"5° When
borrowed
into other languages, this name is rendered Aeda,9*
Aidus,9» Aiduus,93 ^deus,94 Edus,95 or Hugh.
Aidus,9» Aiduus,93 ^deus,94 Edus,95 or Hugh.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
121,
P- 335-
5' The parish of Dnmilane contams over
" 20,cxx) acres, and is marked on the Ord-
nance Survey Townland Maps for the
perceive,
gives us
Donegal. "
5° "Thus the territory anciently called
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 527
Breffneys ; and heretofore, it was a place of sepulture for the chiefs of both
principalities. From a very early period,^^ as would seem from this account, a religious establishment had been there founded, and at present some in- teresting antiquarian and ecclesiastical remains are to be seen. 53 The round tower and an ancient church, within the old cemetery, are objects of great curiosity. More immediately near the Lough is the ruined abbey. 54 These objects have been frequently delineated and described. 55 The place, too, has been always under the patronage of our St. Mogue, as he is usually called in Ulster. 56 The O'Farrellys were hereditary coarbs of St. Mogue, or Ere- nachs of Dromlane, in Cavan County, until the suppression of this monastery. 57 At the period before St. Maidoc's birth, his parents wished to obtain the intercession of holy monks, who dwelt there ; and prayers were offered up, that a son might be bom to them, in accordance with their most anxious desires.
One night, while his parents were sleeping, the vision of a star descending from the heavens and falling on each betokened the future greatness and sanctityoftheiryetunbornMaidoc. s^ Owingtothiscircumstance,hewas afterwards called " Son of the Star," by many persons. The day following, a report of this miraculous vision spread abroad, and many wise persons predicted, that as a star led the Magi to adore Christ,59 so in like manner did this same sign portend, that a son should be born to his parents, full of the Holy Spirit. And shortly afterwards, while travelling in a chariot, Ethnea was met by a Magus, on the way. Having heard the sound of the
"
king. " On meeting the chariot, and finding it occupied by Setna's wife and
"
vehicle, this magician said to his companions :
This chariot runs under a
her companion, he said to the former :
wonderful son, and he shall be full of God's grace. ^J
After such events, the infant Maidoc or ^Edan was born, in a small island,^* called jBrackley or Inis Breag-muigh. ^^ It lies within a lake,^3 now known as Brackly Lough, in the north-western part of Cavan County. ^^ Some very curious local legends relating to his infancy are there related. ^s The spot is situated in a certain part of East Breffney,^^ commonly called Tellagh Ethach,
County of Cavan," Sheets lo, ii, 14, 15, 19, 20. Drumlane proper is shown on 14,
15.
5=* Its first annalistic records appear to be
lost.
53 A little to the north of Drumlane Lough. 5< See "Ordnance Survey Townland
MapsfortheCountyofCavan," Sheet14.
55 The accompanying original sketch of the Round Tower and Church was drawn
on the spot by William F. Wakeman, and
engraved by George A. Hanlon.
5* A monastery remained in this parish,
niae,"xxxi. Januarii. VitaS. Maidoci,cap. i. , p. 208.
to the year 1025, at which period, Duibhinsi
Ua Faircheallaigh, or O'Farrelly, Abbot of nance Survey Townland Maps for the
Druimleathan, died, according to Dr. County Cavan," Sheet 9. On its northern O' Donovan's "Annals of the Four Mas- margin is the well called Toberpatrick.
ters," vol. ii. , pp. 808, 8og. *5 See W. F. Wakeman's "Lough Erne, 57 At present their descendants are very Enniskillen, Belleek, Ballyshannon, and
numerous throughout the country. See
Record," vol.
Bundoran," etc. , concluding chapter, p. 160.
ibid. ,
5^ See "
the and is now com- O'Reillys' territory,
prised in the county of Cavan. The race
derived its name from son of Eoch- Brian,
aidh Muighmedhoin, through Duach Galach.
n. 809. (c), p.
'*
This division of Hy Briuin Breiffne was
Irish_Ecclesiastical
vii. , p. 313. — 59SeeMatt,ii. , i
*• Sec
Colgan's
12.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
*'
See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of
Woman, thou hast conceived a
the Saints," vol. i. , p 467.
*" It is said to mean " Wolf-field Island. "
Although 'a historic spot, it is not named on the Ordnance Survey Maps, but it seems
likeaspeckonthelake,withoutantiquarian remains marked. Lying east and south of Brackley Lough are the beautiful demesnes of Brackley and Bawnboy.
*3 See Bishop Challoner's "Britannia
Sancta," part i. , p. 85.
**See its position depicted on the
"
Ord-
528 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
and now known'as the barony of Tullahan or TuUaghagh, in Kilmore diocese. ^7 It bordered on West Breffney,^^ which is now represented by the county of Leitrim. This district formerly belonged to Connaught,^9 although the Cavan
portion has long been joined to the Ulster province.
The year of St. Maidoc's birth has not been ascertained with accuracy.
Various reasons have been adduced7° to show that he must have seen the
light after 550. The year 555, or thereabouts, is a conjecture of the Rev. William Reeves. 7' Again, the Rev John Lanigan refers his birth to about A. D. 560. 7' These are inferences mainly drawn from the period of King Ainmire's reign, and this has been variously calculated by different annalists and historians. Now, according to the Annals of the Four Masters, Ainmire commenced reigning over Ireland in a,d. 564; and after a rule of three years, he was slain by Fearghus, son of Nellin, a. d. 566. 73 The Annals of Ulster state that he died a. d. 568. 74 This is considered by Dr. O'Donovan to have been the true date for his death. The Annals of Clonmacnoise assert that this monarch was slain a. d. 569. We are told, likewise, that Ainmireus began his reign over Ireland, a. c. 566 ; and that he was killed in the year 569. 7s Another usually exact Chronographer,76 ^sid Dr. Reeves,77 informs us, that onlyjpn 568, Ainmire succeeded to the sovereignty. 7^ This monarch ruled over Ireland for a period of nine years, according to Dr. Keating. 79 Now should we refer the time of our saint's boyhood to one of those years when Ainmire reigned, it will be a difficult matter to determine accurately the date for his birth, especially when we must bear in mind that he was a disciple of St. David,^° Bishop of Menevia, in Wales. In like man- ner his Chronology has been so confused by various writers, that it ought to be extremely uncertain when he was born and died,^' or how long he lived. ^'
There seem to be reasonable grounds for supposing, that the birth of our Maidoc must be referred to the earlier period of the sixth century. A learned and critical investigator, in a peculiar hypothesis,^3 admits, he could not have
*^See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
niae," xxxi. Januarii, n. 6, p. 216.
°^The O'Roorkes' country.
''See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
lory of Ireland," vol ii. , chap, xiv. , sec. ix. , n. 123, p. 336.
7" By Father John Colgan.
7»In the paper "On some Ecclesiastical
Bells. "
'" See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
vol. i. , chap, ix. , sec. ix. , p. 470.
"See O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. i. , n. (b), p. 205.
7* The Annals of Ulster, through an evi-
dent oversight, refer his death a second time
land," vol. ii. , cap. xiL, sec. v. , and n. 58, pp. 198, 199. Also, chap, xiv. , sec. ix. , and n. 125, pp. 334, 336.
79 Such is the statement of Colgan, and
perhaps he had a copy of Keating's work, which had such an account. Yet in O'Ma-
hony's Keating's "History of Ireland," bookii. , part i. ,chap. i. , p. 444, his reign is set'down from A. D. 560 only to 563.
^° See his Life at the ist of March.
^'
Ussher, the Bollandists, and Harris in- cline to the opinion that he departed a. d. 544, while various other writers place his demise respectively at A. D. 546, 547, 550, after 560, 588, 604, 607, or 608, 642, 650.
See this matter stated and discussed, in the ""
to A. D. 575.
75 See Ussher's Britannicarum Ecclesia-
rum Antiquitates. " Index Chronologicus, p, 532.
7' See O'Flaherty's "Ogygia," pars, iii. , cap. xciii. , p. 431.
7? See Reeves's Adamnan's Life of St.
Columba," p. 32, note e.
78 Dr. Lanigan is at issue with all these
foregoing accounts, except O'Flaherty's statement, when he says, Ainmire began his reign in a. d. 568, and ended it in the year 571. See " Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
author's Life of St. David, Archbishop of Menevia, Chief Patron of Wales, and Titu- lar Patron of Naas Church and Parish, in Ireland," chap, x. , pp. 9010 103.
^^ He is allowed a usually
life
by
ibid.
^3 Dr, Lanigan says, that St. Maidoc must
have been at least twenty-four years old when St. David of Menevia died. Thishap- pened some time iu the sixth century.
long
most writers, and varying from about ninety to one hundred and forty-seven years. See
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 529
been born later than 520 ;^4 although it does not seem probable, that he could have attained the extraordinary age of 112 years. ^5
The name of this is found written in a of forms. ^^ holy bishop great variety
The simple denomination is Aedh,^7 Oedh,^^ or Aodh,^^ which signifies " fire.
"5° When borrowed into other languages, this name is rendered Aeda,9*
Aidus,9» Aiduus,93 ^deus,94 Edus,95 or Hugh. 9^ With the diminutive ter- mination an, the original name is resolved into Aedhan. 97 This is again modifiedintoAedan,^^Aedanus. 99 ItiswrittenAidanus,^°°orAidan,^°''and EdanusorEdan,^"^anditassumestheformMo-aedh-og. Thisisagaincon- tractedintoMoedoc,^°3andaccordingtoordinarychanges,it becomesMae- doc. ^°* Thesameroot when " is andthe
and the
same date thus give his name.
See
Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish
Martyrology ofTallagh," at the ^ An ancient form.
9° See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. Septima Vita S. Patricii, n. 72, p. 176.
"
van's edition of " The Irish Topographical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na
Naomh O'Huidhrin. " Introduction, p. 57. And " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. ,
p. 247, n. (p. )
9' The "Kalendarium Drummondiense. "
'"^ fol.
VitaS. Edani, CodexinMarsh'sLibrary,
51, b. " The Book of Obits and Martyr-
continues, mo,meaning my," prefixed, "
syllableocorog,denoting little,"or"dear,"issuffixed. ^°5 Otherlanguages^°^
** Dr. Lanigan deems it probable, that St.
David died at a much later period than 544,
for otherwise, St. Maidoc's birth must be
referred to the first quarter of the sixth cen-
tury. This, he thinks, cannot well be Moedocus, as we find in various passages allowed.
"
writes the name of ^dan of Lindisfame. See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglo-
rum," lib. iii. , cap. 14, 25, 26. See Gol- dast's " Rerum Almannicarum Scriptores. "
Vita S. Findani, cap. 10, p. 222. Also, Rees' "Lives of the Cambro-British Saints. "
Ricemarch's Vita S. David, pp. 130, 133. '°' This form is used by Protestants in Leinster. Among Catholics the name is *' For the many saints called Aedh and corrupted into Moses. See Dr. O'Dono-
"
Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv,, sec. ix. , n. 125, pp. 336, 337. Ussher assigns his
death to A. D. 632.
^^ See the paper of Rev. Dr. Reeves,
already cited.
^7 The "Felire" of ^ngus at Jan. 31st,
"
Aedhan, with their various . festivals, the reader is referred to nn. 4, 5, in the Life of St. Aldus, Bishop of Kildare, at the 4th day of January.
quoted by Rev. Dr. Reeves.
'°°The Venerable Bede sometimes thus
*5 See Dr. Lanigan's
of Christ — xlvii. ology Church, Dublin," p.
of Tinmuth, in John Capgrave's Nova tome i. , partie ii. , chap, iii. , pp. 305, 306. Legenda Anglise. " '°3 See the Life of St. Ita or Mida, chap. 93 See the Cotton British Museum MS. , i. , nn. 8, 9, 10, 11, at the 15th of January.
Bishop
Saints," p. 4, and the Missal at the 31st of
January'.
Bishops of Ferns, pp.
3^ So called in the title of a Lite, by John ''
Harris' Ware, vol. i.
436, 437- Abbe Ma-Geoghegan's " His- toire de I'Irelande, Ancienne et Moderne,"
Vesp. A. xiv. , printed in Rees' " Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," pp. 23210 250. See Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy's "Descrip- tive Catalogue of Materials relating to the History of Great Britain and Ireland," vol.
. , p. 188.
94 See Fleming's " Collectanea Sacra,"
p. 431-
95 In the "Vita S. Edi," a MS. in Trinity
College, Dublin, classed E. 3, 11, fol. no, bb.
^ So this name Aedh is generally ren- dered in English. Thus Duald Mac Firbis and Connell Mageoghan translate it, in their versions of the Annals of Ulster and of Clon- macnoise.
97 As in the " Borumha Laighen. "
In Scholia to the "Feilire" at the 31st of this month, we read tnoe'ooc . 1. A&o . 1. tnoAet)oc, which may be rendered in Eng- lish " Moedoc," that is, Aed, that is Moae- doc.
'"-t Thus in the Tract of St. ^ngus, "On the Mothers of the Irish Saints," we read, ITlAe^oc.
^05 A very satisfactory explanation of the changes in Irish proper names from these ad- ditions is given by Colgan in his "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," p. 71, n. 2, and p. 216, n. 5. Also in "Trias Thaumaturga," p. 175, n. 54, and at p. 188, n. 122.
'°* Thus in the Italian language, as also in Latin, for instance, in deriving Paulinus from Paulus. Dr. Lanigan, likewise, in- stances Johnny, an endearing appellative of John, in the English language, as a case
9* Thus the founder of Lindisfame is called
Aedan by Bede, in " Historia Ecclesiastica
Gentis Anglorum," lib, iii. , cap. 5. We in point. See " Ecclesiastical History of
Vol. I. 2 M
are also informed that Aedan Foeddog is the Welsh name for this saint. See Rees'
Essay on the Welsh Saints," p. 227.
99 This saint is usually called Moedoc, or
530 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
have a coresponding usage. Maedocc/°7 or Maodhog,^°^ is in Latin Modo- cus,^°9 Maidocus,"° and in English Maidoc,"' Modoche,"^ Modock,"3 Ma- does,^^4Mogue. ^^s Bythisprocess,twonamessodissimilarinsoundasEh and Mogue are proved to be identical. "^
At the birth of our saint, many miraculous events are said to have oc-
curred. An extraordinary illumination was seen diffused around the place,
in which he was bom, and this continued for a considerable time. It is
stated,"^ that the flag-stone on which he had been placed to be baptized,
afterwards served the purpose of a boat or cot to convey persons over to the
islandofthatlake,wherehewasbom. Inthepagesofthissamework,we
find it asserted, that our saint's mother, while in the pains of childbirth,
leaned upon some dry wood. This withered stick of hazel then became
virescent. It assumed a bark, putting forth leaves, and it produces fmit each
year,^'^ in Inis-Breach-maighe. So mns the popular legend.
The early education of St. Maidoc, as we shall henceforth call him, be-
came an object of the greatest importance, in his pious parents' estimation. To this they sedulously contributed, by their own watchful supervision. The youth's holy dispositions were early manifested. His vocation was deter-
mined, by that care he observed, in avoiding all unlawful pleasures and pursuits. Then God's grace filled him interiorly with desires, having little relation with the perishable pursuits of earth, so that as he grew in years he increased in wisdom and virtue.
CHAPTER II.
CHRONOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES REGARDING THIS SAINT MAIDOC—DETAINED AS A HOSTAGE BY KING AINMIRE, AND AFTERWARDS RELEASED—MIRACLES DURING THE YOUTH OF MAIDOC—HIS INTIMACY WITH ST. LASERIAN OF DEVENISH—HE RESCUES THREE BOYS FROM DROWNING—HE IS ALLOWED BY KING AEDUS, THE FAIR, TO DEPART FROM BREFFNEY—ST. MAIDOC THEN GOES OVER TO WALES— HIS DISCIPLESHIP UNDER ST. —DAVID, BISHOP OF MENEVIA—HIS MIRACULOUS WORKS AMONG THE BRITONS HE OBTAINS, THROUGH PRAYER, A VICTORY FOR THEM OVER THE SAXONS.
A COMPARISON and an analysis of places, dates, and names, occurring in the old Acts of this celebrated prelate, frequently leave modem critical historians
Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sec. ix. , n. 118, p. 336.
'°7ln the "Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman," at the 31st of January, we find,
niae," lib. ii. , cap. 47, p. 732. Camden's edition.
^"SeeRev. AlbanButler's"Livesofthe
Fathers, Martyrs, and other Principal tnAeDocc, •{:ei\nA epfcop eyrde. •Ao'6 a Saints," vol. i. , xxxi. January.
c^T) Ainm. *' he was of '" See ** Calendar of Maedocc, bishop King's
Fema. Aodhwashisfirstname. " at January 31st
Scotland,"
'°* See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," at A. D. 624. Also the
"ofatthe Martyrology Donegal," January
31st,pp. 32,33,
»°9This seems to have been—the name—of
this particular saint is uncertain in Scotland. See the " Kalendar," Pridie Kal. Feb. , and
Aberdonen-
"•' See Thomas Innes' " Civil and Ecclesi-
astical History of Scotland," book ii. , p. 161.
"
Sanctorum, Pars Hyemalis, fol. 45 b a.
"S This is the vulgar pronunciation of our saint's name, iu the counties of Wexford and Cavan.
the Also "
Registrum Episcopatus
*'* See Rev. William Reeves' " On paper
Breviarium Aberdonense," Proprium
"
deen," Ap. Proceedings of the Society of of the Lord Primate. " Read before the
vol.
Antiquaries of Scotland," vol. ii. , p.
P- 335-
5' The parish of Dnmilane contams over
" 20,cxx) acres, and is marked on the Ord-
nance Survey Townland Maps for the
perceive,
gives us
Donegal. "
5° "Thus the territory anciently called
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 527
Breffneys ; and heretofore, it was a place of sepulture for the chiefs of both
principalities. From a very early period,^^ as would seem from this account, a religious establishment had been there founded, and at present some in- teresting antiquarian and ecclesiastical remains are to be seen. 53 The round tower and an ancient church, within the old cemetery, are objects of great curiosity. More immediately near the Lough is the ruined abbey. 54 These objects have been frequently delineated and described. 55 The place, too, has been always under the patronage of our St. Mogue, as he is usually called in Ulster. 56 The O'Farrellys were hereditary coarbs of St. Mogue, or Ere- nachs of Dromlane, in Cavan County, until the suppression of this monastery. 57 At the period before St. Maidoc's birth, his parents wished to obtain the intercession of holy monks, who dwelt there ; and prayers were offered up, that a son might be bom to them, in accordance with their most anxious desires.
One night, while his parents were sleeping, the vision of a star descending from the heavens and falling on each betokened the future greatness and sanctityoftheiryetunbornMaidoc. s^ Owingtothiscircumstance,hewas afterwards called " Son of the Star," by many persons. The day following, a report of this miraculous vision spread abroad, and many wise persons predicted, that as a star led the Magi to adore Christ,59 so in like manner did this same sign portend, that a son should be born to his parents, full of the Holy Spirit. And shortly afterwards, while travelling in a chariot, Ethnea was met by a Magus, on the way. Having heard the sound of the
"
king. " On meeting the chariot, and finding it occupied by Setna's wife and
"
vehicle, this magician said to his companions :
This chariot runs under a
her companion, he said to the former :
wonderful son, and he shall be full of God's grace. ^J
After such events, the infant Maidoc or ^Edan was born, in a small island,^* called jBrackley or Inis Breag-muigh. ^^ It lies within a lake,^3 now known as Brackly Lough, in the north-western part of Cavan County. ^^ Some very curious local legends relating to his infancy are there related. ^s The spot is situated in a certain part of East Breffney,^^ commonly called Tellagh Ethach,
County of Cavan," Sheets lo, ii, 14, 15, 19, 20. Drumlane proper is shown on 14,
15.
5=* Its first annalistic records appear to be
lost.
53 A little to the north of Drumlane Lough. 5< See "Ordnance Survey Townland
MapsfortheCountyofCavan," Sheet14.
55 The accompanying original sketch of the Round Tower and Church was drawn
on the spot by William F. Wakeman, and
engraved by George A. Hanlon.
5* A monastery remained in this parish,
niae,"xxxi. Januarii. VitaS. Maidoci,cap. i. , p. 208.
to the year 1025, at which period, Duibhinsi
Ua Faircheallaigh, or O'Farrelly, Abbot of nance Survey Townland Maps for the
Druimleathan, died, according to Dr. County Cavan," Sheet 9. On its northern O' Donovan's "Annals of the Four Mas- margin is the well called Toberpatrick.
ters," vol. ii. , pp. 808, 8og. *5 See W. F. Wakeman's "Lough Erne, 57 At present their descendants are very Enniskillen, Belleek, Ballyshannon, and
numerous throughout the country. See
Record," vol.
Bundoran," etc. , concluding chapter, p. 160.
ibid. ,
5^ See "
the and is now com- O'Reillys' territory,
prised in the county of Cavan. The race
derived its name from son of Eoch- Brian,
aidh Muighmedhoin, through Duach Galach.
n. 809. (c), p.
'*
This division of Hy Briuin Breiffne was
Irish_Ecclesiastical
vii. , p. 313. — 59SeeMatt,ii. , i
*• Sec
Colgan's
12.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
*'
See Rev. S. Baring-Gould's "Lives of
Woman, thou hast conceived a
the Saints," vol. i. , p 467.
*" It is said to mean " Wolf-field Island. "
Although 'a historic spot, it is not named on the Ordnance Survey Maps, but it seems
likeaspeckonthelake,withoutantiquarian remains marked. Lying east and south of Brackley Lough are the beautiful demesnes of Brackley and Bawnboy.
*3 See Bishop Challoner's "Britannia
Sancta," part i. , p. 85.
**See its position depicted on the
"
Ord-
528 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
and now known'as the barony of Tullahan or TuUaghagh, in Kilmore diocese. ^7 It bordered on West Breffney,^^ which is now represented by the county of Leitrim. This district formerly belonged to Connaught,^9 although the Cavan
portion has long been joined to the Ulster province.
The year of St. Maidoc's birth has not been ascertained with accuracy.
Various reasons have been adduced7° to show that he must have seen the
light after 550. The year 555, or thereabouts, is a conjecture of the Rev. William Reeves. 7' Again, the Rev John Lanigan refers his birth to about A. D. 560. 7' These are inferences mainly drawn from the period of King Ainmire's reign, and this has been variously calculated by different annalists and historians. Now, according to the Annals of the Four Masters, Ainmire commenced reigning over Ireland in a,d. 564; and after a rule of three years, he was slain by Fearghus, son of Nellin, a. d. 566. 73 The Annals of Ulster state that he died a. d. 568. 74 This is considered by Dr. O'Donovan to have been the true date for his death. The Annals of Clonmacnoise assert that this monarch was slain a. d. 569. We are told, likewise, that Ainmireus began his reign over Ireland, a. c. 566 ; and that he was killed in the year 569. 7s Another usually exact Chronographer,76 ^sid Dr. Reeves,77 informs us, that onlyjpn 568, Ainmire succeeded to the sovereignty. 7^ This monarch ruled over Ireland for a period of nine years, according to Dr. Keating. 79 Now should we refer the time of our saint's boyhood to one of those years when Ainmire reigned, it will be a difficult matter to determine accurately the date for his birth, especially when we must bear in mind that he was a disciple of St. David,^° Bishop of Menevia, in Wales. In like man- ner his Chronology has been so confused by various writers, that it ought to be extremely uncertain when he was born and died,^' or how long he lived. ^'
There seem to be reasonable grounds for supposing, that the birth of our Maidoc must be referred to the earlier period of the sixth century. A learned and critical investigator, in a peculiar hypothesis,^3 admits, he could not have
*^See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
niae," xxxi. Januarii, n. 6, p. 216.
°^The O'Roorkes' country.
''See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
lory of Ireland," vol ii. , chap, xiv. , sec. ix. , n. 123, p. 336.
7" By Father John Colgan.
7»In the paper "On some Ecclesiastical
Bells. "
'" See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
vol. i. , chap, ix. , sec. ix. , p. 470.
"See O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. i. , n. (b), p. 205.
7* The Annals of Ulster, through an evi-
dent oversight, refer his death a second time
land," vol. ii. , cap. xiL, sec. v. , and n. 58, pp. 198, 199. Also, chap, xiv. , sec. ix. , and n. 125, pp. 334, 336.
79 Such is the statement of Colgan, and
perhaps he had a copy of Keating's work, which had such an account. Yet in O'Ma-
hony's Keating's "History of Ireland," bookii. , part i. ,chap. i. , p. 444, his reign is set'down from A. D. 560 only to 563.
^° See his Life at the ist of March.
^'
Ussher, the Bollandists, and Harris in- cline to the opinion that he departed a. d. 544, while various other writers place his demise respectively at A. D. 546, 547, 550, after 560, 588, 604, 607, or 608, 642, 650.
See this matter stated and discussed, in the ""
to A. D. 575.
75 See Ussher's Britannicarum Ecclesia-
rum Antiquitates. " Index Chronologicus, p, 532.
7' See O'Flaherty's "Ogygia," pars, iii. , cap. xciii. , p. 431.
7? See Reeves's Adamnan's Life of St.
Columba," p. 32, note e.
78 Dr. Lanigan is at issue with all these
foregoing accounts, except O'Flaherty's statement, when he says, Ainmire began his reign in a. d. 568, and ended it in the year 571. See " Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
author's Life of St. David, Archbishop of Menevia, Chief Patron of Wales, and Titu- lar Patron of Naas Church and Parish, in Ireland," chap, x. , pp. 9010 103.
^^ He is allowed a usually
life
by
ibid.
^3 Dr, Lanigan says, that St. Maidoc must
have been at least twenty-four years old when St. David of Menevia died. Thishap- pened some time iu the sixth century.
long
most writers, and varying from about ninety to one hundred and forty-seven years. See
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 529
been born later than 520 ;^4 although it does not seem probable, that he could have attained the extraordinary age of 112 years. ^5
The name of this is found written in a of forms. ^^ holy bishop great variety
The simple denomination is Aedh,^7 Oedh,^^ or Aodh,^^ which signifies " fire.
"5° When borrowed into other languages, this name is rendered Aeda,9*
Aidus,9» Aiduus,93 ^deus,94 Edus,95 or Hugh. 9^ With the diminutive ter- mination an, the original name is resolved into Aedhan. 97 This is again modifiedintoAedan,^^Aedanus. 99 ItiswrittenAidanus,^°°orAidan,^°''and EdanusorEdan,^"^anditassumestheformMo-aedh-og. Thisisagaincon- tractedintoMoedoc,^°3andaccordingtoordinarychanges,it becomesMae- doc. ^°* Thesameroot when " is andthe
and the
same date thus give his name.
See
Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish
Martyrology ofTallagh," at the ^ An ancient form.
9° See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. Septima Vita S. Patricii, n. 72, p. 176.
"
van's edition of " The Irish Topographical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na
Naomh O'Huidhrin. " Introduction, p. 57. And " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. ,
p. 247, n. (p. )
9' The "Kalendarium Drummondiense. "
'"^ fol.
VitaS. Edani, CodexinMarsh'sLibrary,
51, b. " The Book of Obits and Martyr-
continues, mo,meaning my," prefixed, "
syllableocorog,denoting little,"or"dear,"issuffixed. ^°5 Otherlanguages^°^
** Dr. Lanigan deems it probable, that St.
David died at a much later period than 544,
for otherwise, St. Maidoc's birth must be
referred to the first quarter of the sixth cen-
tury. This, he thinks, cannot well be Moedocus, as we find in various passages allowed.
"
writes the name of ^dan of Lindisfame. See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglo-
rum," lib. iii. , cap. 14, 25, 26. See Gol- dast's " Rerum Almannicarum Scriptores. "
Vita S. Findani, cap. 10, p. 222. Also, Rees' "Lives of the Cambro-British Saints. "
Ricemarch's Vita S. David, pp. 130, 133. '°' This form is used by Protestants in Leinster. Among Catholics the name is *' For the many saints called Aedh and corrupted into Moses. See Dr. O'Dono-
"
Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv,, sec. ix. , n. 125, pp. 336, 337. Ussher assigns his
death to A. D. 632.
^^ See the paper of Rev. Dr. Reeves,
already cited.
^7 The "Felire" of ^ngus at Jan. 31st,
"
Aedhan, with their various . festivals, the reader is referred to nn. 4, 5, in the Life of St. Aldus, Bishop of Kildare, at the 4th day of January.
quoted by Rev. Dr. Reeves.
'°°The Venerable Bede sometimes thus
*5 See Dr. Lanigan's
of Christ — xlvii. ology Church, Dublin," p.
of Tinmuth, in John Capgrave's Nova tome i. , partie ii. , chap, iii. , pp. 305, 306. Legenda Anglise. " '°3 See the Life of St. Ita or Mida, chap. 93 See the Cotton British Museum MS. , i. , nn. 8, 9, 10, 11, at the 15th of January.
Bishop
Saints," p. 4, and the Missal at the 31st of
January'.
Bishops of Ferns, pp.
3^ So called in the title of a Lite, by John ''
Harris' Ware, vol. i.
436, 437- Abbe Ma-Geoghegan's " His- toire de I'Irelande, Ancienne et Moderne,"
Vesp. A. xiv. , printed in Rees' " Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," pp. 23210 250. See Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy's "Descrip- tive Catalogue of Materials relating to the History of Great Britain and Ireland," vol.
. , p. 188.
94 See Fleming's " Collectanea Sacra,"
p. 431-
95 In the "Vita S. Edi," a MS. in Trinity
College, Dublin, classed E. 3, 11, fol. no, bb.
^ So this name Aedh is generally ren- dered in English. Thus Duald Mac Firbis and Connell Mageoghan translate it, in their versions of the Annals of Ulster and of Clon- macnoise.
97 As in the " Borumha Laighen. "
In Scholia to the "Feilire" at the 31st of this month, we read tnoe'ooc . 1. A&o . 1. tnoAet)oc, which may be rendered in Eng- lish " Moedoc," that is, Aed, that is Moae- doc.
'"-t Thus in the Tract of St. ^ngus, "On the Mothers of the Irish Saints," we read, ITlAe^oc.
^05 A very satisfactory explanation of the changes in Irish proper names from these ad- ditions is given by Colgan in his "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," p. 71, n. 2, and p. 216, n. 5. Also in "Trias Thaumaturga," p. 175, n. 54, and at p. 188, n. 122.
'°* Thus in the Italian language, as also in Latin, for instance, in deriving Paulinus from Paulus. Dr. Lanigan, likewise, in- stances Johnny, an endearing appellative of John, in the English language, as a case
9* Thus the founder of Lindisfame is called
Aedan by Bede, in " Historia Ecclesiastica
Gentis Anglorum," lib, iii. , cap. 5. We in point. See " Ecclesiastical History of
Vol. I. 2 M
are also informed that Aedan Foeddog is the Welsh name for this saint. See Rees'
Essay on the Welsh Saints," p. 227.
99 This saint is usually called Moedoc, or
530 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
have a coresponding usage. Maedocc/°7 or Maodhog,^°^ is in Latin Modo- cus,^°9 Maidocus,"° and in English Maidoc,"' Modoche,"^ Modock,"3 Ma- does,^^4Mogue. ^^s Bythisprocess,twonamessodissimilarinsoundasEh and Mogue are proved to be identical. "^
At the birth of our saint, many miraculous events are said to have oc-
curred. An extraordinary illumination was seen diffused around the place,
in which he was bom, and this continued for a considerable time. It is
stated,"^ that the flag-stone on which he had been placed to be baptized,
afterwards served the purpose of a boat or cot to convey persons over to the
islandofthatlake,wherehewasbom. Inthepagesofthissamework,we
find it asserted, that our saint's mother, while in the pains of childbirth,
leaned upon some dry wood. This withered stick of hazel then became
virescent. It assumed a bark, putting forth leaves, and it produces fmit each
year,^'^ in Inis-Breach-maighe. So mns the popular legend.
The early education of St. Maidoc, as we shall henceforth call him, be-
came an object of the greatest importance, in his pious parents' estimation. To this they sedulously contributed, by their own watchful supervision. The youth's holy dispositions were early manifested. His vocation was deter-
mined, by that care he observed, in avoiding all unlawful pleasures and pursuits. Then God's grace filled him interiorly with desires, having little relation with the perishable pursuits of earth, so that as he grew in years he increased in wisdom and virtue.
CHAPTER II.
CHRONOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES REGARDING THIS SAINT MAIDOC—DETAINED AS A HOSTAGE BY KING AINMIRE, AND AFTERWARDS RELEASED—MIRACLES DURING THE YOUTH OF MAIDOC—HIS INTIMACY WITH ST. LASERIAN OF DEVENISH—HE RESCUES THREE BOYS FROM DROWNING—HE IS ALLOWED BY KING AEDUS, THE FAIR, TO DEPART FROM BREFFNEY—ST. MAIDOC THEN GOES OVER TO WALES— HIS DISCIPLESHIP UNDER ST. —DAVID, BISHOP OF MENEVIA—HIS MIRACULOUS WORKS AMONG THE BRITONS HE OBTAINS, THROUGH PRAYER, A VICTORY FOR THEM OVER THE SAXONS.
A COMPARISON and an analysis of places, dates, and names, occurring in the old Acts of this celebrated prelate, frequently leave modem critical historians
Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sec. ix. , n. 118, p. 336.
'°7ln the "Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman," at the 31st of January, we find,
niae," lib. ii. , cap. 47, p. 732. Camden's edition.
^"SeeRev. AlbanButler's"Livesofthe
Fathers, Martyrs, and other Principal tnAeDocc, •{:ei\nA epfcop eyrde. •Ao'6 a Saints," vol. i. , xxxi. January.
c^T) Ainm. *' he was of '" See ** Calendar of Maedocc, bishop King's
Fema. Aodhwashisfirstname. " at January 31st
Scotland,"
'°* See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," at A. D. 624. Also the
"ofatthe Martyrology Donegal," January
31st,pp. 32,33,
»°9This seems to have been—the name—of
this particular saint is uncertain in Scotland. See the " Kalendar," Pridie Kal. Feb. , and
Aberdonen-
"•' See Thomas Innes' " Civil and Ecclesi-
astical History of Scotland," book ii. , p. 161.
"
Sanctorum, Pars Hyemalis, fol. 45 b a.
"S This is the vulgar pronunciation of our saint's name, iu the counties of Wexford and Cavan.
the Also "
Registrum Episcopatus
*'* See Rev. William Reeves' " On paper
Breviarium Aberdonense," Proprium
"
deen," Ap. Proceedings of the Society of of the Lord Primate. " Read before the
vol.
Antiquaries of Scotland," vol. ii. , p.
