID TO HAVE BEEN UNDER HIS PATRONAGE—CONCLUSION.
In our saint's published Acts, it is stated, that some differences arose, where hedwelt,regardingtheerectionofamill; and,thenitisrelated,thatFinian departed from the lake habitation, he had at first selected, and went to a place, called Olnaimar. ^ In thus printing it, we suspect some error, probably attributable to the original writer himself ; and to us, it seems likely, that Cluain-mor, or Clonraore, was intended, since there, it is thought, St. Finian closed the latest years of his life. However, he lived in the former place, and suffered greatly from his infirmity. ^ It seems, that a penitent desired to share this suffering with him, and he even asked, to become a leper, so that with an afflicted body, his soul might be assured of salvation. However, Finian sought to disuade him from such a purpose, by telling him, he could not endure the pain. The penitent next prayed to God, that his request might be granted, and immediately his whole frame was seized with an in- tolerable itching and agony, caused by leprosy. He soon repaired to St. Finian, and besought him, that it might be removed. Our saint sent him to some water that was near, in which he washed, as directed, and again the man was restored to his former sound state. Next have we an account, re- garding a neighbouring king, to whom the clerics of that church owed an annual entertainment, and they requested Finian to intercede for them, that such an expense might be removed. He sent a maid servant, to represent this desire to the king. At first, the ruler was inexorable, but St. Finian having threatened the Divine displeasure, a wonderful miracle was wrought, which convinced the king of his error, and which caused him to fall on his knees, to ask pardon from the holy man.
Afterwards, as we are told, wishing to visit his own country, he came to a place, named Sord, where he found St. Columba. Finian expressed the
desire he had to visit when Columba Rome,
said,
" You shall not but go,
S' The traditions of Killarney people that the place in question may really be
"
assign our saint to their enchanting region,
called Inismore, or
the great Island," and
and especially to Innisfallen — :
that it with one so possibly corresponded
named, in the Life of St. Senan, at the 8th
ofMarch. Theyadd:"Inis-morenim^
Insula major est, quod Anglicana paidlo antiquiori dialecto Holma-mar dicebatur. "
* His Acts state: " Scaturiebat totum corpus ejus vermibus ob magnitudinem
"Thitherledbyvoicedivine St. Finian ceased his quest.
And reared to God a votive shrine, To man a place of rest. "
—Thomas " of
Galway's Lays Killarney leprse, fluebantque
Lakes," &c. Innisfallen, p. 68.
5^ See the Bollandists' "Acta Sancto-
rum," tomus ii. , Martii xvi. Vita Auctore Anonymo Anglo ex nostro MS. Hiberniensi,
vermes de corpore ejus ad aquam quamdam quae prope erat, et iterum revertebantur : vocatur etiam hodie via, per quam ibant, Via vermium. Accidit
autem ut nocte quadam vigilantibus sociis,
Sanctusacriteringemiseret,interrogatusque
a de sociis quid hoc esset, Unus, inquit,
civibus meis deest, et ideo non possum som-
niare. "
^
pp. 445,446. — Chapter II.
'
The Bollandists attribute
this spelling, to the ignorance of the Eng- lish writer, not accustomed to a proper pro- nunciationofIrishwords. Theyimagine,
q^hglegendwriterremarks,thatagreat
March i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 389
rather shall you remain here. " Then replied the man of God, " I have vowed
to do so, and I cannot fail to fulfil my vow. " Desiring Finian to place his
head on the knees of Columba, the former slept awhile, and afterwards
awaking, he was asked by the latter what he had seen. Finian related, how he
had been to Rome, and how he had visited all its holy places. Then said
*'
Columba, Justnow,youshallremainhere,andyoushallnotgotoRome. "
Then, St. Columba, taking his own departure therefrom, gave that place, and all its immediate bounds, to Finian. There, too, our saint healed the sick, and exercised the duties of hospitality ; he gave no rest to his limbs, but for a fourth part of the night, he sat in cold water, to sing his psalms. The other three parts of it, he lay on the cold ground, having four stones around him, and on these in regular succession his head was reclined, whenever he wished to have a little sleep. Such was the rigorous life our saint led, and for his asceticism he was renowned.
The legendary Acts relate, that one night, while he wrote, a certain rustic
looked into the place of his retirement, and saw that light was given the saint,
from the fingers of his left hand. This curiosity displeased the holy man, and on that instant, the rustic lost the sight of one eye, and a similar punish- ment fell upon his posterity, as was believed in a prevailing popular tradition. 3 While here, too, St. Finian frequently passed to a certain island,'^ and visited brotherss who were there.
During one of those voyages, an immense whale threatened his destruction ; yet, making a sign of the cross, the man of God put this huge monster to flight. Again, a great number of mice overran the island, but our saint prayed, and afterwards, not even a mouse appeared. Once when he arrived, the brothers had not a single fish taken ; notwith- standing, Finian ordered them to let down their nets, and immediately thirty salmonweresecured. Oneofthebrothers,goingroundthe. islandsomewhat incautiously, fell from a great precipice, and he was instantly killed. His other brothers came in great grief to Finian, and bewailing his death ; the man of God prayed, when, at once, he was restored to life. At length, it was intimated to him, that his sojourn on the island was not agreeable to the brethren ; and, then, he proceeded to disembark, but the winds were un- favourable. However, he raised the sails, and buffeting against the breeze, he touched at a wished-for port. When he arrived at Swords, the doors were all closed ; yet, without the knowledge of any among the inmates, those were miraculously unlocked. While there, he blessed a tree, and caused it to bear sweet fruit, although previously this was bitter. Other miracles he wrought, infavourofthepoor,oflepers,ofthemute,deaf,andcripples. OneSunday, wine was wanting for the Holy Sacrifice ; water was brought to him, and he miraculously changed it into wine. Frequently, while he celebrated Mass, all who assisted saw a globe of fire over his head. A certain man, being obliged to set out on a warlike expedition, came to the saint, to ask his prayers,andtoreceivehisblessing. Inthecourseofthatwar,hefellamong the slain, and kindred coming to search for his corpse, they called his name aloud, when the man arose to life, through the merits of St. Finian. A rustic, whose son died, bore the body to the holy man, and vowed in tears he would
not until the was revivified. Finian leave, youth
replied,
*' God is
merciful,
number of the — there—he seems to or Ireland's people Eye,
speak of Swords were bom blind, or, other- wise, with deformed limbs. This serves as a clue to indicate, that the writer must have passed some time, at Swords, for he re- marks, that he had seen what he thus re- cords.
which is not far from Swords. We may ask, too, could it be the
Innisfaithlen of his early home ?
5 These may have been the sons of Nes-
san, whose Acts have been already given, at
the 15th of this month ; or, the word
•'"
fratres may be predicated for monks
It may be, this was Inis-Mac-Nessain,
simply.
390 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i6.
he will bring your son to life," and so it immediately happened. Certain guests arrived at his monastery, in the winter season, when a vessel to warm water had been wanting. Finian prayed, and a patella^ descended from Heaven,whichforalongtimewastobeseenatthatplace. Aquarrelarose between two persons ; one of these fled to seek the protection of St. Finian ; while the other pursued, with an intent to do his opponent some grievous injury. Refusing to accept the proferred mediation of our saint, the man obdurate of heart became blind on the instant, and his adversary escaped. Among the other miracles, related in his Acts, it is mentioned, that once coming from the island, to which allusion has been made, and at the Paschal season, Finian left his Missal behind ; but, the next morning on arising, he felt sorrowful. Nevertheless, when he entered the church, there was found that Missal, restored to him, by the hands of Angels, Finian extinguished a fire, which broke out in the monastery, by making a sign of the cross. He restoredaninsanewoman,totheuseofherreason; hecausedabarrentree, by his blessing, to bear fruit ; he restored to life, by his prayers, a disciple, calledBcecan,7whohadbeendrowned. Thiswasasubjectofgreatadmira- tiontomany. Then,withoutanymention,astotheplaceofhisdeath,yet leaving it to be inferred from the context, it must have been at Swords ; the writer of his Acts states, that after performing the foregoing, and many other miracles, Finian slept in peace, and frequent miracles continued to be wrought through his relics,^ or before his tomb. 9
Now according to some other accounts, St. Finian presided over Clon- more Monastery,'" which was founded by St. Maidoc," son of Ainmire, first Bishop of Ferns, and which was called after him. But, it has been supposed, that when Finian came to this place, another St. Maidoc, the son of Setna, had succeeded there. This latter holy man died, a. d. 656, and so it is thought to be not unlikely, that Finian spent some six years under—his
—isdiction. Now, if Finian presided there at all, it had been so spiritual jur
state some subsequently to this date. It is said, indeed, that he passed the
last thirty years of his life at Cluain-mor-Msedoc, and, according to conjec- tural accounts, his last end came, about a. d. 680. " Taking these matters
into consideration, it is no wonder, that his Patron, St. Mgedoc,'3 should have appeared, as the legend states, to his subordinate at Clonmore, when about to announce the approaching dissolution of Christ's happy servant.
On the eve of St. Maidoc's feast,'* Finian saw in a vision a chariot des-
cending from Heaven, towards the city of Ferns, in which was placed a venerable old man, with a clerical habit, having a very beautiful countenance, and a virgin, covered with a cloak. Finian asked who they were, when the old man answered, " This is the most holy virgin Brigid, the Patroness of Ireland,'^ and, I am Maidoc, the servant of Christ. On to-morrow, my
* This was a sort of flat dish or pan.
7 The Bollandists think, that this is a mis- take of spelling, and that the name should rather be written, Boitan, or Baitan, which was one more common among the Irish.
^ The text has it, "apud cujus reliquias crebra fieri miracula non desinunc," &c.
"
9 See the Bollandists' Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Martii xvi. Vita Auctore Ano-
nymo Anglo ex nostro MS. Hiberniensi,
with notes, pp. 446, 447.
not most, among our modem historians, arrive at this conclusion,
'3 in a communication to me, and directed, Dublin, Patrick-street, Septem- ber 27th, 1876, supposing that St. Finian the Leper must have lived to a late period, in the seventh century, Mr. John M'Call deems this holy man to have been the second Maidoc of Clonmore.
'* The festival of St. Maidoc, Bishop of Ferns, occurs on the 31st of January, at which day may be found the record of his Life.
"5 Pier feast is held, on the 1st of February, and, at that date, her Life may be seen.
"* *'
In the present county of Carlow.
It is thought, he was venerated, on the
Ilth of April.
Following Colgan's inferences, many, if
"
MARCH i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 391
festival shall be celebrated, and on the following day, the feast of this most holy virgin ; and, now have we come, that we may bless our places, and
those, who by their gifts and oblations, honour the days of our departure. But, be you joyful and prepared, for, on the next day, you shall ascend to Heaven. " Arising in ecstasy, Finian ascended his chariot, and then went to
Kildare, the city of Brigid, relating his vision to all. As had been predicted regarding him, on the third day after this vision, he obtained relief from his infirmity, having been translated to the felicity of Heaven.
^^ in the
at Swords, is Dr. Lanigan's'9 contention ; but, holding to a theory, that Finian lived in the seventh century, he assumes, that doubts may be cast on
From this relation—which does not occur in St. Finian's proper Acts— but, given by the author of St. Maidoc's Life, it would appear, if he were the person de—signated, that our saint departed, either on the ist or 2nd day of February most likely on the latter. Hence, one or other day should repre- sent his Natalis. However, all our Martyrologies, as well native as foreign, placehisfestival,atthei6thdayofMarch. This,assomethink,commemo- rated a Translation of his relics ; but, there are no strong grounds, for not deeming it to be the actual day of his demise.
to Dr.
Ireland,'^ died Colman,^^ the pious Bishop of Inis Bo Finne ; and, about the same time, Fionnan, who pronounced his benediction over Ardfionan, left the world. This latter, however, may have been a person, altogether different fromSt. FiniantheLeper. Somewritersareofopinion,thatthedeathof St. Finian the Leper occurred at Ardfinnian. That our saint probably died
According
Jeoffry Keating,
reign
the of a genuineness
composition,
ascribed to St. ^° which Moling, and,
states, that St. Finian died, and was buried, at Clonmore, incorrectly supposed to have beeninthecountyofWexford. WerethatPoemreallythecompositionofSt.
Moling, Dr. Lanigan allows, there should be no question, regarding his death and burial, at the latter place ; for, had he died either at Swords, or at Ardfin- nian, the monks would hardly consent to allow his entire body to be removed to Clonmore. But, he questions the attributed authorship of this poem, which he is inclined to refer rather to some monk of Clonmore, who lived at a later period. Hesupposes,thatOnchuo,^'appearingtohavebeenlaterthanFinian, or Moling, and who therefore could not have been mentioned in a poem, written by the latter, had a portion of the relics belonging to St. Finian the Leper in his collection, and that these might have been deposited in Clon- more church. ^^ Now, Colgan states,=^3 that our saint was buried, neither at
'* See Dermod O'Connor's Keating's author of that little poem, attributed to HistoryofIreland,"bookii. ,p. 404. him; but,whoeverwilltakethetroubleof '7 In Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the reading over his train of reasoning must ob-
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 282 to 297, we serve, he has entirely perverted the mean-
"
find Finachta Fleadhach accorded a reign of
twenty years. Keating, however, only as-
signs him a reign of seven years, from A. D.
678 to 685.
'^
See his Life, at the 8th of August.
'9 See " Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. iii. , chap, xviii. , sect, iii. , p. 84,
and nn. 33, 34, pp. 86, 87.
^° See his Life, at the 17th of June.
" See this saint's Acts, at the 8th of Feb-
ing of the above passages from Colgan, who distinctly states, that it was at the very period of St. Onchuo's death, and not several years afterwards, that the contro- versy occurred as to which of the monas- teries he should be buried in ; and that,
according to his own dying injunctions, his remains were deposited with his numerous relics, in the cemetery of Clonmore, and in the same grave where —St. Maidoc and St. Finan were buried. " "The Antiquities and History of Cluain-mor-Maedhoc," chap,
^^^ See Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," xvi. Martii. De Sancto Finano cognomento Leproso, cap. viii. , p. 62S.
ruary.
*^ Mr. M'Call remarks
" Dr. Lanigan,
:
for what reason I cannot imagine, has en-
iii. , pp. 15, 16. "
deavouredto throw a doubt over either St. Onchuo or his relics being buried at Clon- more, or even of St. Moling being the
of Monarch of Finnacta,
392 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March i6.
Swords, nor at Ardfinnian, as some suppose, but at Clonmore, and this is deemed, as being altogether the most probable statement, by those who follow his account. To prove this, Colgan cites a passage from a Poem, written in the Irish language, and which he attributes to St. Moling, Bishop of Ferns. Here, it is said, our saint was buried near the cross, and towards the southern part of the cemetery, with Saints Maidoc and Onchuo. The latter is thought to have flourished, three or four generations before Finan Lobhar,^* and to have been born in the latter end of the fifth, or in the commencement of the
year
in reference to the date. ^^
In Ireland, the feast of St. Finan or Finian, the Leper, Bishop and Con-
fessor, was formerly celebrated with an Office, consisting of Nine Lessons. ^7 In the " Feilire" of St. ^ngus, " St. Finan, the luminous Leper," is comme-
morated,atthe16thofMarch. TheMartyrologyofTallagh^'^registershim, at the i6th of March, as Finan (i Lobhar) Suird. Marianus O'Gorman, and
his Scholiast, at this date, place him at Swords, at Ciuainmor, in Lagenia, and at Inisfallen, in Lough Lene. In addition to these places, the Calendar
of Cashel adds, that he belonged to Ardfinain. Whitford, in the Martyrology
sixth ''s the exact century. Still,
of St. Finian's death is not known
; although very incorrect and even contradictory statements have been hazarded,
'* My attention has been called to this
circumstance, by Mr. John M'Call, and, to
other mistakes occurring, especially in the account of St. Oncho or Onchuo, at the 8th
dent there, and as second Bishop of Ferns, A. D. 624, This accounts for his festival day,
January 31st, having been observed, at Clonmore, so late as A. D. 1780 ; and, it also renders intelligible the closing scenes, in the life of the assumed St. Finian Lob- har, where on the eve of this feast, or Ja- nuary 30th, he saw in a vision at Clonmore
of February, in a letter, headed, Dublin, 25
Patrick-street, September 27th, 1876. In
it, Mr. M'Call states, it is asserted, and
with very positive proof, that Maidoc of
Clonmore was really the first Bishop of that holy man, his patron, and Brigid, who
Ferns, and he refers for authority to Rev.
came to warn him of his approaching end.
Mr. M'Call states, that the greater part of the Acts of the second Maidoc of the 31st of
January should more correctly be placed to the credit of his predecessor, the first Mai- doc of Clonmore, Avhose feast has been as- signed to the I ith of April. The two very distinct obits were a great mystification to writers ; when St. Meadhog, Bishop of Ferns, is placed at the 31st of January, A. D. 624, in the " Annals of the Four Masters," and Maidoc the Second, born about 570, having died, A. D. 656, according to the "ChroniconScotorum. " Webelieve,that this whole subject still requires a consider- able share of study, to clear away the obscu- rity, in which it now rests.
^° Thus, Archdall, at Swords, has his death, A. D. 563, and at Clonmore, it is placed under A. D. 680. See " Monasticon Hibernicum," pp. 256, 734.
^' This appears from Kalendars, in the
"
Being older than his uterine brother. Aid,
son of Ainmire, King of Ireland, and who was born in 532, Maidoc's birth must have occurred about 530. Sometime in the latter half of the sixth century, he founded the monastery of Cluain-mor-Masdhoc, thus called after him. Before he became Bishop of Ferns, he was president over Clonmore, when the holy Onchuo came thither, after his pilgrimage, collecting the relics of all the Irish Saints. Through the instrumen- tality of Brandubh, King of Leinster, whose great friend he was, St. Maidoc of Clon- more was advanced to the bishopric of Ferns, towards the close of the sixth cen- tury. He died a. d. 624, and he was buried in his own monastery of Clonmore.
'5 As St. Onchuo, writes Mr. M'Call, was
much advanced in years, at the time he con-
cluded his pilgrimage and rested at Clon-
more, he became very infirm, and in
verification of St. Maidoc's prophecy, he
died some time afterwards, and was buried
John F. Shearman's
Loca Patriciana. "
in
"
the angelic cemetery of Clonmore. " In
that same grave, ]\Iaidoc, first Bishop of Ferns, and Finian Lobhar, were subse-
quently interred. Now, Maidoc, of the Connacians, not being born until about A. D. S70) it is impossible that he could have been the first Bishop of Ferns, according to Mr. M'Call, who thinks, he must have succeeded his namesake of Clonmore, as second presi-
Trinity College, Dublin,
classed, B. 3. 12.
