No More Learning

With his perforated garment, his crook- headed staff,
March, 1868, p. 286.
'3 See St. Fiech's Hymn on St. Patrick,
stanza lo. " Prima Vita S. Patricii," p. 2.
:
:
536 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
during the first year of his successor, Sixtus III. , who was elevated to the
Papal dignity, on the 28th of April, a. d. 432. ^7 It seems probable, that our holy Apostle came early in the summer of that year. It has been shown, that the date, a. d. 425 assigned by William of Malmesbury'^ for the arrival of St. Patrick in Ireland must have anticipated the true event, by several years. It was copied from him, by Stanihurst,'9 and by other writers ; but, it is strangely erroneous. '^° In that case, St. Patrick must have been in Ire- land, five or six years before that generally assumed time, for the arrival of Palladius. Nor is it likely, that his mission should have been deferred, until
about 435,^^ or to a. d. 440, as Tillemont,^^ and other writers conjecture. '3 Happily, to accomplish that glorious mission, which Palladius failed in fully prosecuting, and which the Almighty so mercifully aided St. Patrick in effecting, as many writers suppose, the future Apostle of Ireland landed, on some part of the Wicklow coast. A writer of his Acts tells us, that the holy man touched at a certain port, in the country of the Evoleni. ^* This place hadbeencelebrated,evenontheContinentofEurope. Yet,Colganurges, in a note, that, for Evolenoriwi, we should rather read Cuolenorum. This seems to have been the Latinized form of name, for that tract, called, in Irish, Crioch-cuoUan. Hence, the harbour in question must have been that of Kilmantan, now called Wicklow,'5 jn the opinion of our Irish hagiologist.
With his table at the west end of his
house,
And all his people will answer. Amen,
amen. "
—
March, 1868, n. /. , p. 287. In this gloss, the altar is said to be at " the west," i. e.
iAl\chAH\. This word is written Ai|\chiui\, i. e. "the east," in the Irish version of the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, and in other copies of this stanza, as may be seen in Professor Eugene O'Cuny's " Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History," lect. xix. , p. 397, and Appendix, No. cxxxiii. , p. 624.
bemiam venit atque Scotos baptizare in- choat, nono anno Theodos. minoris," &c. This should place St. Patrick's arrival, about A. D. 417. These Annals, as well as the "Adversaria," are in Latin and Irish, and very badly written.
="
This would seem to follow, from the statement of John Major, that St. Patrick was sent to Ireland five years after Palla- dius. See " De Gestis Scotorum," cap. ii.
"See "Memoires pour servir a 1 His-
toire Ecclesiastique. " tome xvi. , p. 784.
"* The Rev. Dr. Todd states, from some calculations he has made, that " we may assume A. D. 440 to 450, or at latest 460, as the limits within which must be found the year of the consecration of St. Patrick an—d
of his arrival as a missionary in Ireland. "
"Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. iv.
'*
According to those of Ulster, of Innis-
fallen, of Clonmacnoise, and of the Four Masters. See, also, Marianus Scotus, Florence of Worcester, Sigebert and Baro- nius. See Ussher's " Primordia," cap. xvii. , p. 1046, and Colgan's "Trias Thauma- turga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Pa- Iricii, cap. xvii. , p. 254.
"
St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," chap,
'' This seems to accord best, with the See
"
narrated series of St. Patrick's Acts.
'9 See "De Vita S. Patricii Hibemise
Apostoli," lib. i. , p. 42. He remarks, that others have A. D. 430.
^° Among the Burgundian Library Manu- scripts, Bruxelles, vol, xviii. . No. 5303 consists of sixty-five pages ; the first twenty- six are entitled " Adversaria Rerum Hiber- nite excerpta ex mutila Historia D.
: Cantwelly," and it commences thus " Hoc
anno ante diluvium. " At page 25 com-
Quinta Vita S. Patricii," lib. i. , cap. xxvii. , p. 49.
'^ See Dr.
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, iv. , sect, xv. , n. 129, p. 185.
Lanigan's
"
"
initial line is " Patricius Archiepus in Hi-
mences "Annales Roscreenses.
The
" Ecclesiastical His-
'S See also Ussher, " De Primordiis,"
ii. , p. 392.
** Probus says, that when the holy Bishop
Patrick had ended his voyage and fatigue,
"
utique apud nos clarissimum delatus est. "
in optatem portum regionis Evolenorum—,
cap. xvii. , p. 845.
true reading," says Dr. Lanigan,
and Colgan's corollary will naturally follow ; but I confess I have some doubts on this subject, for it is not easy to admit that the harbour of Wicklow could, at any time,. be very famous (clarissimus), considering not only how badly situated that place is for trade with the interior of Ireland, but like- wisethebadnessofthehar—bour,whichisfit only for small vessels. " "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. . chap, v. , sect, i. , n. 3, p. 210. The accompanying view of the River Vartry, near its embouchure to
If Cuolenorum be the
"
Ussher's
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 537
However, the Rev. Dr. Lanigan^^ and Thomas Moore'? think St. Patrick's first landingmayhavebeen,ontheshoreofDubhn. ^^ But,OstiumDee,'9In- bher-De, Dee, or Dea,3°—which means the opening of a River De or Dea— is mentioned by many writers,3' as having been the actual place, where St. Patrick disembarked. That stream has been also called the Deae River,
TheVartryRiver,(hewoodenbridgeacrossit, theTownofWicklow,and St. Patrick's Catholic Church on a hill-side.
From the situation of Cualann and Ui-Garchon, where it was. Dr. O'Donovan supposes it to be more than probable, that he landed at Bray. 32 It is very
remarkable, however, that the river, now denominated the Two Mile Water, formerly was known as the De,33 and this local tradition is yet preserved in
the sea, at Wicklow Town, and the Catholic
Parochial Church, dedicated to St. Patrick,
is from a photograph, kindly furnished by
Mrs. South Great Ryan, 89
Vere's " of St. Patrick :" — Legends
George's-street, Dublin. This view has been drawn on the
wood, by William F. Wakeman, and en- graved, by George A. Hanlon.
^*
See {bid. , sect, i. , p. 209. Dr. Lanigan says, according to one account, it should be looked for somewhere in the bay of Dublin, or between it and Skerries.
"7 Owing to the mention of the Evoleni, "
portus Eblanorum," or the har-
" When now at Imber Dea, that precious
bark.
Freighted with Erin's future, touched the
sands
Just where a river, through a woody vale Curving, with duskier current clave the
sea,
Patrick, the island's great inheritor,
His perilous voyage past, stept forth and knelt
And blessed his God. "
—The Disbelief of Milcho, or St. Patrick's
one failure, p. 3.
J° A prince named Dagadh is said to have
been drowned, near that place, and hence the name is thought to have been derived.
Ptolemy's
bour of Dublin, may have been meant. See
"
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, x. , p.
214. As in Irish, b is commutable with v,
between the two names, there seems little
difference.
=^
The harbour of Dublin, in the lime of Probus, was very celebrated ; for, ihe Danes were then its controllers.
'' So is it called, in the Second Life, cap.
xxviii. , p. 14 ; in the Fourth Life, cap, xxxi. , p. 39. This landing, at the place named, is thus alluded to, in Aubrey De
538 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
that neighbourhood. 34 By otliers, it has been said, the mouth of the Ovoca River is more likely to have been that exact spot, and some reasons have been advanced for such an opinion. 3s This is near the present town of Arklow,3^ and the people there have a tradition, that no fish can live in that river, owing to the malediction of St. Patrick ; while others attribute such a circumstance, to those copper mines, which are near its banks. Popular tradition asserts, likewise, that the holy missionary first landed at the mouth of a little creek, a few miles to the south of Wicklow town, and near the old church ruins of Ennisboheen, formerly written Inis-Baithin. 37 However, his bark may have touched, at several places, along that shore, and which undoubtedly were within theancientUi-Garchondistrict. 3^ Thepresentconformationofcoast,however, to the north of Wicklow town, appears more to favour that old record, about the sea having broken over a part of the eastern shore, where the illustrious Apostle had been so inhospitably and rudely treated. When St. Patrick arrived on the east coast, he is said to have visited a place, called Anat-Cail- trin,39 whence he was driven away by the people. This Jocelyn calls Aonach- Tailtin. 4° Colgan states, that it was not near the sea, but some miles distant fromit. However,asitissaidtohavebeenoverflownbythetidal-waters,-*'we cannot conceive it to have been very far removed from the Irish Sea. The Third Life distinguishes that place from Tailtin,4» so remarkable for ancient sports and festivities. St. Patrick could not have remained long, on the shores of Wicklow ; for, it appears, he met with a very inhospitable reception, from its inhabitants. After landing, the Apostle made ready to refresh himself and his people, and to announce the office of his ministry.
The idolatrous inhabitants, however, not enduring the presence of the man of God, violently drove him thence, as the light of the sun is intolerable to the weak eye. Yet, that God, whom Patrick bore about him and glorified in his body, would not permit an affront, offered unto his servant, and for the sake of his name, to go unpunished. The river, which flowed into the sea, at that point, is said to have abounded with fish. Some fishermen, at the time, were found leaving that water, and drawing their loaded nets to the bank. Wearied with toil and hunger, the servants of the holy missioner earnestly besought those fishermen,
to bestow what was requisite for refreshment. Such entreaty was not only refused with churlishness, but insult was added by the uncourteous and in- human fishermen. On account of this refusal, on the part of these idolaters, to comfort and feed God's true worshippers, that river was thenceforth con- demned to unproductiveness. This was announced, in a prediction of St.
See Hanis' vol. Ware,
"
of
the writer
in a he was note,
Armagh," p. ii.
3' See the Third Life of St. Patrick, cap.
xxviii. p. 23 ; Jocelyn's, or " Sexta Vita S. Patricii,'' cap. xxix. , p. 71. See, also, the Irish Tripartite, Miss Cusack's "Life of St. Patrick," p. 378.
3== See "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , p. 130, n. (d. )
33 This identification accords very well
with the order of narrative, as found in the
Third Life, cap. xxviii. , xxix. , p. 23.
3*
Accompanied by the Rev. Michael Moloney, P. P. of Kilbride, to Ennereilly, at its mouth, near the sea, a resident there told us the Two Mile Water was formerly called the De, and this peas. int 'had no knowledge whatever, regarding any historic matter, in connexion with it.
35 In Lynch's "Life of St. Patrick,"
" nance Survey Townland Maps for the
i. ,
chap, x. ,
Archbishops
adds,
strongly of this opinion, owing to the local
tradition,
^ The town and parish of Arklow, in a
County of Wicklow," Sheets 40, 45.
3' Kil-Mantin and Inis-Baithin took their
names from saints, and subsequent to the time of St. Patrick's first landing in Ireland, 38 Hence, the exact place where St. Patrick first landed, after his return to Ire- land, appears still a matter for further inves-
tigation.
39 See "Tertia Vita S. Patricii," cap.
xxix. , p. 23, and n. 29, p. 31.
^° See "Sexta Vita S. Patricii," cap.
xxx. , p. 71.
•' See the Third Life, cap. xxix. , p. 23. ^^^ See j^/V/. , cap. xliii. , p. 25, and n. 43,
barony so called, are shown, on the
Ord-
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 539
Patrick,accordingtothelocallegend; and,itseemstohavecomedownto us, from the records of very ancient times. -^3
A certain chief, said to have opposed Palladius some time previous, has been charged with offering most violent opposition to our saint. That opponent is set down as Nathy,45 son of Garchu,^^ and he figures as the Chief of Ui Garchon. 't7 His opposition to St. Patrick is related in the Tripartite Life, and immediately after his rejection by the people, who lived near Inbher- de. These narratives seem to indicate distinct events. '*^ Owing to the wickedness of those who dwelt there, the Lord converted their fruitful land into a salt-marsh. With the overflowing of an unwonted tide, the sea covered their adjoining grounds, and that these might for ever be uninhabit- able, our saint changed the dry land into a plashy lakc-t^
If we are to credit some accounts, St. Patrick is stated to have made the first Scottish or Irish convert,5° where he landed, about this time, on the coast of Wicklow. This presumed neophyte is called Sinell,5' son of Finn- chadh, a Leinster man. He is related, to have received baptism, from the newly-arrived Apostle. s^ According to other accounts, however, Dichu, in the north of Ireland, is said to have been St. Patrick's first convert. His neophyte, Sinell, is thought to have lived, until a. d. 548. 53 Therefore, in the opinion of Dr. Lanigan, he could not have been of age to become a convert, when St. Patrick landed on the east coast of Ireland.
After the inhospitable repulse of Nathi, the inspired man pushed his bark out from Inbher-Dea,54 and, he had a prosperous voyage. When obliged to sail from the Wicklow coast, the Tripartite Life states, that, spreading sail, he next steered towards the north, keeping the region of Breagh on the left side. 55 He landed, at a place, called Rathinbher. 5^ It is thought to have been denominated a Rath, owing to the circumstance of a fort, or castle,
p. 31. Dr. Lanigan cannot but think, that very well, with those lagoons, near the
Tailten, or Tailtin, was situated, at or near the place, now corruptly called Teltown, in the barony of Kells. See Seward's "To-
pographical Dictionary of Ireland," at Tail- ten.
« See " Sexta Vita S. Patricii," cap. xxix. , p. 71 ; Colgan's "Trias Thauma- turga. "
** See Septiina Vita S. Patricii, lib. i. , cap. xlii. , p. 123. As this narrative ap- pears in the Second Life, it is evidently an interpolation. It not only breaks the con- tinuity ; but, it is directly contrary to cir- cumstances, related in the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth chapters of the said Life. Found in the Tripartite, it may be suspected as an interpolation. It has even all the ap- pearance of a note, that had crept into the text.
*5 See Secunda Vita S. Patricii, cap.
XXV. , p. 13.
t*See Miss Cusack's "Life of St.
Patrick," p. 378. ''> This ancient
mouth of the Vartry River ; and, in point of fact, the landing-place has been so identified. See Rev. Dr. Todd's " St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," chap, i. , p. 338, n. 2.
territory
Fhaidhle, now Gienealy, and Rath-Naoi,
Tripartite
53 At this year, we find the death of Sinell,
contained Gleann
Acta Sanctorum Hiberniaa," at the 26th of March, In this, however, there is nothing about Sinell having been converted, by the Irish Apostle.
5^ A genealogy of Sinell is furnished by
Colgan. Thence, it would appear, that Sinell was grandson of Imchadius, and the eighth in descent from Corbmac Cucorb, King of Leinster. Colgan likewise says, that he was surnamed the Elder. See n. 35, p. 18, in "Trias Thaumaturga. " The Bollandists, with regard to Sinell, followed the Life of our saint.
now Rathnew, near Wicklow. See Dr. alias Senchell, the Elder. See Dr. O'Doiio-
O' Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (r), p. 453.
** See " Septima Vita S. Patricii," lib. i. , cap. xlii. , p. 123.
van's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 186, 187. See, also, Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita S. Patricii, n. 120, p. 188.
*9
This description of the place seems to accord
5* The Irish " Tripartite has it,
See the Sixth Life, cap. xxx. , p. 71.
his ships," thus seeming to indicate, that the
5° See
p. 18.
"
Secunda Vita S. Patricii," cap. XXV. , p. 13. In a note annexed, Colgan seems to think, he was a saint of the name, venerated either on the 12th of January, or on the i2thof November. See ibid. , n. 35,
"
5* His Life is given by Colgan, in the
540 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
having been there, and at the mouth of a river. A conjecture has been offered,57 that it may have been identical with Old Court, s^ in the parish of Bray, and at the mouth of a clear and shallow stream, rushing into the sea,
Skerries Harbour, County Dublin.
nearthat itis— thathereachedthemouthofa point. Afterwards, related,
river, called Inbher Domnonnss perhaps, however, it was not a locality distinct from Rath Inbher. He found no fish there. ^° That name is now
supposed to be disguised, under the modern denomination, Muldowney,^' at the Malahide river. ^^ Thus, had the holy man touched on the territory of
the Bregenses,^3 or Bregii. ^-* This district, called Magh-Brega,^s was situated
saint and his companions used more than
one vessel. See Miss Cusack's " Life of
Vere, in his states :—
Legends of St. Patrick,"
St. Patrick," p. 381.
"
55 See "
Vita S.
Theypassed, herds
and heard the
of the
Septima xliv. , p. 124.
Patricii," cap.
lowing
5* This seems to have been the place, called Anat-Cailtrin, in the Third Life, cap. xxix. , p. 23. See, also, n. 29, p. 31. By Jocelyn, it is named Aonach-Taillienn. See cap.