Levanus entered at the 12th of July, in the
anonymous
Calendar published
by saint
he had been confounded with St.
by saint
he had been confounded with St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v7
Menou been established, but throughout the whole diocese
of Bourges. A reason assigned for his memory not being so well preserved in Bretagne is owing probably to the circumstance of his death occurring without that province. However, there are still places there, such as Pont- Menou, le Val-Meno, and Ker-Meno, evidently associated with his name. It is thought, likewise, that St. Nolf, the name of a parish in the diocese of
Vannes, has reference to St. Menou, who is called Menulphus in Latin. 21 The feast of this holy bishop is kept on the 12th of July, and on that day he is venerated in the ancient French Calendars. In the Additions to Usuard, Greven seems to have been the first to introduce the feast of St. Menulplus
22
intohisMartyrology, andfromthisentry,othercalendaristswhosucceeded
derive their data, such as 23 2* 2* and Ferra- Molanus, Canisius, Maurolycus,
rius. 20 The latter adds, that in the lists of the Bishops of Bourges his name
2
is not to be found, ? and most probably because St. Menulphus had been
bishopinsomeothercity. AccordingtotheBollandists,Castellanhadbeen the first to assign him a proper See,28 on the faith of a mere popular tradi-
20
tion.
Assiduous at his work, and engaged in pious exercises, the present holy man was still able to disengage himself for the spiritual interests of others.
HeonlyfounddelightindoingthewillofhisMaker. Thedeeplyreligious and moral example of his life and actions in his intercourse with men had a potent influence over their souls, and when the shadows of death fell upon him, the labours he had so unostentatiously wrought at home and abroad were well rewarded by that Divine Master, for whose sake he had sacrificed earth and its pleasures to obtain the happiness of Heaven.
church of Bourges, in the Lessons of our
former one.
2s Thus: "In
Menulphi prsesulis. "
saint's office, at the 1 2th of
20
July.
It is said, that Dagobert, the fifty-sixth
argo Biturico, sancti
of — to the Sam- bishop Bourges—according
marthanns the fifty-third assisted at this Menulphi episcopi. "
translation.
21 "
See Les Petits Bollandistes' Vies des
Saints," tome viii. , xiie Jour de Juillet, P- 260.
:
23 Thus " In territorio Bituricensi, beati
:
Meinulphi prresulis. "
24 His entry nearly corresponds with the
27 Neither in those of Demochares, of
Chenu, of Claude Robert or of the Sammar-
thann, as the Bollandists remark.
22 Thus "
Namely that of Corisopitan after St. a» See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus Hi. ,
In territorio
sancti Menulphi episcopi et Confessoris. "
Bituricensi,
house is now but the destroyed,
°6 Thus "In
: territorio Bituricensi, sancti
28 Corentinus.
Tulii xii. De S. Menulfo
bus Bituricensium in Gallia. Commentarius Pravius, sect. 2, pp. 305, 306.
Episcopo
in Fini-
July 12. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
215
Article II. —St. Nazarus, Nazair, or Nasan, Bishop of Lieth-
more, County of Tipperary. The festival of Nazarius is found in the
1
"Feilire" of St. ^ngus, at the 12th of July, and with the commendation
thathewasthestoryofeverysynod. Acommentaryonitstates,likewise, that he was bishop of Liath in Eblind, or bishop of Liath M6r Mochoemoic. 2
In the published edition of the Tallagh Martyrology, we find this entry :
"
editor of this Martyrology has also correctly identified Leith-mor with Leama-
kevoge, near Thurles, county of Tipperary. 3 Both names are also referable
to the Liath mentioned in the Martyrology of Tallagh. Besides, Marianus
O'Gorman has also given us the name of this samt, called also Nasan, with an
eulogy,atthissamedate/ AccordingtotheMartyrologiesofCashelandof
Maguire, the Natal day of St. Nazarus, Bishop, was celebrated at Liethmore,
on the 12th of July. 5 There appears to have been a diversity of opinion, on
thepartofmostIrishwriters,regardingtheexactlocationofLeithmore. By
some 6 it has been four miles distant from the monas- writers, placed exactly
tery of Bishop Colman at Doire mor ; and both of those places are thought
tohavebeeninthepresentKing'sCounty. ColganplacedLiathmorinthe
vicinity of Kinnetty, the very ancient Life of Pulcherius stating, that it was
onlyfourmilesdistantfromSt. Colman'schurchofDoire-mor,thought7 to
have been identical with Kilcolman, near Birr, and which, it is curious to
observe, lies exactly four miles north-east from that place called Leagh on the
engraved Map of the Down Survey. However, in the Life of St. Mochcem
8
hog orMochcemoc,alsocalledSt. Pulcherius,itissaid,St. Colman'smonas-
tery of Doire mor was situated on the confines of Munster and of Leinster, but within the boundary of the former province, and in the territory of Ely. 9
now found to be identical with the townknd of Leigh, within the parish of
Nazair o Liath," occurring at the iv. of the Ides, or 12th of July. The
This was supposed to have been Ely O'Carroll IQ
; but,
there was a southern Ely, lying near Thurles, and while this was within Munster, it was also on the borders of ancient Leinster. However, the precise locality of Liathmore is
Two Mile
Borris,
11 situated south-east in
Elyogarty barony,
and in the of county
Articleii. —r Inthe"LeabharBreac" copy, we find the following lines translated into English by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. : —
ConjuiAlAiT) coAm^tiu
r-celcech pebioc bAtnACului'o
ConAr-UtAS moj\ meUai-o.
"Unto [the angels departed Nazarius the story of every synod. Felix, it was well he went, with his great host, he was ground. " —"Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca- demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
8SeeitintheThirdVolumeofthiswork, at the 13th day of March, Art. i.
9 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nioe," xiii. Martii, Vita S. Mochoemoci, cap.
xvi. , p. 591.
I0 When Mr. John O'Donovan had been
engaged on the King's County Survey, he noticed on the Down Survey engraved Map a church of Leagh on the northern boundary
of the townlaud of Derrykeil, in Kinnitty
parish, about five miles to the east of Birr,
and midway between Skirkyran and Kin-
nitty. He walked to that very spot, where
the Down Survey showed the church of
Leagh, where he found nothing but a flat
square mound of earth, resembling the site
of the nunnery of Kinard, near Street, in the
county of Westmeath ; however, he thought
this had been the site of an old churchyard,
from the appearance it presented. But he
did not positively, wishing to pronounce
have the matter further investigated. See " Letters containing Information relative to
the Antiquities of the King's County, during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1837, 1838," vol. ii. , pp. 94 to 97. Mr. O' Donovan's Letter, dated Birr, February
5 See
Colgan's
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
tlAzAip
fetiAiT)
part i. On the Calendar of Oengus. by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. ex.
2
Edited
See ibid,, p. cxviii.
3 See Rev. Dr. Kelly's "Calendar of Irish
Saints," &c, pp. xxix. , 44.
4Thus "Nasanalienusacrimine. "
:
nioe," xiii. Martii, Appendix, cap. iv. ,
p. 598.
6
in his "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xvii. , sect, v. , n. 61, p. 29.
Among these was the Rev. Dr. Lanigan, 7 By the Rev. Dr. Lanigan.
2i6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 'Tuly 12
11 Theancientnameissaidtohavebeen
was denominated, Borris Leigh,*3 from the celebrated old church of Liath
1 * It is
1 * at the 12th of
Liathmor,inEbhlinn. TheBollandists,16whoderivedtheirinformationfrom Father O'Sheerin, also record Nazarius de Lieth, at this date.
MartyrologyofTallagh, atthe12thofJuly,wefindthesimpleentry,Colman, Bruicisi. It is stated by O'Clery, that this saint was Colman, sonofLughaidh, son to Aenghus, son of Nadfraech. This Aenghus was King of Minister and of Caiseal. The same authority states, that the present saint was vene- rated at Cluain Bruchais, but we are not informed where it had been situated. There is a townland Clonbrick,2 in the parish of Clonlea, barony of Tulla LowerandcountyofClare; asalsoClonbrick,3intheparishofSolloghod- more, barony of Clanwilliam, and county of Tipperary. There is a Clon- brock « (Upper and Lower), in the parish of Clonsast, barony of Coolestown,
Tipperary.
Buirgheis Leith,
situated in that
we must the place
Mochoemog,
present holy man subsequent to the time of St. Mochoemhog or Mochcemoc, who was first Abbot and founder of Liath-more. In the Martyrology of
Donegal,
July,
is entered the feast of St. Nazair, of Bishop
parish.
probable,
Article III. —St. Colman, Priest, of Cluain Bruchais. In the 1
and King's County; there is a Clonbrock,s in the parish of Killabban, 6
barony of Slievmargy and Queen's County ; there are two Clonbrocks, in the barony of Kilconnell, and county of Galway. One of the latter is in
Ahascragh, and the other in Fohanagh parish. ? These are the only deno- minations discoverable on the Maps of Ireland, as likely to correspond with Cluain Bruchais. The of 8 records this saint at the
Martyrology Donegal
same date, but somewhat differently from that of Tallagh, by calling him
3rd, 1838.
" It is bounded on the north, by the
parishes of Rehelty and Thurles ; on the north-west, by the parish of Galvolaor Boby;
on the north-east, by the parish of Moyne ; on thesouth-east, by the parishes of Kilcooley
Further enquiries induced Mr. O'Donovan to change an opinion he then entertained ; and the reasons for the change are given in a subsequent letter written at Roscrea.
and Buolick on the south, ;
of Fennor and Kilcooley ;
east, by the parish of Killinaule, and on the west, by the parish of Ballymurreen. The name of this parish in Irish is Buirgheis a da Mile, of which Two-mile-Borris is the
English translation.
pp. 192, 193.
l6 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Julii xii. Among the pretermitted saints,
12
This is the form of name Beaufort adopts
It is marked, on the Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the County of
Clare," sheet 43.
3 It is noted, on the " Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the County of Tippe- rary," sheets 50, 58.
« It is set down, on the "Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the King's County,"
Townland Maps for the Queen's County, sheet 31.
6
These are marked, on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Galway," sheets 60, 61, 73, 74.
7 See "General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland," sub loco.
8 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 192, 193.
on his Ecclesiastical Map. The name Buir-
gheis or Borris, occurring so frequently in the same part of Ireland, is not of Irish, but of Anglo-Noiman. origin, and it signifies a Bur- gage.
13 It is said to have been called Two Mile Borris, from its being two Irish milesorover from the town of Thurles.
l * Having sought for Liathmore in the southern part of the King's County, Mr. O'Donovan found, however, no trace of a church bearing such a name, or any tradition regarding it, in that part of the country. He thought subsequently, that notwithstanding the disappearance of the name and object of his search, the locality of this church could be pointed out with considerable accuracy.
sheets
the
by parishes
on the south-
j s Edited Rev. Drs. Todd and by
Reeves,
pp. 246, 247. — Article III.
Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxix. 2"
28.
5 It is noted, on the "Ordnance Survey
27,
13andit
July 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 217
Colman, Priest, of Cluain Bruchais. The Bollandists,9 likewise, enter Colman, with the addition of Brucais, at the 12th day of July.
Article IV. —St. Ultan, of Cork, County of Cork. The Martyr-
of J mentions,thatvenerationwas toUltanof 2 ology Donegal given Corcach,
at the 1 2th of July. The city of Cork derives its name from the Irish word Corca, " marsh f sometimes called Corca-mor, " the great marsh. "? It was a tract of low ground, often flooded, near the debouchment of the River Lee. This celebrated district has a pre-Christian history ;4 but its Christian origin dates back to the earlier part of the seventh century. 5 Oilier accounts, at an earlier period, make St. . Finbarr first founder of a religious house at this place. The present city of Cork—the main part of it south of the river— stands over a concealed network of — veins from the
and
Article V. —Reputed Festival of St. Luanus, Monk. At the 12th
of July, we find the feast of St. Luanus, a monk, set down in Henry Fitz-
simon's Catalogue, with references to St. Bernard, Jocelyn, and the English
running waters, Lee, abovethecityisthepublicwalkcalledMardyke interpretedMarshes-dyke. At the 1 2th of July, likewise, the Bollandists 6 record a festival for Ultanus
mundus de Corca^ia.
1
man to have been no other than the cele- appears
This
brated St. Molua, Abbot of Clonfert Molua, whose proper feast belongs to
Martyrology.
holy 2
the of 4th day
August.
Arnold Wion for the of St. Luanus, entry
Citing
Abbas, at the 12th July, at this same date the Bollandists 3 refer for further
notices to the festival of St. Malachy, Archbishop of Armagh, which is held on the 3rd of November.
Article VI. —Reputed Feast of St. Levanus. We have a St.
Levanus entered at the 12th of July, in the anonymous Calendar published
by saint
he had been confounded with St. —
O'—Sullevan Beare. 1
Elsewhere, we can find no for this feast or authority
may
by referring to the Bollandists' work. ArticleVII. —ReputedFestivalofDivusorDius. ThenameDii
unless, indeed,
be, that this entry had been— Martyrs at Caesarea in Cappadocia whose feast occurs at this date, as may be seen
and Reeves, pp. 192, 193.
2 A note by Dr. Todd says at Corcach :
" The more recent hand adds here, ' Nasan, apud Mar,' who is thus recorded, flApon ciAn o cincAib (Nasan far from crimes), in the Mart, of Mar. O'Gorman. "
3WilliamAllinghamon"IrishNamesof Places. "
4 See Miss Cusack's " of the History City
and County of Cork," chap, i. , ii. , p. I to 30.
"
5 See Dr.
tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sect, iv. ,
Lanigan's
intendedforaSt. Laventius oneofthe
orDius' is setdownin the of 2 atthe12thof Martyrology Donegal,
July,
9 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
pp. 314, 31 5.
6
Julii xii. p. 247.
Among the pretermitted saints,
Todd
See, "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 247.
"
Article iv. — Edited by Drs.
—
Historiae Catholicae Iberniae Compen-
" Ecclesiastical His-
xii.
Cornio seu Corninsio. et Laventio Csesarae
2
Article v.
Luanus. Or
l
dium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 55.
2 See his Life at that date, in the succeed-
ing volume.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii.
the —
Among pretermitted saints, p. 247.
l"
Articlevi. See HistoriaeCatholicce
Iberniae Compendium," tomus i. , lib. v. ,
cap. 3
p. 50.
See O'Sullevan
Beare's
xi. ,
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Julii
De Sanctis Martyribus Divo seu Dio, in Cappadocia, p. 295.
it
218 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[July 13.
and within brackets. We cannot find more concerning him ; but, it seems most probable, he was the Martyr Divus or Dins—as entered in the ancient Hieronymian Martyrology—and who suffered with others at Caesarea in Cappadocia. 3
Article VIII. —St. MochulljEus. It would appear from his post- humous list of Irish Saints, that Colgan had the biography of St. Mochullaeus readyforpublication,andtobeinsertedatthe12thdayofJuly. Wecannot divine who this saint had been or when he flourished.
Article IX. —Reputed Feast of St. Mono, Martyr. From a
*
Manuscript Florarius Sanctorum, the Bollandists insert this feast to St.
Mono, Martyr. But they state, likewise, they could not find it in other writers treating about him ; and therefore, they refer to the 18th of October for the Acts of this holy Martyr, as being the proper date for his festival.
Article X. —St. Felix and his Companions, Martyrs. In the
early Irish Church, on the 12th of July, the Feast of St. Felix and of his
Companions, Martyrs, had been celebrated. 1 At this date, likewise, in the
ancient Calendars, St. Felix and St. Nabor are set down as having suffered
martyrdom at Milan, during the reign of the Emperor Maximinian, as related in their Acts which have come down to us. The Bollandists 2 have an account
of them, at this day, and in a learned previous dissertation^ they enter upon a critical examination of the historic records concerning them.
Cbu'tetntl) JBaj) of Snip.
ARTICLE I. —SAINTS BRIGID AND MAURA, SISTERS, VIRGINS AND MARTYRS.
[FIFTH OR SIXTH CENTURY. }
period when these holy virgins flourished has been assigned to the
fifth and THE —
Article vii. — '
by
others to the sixth
—
century.
However,
nothing
can well
In a note
adds at Dins: " This name is also added by
feasts, Article x.
the more recent hand, with the authority,
Mar. , where it is probable that in the words
p? il t)u Am fepcAig, the word Dii may be
intended as the genitive of Dius. "
'
See in the "Feilire" of Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus.
2a Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
192, 193.
3 Seethe Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus iii. , Julii xii. De Sanctis Martyribus Divo seu Dio, Cornio sive Corninsio, et
Laventio, Csesarea in Cappadocia, p. 295. Article ix. — See "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus iii. , Julii xii. Among the pretermitted
See "Acta Sanctorum,'' tomus iii. ,Julii xii. DeSanctisMartyribusNaboreetFelice
paragraphs, ate to be found in succession.
Dr. Todd
p. 247.
—
—"Transactions of the
By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. ex.
St. /Engus.
Mediolaniel Colonise, 280 to pp.
294.
3 Their Commentaiius Prcevius is con- taine1 insevensectionsandfifty-fourpara- graphs. Their Passio, in nine paragraphs, and their Acta paulo amphora, in 'eleven
July 13. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 219
be determined, as accounts concerning them, are vague, and where circum- stantial, often involved with inconsistencies of narrative, or not reconcilable with historic criticism. Wherever he procured them, Colgan had prepared the Acts of these holy women for publication, at the 13th of July, as appears from the posthumous list of his Manuscripts. The Bollandists insert some notices of Maura and Britta or at the of 1 as
Brigida, 13th July; but, they remark, Father Henschenn at the 5th of May has placed them among the
2
pretermittedsaints, withadoubtexpressed,thattheymaybeidenticalwith
St. Maura and St. Britta, Martyrs, treated of at the 15th day of January. 3
him to the
some account of th—em free from the legendary traditions of the Irish
Their Acts have been referred
by
date, where he — present hoped
but rather of the French writers, might be found. This legacy had been left by him to the succeeding Bollandists, who indeed had records and documents referring to them, but who did not deem it expedient to add anything to what hadbeeninsertedatthe15thofJanuary/ Accordingtosomeconjectures, these saints, venerated at Tours and called Virgins only, are different from
the present holy women, venerated at Beauvais, and designated Virgins and Martyrs. The Abbe Sabatier 5 and the Petits Bollandists 6 have notices of a legendary character, at this date, in reference to Saints Maure and Brigide, Virgins and Martyrs, in the diocese of Beauvais. The substance of their
Legendisgiven,likewise,byRev. S. Baring-Gould. ? Thishasbeendrawn from Guerin and Giry. There are festivals supposed to commemorate them,
8 and14th9 of
dates, promises have been held out, to treat about these holy Virgins and
Martyrs at greater length, on the 13th of July, we are now obliged to insert what seems most credible in reference to them ; for, it can hardly be gain- said, that most of the stories related are too wildly romantic and improbable for serious acceptance.
For the purposes of our sketch, it may be sufficient to state, that these holy sisters are related to have been daughters to Ella or Alell, said to have been King of Scotia, and to this some authors add, of Northumbria. 10 The Irish writers contend, that they were born in Ireland, and their period has been referred to the fifth or sixth century by Continental writers, from whom accounts concerning them have been drawn. Their mother is called Panti- lomena, who died in giving birth to these twin sisters. On being baptized, the infant Maura declared to all present that her mother was in Heaven,
likewise,
atthe
4th
January.
Asateachofthe
preceding
while Britta or
issued from the font surrounded 11 by dazzling light.
Article i.
tomus iii. , Julii xiii.
du Diocese de
mitted
2 See ibid. , tomus ii. ,
Beauvais. "
6 See "Vies des Saints," tome viii. ,
xiiie Jour de Juillet, pp. 274 to 278.
—x
Brigid
See "Acta Sanctorum," Among the preter-
s in his Saints "Viesdes
saints, p. 471.
Maii v. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 3. See also the Fifth
7 See his
"
Lives of the Saints," vol. vii. ,
Volume of this work, at May 5th, Art. iv.
July 13th, pp. 306 to 309.
8 See the First Volume of
that date, Art. v.
9 See ibid. , Art. iii.
I0
3 tomus See "Acta Sanctorum,"
this work, at
i. , Januarii xv. Vita S. Maune et Brittae, p. 1018. See also the First Volume of the
present work, at that date, Art. iii.
4 The Bollandist writer, at the present day,
adds, that the same hope, which inspired
Father Henschenn to escape from their
involved history by the discoveiy of more
authentic materials, might yet result in a
finding that could be referred to a possible
There wis an Ella, King of Northum- berland, in 866. He was slain by the Danes, at a place, since called from him Elle-Croft. See John Speed's "History of Great Bri- taine," &c , book vii. , chap. ix. ,p. 318.
" "Both babes, as we are gravely told, were given to one nurse to suckle, and as she had milk only in one breast, both little sisters
supplement for the Bollandists' completed
work, and to be appended at the 15th of were reared at the same one. Ella, we are
January.
also informed, was then in his capital Edin-
220 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[July 13.
TheyaresaidtohavehadabrothernamedHispadusorEspian. Thefather of these youthful virgins had earnestly desired that they should be united in marriage to husbands befitting their rank and station j but, his daughters had other purposes in view, as they had chosen Christ for their spouse, and accordingly they rejected all proposals relating to marriage. At the tender age of thirteen, both the sisters resolved on taking a vow of virginity. Soon afterwards their father died, and according to the Legend, he left crown and kingdom to his son. " The latter wished, however, to lead a religious life. Not chosing the burdens of state, he concerted with his sisters, that all three should leave their native country. It is said, that one night they stole away from Edinburgh, and directed, their course to England, where the maidens escaped from the machinations of evil-minded men, and through miracles wrought in their favour. Leaving England, they proceeded to France.
From the latter country, the holy triad Maura, Britta and Espian, went to
Rome, with a great desire to visit the tombs of the Apostle. In the Eternal City,
they formed the acquaintance of a man, named Ursicinus, with whom they
lodged, and who was distinguished for his piety. Through their prayers, he
was freed from a 1* It was now that all four grievous infirmity. resolved,
should visit the Holy Land, where they might have an opportunity of treading in the footsteps of our Divine Redeemer. These sacred spots were watered with their tears. They returned from the Holy Land together to Italy, and afterwards they landed at Marseilles in France. It so happened, that Ursicinus meeting with an accident at Anjou had broken his leg, when St.
of Bourges. A reason assigned for his memory not being so well preserved in Bretagne is owing probably to the circumstance of his death occurring without that province. However, there are still places there, such as Pont- Menou, le Val-Meno, and Ker-Meno, evidently associated with his name. It is thought, likewise, that St. Nolf, the name of a parish in the diocese of
Vannes, has reference to St. Menou, who is called Menulphus in Latin. 21 The feast of this holy bishop is kept on the 12th of July, and on that day he is venerated in the ancient French Calendars. In the Additions to Usuard, Greven seems to have been the first to introduce the feast of St. Menulplus
22
intohisMartyrology, andfromthisentry,othercalendaristswhosucceeded
derive their data, such as 23 2* 2* and Ferra- Molanus, Canisius, Maurolycus,
rius. 20 The latter adds, that in the lists of the Bishops of Bourges his name
2
is not to be found, ? and most probably because St. Menulphus had been
bishopinsomeothercity. AccordingtotheBollandists,Castellanhadbeen the first to assign him a proper See,28 on the faith of a mere popular tradi-
20
tion.
Assiduous at his work, and engaged in pious exercises, the present holy man was still able to disengage himself for the spiritual interests of others.
HeonlyfounddelightindoingthewillofhisMaker. Thedeeplyreligious and moral example of his life and actions in his intercourse with men had a potent influence over their souls, and when the shadows of death fell upon him, the labours he had so unostentatiously wrought at home and abroad were well rewarded by that Divine Master, for whose sake he had sacrificed earth and its pleasures to obtain the happiness of Heaven.
church of Bourges, in the Lessons of our
former one.
2s Thus: "In
Menulphi prsesulis. "
saint's office, at the 1 2th of
20
July.
It is said, that Dagobert, the fifty-sixth
argo Biturico, sancti
of — to the Sam- bishop Bourges—according
marthanns the fifty-third assisted at this Menulphi episcopi. "
translation.
21 "
See Les Petits Bollandistes' Vies des
Saints," tome viii. , xiie Jour de Juillet, P- 260.
:
23 Thus " In territorio Bituricensi, beati
:
Meinulphi prresulis. "
24 His entry nearly corresponds with the
27 Neither in those of Demochares, of
Chenu, of Claude Robert or of the Sammar-
thann, as the Bollandists remark.
22 Thus "
Namely that of Corisopitan after St. a» See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus Hi. ,
In territorio
sancti Menulphi episcopi et Confessoris. "
Bituricensi,
house is now but the destroyed,
°6 Thus "In
: territorio Bituricensi, sancti
28 Corentinus.
Tulii xii. De S. Menulfo
bus Bituricensium in Gallia. Commentarius Pravius, sect. 2, pp. 305, 306.
Episcopo
in Fini-
July 12. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
215
Article II. —St. Nazarus, Nazair, or Nasan, Bishop of Lieth-
more, County of Tipperary. The festival of Nazarius is found in the
1
"Feilire" of St. ^ngus, at the 12th of July, and with the commendation
thathewasthestoryofeverysynod. Acommentaryonitstates,likewise, that he was bishop of Liath in Eblind, or bishop of Liath M6r Mochoemoic. 2
In the published edition of the Tallagh Martyrology, we find this entry :
"
editor of this Martyrology has also correctly identified Leith-mor with Leama-
kevoge, near Thurles, county of Tipperary. 3 Both names are also referable
to the Liath mentioned in the Martyrology of Tallagh. Besides, Marianus
O'Gorman has also given us the name of this samt, called also Nasan, with an
eulogy,atthissamedate/ AccordingtotheMartyrologiesofCashelandof
Maguire, the Natal day of St. Nazarus, Bishop, was celebrated at Liethmore,
on the 12th of July. 5 There appears to have been a diversity of opinion, on
thepartofmostIrishwriters,regardingtheexactlocationofLeithmore. By
some 6 it has been four miles distant from the monas- writers, placed exactly
tery of Bishop Colman at Doire mor ; and both of those places are thought
tohavebeeninthepresentKing'sCounty. ColganplacedLiathmorinthe
vicinity of Kinnetty, the very ancient Life of Pulcherius stating, that it was
onlyfourmilesdistantfromSt. Colman'schurchofDoire-mor,thought7 to
have been identical with Kilcolman, near Birr, and which, it is curious to
observe, lies exactly four miles north-east from that place called Leagh on the
engraved Map of the Down Survey. However, in the Life of St. Mochcem
8
hog orMochcemoc,alsocalledSt. Pulcherius,itissaid,St. Colman'smonas-
tery of Doire mor was situated on the confines of Munster and of Leinster, but within the boundary of the former province, and in the territory of Ely. 9
now found to be identical with the townknd of Leigh, within the parish of
Nazair o Liath," occurring at the iv. of the Ides, or 12th of July. The
This was supposed to have been Ely O'Carroll IQ
; but,
there was a southern Ely, lying near Thurles, and while this was within Munster, it was also on the borders of ancient Leinster. However, the precise locality of Liathmore is
Two Mile
Borris,
11 situated south-east in
Elyogarty barony,
and in the of county
Articleii. —r Inthe"LeabharBreac" copy, we find the following lines translated into English by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. : —
ConjuiAlAiT) coAm^tiu
r-celcech pebioc bAtnACului'o
ConAr-UtAS moj\ meUai-o.
"Unto [the angels departed Nazarius the story of every synod. Felix, it was well he went, with his great host, he was ground. " —"Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca- demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
8SeeitintheThirdVolumeofthiswork, at the 13th day of March, Art. i.
9 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nioe," xiii. Martii, Vita S. Mochoemoci, cap.
xvi. , p. 591.
I0 When Mr. John O'Donovan had been
engaged on the King's County Survey, he noticed on the Down Survey engraved Map a church of Leagh on the northern boundary
of the townlaud of Derrykeil, in Kinnitty
parish, about five miles to the east of Birr,
and midway between Skirkyran and Kin-
nitty. He walked to that very spot, where
the Down Survey showed the church of
Leagh, where he found nothing but a flat
square mound of earth, resembling the site
of the nunnery of Kinard, near Street, in the
county of Westmeath ; however, he thought
this had been the site of an old churchyard,
from the appearance it presented. But he
did not positively, wishing to pronounce
have the matter further investigated. See " Letters containing Information relative to
the Antiquities of the King's County, during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1837, 1838," vol. ii. , pp. 94 to 97. Mr. O' Donovan's Letter, dated Birr, February
5 See
Colgan's
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
tlAzAip
fetiAiT)
part i. On the Calendar of Oengus. by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. ex.
2
Edited
See ibid,, p. cxviii.
3 See Rev. Dr. Kelly's "Calendar of Irish
Saints," &c, pp. xxix. , 44.
4Thus "Nasanalienusacrimine. "
:
nioe," xiii. Martii, Appendix, cap. iv. ,
p. 598.
6
in his "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xvii. , sect, v. , n. 61, p. 29.
Among these was the Rev. Dr. Lanigan, 7 By the Rev. Dr. Lanigan.
2i6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 'Tuly 12
11 Theancientnameissaidtohavebeen
was denominated, Borris Leigh,*3 from the celebrated old church of Liath
1 * It is
1 * at the 12th of
Liathmor,inEbhlinn. TheBollandists,16whoderivedtheirinformationfrom Father O'Sheerin, also record Nazarius de Lieth, at this date.
MartyrologyofTallagh, atthe12thofJuly,wefindthesimpleentry,Colman, Bruicisi. It is stated by O'Clery, that this saint was Colman, sonofLughaidh, son to Aenghus, son of Nadfraech. This Aenghus was King of Minister and of Caiseal. The same authority states, that the present saint was vene- rated at Cluain Bruchais, but we are not informed where it had been situated. There is a townland Clonbrick,2 in the parish of Clonlea, barony of Tulla LowerandcountyofClare; asalsoClonbrick,3intheparishofSolloghod- more, barony of Clanwilliam, and county of Tipperary. There is a Clon- brock « (Upper and Lower), in the parish of Clonsast, barony of Coolestown,
Tipperary.
Buirgheis Leith,
situated in that
we must the place
Mochoemog,
present holy man subsequent to the time of St. Mochoemhog or Mochcemoc, who was first Abbot and founder of Liath-more. In the Martyrology of
Donegal,
July,
is entered the feast of St. Nazair, of Bishop
parish.
probable,
Article III. —St. Colman, Priest, of Cluain Bruchais. In the 1
and King's County; there is a Clonbrock,s in the parish of Killabban, 6
barony of Slievmargy and Queen's County ; there are two Clonbrocks, in the barony of Kilconnell, and county of Galway. One of the latter is in
Ahascragh, and the other in Fohanagh parish. ? These are the only deno- minations discoverable on the Maps of Ireland, as likely to correspond with Cluain Bruchais. The of 8 records this saint at the
Martyrology Donegal
same date, but somewhat differently from that of Tallagh, by calling him
3rd, 1838.
" It is bounded on the north, by the
parishes of Rehelty and Thurles ; on the north-west, by the parish of Galvolaor Boby;
on the north-east, by the parish of Moyne ; on thesouth-east, by the parishes of Kilcooley
Further enquiries induced Mr. O'Donovan to change an opinion he then entertained ; and the reasons for the change are given in a subsequent letter written at Roscrea.
and Buolick on the south, ;
of Fennor and Kilcooley ;
east, by the parish of Killinaule, and on the west, by the parish of Ballymurreen. The name of this parish in Irish is Buirgheis a da Mile, of which Two-mile-Borris is the
English translation.
pp. 192, 193.
l6 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Julii xii. Among the pretermitted saints,
12
This is the form of name Beaufort adopts
It is marked, on the Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the County of
Clare," sheet 43.
3 It is noted, on the " Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the County of Tippe- rary," sheets 50, 58.
« It is set down, on the "Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the King's County,"
Townland Maps for the Queen's County, sheet 31.
6
These are marked, on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Galway," sheets 60, 61, 73, 74.
7 See "General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland," sub loco.
8 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 192, 193.
on his Ecclesiastical Map. The name Buir-
gheis or Borris, occurring so frequently in the same part of Ireland, is not of Irish, but of Anglo-Noiman. origin, and it signifies a Bur- gage.
13 It is said to have been called Two Mile Borris, from its being two Irish milesorover from the town of Thurles.
l * Having sought for Liathmore in the southern part of the King's County, Mr. O'Donovan found, however, no trace of a church bearing such a name, or any tradition regarding it, in that part of the country. He thought subsequently, that notwithstanding the disappearance of the name and object of his search, the locality of this church could be pointed out with considerable accuracy.
sheets
the
by parishes
on the south-
j s Edited Rev. Drs. Todd and by
Reeves,
pp. 246, 247. — Article III.
Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxix. 2"
28.
5 It is noted, on the "Ordnance Survey
27,
13andit
July 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 217
Colman, Priest, of Cluain Bruchais. The Bollandists,9 likewise, enter Colman, with the addition of Brucais, at the 12th day of July.
Article IV. —St. Ultan, of Cork, County of Cork. The Martyr-
of J mentions,thatvenerationwas toUltanof 2 ology Donegal given Corcach,
at the 1 2th of July. The city of Cork derives its name from the Irish word Corca, " marsh f sometimes called Corca-mor, " the great marsh. "? It was a tract of low ground, often flooded, near the debouchment of the River Lee. This celebrated district has a pre-Christian history ;4 but its Christian origin dates back to the earlier part of the seventh century. 5 Oilier accounts, at an earlier period, make St. . Finbarr first founder of a religious house at this place. The present city of Cork—the main part of it south of the river— stands over a concealed network of — veins from the
and
Article V. —Reputed Festival of St. Luanus, Monk. At the 12th
of July, we find the feast of St. Luanus, a monk, set down in Henry Fitz-
simon's Catalogue, with references to St. Bernard, Jocelyn, and the English
running waters, Lee, abovethecityisthepublicwalkcalledMardyke interpretedMarshes-dyke. At the 1 2th of July, likewise, the Bollandists 6 record a festival for Ultanus
mundus de Corca^ia.
1
man to have been no other than the cele- appears
This
brated St. Molua, Abbot of Clonfert Molua, whose proper feast belongs to
Martyrology.
holy 2
the of 4th day
August.
Arnold Wion for the of St. Luanus, entry
Citing
Abbas, at the 12th July, at this same date the Bollandists 3 refer for further
notices to the festival of St. Malachy, Archbishop of Armagh, which is held on the 3rd of November.
Article VI. —Reputed Feast of St. Levanus. We have a St.
Levanus entered at the 12th of July, in the anonymous Calendar published
by saint
he had been confounded with St. —
O'—Sullevan Beare. 1
Elsewhere, we can find no for this feast or authority
may
by referring to the Bollandists' work. ArticleVII. —ReputedFestivalofDivusorDius. ThenameDii
unless, indeed,
be, that this entry had been— Martyrs at Caesarea in Cappadocia whose feast occurs at this date, as may be seen
and Reeves, pp. 192, 193.
2 A note by Dr. Todd says at Corcach :
" The more recent hand adds here, ' Nasan, apud Mar,' who is thus recorded, flApon ciAn o cincAib (Nasan far from crimes), in the Mart, of Mar. O'Gorman. "
3WilliamAllinghamon"IrishNamesof Places. "
4 See Miss Cusack's " of the History City
and County of Cork," chap, i. , ii. , p. I to 30.
"
5 See Dr.
tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sect, iv. ,
Lanigan's
intendedforaSt. Laventius oneofthe
orDius' is setdownin the of 2 atthe12thof Martyrology Donegal,
July,
9 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
pp. 314, 31 5.
6
Julii xii. p. 247.
Among the pretermitted saints,
Todd
See, "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 247.
"
Article iv. — Edited by Drs.
—
Historiae Catholicae Iberniae Compen-
" Ecclesiastical His-
xii.
Cornio seu Corninsio. et Laventio Csesarae
2
Article v.
Luanus. Or
l
dium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 55.
2 See his Life at that date, in the succeed-
ing volume.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii.
the —
Among pretermitted saints, p. 247.
l"
Articlevi. See HistoriaeCatholicce
Iberniae Compendium," tomus i. , lib. v. ,
cap. 3
p. 50.
See O'Sullevan
Beare's
xi. ,
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Julii
De Sanctis Martyribus Divo seu Dio, in Cappadocia, p. 295.
it
218 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[July 13.
and within brackets. We cannot find more concerning him ; but, it seems most probable, he was the Martyr Divus or Dins—as entered in the ancient Hieronymian Martyrology—and who suffered with others at Caesarea in Cappadocia. 3
Article VIII. —St. MochulljEus. It would appear from his post- humous list of Irish Saints, that Colgan had the biography of St. Mochullaeus readyforpublication,andtobeinsertedatthe12thdayofJuly. Wecannot divine who this saint had been or when he flourished.
Article IX. —Reputed Feast of St. Mono, Martyr. From a
*
Manuscript Florarius Sanctorum, the Bollandists insert this feast to St.
Mono, Martyr. But they state, likewise, they could not find it in other writers treating about him ; and therefore, they refer to the 18th of October for the Acts of this holy Martyr, as being the proper date for his festival.
Article X. —St. Felix and his Companions, Martyrs. In the
early Irish Church, on the 12th of July, the Feast of St. Felix and of his
Companions, Martyrs, had been celebrated. 1 At this date, likewise, in the
ancient Calendars, St. Felix and St. Nabor are set down as having suffered
martyrdom at Milan, during the reign of the Emperor Maximinian, as related in their Acts which have come down to us. The Bollandists 2 have an account
of them, at this day, and in a learned previous dissertation^ they enter upon a critical examination of the historic records concerning them.
Cbu'tetntl) JBaj) of Snip.
ARTICLE I. —SAINTS BRIGID AND MAURA, SISTERS, VIRGINS AND MARTYRS.
[FIFTH OR SIXTH CENTURY. }
period when these holy virgins flourished has been assigned to the
fifth and THE —
Article vii. — '
by
others to the sixth
—
century.
However,
nothing
can well
In a note
adds at Dins: " This name is also added by
feasts, Article x.
the more recent hand, with the authority,
Mar. , where it is probable that in the words
p? il t)u Am fepcAig, the word Dii may be
intended as the genitive of Dius. "
'
See in the "Feilire" of Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus.
2a Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
192, 193.
3 Seethe Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus iii. , Julii xii. De Sanctis Martyribus Divo seu Dio, Cornio sive Corninsio, et
Laventio, Csesarea in Cappadocia, p. 295. Article ix. — See "Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus iii. , Julii xii. Among the pretermitted
See "Acta Sanctorum,'' tomus iii. ,Julii xii. DeSanctisMartyribusNaboreetFelice
paragraphs, ate to be found in succession.
Dr. Todd
p. 247.
—
—"Transactions of the
By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. ex.
St. /Engus.
Mediolaniel Colonise, 280 to pp.
294.
3 Their Commentaiius Prcevius is con- taine1 insevensectionsandfifty-fourpara- graphs. Their Passio, in nine paragraphs, and their Acta paulo amphora, in 'eleven
July 13. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 219
be determined, as accounts concerning them, are vague, and where circum- stantial, often involved with inconsistencies of narrative, or not reconcilable with historic criticism. Wherever he procured them, Colgan had prepared the Acts of these holy women for publication, at the 13th of July, as appears from the posthumous list of his Manuscripts. The Bollandists insert some notices of Maura and Britta or at the of 1 as
Brigida, 13th July; but, they remark, Father Henschenn at the 5th of May has placed them among the
2
pretermittedsaints, withadoubtexpressed,thattheymaybeidenticalwith
St. Maura and St. Britta, Martyrs, treated of at the 15th day of January. 3
him to the
some account of th—em free from the legendary traditions of the Irish
Their Acts have been referred
by
date, where he — present hoped
but rather of the French writers, might be found. This legacy had been left by him to the succeeding Bollandists, who indeed had records and documents referring to them, but who did not deem it expedient to add anything to what hadbeeninsertedatthe15thofJanuary/ Accordingtosomeconjectures, these saints, venerated at Tours and called Virgins only, are different from
the present holy women, venerated at Beauvais, and designated Virgins and Martyrs. The Abbe Sabatier 5 and the Petits Bollandists 6 have notices of a legendary character, at this date, in reference to Saints Maure and Brigide, Virgins and Martyrs, in the diocese of Beauvais. The substance of their
Legendisgiven,likewise,byRev. S. Baring-Gould. ? Thishasbeendrawn from Guerin and Giry. There are festivals supposed to commemorate them,
8 and14th9 of
dates, promises have been held out, to treat about these holy Virgins and
Martyrs at greater length, on the 13th of July, we are now obliged to insert what seems most credible in reference to them ; for, it can hardly be gain- said, that most of the stories related are too wildly romantic and improbable for serious acceptance.
For the purposes of our sketch, it may be sufficient to state, that these holy sisters are related to have been daughters to Ella or Alell, said to have been King of Scotia, and to this some authors add, of Northumbria. 10 The Irish writers contend, that they were born in Ireland, and their period has been referred to the fifth or sixth century by Continental writers, from whom accounts concerning them have been drawn. Their mother is called Panti- lomena, who died in giving birth to these twin sisters. On being baptized, the infant Maura declared to all present that her mother was in Heaven,
likewise,
atthe
4th
January.
Asateachofthe
preceding
while Britta or
issued from the font surrounded 11 by dazzling light.
Article i.
tomus iii. , Julii xiii.
du Diocese de
mitted
2 See ibid. , tomus ii. ,
Beauvais. "
6 See "Vies des Saints," tome viii. ,
xiiie Jour de Juillet, pp. 274 to 278.
—x
Brigid
See "Acta Sanctorum," Among the preter-
s in his Saints "Viesdes
saints, p. 471.
Maii v. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 3. See also the Fifth
7 See his
"
Lives of the Saints," vol. vii. ,
Volume of this work, at May 5th, Art. iv.
July 13th, pp. 306 to 309.
8 See the First Volume of
that date, Art. v.
9 See ibid. , Art. iii.
I0
3 tomus See "Acta Sanctorum,"
this work, at
i. , Januarii xv. Vita S. Maune et Brittae, p. 1018. See also the First Volume of the
present work, at that date, Art. iii.
4 The Bollandist writer, at the present day,
adds, that the same hope, which inspired
Father Henschenn to escape from their
involved history by the discoveiy of more
authentic materials, might yet result in a
finding that could be referred to a possible
There wis an Ella, King of Northum- berland, in 866. He was slain by the Danes, at a place, since called from him Elle-Croft. See John Speed's "History of Great Bri- taine," &c , book vii. , chap. ix. ,p. 318.
" "Both babes, as we are gravely told, were given to one nurse to suckle, and as she had milk only in one breast, both little sisters
supplement for the Bollandists' completed
work, and to be appended at the 15th of were reared at the same one. Ella, we are
January.
also informed, was then in his capital Edin-
220 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[July 13.
TheyaresaidtohavehadabrothernamedHispadusorEspian. Thefather of these youthful virgins had earnestly desired that they should be united in marriage to husbands befitting their rank and station j but, his daughters had other purposes in view, as they had chosen Christ for their spouse, and accordingly they rejected all proposals relating to marriage. At the tender age of thirteen, both the sisters resolved on taking a vow of virginity. Soon afterwards their father died, and according to the Legend, he left crown and kingdom to his son. " The latter wished, however, to lead a religious life. Not chosing the burdens of state, he concerted with his sisters, that all three should leave their native country. It is said, that one night they stole away from Edinburgh, and directed, their course to England, where the maidens escaped from the machinations of evil-minded men, and through miracles wrought in their favour. Leaving England, they proceeded to France.
From the latter country, the holy triad Maura, Britta and Espian, went to
Rome, with a great desire to visit the tombs of the Apostle. In the Eternal City,
they formed the acquaintance of a man, named Ursicinus, with whom they
lodged, and who was distinguished for his piety. Through their prayers, he
was freed from a 1* It was now that all four grievous infirmity. resolved,
should visit the Holy Land, where they might have an opportunity of treading in the footsteps of our Divine Redeemer. These sacred spots were watered with their tears. They returned from the Holy Land together to Italy, and afterwards they landed at Marseilles in France. It so happened, that Ursicinus meeting with an accident at Anjou had broken his leg, when St.
