go
place,
poor
My children, fear not, for although it shall seem
iii.
place,
poor
My children, fear not, for although it shall seem
iii.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
" See the old Life of our Saint, as
quoted by Ussher, ibid.
"See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiberni-
cum," p. 667.
'' The from a accompanying illustration,
drawing transferred to the wood, by William F'. Wakeman, shows the arched doorway, with a portion of the interior, and remains of the eastern window. It is engraved, by Mrs.
Millard.
'" "
' See Rev. Dr.
History ol Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xii. , n. 73, p. 203.
'Giraldus Cambrensis has it: "Major
ecclesiam habet antiquae rcligionis. " '"
"
Topographia Hibernica," Dist. ii. , cap.
iv. , p. 81. " See Sir
" De Hibemia et
Opera
Lanigan's
Giraldus adds, cui pauci caelibes, quos Cselicolas vel Colideos vocant, devote dcser- viunt. "
By Archdall, in his Monasticon Hibernicum," when treating about Roscrea,
» See Giraldi Cambrensis' "
v. , edited by James F. Dimock, M. A. To-
pographia ilibernica, Dist. ii. , cap. iv. , pp. 80, 81.
" Ecclesiastical
Opera,"
vol.
at
puzzled by the name Lou;^hree—, Archdall
"guessed at that of Louglikee. "
" This townland lies within the parish of astical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , cap.
Corbally, and barony of Ikerrin, being shown, on the " Ordnance Survey Town-
land Maps for the County of Tipperary,"
xvii. , sect, ii. , n. 25, p. 9. "" See Harris' Ware, vol.
Ireland," Book i. , p. 21.
ii. ,
" Writers of
sheets 12, 17, 18.
"'
While at Senniys, . St. Cronan is said to
" Giraldi Cambrensis,
" See "
edited by James F. Dimock, M. A. , vol. v.
have miracles. " wrought many
In "Notes on Irish Architecture," by Exlwin, third EarlofDunraven, edited by Miss Maryaret Stokes, the Cella Seanross is said to be "
properly
James Ware,
Antiquitatibus ejus, Disquisitiones," cap. ii. , p. 119.
xxvi. , pp. 206, 207. '3 The old name Ross Cre is rendered
" Now a parish, partly in the barony of "the wooded point of Cre," while another Ikerrin, and shown, on the "Ordnance Sur- derivation for it is said to be Riasc Cre,
vey Townland Maps for the County of Tip- perary," sheets 12, 17, 18; and portly in
or the moor, marsh, or fen of Cre. See ibiii.
the Baronies of
Ballybritt
and Clonlisk,
'* See Harris' vol. Ware,
"
shown on the "Ordnance Survey Townland
Maps for the King's County," sheets 42,
43. 45-
" See Archdall's " Motiasticon Hiberui-
cum," p. 672.
'5 See an article, intituled, "Ancient Irish
ii. ,
ties of Ireland," chap, xxxviii. , p. 267.
Wonders" by P. W. Joyce, in vol. ii, No. 2,p. 28.
"
sky about it is frequently most brilli. intly illu- minatedbynight. Aaoldman,ofneareighty
Ilibernia,"
p. 672.
'» Rev. Dr. Lanigan supposes, that being
called vol. Stagnura Cre,"
'5 Papebroke does not consider him to be the same as Fursoeus, Abbot of Lagny, venerated on the i6th of January.
" Near Monahincha, a local legend was
told the that the whole of the writer,
" Ecclesi-
Antiqui-
'
S. iints," tome v. , x. 'iviii^ Jourd'Avril, p. 57. ^° Jiiluana, the widow of . \la. -lrony O'Car- Mochoemoc, chap. x\ix. Prohauly, it was roll, lurnished the necessary funds. See
522 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 28.
The great Ballaghmore, or pass between Munster and Leinster, was not far reijioved from the spot; and, on this public road, several holy pilgrims and others were found to be travelling, even at this early period.
"
That great road, called the King's highway,""^ ])assed on to Roscrea,
and the present reconstructed public road deviates hardly at all from the very ancient one. On the Is-
. v;:"^'Ui
land of Monahincha yet stand the remains of a
verybeautifulold edifice,
the doorway of which,
with its curiously-carved and concentric semi-cir- cular archway, is the ad- miration of every be- holder. It is decidedly very ancient, and it is builtin the characteristic Irish style. The beauti- ful little chur—ch-ruin of M onahinsha
speaking population as
Inislmameo, or Inse-
" nam-beo,
Monahincha, County of Tipperary.
Masses of ivy mantle over jior- tioas of the walls. The materials, used in the construction of this very beau- tifuloldchurch,wereexcellent; and,thesemusthavebeentransportedthither, from some distance. —It is incorrectly said,'^ that Cronan built his cell, in an
island of Loughkee yet, it is evident, I. ough Cree should be substituted
;
for, Loughkee or Loughkay is in the county of Leitrim, and far from St. Cronan's country. '^ While he lived in or visited the Island of Ross-Cre, it is said, that St. Canice wrote a volume of tiie Four Evangelists, which was called by the ancients Glass-Kynnick. '-° In St. Cronan's time, the place was called Senruys;"" but,indeed,it is ralherdifficult to determine, whether this name be applicable 10 Monahincha,"' orto Roscrea. '^ We are inclined to believe, that
ment'? runs over them, in very regular form.
years in 1872, said he frequently witneised
this apparition.
»' Allusion is made 10 an irruption of the
pp. 581, 582,
•'See "Les Petits Bollandiste. ^, Vies des
Ossorians in'. o Eile, in the Life of . St.
noi diiferent rom the present raid.
'* "
See Acta Sanctorum," lom. iii. , xxviii.
num. 10, 1 1,
"
iJe Ililjernia et Antiquitalibus ejus Dis ,
Aprilis. Vila S. Crunani, cap. ii. ,
quisiiiones," ca;). xxvi. , p. 209.
3' It lias been since unilcd to the diocese
formerly known to the Irish-
. surmounted
while the zig-zag orna-
Isl—and of the
is about two miles from Ros- crea '5 The length of the church-ruin is about forty-four feet, and the width about eighteen. The windows had con- trasted arches. '* The recessed arches of the doorway rest on bases,
living people'
by capitals,
t
while St. Cronan lived at both places, and probably had a separate religious house in each locality, the narrative series of his acts in reference tobotli must
have been confused in the mind of that writer, whose text has been published by Papebroke. Harris assigns the foundation of Roscrea monastery, to tiie sixthcentury;'< and,itshouldbeadifficultmattertoprovehewasmistaken; but, to us it appears, that St. Cronan founded Monahincha, before he thought of removing to Roscrea. While living in this place, certain holy men came to St. Cronan seeking hospitality ; but, not finding his cell, which was removed from the public road, for the sake of greater retirement, tliey were obliged to spend a whole night without food or shelter. Hearing this, on the following day, our saint condoled with them, on account of their privations and mistake. Conducting a boy with him to the highway, Cronan said to him, " Return to thy place, while I remain here. " His monks entreating him to return towards
April 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 523
his home, our saint " I must not replied :
where the nestly desiring his return, the monks requested Fur? 2eus,=5 the Bishop, to ask
'•
to a desert
and strangers cannot find me, but I will remain on the public way. " Ear-
their superior to reside in his proper place. The Bishop replied :
opinion, your Abbot shall not change the place he has chosen ; for, as the bees on a summer's day fly around their hives, so also, around that place, the gates of Heaven are opened, and a concourse of Angels does not cease con- tinuously to approach it. '* Return therefore to your Abbot, and obey him. " Theydidso,accordingly,and tlierehe built a great monastery. In this, he gained many souls to Christ, and there he wroiigiit ni;iny miracles. Afterwards, the peopleofOssorymadeanirruption,amongtheinhabitantsofHely. '' Tliese fltd to St. Cronan, and besought his interposition, m their behalf. Even the monks, belonging to his monastery, feared theailvance of their enemies. To
"
comfort them, Cronan said,
otherwise to this hostile army, they shall do no injury to us. " It is said, that the people of Ossory were deceived into a belief, that they had killed many men, wasted many villages, and returned with eclat, into their country; whereas theyleftthepeopleandcountryofIlelyalmostuninjured. Therewasanex- ception, however, in the case of one man who was killed, because he refused to approach our saint with his country people. This miracle greatly increased the fame and veneration due to St. Cronan, in all parts of Hibernia. '*
Before this time, the monastery of Roscrea does not appear to have been built ;
however, its first foundation has been attributed to St. Cronan. '9 Indeed, Sir
James Ware altogether overlooks its early history, when treating about Irish religiousestablishments; for,heonlymentions,thatacommunityofMinorite brothers erected a house, in that place. ^" However, in our Irish Annals, there are numerous entries to prove, that not only an abbot and a monastic com- munity, with a school, were very early in existence there, but even Roscrea was the seat of a bishop,^' while i—t is frequently alluded to as the site of a celebrated city. —We do not read from any older record than in a Manu- script Florarius3» of St. Cronan having been a bishop, although the Bollan-
dist Papebroke was inclined to believe,'' he was the bishop Cronan, men- tioned by St. Adamnan, in his Life of St. Columba;34 however, as already seen, it is much more likely, he was that Cuaranus Sujjiens, or Cronan, son of
Nethsemon,whosefeastoccurs,atthe9thofFebruary. '' Feelingtheweak-
of Killaloe. . See Ussher's
"
Britannicarura
mium, num. 5> p- 579-
*• See Colyan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Quinta Vita S. Columbx, lil). i. , cap. x. \xxiv. , p. 348, and n 94, p. 379.
5' See kev. \)x. Reeves' Adamnan's
Ecclesiarum Aiitiquitaies,"cap, xvii. , p. 502. ^ This is remarked, by Culgaii, in Ins "Acta Sanctorum liiberni*," ix. Februajji,
tomus
rilis xxviii. De Sancto Cronano, &c. Prce-
n. II,
" '•
p. 303.
See Acta Sanctorum,"
" Life of Si.
n. (a), pp. 85, 86.
go
place,
poor
My children, fear not, for although it shall seem
iii. ,
Ap-
Coluniba," lib. i. , cap. 44, and
In my
S24 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 28.
ness of that conjecture, however, the Bollandist Papebroke lays down as almost certain, that our saint was the priest Cronan of the Third Order ;3* and, in fact, it is difficult to suppose, that so celebrated a saint should have been omitted in that catalogue,^' as must have been the case, unless he was one Cronan, who is reckoned among the priests. 3* St. Cronan was old enough to be a bishop, before the deatii of St. ColumkiIIe. 39 But, there are circum- stances which prove, that, if he ever had been a bishop, he was not so until after it. t° Cronan is called only a priest, in the Life of St. Molua ;' and hence, it appears, that if he ever became a bishop, it must have been after the death of Molua, and consequently, several years after that of Columkille. Thus we see, that he could not have been the bishop Cronan, mentioned by Adamnan. Molua's applying to Cronan for the Blessed Eucharist, and taking it with him, was in conformity with tlie ancient practice of holy persons sending it to each other, in token of communion and of brotherly love. ^^ Thus, so far back as the times of St. lren£eus,''3 and even earlier, the Popes used to send it to bishops, even when placed over far distant churches. ^* Equally impro- bable is the conjecture of Papebroke, •s that a Cronan, mentioned among the Irish bishops and priests to whom a Roman letter had been directed, could have been the Abbot of Roscrea. That Cronan was quite a different person from the present holy man ;'»* nor could Cronan of Roscrea, even if then alive, and whether bishop or priest, have been among those, to whom said letter was directed ; whereas, they were all northerns, and he was a southern. Had the BoUandists known the time of Fingen's reign, they would not have imagined, that Cronan could be alive in 640. To this date, however, the " Les Petits BoUandists "^^ refer St. Cronan's period. The Rev. Ur. Lanigan ts ^as greatly inclined to suppose, that the Cronan, mentioned in the Third Class of Irish Saints,*' had been identical with Cronan of Roscrea, were there not some rea-
son to think, this latter had attained to episcopal rank.
CHAPTER III.
ST. CRONAN RECEIVES A VISIT FROM ST. MOCHOEMOC—OTHER COTEMPORARIES— FINGHEN KING OFCASHEL—ST. CRONAN DEPARTS THIS LIFE AT SENRUYS OR LOUGH CRE—DATE FOR HIS DEATH UNCERTAIN—. MEMORIALS TO HIM—CALENDAR COMME- MORATIONS—CONCLUSION.
At a certain time, St. Mochemoc,' with others, came on a visit, when the monastic procurator told our saint, that only a small quantity of meal, butter
" rilis xxviii.
secum
locum meum, ut eum a persecutoribus defendas. "
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Aprilis xxviii. De Sancto Cronano, num. g, p. 580.
"
'•' See the Rev. Dr.
astical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap. xvii. , sect, ii. , n. 26, pp. 9, 10.
" ggg Eusgbius, "Historia Ecclesiastica," lib. v. , cap. 24.
" See Bingham's "Orgines Ecclesiasticse ; The Antiquities of the Christian Church," Book xv. , chap, iv. , sect. 8.
3'' See
Acta . Sanctorum,'' tomus De Sancto Cronano, &c.
; et dedit ei Cronanus.
mium, num. 7, pp 579. 580.
" Published by Archbishop Ussher. ''See Rev. Dr. Lauigan's "Ecclesiastical
of Ireland," vol. sect. ii. , n. 20, p. 8.
Ecclesi-
History
iii. , chap, xvii. ,
Lanigan's
3' This, however, has been called in ques- tion by Colgan. See "Acta . Sanctorum Hibernia;," ix. Februarii. IJe S. Cronano qui et Cuaranus, n. 11, p. 303.
^^ . See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xvii. . sect, ii. , n. 20, p. 8.
iii,, Ap-
Pioe- Cui
<5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , . \p- < Thus, it issaid of St. Molua : "Venit ad rilis xxviii. De Sancto Cronano, &c. I'roe-
S. Cronanum de Ruiscree sedentem tunc in mium, num. 8, p. 580.
ceUa Senruis, et postulavit. ab eo sacrilicium *' See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
quod
portaret
Tecum
ait —
Liigidius relinquo
:
April 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 525
and beer remained. But Cvonan, trusting in God's bounty, blessed what remained, and he ordered these provisions to be laid before his guests and monks ; when they were found sufficient, for the use of one hundred and fifty men. Whilstattable,duringthenight,oneofthelaybrotherssaid,"Ifind that on this night, matins has not yet been said. " Cronan then replied,
" in our Brother,
is Christ therefore should we continue our received,
guest
banquet, and be joyful at His coming. But, if you had not thus spoken, God's Angels would have prayed for us, on this night. " Having finished their meal, they gave thanks to God. ' We are reminded, by Colgan, thatCronanflourished A. D. 625, when he was present at the death of St. Mobian, son to Hua Alto, and, afterwards, he is said to have lived many years. ^ A holy man, named Colman, was about to die. '* He sent for our saint to visit him, before his departure. But, before St. Cronan's arrival, Colman died. Having arrived, our saint prayed to God for the deceased, who was restored to life. Then, giving thanks to his benefactor, Colman placed himself and his people, under our saint's patronage. Another man, bearing a like name, having been killed by his enemies, was restored to life, by Cronan, in presence of many persons ; and, having subsequently lived, for seven whole years, he devoted himself during this time to the service of God. s On another occasion, while our saint and his charioteer passed along a road, their chariot was stopped by a tree, whichhadfallen'acrosstheirway. Thedriverasked,whatshouldbedone, and being told to place his head on Cronan's breast, the tree stood upright, nor did it fall for many subsequent years. Nine men, who were looking on by the roadside, afterwards entered St. Cronan's monastery.
Some light is thrown on his period, owing to the following story. Fingen,* King of Munster,7 went to the country of Hely, and he encamped at a place calledRathbecain. ^ Wiiilstinthisplace,twoofhishorseswerestolen,bya robber, who came from Meath f but, supposing this to have been the act of people
livingintheneighbourhood,thatkinghadresolvedonbeingavenged. '" Hearing of this intention, St. Cronan obtained an audience from the prince, to dispose himtowardsclemency,onbehalfofthosewhowereinnocent. Atthesametime, havinghealedachiefservant belonging to thatking, the latter, through veneration for our saint, dismissed all thoughts of vengeance against the neighbouring in-
' Heis said to have after the History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap. xv. ,n. 91, lived,
pp. 413, 414.
" See " Vies des Saints," tome v. , xxviii".
begin- ning of the seventli century, since his son Maelmachus survived to A. D. 660, according
"
Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae, xx. Januarii, Vita S. Fechini.
' Also called Finine, King of Cashel.
' This same place is alluded to, in the Vita
Sane-
Jour d'Avril, p. 57. ** "
to Colgan's
See Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xvii. , sect, ii. , p. 6.
' See Ussher's " Britannicarum Ecclesia-
rum — xvii. , Antiquilales," cap. p. 474.
'
Chapter III. This visitor is thought
xxi. , as Col- Abbani, cap. published by
to have been the St. Mochoemhog, or Pul-
chcrius. Abbot of Liath-More, and whose
Life has been given already, in vol. iii. of region of Heli. But, Colgan could not
this work, at the 13th of March.
' See " Ada Sanctorum," torn, iii. , xxviii.
Aprilis. Vita S. Cronani, cap. iii , num. 12, p. 582.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernix," ix.
Febru. irii, De S. Cronano qui et Cuaranus,
n. 1 1, p. 303.
* There is an ancient church, called Kil-
colman, about six miles north from Roscrea. Perhaps this St. Colman was the patron.
' See " Acta . Sanctorum," torn, iii. , xxviii.
Aprilis, Vita S. Cronani, cap. iii. , num. 13, p. 582.
determine, from which of the saints, called
Becan,ithadbeennamed. Seep. 616,and
n. 27, p. 623.
'"T—he ancient Meath was contiguous to
Ele.
quoted by Ussher, ibid.
"See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiberni-
cum," p. 667.
'' The from a accompanying illustration,
drawing transferred to the wood, by William F'. Wakeman, shows the arched doorway, with a portion of the interior, and remains of the eastern window. It is engraved, by Mrs.
Millard.
'" "
' See Rev. Dr.
History ol Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xii. , n. 73, p. 203.
'Giraldus Cambrensis has it: "Major
ecclesiam habet antiquae rcligionis. " '"
"
Topographia Hibernica," Dist. ii. , cap.
iv. , p. 81. " See Sir
" De Hibemia et
Opera
Lanigan's
Giraldus adds, cui pauci caelibes, quos Cselicolas vel Colideos vocant, devote dcser- viunt. "
By Archdall, in his Monasticon Hibernicum," when treating about Roscrea,
» See Giraldi Cambrensis' "
v. , edited by James F. Dimock, M. A. To-
pographia ilibernica, Dist. ii. , cap. iv. , pp. 80, 81.
" Ecclesiastical
Opera,"
vol.
at
puzzled by the name Lou;^hree—, Archdall
"guessed at that of Louglikee. "
" This townland lies within the parish of astical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , cap.
Corbally, and barony of Ikerrin, being shown, on the " Ordnance Survey Town-
land Maps for the County of Tipperary,"
xvii. , sect, ii. , n. 25, p. 9. "" See Harris' Ware, vol.
Ireland," Book i. , p. 21.
ii. ,
" Writers of
sheets 12, 17, 18.
"'
While at Senniys, . St. Cronan is said to
" Giraldi Cambrensis,
" See "
edited by James F. Dimock, M. A. , vol. v.
have miracles. " wrought many
In "Notes on Irish Architecture," by Exlwin, third EarlofDunraven, edited by Miss Maryaret Stokes, the Cella Seanross is said to be "
properly
James Ware,
Antiquitatibus ejus, Disquisitiones," cap. ii. , p. 119.
xxvi. , pp. 206, 207. '3 The old name Ross Cre is rendered
" Now a parish, partly in the barony of "the wooded point of Cre," while another Ikerrin, and shown, on the "Ordnance Sur- derivation for it is said to be Riasc Cre,
vey Townland Maps for the County of Tip- perary," sheets 12, 17, 18; and portly in
or the moor, marsh, or fen of Cre. See ibiii.
the Baronies of
Ballybritt
and Clonlisk,
'* See Harris' vol. Ware,
"
shown on the "Ordnance Survey Townland
Maps for the King's County," sheets 42,
43. 45-
" See Archdall's " Motiasticon Hiberui-
cum," p. 672.
'5 See an article, intituled, "Ancient Irish
ii. ,
ties of Ireland," chap, xxxviii. , p. 267.
Wonders" by P. W. Joyce, in vol. ii, No. 2,p. 28.
"
sky about it is frequently most brilli. intly illu- minatedbynight. Aaoldman,ofneareighty
Ilibernia,"
p. 672.
'» Rev. Dr. Lanigan supposes, that being
called vol. Stagnura Cre,"
'5 Papebroke does not consider him to be the same as Fursoeus, Abbot of Lagny, venerated on the i6th of January.
" Near Monahincha, a local legend was
told the that the whole of the writer,
" Ecclesi-
Antiqui-
'
S. iints," tome v. , x. 'iviii^ Jourd'Avril, p. 57. ^° Jiiluana, the widow of . \la. -lrony O'Car- Mochoemoc, chap. x\ix. Prohauly, it was roll, lurnished the necessary funds. See
522 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 28.
The great Ballaghmore, or pass between Munster and Leinster, was not far reijioved from the spot; and, on this public road, several holy pilgrims and others were found to be travelling, even at this early period.
"
That great road, called the King's highway,""^ ])assed on to Roscrea,
and the present reconstructed public road deviates hardly at all from the very ancient one. On the Is-
. v;:"^'Ui
land of Monahincha yet stand the remains of a
verybeautifulold edifice,
the doorway of which,
with its curiously-carved and concentric semi-cir- cular archway, is the ad- miration of every be- holder. It is decidedly very ancient, and it is builtin the characteristic Irish style. The beauti- ful little chur—ch-ruin of M onahinsha
speaking population as
Inislmameo, or Inse-
" nam-beo,
Monahincha, County of Tipperary.
Masses of ivy mantle over jior- tioas of the walls. The materials, used in the construction of this very beau- tifuloldchurch,wereexcellent; and,thesemusthavebeentransportedthither, from some distance. —It is incorrectly said,'^ that Cronan built his cell, in an
island of Loughkee yet, it is evident, I. ough Cree should be substituted
;
for, Loughkee or Loughkay is in the county of Leitrim, and far from St. Cronan's country. '^ While he lived in or visited the Island of Ross-Cre, it is said, that St. Canice wrote a volume of tiie Four Evangelists, which was called by the ancients Glass-Kynnick. '-° In St. Cronan's time, the place was called Senruys;"" but,indeed,it is ralherdifficult to determine, whether this name be applicable 10 Monahincha,"' orto Roscrea. '^ We are inclined to believe, that
ment'? runs over them, in very regular form.
years in 1872, said he frequently witneised
this apparition.
»' Allusion is made 10 an irruption of the
pp. 581, 582,
•'See "Les Petits Bollandiste. ^, Vies des
Ossorians in'. o Eile, in the Life of . St.
noi diiferent rom the present raid.
'* "
See Acta Sanctorum," lom. iii. , xxviii.
num. 10, 1 1,
"
iJe Ililjernia et Antiquitalibus ejus Dis ,
Aprilis. Vila S. Crunani, cap. ii. ,
quisiiiones," ca;). xxvi. , p. 209.
3' It lias been since unilcd to the diocese
formerly known to the Irish-
. surmounted
while the zig-zag orna-
Isl—and of the
is about two miles from Ros- crea '5 The length of the church-ruin is about forty-four feet, and the width about eighteen. The windows had con- trasted arches. '* The recessed arches of the doorway rest on bases,
living people'
by capitals,
t
while St. Cronan lived at both places, and probably had a separate religious house in each locality, the narrative series of his acts in reference tobotli must
have been confused in the mind of that writer, whose text has been published by Papebroke. Harris assigns the foundation of Roscrea monastery, to tiie sixthcentury;'< and,itshouldbeadifficultmattertoprovehewasmistaken; but, to us it appears, that St. Cronan founded Monahincha, before he thought of removing to Roscrea. While living in this place, certain holy men came to St. Cronan seeking hospitality ; but, not finding his cell, which was removed from the public road, for the sake of greater retirement, tliey were obliged to spend a whole night without food or shelter. Hearing this, on the following day, our saint condoled with them, on account of their privations and mistake. Conducting a boy with him to the highway, Cronan said to him, " Return to thy place, while I remain here. " His monks entreating him to return towards
April 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 523
his home, our saint " I must not replied :
where the nestly desiring his return, the monks requested Fur? 2eus,=5 the Bishop, to ask
'•
to a desert
and strangers cannot find me, but I will remain on the public way. " Ear-
their superior to reside in his proper place. The Bishop replied :
opinion, your Abbot shall not change the place he has chosen ; for, as the bees on a summer's day fly around their hives, so also, around that place, the gates of Heaven are opened, and a concourse of Angels does not cease con- tinuously to approach it. '* Return therefore to your Abbot, and obey him. " Theydidso,accordingly,and tlierehe built a great monastery. In this, he gained many souls to Christ, and there he wroiigiit ni;iny miracles. Afterwards, the peopleofOssorymadeanirruption,amongtheinhabitantsofHely. '' Tliese fltd to St. Cronan, and besought his interposition, m their behalf. Even the monks, belonging to his monastery, feared theailvance of their enemies. To
"
comfort them, Cronan said,
otherwise to this hostile army, they shall do no injury to us. " It is said, that the people of Ossory were deceived into a belief, that they had killed many men, wasted many villages, and returned with eclat, into their country; whereas theyleftthepeopleandcountryofIlelyalmostuninjured. Therewasanex- ception, however, in the case of one man who was killed, because he refused to approach our saint with his country people. This miracle greatly increased the fame and veneration due to St. Cronan, in all parts of Hibernia. '*
Before this time, the monastery of Roscrea does not appear to have been built ;
however, its first foundation has been attributed to St. Cronan. '9 Indeed, Sir
James Ware altogether overlooks its early history, when treating about Irish religiousestablishments; for,heonlymentions,thatacommunityofMinorite brothers erected a house, in that place. ^" However, in our Irish Annals, there are numerous entries to prove, that not only an abbot and a monastic com- munity, with a school, were very early in existence there, but even Roscrea was the seat of a bishop,^' while i—t is frequently alluded to as the site of a celebrated city. —We do not read from any older record than in a Manu- script Florarius3» of St. Cronan having been a bishop, although the Bollan-
dist Papebroke was inclined to believe,'' he was the bishop Cronan, men- tioned by St. Adamnan, in his Life of St. Columba;34 however, as already seen, it is much more likely, he was that Cuaranus Sujjiens, or Cronan, son of
Nethsemon,whosefeastoccurs,atthe9thofFebruary. '' Feelingtheweak-
of Killaloe. . See Ussher's
"
Britannicarura
mium, num. 5> p- 579-
*• See Colyan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Quinta Vita S. Columbx, lil). i. , cap. x. \xxiv. , p. 348, and n 94, p. 379.
5' See kev. \)x. Reeves' Adamnan's
Ecclesiarum Aiitiquitaies,"cap, xvii. , p. 502. ^ This is remarked, by Culgaii, in Ins "Acta Sanctorum liiberni*," ix. Februajji,
tomus
rilis xxviii. De Sancto Cronano, &c. Prce-
n. II,
" '•
p. 303.
See Acta Sanctorum,"
" Life of Si.
n. (a), pp. 85, 86.
go
place,
poor
My children, fear not, for although it shall seem
iii. ,
Ap-
Coluniba," lib. i. , cap. 44, and
In my
S24 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 28.
ness of that conjecture, however, the Bollandist Papebroke lays down as almost certain, that our saint was the priest Cronan of the Third Order ;3* and, in fact, it is difficult to suppose, that so celebrated a saint should have been omitted in that catalogue,^' as must have been the case, unless he was one Cronan, who is reckoned among the priests. 3* St. Cronan was old enough to be a bishop, before the deatii of St. ColumkiIIe. 39 But, there are circum- stances which prove, that, if he ever had been a bishop, he was not so until after it. t° Cronan is called only a priest, in the Life of St. Molua ;' and hence, it appears, that if he ever became a bishop, it must have been after the death of Molua, and consequently, several years after that of Columkille. Thus we see, that he could not have been the bishop Cronan, mentioned by Adamnan. Molua's applying to Cronan for the Blessed Eucharist, and taking it with him, was in conformity with tlie ancient practice of holy persons sending it to each other, in token of communion and of brotherly love. ^^ Thus, so far back as the times of St. lren£eus,''3 and even earlier, the Popes used to send it to bishops, even when placed over far distant churches. ^* Equally impro- bable is the conjecture of Papebroke, •s that a Cronan, mentioned among the Irish bishops and priests to whom a Roman letter had been directed, could have been the Abbot of Roscrea. That Cronan was quite a different person from the present holy man ;'»* nor could Cronan of Roscrea, even if then alive, and whether bishop or priest, have been among those, to whom said letter was directed ; whereas, they were all northerns, and he was a southern. Had the BoUandists known the time of Fingen's reign, they would not have imagined, that Cronan could be alive in 640. To this date, however, the " Les Petits BoUandists "^^ refer St. Cronan's period. The Rev. Ur. Lanigan ts ^as greatly inclined to suppose, that the Cronan, mentioned in the Third Class of Irish Saints,*' had been identical with Cronan of Roscrea, were there not some rea-
son to think, this latter had attained to episcopal rank.
CHAPTER III.
ST. CRONAN RECEIVES A VISIT FROM ST. MOCHOEMOC—OTHER COTEMPORARIES— FINGHEN KING OFCASHEL—ST. CRONAN DEPARTS THIS LIFE AT SENRUYS OR LOUGH CRE—DATE FOR HIS DEATH UNCERTAIN—. MEMORIALS TO HIM—CALENDAR COMME- MORATIONS—CONCLUSION.
At a certain time, St. Mochemoc,' with others, came on a visit, when the monastic procurator told our saint, that only a small quantity of meal, butter
" rilis xxviii.
secum
locum meum, ut eum a persecutoribus defendas. "
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Aprilis xxviii. De Sancto Cronano, num. g, p. 580.
"
'•' See the Rev. Dr.
astical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap. xvii. , sect, ii. , n. 26, pp. 9, 10.
" ggg Eusgbius, "Historia Ecclesiastica," lib. v. , cap. 24.
" See Bingham's "Orgines Ecclesiasticse ; The Antiquities of the Christian Church," Book xv. , chap, iv. , sect. 8.
3'' See
Acta . Sanctorum,'' tomus De Sancto Cronano, &c.
; et dedit ei Cronanus.
mium, num. 7, pp 579. 580.
" Published by Archbishop Ussher. ''See Rev. Dr. Lauigan's "Ecclesiastical
of Ireland," vol. sect. ii. , n. 20, p. 8.
Ecclesi-
History
iii. , chap, xvii. ,
Lanigan's
3' This, however, has been called in ques- tion by Colgan. See "Acta . Sanctorum Hibernia;," ix. Februarii. IJe S. Cronano qui et Cuaranus, n. 11, p. 303.
^^ . See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xvii. . sect, ii. , n. 20, p. 8.
iii,, Ap-
Pioe- Cui
<5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , . \p- < Thus, it issaid of St. Molua : "Venit ad rilis xxviii. De Sancto Cronano, &c. I'roe-
S. Cronanum de Ruiscree sedentem tunc in mium, num. 8, p. 580.
ceUa Senruis, et postulavit. ab eo sacrilicium *' See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
quod
portaret
Tecum
ait —
Liigidius relinquo
:
April 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 525
and beer remained. But Cvonan, trusting in God's bounty, blessed what remained, and he ordered these provisions to be laid before his guests and monks ; when they were found sufficient, for the use of one hundred and fifty men. Whilstattable,duringthenight,oneofthelaybrotherssaid,"Ifind that on this night, matins has not yet been said. " Cronan then replied,
" in our Brother,
is Christ therefore should we continue our received,
guest
banquet, and be joyful at His coming. But, if you had not thus spoken, God's Angels would have prayed for us, on this night. " Having finished their meal, they gave thanks to God. ' We are reminded, by Colgan, thatCronanflourished A. D. 625, when he was present at the death of St. Mobian, son to Hua Alto, and, afterwards, he is said to have lived many years. ^ A holy man, named Colman, was about to die. '* He sent for our saint to visit him, before his departure. But, before St. Cronan's arrival, Colman died. Having arrived, our saint prayed to God for the deceased, who was restored to life. Then, giving thanks to his benefactor, Colman placed himself and his people, under our saint's patronage. Another man, bearing a like name, having been killed by his enemies, was restored to life, by Cronan, in presence of many persons ; and, having subsequently lived, for seven whole years, he devoted himself during this time to the service of God. s On another occasion, while our saint and his charioteer passed along a road, their chariot was stopped by a tree, whichhadfallen'acrosstheirway. Thedriverasked,whatshouldbedone, and being told to place his head on Cronan's breast, the tree stood upright, nor did it fall for many subsequent years. Nine men, who were looking on by the roadside, afterwards entered St. Cronan's monastery.
Some light is thrown on his period, owing to the following story. Fingen,* King of Munster,7 went to the country of Hely, and he encamped at a place calledRathbecain. ^ Wiiilstinthisplace,twoofhishorseswerestolen,bya robber, who came from Meath f but, supposing this to have been the act of people
livingintheneighbourhood,thatkinghadresolvedonbeingavenged. '" Hearing of this intention, St. Cronan obtained an audience from the prince, to dispose himtowardsclemency,onbehalfofthosewhowereinnocent. Atthesametime, havinghealedachiefservant belonging to thatking, the latter, through veneration for our saint, dismissed all thoughts of vengeance against the neighbouring in-
' Heis said to have after the History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap. xv. ,n. 91, lived,
pp. 413, 414.
" See " Vies des Saints," tome v. , xxviii".
begin- ning of the seventli century, since his son Maelmachus survived to A. D. 660, according
"
Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae, xx. Januarii, Vita S. Fechini.
' Also called Finine, King of Cashel.
' This same place is alluded to, in the Vita
Sane-
Jour d'Avril, p. 57. ** "
to Colgan's
See Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xvii. , sect, ii. , p. 6.
' See Ussher's " Britannicarum Ecclesia-
rum — xvii. , Antiquilales," cap. p. 474.
'
Chapter III. This visitor is thought
xxi. , as Col- Abbani, cap. published by
to have been the St. Mochoemhog, or Pul-
chcrius. Abbot of Liath-More, and whose
Life has been given already, in vol. iii. of region of Heli. But, Colgan could not
this work, at the 13th of March.
' See " Ada Sanctorum," torn, iii. , xxviii.
Aprilis. Vita S. Cronani, cap. iii , num. 12, p. 582.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernix," ix.
Febru. irii, De S. Cronano qui et Cuaranus,
n. 1 1, p. 303.
* There is an ancient church, called Kil-
colman, about six miles north from Roscrea. Perhaps this St. Colman was the patron.
' See " Acta . Sanctorum," torn, iii. , xxviii.
Aprilis, Vita S. Cronani, cap. iii. , num. 13, p. 582.
determine, from which of the saints, called
Becan,ithadbeennamed. Seep. 616,and
n. 27, p. 623.
'"T—he ancient Meath was contiguous to
Ele.
