No More Learning

7 See William F. Wakeman's "Lough Erne,
EnnisUillen. Belleek, Ballysliannon and gious establishment having been here ; but,
Bundonan," &c. . Second Excursion, p. 68. ^ " It is cut into the separate parts by in- sections of theparishes of Enniskillen. herry- vullen, and Cleenish. "—" Parliamentary
(jazettcer of Ireland," vol. ii. , \>. 13.
9 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. iv. , n. (o), p. 693.
'0 This section has an area of 4, 373a. 32p. , and of which 217a. 2r. and 2p. are under
water. See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of
no traces of any such building now remain. Here, likewise, Cathal Maguire compiled the Annals ol Ulster.
'' Certain yew-groves, at Belleisle, are sujiposed tohavehad connexion with it. See William F. Wakeman's "Lough Erne, Enniskillen, Belkek, Ballyshannon . ind Bundoran," &c. Second Excursion, pp. 63 to 65.
'^ See, for an account of this pKice and cf
Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 13.
" This section has an area of 285a. ip. ,
and of which 23a. 31-. and 24p. are under Avater. See ibid.
'^
John j\IacGilla-Coi>gh, died.
In 1384, the master erenagh and parson,
'^ While the " Annals of the Four Mas- ters " state for eleven years, the " Annals of Ulster " have it, for forty years.
'* Alluded to by the Four Masters, at a. d. 1484.
'5 A beautiful demesne is to be seen here, and which belongs to John Grey Vesey I'ortcr, Esq. It was formerly the property of Lord Rosse, from whom the father of Mr. Porter purchased it.
'* There are traditions of an ancient reli-
"
May II. LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 219
and priory of Gola/^ in wliich place a Dominican house was situated. '9 The ruined niediseval church, now at Derrybrusk, is thickly mantled over with luxuriant ivy. ^° A handsome mullioned window, in two compartments, and pointed, under a coved arch, is in a tolerable state of preservation. In the Acts of St. Columba,^' we read of a certain holy smith, named Senach,
Interior of Derrybrusk Old Church.
whopresentedabelltothechurchofNaal. Hewaspossibly—ifnotproba- bly—identical with St. Natalis,^^ tlie patron saint of Kinnawly, in the county of Fermanagh ; for this place was quite contiguous to Derrybrusk. A great portion of this latter parish is upland, and most of the remainder has an inferior soil. Yet, all lies in the midst of an ornate country, and as it adjoins Lough Erne, towards the east, it shares in the brilliant lacustrine and fluvial land- scapes of that magnificent flood of water. ^3 Lough Erne is one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe f^ and, most certainly, none of these excel it for variety of scenery, and natural advantages, hitherto little developed in the locality. Save by anglers, few strangers or tourists are to be met with, on the
its religious house, De Burgo's " Hibernia
JJominicana," cap. ix. , sect, xli. , pp. 330 to
333-
'5 See Lewis' " Topographical Dictionary
ofIreland,"vol. i. , p. 452.
=° The accompanying illustration, drawn
on the spot by William F. Wakeman, and transferred by him to the wood, has been en- graved by Mrs. Millard.
°' See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,
Quinta Vita S. Columlxis, lib. iii. , cap. iii. ,
P- 431-
" See his Life, at the 27th day of January,
in vol. i. of this work, Art. i.
^3 As viewed from the high mountain, over
Ballyconnell, in the county of Cavan, the upper course of the Erne especially presents an enchanting prospect, with its broad waters enchaining a multitude of islands, and flow- ing in mazes, remarkable for their intricacies through a vast extent of territory. The writer had this advantage of a fine day and a clear view, in the summer of 1876.
^^ Richard Twiss' "'Tour in Ireland in 1775," p. 107.
——
2 20 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May ii.
spot, to hold communication with the inhabitants there, and to admire its myriad beauties.
Article VII. St. Caoimhghin, Abbot. We find the name of Caoimghin, Abbot of Glynn da locha, placed in the published Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the nth of May. The Franciscan copy,^ however, only sets him down, as Coemgin, Abbot. The Bollandists 3 quote its authority, but they state, that the date foi this saint's death—supposing him to have been the celebrated founder of Glendalough—was on tiie 3rd of June, when his ciiief feast is celebrated. '* At the nth of May, was venerated, Caoimhghin, Abbot, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal. 5 From what has been stated, it may well be doubted, if the present St. Caomghin were abbot of Glendalough, in the county of Wicklow. There is a holy w^ell, near to the churchyard of Clonabreny or Russagh, in the deanery of Kells, and county of Meath. It was dedicated to St, Kevin, whence we may infer, he was the patron of that place, But, the old church has disappeared, and only the tombs of the dead are to be found in a graveyard, and choked up with weeds. * Wedonotpretend,however,thatitsidentificationwiththepresent saint has been established.
Article VIII. Feast of the Finding of the Relics of St. GiLDAs, Abbot of Rhuvs, Bretagne. \^Sixth Century? ^ Lobineau has written the Acts of St. Gildas, first founder and first Abbot of Rhuys. He flourished,a. d. 570. Hisfeastisassignedtothe29thofJanuary,'andtothe I ith of May. ^ This latter is the date for the finding of his body, in the dis- trictofVanne,inArmorica. 3 TheBollandists^ notethepresentfestival.
Article IX. St. Lasrea, or Lassar, Virgin. The name occurs, at the nth of May, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' as Lasrea, a Virgin. ^ The Bollandists 3 notice this holy virgin, on the same authority. Several pious women, bearing this name, are mentioned by Colgan ;"* but, the present virgin is not further distinguished, by patronymic, place, or date. According to the Martyrology of Donegal,s veneration was given, likewise, on this day, to St. Lassar, Virgin.
Article X. St. Fionnlugh, or Findloga. In the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the nth of May, an entry appears of Findloga's feast. ' It is
Article vii. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxiii.
^ The entry here is Coem^nii <\bb.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Maii xi. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 612.
* See the Life of St. Kevin, at the 3rd of June, in vol, vi. of this work. Art. i,
5 Edited by Drs, Todd and Reeves, p, 125.
" . See Rev. A. Cogan's " History of the Diocese of Meath, Ancient and Modern," vol, ii. , chap. xvi. p. 322,
Article viii, — See his Life, at that date,
'See"LesViesdesSaintsdeBretagne," tome i. , pp. 301 to 317.
3 According to Andrew Saussay, in his " Martyrologium Gallicanum," at tliis day.
•• bee ''Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Maii xi. Among the pretermitted feasts, p. 611.
Article ix. — ' Edited by Rev, Dr. Kelly, p. xxiii.
- 'I'lie Franciscan copy has l,A]-i\Ae Utii.
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii,, Maii xi. Among the pretermitted saints, p, 611,
* See " Acta Sanctorum Hiberni. Te," Feb- ruarii xxiii. \'it. i S, Finniani, n, 26, p. 399.
s Edited by Drs, Todd and Reeves, pp, 124, 125
Ariiclex,—' EditedbyRev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxiii.
———
May II. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
22t
A
Article XT. Reputed Feast of St. Ampudan, or Anpadan, Bishop OF Glenn-da-locha, or Glendalough, County of Wicklow. Under the head of Glenn-da-locha, Duald Mac Firbis enters, Ampudan, or Anpadan, bishop of Glenn-da-locha, for May nth. ' In the Martyrologies ofTallagh and of Donegal, his feast occurs at the ii th of January, where some notices of him are given, in our First Volume. ^
ArticleXII. St. Columcain. Afestival,inhonourofColumcain,is /ound set down in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the nth of May. ' The
Bollandists3 note,likewise,ColumbaCain.
Article XIII. St. Maoldoid. According to the Martyrology of Tallagh,' Maoldoid, had a festival, at the nth of May. ^ The Bollandists ^ notice Moeldodius, at this day.
ArticleXIV. St^lgnei,orAelgnceus, Thesimpleentry,-^Ignei, is found, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the nth of May. "^ At this date, theBollandists3 enter. . ^ilgnseus.
ArticleXV. ReputedFestivalofSt. Cataldus,BishopofTaren- TUM, Italy. {Seventh Century. '] We are told, by the Bollandists,' that the Monk Michael, in the Capuan Kalendar, gives third place, at this date, to S. Cataldus Episcopus Confessor.
Already have we treated about him, on the preceding day.
ArticleXVI. ReputedFestivalofVirgnoi,orVirgneus,Her- mit, Scotland. {Sixth and Seventh Centziries. '] At the nth of May—but noauthorityis specified—DempsterhastheFeastofVirgnoi,ahermit,at
noticed, also, by the Bollandists,3 who Latinize the name to Finulugus. festival in honour of Fionnlugh is recorded, in the Martyrology of Donegal,'* as having been celebrated, on this day.
' The Franciscan copy enters piToLojo.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Maii xi. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 6ii.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Article xiii. —' Edited by Rev. Dr Kelly, p. xxiii.
^ In the Franciscan copy, vire find m<iel- ooit).
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Maii xi. Among the pretermitted feasts, p. 611.
Article xiv. — ' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxiii.
^ The Franciscan copy enters -Aeilgnei.
124, 125. — Article xi.
' See "Proceedings of Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSB. Series,
vol. i. , part i. , pp. 1 12, II3. ' See Art. iii.
Article xii. — ' Kelly, p. xxiii.
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Among the pretermitted saints,
by Rev.
^The Franciscan copy has it Colum p. 611.
CAin.
3 See
Maii xi, p. 6x1.
Article xv.
Edited
Dr.
3 See Maii xi.
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Among the pretermitted saints.
saints, p. 611. —
Article xvi. ' It is thus entered :
— tomus ii. , Maii xi.
'See "Acta Sanctorum," Among the pretermitted
" In
222 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May ii.
Murebulkmar," in his " Menologium Scoticuni. "^ For confirmation of this entry, he cites Adamnan, and this reference brings us to that St. Virgnous, who spent many years irreproachably in subjection to St. Columba ;3 and, he is said to have lived the life of a hermit in IMiuxbulcmar,* for twelve years. Although nothing more is known about him from other sources, according to ThomasDempster yet,thiswriterhadbeenabletoascertain,thathewrote
;
a " Visio de iVlorte S. Columbce,"—his master and teacher—in one Book, and
that he flourished a. d. 606. * This invention of Dempster appears to have been based on the account of Adamnan,' regarding that vision Virgnous had about the death of St. Columba,^ whom he survived. Virgnous is thought to have been identical with Fergna Brit, son to Failbe, Abbot of Hy, and con- cerning whom notices will be found, at the 2nd of March,9 in this work. The Bollandists '° notice, at this day, St. Virgneus eremita, in Murebulckmar
;
but, solely, on Dempster's authorit)'.
Article XVIL—Festival of Holy Job. At an early age, in the Irish Church, this holy man, so great a model of humility and patience, was vene- rated, and with a high eulogy, as we have already seen, in the Feilire of St. . ^ngus. ^ This day is there called Job's victory. ^ However, his chief feast is kept on the day preceding, when tlu's holy Prophet from the land of Hus,3 wasspeciallycommemorated. HisBook,amongthosesacredrecordsofthe Old Testament, must ever give the most edifying lessons of patience and humility to the pious reader. -t He is placed first, at the nth of May, in the Tallagh Martyrology,^ as the Bollandists remark. ^
Murebulkmar Virgnoi Eremits. " the Royal Irish Academy, "Irish Manuscript ' See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of
Scottish Saints," p. 199.
3 For this statement, Dempster quotes S.
Adamnanus, in " Vita S. Columbx," lib. iii. , cap. xxxi.
• This seems to be a mistake for Muirbulc- mar ; a name which does not appear to be known, at present ; but, it probably belonged to some bay. in or near to Ardnamurchan. In Prince O'Donnell's " Vita S. Columbte," he has it Bulgmara alias Murbulg. See Colgan's " Trias Thaumaturga," lib. iii. , cap. Ix. , p. 442.
s See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 12, n. (f), p. 41, and lib. iii. , cap. 23, also n. (h), p. 237.
' He adds : '•^iartyrologii tabulis ascrip- tus non est, sed celebri cultu eum nostrates coiunt. "—" Ilistoria Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xix. , num. 11 70, P- 655-
7 This writer declares, that he had seen the vision inscribed on pages ; and, that he had also heard it related, by discreet seniors.
Oengus, by Dr. Whitley Stokes, p. Ixxix.
* The commentator takes care to explain the text of . (Fungus, by remarking, that it meant his victory over the devil, and without forgetfulness of God. Then follows in Irish, inc<in ]\ob^iff CAch -po^TOeiiion, thus trans- lated by Dr. Whitley Stokes into English, " When he won a battle over the devil. " Be- sides tlie scholiast enters in Latin, ". i. li- beratio iob de niartirio liberatio iob dolentis de martirio suo qui pasus est per xxx. annos sed temptatus est in . Ixx. ix. anno cetatis suk
et postea uixit . cxl. annis. "
3 So called from IIus, the son of Aram,
the son of Sem. See Genesis x. , 23. Some- times it is called Idumen, and sometimes Arabia, by the Holy Fathers. See R. P. Jacobi Tirini Antverpiani, e Societate Jesu, " Commentarius in Sacram Scriptu- ram," &c. Commentarius in lib. Job, tomus i. , cap. i. , n. , p. 168.
^ See the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctonmi," tomus ii. , Maii x. De Sancto Jobo Propheta * See Colgan's " Trias Thaumaturga," in Terra IIus. Eight paragraphs, pp. 494 to
Vita Quarta S. Columbre, lib. iii. , cap. xxiii. , and O'Donnell's Vita Quinta S. Columba^ lib. ii. , cap. cviii. , p. 429.
9 See volume iii. , Art. iv.
' See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Maii xi. Among the pretemiilted saints, Maii xi. Among the pretermitted feasts,
p, 612. — p. 611. Article xvii. ' Sec "Transactions of
'" See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
497-
5 In the Franciscan copy, the first entry
among the saints, specially classed as Irish, is 108 pp<Ne, at the v. of the Ides of May,
s
——
May 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. ii%
Clwelft! ) IBai? of iiflap*
ARTICLE I. —AILITIR, OR ELITIR, OF MUIC-INIS, LOUGH DERG, AND OF CLONMACNOISE, KING'S COUNTY.
ISIXTH CENTURY. ]
PLACES rendered sacred in connexion with God's holy servants, or by his saints' beatific presence, have always betn visited with pious veneration. Over and above the advantages to be derived, Trom any work, performed in a penitential spirit, or through a supernatural motive, additional good results, when undertaking a religious visit to holy places. There, pious fervour will be generated or increased ; and, especially, when intercession is made with those saints, in whose honour the pilgrimage had been undertaken. The Festival of Ailithir, with a eulogy, is entered, at the 12th of May, in the Feilire ' of St. . ^ngus. His name is elsewhere found Latinized as Alitherius, seu Peregrinus de Mucinis. Yet, we cannot be assured, that this was his proper name. How- ever, from the sequel, it seems likely, that he has been identified with a holy man so named, and belonging to one of the ]\Iuskerrys, in the south of Ire- land. An entry, Ailitir Muccinsi, is found in the published Martyrology of Tallagh,^ and in the Franciscan copy,3 at the 12th of May. The Martyr- ology of Marianus O'Gorman notes, + at this date, likewise, Elithir of Muicinis, onLochDeirg(Derc),5nowLoughDerg,intheShannon. Itwouldseem, that both here, and at Clonmacnoise, his memory was held in veneration. ^ The word, Ailitir, or Elithir, signifies " a pilgrim ;" and, hence, it may not necessarily be a proper name.