He
declared
that, several years ago, while visiting the ruins of Clonenagh, near Mount-
—^3The Crossans—rhymers to the O'Moores
rath, in company with
his Mr.
—^3The Crossans—rhymers to the O'Moores
rath, in company with
his Mr.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
Leaving all his possessions, Fergna became a disciple of our saint, and assumed the religious habit.
'-^ He afterwards happily departed to a better life.
's
At another time, when Fintan was sojourning among the people of Idrone,^^
7 In St. Fintan's Life, we read, that by St. ^ngus the Culdee, in the first part Cormac, son to Diermad, lived a long time of his "Opuscula," lib. 2, cap. 18.
in the kingdom of Leinster. By this we " In the " Book of the Island" it is said, are to understand, that he ruled in the that Fergna had twelve daughters. ^Engus
southern of part
or in Kinsel- Hy
the in his " Culdee,
lib.
Leinster,
lagh ; as in a previous portion of the text, his father is called king over that part of
Ireland.
cap. xviii. , p. 352, and nn. 18, 19, p. 354.
Opuscula,"
and lib. 3, cap. 6, speaks of Fergna's several
sons and daughters, who were numbered
amongthesaints; andtheMartyrologiesof
Tallagh, of Marianus Gorman and of Done- niK," xvii. Februarii. Vita S. Fintani, gal state, that . the festival of Fergna's
^ **
See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
daughters was celebrated on the 7th of
these Calendars do not de- clare the number or names of these saints ; nor was Colgan able to discover, whether they were sons and daughters to this, or to It seems probable, to Colgan, that some other Fergna ; although, he thought, it probable, they were children to this holy
man, mentioned in the Life of St. Fintan.
"
whom Fintan saw amongst angelic choirs, both on earth and in Heaven, was a relative to our saint, and
5' This
Feargna,
January, But,
belonging to the family of St. Brigid. '°
Fergna was numbered among the Irish Saints ; his festival might be that one,
*3 See Colgan's This Fergna, beyond all doubt, had pendix, cap. i. , p. 46.
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
of Marianus Gorman, at the l8th of Sep- ni? e," xvii. Februarii, nn. 20, 21, p. 354.
tember, or at the I ith of October. Also, ix. Januarii. Vita S. Finani. Ap-
placed by the Martyrologies of Tallagh and
"
one sainted son, who was called P'inanus. His descent is thus traced by the " Sanc- tilogic Genealogy," at cap. 15 : "S. Finanus was son of Fergna, son to Cobhthac, son of Muredach, son to Lasre, son of Darius, son of Dercan, son to Denius, son of Conla, son to Artcurb, son of Carbre surnamed Niadh. This St P'inan is mentioned by the Martyr- ologyofTallagh,bytheSchohastofvEngus, and by Marianus Gorman, at the 9th of Jan- uary, as also at the 13th of February, Like- wise, a Colman. son to Fergna, is mentioned,
'* See ibid,, xvii. Februarii. Vita S.
Fintani, cap. xix. , p, 352.
'S See the Bollandists' ** Acta Sancto-
rum," tomus iii. , Februarii xvii. Vita S. P'intani, cap, iii,, num. 18, 19, 20, 21, pp.
19, 20. — "^ The people of this territory
compris- ing the present barony of Idrone, and that part of Kildare and Leighlin diocese, on
the west side of the Barrow—are so called, because they are derived from Drona, the fourth in descent from Cathaeir Mor. See
2, cap. 6,
February 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 589
at Achad-Finglass Monastery,^? on the eastern side of the River Barrow/^ and near Leighlin city, '9 a certain humble and holy bishop, named Brandubh,
from Hy-Kinsellagh,=^° came to him, and proposed becoming a monk under his rule. Fintan, who rejoiced at the arrival of this prelate, advised him rather to enter Achad-Finglass Monastery, where the rule was less strict than at Clonenagh. =^^ In the Salamancan MS. of our saint's Life, Ardglais is sub- stituted for Achadh-Finglaiss. It has been thought, that Achadh-arglais was situated not far from Sletty church, in Lefnster. ^ But, Achadh-arglais, or Achadh-Fuinglass, has been more correctly identified with Agha,'3 a town-
Door of Agha Old Church, County Carlow.
land, containing the ruins of a very ancient church, in the barony of Idrone East, and in the county of Carlow. It is about four miles to the east of old
Leighlin. ^4 The length of the old church interiorly is 45 >^ feet, and its breadth is 15}^ feet. In the east gable, about 5 feet from the ground, there
Dr, O'Donovan's " Leabhar na g-Ceart ; or the Book of Rights," ii. (k), p. 212.
^^ Archdall incorrectly makes St. Fintan
p. 230.
=0 In the old Life of St. Fintan, this is
said to have been the more celebrated part of Leinster.
=^ This shows, that both places could not have belonged to the same abbot ; as the discipline and rules were different.
"See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernix," xvii. Februarii, n. 23, p. 354.
23 The townland and parish of Agha, in in the barony of Idrone East, are shown on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for
abbot over this place. See Hibernicum," p. 35.
"
Monasticon
'8 In the published Life of St. Fintan, we read, that Achadh-Finglaiss was situated " contra civitatem Lethghleann, in oriental! parte fluminis Bearuo,"
'9 Following a conjecture of Colgan, Dr. Lanigan thinl^s Achad Finglass was more
probably, in that part of Idrone, county of Carlow, west, rather than east, of the Bar- row. Se "Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land, "vo. ii. , chap, xii. , sect, xi. , n. 168,
the County of Carlow. " Sheets 12, 16. "
24 See Dr. O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , n. (f ), p. 789-
590 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS [February17.
is a window, with a semicircular arch of chiselled granite stones, at the top, tothespringofwhich,thewindowis5feetinheight. Thearchis3feet,in addition, to the upper key-stone. The sides and arch are built with granite
Another curious win—dow is in the south side wall.
in the
accompanying large lintel crosses the doorway, and it reaches nearly the whole thickness of the wall. =*^ By in- dents seen, in the stones at the south side, it must appear, there were strong fastenings used in closing the door. ='7 As the ancient church was built on ground, declining in a western direction, the side walls were extended farther thanthewestgable,tosupportthestructure. Thesidewallsappeartoretain their original height, and these rise about 1 1 feet 9 inches, in this old church of the twelfth century. ^^^ The courses of masonry are very curiously arranged ; but, the walls are exceedingly well grouted. The top of the west gable is
down, and the walls of this church are nearly 3 feet in thickness.
At this interview with Fintan, it was urged by Bishop Brandubh,=9 on St.
Fintan " have I ruled over and now under the rule of : Hitherto, others,
another, I wish to resign my soul to God. I here present myself to the Lord and to thee ; whatsoever, therefore, thou shalt say to me, I shall will-
ingly observe ; yet, this request alone I ask, that I may not long survive, it thou depart from this life before me, but that thou wilt speedily come to me and receive my soul. " St. Fintan promised him, that God would be pleased to approve his request. Our saint survived this promise, for three years, and his prophecy was miraculously fulfilled. 3°
The people of the neighbourhood yet believe, that a famous school existed at Clonenagh, in St. Fintan's time. It is very certain, that after his
decease, this seminary flourished, and that it produced scholars of the most profound learning and of the highest culture. Among the missing or lost books of ancient Erinn, the " Book of Cluain Eidhneach," in Leix, is specially
enumerated ;3^ and, according to a popular tradition, this had been written
stones, of unequal size.
In the west— is the gable
quadrangulardoorway figured engraving^s and which has inclined sides. At the top,
a
^s Copied from the large folio drawings of George V. DuNoyer, contained in the Royal Irish Academy's Library, vol. iv. , No. 40. It has been reduced from the drawing, and engraved very accurately by Mr. Gregor Grey, of Dublin.
"
rum," tomus iii. , Februarii xvii. Vita S.
Fintani, cap. iv. , num. 22, p. 20.
3' According to a statement made, by a former learned and lamented academician,
Professor Eugene O' Curry, undoubtedly the Book of Clonenagh, with many other mis- sing and valuable Irish works, was extant
"
in 1630. In his preface to the General
History of Ireland," by Dr. Geoffrey Keat- ing, this author states, that the Book of Fionntaii a Laoghis was among the records of first importance, which survived in his time. See Dermod O'Connor's translation, pp. 52, 53. Duffy's edition of 1 841. It is also one of the works, which he has often quoted, and a copy of which probably had been in his possession. At least, he appears to have had some extracts from it, for he al-
^^
Mr. Du Noyer has several coloured draw- ings of details, in Agha old church, at Nos. 41 to 46. He also includes a ground-plan and restoration of the building.
In addition to the foregoing drawing.
"7 On the outside, this doorway is 6 feet
2,h inches high ; 3 feet 5^ inches broad at
the ground ; and 3 feet 3^ inches at the
top. For further description and more
minute admeasurements, by the late Thomas
O'Conor, reference may be given to the
"Letters containing Information, relating
to the Antiquities of the County of Carlow,
collected during the progress of the Ord-
nance Survey in 1839. " Letter, dated Fionntain i Laoighis," or " The Book of
Leighlin Bridge, June 21st, 1839, pp. 148 to 158.
=^ To this period, it is attributed by Mr.
George V. Du Noyer; although portions were erected, at very different periods.
^9 His feast is thought to have been on the 3rd of June, where further notices of him may be found.
Clonenagh of Fintan, in Leix. " The in- scription over Tybrud Church, which had been founded by the priests, Eugenius Duhy and Geoffry Keating, D. D. , bears date A. D. 1644. At that time, its founders were dead, and had been buried in the ad-
joining churchyard. What became of Dr. Keating's own books or MSB. , we have ao
^° See the Bollandists*
Acta Sancto-
hides to it as
"
Leabhar Cluanah Eidhneach
February 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 591
by St. Fintan. If indeed our saint wrote any part of it, other portions were undoubtedly compiled by much later writers. When the ancient monastery of Clonenagh fell into ruin,32 as in many similar instances, it may have happened, that various sacred relics and books, belonging to its religious
into the hands of laics. " the Book of Clone- Especially,
community, passed
nagh"—one of its most prized literary treasures—probably became the pro- perty of some comorban or improprietor. From what shall be stated subse- quently, it seems not unlikely, that it had been kept by a family, living on the tribe lands of Leix, for several generations. It is probable, this family resided in or near Clonenagh, and its members were known as the Crosbies or Crossans. " 33 In Queen Elizabeth's time, the large estate of Ballyfin, near Clonenagh, is said to have been granted for services rendered her to Patrick Crosbie,whoserealsurnamewasMac-y-Crossane. 34 Hereceivedthetitle ofSirPatrickCrosby. BallyfinwasgrantedafterwardstoPeriamPole,Esq. , who was a brother to Sir John, and second son of Sir William Pole, of Shute, in Devonshire. The Castle of Ballyfin, erected by the Crosbies, had been pulled down by this grantee, who erected a more modern house on its site. This latter mansion was destroyed by fire, propably towards the close of the seventeenth,orthebeginningoftheeighteenth,century. Hissonafterwards rebuilt it. A statement has been made to the writer, that the ancient Book of St. Fintan was in the library of Ballyfin House,35 some time about the com- mencement of the present century. s^ Moreover, the writer has been in- formed, that the crozier of St. Fintan, with many other relics, said to have
means left for ascertaining.
3- According to Dr. O'Donovan, not a
stone of the primitive ages is left undis- turbed in the ruined church, at Clonenagh, and which was repaired at different periods. The part remaining is 45 feet long and 2 1 feet broad ; but, originally, the church was much longer. See " Letters containing In- foi-mation relative to the Antiquities of the Queen's County, collected during the pro- gress of the Ordnance Survey in 1838," vol. i. , p, 43. On the old Elizabethan Map of Leax and Offaly, preserved in Trinity College, Dublin, the monastery at Clone- nagh seems to Ije represented, at the left side or north of a road, leading from Castle- town to Maryborough.
been recovered ; and how important the " Book of Clonenagh" must prove for the elucidation of past events may be gleaned from Dr. Keating's quotations, especially in reference to the celebrated Synod of Rath- breasail, and its place of meeting.
3^ About the beginning of the year 1869 a respectable young man, Mr. John B. Bray, then clerk in the Hibernian Bank, Castle-
street, Dublin, called upon the writer, and stated he was in possession of traditional information, which should be communicated,
he thought, through some agency, to those who felt a special interest in rescuing the remains of our Irish literature from oblivion.
He declared that, several years ago, while visiting the ruins of Clonenagh, near Mount-
—^3The Crossans—rhymers to the O'Moores
rath, in company with
his Mr. father,
their con- whose principal office was to compose versation turned naturally on St. Fintan
O'Donovan, were poets,
Martin
to Dr.
funeral dirges or S chieftains' panegyrics.
More frequently, however, the family bards degenerated into satirists.
3-* His great grandson. Sir John Crosbie, baronet, espoused the Royal cause of Charles I. , and he was attainted afterwards by Act of Parliament. Although King Charles II. became entitled to his great estate in 1663, this attainder was never re- versed.
33
of the latter
according
Bray,
that the — oldest extant
It was said to have been written by St. Fintan. Mr, Martin Bray's father, who also bore the name of Martin, and who died about 1844,
It
Keating, while compiling the Irish History. But, hitherto, neither one nor the other has
is
copy of the " Book of Clonenagh"
the original—was that MS. preserved at Ballyfin. For various reasons, it is not likely to have been the copy, used by Dr.
probable,
if not
town,
and the old ruined monastery. Mr. Martiii
Bray, who had a great taste for Irish anti-
quities, and who was a very intelligent man, then told his son about a remarkable and curious old vellum MS. , whic—h was written in quaint, ancient characters supposed to have been Irish—but which no person knew how to read, although most of the leaves were perfectly legible. This was called " The Book of St. Fintan," and it formerly
at the age of ninety years, saw this MS. in Ballyfin library, in the beginning of this century.
to the monksof
belonged Clonenagh.
592 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [February 17.
belonged formerly to the ol—d churches of ClonenaG^h37 and Cromogue—both withinamileofeachother hadbeenkeptsubsequentlyatBallyfinHouse; but, that these had perished in a fire^^ which broke out, and they are now ir-
recoverably lost. 39 Yet, the " Book of Clonenagh," although missing, may possibly be still in existence \^° whether it had been removed from Ballyfin,
when this estate passed by purchase from the Poles,-*' to the former baronet,
Sir Charles Henry Coote, or whether it yet remains in the house of his son
andsucessor,thepresentSirCharlesHenryCoote,^^seemsdoubtful. About
the year 1850, a fire took place at Ballyfin House, but, no book was then
burned. '«3 Hitherto, all the enquiries made, in reference to St. Fintan's
"
ST. fintan's virtues and accomplishments—he is styled a bishop as well as AN abbot—departure OF TWO BROTHERS AT CLONENAGH—ST. FINTAN RECOM- MENDED BY ST. COLUMKILLE AS A HOLY FATHER CONFESSOR—DEATH OF ST. FINTAN—DAY OF HIS FEAST—VENERATION PAID TO HIS MEMORY—CHURCHES DEDICATED TO HIM—CONCLUSION.
The holy abbot is said to have practised very extraordinary mortifications.
missing book/' have been unavailing.
CHAPTER IV.
37 In "Letters containing Information
relative to the Antiquities of the Queen's
County, collected during the progress of the
Ordnance Survey in 1838," the late Dr.
John O'Donovan has given an interesting
description of Clonenagh parish—commen-
surate with the barony of Maryborough enquiries then made, the housekeeper
West—in a letter, dated Mountrath, No- vember 24th, 1838, vol. i. , pp. 38 to 82.
stated, that some old boxes remained in a store room unexamined, for a great number of years, within her memory. Sir Charles promised that a further search should take placfi, for the missing "Book of Clone- nagh ;" yet, to this present date, no further information, regarding it, has been furnished to the writer.
'*3 This fact was a com- elicited, through
munication, received from the late Lieu- tenant-General Dunne, of Brittis House, and dated March 4th, 1869. He was pre- sent at this fire ; and, hence, we may rea-
38 These must have been lost in that fire
already noticed, and which broke out there, in the latter part of the seventeenth or in
the beginning of the eighteenth century.
39 Such was a statement made by his
father, Mr. Martin Bray, to Mr. John 13.
Bray.
''^ Regarding this matter, the writer pre-
"Note— on the Rev. John O'Hanlon's
Paper On the Missing Book of Clone-
nagh. " By Daniel F. Dowling. This he had constant access, nor did he ever re-
pared a paper, intituled, "The Missing Book
of Clonenagh," which was read April nth,
1870, before the Royal Irish Academy. It
will be found published, in "Proceedings
of the Royal Irish Academy," series ii. ,
vol, i. . No, iv. , pp. 7 to 12. This com- other letters, however, Lieutenant-General munication is followed by another, No, v,
writer, living at Castletown, near Mount- rath, states, that Rev. Valentine Griffith, a former rector of the latter place, is said to have been in possession of the "Book of
Clonenagh," in the beginning of this cen-
tury, and to have left it afterwards to his
son-in-law, Robert Knaggs, M. D, The formed, that he felt certain the ancient
latter gentleman, in June, 1870, was living as an extensive sheep farmer, with his son James, near Melbourne, in Australia. See ibid. , pp. 13, 14.
^' It was sold by their representative, the Earl of Mornington, who died in 1845.
"Book of Clonenagh" had never been in the Coote Library, the books of which had
been purchased or procured by the late and present baronets at various times. Nor
have enquiries, among the PoleJ family, served to elicit more satisfactory intelli-
gence.
* Some time after the papers, to which
allusions are already made, had been read,
the writer had an opportunity for visiting Ballyfin House. Sir Charles H. Coote
then most courteously brought him to in- spect the library and other valuable art treasures, in his fine mansion. In reply to
"
could not have been destroyed by it. In
sonably infer, the
Book of Clonenagh"
Dunne stated, in reply to queries, that from his earliest days, he had a perfect knowledge
of the
collect the late Sir Charles Henry Coote, Bart. , with whom he had been intimate, make any mention of the old MS. in ques- tion. This, however, did not prevent his further enquiries, and in a letter headed "Brittas, March 17th, 1869," I was in-
contents of Ballyfin library, to which
February 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 593
As a renowned spiritual father, he desired to set a great example to his penitents. Will the sinner, therefore, seek to conceal, or refuse to do penance for, what he has committed in the presence of God, when the justi- fied desire by their austerities to acknowledge themselves sinners, in the sight both of God and m—an ? St. ^ngus the Culdee has thus recorded St. Fintan's mortifications
:
"
Fionntain the generous [Fionntain the generous,]' He never ate during his time
But bread of barley com,
And water of
' earthy clay. "
The O'Clerys notice a very ancient vellum book,3 in which is found the Martyrology of Maelruain of Tamhlacht, and many other things, which treat
concerning the Saints of Erin. 4 This states, that Fionntain, of Cluain-heidh- nech, the chief head of the monks of Erinn, in his manners and life, re- sembled Benedict,^ head of the monks of Europe.
Father Stephen White commemorates Fintan of Clonenagh, as an
^
In most of the Martyrologies, he is called a priest, an abbot, and a confessor ; however, by some writers, St. Fintan is styled bishop. 7 Yet, it is not probable, unless as a chorepiscopus, that he enjoyed such a dignity ; although some of his successors, in Clonenagh monastery, are called bishops. In the Breviary of Aberdeen, he is commemorated as a prior ; and if we are to credit Dempster,^ he was afterwards advanced to the grade of bishop. Yet, as St. Finian or Finan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, is also venerated on this day, it is quite possible, some confusion may have occurred,
in the attribution of episcopal rank to our saint, as well as to him. 9
Two brothers, who lived from their youth in St. Fintan's monastery,
tenderly loved each other, and being obedient to rule, in all things, they
pleased our Lord, as also their own religious brethren, to the best of their
ability. At length, it happened, that the elder of these brothers had been
seized with a mortal illness, which caused his death. At the time of his
departure, the younger brother chanced to be at work in the woods, with
othermonks. Whenreturning,hesawsomepersonspreparingagrave,in
the ^° and on from he learned all about his cemetery, enquiring them,
brother's death. Full of sorrow, the survivor went to that place, where the abbot and monks were already engaged, singing psalms around the corpse. "
evangelical preacher.
Chapter iv, —^ In a note, Dr. Todd
And strained muddy water. "
3 Allusion is made to the leaves, now in the Franciscan archives, Dublin, and which
The
"" In the Book of Lecan, R,I. A. , Dublin,
at the 17th of February, and in the Festilogy of iEngus, the writer records in the—follow-
ing lines translated by Mr. Crowe
"The day of the feast of Findtan (P5I15)
says at these words, The generous,
metre requires the repetition of these words, which are therefore added in brackets. In lines of this structure, it is the custom of Irish scribes to write the words but once. "
"
4 gee Rev. Dr. Todd's and Reeves'
vigilant
Of the great Clonenagh.
See MenologiumScoticum,"February 1 7th.
On this extract there is a translated com- ment:—
*'^ngus Cecinit : Generous Fintain Never eat during his time
But the bread of blighted barley Vol. II.
9 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii xvii. De S. P'intano Presbytero, &c. Commentarius prsevius, num. I, p. 16.
^° From this, and from many similar
notices, we learn, that our early religious were buried, not within the church, but in
:
"
See Apologia pro Hibernia,"cap. ii. , p. 14, and cap. iv. , p. 38.
7 According to the Bruxelles MS. , the
"
^
2ist of March. ^"
Book of Leinster. " Martyrology of Donegal. "
belonged to the "
s His feast is
kept
in the Church, on the
Manuscript of Florarius and Maurolycus. ^"
the cemetery adjoining.
2 Q
594 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February17.
The survivor besought our saint, that he might then die, and thus go to Heaven, together with his brother. Saint Fintan answered : "Your brother
hath already departed to God's kingdom, but you live, and cannot go simul- taneously with him to Heaven, unless he rise again to life. Yet, your desire
pleases me, wait awhile, and you shall see your brother living. " St. Fintan then praying, he who had departed returned to life. While yet lying in the
coffin, he spoke with a loud voice, blessing all who were present. He then told his brother, to make haste, and to receive the Holy Sacrifice, for the heavenly choirs, who came to meet his own soul, had returned again with him, to bear that of his younger brother, while he declared that the Almighty had heard the abbot's prayers, in accordance with the wishes of this brother, who desired liow to depart. The younger brother then placed himself, beside the elder, and, having received Holy Viaticum," with the prayers and blessings of the abbot and monks, he breathed forth his pure spirit to God. As their hearts were closely united in love while Hving, so in death these happy souls were not separated. His monks admired the wonders wrought by God, through their saintly Father Fintan. While they adored the Almighty in his wondrous ways, their hearts were strengthened by firm faith in his power, having been spectators of such a great miracle. ^3
A certain religious young man of Leix,^4 and who was named Columbanus,'^ became a disciple to St. Columkille, in the Island of lona. Wishing, how- ever, to revisit his own country, he besought St. Columkille to counsel him, respecting the choice of a spiritual director. '^ The Abbot of lona told him, that he had frequently seen a holy man, whose features he described, stand- ing with angels before God's throne, and that this was Fintan of Clonenagh, whomhisdisciplealreadyknew. Tohim,Columbanuswasdirected. Having received the benediction of his great master, Columbanus set out for Ireland. On seeing Fintan, he related all that had been said of him, by St. Columkille. However, through humility, Fintan warned the young man, not to relate this occurrence, during his lifetime ; but, from this obligation of secrecy, Colum- banus was soon relieved, for shortly afterwards the death of venerable Fintan took place. '7
When the holy abbot found his end approaching, he called the brethren around him. In their presence, as also in that of some other pious persons, and before a numerous concourse of people, he named Fintan Maeldubh*^ as his successor. '9 Then raising his hand, and imparting the benediction to the people, and having received Holy Communion,^® with sentiments of the most fervent piety, St. -Fintan passed out of this world, to a life of bliss, on the13thoftheMarchCalends,'^^oronthe17thofFebruary. " BishopDe
^^ This appears to have been some form
^s See his Life, at the 15th of May.
'"^ In the Life of St. Fintan, we read,
** Dixit ad B. Columbam, O Sancte Dei,
quomodo in patria mea vivam, et tibi con- fitear peccata mea. " This is a testimony in
favour of auricular confession, as practised in the early Irish Church,
^7 See the BoUandists* "Acta Sancto-
tomus Februarii xvii. De S. iii. ,
of burial service, when a brother had
their
^"
prescribed by departed.
rule,
The words contained in this chapter, confirm and illust—rate thej Catholic prac-
**frater mi festina accipere sanctum sacri-
ficium," and "acceptoque divino viatico,"
tices in early times
be
if or illustration proof
•
wanting.
^3 Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae,"
xvii. Feliruarii. Vita S. Fintani, cap. xxi. ,
p. 353.
** This ancient division of Ireland was
_
situated, in the present Queen's County ; but its boundaries seem to have changed, at different periods. In St. Fintan's time, it was much more extensive, than in later centuries,
rum,"
Fintano Presbytero, &c. , cap. iv. , num. 24, p. 20.
'^
See his Life, at the 20th of October.
*9 This holy man, we are told, was dis«
tinguished more by his virtues, than by his birth.
=° ** The Life of St. Fintan states,
accepto
Dominico sacrificio," &c. , at the thirty-
fourth
chapter.
February 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 595 Burgo states, that he lived to the age of ninety, and that even t—his he ex-
ceeded. =3 it is read in one — history,
that twelve and six score to years equal
one hundred and thirty-two was the term of St. Fintan's life. Such is the comment found in the Book of Lecan. ^-^
The Roman Martyrology,=s Usuard, Ado, Possuevin, Florarius, the BreviaryofAberdeen,Dempster,Camerarius,^^Rev. AlbanButler,=^7 Bishop Challoner,'^ the Circle of the Seasons,'9 Rev. S. Baring-Gould,3° and other foreign writers, place his feast, at this date. Our earliest and latest Irish Calendars all unite, in placing the festival of the illustrious founder of Clone- nagh, at the 17th of February. Thus St. ^ngus, who lived himself at Clone-
"
nagh, has proclaimed it in his very ancient
Feilire. " 31 The Martyrology
ofTallagh,32likewise,noticeshimasFintanofCluainEidnech,Abbot.
At another time, when Fintan was sojourning among the people of Idrone,^^
7 In St. Fintan's Life, we read, that by St. ^ngus the Culdee, in the first part Cormac, son to Diermad, lived a long time of his "Opuscula," lib. 2, cap. 18.
in the kingdom of Leinster. By this we " In the " Book of the Island" it is said, are to understand, that he ruled in the that Fergna had twelve daughters. ^Engus
southern of part
or in Kinsel- Hy
the in his " Culdee,
lib.
Leinster,
lagh ; as in a previous portion of the text, his father is called king over that part of
Ireland.
cap. xviii. , p. 352, and nn. 18, 19, p. 354.
Opuscula,"
and lib. 3, cap. 6, speaks of Fergna's several
sons and daughters, who were numbered
amongthesaints; andtheMartyrologiesof
Tallagh, of Marianus Gorman and of Done- niK," xvii. Februarii. Vita S. Fintani, gal state, that . the festival of Fergna's
^ **
See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
daughters was celebrated on the 7th of
these Calendars do not de- clare the number or names of these saints ; nor was Colgan able to discover, whether they were sons and daughters to this, or to It seems probable, to Colgan, that some other Fergna ; although, he thought, it probable, they were children to this holy
man, mentioned in the Life of St. Fintan.
"
whom Fintan saw amongst angelic choirs, both on earth and in Heaven, was a relative to our saint, and
5' This
Feargna,
January, But,
belonging to the family of St. Brigid. '°
Fergna was numbered among the Irish Saints ; his festival might be that one,
*3 See Colgan's This Fergna, beyond all doubt, had pendix, cap. i. , p. 46.
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
of Marianus Gorman, at the l8th of Sep- ni? e," xvii. Februarii, nn. 20, 21, p. 354.
tember, or at the I ith of October. Also, ix. Januarii. Vita S. Finani. Ap-
placed by the Martyrologies of Tallagh and
"
one sainted son, who was called P'inanus. His descent is thus traced by the " Sanc- tilogic Genealogy," at cap. 15 : "S. Finanus was son of Fergna, son to Cobhthac, son of Muredach, son to Lasre, son of Darius, son of Dercan, son to Denius, son of Conla, son to Artcurb, son of Carbre surnamed Niadh. This St P'inan is mentioned by the Martyr- ologyofTallagh,bytheSchohastofvEngus, and by Marianus Gorman, at the 9th of Jan- uary, as also at the 13th of February, Like- wise, a Colman. son to Fergna, is mentioned,
'* See ibid,, xvii. Februarii. Vita S.
Fintani, cap. xix. , p, 352.
'S See the Bollandists' ** Acta Sancto-
rum," tomus iii. , Februarii xvii. Vita S. P'intani, cap, iii,, num. 18, 19, 20, 21, pp.
19, 20. — "^ The people of this territory
compris- ing the present barony of Idrone, and that part of Kildare and Leighlin diocese, on
the west side of the Barrow—are so called, because they are derived from Drona, the fourth in descent from Cathaeir Mor. See
2, cap. 6,
February 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 589
at Achad-Finglass Monastery,^? on the eastern side of the River Barrow/^ and near Leighlin city, '9 a certain humble and holy bishop, named Brandubh,
from Hy-Kinsellagh,=^° came to him, and proposed becoming a monk under his rule. Fintan, who rejoiced at the arrival of this prelate, advised him rather to enter Achad-Finglass Monastery, where the rule was less strict than at Clonenagh. =^^ In the Salamancan MS. of our saint's Life, Ardglais is sub- stituted for Achadh-Finglaiss. It has been thought, that Achadh-arglais was situated not far from Sletty church, in Lefnster. ^ But, Achadh-arglais, or Achadh-Fuinglass, has been more correctly identified with Agha,'3 a town-
Door of Agha Old Church, County Carlow.
land, containing the ruins of a very ancient church, in the barony of Idrone East, and in the county of Carlow. It is about four miles to the east of old
Leighlin. ^4 The length of the old church interiorly is 45 >^ feet, and its breadth is 15}^ feet. In the east gable, about 5 feet from the ground, there
Dr, O'Donovan's " Leabhar na g-Ceart ; or the Book of Rights," ii. (k), p. 212.
^^ Archdall incorrectly makes St. Fintan
p. 230.
=0 In the old Life of St. Fintan, this is
said to have been the more celebrated part of Leinster.
=^ This shows, that both places could not have belonged to the same abbot ; as the discipline and rules were different.
"See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernix," xvii. Februarii, n. 23, p. 354.
23 The townland and parish of Agha, in in the barony of Idrone East, are shown on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for
abbot over this place. See Hibernicum," p. 35.
"
Monasticon
'8 In the published Life of St. Fintan, we read, that Achadh-Finglaiss was situated " contra civitatem Lethghleann, in oriental! parte fluminis Bearuo,"
'9 Following a conjecture of Colgan, Dr. Lanigan thinl^s Achad Finglass was more
probably, in that part of Idrone, county of Carlow, west, rather than east, of the Bar- row. Se "Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land, "vo. ii. , chap, xii. , sect, xi. , n. 168,
the County of Carlow. " Sheets 12, 16. "
24 See Dr. O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , n. (f ), p. 789-
590 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS [February17.
is a window, with a semicircular arch of chiselled granite stones, at the top, tothespringofwhich,thewindowis5feetinheight. Thearchis3feet,in addition, to the upper key-stone. The sides and arch are built with granite
Another curious win—dow is in the south side wall.
in the
accompanying large lintel crosses the doorway, and it reaches nearly the whole thickness of the wall. =*^ By in- dents seen, in the stones at the south side, it must appear, there were strong fastenings used in closing the door. ='7 As the ancient church was built on ground, declining in a western direction, the side walls were extended farther thanthewestgable,tosupportthestructure. Thesidewallsappeartoretain their original height, and these rise about 1 1 feet 9 inches, in this old church of the twelfth century. ^^^ The courses of masonry are very curiously arranged ; but, the walls are exceedingly well grouted. The top of the west gable is
down, and the walls of this church are nearly 3 feet in thickness.
At this interview with Fintan, it was urged by Bishop Brandubh,=9 on St.
Fintan " have I ruled over and now under the rule of : Hitherto, others,
another, I wish to resign my soul to God. I here present myself to the Lord and to thee ; whatsoever, therefore, thou shalt say to me, I shall will-
ingly observe ; yet, this request alone I ask, that I may not long survive, it thou depart from this life before me, but that thou wilt speedily come to me and receive my soul. " St. Fintan promised him, that God would be pleased to approve his request. Our saint survived this promise, for three years, and his prophecy was miraculously fulfilled. 3°
The people of the neighbourhood yet believe, that a famous school existed at Clonenagh, in St. Fintan's time. It is very certain, that after his
decease, this seminary flourished, and that it produced scholars of the most profound learning and of the highest culture. Among the missing or lost books of ancient Erinn, the " Book of Cluain Eidhneach," in Leix, is specially
enumerated ;3^ and, according to a popular tradition, this had been written
stones, of unequal size.
In the west— is the gable
quadrangulardoorway figured engraving^s and which has inclined sides. At the top,
a
^s Copied from the large folio drawings of George V. DuNoyer, contained in the Royal Irish Academy's Library, vol. iv. , No. 40. It has been reduced from the drawing, and engraved very accurately by Mr. Gregor Grey, of Dublin.
"
rum," tomus iii. , Februarii xvii. Vita S.
Fintani, cap. iv. , num. 22, p. 20.
3' According to a statement made, by a former learned and lamented academician,
Professor Eugene O' Curry, undoubtedly the Book of Clonenagh, with many other mis- sing and valuable Irish works, was extant
"
in 1630. In his preface to the General
History of Ireland," by Dr. Geoffrey Keat- ing, this author states, that the Book of Fionntaii a Laoghis was among the records of first importance, which survived in his time. See Dermod O'Connor's translation, pp. 52, 53. Duffy's edition of 1 841. It is also one of the works, which he has often quoted, and a copy of which probably had been in his possession. At least, he appears to have had some extracts from it, for he al-
^^
Mr. Du Noyer has several coloured draw- ings of details, in Agha old church, at Nos. 41 to 46. He also includes a ground-plan and restoration of the building.
In addition to the foregoing drawing.
"7 On the outside, this doorway is 6 feet
2,h inches high ; 3 feet 5^ inches broad at
the ground ; and 3 feet 3^ inches at the
top. For further description and more
minute admeasurements, by the late Thomas
O'Conor, reference may be given to the
"Letters containing Information, relating
to the Antiquities of the County of Carlow,
collected during the progress of the Ord-
nance Survey in 1839. " Letter, dated Fionntain i Laoighis," or " The Book of
Leighlin Bridge, June 21st, 1839, pp. 148 to 158.
=^ To this period, it is attributed by Mr.
George V. Du Noyer; although portions were erected, at very different periods.
^9 His feast is thought to have been on the 3rd of June, where further notices of him may be found.
Clonenagh of Fintan, in Leix. " The in- scription over Tybrud Church, which had been founded by the priests, Eugenius Duhy and Geoffry Keating, D. D. , bears date A. D. 1644. At that time, its founders were dead, and had been buried in the ad-
joining churchyard. What became of Dr. Keating's own books or MSB. , we have ao
^° See the Bollandists*
Acta Sancto-
hides to it as
"
Leabhar Cluanah Eidhneach
February 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 591
by St. Fintan. If indeed our saint wrote any part of it, other portions were undoubtedly compiled by much later writers. When the ancient monastery of Clonenagh fell into ruin,32 as in many similar instances, it may have happened, that various sacred relics and books, belonging to its religious
into the hands of laics. " the Book of Clone- Especially,
community, passed
nagh"—one of its most prized literary treasures—probably became the pro- perty of some comorban or improprietor. From what shall be stated subse- quently, it seems not unlikely, that it had been kept by a family, living on the tribe lands of Leix, for several generations. It is probable, this family resided in or near Clonenagh, and its members were known as the Crosbies or Crossans. " 33 In Queen Elizabeth's time, the large estate of Ballyfin, near Clonenagh, is said to have been granted for services rendered her to Patrick Crosbie,whoserealsurnamewasMac-y-Crossane. 34 Hereceivedthetitle ofSirPatrickCrosby. BallyfinwasgrantedafterwardstoPeriamPole,Esq. , who was a brother to Sir John, and second son of Sir William Pole, of Shute, in Devonshire. The Castle of Ballyfin, erected by the Crosbies, had been pulled down by this grantee, who erected a more modern house on its site. This latter mansion was destroyed by fire, propably towards the close of the seventeenth,orthebeginningoftheeighteenth,century. Hissonafterwards rebuilt it. A statement has been made to the writer, that the ancient Book of St. Fintan was in the library of Ballyfin House,35 some time about the com- mencement of the present century. s^ Moreover, the writer has been in- formed, that the crozier of St. Fintan, with many other relics, said to have
means left for ascertaining.
3- According to Dr. O'Donovan, not a
stone of the primitive ages is left undis- turbed in the ruined church, at Clonenagh, and which was repaired at different periods. The part remaining is 45 feet long and 2 1 feet broad ; but, originally, the church was much longer. See " Letters containing In- foi-mation relative to the Antiquities of the Queen's County, collected during the pro- gress of the Ordnance Survey in 1838," vol. i. , p, 43. On the old Elizabethan Map of Leax and Offaly, preserved in Trinity College, Dublin, the monastery at Clone- nagh seems to Ije represented, at the left side or north of a road, leading from Castle- town to Maryborough.
been recovered ; and how important the " Book of Clonenagh" must prove for the elucidation of past events may be gleaned from Dr. Keating's quotations, especially in reference to the celebrated Synod of Rath- breasail, and its place of meeting.
3^ About the beginning of the year 1869 a respectable young man, Mr. John B. Bray, then clerk in the Hibernian Bank, Castle-
street, Dublin, called upon the writer, and stated he was in possession of traditional information, which should be communicated,
he thought, through some agency, to those who felt a special interest in rescuing the remains of our Irish literature from oblivion.
He declared that, several years ago, while visiting the ruins of Clonenagh, near Mount-
—^3The Crossans—rhymers to the O'Moores
rath, in company with
his Mr. father,
their con- whose principal office was to compose versation turned naturally on St. Fintan
O'Donovan, were poets,
Martin
to Dr.
funeral dirges or S chieftains' panegyrics.
More frequently, however, the family bards degenerated into satirists.
3-* His great grandson. Sir John Crosbie, baronet, espoused the Royal cause of Charles I. , and he was attainted afterwards by Act of Parliament. Although King Charles II. became entitled to his great estate in 1663, this attainder was never re- versed.
33
of the latter
according
Bray,
that the — oldest extant
It was said to have been written by St. Fintan. Mr, Martin Bray's father, who also bore the name of Martin, and who died about 1844,
It
Keating, while compiling the Irish History. But, hitherto, neither one nor the other has
is
copy of the " Book of Clonenagh"
the original—was that MS. preserved at Ballyfin. For various reasons, it is not likely to have been the copy, used by Dr.
probable,
if not
town,
and the old ruined monastery. Mr. Martiii
Bray, who had a great taste for Irish anti-
quities, and who was a very intelligent man, then told his son about a remarkable and curious old vellum MS. , whic—h was written in quaint, ancient characters supposed to have been Irish—but which no person knew how to read, although most of the leaves were perfectly legible. This was called " The Book of St. Fintan," and it formerly
at the age of ninety years, saw this MS. in Ballyfin library, in the beginning of this century.
to the monksof
belonged Clonenagh.
592 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [February 17.
belonged formerly to the ol—d churches of ClonenaG^h37 and Cromogue—both withinamileofeachother hadbeenkeptsubsequentlyatBallyfinHouse; but, that these had perished in a fire^^ which broke out, and they are now ir-
recoverably lost. 39 Yet, the " Book of Clonenagh," although missing, may possibly be still in existence \^° whether it had been removed from Ballyfin,
when this estate passed by purchase from the Poles,-*' to the former baronet,
Sir Charles Henry Coote, or whether it yet remains in the house of his son
andsucessor,thepresentSirCharlesHenryCoote,^^seemsdoubtful. About
the year 1850, a fire took place at Ballyfin House, but, no book was then
burned. '«3 Hitherto, all the enquiries made, in reference to St. Fintan's
"
ST. fintan's virtues and accomplishments—he is styled a bishop as well as AN abbot—departure OF TWO BROTHERS AT CLONENAGH—ST. FINTAN RECOM- MENDED BY ST. COLUMKILLE AS A HOLY FATHER CONFESSOR—DEATH OF ST. FINTAN—DAY OF HIS FEAST—VENERATION PAID TO HIS MEMORY—CHURCHES DEDICATED TO HIM—CONCLUSION.
The holy abbot is said to have practised very extraordinary mortifications.
missing book/' have been unavailing.
CHAPTER IV.
37 In "Letters containing Information
relative to the Antiquities of the Queen's
County, collected during the progress of the
Ordnance Survey in 1838," the late Dr.
John O'Donovan has given an interesting
description of Clonenagh parish—commen-
surate with the barony of Maryborough enquiries then made, the housekeeper
West—in a letter, dated Mountrath, No- vember 24th, 1838, vol. i. , pp. 38 to 82.
stated, that some old boxes remained in a store room unexamined, for a great number of years, within her memory. Sir Charles promised that a further search should take placfi, for the missing "Book of Clone- nagh ;" yet, to this present date, no further information, regarding it, has been furnished to the writer.
'*3 This fact was a com- elicited, through
munication, received from the late Lieu- tenant-General Dunne, of Brittis House, and dated March 4th, 1869. He was pre- sent at this fire ; and, hence, we may rea-
38 These must have been lost in that fire
already noticed, and which broke out there, in the latter part of the seventeenth or in
the beginning of the eighteenth century.
39 Such was a statement made by his
father, Mr. Martin Bray, to Mr. John 13.
Bray.
''^ Regarding this matter, the writer pre-
"Note— on the Rev. John O'Hanlon's
Paper On the Missing Book of Clone-
nagh. " By Daniel F. Dowling. This he had constant access, nor did he ever re-
pared a paper, intituled, "The Missing Book
of Clonenagh," which was read April nth,
1870, before the Royal Irish Academy. It
will be found published, in "Proceedings
of the Royal Irish Academy," series ii. ,
vol, i. . No, iv. , pp. 7 to 12. This com- other letters, however, Lieutenant-General munication is followed by another, No, v,
writer, living at Castletown, near Mount- rath, states, that Rev. Valentine Griffith, a former rector of the latter place, is said to have been in possession of the "Book of
Clonenagh," in the beginning of this cen-
tury, and to have left it afterwards to his
son-in-law, Robert Knaggs, M. D, The formed, that he felt certain the ancient
latter gentleman, in June, 1870, was living as an extensive sheep farmer, with his son James, near Melbourne, in Australia. See ibid. , pp. 13, 14.
^' It was sold by their representative, the Earl of Mornington, who died in 1845.
"Book of Clonenagh" had never been in the Coote Library, the books of which had
been purchased or procured by the late and present baronets at various times. Nor
have enquiries, among the PoleJ family, served to elicit more satisfactory intelli-
gence.
* Some time after the papers, to which
allusions are already made, had been read,
the writer had an opportunity for visiting Ballyfin House. Sir Charles H. Coote
then most courteously brought him to in- spect the library and other valuable art treasures, in his fine mansion. In reply to
"
could not have been destroyed by it. In
sonably infer, the
Book of Clonenagh"
Dunne stated, in reply to queries, that from his earliest days, he had a perfect knowledge
of the
collect the late Sir Charles Henry Coote, Bart. , with whom he had been intimate, make any mention of the old MS. in ques- tion. This, however, did not prevent his further enquiries, and in a letter headed "Brittas, March 17th, 1869," I was in-
contents of Ballyfin library, to which
February 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 593
As a renowned spiritual father, he desired to set a great example to his penitents. Will the sinner, therefore, seek to conceal, or refuse to do penance for, what he has committed in the presence of God, when the justi- fied desire by their austerities to acknowledge themselves sinners, in the sight both of God and m—an ? St. ^ngus the Culdee has thus recorded St. Fintan's mortifications
:
"
Fionntain the generous [Fionntain the generous,]' He never ate during his time
But bread of barley com,
And water of
' earthy clay. "
The O'Clerys notice a very ancient vellum book,3 in which is found the Martyrology of Maelruain of Tamhlacht, and many other things, which treat
concerning the Saints of Erin. 4 This states, that Fionntain, of Cluain-heidh- nech, the chief head of the monks of Erinn, in his manners and life, re- sembled Benedict,^ head of the monks of Europe.
Father Stephen White commemorates Fintan of Clonenagh, as an
^
In most of the Martyrologies, he is called a priest, an abbot, and a confessor ; however, by some writers, St. Fintan is styled bishop. 7 Yet, it is not probable, unless as a chorepiscopus, that he enjoyed such a dignity ; although some of his successors, in Clonenagh monastery, are called bishops. In the Breviary of Aberdeen, he is commemorated as a prior ; and if we are to credit Dempster,^ he was afterwards advanced to the grade of bishop. Yet, as St. Finian or Finan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, is also venerated on this day, it is quite possible, some confusion may have occurred,
in the attribution of episcopal rank to our saint, as well as to him. 9
Two brothers, who lived from their youth in St. Fintan's monastery,
tenderly loved each other, and being obedient to rule, in all things, they
pleased our Lord, as also their own religious brethren, to the best of their
ability. At length, it happened, that the elder of these brothers had been
seized with a mortal illness, which caused his death. At the time of his
departure, the younger brother chanced to be at work in the woods, with
othermonks. Whenreturning,hesawsomepersonspreparingagrave,in
the ^° and on from he learned all about his cemetery, enquiring them,
brother's death. Full of sorrow, the survivor went to that place, where the abbot and monks were already engaged, singing psalms around the corpse. "
evangelical preacher.
Chapter iv, —^ In a note, Dr. Todd
And strained muddy water. "
3 Allusion is made to the leaves, now in the Franciscan archives, Dublin, and which
The
"" In the Book of Lecan, R,I. A. , Dublin,
at the 17th of February, and in the Festilogy of iEngus, the writer records in the—follow-
ing lines translated by Mr. Crowe
"The day of the feast of Findtan (P5I15)
says at these words, The generous,
metre requires the repetition of these words, which are therefore added in brackets. In lines of this structure, it is the custom of Irish scribes to write the words but once. "
"
4 gee Rev. Dr. Todd's and Reeves'
vigilant
Of the great Clonenagh.
See MenologiumScoticum,"February 1 7th.
On this extract there is a translated com- ment:—
*'^ngus Cecinit : Generous Fintain Never eat during his time
But the bread of blighted barley Vol. II.
9 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii xvii. De S. P'intano Presbytero, &c. Commentarius prsevius, num. I, p. 16.
^° From this, and from many similar
notices, we learn, that our early religious were buried, not within the church, but in
:
"
See Apologia pro Hibernia,"cap. ii. , p. 14, and cap. iv. , p. 38.
7 According to the Bruxelles MS. , the
"
^
2ist of March. ^"
Book of Leinster. " Martyrology of Donegal. "
belonged to the "
s His feast is
kept
in the Church, on the
Manuscript of Florarius and Maurolycus. ^"
the cemetery adjoining.
2 Q
594 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February17.
The survivor besought our saint, that he might then die, and thus go to Heaven, together with his brother. Saint Fintan answered : "Your brother
hath already departed to God's kingdom, but you live, and cannot go simul- taneously with him to Heaven, unless he rise again to life. Yet, your desire
pleases me, wait awhile, and you shall see your brother living. " St. Fintan then praying, he who had departed returned to life. While yet lying in the
coffin, he spoke with a loud voice, blessing all who were present. He then told his brother, to make haste, and to receive the Holy Sacrifice, for the heavenly choirs, who came to meet his own soul, had returned again with him, to bear that of his younger brother, while he declared that the Almighty had heard the abbot's prayers, in accordance with the wishes of this brother, who desired liow to depart. The younger brother then placed himself, beside the elder, and, having received Holy Viaticum," with the prayers and blessings of the abbot and monks, he breathed forth his pure spirit to God. As their hearts were closely united in love while Hving, so in death these happy souls were not separated. His monks admired the wonders wrought by God, through their saintly Father Fintan. While they adored the Almighty in his wondrous ways, their hearts were strengthened by firm faith in his power, having been spectators of such a great miracle. ^3
A certain religious young man of Leix,^4 and who was named Columbanus,'^ became a disciple to St. Columkille, in the Island of lona. Wishing, how- ever, to revisit his own country, he besought St. Columkille to counsel him, respecting the choice of a spiritual director. '^ The Abbot of lona told him, that he had frequently seen a holy man, whose features he described, stand- ing with angels before God's throne, and that this was Fintan of Clonenagh, whomhisdisciplealreadyknew. Tohim,Columbanuswasdirected. Having received the benediction of his great master, Columbanus set out for Ireland. On seeing Fintan, he related all that had been said of him, by St. Columkille. However, through humility, Fintan warned the young man, not to relate this occurrence, during his lifetime ; but, from this obligation of secrecy, Colum- banus was soon relieved, for shortly afterwards the death of venerable Fintan took place. '7
When the holy abbot found his end approaching, he called the brethren around him. In their presence, as also in that of some other pious persons, and before a numerous concourse of people, he named Fintan Maeldubh*^ as his successor. '9 Then raising his hand, and imparting the benediction to the people, and having received Holy Communion,^® with sentiments of the most fervent piety, St. -Fintan passed out of this world, to a life of bliss, on the13thoftheMarchCalends,'^^oronthe17thofFebruary. " BishopDe
^^ This appears to have been some form
^s See his Life, at the 15th of May.
'"^ In the Life of St. Fintan, we read,
** Dixit ad B. Columbam, O Sancte Dei,
quomodo in patria mea vivam, et tibi con- fitear peccata mea. " This is a testimony in
favour of auricular confession, as practised in the early Irish Church,
^7 See the BoUandists* "Acta Sancto-
tomus Februarii xvii. De S. iii. ,
of burial service, when a brother had
their
^"
prescribed by departed.
rule,
The words contained in this chapter, confirm and illust—rate thej Catholic prac-
**frater mi festina accipere sanctum sacri-
ficium," and "acceptoque divino viatico,"
tices in early times
be
if or illustration proof
•
wanting.
^3 Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae,"
xvii. Feliruarii. Vita S. Fintani, cap. xxi. ,
p. 353.
** This ancient division of Ireland was
_
situated, in the present Queen's County ; but its boundaries seem to have changed, at different periods. In St. Fintan's time, it was much more extensive, than in later centuries,
rum,"
Fintano Presbytero, &c. , cap. iv. , num. 24, p. 20.
'^
See his Life, at the 20th of October.
*9 This holy man, we are told, was dis«
tinguished more by his virtues, than by his birth.
=° ** The Life of St. Fintan states,
accepto
Dominico sacrificio," &c. , at the thirty-
fourth
chapter.
February 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 595 Burgo states, that he lived to the age of ninety, and that even t—his he ex-
ceeded. =3 it is read in one — history,
that twelve and six score to years equal
one hundred and thirty-two was the term of St. Fintan's life. Such is the comment found in the Book of Lecan. ^-^
The Roman Martyrology,=s Usuard, Ado, Possuevin, Florarius, the BreviaryofAberdeen,Dempster,Camerarius,^^Rev. AlbanButler,=^7 Bishop Challoner,'^ the Circle of the Seasons,'9 Rev. S. Baring-Gould,3° and other foreign writers, place his feast, at this date. Our earliest and latest Irish Calendars all unite, in placing the festival of the illustrious founder of Clone- nagh, at the 17th of February. Thus St. ^ngus, who lived himself at Clone-
"
nagh, has proclaimed it in his very ancient
Feilire. " 31 The Martyrology
ofTallagh,32likewise,noticeshimasFintanofCluainEidnech,Abbot.
