'5 In the
Appendix
to the Third Book of
Thistookplaceintheyear565.
Thistookplaceintheyear565.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
ix.
kl.
—" For my soul, for my poor body,
These shall be a rampart against all doleful evils,
Babaill, the mass of golden gold, With his three comrades. "
This commemoration has reference to St. Babyla or Babylas, Bishop of
Antioch, with the three holy boys. Urban, Prilidian, and Epolonius, who were his disciples and his companions in suffering for the Faith. From various ancient sources, the BoUandists have drawn up suitable acts, which are inserted in their great collection at the 24th of January. ' These are preceded by various critical observations, regarding their personality and era. As those martyrs had no other connexion with Ireland, save that of having been venerated here from an early period, we must rest satisfied with referring the reader, desiring further information regarding them, to the sources indicated.
Article vii. —'See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," i. Januarii, Vita S. Ernani, n. 11, p. 9.
Article VIII. —'This, however, I can-
not find among the " Scottish Entries in the
KalendarofDavidCamerarius,"asgivenin
Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scottish Januarii. De Sanctis Martyribus Babyla
Saints," p. 234, where it ought to be found. 'See the BoUandists' "Acta Sanctorum Januarii," tomus ii. , xxiv. Januarii. Prseter-
missi et in alios dies rejecti, p. 562.
Episc. Antiocheno, Urbano, Prilidiano, Epolonio, Pueris, ejus Discipulis, pp. 569 to 581.
Article ix. —'See "Circle of the
Seasons," p. 24.
^'See Bishop Forbes'
"
Kalendar of the
Scottish Saints," p. 292.
"
Article X. — Leabhar Breac" copy.
'
^See"ActaSanctorum,"tomusii. , xxiv.
January 25. ] LIVES OF THE IliJSH SAINTS. 431
Article XI. —Reputed Festival of St. Ethernanus, or Ithernaisc, Bishop and Abbot in Scotland, and of Clane, County of Kildare. Ferrarius and Dempster' have assigned the festival of this saint to the 24th of January : while Camerarius places it at the 21st of December, but most other calendarists at the ensuing day. ^ By Camerarius, he is said to have been an abbot and confessor, as also a nephew of St. Columba on the father's side. ^ If so, it would be easy to determine that he must have flourished in the sixth or seventh century. It is quite in accordance with possibility that a Kildare saint, from Clane,'* should be found in the church ofLathrisc,inFife,thatofKennethMacalpin. 5 Thereachurchhadbeen dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, and to Blessed Ethernasc in 1 243. ^ For further notices, however, the reader is referred to his chief festival, at the 22nd of December. 7
Cluentp-ftttl) IBaj) of ianuarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. EOCHOD, APOSTLE AMONG THE PICTS.
[SIXTH CENTURY. ^
THIS
zealous and self-denying missionary had share in the glorious work of the St. on his Scottish mission. Until better
great Columkille,
certified regarding St. Eochod, Euchod, or St. Eoglod's Natalis, the Bol- landists, at this date, signify their intention of deferring further notices regarding this Pictish Apostle. ' Eochod seems to have been the correct
manner for spelling this holy man's name; yet Hector Boetius, Lesley, Camerarius, the EngUsh Martyrology, and other authorities, by putting gl or cl for c/i, falsely call this saint Eoglodius or Eoclodius. Among ancient or modern Irish appellatives, we do not find these latter forms of the name, but very frequently Eochodius- occurs. Colgan has given us the Acts of this saint, at the 25th of January. 3 St. Eochod-* was a native of Ireland. To what part of the island he belonged is not stated, but we are told he was of
Articlexi. —• Atthe
of
24111 January,
Scotland," *
vol.
i. , p.
168.
we read — :
David de on the Burnham,
v. of the
Prioratus
In
bishop. SeeinBishopForbes' "Kalendar
of Scottish Saints. "
"Meno-
S. " Statistical Account of
lona, Ethernan,
abbot and
By
termissi et in alios dies rejecti, p. 562.
3 See Scottish entries in the Kalendar of David Camerarius. Bishop Forbes' " Ka-
lendars of Scottish Saints," p. 243.
* The parish of Clane, situated in a ba- rony of the same name, is to be found re« presented on the " Ordnance Surv'ey Town-
Article
'See "Acta Sanctonim,"
Dempster's
Andrese," 348.
Scotland," vol. vi. , p. 15. ^"
logiuRi Scoticum," p. 191.
See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum ? See Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of Scot-
tomus xxiv. Januarii," ii. , Januarii.
Prae- tish — Saints," p. 334.
^ See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemite," xxv. land Maps for the County of Kildare. " Januarii. Vita S. Euchadii, pp. 163, 164.
Sheets 9, 10, 13, 14. The town and town- *The Scotch writers usually call this land are represented on Sheet 14. saint Eoglod, Eoclod, and Echoid.
5 See Grub's "Ecclesiastical History of
KalendsofAugust. —"Registrum
i.
tomus ii. , xxv. Januarii. Prsetermissi ct in
alios dies rejecti, p. 610.
^'So the present saint is called by St.
Adamnan, by Ussher, and by other Irish writei-s.
432 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 25.
a noble family,s There were four saints bearing this name, and these were
cotemporaneous with the illustrious St. Columkille. ^ These persons are
homonymous. I. St. Echodius, surnamed Dalian, or the Blind, son to
Colla. 7 II. St. Eochodius, son to Cathan, son to Nathy, belonging to the race of Leinster Kings. ^ Both of these lived in the time of St. Columkille.
III. Eochodius, son to Diermit, Abbot and Bishop of Armagh, who died A. D. 597. 9 IV. Eochadius, Abbot of Lismore,'° who died a. d. 634. " And, although any one of the foregoing could have been a companion or disciple of St. Columba, Colgan thinks," that the present holy man might more probably be regarded as the first Echodius, because he was on very familiar terms with, and because it has been stated, he \AT0te a panegyric on, St. Columba/3 Eochod was among those twelve companions,'* who
accompanied St. Columkille, when the latter left our island to propagate Christianity among the people of North Britain. '^ Our saint contributed his full share of apostolic labours in effecting conversions among the Picts. All aiithorities are agreed, that in his first voyage, which is here alluded to, St. Columba sailed from Ireland to that part of Britain, now called Scotland, and which was formerly named Albania. It cannot be said, that St. Columba passed from Scotia or Albania to Britain, as Scotic Albania forms a part of Britain, from the southern portion of which, there is no sea to separate it. Again, we do not read about St. Columba having visited the southern part of Britain, at any time. '^
The labours of St. Eochod appear, most generally, to have been con- finedtothatpartofScotland,nowcalledGalloway. Therehisvirtuesand miracles were afterwards held in honoured commemoration. '7 The English Martyrology states that Eochod departed this life about a. d. 487, but this is
a century too early. '^ His feast has been assigned to the 25th of January ; although the 20th of this month is likewise named. '9 It seems more than
probable, this saint survived his master St. Columkille, who died a. d. 597. '° TohisdiscipleEochodisattributedalifeofSt. Columba. ^' Thismusthave
5 So states the English Martyrology, at the 25th of Januar}'.
' Not to mention
and abbots, who died after a. d. "joo. Thus
wereadinthe"AnnalsoftheFourMas- argumentregardingSt. Colu—mbaandhis
many
other
holy bishops
** Such are the observations of
who seems to be labouring to sustain an
ters," at the respective years, 725, 726, 754, companions having been Irish
facts not all 780, 807, 820, etc. , regarding various dis- doubted at the present time. See "Acta
tinguished men so called.
7 His life is given at the 29th of January, the day for his festival.
^According to the "Menologic Gene- alogy," chap. xx.
9 According to Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals
'°
" See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Sanctorum Hibemise," xxv. Januarii, n. 3, pp. 163, 164.
»7 Camerarius in his Menology, at the
25th of January, states these particulars, As additional authorities he refers to John
Lesley, Hector Bcetius, Brunus, and Sinclair,
'^ At the of
25th January.
''In the new edition of the English Martyrologj', his feast is set down at the 20th of January. See "Acta Sanctorum
of the Four vol. Masters,"
i. , pp. 222, 223. His feast occurs on the 17th of April.
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 252, 253.
"See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," xxv. Januarii,' tomus ii. , xxv. Januarii. Prse-
Januarii, n. I, p. 163.
'3 Dempster has the latter assertion, in
reference to our saint.
' See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life
termissi et in alios dies rejecti, p. 610.
^ It is certain, this saint did not die about
A. D. 487, as the English Martyrology states ;
for he was a companion of St. Columba's of St. Columba. " Additional Notes, A, voyage, on the latter setting out for Britain,
pp. 245to247.
'5 In the Appendix to the Third Book of
Thistookplaceintheyear565. SeeBede's
" Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum,"
St. Columba's Acts, by Adamnan, as found
in a Cottonian MS. , it is said, that in his
first passage from Scotia to Britain, St.
Columba was attended by twelve com- § 2, p. 27.
panions. Among these, our saint is called Echoid.
lib. iii. , cap. iv. , p. 168.
"See "Memoir of-the City and North
Western Liberties of Londonderry," part ii. ,
Colgan,
January 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 433
been written, most probably after the death of the great Pictish Apostle. **
Dempster says, that this saint flourished in the year 606, and that he wrote
" Columbse and also his " ad Hibernos. "-'* Came- magistri vita,"23 Epistola
rarius tells us, that the festival of this saint is placed at the 13th of October, ac- cording to some authorities. This holy missionary's feast is set down most usually at the present date, and he is noticed in the English Martyrology, by
Ferrarius, by David Caraerarius, by John Lesley,^^ and by Hecter Boetius. *^ As an addendum to his notices of St. Euchadius or Echoid, at the 25lh of January, Bishop Forbes''? refers to the " New Statistical Account of Scot- land,"*^ which states, that the principal fairs in Old Deer^9 are Aikey, which was held on the Wednesday after the second Tuesday of July, O. S. , and Dustan, on St. Dustan. However it may be that Aikie refers to no saint, buttotheoakswhichgivethenametoDeer. Thisparishisdiversifiedby irregular ridges, covered with heath or plantations, while many of them are cultivated.
Article II. —St. Aedh, Bishop of Lis-gabhail, now Lisgoolon Lough Erne, County of Fermanagh. The heart is penetrated with the very in- tensity of sadness, when touched by scenes of desolation in many a spot where once voices of praise ascended to God. On this day, we find en- tered in the Martyrology of Donegal,^ Aedh, bishop, of the now deserted Lis-
on Loch Eirne. This is " the fort of the gabhail, place Anglicized Lisgool,
fork. " It is situated on the west bank of Lough Erne, a short distance to the south of Enniskillen. ^ Only S. Aedha, Epis. , without any further distinc-
tion, occurs in the Martyrology of Tallagh,3 on the 25th of January, A monastery is said to have been erected here in the early ages of Christianity, andaSt. AidorHughwashereinvoked. * Areligiousestablishmentexisted here until within a comparatively recent period. Archdall has collected many circumstances serving to elucidate the annals of Lisgool. s Also under the head of Gabhuil, Duald Mac Firbis,^ enters Hugh, Bishop of Lis-gabhuil, on Loch Erne, at the 25th of January. This townland of Lisgoole,' is in theparishofRossory,baronyofClanawley,andcountyofFermanagh. As we have already remarked, the site of Lisgoole's ancient religious establish- ment must be distinguished from that of Rossor}' proper, where St. Fanchea founded her nunnery, at a very early period. ^ The graveyard of Lisgoole
"See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi- bemizE," xxv. Januarii, n. 7, p. 164.
=^3 For this statement, Dempster refers to Fordan, and the work is said to have been included in one book.
" Historia Ecclesiastica
This
'S "De Gestis Scotorum," lib. iv. , p. 152,
"It is in the barony of Clanawley and county of Fermanagh. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. iii. , n.
(f), p. 543.
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiii. In
the Franciscan the we at copy entry find,
this date, is Sci <\eT)A epi.
* See Ward's "Vita S. Rumoldi," p.
'* See
Dempster's
Gentis Scotorum," lib. v. , num. 491. was included in one tract.
^ "Historia Scotorum," lib. ix. , p. 167.
" 263 to 265.
'7 See "Kalendars of Scottish pp. 334, 335.
'8
'' See
Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part
At Aberdeen, p. 164.
^ See an account of this parish, situated
partly in Banffshire and partly in Aberdeen-
i. , pp. 112, 113. " ? It is marked on the
shire,
managh. "
in Fullarton's " Gazetteer of Imperial
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Fer-
Scotland," vol. —i. , pp. 371, 372. »
Article it. Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 26, 27.
Vol. I.
Saints,"
"Proceedings
ofthe Irish Royal
158.
s See Monasticon Hibemicum," pp.
Sheets 22, 27. No traces of the ruins appear on these maps.
^ her
See life, already given at the 1st
day of January, chap, iu, pp. 3, 4. 3 F
434 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 25.
has been even swept away, having been devoted to agricultural purposes. 9 Yet the natural beauties of the scenery around cannot be obliterated by the agency of man. '° It is probable, that after the death of our saint, several centuries had elapsed before Maguire, the chief over this district, had founded
Site of Lisgoole Abbey, on Lough Erne.
a monastery for Canons Regular of St. Augustine, a. d. 1106," There the
princes of Fermanagh were interred, and while living they were great bene- factorstowardsthatreligiouscommunity. Aboutthemiddleofthesixteenth
century, the Augustinians appear to have been replaced by the Franciscans," whose premises had been seized by the crown, early in the reign of James 1. ^3 So late as 1739, however, the Franciscans seem to have resided in the neigh- bourhood. OnthenowlonelysiteofLisgoole,thedustofabbots,religious, warlike chiefs, noble ladies, and thousands of the humble laity, have made that spot loamy, but no tomb remains as a memorial.
Article III. —Translation of the Relics of St. Brigid, Patroness OFIreland,toLisbon,Portugal. Itisamatterofgreatinterestforus in Ireland to learn, that at this present time the distant land of Portugal preserves with great respect an important and a considerable relic of the
9 See William F. Wakeman's " Lough Erne, Enniskillen, Belleek, Ballyshannon and Bundoran," &c.
'° The accompanying illustration of the placehasbeendrawnonthespotbyWilliam F. Wakeman, and engraved by William Oldham of Dublin.
"See Rev. C. P. Meehan's "Rise and Fall of the Irish Franciscan Monasteries," &c. , appendix, pp. 288 to 294.
"In Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," there are notices of Lisgoole atA. D. 1329, 1345, 1348, 1360, 1373, 1380, 1390, 1419, 1430, 1431, 1434, 1443. 1445. 1446, 1447, 1450, 1465, 1466, 1477f 1515. 1522, 1527, 1602.
'3 At the dissolution it was granted to Sir
John Davis. See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 539-
January 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 435
holy patroness of our island, St, Brigid In the village of Lumiar, about six miles from Lisbon, and in the parish church of St. John the Baptist, is a chapel, dedicated to the virgin protectress of Ireland. There may be seen a beautiful statue of St. Brigid; but what is still more remarkable is the fact of her head having been preserved in it, during many a past age. That relic is supposed to have been brought from Germany, and it is held in the greatest veneration by the Portuguese. ^ That head has been in Lumiar church since the thirteenth century, which is proved by an inscription on the outside of St. Brigid's chapel. ^ There are three marble slabs inserted in the wall, and about four feet from the ground. These slabs are numbered respectively, i, 2, and 3. If an inscription had been formerly on either i or 2, it is now completely effaced; but on number 3, there is a carving in very
old Portuguese. 3 In his very short notice regarding St. Bridget's head, and which the Rev. Alban Butler* seems to have taken from the Bollandists, we are informed by the Rev. Mr. Cafirey, he is quite wrong in stating that precious relic had been kept at the Jesuits' church in Lisbon. However this may be, we feel obliged to reproduce the Bollandists' own statement. We are told, that in the month of October, a. d. 1587, the head of St. Brigid, with the relics of many other celebrated saints, had been obtained with great Zealand exertion by John Borgia and by his pious consort, Frances of Arragon, from the Emperor Rudolph II. s and his mother Maria. These he presented to the Church of St. Roch, belonging to the Jesuits at Lisbon. The approbation of the archbishop, Michael de Castro, was obtained, to have this commemoration held on the 25th of January, the following year. The Austrian Albert, who was then governor of Portugal for Philip II. , ordained by decree a splendid and solemn celebration for those enshrined relics. ^ These were borne in procession, with singular pomp and honour, in twelve distinct shrines or cases. On account of the heads of St. Brigid'
and of St. Gregory Thaumaturgus^ having been among them. Pope Sixtus V. granted a perpetual jubilee^ in that church. ^° Some of those saints, vene- rated there, have festivals known and noted by the Bollandists; but the feasts of some, whose reUcs were religiously preserved, seem to have escaped their researches. " At Lumiar there is a grand ceremony on St. Brigid's
Article hi. —'For information con-
tained in the text, the writer has to express
his obligations to the Rev. Edward Caffrey,
pastor of Widnes, England, in a letter
dated No. 154 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool,
July 15th, 1874. The Rev. Mr. CaiTrey,
whose impaired health obliged him to spend nine months in Portugal, often had the hap-
is in this chapel, for remembrance of which the officials of the board (or confraternity) of the saint, out of their own funds, caused this to be made A. D. 1283. "
* See " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and other Principal Saints," vol. ii. , February i, s His reign began in 1576, and it continued
piness of saying Mass on St. Brigid's altar. *^
Called Sante — Brigida.
An account of this is contained ceremony
the Portuguese into the Spanish language.
7 See her Life at the ist day of February, ^His feast occurs at the i7thof Novem-
ber. At this date, or on the feast of St. Brigid, at the 1st of February, the Bollan- dists state it was possible more should be found regarding these events.
'The Bollandists express it "jubileum perpetuum in ea rede concessit. "
"See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum
Januarii," tomus ii. , xxv. Januarii. Prseter- missi et in alios dies rejecti, pp.
These shall be a rampart against all doleful evils,
Babaill, the mass of golden gold, With his three comrades. "
This commemoration has reference to St. Babyla or Babylas, Bishop of
Antioch, with the three holy boys. Urban, Prilidian, and Epolonius, who were his disciples and his companions in suffering for the Faith. From various ancient sources, the BoUandists have drawn up suitable acts, which are inserted in their great collection at the 24th of January. ' These are preceded by various critical observations, regarding their personality and era. As those martyrs had no other connexion with Ireland, save that of having been venerated here from an early period, we must rest satisfied with referring the reader, desiring further information regarding them, to the sources indicated.
Article vii. —'See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," i. Januarii, Vita S. Ernani, n. 11, p. 9.
Article VIII. —'This, however, I can-
not find among the " Scottish Entries in the
KalendarofDavidCamerarius,"asgivenin
Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scottish Januarii. De Sanctis Martyribus Babyla
Saints," p. 234, where it ought to be found. 'See the BoUandists' "Acta Sanctorum Januarii," tomus ii. , xxiv. Januarii. Prseter-
missi et in alios dies rejecti, p. 562.
Episc. Antiocheno, Urbano, Prilidiano, Epolonio, Pueris, ejus Discipulis, pp. 569 to 581.
Article ix. —'See "Circle of the
Seasons," p. 24.
^'See Bishop Forbes'
"
Kalendar of the
Scottish Saints," p. 292.
"
Article X. — Leabhar Breac" copy.
'
^See"ActaSanctorum,"tomusii. , xxiv.
January 25. ] LIVES OF THE IliJSH SAINTS. 431
Article XI. —Reputed Festival of St. Ethernanus, or Ithernaisc, Bishop and Abbot in Scotland, and of Clane, County of Kildare. Ferrarius and Dempster' have assigned the festival of this saint to the 24th of January : while Camerarius places it at the 21st of December, but most other calendarists at the ensuing day. ^ By Camerarius, he is said to have been an abbot and confessor, as also a nephew of St. Columba on the father's side. ^ If so, it would be easy to determine that he must have flourished in the sixth or seventh century. It is quite in accordance with possibility that a Kildare saint, from Clane,'* should be found in the church ofLathrisc,inFife,thatofKennethMacalpin. 5 Thereachurchhadbeen dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, and to Blessed Ethernasc in 1 243. ^ For further notices, however, the reader is referred to his chief festival, at the 22nd of December. 7
Cluentp-ftttl) IBaj) of ianuarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. EOCHOD, APOSTLE AMONG THE PICTS.
[SIXTH CENTURY. ^
THIS
zealous and self-denying missionary had share in the glorious work of the St. on his Scottish mission. Until better
great Columkille,
certified regarding St. Eochod, Euchod, or St. Eoglod's Natalis, the Bol- landists, at this date, signify their intention of deferring further notices regarding this Pictish Apostle. ' Eochod seems to have been the correct
manner for spelling this holy man's name; yet Hector Boetius, Lesley, Camerarius, the EngUsh Martyrology, and other authorities, by putting gl or cl for c/i, falsely call this saint Eoglodius or Eoclodius. Among ancient or modern Irish appellatives, we do not find these latter forms of the name, but very frequently Eochodius- occurs. Colgan has given us the Acts of this saint, at the 25th of January. 3 St. Eochod-* was a native of Ireland. To what part of the island he belonged is not stated, but we are told he was of
Articlexi. —• Atthe
of
24111 January,
Scotland," *
vol.
i. , p.
168.
we read — :
David de on the Burnham,
v. of the
Prioratus
In
bishop. SeeinBishopForbes' "Kalendar
of Scottish Saints. "
"Meno-
S. " Statistical Account of
lona, Ethernan,
abbot and
By
termissi et in alios dies rejecti, p. 562.
3 See Scottish entries in the Kalendar of David Camerarius. Bishop Forbes' " Ka-
lendars of Scottish Saints," p. 243.
* The parish of Clane, situated in a ba- rony of the same name, is to be found re« presented on the " Ordnance Surv'ey Town-
Article
'See "Acta Sanctonim,"
Dempster's
Andrese," 348.
Scotland," vol. vi. , p. 15. ^"
logiuRi Scoticum," p. 191.
See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum ? See Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of Scot-
tomus xxiv. Januarii," ii. , Januarii.
Prae- tish — Saints," p. 334.
^ See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemite," xxv. land Maps for the County of Kildare. " Januarii. Vita S. Euchadii, pp. 163, 164.
Sheets 9, 10, 13, 14. The town and town- *The Scotch writers usually call this land are represented on Sheet 14. saint Eoglod, Eoclod, and Echoid.
5 See Grub's "Ecclesiastical History of
KalendsofAugust. —"Registrum
i.
tomus ii. , xxv. Januarii. Prsetermissi ct in
alios dies rejecti, p. 610.
^'So the present saint is called by St.
Adamnan, by Ussher, and by other Irish writei-s.
432 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 25.
a noble family,s There were four saints bearing this name, and these were
cotemporaneous with the illustrious St. Columkille. ^ These persons are
homonymous. I. St. Echodius, surnamed Dalian, or the Blind, son to
Colla. 7 II. St. Eochodius, son to Cathan, son to Nathy, belonging to the race of Leinster Kings. ^ Both of these lived in the time of St. Columkille.
III. Eochodius, son to Diermit, Abbot and Bishop of Armagh, who died A. D. 597. 9 IV. Eochadius, Abbot of Lismore,'° who died a. d. 634. " And, although any one of the foregoing could have been a companion or disciple of St. Columba, Colgan thinks," that the present holy man might more probably be regarded as the first Echodius, because he was on very familiar terms with, and because it has been stated, he \AT0te a panegyric on, St. Columba/3 Eochod was among those twelve companions,'* who
accompanied St. Columkille, when the latter left our island to propagate Christianity among the people of North Britain. '^ Our saint contributed his full share of apostolic labours in effecting conversions among the Picts. All aiithorities are agreed, that in his first voyage, which is here alluded to, St. Columba sailed from Ireland to that part of Britain, now called Scotland, and which was formerly named Albania. It cannot be said, that St. Columba passed from Scotia or Albania to Britain, as Scotic Albania forms a part of Britain, from the southern portion of which, there is no sea to separate it. Again, we do not read about St. Columba having visited the southern part of Britain, at any time. '^
The labours of St. Eochod appear, most generally, to have been con- finedtothatpartofScotland,nowcalledGalloway. Therehisvirtuesand miracles were afterwards held in honoured commemoration. '7 The English Martyrology states that Eochod departed this life about a. d. 487, but this is
a century too early. '^ His feast has been assigned to the 25th of January ; although the 20th of this month is likewise named. '9 It seems more than
probable, this saint survived his master St. Columkille, who died a. d. 597. '° TohisdiscipleEochodisattributedalifeofSt. Columba. ^' Thismusthave
5 So states the English Martyrology, at the 25th of Januar}'.
' Not to mention
and abbots, who died after a. d. "joo. Thus
wereadinthe"AnnalsoftheFourMas- argumentregardingSt. Colu—mbaandhis
many
other
holy bishops
** Such are the observations of
who seems to be labouring to sustain an
ters," at the respective years, 725, 726, 754, companions having been Irish
facts not all 780, 807, 820, etc. , regarding various dis- doubted at the present time. See "Acta
tinguished men so called.
7 His life is given at the 29th of January, the day for his festival.
^According to the "Menologic Gene- alogy," chap. xx.
9 According to Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals
'°
" See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Sanctorum Hibemise," xxv. Januarii, n. 3, pp. 163, 164.
»7 Camerarius in his Menology, at the
25th of January, states these particulars, As additional authorities he refers to John
Lesley, Hector Bcetius, Brunus, and Sinclair,
'^ At the of
25th January.
''In the new edition of the English Martyrologj', his feast is set down at the 20th of January. See "Acta Sanctorum
of the Four vol. Masters,"
i. , pp. 222, 223. His feast occurs on the 17th of April.
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 252, 253.
"See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," xxv. Januarii,' tomus ii. , xxv. Januarii. Prse-
Januarii, n. I, p. 163.
'3 Dempster has the latter assertion, in
reference to our saint.
' See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life
termissi et in alios dies rejecti, p. 610.
^ It is certain, this saint did not die about
A. D. 487, as the English Martyrology states ;
for he was a companion of St. Columba's of St. Columba. " Additional Notes, A, voyage, on the latter setting out for Britain,
pp. 245to247.
'5 In the Appendix to the Third Book of
Thistookplaceintheyear565. SeeBede's
" Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum,"
St. Columba's Acts, by Adamnan, as found
in a Cottonian MS. , it is said, that in his
first passage from Scotia to Britain, St.
Columba was attended by twelve com- § 2, p. 27.
panions. Among these, our saint is called Echoid.
lib. iii. , cap. iv. , p. 168.
"See "Memoir of-the City and North
Western Liberties of Londonderry," part ii. ,
Colgan,
January 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 433
been written, most probably after the death of the great Pictish Apostle. **
Dempster says, that this saint flourished in the year 606, and that he wrote
" Columbse and also his " ad Hibernos. "-'* Came- magistri vita,"23 Epistola
rarius tells us, that the festival of this saint is placed at the 13th of October, ac- cording to some authorities. This holy missionary's feast is set down most usually at the present date, and he is noticed in the English Martyrology, by
Ferrarius, by David Caraerarius, by John Lesley,^^ and by Hecter Boetius. *^ As an addendum to his notices of St. Euchadius or Echoid, at the 25lh of January, Bishop Forbes''? refers to the " New Statistical Account of Scot- land,"*^ which states, that the principal fairs in Old Deer^9 are Aikey, which was held on the Wednesday after the second Tuesday of July, O. S. , and Dustan, on St. Dustan. However it may be that Aikie refers to no saint, buttotheoakswhichgivethenametoDeer. Thisparishisdiversifiedby irregular ridges, covered with heath or plantations, while many of them are cultivated.
Article II. —St. Aedh, Bishop of Lis-gabhail, now Lisgoolon Lough Erne, County of Fermanagh. The heart is penetrated with the very in- tensity of sadness, when touched by scenes of desolation in many a spot where once voices of praise ascended to God. On this day, we find en- tered in the Martyrology of Donegal,^ Aedh, bishop, of the now deserted Lis-
on Loch Eirne. This is " the fort of the gabhail, place Anglicized Lisgool,
fork. " It is situated on the west bank of Lough Erne, a short distance to the south of Enniskillen. ^ Only S. Aedha, Epis. , without any further distinc-
tion, occurs in the Martyrology of Tallagh,3 on the 25th of January, A monastery is said to have been erected here in the early ages of Christianity, andaSt. AidorHughwashereinvoked. * Areligiousestablishmentexisted here until within a comparatively recent period. Archdall has collected many circumstances serving to elucidate the annals of Lisgool. s Also under the head of Gabhuil, Duald Mac Firbis,^ enters Hugh, Bishop of Lis-gabhuil, on Loch Erne, at the 25th of January. This townland of Lisgoole,' is in theparishofRossory,baronyofClanawley,andcountyofFermanagh. As we have already remarked, the site of Lisgoole's ancient religious establish- ment must be distinguished from that of Rossor}' proper, where St. Fanchea founded her nunnery, at a very early period. ^ The graveyard of Lisgoole
"See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi- bemizE," xxv. Januarii, n. 7, p. 164.
=^3 For this statement, Dempster refers to Fordan, and the work is said to have been included in one book.
" Historia Ecclesiastica
This
'S "De Gestis Scotorum," lib. iv. , p. 152,
"It is in the barony of Clanawley and county of Fermanagh. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. iii. , n.
(f), p. 543.
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiii. In
the Franciscan the we at copy entry find,
this date, is Sci <\eT)A epi.
* See Ward's "Vita S. Rumoldi," p.
'* See
Dempster's
Gentis Scotorum," lib. v. , num. 491. was included in one tract.
^ "Historia Scotorum," lib. ix. , p. 167.
" 263 to 265.
'7 See "Kalendars of Scottish pp. 334, 335.
'8
'' See
Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part
At Aberdeen, p. 164.
^ See an account of this parish, situated
partly in Banffshire and partly in Aberdeen-
i. , pp. 112, 113. " ? It is marked on the
shire,
managh. "
in Fullarton's " Gazetteer of Imperial
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Fer-
Scotland," vol. —i. , pp. 371, 372. »
Article it. Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 26, 27.
Vol. I.
Saints,"
"Proceedings
ofthe Irish Royal
158.
s See Monasticon Hibemicum," pp.
Sheets 22, 27. No traces of the ruins appear on these maps.
^ her
See life, already given at the 1st
day of January, chap, iu, pp. 3, 4. 3 F
434 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 25.
has been even swept away, having been devoted to agricultural purposes. 9 Yet the natural beauties of the scenery around cannot be obliterated by the agency of man. '° It is probable, that after the death of our saint, several centuries had elapsed before Maguire, the chief over this district, had founded
Site of Lisgoole Abbey, on Lough Erne.
a monastery for Canons Regular of St. Augustine, a. d. 1106," There the
princes of Fermanagh were interred, and while living they were great bene- factorstowardsthatreligiouscommunity. Aboutthemiddleofthesixteenth
century, the Augustinians appear to have been replaced by the Franciscans," whose premises had been seized by the crown, early in the reign of James 1. ^3 So late as 1739, however, the Franciscans seem to have resided in the neigh- bourhood. OnthenowlonelysiteofLisgoole,thedustofabbots,religious, warlike chiefs, noble ladies, and thousands of the humble laity, have made that spot loamy, but no tomb remains as a memorial.
Article III. —Translation of the Relics of St. Brigid, Patroness OFIreland,toLisbon,Portugal. Itisamatterofgreatinterestforus in Ireland to learn, that at this present time the distant land of Portugal preserves with great respect an important and a considerable relic of the
9 See William F. Wakeman's " Lough Erne, Enniskillen, Belleek, Ballyshannon and Bundoran," &c.
'° The accompanying illustration of the placehasbeendrawnonthespotbyWilliam F. Wakeman, and engraved by William Oldham of Dublin.
"See Rev. C. P. Meehan's "Rise and Fall of the Irish Franciscan Monasteries," &c. , appendix, pp. 288 to 294.
"In Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," there are notices of Lisgoole atA. D. 1329, 1345, 1348, 1360, 1373, 1380, 1390, 1419, 1430, 1431, 1434, 1443. 1445. 1446, 1447, 1450, 1465, 1466, 1477f 1515. 1522, 1527, 1602.
'3 At the dissolution it was granted to Sir
John Davis. See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 539-
January 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 435
holy patroness of our island, St, Brigid In the village of Lumiar, about six miles from Lisbon, and in the parish church of St. John the Baptist, is a chapel, dedicated to the virgin protectress of Ireland. There may be seen a beautiful statue of St. Brigid; but what is still more remarkable is the fact of her head having been preserved in it, during many a past age. That relic is supposed to have been brought from Germany, and it is held in the greatest veneration by the Portuguese. ^ That head has been in Lumiar church since the thirteenth century, which is proved by an inscription on the outside of St. Brigid's chapel. ^ There are three marble slabs inserted in the wall, and about four feet from the ground. These slabs are numbered respectively, i, 2, and 3. If an inscription had been formerly on either i or 2, it is now completely effaced; but on number 3, there is a carving in very
old Portuguese. 3 In his very short notice regarding St. Bridget's head, and which the Rev. Alban Butler* seems to have taken from the Bollandists, we are informed by the Rev. Mr. Cafirey, he is quite wrong in stating that precious relic had been kept at the Jesuits' church in Lisbon. However this may be, we feel obliged to reproduce the Bollandists' own statement. We are told, that in the month of October, a. d. 1587, the head of St. Brigid, with the relics of many other celebrated saints, had been obtained with great Zealand exertion by John Borgia and by his pious consort, Frances of Arragon, from the Emperor Rudolph II. s and his mother Maria. These he presented to the Church of St. Roch, belonging to the Jesuits at Lisbon. The approbation of the archbishop, Michael de Castro, was obtained, to have this commemoration held on the 25th of January, the following year. The Austrian Albert, who was then governor of Portugal for Philip II. , ordained by decree a splendid and solemn celebration for those enshrined relics. ^ These were borne in procession, with singular pomp and honour, in twelve distinct shrines or cases. On account of the heads of St. Brigid'
and of St. Gregory Thaumaturgus^ having been among them. Pope Sixtus V. granted a perpetual jubilee^ in that church. ^° Some of those saints, vene- rated there, have festivals known and noted by the Bollandists; but the feasts of some, whose reUcs were religiously preserved, seem to have escaped their researches. " At Lumiar there is a grand ceremony on St. Brigid's
Article hi. —'For information con-
tained in the text, the writer has to express
his obligations to the Rev. Edward Caffrey,
pastor of Widnes, England, in a letter
dated No. 154 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool,
July 15th, 1874. The Rev. Mr. CaiTrey,
whose impaired health obliged him to spend nine months in Portugal, often had the hap-
is in this chapel, for remembrance of which the officials of the board (or confraternity) of the saint, out of their own funds, caused this to be made A. D. 1283. "
* See " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and other Principal Saints," vol. ii. , February i, s His reign began in 1576, and it continued
piness of saying Mass on St. Brigid's altar. *^
Called Sante — Brigida.
An account of this is contained ceremony
the Portuguese into the Spanish language.
7 See her Life at the ist day of February, ^His feast occurs at the i7thof Novem-
ber. At this date, or on the feast of St. Brigid, at the 1st of February, the Bollan- dists state it was possible more should be found regarding these events.
'The Bollandists express it "jubileum perpetuum in ea rede concessit. "
"See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum
Januarii," tomus ii. , xxv. Januarii. Prseter- missi et in alios dies rejecti, pp.
