Throughout the earlier middle ages, we have occasional
historic
allusions
Bishop of Cill Usaille, in Lif—fe (died) on the 228, 229.
Bishop of Cill Usaille, in Lif—fe (died) on the 228, 229.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v8
The Dublin solus.
" Ibid.
, ii.
, p.
August 27. ] LIVES OE THE IRISH SAINTS. 389
in the little cell of Cuillin. 6 From Archbishop Ussher's account, we may fairly infer, that Auxilius was consecrated Bishop, about a. d. 448. 7 The names of Auxilius and of Secundums are in the list of the four hundred and
8
fifty Bishops, said to have been ordained in Ireland, by St. Patrick himself. Another conjecture is, that Auxilius, Isserninus and Secundinus had been
consecrated Bishops, previously to this period, although they had not been appointed to fixed sees. 9
There are no ancient records known to exist and which serve to reveal the founder of a church at Kilossey ; unless, indeed, we may assume from the old name it bears of Ceall Uassaille, that its origin could be traced back to the present saint. We are informed, according to legendary accounts, that towards the close of the last century, St. Patrick founded an abbey in that district, which was anciently denominated Magh Laisagh, situated in Magh Libhiadh, the old name for the N. E. parts of the County of Kildare. 10
11
that St. Patrick appointed Auxilius Bishop of North Leinster. Our saint, having had his share in labours of the Irish mission, was at length set over a church, in that plain, bordering on the River Liffey. From him, likewise, this
12
which means the "church" or " cell of Auxilius. " J 3 This place was afterwards known as Kill-ussi or Killossy, in the County of Kildare. The Third Life of St. Patrick states,
j
Following the Tripartite Life, Archbishop Ussher says,
church was called, Kill-Auxaile or Killasaille,
that St. Patrick ordained his 1 * when the sons of disciple Auxilius,
Dunlinge made their profession of faith, and that Fiach s of Slebti was ordained at the
same time. The present church at Killashee is a comparatively modern building ; but the uncommon feature it presents is that of the bell-tower, the lower part of which is square, and the upper part round. 16 The tower is much older than the present church ; it belonged to an earlier building, as may be seen by the drip-stones, which mark the height and pitch of the former roof. But to determine the date of its erection, with any sort of pre-
1
cision, is not any easy task. ? In a Life of St. Patrick, it is stated, that he
6 Now known as Kilcullen, in the County Church of Magh Laissy. " See a Memoir of Kildare. respecting the Antiquities of the Church of 7 Supposed to have been the year of Killossy, in the County of Kildare, with
"
Secundin's death. See Britannicarum
Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 430.
8
The Fourth Life of St. Patrick states particularly, that when he came into the province of Leinster, he built innumerable churches, and ordained Bishops, Priests and others of inferior ecclesiastical rank. See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Vita S. Patricii, lxxv. , 44.
written by Rev. Denis Murphy, S. J. , M. R. I. A. , in the "Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society," vol. i. , No. i. , pp. 15, 16.
10
some conjectures on the origin of the ancient Irish Churches. By Mr. William Beaufort, A. B. , in "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," a. d. m. dccxc, Vol. iii. , Antiquities, pp. 82, 83.
CCCCXLVIII. See "Britannicarum Ecclesi-
arum Antiquitates," p. 518.
I2
It is also written Ceall-uasall.
I3 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae," Martii. xix. Vita S. Auxilii, cap. iv. ,
p. 658.
H See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Tertia Vita S. Patricii, cap. lviii. , p. 25.
IS His feast occurs, on the 12th of Octo-
cap. p.
9 See the Article on Killashee Church,
Such is the statement of William ber.
Beaufort, A. B. , who again tells us, that the l6 There is an engraving—from a vi—ew O'Kellys were chiefs of that district, and taken by Lieutenant Daniel Grose in 1792 were stated to have founded a monastery of Killossy Church, County Kildare, in
'7 See Rev. Denis article, Murphy's
"Killashee Church," in "Journal of the
County Kildare Archaeological Society,"
l8 "
from thence Killmolossy or Killossy, or the See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical
so
also adds, that the church and other p. 84.
there,
early
" to the fashion according
buildings there,
of the country, were most probably erected of wood, and denominated from the district
Ceallmagh Laisagh or Cillmoilaissy, and vol. i. , No. i. , pp. 17, 18.
" In his Index Chonologicus, at a. d.
as the He Grose's " of Ireland," vol. eighth century. Antiquities ii. ,
39o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 27.
consecrated as Bishop, a holy and pious man, named Auxilius, one of his disciples; but,wemaywellbelieve,thatinsteadofconsecratingoursaint,at that time, he was merely installed Bishop of this see, his call to the episco-
18 The Life of St. Patrick has Tripartite
taken
no mention of our saint's ordination ; but, it states, that the Irish Apostle
pacy having previously
place.
left Auxilius at Killossy, and Iserninus at Killcullen. '9
20
Of this Saint's succeeding Acts, as Bishop of Killossy or Killashee, we
know little, nor the length of time he presided over that primitive see. It is likely enough, he gathered around him a number of pious men to follow the rules of a monastic state. A monastery seems to have been established here from an early period, and it was one of the religious institutions of Ireland plundered by the foreigners, a. d. 824, when such devastations were general
21
However, it was soon restored, and at a. d. 827, the death of Mael Dobharchon, one of its Abbots,
throughout the length and breadth of the land.
22
That St. Auxilius was considered one of the most effective labourers,
in establishing the Irish Church, would appear from his being called, in con-
junction with St. Patrick and St. Isserninus, to preside over a synod held at
Armagh. The Acts of this remarkable assembly are known, under its title,
" the of of Patrick, Auxilius and Isserninus. "23 Their Synod Bishops, /. <? . ,
Decrees relate to discipline and rules of life, which serve to reveal the many
2
early customs and usages that then prevailed in the Irish Church. « It has
been supposed, that this early Synod, held by the three great Fathers of the Irish Church, must have assembled after a. d. 448, the year assigned for the death of St. Secundums, as there is no mention of him, although the names of Auxilius and of Isserninus are given. Sir James Ware has about 45c as the probable era. Nor could it have been later than 459, the year usually set down for the death of Auxilius. Wherefore, an intermediate year 455 has been thought of, as one probably more reconcilable with the time, when it had been convened. Neither is the place known. Although Auxilius has been styled the co-episcopus and comorban of St. Patrick, yet we are not to understand by such terms, that he acted for the Irish Apostle in the see of Armagh, or therein succeeded, as the words might seem to imply ; but rather, that he assisted contemporaneously in spreading the Gospel in that part of Leinster, to which he had been assigned.
One of St. Patrick's Lives relates, that after many miracles wrought by Auxilius, he happily terminated life at Ceall-vsaille, in the plains of Leinster. It is stated, also, that the Bishop Auxilius, the nephew of St. Patrick, ended his days in the city of Ceall-Usall, which had been called after him. 25 It is
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vi. , sect. Book of Leinster.
i. , p. 260. " See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
19 Thus do we find it expressed: "In Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 442, 443.
Leges Ecclesise Angliae," tomusi. , published in 1639, at London, the Decrees of this
is chronicled.
ecclesia, quo, ex ejus nomine denomina-
tionem, sumens, Kill-ausaille vulgo vocatur,
reliquit S. A—uxilium ; in Kill-cuillin S.
Isserninum. " Colgan's "Trias Thauma- Synod are given.
turga," Septima cap. xviii.
Vita S.
lib.
2« Besides the text of these issuing
20
For an illustration of Killashee Church
and Round Tower, County of Kildare, the reader is referred to the Third Volume of this work, at the 19th of March, Art. vi.
at See "Wars of the Gsedhil w; th the Gaill,"editedbyVeryRev. Jamesiienthorn Todd, D. D. There, however, the place is called Orllasaile, while other authorities have Cellusaille, such as Keating, and the
Scholiis
2* "
Episcopus,
tate quo Ceall-Usalli nomen ab eo accepit, vitam finiit. "
Patricii,
iii. ,
Decrees, the learned Spanish priest, Joachim Laurence Villanueva, has amply annotated them in his work " Sancti Patricii, Ibernorum
Apostoli, Synodi, Canones, Opuscula, et Scriptorum qure supersunt, Fragmenta ;
23 In oDelman's " Concilia, Decreta,
illustrata," pp.
I to 102.
"6 At this year we read
:
" Saint Usaille
S. Patricii incivi- nepos,
August 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 391
generally considered, moreover, that St. Auxilius died after the middle of the fifth century ; but, differences of statement have been made regarding the precise year. The Annals of the Four Masters agree with some of the
26
ancient Irish Annals, in placing the date at a. d. 454.
Ulster, cited by Ussher, refer his death to the year 460,^ which is pro- nounced by Dr. O'Donovan28 to be the correct date.
A festival in honor of Usaille mac h Baird is inserted in the Martyrology
of
27th
the 19th of March, according to our Irish Martyrologists, cited by Colgan ;
on the 1 6th of September, as stated in his text, but on 16th of April, as found in a note. 3° It is unnecessary to say, that his feast will not be found in the Irish Calendar, at the 16th of September, which is inserted in Colgan's text, as a festival of St. Auxilius —this being one of the many typographical errors so frequentlymetwithinhisprintedworks. AstheScholiastontheMartyrology of Tamlacht treats of him on the 19th of March alone, Colgan is of opinion, that the latter must be the proper date for his principal festival. Thus our IrishHagiologistplaceshisActs,atthe19thofMarch. Undertheheadof Cill Usaille, Duald Mac Firbis records Usaille (Auxilius) bishop, son of Ua Baird, at August 27th. We are told there, that Cill UsailleS1 is in Leinster. 32 This saint is designated Usaille, son of Ua Baird, Bishop, of Cill Usaille, in Leinster, in the Martyrology" of Donegal,33 at the same date. A commen- tator, in the Table appended to this record of our national saints, seems to have entertained quite a different opinion, regarding the locality where he had been venerated. While calling him th—e son of Ua Bhaird— thus agree- ingwiththeTallaghMartyrology'saccount wearetold,Ussailleisidentical
withOsaille,inMar. KI. 34 Thiscommentatorsays,thatwithoutanydoubt, he was Abbot of Cill Om Baird in Conaille, i. e. , Cinel Conaill,35 near Bally Ui Bhaoighill, a good parish, in the diocese of Raphoe. In the Irish Calendar, compiled for the Irish Ordnance Survey Office, at the vi. of the
September Kalends (August 27th) we have an entry of this saint's feast, in a peculiar form. 36 But, no notice is there taken of Auxilius, at the xiv. of the April Kalends (March 19th) nor at the xiv. of the May Kalends
1 (April 6th).
Throughout the earlier middle ages, we have occasional historic allusions
Bishop of Cill Usaille, in Lif—fe (died) on the 228, 229.
of 29 at the Tallagh,
August.
Our Saint's
memory
is also on revered,
twenty-seventh of August. " Dr. O'Dono- ""
34
This perhaps, signifies 'in Mariani Kalen-
van's Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. ,
pp. 142, 143, n. (z).
2? See Ussher's " Britannicarum Ecclesia-
rum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 431, and Index Chronologus, A. D. ccc. CLX. ,p. 521.
dario' ; although in Mr. Curry's transcript of the Kalendar of Marian O'Gorman, the name is written Uasaille. In the text, p. 229 supta, the name is written Usaille. Auxil, a Latinized form of the name, occurs in Mar. Gorm. , and Auxilinus in the Mart. Taml. , at the 19th of March. "—Ibid. , pp. 476,
3S
Preface to the Martyrology of Donegal, p. xxxix. , the Writer seems to have experienced
28
See "Annals of the Four Masters, "vol.
i. , pp. 142, 143.
29 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxiii.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise,"xix. Martii. VitaS. Auxilii,cap. viii. , p. 658,andin nn. 6,7, 16,p. 659,weare told, that the Martyrologies of Tamlacht, Dunegall and Marianus O'Gorman, treat of
30 See
Colgan's
477.
But in a memorandum, found in the
great difficulty in his efforts to identify this our Saint, on the 1 9*. h of March, and at the place. He thus writes, "Cill Bhaird, in
16th of April.
31 Now Killossey, near Naas, in the
County Kildare.
32 See " Proceedings of the Royal Irish
Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. ,
part i. , pp. 98, 99.
33 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Leinster, no question: perhaps, Cill Bairdne or Cill hi m Baird, is in Upper Connacht. " See ibid. , p. xxxix.
3<s Thus: UuAf41 lie e^p rttcAo'OA b "•o. " See Common Place Book F," p. 73. This copy is now kept in the Royal Irish Aca- demy.
But the Annals of
In a note here, Dr. Todd observes
:
392 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 27.
totheplace,whereoursaint'smemoryhadbeenvenerated. Stilltheannal- istic accounts are rather meagre. A writer of the last century37 relates, that the monastery at Killossy in 833 was burned to the ground by the Danes. At the year 870, we have recorded the death of Loingeach, son of Faeillen,
Abbot of Cill-Ausaille. 3
8
It was a second time, with Cillcullen or Killcullen,
destroyed in 984, by the same raiders, under the command of Ambrose, son of Godfrey, when one thousand persons were taken prisoners, and the entire district was destroyed. After that period, as we are told,39 the church was rebuilt with lime and stone, in the then new mode of architecture, of which the tower is supposed to remain as a monument. It is related, likewise, that an army was led by Aedh, son of Niall to Leinster, when Cill Ausaille and other churches were plundered, in the year 874. 4° In the year 1035, Cill- Usaille and Claenadh were plundered by the foreigners ; but the son ot
Donnchadh, son of Domhnall, overtook them, and made a great slaughter 1"
of them. 4 According to the Liber Regalis Visitationis," of 161 5, Killosoie is returned as an unappropriate rectory, and the church chancel was then in
condition. «2
a Protestant church in the Diocese of Kildare.
good
During
the last43 and
present century,
it was as regarded
As our glorious Apostle St. Patrick had studied under two great masters of the spiritual life, St. Martin of Tours and St. Germanus of Auxerre, and had learned the practice of strict discipline and the exercises of piety to dis- engage him from all worldly pursuits, so was he prepared for that extra- ordinarymissionforwhichProvidencehadspeciallydesignedhim. Inturn, he was able to collect a holy company of disciples to receive instruction and to share his labours. Among them the present saint was most distinguished and trusted for his zeal and fidelity, while his wisdom was approved in the difficult task of framing constitutions, suited to the needs of a transition state frompaganismtoChristianity. Havingbeenchosentotakechargeofsouls, during life he ministered to the requirements of his flock, and like a true pastor, his spirit passed from earth to heaven among his people, to whom he left an example for their imitation and for the practice of their descendants.
Article II. —St. Malrubius, Hermit and Martyr. [Tenth and EleventhCenturies. ~\ Atthe21stofApril,wehavealreadynotedthefestival of a St. Maelrubha or Malrubius, connected with Ireland and Scotland, and
who was a
memory has been confounded in tradition with another bearing that name, and whose feast belongs to the 27th of August. The present saint's name has been variedly written Malrubius, Malrub, Maelrubius, Maelrubba, Maolrubha,
and 2 with Melriga,
many
; yet,
other which it has under- popular transmutations,
Martyr, according
to some accounts1
it would seem, that his
37 William Beaufort, A. B. , who wrote in, 43 See Archdall's "Monasticon Hiberni-
1790. This account is preceded by a cum,"p. 332. —
beautiful copper-plate engraving of Killossy ruins at the period already named.
3a See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Article 11. 'See the Fourth Volume of this work, for notices of him at the 2ist of April, Art i.
3 A learned Scottish Father Patrick Jesuit,
Ninian Wemyss, thus writes about the pre-
Four vol. Masters,"
i. , pp. 516, 517. 39 By William Beaufort, A. B.
" banc Malrubium Sispicor,
40 See the '* Chronicum Scotorum," edited
by William M. Hennessy, pp. 164, 165.
4 ' See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals ot the
Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 830, 831.
42 The vicar was then William Mann, a
sent man holy
:
Macra noster, eis in oris missionarius, et reading minister, and its yearly value was amicus meus, Rossos suum eremitam latine £6. The Church was also supplied with Rufum dicere : jam Malrubius et Rufus non
books. multum discrepant. "
eumdem esse cum famoso illo Rossensium eremita, de quo mira narrantur, quern illi Melrigam vocant: quia narravit mihi P.
August 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 393
gone in Scotland. 3 In the Registry of Aberdeen, at xvii. Kal. Septembris, is set down the festival of St. Malrubius of Appilhors, which is clearly in- tended for Applecross, a well-known place in Scotland. The Martyiology of Aberdeen, at the vj. Kl\ Septembris, has a commemoration of this holy athlete of Christ, and of the place where he was interred. 4 The Bollandists have notices of St. Malrubius, Monk and Martyr, at the 27th of Augusts These consist in the proper Lessons for the Saint's Office, taken from the
6
Breviary of Aberdeen, together with a previous commentary, by Father
John Pinius, S. J. At the present date, also, in the Rev. S. Baring-Gould's " Lives of the Saints,"? the account of Maelrubha has been entered, with the supposition that he was the same person as the Maelrubha mentioned in the Irish Martyrologies, at the 21st of April. The Rev. Alban Butler has notice of a festival for St. Maelrubius, whom he distinguishes from a saint of the
8
name, venerated on the 21st of April.
and a. d. 1040, with different festival days, are quite sufficient to dis- tinguish both Saints ; yet, it must be confessed, other circumstances of their lives seem so identical, that it will be found difficult to avoid their being considered one and the same person. In the Life of St. Columban,? by Jonas,thereismentionofacertaindisciplenamedSummarius. Theparish of Keith has him for a tutelar Saint. He is also named Samarive and on
;
the 27th August, which is called Samarevis day, there is a fair at Forres. Thomas Innes considers this saint to be identical with St. Malrubius, the Hermit, called in Irish Sa-Maruve. 10 As the present saint is—stated in his
—manatthetimeofhisdeath thedateof Proper Office, to have been an old
whichhasbeenfairlywelldenned wemayconsiderhimtohavebeenborn about or after the middle of the tenth century. He is said to have led a heremitical life in Mernia, a district of Scotland, and within the ancient King- dom of Albania or Alban. 11 In the First Lesson of the Aberdeen
Breviary, which contains his Office, we are informed, that this holy man lived for a long time under monastic rule, and wearing the monk's habit. His life was spent in preaching the Gospel to pagans, and having instructed many of these in the doctrines of Faith, they were brought to embrace Christianity. This did not happen, however, without many trials and adversities which he personally endured. By Grevan, the present holy man is stated to have been an abbot. 12
3 For these various changes the reader is
referred to what has been already written,
at the 2 1st of April, when treating about St.
Maelrubius, or Maolrubha, of Bangor, Keith, taken from a MS. account of Sco—t-
County of Down, and of Applecross, Scot- land.
4
I0 See, A Description of the Parish of tish Bishops, in the library at Slaines.
''
Illustrations of the Topography and Anti- quities of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff. " terms: "In Scotia Sancti Malrubij mar- Edited by Joseph Robertson, vol. ii. , p.
This account runs in the following
tyris sepultus apud Appilhorss Rossensis 240.
dyocesis. Cuius tanto sperabatur in patribus " Its situation and description may be "
illis beatitudo in patria quanto eiusdem found, by referring to the map in Celtic
miranda apud illam indomitam gentem com- probatur probitas et patiencia. "— " Proceed- ings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scot- land," vol. ii. , p. 267.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , De S. Malrubio Monacho et Martyre in
Marnia Scotiae Provincia, pp. 131, 132.
Scotland : a History of Ancient Alban," by William F. Skene, vol. i. , book i. , chap, vii. ,
6
7 See vol.
p. 340. The chief stronghold of the men of Moerne was Dun Fother or Dunotter, situated on the east coast over the German Ocean. The men ot Moerne " appear to have occupied an important position in the population of the Kingdom of Alban — the entire
8
throughout
Ibid. , p. 383.
history
kings. "
In five paragraphs.
viii. , August 27, p. 346.
See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
of her
I2 Thus " In Scotia Malkubii abbatis. "
:
The k appears to have been wrongly in- serted forr in giving the Saint's name.
Fathers, Martyrs, and other Saints," vol. viii. , August xxvii.
principal 9 See his feast, at the 21st of November,
Most assuredly the dates a. d.
August 27. ] LIVES OE THE IRISH SAINTS. 389
in the little cell of Cuillin. 6 From Archbishop Ussher's account, we may fairly infer, that Auxilius was consecrated Bishop, about a. d. 448. 7 The names of Auxilius and of Secundums are in the list of the four hundred and
8
fifty Bishops, said to have been ordained in Ireland, by St. Patrick himself. Another conjecture is, that Auxilius, Isserninus and Secundinus had been
consecrated Bishops, previously to this period, although they had not been appointed to fixed sees. 9
There are no ancient records known to exist and which serve to reveal the founder of a church at Kilossey ; unless, indeed, we may assume from the old name it bears of Ceall Uassaille, that its origin could be traced back to the present saint. We are informed, according to legendary accounts, that towards the close of the last century, St. Patrick founded an abbey in that district, which was anciently denominated Magh Laisagh, situated in Magh Libhiadh, the old name for the N. E. parts of the County of Kildare. 10
11
that St. Patrick appointed Auxilius Bishop of North Leinster. Our saint, having had his share in labours of the Irish mission, was at length set over a church, in that plain, bordering on the River Liffey. From him, likewise, this
12
which means the "church" or " cell of Auxilius. " J 3 This place was afterwards known as Kill-ussi or Killossy, in the County of Kildare. The Third Life of St. Patrick states,
j
Following the Tripartite Life, Archbishop Ussher says,
church was called, Kill-Auxaile or Killasaille,
that St. Patrick ordained his 1 * when the sons of disciple Auxilius,
Dunlinge made their profession of faith, and that Fiach s of Slebti was ordained at the
same time. The present church at Killashee is a comparatively modern building ; but the uncommon feature it presents is that of the bell-tower, the lower part of which is square, and the upper part round. 16 The tower is much older than the present church ; it belonged to an earlier building, as may be seen by the drip-stones, which mark the height and pitch of the former roof. But to determine the date of its erection, with any sort of pre-
1
cision, is not any easy task. ? In a Life of St. Patrick, it is stated, that he
6 Now known as Kilcullen, in the County Church of Magh Laissy. " See a Memoir of Kildare. respecting the Antiquities of the Church of 7 Supposed to have been the year of Killossy, in the County of Kildare, with
"
Secundin's death. See Britannicarum
Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 430.
8
The Fourth Life of St. Patrick states particularly, that when he came into the province of Leinster, he built innumerable churches, and ordained Bishops, Priests and others of inferior ecclesiastical rank. See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Vita S. Patricii, lxxv. , 44.
written by Rev. Denis Murphy, S. J. , M. R. I. A. , in the "Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society," vol. i. , No. i. , pp. 15, 16.
10
some conjectures on the origin of the ancient Irish Churches. By Mr. William Beaufort, A. B. , in "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," a. d. m. dccxc, Vol. iii. , Antiquities, pp. 82, 83.
CCCCXLVIII. See "Britannicarum Ecclesi-
arum Antiquitates," p. 518.
I2
It is also written Ceall-uasall.
I3 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae," Martii. xix. Vita S. Auxilii, cap. iv. ,
p. 658.
H See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Tertia Vita S. Patricii, cap. lviii. , p. 25.
IS His feast occurs, on the 12th of Octo-
cap. p.
9 See the Article on Killashee Church,
Such is the statement of William ber.
Beaufort, A. B. , who again tells us, that the l6 There is an engraving—from a vi—ew O'Kellys were chiefs of that district, and taken by Lieutenant Daniel Grose in 1792 were stated to have founded a monastery of Killossy Church, County Kildare, in
'7 See Rev. Denis article, Murphy's
"Killashee Church," in "Journal of the
County Kildare Archaeological Society,"
l8 "
from thence Killmolossy or Killossy, or the See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical
so
also adds, that the church and other p. 84.
there,
early
" to the fashion according
buildings there,
of the country, were most probably erected of wood, and denominated from the district
Ceallmagh Laisagh or Cillmoilaissy, and vol. i. , No. i. , pp. 17, 18.
" In his Index Chonologicus, at a. d.
as the He Grose's " of Ireland," vol. eighth century. Antiquities ii. ,
39o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 27.
consecrated as Bishop, a holy and pious man, named Auxilius, one of his disciples; but,wemaywellbelieve,thatinsteadofconsecratingoursaint,at that time, he was merely installed Bishop of this see, his call to the episco-
18 The Life of St. Patrick has Tripartite
taken
no mention of our saint's ordination ; but, it states, that the Irish Apostle
pacy having previously
place.
left Auxilius at Killossy, and Iserninus at Killcullen. '9
20
Of this Saint's succeeding Acts, as Bishop of Killossy or Killashee, we
know little, nor the length of time he presided over that primitive see. It is likely enough, he gathered around him a number of pious men to follow the rules of a monastic state. A monastery seems to have been established here from an early period, and it was one of the religious institutions of Ireland plundered by the foreigners, a. d. 824, when such devastations were general
21
However, it was soon restored, and at a. d. 827, the death of Mael Dobharchon, one of its Abbots,
throughout the length and breadth of the land.
22
That St. Auxilius was considered one of the most effective labourers,
in establishing the Irish Church, would appear from his being called, in con-
junction with St. Patrick and St. Isserninus, to preside over a synod held at
Armagh. The Acts of this remarkable assembly are known, under its title,
" the of of Patrick, Auxilius and Isserninus. "23 Their Synod Bishops, /. <? . ,
Decrees relate to discipline and rules of life, which serve to reveal the many
2
early customs and usages that then prevailed in the Irish Church. « It has
been supposed, that this early Synod, held by the three great Fathers of the Irish Church, must have assembled after a. d. 448, the year assigned for the death of St. Secundums, as there is no mention of him, although the names of Auxilius and of Isserninus are given. Sir James Ware has about 45c as the probable era. Nor could it have been later than 459, the year usually set down for the death of Auxilius. Wherefore, an intermediate year 455 has been thought of, as one probably more reconcilable with the time, when it had been convened. Neither is the place known. Although Auxilius has been styled the co-episcopus and comorban of St. Patrick, yet we are not to understand by such terms, that he acted for the Irish Apostle in the see of Armagh, or therein succeeded, as the words might seem to imply ; but rather, that he assisted contemporaneously in spreading the Gospel in that part of Leinster, to which he had been assigned.
One of St. Patrick's Lives relates, that after many miracles wrought by Auxilius, he happily terminated life at Ceall-vsaille, in the plains of Leinster. It is stated, also, that the Bishop Auxilius, the nephew of St. Patrick, ended his days in the city of Ceall-Usall, which had been called after him. 25 It is
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vi. , sect. Book of Leinster.
i. , p. 260. " See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
19 Thus do we find it expressed: "In Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 442, 443.
Leges Ecclesise Angliae," tomusi. , published in 1639, at London, the Decrees of this
is chronicled.
ecclesia, quo, ex ejus nomine denomina-
tionem, sumens, Kill-ausaille vulgo vocatur,
reliquit S. A—uxilium ; in Kill-cuillin S.
Isserninum. " Colgan's "Trias Thauma- Synod are given.
turga," Septima cap. xviii.
Vita S.
lib.
2« Besides the text of these issuing
20
For an illustration of Killashee Church
and Round Tower, County of Kildare, the reader is referred to the Third Volume of this work, at the 19th of March, Art. vi.
at See "Wars of the Gsedhil w; th the Gaill,"editedbyVeryRev. Jamesiienthorn Todd, D. D. There, however, the place is called Orllasaile, while other authorities have Cellusaille, such as Keating, and the
Scholiis
2* "
Episcopus,
tate quo Ceall-Usalli nomen ab eo accepit, vitam finiit. "
Patricii,
iii. ,
Decrees, the learned Spanish priest, Joachim Laurence Villanueva, has amply annotated them in his work " Sancti Patricii, Ibernorum
Apostoli, Synodi, Canones, Opuscula, et Scriptorum qure supersunt, Fragmenta ;
23 In oDelman's " Concilia, Decreta,
illustrata," pp.
I to 102.
"6 At this year we read
:
" Saint Usaille
S. Patricii incivi- nepos,
August 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 391
generally considered, moreover, that St. Auxilius died after the middle of the fifth century ; but, differences of statement have been made regarding the precise year. The Annals of the Four Masters agree with some of the
26
ancient Irish Annals, in placing the date at a. d. 454.
Ulster, cited by Ussher, refer his death to the year 460,^ which is pro- nounced by Dr. O'Donovan28 to be the correct date.
A festival in honor of Usaille mac h Baird is inserted in the Martyrology
of
27th
the 19th of March, according to our Irish Martyrologists, cited by Colgan ;
on the 1 6th of September, as stated in his text, but on 16th of April, as found in a note. 3° It is unnecessary to say, that his feast will not be found in the Irish Calendar, at the 16th of September, which is inserted in Colgan's text, as a festival of St. Auxilius —this being one of the many typographical errors so frequentlymetwithinhisprintedworks. AstheScholiastontheMartyrology of Tamlacht treats of him on the 19th of March alone, Colgan is of opinion, that the latter must be the proper date for his principal festival. Thus our IrishHagiologistplaceshisActs,atthe19thofMarch. Undertheheadof Cill Usaille, Duald Mac Firbis records Usaille (Auxilius) bishop, son of Ua Baird, at August 27th. We are told there, that Cill UsailleS1 is in Leinster. 32 This saint is designated Usaille, son of Ua Baird, Bishop, of Cill Usaille, in Leinster, in the Martyrology" of Donegal,33 at the same date. A commen- tator, in the Table appended to this record of our national saints, seems to have entertained quite a different opinion, regarding the locality where he had been venerated. While calling him th—e son of Ua Bhaird— thus agree- ingwiththeTallaghMartyrology'saccount wearetold,Ussailleisidentical
withOsaille,inMar. KI. 34 Thiscommentatorsays,thatwithoutanydoubt, he was Abbot of Cill Om Baird in Conaille, i. e. , Cinel Conaill,35 near Bally Ui Bhaoighill, a good parish, in the diocese of Raphoe. In the Irish Calendar, compiled for the Irish Ordnance Survey Office, at the vi. of the
September Kalends (August 27th) we have an entry of this saint's feast, in a peculiar form. 36 But, no notice is there taken of Auxilius, at the xiv. of the April Kalends (March 19th) nor at the xiv. of the May Kalends
1 (April 6th).
Throughout the earlier middle ages, we have occasional historic allusions
Bishop of Cill Usaille, in Lif—fe (died) on the 228, 229.
of 29 at the Tallagh,
August.
Our Saint's
memory
is also on revered,
twenty-seventh of August. " Dr. O'Dono- ""
34
This perhaps, signifies 'in Mariani Kalen-
van's Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. ,
pp. 142, 143, n. (z).
2? See Ussher's " Britannicarum Ecclesia-
rum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 431, and Index Chronologus, A. D. ccc. CLX. ,p. 521.
dario' ; although in Mr. Curry's transcript of the Kalendar of Marian O'Gorman, the name is written Uasaille. In the text, p. 229 supta, the name is written Usaille. Auxil, a Latinized form of the name, occurs in Mar. Gorm. , and Auxilinus in the Mart. Taml. , at the 19th of March. "—Ibid. , pp. 476,
3S
Preface to the Martyrology of Donegal, p. xxxix. , the Writer seems to have experienced
28
See "Annals of the Four Masters, "vol.
i. , pp. 142, 143.
29 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxiii.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise,"xix. Martii. VitaS. Auxilii,cap. viii. , p. 658,andin nn. 6,7, 16,p. 659,weare told, that the Martyrologies of Tamlacht, Dunegall and Marianus O'Gorman, treat of
30 See
Colgan's
477.
But in a memorandum, found in the
great difficulty in his efforts to identify this our Saint, on the 1 9*. h of March, and at the place. He thus writes, "Cill Bhaird, in
16th of April.
31 Now Killossey, near Naas, in the
County Kildare.
32 See " Proceedings of the Royal Irish
Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. ,
part i. , pp. 98, 99.
33 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Leinster, no question: perhaps, Cill Bairdne or Cill hi m Baird, is in Upper Connacht. " See ibid. , p. xxxix.
3<s Thus: UuAf41 lie e^p rttcAo'OA b "•o. " See Common Place Book F," p. 73. This copy is now kept in the Royal Irish Aca- demy.
But the Annals of
In a note here, Dr. Todd observes
:
392 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 27.
totheplace,whereoursaint'smemoryhadbeenvenerated. Stilltheannal- istic accounts are rather meagre. A writer of the last century37 relates, that the monastery at Killossy in 833 was burned to the ground by the Danes. At the year 870, we have recorded the death of Loingeach, son of Faeillen,
Abbot of Cill-Ausaille. 3
8
It was a second time, with Cillcullen or Killcullen,
destroyed in 984, by the same raiders, under the command of Ambrose, son of Godfrey, when one thousand persons were taken prisoners, and the entire district was destroyed. After that period, as we are told,39 the church was rebuilt with lime and stone, in the then new mode of architecture, of which the tower is supposed to remain as a monument. It is related, likewise, that an army was led by Aedh, son of Niall to Leinster, when Cill Ausaille and other churches were plundered, in the year 874. 4° In the year 1035, Cill- Usaille and Claenadh were plundered by the foreigners ; but the son ot
Donnchadh, son of Domhnall, overtook them, and made a great slaughter 1"
of them. 4 According to the Liber Regalis Visitationis," of 161 5, Killosoie is returned as an unappropriate rectory, and the church chancel was then in
condition. «2
a Protestant church in the Diocese of Kildare.
good
During
the last43 and
present century,
it was as regarded
As our glorious Apostle St. Patrick had studied under two great masters of the spiritual life, St. Martin of Tours and St. Germanus of Auxerre, and had learned the practice of strict discipline and the exercises of piety to dis- engage him from all worldly pursuits, so was he prepared for that extra- ordinarymissionforwhichProvidencehadspeciallydesignedhim. Inturn, he was able to collect a holy company of disciples to receive instruction and to share his labours. Among them the present saint was most distinguished and trusted for his zeal and fidelity, while his wisdom was approved in the difficult task of framing constitutions, suited to the needs of a transition state frompaganismtoChristianity. Havingbeenchosentotakechargeofsouls, during life he ministered to the requirements of his flock, and like a true pastor, his spirit passed from earth to heaven among his people, to whom he left an example for their imitation and for the practice of their descendants.
Article II. —St. Malrubius, Hermit and Martyr. [Tenth and EleventhCenturies. ~\ Atthe21stofApril,wehavealreadynotedthefestival of a St. Maelrubha or Malrubius, connected with Ireland and Scotland, and
who was a
memory has been confounded in tradition with another bearing that name, and whose feast belongs to the 27th of August. The present saint's name has been variedly written Malrubius, Malrub, Maelrubius, Maelrubba, Maolrubha,
and 2 with Melriga,
many
; yet,
other which it has under- popular transmutations,
Martyr, according
to some accounts1
it would seem, that his
37 William Beaufort, A. B. , who wrote in, 43 See Archdall's "Monasticon Hiberni-
1790. This account is preceded by a cum,"p. 332. —
beautiful copper-plate engraving of Killossy ruins at the period already named.
3a See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Article 11. 'See the Fourth Volume of this work, for notices of him at the 2ist of April, Art i.
3 A learned Scottish Father Patrick Jesuit,
Ninian Wemyss, thus writes about the pre-
Four vol. Masters,"
i. , pp. 516, 517. 39 By William Beaufort, A. B.
" banc Malrubium Sispicor,
40 See the '* Chronicum Scotorum," edited
by William M. Hennessy, pp. 164, 165.
4 ' See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals ot the
Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 830, 831.
42 The vicar was then William Mann, a
sent man holy
:
Macra noster, eis in oris missionarius, et reading minister, and its yearly value was amicus meus, Rossos suum eremitam latine £6. The Church was also supplied with Rufum dicere : jam Malrubius et Rufus non
books. multum discrepant. "
eumdem esse cum famoso illo Rossensium eremita, de quo mira narrantur, quern illi Melrigam vocant: quia narravit mihi P.
August 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 393
gone in Scotland. 3 In the Registry of Aberdeen, at xvii. Kal. Septembris, is set down the festival of St. Malrubius of Appilhors, which is clearly in- tended for Applecross, a well-known place in Scotland. The Martyiology of Aberdeen, at the vj. Kl\ Septembris, has a commemoration of this holy athlete of Christ, and of the place where he was interred. 4 The Bollandists have notices of St. Malrubius, Monk and Martyr, at the 27th of Augusts These consist in the proper Lessons for the Saint's Office, taken from the
6
Breviary of Aberdeen, together with a previous commentary, by Father
John Pinius, S. J. At the present date, also, in the Rev. S. Baring-Gould's " Lives of the Saints,"? the account of Maelrubha has been entered, with the supposition that he was the same person as the Maelrubha mentioned in the Irish Martyrologies, at the 21st of April. The Rev. Alban Butler has notice of a festival for St. Maelrubius, whom he distinguishes from a saint of the
8
name, venerated on the 21st of April.
and a. d. 1040, with different festival days, are quite sufficient to dis- tinguish both Saints ; yet, it must be confessed, other circumstances of their lives seem so identical, that it will be found difficult to avoid their being considered one and the same person. In the Life of St. Columban,? by Jonas,thereismentionofacertaindisciplenamedSummarius. Theparish of Keith has him for a tutelar Saint. He is also named Samarive and on
;
the 27th August, which is called Samarevis day, there is a fair at Forres. Thomas Innes considers this saint to be identical with St. Malrubius, the Hermit, called in Irish Sa-Maruve. 10 As the present saint is—stated in his
—manatthetimeofhisdeath thedateof Proper Office, to have been an old
whichhasbeenfairlywelldenned wemayconsiderhimtohavebeenborn about or after the middle of the tenth century. He is said to have led a heremitical life in Mernia, a district of Scotland, and within the ancient King- dom of Albania or Alban. 11 In the First Lesson of the Aberdeen
Breviary, which contains his Office, we are informed, that this holy man lived for a long time under monastic rule, and wearing the monk's habit. His life was spent in preaching the Gospel to pagans, and having instructed many of these in the doctrines of Faith, they were brought to embrace Christianity. This did not happen, however, without many trials and adversities which he personally endured. By Grevan, the present holy man is stated to have been an abbot. 12
3 For these various changes the reader is
referred to what has been already written,
at the 2 1st of April, when treating about St.
Maelrubius, or Maolrubha, of Bangor, Keith, taken from a MS. account of Sco—t-
County of Down, and of Applecross, Scot- land.
4
I0 See, A Description of the Parish of tish Bishops, in the library at Slaines.
''
Illustrations of the Topography and Anti- quities of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff. " terms: "In Scotia Sancti Malrubij mar- Edited by Joseph Robertson, vol. ii. , p.
This account runs in the following
tyris sepultus apud Appilhorss Rossensis 240.
dyocesis. Cuius tanto sperabatur in patribus " Its situation and description may be "
illis beatitudo in patria quanto eiusdem found, by referring to the map in Celtic
miranda apud illam indomitam gentem com- probatur probitas et patiencia. "— " Proceed- ings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scot- land," vol. ii. , p. 267.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , De S. Malrubio Monacho et Martyre in
Marnia Scotiae Provincia, pp. 131, 132.
Scotland : a History of Ancient Alban," by William F. Skene, vol. i. , book i. , chap, vii. ,
6
7 See vol.
p. 340. The chief stronghold of the men of Moerne was Dun Fother or Dunotter, situated on the east coast over the German Ocean. The men ot Moerne " appear to have occupied an important position in the population of the Kingdom of Alban — the entire
8
throughout
Ibid. , p. 383.
history
kings. "
In five paragraphs.
viii. , August 27, p. 346.
See Rev. Alban Butler's "Lives of the
of her
I2 Thus " In Scotia Malkubii abbatis. "
:
The k appears to have been wrongly in- serted forr in giving the Saint's name.
Fathers, Martyrs, and other Saints," vol. viii. , August xxvii.
principal 9 See his feast, at the 21st of November,
Most assuredly the dates a. d.
