No More Learning

'* Tirechan only states, that the Fearta or
Quarta
Patricii," cap.
Ivii. , p. 42, has it that St. Patrick again
brought them to life. But the holy virgins
giving thanks to God and to St. Patrick wished to return to their state of beatitude,
rude remains, connected by tradition with the history of the kings of Connaught. See
common," p. 374.
'° See Probusor "Quinta VitaS. Patricii,"
lib. ii. , cap, xvii. , p. 58.
" Tirechan tells us it was built of earth,
'-
Under either of these forms, it seems
17© LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January ii.
words,^s They complained, not only that he had directly procured their death, but that he had caused them to renounce their countr/s gods, and
turn to strange gods. Capiat was the first to urge these invectives, in grief
and tears. But holy Patrick endeavoured to assuage this outburst of natural
feeling and sorrow, by tender and soothing remonstrances. ^^ He reasoned
calmly, and showed how the royal maidens had passed away from earthly
trials to everlasting delights, and that their innocent souls had been translated
from exile to a kingdom, and from death to life eternal. St. Patrick con-
tinued to urge on him an exposition regarding the mysteries of Faith and
the kingdom of God. The soothsayer at length was moved to a sincere
conversion. Not only did he profess his belief and his desire to be baptized,
but he also asked to receive tonsure and the monastic habit. This soon
came to the knowledge of his brother Mael, whose indignation was the more
excited, because Capiat, as well as his former pupils, had renounced GentiHsm,
He inveighed against St. Patrick as a seducer, and Mael declared that he
should not only remain inflexible in pagan worship, but that he should bring
back Capiat to his former way of thinking. Yet the rare and all-searching eloquence of St. Patrick cast forth the word of God, like arrows piercing to
the very depths of the heart. Mael too became a convert, was baptized, and he took the habit and tonsure of a monk. '7 The ancient Life of St. Patrick by Tirechan^^ relates that Mael had previously the magical i-ule on his head. Thishadbeenremovedafterhisconversion. TheIrishwordsuseddesignated this magical rule—a form of cutting the hair—as a band of Gehenna ; and as in the case of his brother Caplit, although the hair of his head had been cut off, this need not imply that either or both received Christian tonsure. '9 It rather expresses, in the opinion of Dr. Todd, that they removed all traces of their pagan and magic fashion. ^"
Our Irish calendars hardly reveal to us the fact, that both of these holy
sisters belong to the saints of Ireland. It is true, however, that a festival in
honour of Feidelmai, virgin, is entered at the nth of January, in the published Martyrology of Tallagh. ^' She is also called Fedella in Henry Fitzsimon's list. ^^ With her is united Ethnea,—also called Athna, Ethna or Hethna—
virgin,^3 in nearly all our sacred biographies of St. Patrick. This is noticed, too, by Colgan, who remarks, that a St. Ethnea was venerated at the 28th of
February, according to the Martyrology of Tallagh, Marianus O'Gorman and others; yetitisnoteasytopronouncewhetherornotthecelebrationbethat
'SThe foregoing is Jocelyn's account of these holy virgins. Probus has the same in
substance ; but in opposition to Jocelyn he calls one Aethne Alba and the other Fethlem
Ruffa. The fountain he
" Dabhach,
in the Vita S. Septima
in lateribus Cruachon, contra ortum solis. "
Yet in a succeeding passage he calls it
Clebach, near which the holy sisters were buried, and a trench rounded, according to
the
appearance
secrated by St. Patrick, as indicating the site of their sepulture.
Trias Thaumaturga. "
styles
lib.
xliv. , xlv. , xlvi. , pp. 135, 136. Colgan's
"
of cut stonework, was con-
'» Probus alludes to this Druidic
custom,
'*
exhortation of St. Patrick to both brothers, " But he, touching the harp of David, and preaching the kingdom of God, converted them to the faith, and they were baptized. "
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. Iviii. p. 78.
''Thus in every respect he imitated his brother, and hence, in after time, the Irish
See St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," cap. iii. , p. 455 and n. i, ibitf.
="
Edited by the Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xii. " He also thinks, she is the same, as St.
Fethlin, a virgin, mentioned by Probus.
*3 See Fitzsimon's " ali- Henry Catalogus
quorum Sanctoram Hibernire. "— O'Sullevan Beare's " Historiae Catholica Tberniae Com- pendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xii. , pp. 52, 54.
Thus Joceiine poetically alludes to this
had a proverb, when one followed the ways of another, CofifiuiL ITIaoL "Do CApLaic
"
count of these transactions is that contained
LikeisMaoltoCapiat. " Thefullestac-
'^ Contained in the Book of Armagh, fol. 12, a. a.
which he appears to have well understood, '" "
Patricii,
ii. , cap.
January ii. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 171
of the present Saint Ethnea. However our national hagiologist alleged very sufficient reasons for including both of those heroic virgins among our national saints. ^-* First, all the Acts of St. Patrick concur in recording their admirable innocence of life, their miraculous conversion, and their no less miraculous passage to the society of their Spouse, Jesus Christ. Secondly, the fact of a church having been erected to their memory, at the place where they died, manifests the affectionate reverence entertained for them by St. Patrick him- self Thirdly, the transmission of their relics, from the first place of their de- position to the Metropolitan See of Armagh, indicates still more the respect in which those noble virgins were held, long after their departure, and which seems corroborative of their having been in the odour of sanctity. The only reason Colgan had for placing the festival of both holy virgins at this day was the circumstance of a St. Fedelmia first occurring in our calendars, and a want of knowing that day to which their Acts could more appropriately be as- signed. Wholly to omit them from a collection of Irish saints' lives should be a subject for regret to all who admire truly noble virtues, as also that regal devotion, which soars beyond the poor troublous ambitions of life, and which longs to be at rest in the mansions of God's peaceful kingdom.
Article II. -^St. Suibhne, or Suineus, Abbot of Iona. \Seventh Cen- tury^ We are led to believe that St. Suibhne or Suinne,' the son o—f Cuirtre, Cuir-
or was bom in Ireland most —
but
This holy man
in the sixth
3
was moved with a desire of leading a religious life, and he sought the island of Iona, where Segenius'' then ruled over a monastery, founded by St. Columkille.
For many years St. Suibhne dwelt as a monk, in this retreatof pietyandleaming,s while his humility and fervent dispositions of soul endeared him to the abbot and his community. He made such great progress in ecclesiastical learning and monastic perfection, that on the death of Segenius in 651,^ or 652,7 the brethren of Iona unanimously proceeded to the election of our saint as suc- cessor. By all Suibhne was allowed to excel in the virtues and talents requisite for his exalted position. Illustrious by his virtues and sanctity, this saint ruled over the community with great prudence for a period not longer thanthreeyears,^inColgan'sopinion; inaccordancewithanotherstatement,'
**See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae," xi. Januarii, n. i, p. 56.
the "Annals of the Four Masters," from the seventh to the eleventh century.
* According to the "Martyrology of Tal- lagh," the "Commentator on St. ^ngus," the "Annals of Clonmacnoise," and those of Senat-Mac-Magnus.
3 Colgan has collected what notices could be obtained, regarding this holy abbot, in "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," xi. Januarii. Vita S. Suibhnei, p. 57.
'• The feast of this saint occurs on the 12th
of August.
5 According to a usual practice of Colgan
in reference to St. Columkille's successors
at Iona, this saint is classed as one of his
tri, Curthre,'' probably not later than the commencement of the seventh
certainly
Art. II. —
The Annals of Clonmacnoise, of the
'No less than
lustrious men, bearing this name, occur in
Island of All Saints, of Senat-Mac-Magnus, and of Roscrea, agree in this statement, He had governed the house for the term of twenty-nine years.
^ The "Annals of Inisfallen" incorrectly have a. d. 642; those of Tighemach more correctly a. d. 652. See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's"LifeofSt. Columba. " Addi- tional Notes O, p. 375.
^
Colgan assumes that his predecessor Segene died a. d. 651, and that Suibhne died a. d. 654, wherefore he could not con- ceive how this saint's rule should have been extended to five years by Ussher.
' See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," xi. Januarii. Vita S. Suibhnei, p. 57. "Juxta Annales Cluanenses et Senatenses
twenty-four
il-
disciples. This, however, is by no means an, 654. sed juxta Usserum et Martyr, ""
certain. See Trias Thaumaturga, Quarta Dungallen. an. 656 obiit," n. 7. Appendix ad Acta S. Columbse, cap. x,,
century.
p. 492. ^""
172 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January ii.
nearly four years and five months;" while according to some other authorities, his term was five years. To credit one account he died in the year 654 ;
according to others in 656, or 657, and on the nth day of January, which is that of his festival and commemoration. The Martyrology of Tallagh," of Marianus O'Gorman, of the Commentator on ^ngus, and the Martyrology of Donegal,^^ confirm this statement. This saintly superior was buried with all due reverence, ^vithin those precints of lona's sacred enclosure, where so many sleep in death. '3 Relating to his necrology, the Annals of Clonmacnoise statethatSt. Suibhnediedintheyear653. ^* TheAnnalsoftheFourMasters, Ussher, and the Martyrology of Donegal, place this sainfs death under a. d. 654. There the Four Masters say, "Suibhne,^s son of Cuirtre, Abbot of la, died. "'^ Again the Annals of Ulster refer his death to the year of 6<^6^^ while the Rev. William Reeves prolongs his government of lona Monastery from a. d. 652 to A. D. 657. ^^ We are reminded how this Saint Suibhneus or Suinneus, as the name is Latinized, is the first Abbot of Hy, whose genealogy is not given in the histories. '9
Article III. —St, Amphadhan, or Anfadan, Bishop of Glenda- LOUGH, County of Wicklow. We can only discover, in reference to this holy successor of St. Kevin, that an entry is made in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the nth of January,* Anfadan, Bishop of Glendalough. The period of this bishop's rule, we have not been able to ascertain. In the Annals of the Four Masters,3 there is mention of Anfadan, Abbot of Linn- Duachail, who died a. d. 758, but he does not appear to have had any con- nectionwithGlendalough. Weread,likewise,intheMartyrologyofDonegal. -^
"See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
land," vol. iii. , chap, xvii. , sec. viii. , n. 105,
p. 37. Dr. Lanigan refers —for authority to
Ussher, p. 705, and adds: "He has five
years for Suibne's administration. This must
be understood as reckoning in round num- '5 Colgan remarks this name is so bers.
For Suibne died on the iithofja- written in Irish, and that "bVi" is pro-
nuary, and accordingly, counting from the 1 2th of August, 652 (the day marked for Segenius), was abbot only four years and nearly five months. " Dr. Lanigan, as usual, is one year behind in his computation.
"
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xii. Ih
Besides the present saint, Suibhne, our ca- lendars have a St. Suibhne, at the 19th of January ; one at the 28th of April ; one- at the 21st, and another at the 22nd of June ; one at the 27th of September ; and one at
the Franciscan copy, at this date, we read
Suibni Abb. t^e.
"
and the re-edification of cottages
Many votive chapels seem to have once
the 28th of October. See the "
Alartyrology
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
great
of Donegal," edited by Drs. Todd and
12, 13.
'3 "Thenumberofthetombshereis
Reeves, pp. 472, 473.
'* See O'Donovan's vol. Edition,
i. , pp.
; but much disturbance has taken place among them from recent interments ; and it is pro- bable, that many also have disappeared in consequence of the progress of agriculture,
266, 267.
'' " a. d. 656. Obitus Suibnii mic Cuirtre,
Abbatis la. "
existed in this sacred ground
but
have
they entirelydisappeared, together with the greater number of the 360 crosses, which it is said once to have possessed, and of which the greatest portion was probably also of votive ©"'gin Three only remain at lona, of which one, entire and uninjured, is formed of a very long and thin slab of mica slate, and covered with ornamented sculptures
;
ofveryperfectworkmanship. " MaccuUoch's "Description of the Western Islands of
Scotland," vol. i. , pp. 13, 14.
'*
of Hugh, died.
"A. D. 653, Swyne mac-Cuirtre, Abbot "
"
Suineus would be a proper Latinized form.
nounced like
v" among the Latins. Hence
'^
St. Columba. " Additional Notes O, p. 375.
See his edition of Adamnan's "Life of
''See Bishop Forbes'
Scottish —
Saints, p. 448.
"
Kalendars of
Art. III. 'Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xii.
' In the Franciscan copy, we read, AiipA- •OAni ep gb-tjA too.
3 See Dr. O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. ,
pp. 360, 361.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, p. 13.
January ii. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 173
onthisday,aboutanAmphadhan,BishopofGleanndaloch. Hisnamehasbeen
^ Latinized,Amphianus,inatablefollowingtheMartyrologyproper. Itislikely
thissaintflourishedintheearly times, and in an age when Glendalough was a city, more populous than it is in our day, and when its buildings of the olden type were free from that state of ruin and decay to which they are at present exposed. " Ha})pi]y, various pictorial illustrations^ have helped to preserve their form—but only in a jjartial manner^—for the study of the ecclesiastical historian and antiquary. '-? It is well tliis should be so, for even since the close of the last century, many forms of Glendalough's ancient buildings have been
*^^fl^
Glendalough Cathedra! and Round Tower.
destroyed, and several of its fine carved stones are missing. Among the most valuable illustrations of these monuments are sketches from the pencil of Gabriel Beranger, now m the possession of Sir William R, Wilde, who, in our time, has rendered such inestimable service to Irish antiquarian science, and to the enlightenment of tourists, in more than one particular district of this topographically neglected island.
5 See
vol.
land,"
^ The accompanying engraving, from a
photograph of Frederick \V. Mares, is exe- cuted by Mr. Gregor Grey, Dublin.
5 See " The Journal of the Historical and Archceological Association of Irelaird," vol. ii. , part ii. , Fourth series. No. 15, July 1873, for a very interesting paper and engravings
? •/'/(/. , pp. 354, 355. 'Sir \Yilliam R. Wilde,
ii. , pp. 96, $7.
lately done much to rescue those ruins from
the deteriorating process to which they are
still subjected. In this good work, he has received willing and pious co-operation from
congregation. ^ There is a
intituled: "Memoir of Gabriel Beranger, and his labours in the cause of Irish Art, Literature, and Antiquities, from 1 760 to
with an
—from a drawing by Dr. Wynne—of the
description,
engraving
M. R. I. A. ,
has
the local clergymen, Rev. Eugene Clarke,
P. P. , and Rev. Edward Rowan, C. C, of
Glendalough, with other members of their on the antiquities of Glendalough. This is
Seven Churches at Glendalough, county of to 1780, with Illustrations," by Sir W, R, Wicklow, in Grose's "Antiquities of Ire- Wilde, M. D. , pp. 445 to 4S5.
174 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January ii.
Article IV. —St. Ernan or St. Ernin of Cluain-deochra, said to
BEINWestmeath,ORINTHECouNTYOFLoNGFORD. \PossiblyintheSixth
orSeventhCentury^ EmenofCluana-deochra,^withoutfurtherdesignation,
is met with in the Martyrology of Tallagh. ^ He has been particularized at
the nth of January; and it also happens, the Martyrology of Donegal,3 on this day, records the name of Ernan of Cluaindeochra. The calendarist
says that it was for him St. Colum-Cille composed a prophecy. * If so, he studiedatClonmacnoise,andhewasthesonofCrassen. CluainDeochra has been confounded ^vith Clonrane, on the River Brusna, in the barony of Moycashel and county of Westmeath, by Archdall. s This writer states, that it was seven miles from MuUingar, in a south-westerly direction. *^ Although
"
there are many townland denominations, compounded \vith
along the River Brosna ; yet, I have been unable to find any one of these, under the form of Clonrane, on the Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the county of Westmeath. 7 The scholiast on Marianus OGorman calls this place Cluainn Chrainn, and according to a Life of St. Carthage of Lismore, it was only a little distance removed from Rahan, in the King's County. ^ It seems to have been the seat of a bishop in the tenth century, and probably its site must be sought not far from Clonmacnoise. 9 But, in a copy of
O'Cler/s
" Irish
Calendar," '°
to which Dr. O'Donovan had
The exact
Clon," lying
it is access, placed
in the of
county Longford.
does not as appear, yet,
to be clearly identified. It has been conjectured, that the present saint was most probably identical with Ernan," for some time Abbot of Torey Island. " To him, it seems incorrectly asserted, in 640, after the death of Pope Severinus, and during a vacancy in the Holy See, the Roman clergy addressed a letter, regarding the Paschal controversy and the Pelagian heresy. '3 The reader will find a fuller reference to this matter in the Acts of St. Diman Dubh, BishopofConnor,atthe6thofthismonth. St. ErnanofToryIsleinTjt- connell was a disciple of St. Columkille. He is thought to have been vene- ratedonthisday;'* andifso,hewaspossiblytheholymanherecommemo- rated. In such case, it is said he was son to Colman, son of Moan, son to
Article IV. —'In the Franciscan copy we niae," x. Februarii. Vita S. Cronani, p.
readf eiAmne Cl. 'Oeochi\4. It is the first entry of an Irish saint's name on the second page: on the first page, for the lith of January, the names of eighteen foreign saints precede it.
'
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xii.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, p. 12,
13.
* In a note, Dr. Todd says at this word ""
Prophecy, that the original here adds the word fe|Mob, "write it : meaning to trans- cribe the prophecy alluded to. This, how- ever, was omitted. Dr. Reeves has this re- ferable to St. Ernin of Rathnew, venerated at the i8th of August. See Adamnan's "Life of St. Columba," n. (i), p. 26. Yet in a subsequent note (k) there are grounds for referring it to the present saint. See p. 238.
5 See "Monasticon Hibemicum," p. 708.
'Archdall, quoting Ward, p. 353, calls the present saint Heman.
7
Equally fruitless was his search for it, along the Brosna's course through the King's County to its embouchure into the River
Shannon, some few miles north of Banagher.
303, and n. 13, p. 304.
'In Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 708, 709, we read the death of Flann, son of Maelmichil,
lector of Clonmacnoise, Bishop and Airchin- neach of Cluain-Deochra, a. d. 977.
'"See "Annals of the Four Masters,"
vol. ii. , pp. 708, 709, and n. (m), ibid.
" St. Heman, son to Colman, Abbot of Foragiensis, flourished about A. D. 650, and St. Ernan, son to Aidus, flourished, both in the Ulster province, about a. d. 660. The
latter died on the i6th of May, according to
our Martyrologists.
"It is represented on the "Ordnance
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Donegal," Sheet 6. Here are shown the remams of a round tower, an old cross, and Temple Anvorehesher, or "Church of the Seven. "
'^ See Rev. A. Cogan's "Diocese of "
*
Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbae, cap. x. , p. 490.
See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
locality
Meath, Ancient and Modern, vol. iii. ,
chap. Ixxiv. , p. 556.
'* See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.