This seems to
establish
the fact, that he was a different person from our saint.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
625.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," Feb-
ruarii xxvi. De SS. Ethnea et Fedelmia,
VV. , pp. 415, 416, and De B. Ethnea 58, 59.
nowned son.
** "
"
torum Ibernioe. " See O'SuUevan Beare's
Fitzsimon's
Catalogus Aliquorum Sanc-
" Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
February 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 717
Ch)ent2-'J>ebentI) lanp of jFebruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. COMGAN, OR COMDHAN, ABBOT OF GLEANN-USSEN, OR KILLESHIN, QUEEN'S COUNTY.
[POSSIBLY IN THE NINTH CENTURY. }
/^UR primitive saints always remembered, that the Kingdom of Heaven
\^^ was not to be taken, but by violence, according to the admonition of our Divine Redeemer ;' and hence, they regarded self-love as one of their chiefest enemies. By self-denial and by voluntary mortifications, they used violence towards their passions and appetites, while they loved a monastic state, as serving morally and materially to regulate the temper and the will. There, too, they studied to find out their predominant passions, and laboured
to suppress them, by the holy exercises of prayer and penance.
Making due acknowledgments to Father John Colgan, for notices supplied to them, the Bollandists have a brief account referring to this saint, in three paragraphs, —at the present date. ^ His name is written Comgan, in the Book
of Leinster3 and this is the most general form
;
however, it is Com- spelled
dhan, in the Martyrologies. -^ From varioiis sources, Colgan has gleaned what- ever he thought necessary, to compile Acts of the present holy abbot. s However, it must be acknowledged, those sources, for illustration of his Life
and career, are unsatisfactory, and very meagre. Some confusion appears to have arisen, in reference to his history, owing to variations of statement about
his pedigree, and regarding the epithet affixed to his name, written Comgan,
cen-dindis. ^ This adjunct seems to have been thought equivocal, by a
•' "
Scholiast, on the Feilire of St. ^ngus. 7 His father's name was Deirmit,
son to Dega, or Degadius, of the Dalcassian race. ^ This tribe had its origin from Cormac Cas, who gave name to it. According to accounts left us, his
mother was Ethnea,9 daughter to Fedlimid, or Feidhlimidh, son to Tigher- nach. ^° Some have said she was a sister to St. Columkille. " This is clearly
Article i, —^ St. Matt, xi. , 12. ^ In the "Menologic Genealogy," chap. ^"
See Acta Sanctorum," tomusiii. , Feb- 35, the pedigree of our saint is referred to
niarii xxvii. De S. Comgano Abbate Glinnussensi in Hibernia, p. 682.
3 Fol. 126, a 2.
4 See Miss Stokes' " Christian Inscrip- lions in the Irish Language," vol. i. , p. 19. s See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae,"
Februarii xxvii. De S. Comgano Abbate
de Gleann-Ussen, pp. 417, 418.
^ We find "cen-dindis " rendered "with-
out reproach," in Miss Stokes' "Christian
Inscriptions in the Irish Language," vol. ii. , p. 85, where allusion is made to the
present saint.
^ We find it thus explained, in a gloss on
the text, in the Leabhar Breac copy, at
"
i. e. without dishonor, or Cend-innis, a proper name of a hill, in the region of Comgan, in (the territory of)
Cormac Cas. In the " Leabhar Breac "
copy of Irish saintly pedigrees, we have this account : Comdhan of Glenn Ussen, the son of Dermit, son of Dega, son of Temni, son of Fircorb, son of Mogacorb, son of Cormacass, son of Oiliol Olum. See lithograph copy, p. 19.
9 in the copy of the Treatise, "On the
Mothers of the Irish Saints," which I
possess, she is called eichtie ingen ITei-o-
timit) tnx^cel^ ComgAin 5linx)i tlifen,
" Eithne, the daughter of Fedlilimid, mother to Comgain of Glenn Uissen. "
'" The O'Clerys have this pedigree of her, in their Martyrology.
"In the "Maternal Genealogies of the Irish Saints," attributed to yEngus the Cul- dee, it is stated, however, that Ethnea was
Ceii'onTOi]' :
Dalgas. " See lithograph copy, issued by daughter to Fedlimid, son to Tigernac, and the Royal Irish Academy, p. 82. mother to Comgan of Gleann-ussen.
7iS LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[February 27.
a mistake," for Fedhlemid, who was the flither of St. Columba, should not
becalledthesonofTigernac,butratherthesonofFergus. '3 Again,weare
told, that Tighernach was Fedhlemid's brother, and the father of Saints
ColmanandCiian. ^4 Thisaccountofourgenealogistsshows,thathisfamily
relationship removes all suspicion about Comgan being the nephew of St.
Columkille. ^5 Various mistakes,'^ in connexion with the statements^7 of
writers, have thus obscured genealogical accounts, regarding this holy abbot.
He had five brothers, it is said, and all of these were distinguished for their '2
June.
'*
According logy," chap. i.
to the "
Menelogic
Genea-
'' For a diversity of
spelling, regarding
They were named, Mernocli, or Ernan, Moelchua, or Melchuo,
sanctity.
Mirilius, otherwise Mirinus, or Imrilius, Moeldubh, or Moeldubhiiis, and Telduhius, or Teldubius, the Poet. ^9 This supposes, however, that they were sons to Degill and of Cumine, or Cumenia, the sister of St. Columba ;'° but, as we have already stated, they were not brothers to our saint.
St. Comgan was born, as we are told, in a part of Munster province," calledKeann-Indse. Yet,thisisprobablyanunfoundedsupposition,since, as we have seen, Comgan, cin-dinis, or " without reproach," may have been
mistaken for the proper name of his place. Besides, this Ceann-Indis, or Ceann-Indeas, has not been identified. In what year his birth took place is unknown. It has been supposed, that Saint Comgan built a church, within the Dalcassian territory, and that it was known as Ceann-Indis or Keann- Indse. This place, also called Ceann-Innis, and Ceann-Indeas, is said to have been the name for a hill, in that territory of the Dalcassians, where Comgan was born. This building must have been situated, on some hill, it is thought, in the county of Clare. ^^ Whether this structure had been erected, before or after our saint's elevation to the rank of abbot over Gleann- Ussen Monastery, has not been determined -p but, probably the statement
" Eithne or Ethnea, the mother of St. Columba, was the daughter of Dioma, son of Noe, according to the Tract, "On the
an inspired poet of Aidhne ; six sons of the victorious Ethnea, daughter to Fedhlemid ; these were glorious towers of probation.
Mothers of the Irish Saints. " MS. copy Nearly the same account is found in the ""
from the Leabhar Lecan," /<? «<? j ««<r^^r/j.
She descended from Cathaoir Mor, King of
Ireland, A. D. 120 to 123. See Dr. O'Dono-
*'
Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 102, 103.
•3 This Colgan promised to prove, in his notes to St. Columkille's Acts, at the 9th of
gloss to the "FeiUre," in the Leabhar
Breac," p. 82, of the lithographed copy. The amiable and great sister of St. Columba,
sprung from the renowned family of Conall the Great, was their motfier. This the Scho- liast writes in a style, as we are told, very
van's
'5 See, likewise, that interesting Genea- logical Table of the early Abbots of Ily, in
these several names, the reader is referred
to that text of our Saint's Life, furnished by
Colgan, and to the extract from Maguire's
Martyrology. See nn. 5, 6.
Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
"
Life of St. Columba. " Additional notes (n), p. 342.
=°
Colgan treats about these, and two ad-
'^ See "Trias Thaumaturga," p. 478.
See, also, appended to the Life of this Bran, in his Trias Thaumaturga. " Quarta
. saint, in the " Acta Sanctorum Hibemiac,"
nn. 5, 6, p. 418.
'7 The Genealogy, said to have been com-
piled by . ^ngus, differs from that given by Cathal Maguire, who makes our . saint a
nephew to St. Columkille, in his Martyr- ology, at the 27th of February. The same
lithographed copy.
*^ Cathald Maguire writes, that St. Com-
gan's brothers were SS. Mernochus, Moel- ghua, Imrilius, Moeldubius and Teldubius,
Appendix ad Acta S. Columbas, cap. ii. ,
"
in the " Leabhar Breac," at p. 82, of the
logic Genealogy," chap, iii. , in Maguire, at the 27th of February, and in other authori- ties. See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi- hernia;," xxvii. Februarii. Vita S. Comgani, n. 2, p. 418.
^= Our saint belonged to this place, ac-
cording to the Scholiast on St. Angus the
Culdee, according to the Calendar of Cashel, and to Charles Maguire.
"3 See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His*
thing is done, in a gloss to the
Feilire,"
" Hibernias," xxvii. Februarii, p. 418.
archaic. See Colgan's
Acta Sanctorum
ditional holy brothers, St. Lasren and St. "
pp. 478, 479. and cap. x. , pp. 488 to 491. *' "
This statement is found in the Mene-
February 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 719
is not deserving of any consideration. When treating about St. Ita,'^ Colgan says, that in her time hved, as one of her famihar friends, a certain Comdan,'5 or Comgan. ^^'^ He adds, also, that St. Cumineus, brother to such Comgan,
was a disciple of St. Ita. Although that Comgan is regarded as a saint, by some writers ; yet, Colgan rather thinks the Comgan, mentioned in St. Ita's Acts,wasAbbotofGlenn-Ussen,andbearingthatname. "7 Webelievethis, however, to be an unfounded conjecture, since it is inconsistent with any evidence, that can be adduced.
That St. Comgan was connected with Gleann-Ussen appears, from the
authority of the Menelogium Genealogicum, the Martyrologies of Tallagh, of Cashel and of Marianus O'Gorman. This was the name of a remarkable glen, situated in the territory of Hi-Bairche, about two Irish miles to the west of Carlow. There exists a considerable portion of the ruins of an ancient church, called CiU Ussin,, anglice^ Killeshin. This monastery was situated,
in the south-eastern part of the Queen's County.
^"^
Yet Archdall'9 identifies
the church of Gleann-Uissin with Gleane, or Glin, near Firbane,3° on the
River Brusna, in the barony of Garrycastle, and King's County. But, this
is a childish guess, because Gleann-Uisean is described in the authorities referred to by Archdall himself, as being in the territory of Ui-Bairche. In this, the Church of Sletty, close to Carlow, was situated. 3^ At Killeshin, St. Diarmaid or Diermit is said to have built or presided over a church or monastery;32 and,this'musthavebeenaslateastheninthcentury,ifweare to identify him with that Diarmaid, Abbot of Gleann-Uissean,33 whose death is recorded at a. d. 874. 34 Now, Comgan is generally allowed to have suc- ceeded him ; but, at what particular date is not clearly ascertainable, for we cannot find any well-known allusion to him in our Annals. At Killeshin are still to be seen, on the hill slopes of Slievemarigue, the interesting ruins of a very ancient ecclesiastical structure. It is in the Irish Romanesque style. The cloicethech, or bell-house, there, was destroyed, in the year 1703. 35 There are various details of the Church at Killeshin represented by wood- cuts and described by Mr. Wakeman. 36
It has been assumed, that when St. Comgan37 found himself at the end of his mortal course, he entreated St. Ita, that she would come in Christ's name to place her holy hand upon his lips, and close his mouth, on the day of departure. Comgan also said, he learned from an Angel of the Lord, how the
tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, xiv. , n. 245, p. 79.
=4 See her Life, at the 15th of January.
=5 He was surnamed, Mac Dacheard.
This seems to establish the fact, that he was a different person from our saint.
=^ He died dunng the reign of Domhnall, who began his reign in the year 624. See O'Donovan's" Annals of the Four Masters,"
vol. i. , pp. 246, 247.
-^ Being set down, with his festival, at
the 27th of February, in some of our Irish
Calendars, Colgan promised to treat con- cerning him on that day, and our national
hagiologist redeemed his promise, so far as
he could find materials or safe conjecture to
complete his notices.
Killagally. See " Ordnance Survey Town- land Maps for the King's County," Sheet 14.
'^ ** See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. ,
tions in the Irish Language," vol. ii. , p. 80, and n.
3^ See ** Archaeologia Hibemica. A Hand-Book of Irish Antiquities, Pagan and Christian," part ii. Early Christian Anti*
quities, chap, iii. , pp. 79 to 81.
37 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber*
of Ireland," xxxviii. , chap,
Antiquities 264.
p.
=5 In his " Monasticon Hibernicum," p.
398.
3° The places here named are situated in
the
parish
of Gallen, and of Wheery or
"
Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (y), pp. 464, 465.
3' gee Dr. O'Donovan's
Annals of the
"
^2 See Father Hugh Ward's Rumoldi, &c. , Acta. " Dissertatio Histonca de Patria S. Rumoldi, sect. 9, p, 159.
33 See notices of him, at the bth of July.
34 gee Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 520, 521.
35 And on the 8th of March, as appears
by a manuscript entry, on the fly-leat of an Abridgment of the Public Printed Irish
Statutes, now in the possession of R. Clayton Browne, Esq. , D. L. , Browne's Hill, Car-
low. See Miss Stokes'
"
Christian Inscrip-
Sancti
720 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February27.
soul of that person would be conducted to Heaven, on whose wasting body,
the hands of St. Ita should be placed. But, the holy virgin, sincerely humble, remonstrated with the abbot and assured him, that he had enter- tained too exalted opinion of her sanctity, by supposing her touch could give him any sort of guarantee, that God's blessed Angels would receive his soul
on her account, and after death. St. immediately
"
Comgan replied,
I say, that because of what I have asked, no demon shall dare approach our
path, nor in any manner accuse us. " His request was complied with, and
after St. Ita had predicted the holy man's future happiness, he departed,3S before the year 569,39 supposed to have been that of St. Ita's death. As we have already indicated, the whole foregoing account must be referred to a Comgan, who flourished some centuries before the present saint. We find him placed after St. Diarmaid, in the government of Kilieshin Monastery, and he cannot have enjoyed this position, before the close of the ninth century. -^® Probably this was about the time, when our St. Comgan was abbot over that establishment.
It is supposed, by Dr. Laniganj-^^ that his departure occurred atCeann-Indis, and in his assumed native country, Thomond, from the circumstance of it
being nearer to St. Ita's monastery, at Cluain-Credhail,'^^ than was Gleann- Usshin, over which, it is thought, he had been abbot. Again, Dr. Lanigan sup- poses, that Ceann-indis could not have been very far from Cluain-Credhuil,
and that probably it was within a few miles, being separated, perhaps, by little more than the River Shannon. But, we have already seen, all this is built
upon the authority of a conjectural gloss, over St. Comgan's name, and on his presumed identity with a Comgan, living in the sixth century. In addi- tion to all this, Archdall tells us, in one place, that St. Comgan died, on the
27th of February, a. d. 565, and at a respectable old age. 43 In another part of his work, that writer merely states, how our saint, whom he calls St. Com- gall, died before the year 569. 44 The Abbot of Kilieshin did not bear the latter name,45 but he was called Comdan, Comdhan, or Comghan. ^^ How- ever, the probable date for his death was towards the close of the ninth, or aboutthebeginningofthetenth,century. Atthisday,heiscommemorated in our Irish Calendars. We find the simple entry, Comgan, of Gliuni Usin,
inserted in the Martyrology of Tallagh,47 at the 27th of February. St. ^ngus '*
the Culdee, likewise, has placed his festival in the Feilire. 4^ The Kalendar
Lea- bharBreac copy,withitsEnglishtransla- 38 The time of that Comgan must have tion, has —been furnished by Professor
been in the sixth century. O'Looney 39 This was the year of St. Ita's death,
according to Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of "b. 111. kl. tA cefA-o ^Xbuii-oi,
niae," p. 67.
xv.
Januarii.
Vita S. Itce,
cap.
x. ,
the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 206, 207.
•mo)\ Al/Ai-oib Laiiiai]' ;
jTeiL chortigAiii Cenx)inT)if ;
4° See Archdall's
"
Monasticon Hiber-
nicum," p. 398.
4' See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
land," vol. ii. , chap, xi. , sect, iii. , n. 18, p. 89.
4» Dr. Lanigan imagines the Abbot would not have required her attendance, at his death, had she been separated from him by a greater distance.
43 See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiberni* cum," p. 398.
44
Ibid. , p. 43.
45 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Iliber-
nise," xxvii. Februarii, pp. 417, 418.
4* In the Irish language, the letters g and
d aspirated sound similarly.
47 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xVii.
^ipec
cinx)
lohAnif.
4'* The following stanza, from the "
"
:
With the suffering of Abundus, Great his gifts of poems ;
The feast of Comgan, Cend
Inis,
The finding of the head of
John [the Baptist].
The foreign saint here mentioned seems to have been identical with Abundantius or Abundius, one of the Martyrs of Thessa* lonica, in Macedonia, and whose feast occurs at this day. See an account, in the BoUan- dists' "Acta Sanciorum," tomus iii. , Feb* ruarii xxvii. , pp. 676, 677.
Truly,
February 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
of Cashel, the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman, and the Martyrology of Cathal Maguire, have entered his festival, at the 27th of February. '*! ? The
Martyrology of Donegal,5° on this day, records, Comdhan [/>. , Diarmaid],^' of Glenn Uissen. s- This holy man appears to have been greatly venerated,
in Ireland, where his Office, containing nine Lessons, was lormerly recited. 53 At the iii. of the March Kalends, or at the 27th of February, we learn from the Kalendar of Diummond, that in the Island of Hibernia, the Natalis of the holy Confessor Comgan, who went to Christ, was celebrated. s^ No further biographical statements, in reference to him, have been preserved.
Article 1 1. —St. Comman, Mac Ua Theimhne. Remarking that
Father John Colgan passes over this saint, at the 27th of February, the
Bollandists briefly notice him, although confessing they knew notliing of his
history. ^ This name occurs, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,'* at the same date, and it is written there, Comman mac h. Themin. That of Marianus
O'Gorman, in the ecgraph, or extract, furnished to the Bollandists,3 had " Comanus filius Va Temne ;" while, we find mentioned, in the Martyrology
of Donegalj-^ that Comman, Mac Ua Theimhne, had a festival, celebrated on this day. His place is not recorded.
Article III. —Reputed Festival of Socman and Sophan, Bishops. Dempster' has, at the 27th of February, a festival for St. Soghan and St.
49 See
niae," xxvii. hcbmarii, n. 15, p. 418.
Colgan's
50 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
58, 59.
5' In a note, Dr. Todd here adds to his
text, "The words within brackets are
written as a gloss, but in the original hand, over the name Comdhan. ''
5^ The O'Clerys slate, that he was son to Diarmaid, son to Deghadh, descended from the race of Cormac Cas, son to Oilill Oluim.
53 A MS. , belonging to T. C. D. , classed, B. I, 4, contains, at li'ebruary the 27th, or Kal. iii. Martii, Sancti cogAni Abbatis, ix. Lect.
^
whom other writers at the 26th of this month. =" place,
Sophan, Bishops,
Ferrarius seems to follow Dempster, in this statement. The Bollandists
think it clear, that Soganus has been written for S. Oganus, by some incon- siderate writer ; but, they are of opinion, there are no grounds whatever for Sophanus having been set down as an individual, distinct from S. Ophanus. 3
Article IV. —Reputed Festival of St. Hildulph, First Bishop of
Treves, or Triers, Germany. [Seventh and Eighli Centuries. ] In the Life' of St. Florentius,^ Bishop of Sirasburgh, mention is made^ of St. Hil-
dulf. Confessor, who, with St. Argobasf^ and Theodatus, erected an oratory at the wood, called Hasle. s The Bollandists barely allude to him, at the 27th of February. ^ They promise a further consideration of this saint, whom
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
3 By Father John Colgan.
^ Edited by Drs. TocU and Reeves, pp.
58, 59.
Article hi. —' See "iMenologium Scoti-
cum. "
^ See Bishop Forbes' "Kalcndars of
Scottish Saints," p. 193.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomusiii. , Feb-
ruarii xxvii. Among the pretermiued saints,
p. 673.
Article iv. — This was found, in an
old manuscript, -the style of which was
changed by Surius.
= His feast occurs, at the 7th of November.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," Feb-
ruarii xxvi. De SS. Ethnea et Fedelmia,
VV. , pp. 415, 416, and De B. Ethnea 58, 59.
nowned son.
** "
"
torum Ibernioe. " See O'SuUevan Beare's
Fitzsimon's
Catalogus Aliquorum Sanc-
" Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
February 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 717
Ch)ent2-'J>ebentI) lanp of jFebruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. COMGAN, OR COMDHAN, ABBOT OF GLEANN-USSEN, OR KILLESHIN, QUEEN'S COUNTY.
[POSSIBLY IN THE NINTH CENTURY. }
/^UR primitive saints always remembered, that the Kingdom of Heaven
\^^ was not to be taken, but by violence, according to the admonition of our Divine Redeemer ;' and hence, they regarded self-love as one of their chiefest enemies. By self-denial and by voluntary mortifications, they used violence towards their passions and appetites, while they loved a monastic state, as serving morally and materially to regulate the temper and the will. There, too, they studied to find out their predominant passions, and laboured
to suppress them, by the holy exercises of prayer and penance.
Making due acknowledgments to Father John Colgan, for notices supplied to them, the Bollandists have a brief account referring to this saint, in three paragraphs, —at the present date. ^ His name is written Comgan, in the Book
of Leinster3 and this is the most general form
;
however, it is Com- spelled
dhan, in the Martyrologies. -^ From varioiis sources, Colgan has gleaned what- ever he thought necessary, to compile Acts of the present holy abbot. s However, it must be acknowledged, those sources, for illustration of his Life
and career, are unsatisfactory, and very meagre. Some confusion appears to have arisen, in reference to his history, owing to variations of statement about
his pedigree, and regarding the epithet affixed to his name, written Comgan,
cen-dindis. ^ This adjunct seems to have been thought equivocal, by a
•' "
Scholiast, on the Feilire of St. ^ngus. 7 His father's name was Deirmit,
son to Dega, or Degadius, of the Dalcassian race. ^ This tribe had its origin from Cormac Cas, who gave name to it. According to accounts left us, his
mother was Ethnea,9 daughter to Fedlimid, or Feidhlimidh, son to Tigher- nach. ^° Some have said she was a sister to St. Columkille. " This is clearly
Article i, —^ St. Matt, xi. , 12. ^ In the "Menologic Genealogy," chap. ^"
See Acta Sanctorum," tomusiii. , Feb- 35, the pedigree of our saint is referred to
niarii xxvii. De S. Comgano Abbate Glinnussensi in Hibernia, p. 682.
3 Fol. 126, a 2.
4 See Miss Stokes' " Christian Inscrip- lions in the Irish Language," vol. i. , p. 19. s See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae,"
Februarii xxvii. De S. Comgano Abbate
de Gleann-Ussen, pp. 417, 418.
^ We find "cen-dindis " rendered "with-
out reproach," in Miss Stokes' "Christian
Inscriptions in the Irish Language," vol. ii. , p. 85, where allusion is made to the
present saint.
^ We find it thus explained, in a gloss on
the text, in the Leabhar Breac copy, at
"
i. e. without dishonor, or Cend-innis, a proper name of a hill, in the region of Comgan, in (the territory of)
Cormac Cas. In the " Leabhar Breac "
copy of Irish saintly pedigrees, we have this account : Comdhan of Glenn Ussen, the son of Dermit, son of Dega, son of Temni, son of Fircorb, son of Mogacorb, son of Cormacass, son of Oiliol Olum. See lithograph copy, p. 19.
9 in the copy of the Treatise, "On the
Mothers of the Irish Saints," which I
possess, she is called eichtie ingen ITei-o-
timit) tnx^cel^ ComgAin 5linx)i tlifen,
" Eithne, the daughter of Fedlilimid, mother to Comgain of Glenn Uissen. "
'" The O'Clerys have this pedigree of her, in their Martyrology.
"In the "Maternal Genealogies of the Irish Saints," attributed to yEngus the Cul- dee, it is stated, however, that Ethnea was
Ceii'onTOi]' :
Dalgas. " See lithograph copy, issued by daughter to Fedlimid, son to Tigernac, and the Royal Irish Academy, p. 82. mother to Comgan of Gleann-ussen.
7iS LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[February 27.
a mistake," for Fedhlemid, who was the flither of St. Columba, should not
becalledthesonofTigernac,butratherthesonofFergus. '3 Again,weare
told, that Tighernach was Fedhlemid's brother, and the father of Saints
ColmanandCiian. ^4 Thisaccountofourgenealogistsshows,thathisfamily
relationship removes all suspicion about Comgan being the nephew of St.
Columkille. ^5 Various mistakes,'^ in connexion with the statements^7 of
writers, have thus obscured genealogical accounts, regarding this holy abbot.
He had five brothers, it is said, and all of these were distinguished for their '2
June.
'*
According logy," chap. i.
to the "
Menelogic
Genea-
'' For a diversity of
spelling, regarding
They were named, Mernocli, or Ernan, Moelchua, or Melchuo,
sanctity.
Mirilius, otherwise Mirinus, or Imrilius, Moeldubh, or Moeldubhiiis, and Telduhius, or Teldubius, the Poet. ^9 This supposes, however, that they were sons to Degill and of Cumine, or Cumenia, the sister of St. Columba ;'° but, as we have already stated, they were not brothers to our saint.
St. Comgan was born, as we are told, in a part of Munster province," calledKeann-Indse. Yet,thisisprobablyanunfoundedsupposition,since, as we have seen, Comgan, cin-dinis, or " without reproach," may have been
mistaken for the proper name of his place. Besides, this Ceann-Indis, or Ceann-Indeas, has not been identified. In what year his birth took place is unknown. It has been supposed, that Saint Comgan built a church, within the Dalcassian territory, and that it was known as Ceann-Indis or Keann- Indse. This place, also called Ceann-Innis, and Ceann-Indeas, is said to have been the name for a hill, in that territory of the Dalcassians, where Comgan was born. This building must have been situated, on some hill, it is thought, in the county of Clare. ^^ Whether this structure had been erected, before or after our saint's elevation to the rank of abbot over Gleann- Ussen Monastery, has not been determined -p but, probably the statement
" Eithne or Ethnea, the mother of St. Columba, was the daughter of Dioma, son of Noe, according to the Tract, "On the
an inspired poet of Aidhne ; six sons of the victorious Ethnea, daughter to Fedhlemid ; these were glorious towers of probation.
Mothers of the Irish Saints. " MS. copy Nearly the same account is found in the ""
from the Leabhar Lecan," /<? «<? j ««<r^^r/j.
She descended from Cathaoir Mor, King of
Ireland, A. D. 120 to 123. See Dr. O'Dono-
*'
Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 102, 103.
•3 This Colgan promised to prove, in his notes to St. Columkille's Acts, at the 9th of
gloss to the "FeiUre," in the Leabhar
Breac," p. 82, of the lithographed copy. The amiable and great sister of St. Columba,
sprung from the renowned family of Conall the Great, was their motfier. This the Scho- liast writes in a style, as we are told, very
van's
'5 See, likewise, that interesting Genea- logical Table of the early Abbots of Ily, in
these several names, the reader is referred
to that text of our Saint's Life, furnished by
Colgan, and to the extract from Maguire's
Martyrology. See nn. 5, 6.
Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
"
Life of St. Columba. " Additional notes (n), p. 342.
=°
Colgan treats about these, and two ad-
'^ See "Trias Thaumaturga," p. 478.
See, also, appended to the Life of this Bran, in his Trias Thaumaturga. " Quarta
. saint, in the " Acta Sanctorum Hibemiac,"
nn. 5, 6, p. 418.
'7 The Genealogy, said to have been com-
piled by . ^ngus, differs from that given by Cathal Maguire, who makes our . saint a
nephew to St. Columkille, in his Martyr- ology, at the 27th of February. The same
lithographed copy.
*^ Cathald Maguire writes, that St. Com-
gan's brothers were SS. Mernochus, Moel- ghua, Imrilius, Moeldubius and Teldubius,
Appendix ad Acta S. Columbas, cap. ii. ,
"
in the " Leabhar Breac," at p. 82, of the
logic Genealogy," chap, iii. , in Maguire, at the 27th of February, and in other authori- ties. See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi- hernia;," xxvii. Februarii. Vita S. Comgani, n. 2, p. 418.
^= Our saint belonged to this place, ac-
cording to the Scholiast on St. Angus the
Culdee, according to the Calendar of Cashel, and to Charles Maguire.
"3 See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His*
thing is done, in a gloss to the
Feilire,"
" Hibernias," xxvii. Februarii, p. 418.
archaic. See Colgan's
Acta Sanctorum
ditional holy brothers, St. Lasren and St. "
pp. 478, 479. and cap. x. , pp. 488 to 491. *' "
This statement is found in the Mene-
February 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 719
is not deserving of any consideration. When treating about St. Ita,'^ Colgan says, that in her time hved, as one of her famihar friends, a certain Comdan,'5 or Comgan. ^^'^ He adds, also, that St. Cumineus, brother to such Comgan,
was a disciple of St. Ita. Although that Comgan is regarded as a saint, by some writers ; yet, Colgan rather thinks the Comgan, mentioned in St. Ita's Acts,wasAbbotofGlenn-Ussen,andbearingthatname. "7 Webelievethis, however, to be an unfounded conjecture, since it is inconsistent with any evidence, that can be adduced.
That St. Comgan was connected with Gleann-Ussen appears, from the
authority of the Menelogium Genealogicum, the Martyrologies of Tallagh, of Cashel and of Marianus O'Gorman. This was the name of a remarkable glen, situated in the territory of Hi-Bairche, about two Irish miles to the west of Carlow. There exists a considerable portion of the ruins of an ancient church, called CiU Ussin,, anglice^ Killeshin. This monastery was situated,
in the south-eastern part of the Queen's County.
^"^
Yet Archdall'9 identifies
the church of Gleann-Uissin with Gleane, or Glin, near Firbane,3° on the
River Brusna, in the barony of Garrycastle, and King's County. But, this
is a childish guess, because Gleann-Uisean is described in the authorities referred to by Archdall himself, as being in the territory of Ui-Bairche. In this, the Church of Sletty, close to Carlow, was situated. 3^ At Killeshin, St. Diarmaid or Diermit is said to have built or presided over a church or monastery;32 and,this'musthavebeenaslateastheninthcentury,ifweare to identify him with that Diarmaid, Abbot of Gleann-Uissean,33 whose death is recorded at a. d. 874. 34 Now, Comgan is generally allowed to have suc- ceeded him ; but, at what particular date is not clearly ascertainable, for we cannot find any well-known allusion to him in our Annals. At Killeshin are still to be seen, on the hill slopes of Slievemarigue, the interesting ruins of a very ancient ecclesiastical structure. It is in the Irish Romanesque style. The cloicethech, or bell-house, there, was destroyed, in the year 1703. 35 There are various details of the Church at Killeshin represented by wood- cuts and described by Mr. Wakeman. 36
It has been assumed, that when St. Comgan37 found himself at the end of his mortal course, he entreated St. Ita, that she would come in Christ's name to place her holy hand upon his lips, and close his mouth, on the day of departure. Comgan also said, he learned from an Angel of the Lord, how the
tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, xiv. , n. 245, p. 79.
=4 See her Life, at the 15th of January.
=5 He was surnamed, Mac Dacheard.
This seems to establish the fact, that he was a different person from our saint.
=^ He died dunng the reign of Domhnall, who began his reign in the year 624. See O'Donovan's" Annals of the Four Masters,"
vol. i. , pp. 246, 247.
-^ Being set down, with his festival, at
the 27th of February, in some of our Irish
Calendars, Colgan promised to treat con- cerning him on that day, and our national
hagiologist redeemed his promise, so far as
he could find materials or safe conjecture to
complete his notices.
Killagally. See " Ordnance Survey Town- land Maps for the King's County," Sheet 14.
'^ ** See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. ,
tions in the Irish Language," vol. ii. , p. 80, and n.
3^ See ** Archaeologia Hibemica. A Hand-Book of Irish Antiquities, Pagan and Christian," part ii. Early Christian Anti*
quities, chap, iii. , pp. 79 to 81.
37 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber*
of Ireland," xxxviii. , chap,
Antiquities 264.
p.
=5 In his " Monasticon Hibernicum," p.
398.
3° The places here named are situated in
the
parish
of Gallen, and of Wheery or
"
Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (y), pp. 464, 465.
3' gee Dr. O'Donovan's
Annals of the
"
^2 See Father Hugh Ward's Rumoldi, &c. , Acta. " Dissertatio Histonca de Patria S. Rumoldi, sect. 9, p, 159.
33 See notices of him, at the bth of July.
34 gee Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 520, 521.
35 And on the 8th of March, as appears
by a manuscript entry, on the fly-leat of an Abridgment of the Public Printed Irish
Statutes, now in the possession of R. Clayton Browne, Esq. , D. L. , Browne's Hill, Car-
low. See Miss Stokes'
"
Christian Inscrip-
Sancti
720 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February27.
soul of that person would be conducted to Heaven, on whose wasting body,
the hands of St. Ita should be placed. But, the holy virgin, sincerely humble, remonstrated with the abbot and assured him, that he had enter- tained too exalted opinion of her sanctity, by supposing her touch could give him any sort of guarantee, that God's blessed Angels would receive his soul
on her account, and after death. St. immediately
"
Comgan replied,
I say, that because of what I have asked, no demon shall dare approach our
path, nor in any manner accuse us. " His request was complied with, and
after St. Ita had predicted the holy man's future happiness, he departed,3S before the year 569,39 supposed to have been that of St. Ita's death. As we have already indicated, the whole foregoing account must be referred to a Comgan, who flourished some centuries before the present saint. We find him placed after St. Diarmaid, in the government of Kilieshin Monastery, and he cannot have enjoyed this position, before the close of the ninth century. -^® Probably this was about the time, when our St. Comgan was abbot over that establishment.
It is supposed, by Dr. Laniganj-^^ that his departure occurred atCeann-Indis, and in his assumed native country, Thomond, from the circumstance of it
being nearer to St. Ita's monastery, at Cluain-Credhail,'^^ than was Gleann- Usshin, over which, it is thought, he had been abbot. Again, Dr. Lanigan sup- poses, that Ceann-indis could not have been very far from Cluain-Credhuil,
and that probably it was within a few miles, being separated, perhaps, by little more than the River Shannon. But, we have already seen, all this is built
upon the authority of a conjectural gloss, over St. Comgan's name, and on his presumed identity with a Comgan, living in the sixth century. In addi- tion to all this, Archdall tells us, in one place, that St. Comgan died, on the
27th of February, a. d. 565, and at a respectable old age. 43 In another part of his work, that writer merely states, how our saint, whom he calls St. Com- gall, died before the year 569. 44 The Abbot of Kilieshin did not bear the latter name,45 but he was called Comdan, Comdhan, or Comghan. ^^ How- ever, the probable date for his death was towards the close of the ninth, or aboutthebeginningofthetenth,century. Atthisday,heiscommemorated in our Irish Calendars. We find the simple entry, Comgan, of Gliuni Usin,
inserted in the Martyrology of Tallagh,47 at the 27th of February. St. ^ngus '*
the Culdee, likewise, has placed his festival in the Feilire. 4^ The Kalendar
Lea- bharBreac copy,withitsEnglishtransla- 38 The time of that Comgan must have tion, has —been furnished by Professor
been in the sixth century. O'Looney 39 This was the year of St. Ita's death,
according to Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of "b. 111. kl. tA cefA-o ^Xbuii-oi,
niae," p. 67.
xv.
Januarii.
Vita S. Itce,
cap.
x. ,
the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 206, 207.
•mo)\ Al/Ai-oib Laiiiai]' ;
jTeiL chortigAiii Cenx)inT)if ;
4° See Archdall's
"
Monasticon Hiber-
nicum," p. 398.
4' See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
land," vol. ii. , chap, xi. , sect, iii. , n. 18, p. 89.
4» Dr. Lanigan imagines the Abbot would not have required her attendance, at his death, had she been separated from him by a greater distance.
43 See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiberni* cum," p. 398.
44
Ibid. , p. 43.
45 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Iliber-
nise," xxvii. Februarii, pp. 417, 418.
4* In the Irish language, the letters g and
d aspirated sound similarly.
47 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xVii.
^ipec
cinx)
lohAnif.
4'* The following stanza, from the "
"
:
With the suffering of Abundus, Great his gifts of poems ;
The feast of Comgan, Cend
Inis,
The finding of the head of
John [the Baptist].
The foreign saint here mentioned seems to have been identical with Abundantius or Abundius, one of the Martyrs of Thessa* lonica, in Macedonia, and whose feast occurs at this day. See an account, in the BoUan- dists' "Acta Sanciorum," tomus iii. , Feb* ruarii xxvii. , pp. 676, 677.
Truly,
February 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
of Cashel, the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman, and the Martyrology of Cathal Maguire, have entered his festival, at the 27th of February. '*! ? The
Martyrology of Donegal,5° on this day, records, Comdhan [/>. , Diarmaid],^' of Glenn Uissen. s- This holy man appears to have been greatly venerated,
in Ireland, where his Office, containing nine Lessons, was lormerly recited. 53 At the iii. of the March Kalends, or at the 27th of February, we learn from the Kalendar of Diummond, that in the Island of Hibernia, the Natalis of the holy Confessor Comgan, who went to Christ, was celebrated. s^ No further biographical statements, in reference to him, have been preserved.
Article 1 1. —St. Comman, Mac Ua Theimhne. Remarking that
Father John Colgan passes over this saint, at the 27th of February, the
Bollandists briefly notice him, although confessing they knew notliing of his
history. ^ This name occurs, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,'* at the same date, and it is written there, Comman mac h. Themin. That of Marianus
O'Gorman, in the ecgraph, or extract, furnished to the Bollandists,3 had " Comanus filius Va Temne ;" while, we find mentioned, in the Martyrology
of Donegalj-^ that Comman, Mac Ua Theimhne, had a festival, celebrated on this day. His place is not recorded.
Article III. —Reputed Festival of Socman and Sophan, Bishops. Dempster' has, at the 27th of February, a festival for St. Soghan and St.
49 See
niae," xxvii. hcbmarii, n. 15, p. 418.
Colgan's
50 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
58, 59.
5' In a note, Dr. Todd here adds to his
text, "The words within brackets are
written as a gloss, but in the original hand, over the name Comdhan. ''
5^ The O'Clerys slate, that he was son to Diarmaid, son to Deghadh, descended from the race of Cormac Cas, son to Oilill Oluim.
53 A MS. , belonging to T. C. D. , classed, B. I, 4, contains, at li'ebruary the 27th, or Kal. iii. Martii, Sancti cogAni Abbatis, ix. Lect.
^
whom other writers at the 26th of this month. =" place,
Sophan, Bishops,
Ferrarius seems to follow Dempster, in this statement. The Bollandists
think it clear, that Soganus has been written for S. Oganus, by some incon- siderate writer ; but, they are of opinion, there are no grounds whatever for Sophanus having been set down as an individual, distinct from S. Ophanus. 3
Article IV. —Reputed Festival of St. Hildulph, First Bishop of
Treves, or Triers, Germany. [Seventh and Eighli Centuries. ] In the Life' of St. Florentius,^ Bishop of Sirasburgh, mention is made^ of St. Hil-
dulf. Confessor, who, with St. Argobasf^ and Theodatus, erected an oratory at the wood, called Hasle. s The Bollandists barely allude to him, at the 27th of February. ^ They promise a further consideration of this saint, whom
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
3 By Father John Colgan.
^ Edited by Drs. TocU and Reeves, pp.
58, 59.
Article hi. —' See "iMenologium Scoti-
cum. "
^ See Bishop Forbes' "Kalcndars of
Scottish Saints," p. 193.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomusiii. , Feb-
ruarii xxvii. Among the pretermiued saints,
p. 673.
Article iv. — This was found, in an
old manuscript, -the style of which was
changed by Surius.
= His feast occurs, at the 7th of November.
