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Senior, or Senoir, Mac Maeldalua, Primate of Armagh. The name Senoir Mac Maeldalua is set down, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the nth of April. Under this title, he is not found, in the list of Armagh . Prelates, in Harris' edition of Ware. Marianus O'Gorman's Martyrology records him,^ at this date, according to Father John Colgan ; while,theBollandists3 noticehim,asthesonofMoeldavan,andPrimateof Armagh. He is mentioned, in the Psalter of Cashel ; although Colgan omits him altogether, in his Annals of Armagh. '* We think it probable, this holy Prelate was identical with Seanach, Abbot of Armagh, who belonged to the family of Cluain-Ua n Grici,5 and who died in 609, according to the Annals of the Four Masters. * He succeeded Eochaid Mac Dermot, in 598, as Arch- bishop of Armagh. 7 We find it registered, however, in the Martyrology of Donegal,* that Senoir, son of Maeldalua, Primate of Ard Macha, or Armagh, had veneration paid him, on this day. His name is found Latinized Senior, in the table, appended to this work, and where, he is also styled the suc- cessor or representative of Patrick. ' That holy prelate died, a. d. 610, according to Harris' Ware ;'° however, we find little recorded, in reference to his incumbency.
Article VII. —St. Aedh, of Echaradh, or Eachfraid, as also of
Echdroma, now probably Aughrim, County of Galway. On the nth of
April, in the Martyrology ofTallagh,' appears the name of Aedan Echdroma,and Eachfraid. This latter was probably the name of some place, which is not easily
recognisable. Theformerwasidentical,wesuppose,withthecelebratedAugh- rim,nearBallinasloe,inthecountyofGalway. ^ TheBollandistsfollowthe
authority of the Tallagh Martyrology ; but they enter this name erroneously. ^ In the Martyrology of Donegal,t we find set down, on this day, the name,
Article v. —» Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxi. The Franciscan copy enters Xr^oc- cATii.
' See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Ap- rilis xi. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 2.
Article vi.
""
See Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Ap-
pp. 234, 235, and n. (i). —Ibid.
"
Tours in Ulster," pp. 138 to 153, for very interesting descrip- tions and engravings, illustrating the ancient
city of Armagh.
*
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 100, loi.
' See ibib. , pp. 466, 467.
'° See vol. i. , "Archbishops of Armagh,"
Kelly, p. xxi.
Senioi\ mAc met'OAbua.
—
In the Franciscan copy is
Edited by J^ev. Dr.
Rev. Dr.
p. xxi. The Franciscan copy contains the Aprilis xi. Among the pretermitted saints, following entry xMOAi echtipom AUgf
pendix ad Acta S. Patricii, par. iv. , p 311. 3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Edited by
Kelly,
p. 2.
* See " Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Ap-
pendix ad Acta S. Patricii, pars, iii. , pp. 293 10311.
s This should mean, the Lawn, Meadow, or insulated pasturage of the [tribe of] Ui Grici, remarks Dr. O'Donovan. How- ever, he knows not any locality, which in its Anglicised form could be called Cloony
greek, as the denomination implies.
echppAiT).
= See O'Donovan's " Tribes and Customs
of Hy-Many. " Additional Notes B. n. (d),
p. 130.
'
See Dr. O'Donovan's Edition, vol. i. .
^ See J. B. Doyle's
p. 39. — Article VII.
3 rhus " Ardanus Echdromensis et Ech- :
foradensis "—"Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Aprilis xi. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 2.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 1(X3, loi.
April ii. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 123
Aedh of Echaradh ; and, in the Rev. Alban Butler's Lives of the Saints s appears a notice regarding St. Aid of Eacharridh, as also, in the Circle of the Seasons,* there is a similar commemoration.
ArticleVIII. —St. Sgeallan,orScellain. Anentrysetdown,in
the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the i ith of April, is simply the name Scellain.
Onthesame this theBoUandists^ enterScellanus. day, following authority,
The Martyrology of Donegal 3 records, on this day, the name of Sgeallan. The Calendarist thinks, this is Sgeallan Gael, of Cill Cromglaisi, fn Munster, of whom the Life of Fionnchu makes honourable mention, proving that it
was at Cill Cromglaisi, he and Cairbre Crom, son of Crimthann, were fostered, with Sgeallan Gael. * The situation of Cill Cromglass has not been discovered. '
Article IX. —St. Frosaisaigh, or Frossach, Anchoret. In the East—and especially in Egypt—the anchoretical and monastic life was cherishedamidthedeserts,bythePauls,AnthonysandPacomiuscs. These left innumerable disciples. St. Athanasius, St. Jerome, St. Ephrem, and
other writers, have given us the record of their miraculous conversions, their
labours, their evangelical poverty, their prodigious austerities, and their gift ofmiracles. ' InIreland,also,weremanyanchorets. Thenameofoursaint
appears, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the nth of April, as Frosaisiagh. Again, the BoUandists 3 follow this authority, to record, on this day, Fros- sacus anachoreta. This Anchorite, was venerated on this day, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal. * In a comment annexed, and in the sub- joined table, it is observed, that there is a Cill-Fhrasuigh, in the barony of Coram, and county of Sligo. s
Article X. —St. Senan, or Senanus. The name Senan is found simply recorded, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the nth of April. The
'
Bollandists
thought, by Colgan,3 that he may have been Senan, a monk of Durrow, and
3 Edited lOO, loi.
by
Drs. Todd and
Reeves, pp.
quote the same entry, for placing Senanus, at this day. It is
5 See vol. iv. , April xi.
Kelly, p. xxi. The Franciscan copy writes ScelLAiti,
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Ap- rilis xi. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 2.
work ofthe learned Jesuit, P. Herbert Ros-
" Vitae Patrum sive Historic Eere- meticae," Libri. x. It was published, in a folio volume, at Antwerp, in 1628. Rene Gautier has elegantly translated, into French, tl^e Lives of the Fathers of the Desert.
» Edited Dr. xxi. The by Rev. Kelly, p.
Franciscan copy enters iTiwffAiAj Aticlio-
pee.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Ap-
rilisxi. Amongthepretermittedsaints,p. 2.
Article x. —' Edited Rev. Dr. by
* See
102.
Article vill. —' Edited by Rev. Dr.
p.
weyde,
* Nacltus is added to the name of this
saint, in Mr. O'Curry's transcript, in the Tableappendedto thiswork ; but. Dr. Reeves thinks itanerrorfor " wild
*
loo, lOl.
A'w/tttj, mustard," in Irish, i^eAtlAii. As a propername, it still exists, in the form Scallan. See ibid. , pp.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 5 See ibid. , pp. 422, 423.
472, 473-
5 For the foregoing statement, the Life of
St. Mochua, chap, x. , is quoted; and Fionnchu's Life, of Bri-gobhann, venerated at the 25th of November, seems that, to which allusion has been made.
Kelly, p. xxi. The Franciscan copy has Sen<iin.
Articleix. —' Theiracts
with great spiritual profit, in the admirable
rilis xi. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 2.
3 See " Trias " Thaumaturga, Quartft Ap
may bestudied,
pendix
Acta S. Columbx, cap. x. , num.
'
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Ap-
ad 105, p. 492.
124 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April ii,
a disciple of St, Columkille. * Among the religious of that house, a holy monk, so named, is noticed ;5 and, he is thought to have been the Senan, com- memorated in one of St. Columb's Poems, in which it is predicted, that he. should be buried at Durrow. * This day is recorded, in the Martyrology of* Donegal,' as being a festival, held in honour of a St. Senan.
Article XI. —Reputed Festival of a St. Senan. The name of Senan is entered a second time, on this day, in the Martyrology of Donegal,' as hav- ing been venerated. But no locality or pedigree occurs, in connexion with him.
Article XII.
—Reputed Festival of Maccaeus Vates, Island of Bute,'
phet, as also, a disciple to St. Patrick,' Apostle of the Irish, and, at the i ith of April. For this account, he quotes a Scottish Breviary. By Dempster, Maccseus is called, likewise, a sweet poet, a medicus, and a distinguished mathematician. ^ He is said to have written, De Recipiendis Lapsis, Lib. i. , De Fide Perseve- rante, Lib. i. , De Indiciis Nativitatum, Lib. i. * His life ended, according to Dempster, in the year 460. 5 Ferrarius follows the foregoing account, in his.
'
notes, and the Bollandists
Lesley's nephew, and his work,^ the Rev. Alban Buder enters St. Maccai,. Abbot, at the nth of April, when his feast is found, likewise, in the Circle of the Seasons. Some notices of him are to be met with, in the work of Bishop Forbes. 9
Article XIII. —Commemoration of St. Dympna's and of St. Gere- bern's Arrival, at Antwerp. Such is the festival, found in a Carthusian' Martyrology, at Bruxelles, for the i ith of April, as the Bollandists inform us. '
Their actions and final martyrdom, in the city of Gheel, will be found, at the
Scotland. IntheIslandofBute,ThomasDempsterplacesMaccjeus,apro- ^
15th of May, which is assigned for their chief feast.
'
;
Article xii.
lume Third, at the 17th of March.
' Edited
Drs. Toddand
other
'See KalendarsoftheScottishSaints,"
'
His Life
in Vo-
= Thus : "Insula Buta Macciei Vatis S. Patricii Hibernorum Apostoli discipuli. "—• Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish
Saints," p. 196.
3 Antonius Possevinus is quoted, for this
statement, by Dempster.
* We are told, that these tracts are to be
tomus ii. , Aprilis xi. Among the pretermitted •
by
principal Saints," vol. iv. , April xi. "
occurs,
p. 380.
Article xm. —' See "Acta Sanctorum,"
record him, at the present date. Quoting Bishop
Article XIV. —Reputed Festival of Laustranus. At the nth of April,
Thomas ' hastherecordofLaustranus,who his to" Dempster persuaded Scots,
aicceptthetrueobservanceofthePasch. " Andagain,thesamewritercalls
* See his Life, at the 9th of June.
iSeeiiirl. , Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbae, cap. iv. , sect, ii. , p. 508.
' See idid. , Tertia Appendix ad Acta S. Columbae, pars, ii. , num. 12, p. 472.
' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
torum," tomus ii. , lib. xii. , num. ^829. , p. 447.
*
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Ap- rilis xi. Among the pretermitted saints, i p. 2.
:
100,loi. Article xi.
See LivesoftheFathers,Martyrsand
— Reeves,pp. 100,—loi.
lendars of Scottish Saints," p. 196. """
found, in Bibliotheca Sanctorum Patrum. " For this, he cites the Scotichronicon,'
5 See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco- a "MagnoMacullone excriptum. " 7
' " De Vitis Sanctorum Scotiae. " ^"
saints, p. 3. — Article xiv.
'
In his "Menologium
"
Scotorum," it runs thus : xi.
qui Scotis suis veram paschatis observa-
tionem persuasit. "—Bishop
Forbes' "Ka-
Laustrani,
April i 2. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 1*5
him a Bishop of the Scots, but he is uncertain regarding the See. Ac- cording to Dempster, he wrote Epistles to Hilarius and others. He flourished, during the controversy, about the Paschal observance and the cleri- cal tonsure, having lived a. d. 664. 3 Ferrarius follows Dempster, in this notice ; and the Bollandists * record Laustranus, at this date, furnishing the
foregoing particulars.
Article XV. —Reputed Festival of Helias Scottus, or Ailill, Abbot of St. Pantaleon and of St. Martin, Cologne, Germany.
—
\Tenth and Elrcenth C<nturiesl\ Although the 3rd of April Ides
'
corres-
ponding with the nth of the month—
holy man, in the year 1042 ; yet, his festival has been more usually noted for the following day, where a further account of him will be found.
CtuelftI) ©ap of apni.
ARTICLE I. —ST. HELIAS, OR AILELL, OF MUCNAMH, AND ABBOT OVER ST. MARTINS MONASTERY, COLOGNE, GERMANY.
[TENTH AND ELVENTH CENTURIES. }
among our Irish Saints, seem to have heard a voice resounding
of April ; and, he is distinguished, as having been a beatified * and a chief servant of God. ' According to the Martyrology of Donegal,* there was a festival held on this day, to commemorate Helias, or Ailell. It is probable, thisholymanwasbom,inthelatterpartofthetenthcentury. Accordingto >larianus, he was a Scot by descent, as also a prudent and religious
" ears, speaking Abraham,
in their like that to MANY,
Go out of thine own country, and from thy Father's house, into the land which I shall show thee. "' Those holy men left their native land, not to acquire riches, but to follow Christ, and to bear his sweet yoke. Some Acts of St. Helias, or Ailill, seem to have been arranged by Colgan ' for publication, at the i)resent date. The Bollandists 3 insert some particulars, regarding Helias Scotus, at the i zth
"3 See Thomas Dempster's "HistoriaEc-
clesiastica Gentis Scotonim," tomus ii. , lib.
xi. , num. 791, p. 429.
'See "Acta Sanctorum," tomns ii. , Ap- rilis xii. Among the pretermitted saints,
See
ii. , Ap- Among the pretennitted saints,
p. 2.
Article XV.
5 Lamtjertus calls him "Servus Dei prae- cipuus," in his Vita S. Heriberti Archiepis- copi, num. xxviii. The Feast of this holy
Archbishop of Cologne is celebrated, at the i6th of March.
° Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 100, loi.
"Acta tomus Sanctorum,"
p. 65-
«
/Egidius Gelenius, in sis," styles him hiatus.
"
Fastis Colonieli-
«
rilis xi.
Chronicon, p. 557.
Article i. — Genesis xii. i.
» See " Catalogus Actuum Sanctorum
quae Ms. habentur, ordine Mensium et Diernm. "
—
manix Historica," tomus v. , Mariani Scotti
'See
"
Monumenta Ger-
has been for the death of this assigned
126 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 12.
man. He belonged to the family,7 or religious house of Mucnamh. This
place is now known as Mucknoe,* a parish in the barony of Cremorne, and
county of Monaghan. 9 The present holy man must have been very much
the Four " head of the monks of Masters,
since he is called
the Gaeidhil ;" and, it seems most likely, that his religious training was re- ceived in Ireland, where he dwelt for some time, before setting out for the Continent. His course was directed to Cologne, where a religious foundation, for men of the Irish or Scottish race, had been long established. It seems pro- bable, that he lived under direction of the Scottish Abbot Kilian, wlio ruled the house of St. Martin there, from a. d. 986, to the day of his death, a. d.
by
1003. '° Helias left Ireland, to embrace a solitary life.
distinguished,
over the Scots house, at Cologne," having succeeded Kilian, a. d. 1004, and
he governed St. Martin's Monastery, in that city, for twenty years. Some of
his Scottish countrymen lived there, and in the monastery of St. Pantalion. " The discipline he enforced was strict and rigorous ; and, as we learn, some immortified inmates of the latter house contrived to prejudice the mind of Piligrinus, bishop of Cologne, against their Irish abbot and their fellow monks of Scottish birth. In the year 1027, it is stated, that the cause of religion was
greatly promoted, by this holy man, according to Sigebert ;'3 but, it seems
doubtful, that he survived to this latter year. He was regarded as a prudent
andreligiousman. MarianusScotusrelatesapropheticdeclarationofthis
Helias, respecting the death of Piligrinus, bishop of Cologne,'* who had threatened him and the Scots under his rule, that if they did not remove from
the monastery of St. Pantaleon, before he returned from a royal station, they should be expelled. They replied to his threat: "If Christ be for the strangers, Bishop Piligrinus himself should not return from that place alive to Cologne. " It so happened, that his death took place, on the 8th of the September Kalends, a. d. 1037, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Helias. We are told, that Ailill died, a. d. 1042 ;'5 and, at the same year, on the second of the April Ides, corresponding with the i2tli day of this month, the death of Helias Scotus is noted, by Marianus Scotus, according to the Bollandists. '* According to Thomas Dempster, he edited many tracts, but all perished,
"
except a small one, intituled,
Imperatorem. "'? John Major has a notice about two Scots' monasteries, erected at Cologne, and others in different parts of Germany, by a certain
Guillemus, a brother to King Achaius, in the time of Charlemagne j'^ but
' In a note, Dr. Reeves says, at this word,
of July.
'^ See "Monumenta Germaniae Historica,"
" tomusvi. SigebertiGemblacensis Chrono-
graphia," edidit D. Ludowicus Conradus
Bethmann, p. 356.
''See "Monumenta Germanise Histo-
rica," tomus v. Mariani Scotti, Chronicon,
pp. 556, 557-
"S See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 840, 841.
'^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Ap- rilis xii. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 65.
'? See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco-
torum," tomus ii. , lib. viii. , num. 631, pp.
family,
" That is the
religious family
or con-
gregation. "
' It is shown, on the "Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the County of Monaghan," as a parish, sheets 15,20,25.
9 See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol.