This
happened
sixteen years before St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v6
i.
, chap, ix.
, sect, i.
, n.
II, 526.
39 "
See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , Antiqui-
ties of Ireland," chap, xxxviii. , p. 265.
4° See "De Scriptoribus Hibernise,"
lib. i. , cap. iii. , pp. 27 to 29.
4I This latter person must have been the
Colmanus Ela or Colmanellus, alluded to in
St. Patrick's prophecy, as given by Jocelin, and who, it was said, in due course, should
become Apostolic Legate in Ireland. Colgan
distinguishes him by that title, and assigns 33 From documents referred to by his death to A. D. 610. See "Acta Sancto- Ussher. mm Hiberniae," Februarii iii. De S. Col-
34 See Dr. " n. " Lanigan's Ecclesiastical His- mano, vulgo Macduach, 2. Also, Trias
stance. See
In the Leabhar Breac copy we find
after Colaim, 1. e. UlochoUnoj; 'Opomamoir. in Viuib echAch uIatj : rendered into
English, "? '. <? . , My Colmoc of Druim-Mor
in Ui-Echach of Ulster. "—"Transactions
of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu-
script Series, vol. i. On the Calendar of
Oengus, by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. xcix.
toryofIreland,"vol. i. , chap. ix. ,sect. i. ,p. 43i. 35 See "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. ,
p- 269.
36 For this statement, reference is made to
St. Finnian of Maghbile or Moville, whose feast occurs at the 10th of September.
Thaumaturga," Index Tertius.
*2 See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
land," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sect, i. , and nn. 3 to
e, pp. 431, 432.
43 See " Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Sexta
S. Patricii, cap. xcvi. , p. 87, and n. 106, p. 1 13.
37 See Harris' Ware, vol. I, " Ireland," p. 257.
:
** He states "
Bishops
of
Ipse Prsesul atque totius Hibernise Legatus emcitur. "
228
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 7.
6 and without
Colman of Dromore,48 is confounded with Colmanel.
in which Harris has the same confusion at Bishops and Writers, but he distinguishes them at Monasteries/' The Rev. Mervyn Archdall has jumbled them together, 50 when treating about
Muck-a-more. 51 Yet, we have no certain data for these statements.
The Acts of this saint, as preserved, must have been falsified, at least in some particulars ; for, various anachronisms are detected in them, if we accept the foregoing accounts. However, those Acts of his as taken from the Salamancan MS. assure us, that St. Colman, Bishop of Dromore,52 derived his descent from the Dalriads of Ards territory. This district is also called Dalaradia," mean- ingthepeopleoroffspringofAraidhe. 54 Alocaltradition,however,connects his birth with Ferrard. S5 The O'Clerys apply to St. Colman the patronymic Mac-Ua-Arta,56 and they state, that he belonged to the race of Conall Cear- nach. Dalaradia 57 is the Ultonian and eastern district, stretching from Newry towards Sliabh Mis, and lying northwards. Its name seems to have been derived from Fiach, surnamed Aradius, King of Ulster. Within his princi- pality, it was situated. 58 We are told, that St. Colman was baptized by a bishop,bearinghisownname. Thisprelateissaidtohavebeenhisuncle. However, there are so many saints having this name, that neither the office nor cognomen will enable us to discover, who this baptist really was. Accord- ing to our accounts, Almighty God caused a fountain to spring suddenly from the earth, in which Colman was baptized. During his youth, a remarkable but legendary miracle is attributed to him. After this, St. Colman's parents are said to have sent him to be instructed, by St. Caylan, abbot over Nen-
drum. 50 Under this capable master, he not only received the rudiments of literature, but practical lessons for a devout life. Our saint made such pro- gress in learning and sound morality, that one day, when his lessons had been perfectly committed to memory, he asked the father Abbot, what he should
45SeealsoColgan's ThirdIndex,atp. Dalaffixedtothenameofillustriousfamilies,
Colgan,
he
quotes,*
any observation,
a
passage,*?
682, ibid.
46 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernije,"
Januarii xxix. Vita S. Gildae Badonici, Abbatis et Confessoris, n. 1 3, p. 191.
47 From Ussher, in " Britannicarum
Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 497-
48 If belonging to the time of St. Patrick,
as if deriving from progenitors : thus Dal- Araidhe, Dal-Fietach, Dal-Rieda, Dal- Cais, &c.
55 Now represented by a barony, in the countyofLouth. Informationfurnishedin
a Letter dated 24th of January, 1873, Dy the
Rev. J. K. Markey, P. P. , Togher, in Louth
56 See " of edited Martyrology Donegal,"
by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 148, 149.
s? The father of St. Molibba is called Ardius of Dalaradia, as may be seen in
"
Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae,"
Februarii xviii. De S. Molibba seu Moli-
baeo Confessore, p. 368.
58 Colgan states, that Dalaradia was after-
wards called Hivethach. See " Trias Thaumaturga," Prima Vita S. Patricii, n. 18, p. 8.
s» From amongst the many having this name and cited by Colgan, Baert confesses himself at a loss to discover elsewhere any other, than Caylan, who from being abbot of Nendrum became bishop ofDown, accord- ing to Ussher and Ware. But, anachro- nisms interpose, if we seek to identify the latter Caylan, with him, who is mentioned in the text. Yet, it appears probable, that the writer of our saint's acts meant no other.
this saint must have been a
from Colman Elo, said to have been
Eeorsnonin 516, and whose death is placed in 610.
45 See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , "Antiqui-
ties of Ireland," chap, xxxviii. , p. 265. '*
50 See Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 10.
5 " See Rev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sect, i. , n. 6, p. 433.
5* Baudrandus tells us, that there is a little city in Ireland, called Dromora, situated within Louth County, province of Leinster, It is a suffragan See to the Archbishopric of Armagh.
Lanigan's
s3 According to Venerable Bede, Dal sig- "
nifies a part or portion. See Historia Ec- clesiastica Gentis Anglorum,"lib. i. , cap. i. , p. 24.
s4 Dal was used to express a race or de- scent, among the Irish ; hence, we often find
very
different
" Ecclesiastical
County.
June 7. } LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 229
further do. His spiritual director told him, to remove a certain rock, which
impededtheprogressofthemonks,whengoingtoreciteMatins. Thisact,
Colman miraculously accomplished, after making over it a sign of the cross. It has been asserted, that St. Caylan was our saint's first master. Accord-
ing to Sir James Ware's testimony, having being at first abbot of Nendrum, he was afterwards made bishop of Down,60 An alternative has been submitted by Baert, that our saint might have been instructed by that bishop, who had formerly been abbot at Nendrum, and that therefore he retained the old title and office; yet, this he considers incongruous, for bishops have usually occu- pations, more nearly appertaining to the glory of God, than those which require
the teaching of letters.
61
Through God's assistance, having performed these
and similar miracles, Colman obtained his master's benediction, and he then
set out on his to visit St. 62 of 03 He was re-
journey, Aylbeus, Bishop Emly.
garded as being a wise and holy man. Colman desired to receive—from him
the rule for a — religious
life. Under this latter instructor saintly
perhaps
With
years.
great docility, he applied to study sacred Scripture, to fasting, to prayer, and to keep assiduous vigils. The Almighty gave him power to work many mira- cles. Having obtained permission from St. Aylbeus, to revisit his native place, Colman returned to the holy fathers, his uncle Bishop Colman, andCaylanhismaster. Withthislatterhemadesomestay,andheexhorted the monks to a better rule of living. He was pointed to, as an examplar of
all virtues. He often visited the holy and venerable bishop Maonyseus 6s of Conor, who, having a prescience concerning his guest's arrival, ordered all
things necessary for him to be prepared. On going to the bishop, he was received with a warm welcome, and he remained with that prelate for a few
days. Then, he consulted that venerable senior, about the possibility of
about a. d. 6* our saint is stated to have remained some 500
founding a religious house.
Dalaradian territory, of which St. Colman had been a native. The O'Clerys gave an alias name to Drum Mor, by calling it after our saint, Drum Mocholmdg, in Ui Eachach Uladh. 68 It is now a very small town, about twenty-five miles eastwards from Armagh, and eighteen from Carrickfergus,
61
that erect a you
and within the bounds of Coba 66 Where- plain. "
Macnissius answered : "It is the will of God,
monastery,
fore, according to the advice of this holy bishop, Colman sought the place indicated. Then, in a valley, and on a spot, formerly designated by St. Patrick, Colman established his dwelling. It was near a river, called Locha,
nowknownas the
6?
This place, which at present is called Dromore, was situated in the
Lagan.
60
Colman's birth. 64 See Rev. Dr.
This happened sixteen years before St. gree of consistency. Lanigan's
" Ecclesiastical This is not so certain an opinion, how- History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sect,
ever, for teaching may have been a neces-
sary part of a primitive bishop's office, or it 6s This name is a compound of Mac and
may have been adopted as a matter of Nisa, which signifies son of Nisa ; for Nisa
choice. We have known several instances, in missionary countries, where bishops and
even archbishops, charged with the most onerous and important duties, nevertheless devoted themselves to the practice of teach- ing, even in seminaries, at certain inter- V£ds-
was his mother's name. He is venerated on
the 3rd of September, where his acts may be
seen, in the present work,
66 This monastery must have been founded
before the death of St. Macnissius. He died in the early part of the sixth century, as will be seen, by referring to his Life, at the 3rd ofSeptember. Hence,itwouldseem,that the See of Dromore boasts a very early foundation, and that St. Colman must have flourished in the earlier part of the sixth
century.
6? This river flows through Dromore.
62
Veneratedatthe12thofSeptember.
63 The Bollandist editor, Baert, remarks, that when the Life of this bishop would be
under consideration, at the 12th of Septem- ber, enquiry should be made as to whether the foregoing statement possessed any de-
i. , p. 432.
230 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 7. towards the south. Its being selected as the seat of a bishop is placed so far
back,
as the fifth
—
9 at
it is thought before the year 514
—
6
century. Here, first,
St. Colmanseemstohaveestab-
70
lished a monastery
died. ? 1 There he trained a number of fervent monks in the
of a religious life. It is said, he wrote a Rule for his Monks,? but this is a question- able statement. However, we find a different statement, that it was at Muck- more, in the county of Antrim, he became the first Abbot over a religious
house, and that he was afterwards chosen to be first Bishop of Dromore. During his lifetime, it is said to have become an episcopal See ; for, this St. Colman, whose feast occurs this day, is regarded as the patron of Dromore church and diocese. ? 3 In a short time, the multitude of his disciples greatly increased. They observed a very strict rule of discipline. However, in all things, our saint set them a perfect example; for, abstinence, prayer, fervent piety, and vigils, altogether chastened his mortified body. 74
To illustrate the great merits and virtues of his biographical subject, and to show how he was favoured from Heaven, the old writer of St. Colman's Acts instanced many stupendous miracles wrought through him. One of these happened at a time, when Diermit, 75 King of Ireland, 76 pitched
hiscampnearthemonasteryofoursaint. Colmantheninducedthismonarch to visit his religious house. Received with great welcome, the king and his retainers were hospitably entertained by this holy bishop. A miraculous event is recorded, in connection with this visit. Colman is said to have for- gotten his Psalter,77 which he left in or near the lake; but, according to tradi- tion, he afterwards found the book, without its having undergone any damage. The saint is said, also, to have restored a female to life, after she had been decapitated by robbers. At one time, when our saint preached to a great multitude, in a certain wood, some importunate rhymers approached, and
demanded a
from him. 78 The saint said to them
" At
present, I have nothing to give you, but God's word. " One of them impiously replied, u Keep the word of God for yourself, and give us something else. " Colman said, " You foolishly reject the best and select the worst of gifts. " Then they urged him to work miracles to gratify an idle and impious curiosity. The
earnestly
68 See " of edited Martyrology Donegal,"
by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 148, 149. 69 See Walter Harris' " Ancient and Pre-
sent State of the County of Down," chap, iii. , sect, viii. , p. 99.
71 This is the date generally assigned for ""
:
been of Dromore, or that he left no bishop
immediate successors in that See. Here, however, he has drawn a wrong conclusion, 74 $ee " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Junii
7° See Rev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sect. i. , p. 432.
sect.
i. , sect.
"
early 500, they Quies meicc Nessi—Condeire. [Primi
twenty years.
tory of Ireland," chap, x. , p. 82.
Lanigan's
I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, cap.
1,
it, although the Annates Inisfallenses haveit so asA. D. where
M Diarmaid, son of Feargus Kerval, be- gan his reign, in 538, having succeeded Tuathal Maelgarbh, and he reigned at least
enter,
Episcopi Connerensis. ]" Dr. O'Conor's
? 6
Tara. This story is imaginatively told in the
'* Remin Hibernicaium Scriptores," tomus
ii. , p. 5-
72 See Harris' vol. " Writers of Ware, iii. ,
Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , p. 26.
73 Owing to changes introduced in refer- ence to his name, from those untrustworthy acts remaining, and from uncertainty re-
novel, A]\x> II15 oeigionac rii CearhriAC, by Eblana.
77 It is very remarkable, that there is a
Salterstown, sometimes written Psalterstown, in the county of Louth, and that this St. Colmoc is patron of the place. Rev. J. K.
gift
" Ecclesiastical
vii.
vius,
2, 3, 4, and notes, pp. 24 to 27.
specting the period at which this holy Markey's letter previously cited.
bishop flourished, as also owing to the cir- cumstance of Dromore episcopal See having been rarely mentioned in old records, before the twelfth century ; the Jesuit writer Baert is of opinion, that either Colman never had
7* Baert tells us, that those persons were Bards or Druids ; or, at least, they derived their practices from such orders, having in no respect improved on the manners of their predecessors.
2
when St. Mac Nisse
Acta S. Colmani, Commentarius Pre-
practices
SeeMartin "His- Haverty's
He was the last king, who resided at
,
June 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 231
power of God was manifested against those incredulous bards, who most pro- bably were pagans. The earth is said to have swallowed them up, as in the caseofDathanandAbiron. AllwhowerepresentadmiredGod'sjudgments in these wonders. Prostrate on their knees before St. Colman, they gave thanks to the Almighty, for those miracles the holy man had wrought. 7' Diarmaidgave thanks to God, likewise, and to his holy servant, through whose power, those wonderful prodigies occurred.
Our saint is stated, to have thrice visited the Apostles' tomb, on the authority of those best qualified to offer a statement on the subject, who, how- ever,areonlythewritersofhisActs. St. Gregory8owasPope,whileononeof those visits, and it is related, that our saint obtained the Episcopal dignity from that Sovereign Pontiff. He returned with some relics of the holy Apostles. On his way home, he visited the house of a king in Britain. It so happened, on the night of his arrival, that the queen gave birth to a dead son, who was no other than St. David of Wales. 81 Through the power of God and the merits of the holy Apostles, whose relics he possessed, St. Colman brought the child to life. 82 Afterwards, Colman fostered and taught him. This child, we are told, in course of time, became the renowned British bishop of Mene-
via. 83 Notwithstandingthestatementsheremade,wearetotallyunacquainted with the date of Colman's accession to the episcopacy, or the place where he had been consecrated ; but, it seems most probable, that he was not obliged to leave his own country for that purpose. We have been unable to discover any bishop of Dromore, named in ancient records, after St. Colman, and before the arrival of the English in this island, with the exception of Mael- brighde, son of Cathasach, Bishop and Abbot of Druim-mor-Mocholmog, who departed this life, a. d. 972,^ or 974, as also another named Rigan, who is said
iioi. 8^ A learned Irish writer 86 that observes,
to had about the died,
year
in the book of Centius Camerarius, afterwards Pope Honorius III. , there is
no record enumerating Dromore See. 8? Therefore, he supposes, in all likeli- hood, it wanted a distinct bishop for several centuries. Many also held, that Dromore had been united with the Archiepiscopal See of Armagh, during the whole of this dark historic period ; and, as the bishopric itself had been of lesser consequence, as a mat—ter of course, that fe—w particulars had been set
88
down in writing, which refer if any there were to its bishops.
t* The Rev. Dr. Reeves cites this as an instance of a hostile feeling, which prevailed between the ecclesiastical and the bardic orders. See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix, II. , p. 358. —
80 —o whom allu- St. Gregory the Great t
sion seems to have been made obtained his
Pontifical dignity, ouly a. d. 590. See an
account of him in Rev. John Alzog"s
lished at the 1st of March,
83 Thus, it should stand, that Colman re-
ceived his consecration seventy years after St. David's episcopacy.
Dromore," p. 258.
^ Sir James Ware. 8? BeforetheelevationofCamerariustothe
Pontifical dignity, he had compiled a large
volume of statistics, regarding the Roman sect. 153, pp. 28 to 30. Translation by Church. See Ludovicus a S. Carolo, in
"
Manual of Universal Church History,"
vol. ii. , Period 2, Epoch I. , Part i. , chap, i. ,
" Bibliotheca Pontificia," lib. i.
morensis, quasi tunc non extitisset ille. "
" Acta tomus De Sanctorum," ii. , Junii vii.
S. Colmano seu Colmoco, &c. C J. mneiua- Bollandists, in the Acts of . t. David pub- rius Praevius, num. 3, p. 25.
Rev. F. J. Pabisch and Rev. Thomas S. Byrne.
81
Were we to admit the absurdities con- tained in the foregoing narrative, St. David must have been born long previous to the time of Colman's birth, for he was con-
"* " Baert remarks :
secrated A. D. bishop
519.
,3 a different account is the Quite given by
s*
Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 696, 697.
See Dr. OTJonovan's "Annals of the
85 " See Harris' Ware, vol. i. ,
Bishops
of
Ibi forte invenerit Waraius enumeratos Episcopatus Hibernise, quotquot initio seculi XIII. juris aliquid pen- debant Romanae, absque ulla mentione Dro—-
232 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 7 .
C H APTER II.
ST. COLMAN OF DROMORE CONFOUNDED WITH ST. COLMAN OF LINDISFARNE—DROMORE AND SOME OF ITS ANCIENT REMAINS—MIRACLES OF THE SAINT—PERIOD OF HIS
DEATH—COMMEMORATION
A notion has been entertained by some writers, that St. Colman of Dromore
IN CALENDARS—CHURCHES AND INSTITUTIONS DEDI- CATED TO HIM—CONCLUSION.
hadbeenalso of bishop
1 The for this grounds
in
opinion are slight, indeed, and they are probably based only on the mistake
2
of a single author. In additions to the Martyrology ofUsuard, by Molanus, our St. Colman appears to have been confounded with him of Lindisfarne. 3 For this opinion, Molanus cites Bede, without any just warrant ; for, the vene- rable English historian only mentions that particular Colman, who contended strenuously for maintaining the Irish rite, in celebrating Easter.
39 "
See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , Antiqui-
ties of Ireland," chap, xxxviii. , p. 265.
4° See "De Scriptoribus Hibernise,"
lib. i. , cap. iii. , pp. 27 to 29.
4I This latter person must have been the
Colmanus Ela or Colmanellus, alluded to in
St. Patrick's prophecy, as given by Jocelin, and who, it was said, in due course, should
become Apostolic Legate in Ireland. Colgan
distinguishes him by that title, and assigns 33 From documents referred to by his death to A. D. 610. See "Acta Sancto- Ussher. mm Hiberniae," Februarii iii. De S. Col-
34 See Dr. " n. " Lanigan's Ecclesiastical His- mano, vulgo Macduach, 2. Also, Trias
stance. See
In the Leabhar Breac copy we find
after Colaim, 1. e. UlochoUnoj; 'Opomamoir. in Viuib echAch uIatj : rendered into
English, "? '. <? . , My Colmoc of Druim-Mor
in Ui-Echach of Ulster. "—"Transactions
of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu-
script Series, vol. i. On the Calendar of
Oengus, by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. xcix.
toryofIreland,"vol. i. , chap. ix. ,sect. i. ,p. 43i. 35 See "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. ,
p- 269.
36 For this statement, reference is made to
St. Finnian of Maghbile or Moville, whose feast occurs at the 10th of September.
Thaumaturga," Index Tertius.
*2 See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
land," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sect, i. , and nn. 3 to
e, pp. 431, 432.
43 See " Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Sexta
S. Patricii, cap. xcvi. , p. 87, and n. 106, p. 1 13.
37 See Harris' Ware, vol. I, " Ireland," p. 257.
:
** He states "
Bishops
of
Ipse Prsesul atque totius Hibernise Legatus emcitur. "
228
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 7.
6 and without
Colman of Dromore,48 is confounded with Colmanel.
in which Harris has the same confusion at Bishops and Writers, but he distinguishes them at Monasteries/' The Rev. Mervyn Archdall has jumbled them together, 50 when treating about
Muck-a-more. 51 Yet, we have no certain data for these statements.
The Acts of this saint, as preserved, must have been falsified, at least in some particulars ; for, various anachronisms are detected in them, if we accept the foregoing accounts. However, those Acts of his as taken from the Salamancan MS. assure us, that St. Colman, Bishop of Dromore,52 derived his descent from the Dalriads of Ards territory. This district is also called Dalaradia," mean- ingthepeopleoroffspringofAraidhe. 54 Alocaltradition,however,connects his birth with Ferrard. S5 The O'Clerys apply to St. Colman the patronymic Mac-Ua-Arta,56 and they state, that he belonged to the race of Conall Cear- nach. Dalaradia 57 is the Ultonian and eastern district, stretching from Newry towards Sliabh Mis, and lying northwards. Its name seems to have been derived from Fiach, surnamed Aradius, King of Ulster. Within his princi- pality, it was situated. 58 We are told, that St. Colman was baptized by a bishop,bearinghisownname. Thisprelateissaidtohavebeenhisuncle. However, there are so many saints having this name, that neither the office nor cognomen will enable us to discover, who this baptist really was. Accord- ing to our accounts, Almighty God caused a fountain to spring suddenly from the earth, in which Colman was baptized. During his youth, a remarkable but legendary miracle is attributed to him. After this, St. Colman's parents are said to have sent him to be instructed, by St. Caylan, abbot over Nen-
drum. 50 Under this capable master, he not only received the rudiments of literature, but practical lessons for a devout life. Our saint made such pro- gress in learning and sound morality, that one day, when his lessons had been perfectly committed to memory, he asked the father Abbot, what he should
45SeealsoColgan's ThirdIndex,atp. Dalaffixedtothenameofillustriousfamilies,
Colgan,
he
quotes,*
any observation,
a
passage,*?
682, ibid.
46 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernije,"
Januarii xxix. Vita S. Gildae Badonici, Abbatis et Confessoris, n. 1 3, p. 191.
47 From Ussher, in " Britannicarum
Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 497-
48 If belonging to the time of St. Patrick,
as if deriving from progenitors : thus Dal- Araidhe, Dal-Fietach, Dal-Rieda, Dal- Cais, &c.
55 Now represented by a barony, in the countyofLouth. Informationfurnishedin
a Letter dated 24th of January, 1873, Dy the
Rev. J. K. Markey, P. P. , Togher, in Louth
56 See " of edited Martyrology Donegal,"
by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 148, 149.
s? The father of St. Molibba is called Ardius of Dalaradia, as may be seen in
"
Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae,"
Februarii xviii. De S. Molibba seu Moli-
baeo Confessore, p. 368.
58 Colgan states, that Dalaradia was after-
wards called Hivethach. See " Trias Thaumaturga," Prima Vita S. Patricii, n. 18, p. 8.
s» From amongst the many having this name and cited by Colgan, Baert confesses himself at a loss to discover elsewhere any other, than Caylan, who from being abbot of Nendrum became bishop ofDown, accord- ing to Ussher and Ware. But, anachro- nisms interpose, if we seek to identify the latter Caylan, with him, who is mentioned in the text. Yet, it appears probable, that the writer of our saint's acts meant no other.
this saint must have been a
from Colman Elo, said to have been
Eeorsnonin 516, and whose death is placed in 610.
45 See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , "Antiqui-
ties of Ireland," chap, xxxviii. , p. 265. '*
50 See Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 10.
5 " See Rev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sect, i. , n. 6, p. 433.
5* Baudrandus tells us, that there is a little city in Ireland, called Dromora, situated within Louth County, province of Leinster, It is a suffragan See to the Archbishopric of Armagh.
Lanigan's
s3 According to Venerable Bede, Dal sig- "
nifies a part or portion. See Historia Ec- clesiastica Gentis Anglorum,"lib. i. , cap. i. , p. 24.
s4 Dal was used to express a race or de- scent, among the Irish ; hence, we often find
very
different
" Ecclesiastical
County.
June 7. } LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 229
further do. His spiritual director told him, to remove a certain rock, which
impededtheprogressofthemonks,whengoingtoreciteMatins. Thisact,
Colman miraculously accomplished, after making over it a sign of the cross. It has been asserted, that St. Caylan was our saint's first master. Accord-
ing to Sir James Ware's testimony, having being at first abbot of Nendrum, he was afterwards made bishop of Down,60 An alternative has been submitted by Baert, that our saint might have been instructed by that bishop, who had formerly been abbot at Nendrum, and that therefore he retained the old title and office; yet, this he considers incongruous, for bishops have usually occu- pations, more nearly appertaining to the glory of God, than those which require
the teaching of letters.
61
Through God's assistance, having performed these
and similar miracles, Colman obtained his master's benediction, and he then
set out on his to visit St. 62 of 03 He was re-
journey, Aylbeus, Bishop Emly.
garded as being a wise and holy man. Colman desired to receive—from him
the rule for a — religious
life. Under this latter instructor saintly
perhaps
With
years.
great docility, he applied to study sacred Scripture, to fasting, to prayer, and to keep assiduous vigils. The Almighty gave him power to work many mira- cles. Having obtained permission from St. Aylbeus, to revisit his native place, Colman returned to the holy fathers, his uncle Bishop Colman, andCaylanhismaster. Withthislatterhemadesomestay,andheexhorted the monks to a better rule of living. He was pointed to, as an examplar of
all virtues. He often visited the holy and venerable bishop Maonyseus 6s of Conor, who, having a prescience concerning his guest's arrival, ordered all
things necessary for him to be prepared. On going to the bishop, he was received with a warm welcome, and he remained with that prelate for a few
days. Then, he consulted that venerable senior, about the possibility of
about a. d. 6* our saint is stated to have remained some 500
founding a religious house.
Dalaradian territory, of which St. Colman had been a native. The O'Clerys gave an alias name to Drum Mor, by calling it after our saint, Drum Mocholmdg, in Ui Eachach Uladh. 68 It is now a very small town, about twenty-five miles eastwards from Armagh, and eighteen from Carrickfergus,
61
that erect a you
and within the bounds of Coba 66 Where- plain. "
Macnissius answered : "It is the will of God,
monastery,
fore, according to the advice of this holy bishop, Colman sought the place indicated. Then, in a valley, and on a spot, formerly designated by St. Patrick, Colman established his dwelling. It was near a river, called Locha,
nowknownas the
6?
This place, which at present is called Dromore, was situated in the
Lagan.
60
Colman's birth. 64 See Rev. Dr.
This happened sixteen years before St. gree of consistency. Lanigan's
" Ecclesiastical This is not so certain an opinion, how- History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sect,
ever, for teaching may have been a neces-
sary part of a primitive bishop's office, or it 6s This name is a compound of Mac and
may have been adopted as a matter of Nisa, which signifies son of Nisa ; for Nisa
choice. We have known several instances, in missionary countries, where bishops and
even archbishops, charged with the most onerous and important duties, nevertheless devoted themselves to the practice of teach- ing, even in seminaries, at certain inter- V£ds-
was his mother's name. He is venerated on
the 3rd of September, where his acts may be
seen, in the present work,
66 This monastery must have been founded
before the death of St. Macnissius. He died in the early part of the sixth century, as will be seen, by referring to his Life, at the 3rd ofSeptember. Hence,itwouldseem,that the See of Dromore boasts a very early foundation, and that St. Colman must have flourished in the earlier part of the sixth
century.
6? This river flows through Dromore.
62
Veneratedatthe12thofSeptember.
63 The Bollandist editor, Baert, remarks, that when the Life of this bishop would be
under consideration, at the 12th of Septem- ber, enquiry should be made as to whether the foregoing statement possessed any de-
i. , p. 432.
230 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 7. towards the south. Its being selected as the seat of a bishop is placed so far
back,
as the fifth
—
9 at
it is thought before the year 514
—
6
century. Here, first,
St. Colmanseemstohaveestab-
70
lished a monastery
died. ? 1 There he trained a number of fervent monks in the
of a religious life. It is said, he wrote a Rule for his Monks,? but this is a question- able statement. However, we find a different statement, that it was at Muck- more, in the county of Antrim, he became the first Abbot over a religious
house, and that he was afterwards chosen to be first Bishop of Dromore. During his lifetime, it is said to have become an episcopal See ; for, this St. Colman, whose feast occurs this day, is regarded as the patron of Dromore church and diocese. ? 3 In a short time, the multitude of his disciples greatly increased. They observed a very strict rule of discipline. However, in all things, our saint set them a perfect example; for, abstinence, prayer, fervent piety, and vigils, altogether chastened his mortified body. 74
To illustrate the great merits and virtues of his biographical subject, and to show how he was favoured from Heaven, the old writer of St. Colman's Acts instanced many stupendous miracles wrought through him. One of these happened at a time, when Diermit, 75 King of Ireland, 76 pitched
hiscampnearthemonasteryofoursaint. Colmantheninducedthismonarch to visit his religious house. Received with great welcome, the king and his retainers were hospitably entertained by this holy bishop. A miraculous event is recorded, in connection with this visit. Colman is said to have for- gotten his Psalter,77 which he left in or near the lake; but, according to tradi- tion, he afterwards found the book, without its having undergone any damage. The saint is said, also, to have restored a female to life, after she had been decapitated by robbers. At one time, when our saint preached to a great multitude, in a certain wood, some importunate rhymers approached, and
demanded a
from him. 78 The saint said to them
" At
present, I have nothing to give you, but God's word. " One of them impiously replied, u Keep the word of God for yourself, and give us something else. " Colman said, " You foolishly reject the best and select the worst of gifts. " Then they urged him to work miracles to gratify an idle and impious curiosity. The
earnestly
68 See " of edited Martyrology Donegal,"
by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 148, 149. 69 See Walter Harris' " Ancient and Pre-
sent State of the County of Down," chap, iii. , sect, viii. , p. 99.
71 This is the date generally assigned for ""
:
been of Dromore, or that he left no bishop
immediate successors in that See. Here, however, he has drawn a wrong conclusion, 74 $ee " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Junii
7° See Rev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sect. i. , p. 432.
sect.
i. , sect.
"
early 500, they Quies meicc Nessi—Condeire. [Primi
twenty years.
tory of Ireland," chap, x. , p. 82.
Lanigan's
I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, cap.
1,
it, although the Annates Inisfallenses haveit so asA. D. where
M Diarmaid, son of Feargus Kerval, be- gan his reign, in 538, having succeeded Tuathal Maelgarbh, and he reigned at least
enter,
Episcopi Connerensis. ]" Dr. O'Conor's
? 6
Tara. This story is imaginatively told in the
'* Remin Hibernicaium Scriptores," tomus
ii. , p. 5-
72 See Harris' vol. " Writers of Ware, iii. ,
Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , p. 26.
73 Owing to changes introduced in refer- ence to his name, from those untrustworthy acts remaining, and from uncertainty re-
novel, A]\x> II15 oeigionac rii CearhriAC, by Eblana.
77 It is very remarkable, that there is a
Salterstown, sometimes written Psalterstown, in the county of Louth, and that this St. Colmoc is patron of the place. Rev. J. K.
gift
" Ecclesiastical
vii.
vius,
2, 3, 4, and notes, pp. 24 to 27.
specting the period at which this holy Markey's letter previously cited.
bishop flourished, as also owing to the cir- cumstance of Dromore episcopal See having been rarely mentioned in old records, before the twelfth century ; the Jesuit writer Baert is of opinion, that either Colman never had
7* Baert tells us, that those persons were Bards or Druids ; or, at least, they derived their practices from such orders, having in no respect improved on the manners of their predecessors.
2
when St. Mac Nisse
Acta S. Colmani, Commentarius Pre-
practices
SeeMartin "His- Haverty's
He was the last king, who resided at
,
June 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 231
power of God was manifested against those incredulous bards, who most pro- bably were pagans. The earth is said to have swallowed them up, as in the caseofDathanandAbiron. AllwhowerepresentadmiredGod'sjudgments in these wonders. Prostrate on their knees before St. Colman, they gave thanks to the Almighty, for those miracles the holy man had wrought. 7' Diarmaidgave thanks to God, likewise, and to his holy servant, through whose power, those wonderful prodigies occurred.
Our saint is stated, to have thrice visited the Apostles' tomb, on the authority of those best qualified to offer a statement on the subject, who, how- ever,areonlythewritersofhisActs. St. Gregory8owasPope,whileononeof those visits, and it is related, that our saint obtained the Episcopal dignity from that Sovereign Pontiff. He returned with some relics of the holy Apostles. On his way home, he visited the house of a king in Britain. It so happened, on the night of his arrival, that the queen gave birth to a dead son, who was no other than St. David of Wales. 81 Through the power of God and the merits of the holy Apostles, whose relics he possessed, St. Colman brought the child to life. 82 Afterwards, Colman fostered and taught him. This child, we are told, in course of time, became the renowned British bishop of Mene-
via. 83 Notwithstandingthestatementsheremade,wearetotallyunacquainted with the date of Colman's accession to the episcopacy, or the place where he had been consecrated ; but, it seems most probable, that he was not obliged to leave his own country for that purpose. We have been unable to discover any bishop of Dromore, named in ancient records, after St. Colman, and before the arrival of the English in this island, with the exception of Mael- brighde, son of Cathasach, Bishop and Abbot of Druim-mor-Mocholmog, who departed this life, a. d. 972,^ or 974, as also another named Rigan, who is said
iioi. 8^ A learned Irish writer 86 that observes,
to had about the died,
year
in the book of Centius Camerarius, afterwards Pope Honorius III. , there is
no record enumerating Dromore See. 8? Therefore, he supposes, in all likeli- hood, it wanted a distinct bishop for several centuries. Many also held, that Dromore had been united with the Archiepiscopal See of Armagh, during the whole of this dark historic period ; and, as the bishopric itself had been of lesser consequence, as a mat—ter of course, that fe—w particulars had been set
88
down in writing, which refer if any there were to its bishops.
t* The Rev. Dr. Reeves cites this as an instance of a hostile feeling, which prevailed between the ecclesiastical and the bardic orders. See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix, II. , p. 358. —
80 —o whom allu- St. Gregory the Great t
sion seems to have been made obtained his
Pontifical dignity, ouly a. d. 590. See an
account of him in Rev. John Alzog"s
lished at the 1st of March,
83 Thus, it should stand, that Colman re-
ceived his consecration seventy years after St. David's episcopacy.
Dromore," p. 258.
^ Sir James Ware. 8? BeforetheelevationofCamerariustothe
Pontifical dignity, he had compiled a large
volume of statistics, regarding the Roman sect. 153, pp. 28 to 30. Translation by Church. See Ludovicus a S. Carolo, in
"
Manual of Universal Church History,"
vol. ii. , Period 2, Epoch I. , Part i. , chap, i. ,
" Bibliotheca Pontificia," lib. i.
morensis, quasi tunc non extitisset ille. "
" Acta tomus De Sanctorum," ii. , Junii vii.
S. Colmano seu Colmoco, &c. C J. mneiua- Bollandists, in the Acts of . t. David pub- rius Praevius, num. 3, p. 25.
Rev. F. J. Pabisch and Rev. Thomas S. Byrne.
81
Were we to admit the absurdities con- tained in the foregoing narrative, St. David must have been born long previous to the time of Colman's birth, for he was con-
"* " Baert remarks :
secrated A. D. bishop
519.
,3 a different account is the Quite given by
s*
Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 696, 697.
See Dr. OTJonovan's "Annals of the
85 " See Harris' Ware, vol. i. ,
Bishops
of
Ibi forte invenerit Waraius enumeratos Episcopatus Hibernise, quotquot initio seculi XIII. juris aliquid pen- debant Romanae, absque ulla mentione Dro—-
232 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 7 .
C H APTER II.
ST. COLMAN OF DROMORE CONFOUNDED WITH ST. COLMAN OF LINDISFARNE—DROMORE AND SOME OF ITS ANCIENT REMAINS—MIRACLES OF THE SAINT—PERIOD OF HIS
DEATH—COMMEMORATION
A notion has been entertained by some writers, that St. Colman of Dromore
IN CALENDARS—CHURCHES AND INSTITUTIONS DEDI- CATED TO HIM—CONCLUSION.
hadbeenalso of bishop
1 The for this grounds
in
opinion are slight, indeed, and they are probably based only on the mistake
2
of a single author. In additions to the Martyrology ofUsuard, by Molanus, our St. Colman appears to have been confounded with him of Lindisfarne. 3 For this opinion, Molanus cites Bede, without any just warrant ; for, the vene- rable English historian only mentions that particular Colman, who contended strenuously for maintaining the Irish rite, in celebrating Easter.
