"
'5 Most likely this is the nobleman G.
'5 Most likely this is the nobleman G.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
, booki.
, chap, xii.
, p.
90.
Hiberni*," lib.
'*
This 4to manuscript is written in a fine
Scriptoribus i-j cap. xi. , p. 77.
Gothic character on vellum. It is likewise
illuminated.
^^ See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae," i. Januarii. Vita S. Fancheae, Sup« plementum, §§ v. , xii. , pp. 5, 6.
""*
Harris says it was classed A. 4. 8. in
INTRonUCTION.
served in the library of the Convent of St. Francis, Merchant's-quay, Dublin.
Again, Barrett, Bishop of Ferns, wrote a catalogue of his predecessors in the see of Ferns ; Coll Deoran, a native of Leinster, wrote Annals of Ire-
land f^ an Irish monk belonging to the Abbey of St. James, at Ratisbon, in Bavaria, is said to have written about the Saints of Ireland, but in a very credulousfashion; TatheusorThaddeus,AbbotovertheScots,atRatisbon, also drew up certain fragments,^^ extracted from the chronicles of this foun- dation in 1457. Many other fifteenth century writers are known to have been engaged on various historical works. It is stated, that Malachy O'Lachnayn, a secular priest of Killaloe Diocese, a. d. 1489,^7 transcribed a Missal in Latin. '^^ This contains divers prayers and lessons from Holy Scripture, a Kalendar, the Psalms of David, with many prayers and hymns intermixed. AfterthePsalms,severalhymns,prayersandshortsermons,with offices and short Lives of Saints, are written. ^9 Besides the foregoing, Charles or Cathal Maguire, a canon of Armagh and Dean of Clogher, about the year 1470, composed a tract on the Irish Saints. This writer only en- larges on the Martyrology of St . ^ngus, adding, from Marianus O'Gorman,
and from other sources, some Irish Saints not found in the work of ^ngus . His compilation is intituled "vEugussius Auctus," and it is often quoted by Colgan, under such title. Maguire was a pious, patriotic, and > learned man, well versed in antiquarian studies. 3° He was a native of Fermanagh, and he died, according to Sir James Ware,3^ on the 23rd of March, a. d. 1498, in the sixtieth year of his age. He drew up a valuable compilation of Irish
Annals, which he brought down to his own period. These are frequently
"
called
Annales Senatenses," from a place called Senadh, otherwise, Senat
Mac-Magnus, in the county of Fermanagh, where they had been composed. Most modern writers, however, usually describe them as " Annales Ulton- ienses," or the " Annals of Ulster," because their contents chiefly relate to the northern province of Ireland. 3'
The best known hagiographical and annalistic writers the sixteenth cen-
tury produced were Nicholas Maguire, Bishop of Leighlin,33 Thomas Fitch, a canon of Christ's Church Cathedral, Dublin, Magnus or Manus Fitz-
^5 See Sir " De James Ware,
" Writers of book Ireland,"
Scriptoribus Hibemiae," lib, i. , cap. xi. , p. 75,
i. , chap, xii. ,
=* These are contained in
Canisius,
"An-
pp. 89, 90.
^o Scholia or Annotations on the"Re-
gistry of Clogher" are also ascribed to him.
^3 See Harris' served. See Harris' Ware,| vol. iii. Leighlin," p. 460.
vol. i. of "Bishops
Trinity College Library,
where it is
pre-
Ware,
See Harris' Ware,
Writers of Ireland,"
^i See "De
37 See Harris' Ware, vol. i.
*'
Section iv. —'A second and a much more accurate edition has appeared at Dublin, A. D. 1868, edited by the Very Rev. Mon-
INTRODUCTION. xxxv
Hugh O'Donnell, Prince of Tyrconnell,3'> who wrote an Irish Life of St. Columkille, Patrick Culin, Bishop of Clogher,3s and Roderick O'Cassidy, Archdeacon of Clogher, John Bale,3^ Richard Creagh, Archbishop of Ar-
magh, Richard Stanihurst, Thady DowHng, Chancellor of Leighlin, John Alan or Allen, Archbishop of Dublin,37 and Dr. Meredith Hanmer. s^ He
"
is said to have written an
lections of Irish Saints' Lives of this or of an antecedent period were then in the possession of Irish families. '^"
We next approach an epoch when enlightened learning and criticism first began to dissolve those mists, which had so long obscured the Legends, re- lating to our former religious life.
Section IV. —Irish Hagiologists of the Seventeenth Century.
It was principally during the seventeenth centur)', that the best efforts were made to give a systematic and permanent commemoration to the Acts and FestivalsofIrishSaints. Earlyinthiscentury,theMostRev. PeterLombard,
" De
national saints, distinguished in our Island, or as missionaries in many other countriesontheContinentofEurope. Thiswasfirstprintedandpublished at Louvain, a. d. 1632,' some few years after his death. The Catalogue of holy Irishmen, and an enumeration of their respective missionary labours, are well worth the Irish hagiographist's study, because this narrative, in point of issue, takes precedence of many seventeenth century Catholic works, that have seen the light on similar subjects. Those chapters, treating on the saints, have been consulted with great advantage for this special theme.
About the commencement of this century, the celebrated Scottish writer,
Ephemeris of the Irish Saints. "39 Various col-
a
Hibernige, Sanctorum Insulse, Commentarius. " In it, allusion is made to the
Archbishop
of
Armagh, composed
work,
intituled,
Regno
* See " Trias Colgan's
as we find to Michael by referring
Thaumaturga," Quinta Vita S. Columbas, pp. 389 to 453.
O'Clery's manuscript. See vol. iv. , No. 2324-2340,
35 See Harris' Ware, vol. i,, "Bishops of fol. 12, of the Burgundian Library Cata- Clogher," p. 187. logue at Bruxelles. In this same codex w^e
*' "
3^ See Wills' Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen," vol. ii. , part i. , Ec- clesiastical Series, Period iii. , pp. 218, 219.
find noticed fol. loi.
Scriptores Antiqui Hib. ,"
Archbishops
of Dublin," pp. 34610348.
3* See Harris' Ware, vol. , iii. "Writers signor Patrick F. Moran, D. D. , since con-
of Ireland," book i. , chap, xiii. , pp. 91 to secrated Bishop of Ossory. An interesting 100. Also, book ii. , chap, v. , pp. 32410 Memoir of the Author is found prefixed.
328.
39 See " The Irish Ecclesiastical Record,"
Before its publication, the first edition had
been often quoted throughout this work ;
but, as being a far more valuable one, the *° Among others, a gentleman, named second edition is that to which reference is
vol. viii. , p. 560.
Simon Barnwell, had "Vitse Sanctorum," most generally made.
which is
C
XKXvi INTRODUCTION.
Thomas Dempster, a zealous but a very unscrupulous and intemperate patriot, wrote several books, relating to Scottish history, especially referring to its ecclesiastical, hagiographical and literary aspects. He contrived, in very many instances, to extol the fame of Scotland,^ while depreciating that of Ireland. 3 David Camerarius, a Scotch priest, was a contemporary, and engaged in the like pursuits. This naturally raised a host of literary Irish- men and controvertists, anxious to vindicate their country's fair claims to the honour of having given birth to many holy and very distinguished men. Among those champions were John Wadding, a secular priest of Wexford, who wrote " Historia Ecclesiastica Hibemise,"s D. G. , the anonymous author
of " and Donatus Brigida Thaumaturga,"^
"
a tract, intituled,
Morsum Serj)entis antiqui. "^ These latter anonymous works are attributed to David Roth, Bishop of Ossory. This learned man was bom in Kilkenny
A. D. 1572, became an alumnus of Douay and Salamanca, was ordained
priest, and returned to Ireland in 16 10. 9 Afterwards, he was promoted to
the see of Ossory, and took an active part in the civil and ecclesiastical affairs
of the Confederation. Besides the works to which allusion has been made,
he wrote others ; and especially one on the history of the Irish saints inti-
"
tuled,
' He
took of the advantage
At the end he
a small tract, in- Nomenclaturre
especially
Scotia and Scoticus, as
applied by
Svo.
tituled,
gives " Prsecidaneum
tcrms,
ancient writers to Ireland and to individual
Dempsteri. "
Roirk,7
Hibernia Resurgens, sive Refrigerium antidotale adversus
Hierographige Sacrae Insulas Hibernise Lineamenta adumbrata (sine arrhabo) et praegustus Tripartitae Descriptionis Ecclesiae Regni et Gentis Hibernorum, ex variis Scriptoribus, tam veteribus, quam neoteris delibatus. Industria et studio Analectae et Anagnestse Catholici H. . . collectore et dygestore Philadelpho cui adjuncta est in antecessum largioris defensionis
decertatio apolegetica adversus Conaeum,^" Camerarium," Dempsterum, de
^ This is supposed to have been a name, assumed by David Roth, Bishop of Ossory. venture Baron has penned a Latin Epigram See Ussher's " Primordia," p. 737. Dr.
Irishmen.
3 The versatile and learned Father Bona-
in reference to his erratic Opuscula, Prosa et Metra. " ArgumentoetiamVaria. Tomusi. ,lib. ii. ,
p. 27.
* All that Camerarius has about the Scot-
tish Saints is comprised in his work, " De
Statu hominis veteris simul ac Novae Eccle-
siae, et Sanctis Regni Scotiae," lib. i. , cap.
iii. , § 2, pp. 116 to 263, following the order of days and months, as these occur in the
Calendar.
5 Lynch is thought to have been in pos- session of this Manuscript, from which he quotes. See "Cambrensis Eversus,'' vol. ii. , cap. xiv. , pp. 230 to 232. Dr. Kelly's edition.
" Cambrensis Eversus," voL ii. , chap, xiv. , pp. 230, 231.
8jtbearsontheimprint,Rothomagi,A. D. 1 62 1. It appeared in Svo shape. See Watt's "Bibliotheca Britannica," vol. ii. , p. 813.
9 See an interesting account of this pre- late, in Rev. C. P. Meehan's "Rise and p"all of the Irish Franciscan Monasteries, and Memoirs of the Irish Hierarchy in the Seventeenth Century," chap, vi. , pp. 1 76 to 157^ and Appendix, pp. 347 to 356.
"Coneus was an Itahan theologian, sent by Pope Urban VIII. to the court of Hen-
rietta Maria, Queen of England,
" This Scotsman's work was published in
on
flights. See
Dempster, "
Kelly's
*This was printed at Paris, A. D. 1620, in
Catalonia, Spain
who at Rouen published
Thomas
Writers," pp. 112 to 118.
of Irish
the
227, 228.
and Irish
D'Arcy
Gallery
Scotch, English,
Jesuits," pp.
'7 He was born at Dublin in
M'Gee's "
'* Who styles himself " Veredicus Hiber- iius.
"
'5 Most likely this is the nobleman G. F. ,
whose initials only are given, and who is
said to have possessed the original copy of
"
Vitffi Sanctorum" belonging to the Island of All Saints, on Lough Ree.
'*This book appeared at Antwerp, a. d, 1621, in 8vo.
"
'^ In 8vo, p. 117.
Sanctorum Augusti," tomus i. , iv. Augusti, Vita S. Luani seu Moluse.
'9 In 8vo shape. See Watt's " Biblio-
theca Britannica," vol. , i. , p. 370, f. g.
'"' See " Historise Catholicse Ibernise
Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xii. ,
pp. 51 to 58.
" Very Rev. Matthew Kelly, D. D.
^"^ See n. ibid. , p. 57,
^3 The numbers represent 289 distinct
saints, connected with Ireland, and a great many of these were venerated on the Conti- nent.
and he died in 1644. See Bibliotheca Scripto- rum Societatis lesu, opus inchoatum a R. P. Petro Ribadenira," &c. A Nathanaele Sotvello, p. 224. An interesting biography
INTRODUCTION. xxxvii
ejusdem sacrse insulse originibus. "" This learned Bishop of Ossory was most zealous in promoting the knowledge of Irish ecclesiastical history and hagiology, during that stormy period in which he lived. His death occurred on the 2oth of April, a. d. 1650, soon after the city of Kilkenny surrendered to Oliver Cromwell. '3
Some anonymous author,'^ under the letters G. F. ,^s wrote a work, having
for its " Hibernise sive Scotise Vindiciae adversus Immodes- title, Antiquioris
tam Parechasim Thomse Dempsteri, modern! Scoti, nuper editam ; quibus accessit Nomenclatura Sanctorum Prsecipuorum Hibernise, per Hen. Fitz- Simons, Soc. Jesu. "'^ Previous to this time, Father Henry Fitz-Simons, a
"
celebrated Irish Jesuit, ^^ had compiled
Catalogus Aliquorum Sanctorum
Hibernise. " The first edition of this Catalogue was printed at Douai, a. d.
1 61 5. It appears to have been enlarged from a list of Irish saints, compiled
by another Irish Jesuit, Father Richard Flaminius, or Fleming, who lived in Paris. A second edition appeared at Liege, a. d. 1619. '^ This work had
been republished, likewise, at Antwerp, a. d. 1621. ^9 This interesting Calendar has been re-issued—at least in part—by Philip O'SulleyaiLBeare. '" It has been inferred, by a late learned editor of his work,^' that O'SuUevan, who was composing the first part of his history in l6. i8, had not then seen the first edition of Fitz-Simon's Catalogue. ^^ From the manner in which O'Sullevan alludes to it, this, indeed, is extremely probable. Father Henry Fitz-Simon has disposed the names. Latinized, and in an alphabetical form, while he quotes also those authors, who treat concerning the holy personssodistinguished. Lesttherecordsopreparedmightperish,andno previous and similar list pubhshed before that time being considered more complete, O'Sullevan resolved to include, with numeration at each alpha- betical entry, those names, in his History. ^3 Besides this list, he inserts
" Some fragments of this work have been recovered by the Rev. James Graves, A. B. , M. R. I. A.
'3 It is said, he left in manuscript an "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," and other writings, which are probably lost. See
of this remarkable man will be found in the "Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. viii,, Nos. Ixxxix. , xc, xci. , xcii. , xciii. , xcv. , xcvi. , and vol. ix. , Nos. xcvii. , xcviii. , c, cii. , cv.
1569,
"
tions towards illustrating the Biography of
See likewise Rev. George Oliver's
CoUec-
See likewise "Acta
xxxviii INTRODUCTION.
another catalogue of our national saints. ^* Their festivals were arranged, according to the order of months and days, yet hardly were they drawn together with sufficient elaborateness and care. ^s Seldom more than the simple name of each saint is given. In addition, O'Sullevan presents another list, collected by Conveus,^^ from the works of approved authors. '^ This was especially extracted from a small book, treating on the hagiology and literary proficiency of the Irish. Only a few saints' names are included, in thislist,withsomebriefnoticesreferringtothem. Insomeoftheprevious chapters, likewise, O'Sullevan Beare commemorates holy prelates, doctors, and saints belonging to Ireland. "^ In the course of this present work, frequent references will be found, at the various festivals assigned to each saint thus recorded. Yet, there can be no doubt, that mistakes and typo- graphical errors abound in those Catalogues ; while some holy persons are noted as Irish, without any satisfactory authentication of their nationality. In the year 1629, O'Sullevan pubHshed his Life of our Irish Apostle, inti-
tuled,
" Decas
Patriciana,"
or " St. Patrick's Decade. " It was so
called,
because this work had been divided into Ten Books, while each Book con-
tained Ten Chapters. The first eight Books are devoted to the Acts of the
great Irish Apostle. They are generally in accord with the longer lives,
afterwardspublishedbytheBoUandistsandbyColgan. Theninthbooktreats
on the history of St. Patrick's Purgatory ; while the tenth book contains
much miscellaneous matter on Irish history, and especially on that period
subsequent to the Reformation, together with his singular treatise, intended
as a to and " This work
reply Ussher, intituled, Archicomigeromastix. "*?
was the first in a series of Irish Saints' Lives he designed publishing ;3® for
he had completed the Acts of St. Kyran of Saiger, of St. Abban, of St. Ailbe, of St. Declan, and of St. Mochudda. Excepting the Latin translation of an Irish Life of St. Mochua, which he gave to Father John Boland, no other national saint's biography issued, nor had Colgan been able to ascer- tain where his manuscripts were deposited. 3^
The interest awakened on the Continent of Europe, by the peculiar reli- gious and political state of Ireland, and the circumstance, that the works of
**The author's name was unknown to him.
'SOver 220 distinct entries of saints, pre- sumably Irish, are here inserted.
"^^
Father Ricardus Convoeus was a Jesuit. ^7 It is headed : "Catalogus Quorundam Sanctorum, Virorumque illustrium Iberno- rum, alias Scotorum, seu Irlandorum, qui varias mundi plagas disseminandse aut con- servandae fidei, sacrarumque literarum desi- derio incensi peragrarunt aut speciali bene- ficio patroni habentur, ommissis innumeris
qui domi floruerunt. "
''See " Historise CatholicaB Ibemiae Com-
pendium,"tomusi. , lib. , i. , cap. ii. , p. 6, lib.
iv. , cap. i. toxiv. , pp. 93 to 112.
*9 This title has been translated "Scourge
of the Arch-horned. "
30 There is an interesting Life of Philip
O'Sullevan Beare, written by the Rev. Mat-
thew Kelly, prefixed to the edition of his
History. See, likewise, Thomas D. M'Gee's
"
Gallery of Irish Writers," pp. 24 to 33. 3' gee the Preface, written by the Rev.
Matthew Kelly, D. D. , and prefixed to the second edition of the "Historic Catholicac
Iberniae Compendium," supervised by him, and published at Dublin, A. D. 1850, in 8vo. The first edition of this work appeared in l62j.
3» Especially in relation to Irish History and Topography.
33 In the Burgundian Library, at Bruxelles, there is a very large folio paper MS . , classed
as vol. xxi. , and containing Nos. 7658, 7659, 7660, 7661. This is bound in vel- lum, and from the class-mark, it would seem originally to have belonged to a Jesuit Li- brary. The title or heading occupies half the first page, and has the following note written across it, in an old hand differing
" Authore N. P. Stephano "
The title is as follows " Vindiciae Scoto-
genti numero Sanctorum Ibemiae Scotorum veterum immerito privant et transformant in Neoscotos Britanniae Insulae posteros, priscae Pictorum ac Dalreudinorum Gentis candido Lectori memorabilium antiquitatum amanti. S. " This first part contains a Pre- face, with the censurae of various ancient authors, and afterwards a table of contents, divided into eleven chapters. The body of the tract commences at p. 14, and it is con- tinued in 202 folios, written on both sides. Then a different character of hand appears, which cbntinues to p. 309, written very
from the text
Vito, soc'^. Jesu Hiberno, Clonmeliensi.
:
:
rum veterum. Sanctorum indigenarum Iber-
niae oceani magnae Insulae, quas olim ab
immemorabili tempore, passim per Europam usque ad annum Christi saltem 1000 audie- bat Scotia, deinde vero per 200 et amplius annos dicebatur Scotia major sive vetus, ad discrimen Scotiae primoris et novae, quae ante per plurima secula audiebat Patria Pic- torum Britanniffi. In tres libros distributse, adversus graves crebrosque errores novorum de rebus Scoticis historicorum Hectoris Boetii, Georgii Buccanani, Georgij Tomsoni, Roberti Turneri, sub nomine Joannis Leslei, et asseclarum ipsorum qui Ibernorum natio-
nem et patriam prisco nomine proprio chris- tianorum Scotorum et Scotiae, una cum in-
and on both sides.
3* Some notices of the author are prefixed,
by the learned editor. See the Dublin edi-
tion, A. D. 1849.
33 Dr. Todd called the attention of Mr.
Bindon to a manuscript fragment in the Latin language, forming part of the Ussher Collection, in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, classed E. 3. 19. Upon inspection, it was discovered, it is a part of this work of Stephen White, which is above de- scribed.
3* It is the only one of the author, as yet published. Another Tract, " De Sanctis et Antiquitate Hibemiaj," had been thought
worthy of publication ; yet, it appears never to have seen the light.
INTRODUCTION. XXXlX
Giraldus Cambrensis,32 since the invention of printing, had been extensively circulated and read, caused some learned and patriotic Irishmen to refute
the calumnies of that accomplished and effective, but vain and prejudiced writer. One of the first to enter the lists was Father Stephen White, a learned Jesuit. He wrote some very exhaustive and valuable treatises. 33 One of these is
" Hibernia adversus Cambri Calum- Apologia pro
entided,
nias : sive fabularum et famosorura Libellorum Silvestri Giraldi Cambrensis, sub vocabulis Topographise, sive de Mirabilibus Hiberniae, et Historia Vati- cinalis, sive Expugnationis ejusdem Insulae Refutatio. " This tract, preserved in the Burgundian Library, at Brussels, had long lain in MS. , until it was published and edited with various additions, by the Very Rev. Matthew Kelly, D. D. 3+ The original treatise had been composed very early in the seventeenthcentury,andprobablybeforetheyear1615. Withgreathonesty and research, but with a tone of controversial acerbity, the patriotic writer, White, proceeds to refute various errors and misrepresentations of Giraldus. 35 His work is rather diffuse, however, and it abounds with unnecessary repe- titions. In this particular treatise,3^ the sanctity and learning, for which Ireland had been famous during ages long past, have been ably vindicated, while the names and acts of various holy persons are instanced, for proof of several propositions advanced by the author. He states, also, that while
closely
xl INTRODUCTION.
compiling this work,37 he consulted, in addition to various published books, very mxny ancient manuscripts. 38 Much use has been made of this learned tract, as must appear from subsequent pages of the present work. 39 Father StephenWhite''"wasafriendofArchbishopUssher. Thecontentsofthe Bruxeiles MS. , or of the part, fastened within the binding, amount in all to about 1,000 closely written pages. It was evidently a copy, made perhaps for the author, by four, or, at all events, by three different scribes. As for its contents, as a valuable historical document, information appears to have been drawn from many and high authorities. The immense amount of
learning with which the author was gifted, and the facility of arrangement with which he has used it, are apparent.
Hiberni*," lib.
'*
This 4to manuscript is written in a fine
Scriptoribus i-j cap. xi. , p. 77.
Gothic character on vellum. It is likewise
illuminated.
^^ See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae," i. Januarii. Vita S. Fancheae, Sup« plementum, §§ v. , xii. , pp. 5, 6.
""*
Harris says it was classed A. 4. 8. in
INTRonUCTION.
served in the library of the Convent of St. Francis, Merchant's-quay, Dublin.
Again, Barrett, Bishop of Ferns, wrote a catalogue of his predecessors in the see of Ferns ; Coll Deoran, a native of Leinster, wrote Annals of Ire-
land f^ an Irish monk belonging to the Abbey of St. James, at Ratisbon, in Bavaria, is said to have written about the Saints of Ireland, but in a very credulousfashion; TatheusorThaddeus,AbbotovertheScots,atRatisbon, also drew up certain fragments,^^ extracted from the chronicles of this foun- dation in 1457. Many other fifteenth century writers are known to have been engaged on various historical works. It is stated, that Malachy O'Lachnayn, a secular priest of Killaloe Diocese, a. d. 1489,^7 transcribed a Missal in Latin. '^^ This contains divers prayers and lessons from Holy Scripture, a Kalendar, the Psalms of David, with many prayers and hymns intermixed. AfterthePsalms,severalhymns,prayersandshortsermons,with offices and short Lives of Saints, are written. ^9 Besides the foregoing, Charles or Cathal Maguire, a canon of Armagh and Dean of Clogher, about the year 1470, composed a tract on the Irish Saints. This writer only en- larges on the Martyrology of St . ^ngus, adding, from Marianus O'Gorman,
and from other sources, some Irish Saints not found in the work of ^ngus . His compilation is intituled "vEugussius Auctus," and it is often quoted by Colgan, under such title. Maguire was a pious, patriotic, and > learned man, well versed in antiquarian studies. 3° He was a native of Fermanagh, and he died, according to Sir James Ware,3^ on the 23rd of March, a. d. 1498, in the sixtieth year of his age. He drew up a valuable compilation of Irish
Annals, which he brought down to his own period. These are frequently
"
called
Annales Senatenses," from a place called Senadh, otherwise, Senat
Mac-Magnus, in the county of Fermanagh, where they had been composed. Most modern writers, however, usually describe them as " Annales Ulton- ienses," or the " Annals of Ulster," because their contents chiefly relate to the northern province of Ireland. 3'
The best known hagiographical and annalistic writers the sixteenth cen-
tury produced were Nicholas Maguire, Bishop of Leighlin,33 Thomas Fitch, a canon of Christ's Church Cathedral, Dublin, Magnus or Manus Fitz-
^5 See Sir " De James Ware,
" Writers of book Ireland,"
Scriptoribus Hibemiae," lib, i. , cap. xi. , p. 75,
i. , chap, xii. ,
=* These are contained in
Canisius,
"An-
pp. 89, 90.
^o Scholia or Annotations on the"Re-
gistry of Clogher" are also ascribed to him.
^3 See Harris' served. See Harris' Ware,| vol. iii. Leighlin," p. 460.
vol. i. of "Bishops
Trinity College Library,
where it is
pre-
Ware,
See Harris' Ware,
Writers of Ireland,"
^i See "De
37 See Harris' Ware, vol. i.
*'
Section iv. —'A second and a much more accurate edition has appeared at Dublin, A. D. 1868, edited by the Very Rev. Mon-
INTRODUCTION. xxxv
Hugh O'Donnell, Prince of Tyrconnell,3'> who wrote an Irish Life of St. Columkille, Patrick Culin, Bishop of Clogher,3s and Roderick O'Cassidy, Archdeacon of Clogher, John Bale,3^ Richard Creagh, Archbishop of Ar-
magh, Richard Stanihurst, Thady DowHng, Chancellor of Leighlin, John Alan or Allen, Archbishop of Dublin,37 and Dr. Meredith Hanmer. s^ He
"
is said to have written an
lections of Irish Saints' Lives of this or of an antecedent period were then in the possession of Irish families. '^"
We next approach an epoch when enlightened learning and criticism first began to dissolve those mists, which had so long obscured the Legends, re- lating to our former religious life.
Section IV. —Irish Hagiologists of the Seventeenth Century.
It was principally during the seventeenth centur)', that the best efforts were made to give a systematic and permanent commemoration to the Acts and FestivalsofIrishSaints. Earlyinthiscentury,theMostRev. PeterLombard,
" De
national saints, distinguished in our Island, or as missionaries in many other countriesontheContinentofEurope. Thiswasfirstprintedandpublished at Louvain, a. d. 1632,' some few years after his death. The Catalogue of holy Irishmen, and an enumeration of their respective missionary labours, are well worth the Irish hagiographist's study, because this narrative, in point of issue, takes precedence of many seventeenth century Catholic works, that have seen the light on similar subjects. Those chapters, treating on the saints, have been consulted with great advantage for this special theme.
About the commencement of this century, the celebrated Scottish writer,
Ephemeris of the Irish Saints. "39 Various col-
a
Hibernige, Sanctorum Insulse, Commentarius. " In it, allusion is made to the
Archbishop
of
Armagh, composed
work,
intituled,
Regno
* See " Trias Colgan's
as we find to Michael by referring
Thaumaturga," Quinta Vita S. Columbas, pp. 389 to 453.
O'Clery's manuscript. See vol. iv. , No. 2324-2340,
35 See Harris' Ware, vol. i,, "Bishops of fol. 12, of the Burgundian Library Cata- Clogher," p. 187. logue at Bruxelles. In this same codex w^e
*' "
3^ See Wills' Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen," vol. ii. , part i. , Ec- clesiastical Series, Period iii. , pp. 218, 219.
find noticed fol. loi.
Scriptores Antiqui Hib. ,"
Archbishops
of Dublin," pp. 34610348.
3* See Harris' Ware, vol. , iii. "Writers signor Patrick F. Moran, D. D. , since con-
of Ireland," book i. , chap, xiii. , pp. 91 to secrated Bishop of Ossory. An interesting 100. Also, book ii. , chap, v. , pp. 32410 Memoir of the Author is found prefixed.
328.
39 See " The Irish Ecclesiastical Record,"
Before its publication, the first edition had
been often quoted throughout this work ;
but, as being a far more valuable one, the *° Among others, a gentleman, named second edition is that to which reference is
vol. viii. , p. 560.
Simon Barnwell, had "Vitse Sanctorum," most generally made.
which is
C
XKXvi INTRODUCTION.
Thomas Dempster, a zealous but a very unscrupulous and intemperate patriot, wrote several books, relating to Scottish history, especially referring to its ecclesiastical, hagiographical and literary aspects. He contrived, in very many instances, to extol the fame of Scotland,^ while depreciating that of Ireland. 3 David Camerarius, a Scotch priest, was a contemporary, and engaged in the like pursuits. This naturally raised a host of literary Irish- men and controvertists, anxious to vindicate their country's fair claims to the honour of having given birth to many holy and very distinguished men. Among those champions were John Wadding, a secular priest of Wexford, who wrote " Historia Ecclesiastica Hibemise,"s D. G. , the anonymous author
of " and Donatus Brigida Thaumaturga,"^
"
a tract, intituled,
Morsum Serj)entis antiqui. "^ These latter anonymous works are attributed to David Roth, Bishop of Ossory. This learned man was bom in Kilkenny
A. D. 1572, became an alumnus of Douay and Salamanca, was ordained
priest, and returned to Ireland in 16 10. 9 Afterwards, he was promoted to
the see of Ossory, and took an active part in the civil and ecclesiastical affairs
of the Confederation. Besides the works to which allusion has been made,
he wrote others ; and especially one on the history of the Irish saints inti-
"
tuled,
' He
took of the advantage
At the end he
a small tract, in- Nomenclaturre
especially
Scotia and Scoticus, as
applied by
Svo.
tituled,
gives " Prsecidaneum
tcrms,
ancient writers to Ireland and to individual
Dempsteri. "
Roirk,7
Hibernia Resurgens, sive Refrigerium antidotale adversus
Hierographige Sacrae Insulas Hibernise Lineamenta adumbrata (sine arrhabo) et praegustus Tripartitae Descriptionis Ecclesiae Regni et Gentis Hibernorum, ex variis Scriptoribus, tam veteribus, quam neoteris delibatus. Industria et studio Analectae et Anagnestse Catholici H. . . collectore et dygestore Philadelpho cui adjuncta est in antecessum largioris defensionis
decertatio apolegetica adversus Conaeum,^" Camerarium," Dempsterum, de
^ This is supposed to have been a name, assumed by David Roth, Bishop of Ossory. venture Baron has penned a Latin Epigram See Ussher's " Primordia," p. 737. Dr.
Irishmen.
3 The versatile and learned Father Bona-
in reference to his erratic Opuscula, Prosa et Metra. " ArgumentoetiamVaria. Tomusi. ,lib. ii. ,
p. 27.
* All that Camerarius has about the Scot-
tish Saints is comprised in his work, " De
Statu hominis veteris simul ac Novae Eccle-
siae, et Sanctis Regni Scotiae," lib. i. , cap.
iii. , § 2, pp. 116 to 263, following the order of days and months, as these occur in the
Calendar.
5 Lynch is thought to have been in pos- session of this Manuscript, from which he quotes. See "Cambrensis Eversus,'' vol. ii. , cap. xiv. , pp. 230 to 232. Dr. Kelly's edition.
" Cambrensis Eversus," voL ii. , chap, xiv. , pp. 230, 231.
8jtbearsontheimprint,Rothomagi,A. D. 1 62 1. It appeared in Svo shape. See Watt's "Bibliotheca Britannica," vol. ii. , p. 813.
9 See an interesting account of this pre- late, in Rev. C. P. Meehan's "Rise and p"all of the Irish Franciscan Monasteries, and Memoirs of the Irish Hierarchy in the Seventeenth Century," chap, vi. , pp. 1 76 to 157^ and Appendix, pp. 347 to 356.
"Coneus was an Itahan theologian, sent by Pope Urban VIII. to the court of Hen-
rietta Maria, Queen of England,
" This Scotsman's work was published in
on
flights. See
Dempster, "
Kelly's
*This was printed at Paris, A. D. 1620, in
Catalonia, Spain
who at Rouen published
Thomas
Writers," pp. 112 to 118.
of Irish
the
227, 228.
and Irish
D'Arcy
Gallery
Scotch, English,
Jesuits," pp.
'7 He was born at Dublin in
M'Gee's "
'* Who styles himself " Veredicus Hiber- iius.
"
'5 Most likely this is the nobleman G. F. ,
whose initials only are given, and who is
said to have possessed the original copy of
"
Vitffi Sanctorum" belonging to the Island of All Saints, on Lough Ree.
'*This book appeared at Antwerp, a. d, 1621, in 8vo.
"
'^ In 8vo, p. 117.
Sanctorum Augusti," tomus i. , iv. Augusti, Vita S. Luani seu Moluse.
'9 In 8vo shape. See Watt's " Biblio-
theca Britannica," vol. , i. , p. 370, f. g.
'"' See " Historise Catholicse Ibernise
Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xii. ,
pp. 51 to 58.
" Very Rev. Matthew Kelly, D. D.
^"^ See n. ibid. , p. 57,
^3 The numbers represent 289 distinct
saints, connected with Ireland, and a great many of these were venerated on the Conti- nent.
and he died in 1644. See Bibliotheca Scripto- rum Societatis lesu, opus inchoatum a R. P. Petro Ribadenira," &c. A Nathanaele Sotvello, p. 224. An interesting biography
INTRODUCTION. xxxvii
ejusdem sacrse insulse originibus. "" This learned Bishop of Ossory was most zealous in promoting the knowledge of Irish ecclesiastical history and hagiology, during that stormy period in which he lived. His death occurred on the 2oth of April, a. d. 1650, soon after the city of Kilkenny surrendered to Oliver Cromwell. '3
Some anonymous author,'^ under the letters G. F. ,^s wrote a work, having
for its " Hibernise sive Scotise Vindiciae adversus Immodes- title, Antiquioris
tam Parechasim Thomse Dempsteri, modern! Scoti, nuper editam ; quibus accessit Nomenclatura Sanctorum Prsecipuorum Hibernise, per Hen. Fitz- Simons, Soc. Jesu. "'^ Previous to this time, Father Henry Fitz-Simons, a
"
celebrated Irish Jesuit, ^^ had compiled
Catalogus Aliquorum Sanctorum
Hibernise. " The first edition of this Catalogue was printed at Douai, a. d.
1 61 5. It appears to have been enlarged from a list of Irish saints, compiled
by another Irish Jesuit, Father Richard Flaminius, or Fleming, who lived in Paris. A second edition appeared at Liege, a. d. 1619. '^ This work had
been republished, likewise, at Antwerp, a. d. 1621. ^9 This interesting Calendar has been re-issued—at least in part—by Philip O'SulleyaiLBeare. '" It has been inferred, by a late learned editor of his work,^' that O'SuUevan, who was composing the first part of his history in l6. i8, had not then seen the first edition of Fitz-Simon's Catalogue. ^^ From the manner in which O'Sullevan alludes to it, this, indeed, is extremely probable. Father Henry Fitz-Simon has disposed the names. Latinized, and in an alphabetical form, while he quotes also those authors, who treat concerning the holy personssodistinguished. Lesttherecordsopreparedmightperish,andno previous and similar list pubhshed before that time being considered more complete, O'Sullevan resolved to include, with numeration at each alpha- betical entry, those names, in his History. ^3 Besides this list, he inserts
" Some fragments of this work have been recovered by the Rev. James Graves, A. B. , M. R. I. A.
'3 It is said, he left in manuscript an "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," and other writings, which are probably lost. See
of this remarkable man will be found in the "Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. viii,, Nos. Ixxxix. , xc, xci. , xcii. , xciii. , xcv. , xcvi. , and vol. ix. , Nos. xcvii. , xcviii. , c, cii. , cv.
1569,
"
tions towards illustrating the Biography of
See likewise Rev. George Oliver's
CoUec-
See likewise "Acta
xxxviii INTRODUCTION.
another catalogue of our national saints. ^* Their festivals were arranged, according to the order of months and days, yet hardly were they drawn together with sufficient elaborateness and care. ^s Seldom more than the simple name of each saint is given. In addition, O'Sullevan presents another list, collected by Conveus,^^ from the works of approved authors. '^ This was especially extracted from a small book, treating on the hagiology and literary proficiency of the Irish. Only a few saints' names are included, in thislist,withsomebriefnoticesreferringtothem. Insomeoftheprevious chapters, likewise, O'Sullevan Beare commemorates holy prelates, doctors, and saints belonging to Ireland. "^ In the course of this present work, frequent references will be found, at the various festivals assigned to each saint thus recorded. Yet, there can be no doubt, that mistakes and typo- graphical errors abound in those Catalogues ; while some holy persons are noted as Irish, without any satisfactory authentication of their nationality. In the year 1629, O'Sullevan pubHshed his Life of our Irish Apostle, inti-
tuled,
" Decas
Patriciana,"
or " St. Patrick's Decade. " It was so
called,
because this work had been divided into Ten Books, while each Book con-
tained Ten Chapters. The first eight Books are devoted to the Acts of the
great Irish Apostle. They are generally in accord with the longer lives,
afterwardspublishedbytheBoUandistsandbyColgan. Theninthbooktreats
on the history of St. Patrick's Purgatory ; while the tenth book contains
much miscellaneous matter on Irish history, and especially on that period
subsequent to the Reformation, together with his singular treatise, intended
as a to and " This work
reply Ussher, intituled, Archicomigeromastix. "*?
was the first in a series of Irish Saints' Lives he designed publishing ;3® for
he had completed the Acts of St. Kyran of Saiger, of St. Abban, of St. Ailbe, of St. Declan, and of St. Mochudda. Excepting the Latin translation of an Irish Life of St. Mochua, which he gave to Father John Boland, no other national saint's biography issued, nor had Colgan been able to ascer- tain where his manuscripts were deposited. 3^
The interest awakened on the Continent of Europe, by the peculiar reli- gious and political state of Ireland, and the circumstance, that the works of
**The author's name was unknown to him.
'SOver 220 distinct entries of saints, pre- sumably Irish, are here inserted.
"^^
Father Ricardus Convoeus was a Jesuit. ^7 It is headed : "Catalogus Quorundam Sanctorum, Virorumque illustrium Iberno- rum, alias Scotorum, seu Irlandorum, qui varias mundi plagas disseminandse aut con- servandae fidei, sacrarumque literarum desi- derio incensi peragrarunt aut speciali bene- ficio patroni habentur, ommissis innumeris
qui domi floruerunt. "
''See " Historise CatholicaB Ibemiae Com-
pendium,"tomusi. , lib. , i. , cap. ii. , p. 6, lib.
iv. , cap. i. toxiv. , pp. 93 to 112.
*9 This title has been translated "Scourge
of the Arch-horned. "
30 There is an interesting Life of Philip
O'Sullevan Beare, written by the Rev. Mat-
thew Kelly, prefixed to the edition of his
History. See, likewise, Thomas D. M'Gee's
"
Gallery of Irish Writers," pp. 24 to 33. 3' gee the Preface, written by the Rev.
Matthew Kelly, D. D. , and prefixed to the second edition of the "Historic Catholicac
Iberniae Compendium," supervised by him, and published at Dublin, A. D. 1850, in 8vo. The first edition of this work appeared in l62j.
3» Especially in relation to Irish History and Topography.
33 In the Burgundian Library, at Bruxelles, there is a very large folio paper MS . , classed
as vol. xxi. , and containing Nos. 7658, 7659, 7660, 7661. This is bound in vel- lum, and from the class-mark, it would seem originally to have belonged to a Jesuit Li- brary. The title or heading occupies half the first page, and has the following note written across it, in an old hand differing
" Authore N. P. Stephano "
The title is as follows " Vindiciae Scoto-
genti numero Sanctorum Ibemiae Scotorum veterum immerito privant et transformant in Neoscotos Britanniae Insulae posteros, priscae Pictorum ac Dalreudinorum Gentis candido Lectori memorabilium antiquitatum amanti. S. " This first part contains a Pre- face, with the censurae of various ancient authors, and afterwards a table of contents, divided into eleven chapters. The body of the tract commences at p. 14, and it is con- tinued in 202 folios, written on both sides. Then a different character of hand appears, which cbntinues to p. 309, written very
from the text
Vito, soc'^. Jesu Hiberno, Clonmeliensi.
:
:
rum veterum. Sanctorum indigenarum Iber-
niae oceani magnae Insulae, quas olim ab
immemorabili tempore, passim per Europam usque ad annum Christi saltem 1000 audie- bat Scotia, deinde vero per 200 et amplius annos dicebatur Scotia major sive vetus, ad discrimen Scotiae primoris et novae, quae ante per plurima secula audiebat Patria Pic- torum Britanniffi. In tres libros distributse, adversus graves crebrosque errores novorum de rebus Scoticis historicorum Hectoris Boetii, Georgii Buccanani, Georgij Tomsoni, Roberti Turneri, sub nomine Joannis Leslei, et asseclarum ipsorum qui Ibernorum natio-
nem et patriam prisco nomine proprio chris- tianorum Scotorum et Scotiae, una cum in-
and on both sides.
3* Some notices of the author are prefixed,
by the learned editor. See the Dublin edi-
tion, A. D. 1849.
33 Dr. Todd called the attention of Mr.
Bindon to a manuscript fragment in the Latin language, forming part of the Ussher Collection, in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, classed E. 3. 19. Upon inspection, it was discovered, it is a part of this work of Stephen White, which is above de- scribed.
3* It is the only one of the author, as yet published. Another Tract, " De Sanctis et Antiquitate Hibemiaj," had been thought
worthy of publication ; yet, it appears never to have seen the light.
INTRODUCTION. XXXlX
Giraldus Cambrensis,32 since the invention of printing, had been extensively circulated and read, caused some learned and patriotic Irishmen to refute
the calumnies of that accomplished and effective, but vain and prejudiced writer. One of the first to enter the lists was Father Stephen White, a learned Jesuit. He wrote some very exhaustive and valuable treatises. 33 One of these is
" Hibernia adversus Cambri Calum- Apologia pro
entided,
nias : sive fabularum et famosorura Libellorum Silvestri Giraldi Cambrensis, sub vocabulis Topographise, sive de Mirabilibus Hiberniae, et Historia Vati- cinalis, sive Expugnationis ejusdem Insulae Refutatio. " This tract, preserved in the Burgundian Library, at Brussels, had long lain in MS. , until it was published and edited with various additions, by the Very Rev. Matthew Kelly, D. D. 3+ The original treatise had been composed very early in the seventeenthcentury,andprobablybeforetheyear1615. Withgreathonesty and research, but with a tone of controversial acerbity, the patriotic writer, White, proceeds to refute various errors and misrepresentations of Giraldus. 35 His work is rather diffuse, however, and it abounds with unnecessary repe- titions. In this particular treatise,3^ the sanctity and learning, for which Ireland had been famous during ages long past, have been ably vindicated, while the names and acts of various holy persons are instanced, for proof of several propositions advanced by the author. He states, also, that while
closely
xl INTRODUCTION.
compiling this work,37 he consulted, in addition to various published books, very mxny ancient manuscripts. 38 Much use has been made of this learned tract, as must appear from subsequent pages of the present work. 39 Father StephenWhite''"wasafriendofArchbishopUssher. Thecontentsofthe Bruxeiles MS. , or of the part, fastened within the binding, amount in all to about 1,000 closely written pages. It was evidently a copy, made perhaps for the author, by four, or, at all events, by three different scribes. As for its contents, as a valuable historical document, information appears to have been drawn from many and high authorities. The immense amount of
learning with which the author was gifted, and the facility of arrangement with which he has used it, are apparent.
