162 It is now called the Machar or Plain, while it is the most level and
productive
part of the island.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v6
[annis regnavit].
See ibid.
, pp.
164, 165, and p.
lxxvi.
Edition of Rev.
Dr.
James Henthorn Todd and the
Hon. Algernon Herbert.
141 A Latinized form of ^eyvAOAch, which
was the Irish name.
143 This is a large Island, which lies to the
a. d. " Tarinad 698,
cognomen from Bute, a likely place to have become his re- sidence while in Islay. See Additional Notes, No. xvii. , pp. xxix to lxvi. , ibid. Subse- quently it came into the possession of the Dalriadic colony. Early in the sixth cen- tury, Muiredhech, son of Aengus Beg, son of Ere, settled in it. As the tract on the Men of Alba states, he was the first of the Scoti,
west of Cantyre, and it contains three and also in Lodbroch's Epiced, pp. 23, 107,
parishes, Kilarrow, Kilchoman, and Kildal-
108. In the Books of Lecan at fol. \\%b, a,
and in Mac Firbis' at 401, Genealogies, p.
we find the original Irish, of which the fol-
ton. See " Parochiales Origines
Scoriae," vol. ii. , part i. , pp. 260 to 275. Kilarrow is said to have its derivation fromCiLbniAoL-
"
imba. Ilea, an adjective form, comes from son of Ere (who was slain by his brother),
who inhabited He. See Roderick O'Fla- "
herty's Ogygia," pars iii. , Scotia; Regum Catalogus Chronologo-Genealogicus, p. 470. From Aengus, son of Fergus Mor, and father of Muiredhach, the family called Cmeb n ^engur'A derived its name.
144 As seems most probable on Islay, called II, in Haco's Expedition, pp. 54, 56,
lowing is a translation :
Fergus the Little,
452 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
death, within a few days. This grievous crime soon came to the saint's hearing, ithavingbeenrelatedbycertaintravellers. Tothem,hespokeinthismanner: "That unhappy man hath not lied to me, but to God, and his name shall be blotted out of the Book of Life. This I say now, in the middle of summer, but before he taste in autumn pork that hath been fed with acorns, he shall die suddenly and be buried in hell. " The accursed wretch laughed to scorn our saint's prophetic threat. At length, the harvest season being come, the wicked man commanded a hog, fattened with acorns and the kernals of nuts,
to be for none of his other swine had killed,
yet
ordered that a piece of its flesh should be roasted, so that by tasting of it, he
might frustrate the saint's prophecy. Being roasted, the wretch stretched out his hand to take a morsel of the flesh ; but, before he could put this hand into his mouth, he fell down a corpse. 146 Exhaling thus his wicked soul, before those horrified persons who were present, the murderer was consigned tohiseverlastingdoom. Thosewhoheardandsawthisprodigionseffectof
1 God's justice, honoured Christ in his holy prophet. *?
The holy man prophesied, in a most miraculous manner, regarding a cer-
tainRoman 1*8 Atone Mocuminx+9cameto the saint, city. time, Lugbeus
after the harvest, and that monk found him greatly excited, for Columba's face shone with a wonderful brilliancy. Wherefore Lugbeus could not bear to look at him, and he ran away in great terror. It would seem, Columba had then a vision, concerning the very remarkable destruction of Alvum, after- wards known as Citta Nova,IS° in Istria. Some have supposed,'S1 the ancient name of that
was ^Emonia 152 however, according to other authorities, city ;
this denomination belonged to Labacum, or Laubac,^ in Lower Carniola. By gently clapping his hands, the saint called Lugbeus back, and asked him on returning, why he fled so quickly? "I fled, because I was very much
alarmed," he replied. After a while, becoming more confident, he said to the saint: "Did any strange vision appear to you just now? " The saint
answered " A fearful vengeance has been exacted in a distant country. "
:
" What vengeance," said the youth, "and in what country? " The saint then addressed him thus : "A fire of sulphur has been poured down from
had one son, viz. , Seudna, a quo Cinel Con- cridhe in He, or Cinel Coneraige, i. e. , Con- craith or Concrighe, son of Bolg, son of Seudna, son of Fergus the Little, son of Ere, son of Eochaidh Muinreamher. " A parallel place in the Book of Ballymote, calls this family of Islay the Cenel Secn-a. See fol. 84b, a.
145 Islay is remarkable for its fertility. In
565, Colman Beg, son of Diarmait Mac
Cerbhail, in company with Conal, son of relaturi essent. " Martyrologium V. Id.
Comgall, Lord of Dalriada, invaded this island, and carried away much booty. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Mas-
ters," vol. i. , pp. 204, 205, and n. (a).
146 It appears, from the Scotch Retours, that the lands of Nerrabolfada (now Nera-
Junii. See Canisius, tomus vi. , p. 854.
"
,SI See the "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , bols), in the Rinns of Islay, together with Junii, p. 2o8(5 ; also tomus vii. , Maii, p.
Woull (now Vaull), in Tiree, formerly be- 14 ; Geogr. Blavina, vol. viii. , p. 57, 58. longed to the Monastery of Derry, accord- J52 It became an episcopal See, in the ing to the Inquisitions, Spec. vie. Argyll, tenth century. John, its first bishop, was
"
147 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " jEmonia Vindicata," Salisburgi, 1647.
No. 67, 83, 93. styled
Episcopus /Emonensis. " See
"Life of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 23, pp. 134, 135. See also nn. (a, b, c, d), tbid.
IS3
J. L. Schonleben, Archdeacon of Lower Carniola, published an Essay to show, that ^Emonia was the former name of this
148 The Rev. Dr. Reeves gives the modern
place.
been J « He slaughtered.
name, on authority of Notker Balbulus, as
being identical with the present Citta Nuova.
The event is thus narrated, by that ancient
"
Subversionem quoque civitatis
writer:
qure nunc Nova dicitur in Italia, in subi- taneo stupore, terrae hiatu, imo coelestis vise respectu subversam conspexit, et aliis exta- sin ejus mirantibus id ipsum nuntiavit, sed et hoc prcedixit, quod Gallici nautre, sicut et factum est eande—m rem ipso anno in Scotia
Antique Lectiones," ,49 Of him, Adamnan had already spoken,
*s°
It is situated, on the north bank of the River Quieto, in Istria.
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 453
heaven this moment on a city, subject to Rome, and within the Italian terri- toryj almost3,000men,besideswomenandchildren,haveperished. 154 Before the end of this year, sailors coming here from the provinces of Gaul, 155 shall tell you these tidings. " 156 His words proved true, in a few months ; for, the same Lugbeus, happening to accompany the saint to Cantyre, met with the captain and crew of a bark, that had just arrived. These told everything regarding the city and its inhabitants, exactly as had been foretold. 157
Among the companions of St. Columba on Iona, none was more distin-
than St. Baithen. 158 We find him called the " or
guished
economus, steward,"
tery. 15? Among those wonderful manifestations of prophetical spirit may be mentioned here the comforting visit which the monks of St. Columba, at one time, received from him on a journey.
"
dispensator,"
were in the returning
came to a 160 place,
while in other
records,
he is made
superior
of a monas-
to the
This was situated midway between the western
of the brethren. He said to them " Now, my brethren, whoever notices
:
anything wonderful and unusual, between the corn fields and the monastery,
160 half between the Machar and Just way
the Monastery, and a little east of Cnoc Orain, there is a spot called Bol-leithne. This maybea corruption of the originalname.
work,
called in Irish Cuuleilne.
evening
monastery, they
little l62 of plain
101
and their
16* Each of the monks he thought
Iona,
saw something strange and unusual, about which, however, they didnot venture to speak to one another. 16* And so it happened, for some days successively, at the same time and place. The holy Baithen then superintended the work
monastery.
must declare it openly. " An elder brother said
I shall tell you what I observed, on this spot. evennow,Ifeeljustasifalltheflowersl65 onearthwerecollectedtogether, the fragrant odour is so refreshing ; I feel also a glow of heat within me, not at
•54 « Est autem Istria Italiacarum Provin- ciarum sub dominio Veneto una ; atque hoc sensu hie dicitur Romani juris, i. e. , intra Italics terminos sita fuisse civitas ilia. " Baer-
tius,
(f),
in "Acta 161 The word which Sanctorum," tomusii. , cuib,
n.
Junii ix. De Sancto Columba, Vita Secunda, cap. iv. , p. 208.
255 Frequent intercourse between the Bri- tish Isles and Gaul then existed. When St. Columbanus was at Nantes, and the autho- rities there wished to send him back to Ire- land, a ship was found in that harbour,
for the — Scotorum com- ready purpose, "quae
mercia vexerat. " Jonas, Vita S. Columbani,
cap. 22. See Fleming's "Collectanea
See also Messingham's Florilegium Hibernipe Sanctorum," p. 234A Even at the inland Clonmacnois, "in illis diebus quibus fratres S. Kiarani segetes suas mete- bant, mercatores Gallorum venerunt ad S. Kieranum, et repleverunt ingens vas de vino i—llo quod S. Kieranus fratribus suis dedit. "
Vita S. Kiarani, cap. 31, in Codex, fol. 147/', b, Marsh's Library, Dublin.
'57 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
Colgan always interprets secessus, signifies most commonly "acorner. " Therearethreeorfourplaces in Iona to which it is still applied, but none
Sacra," p. 236a.
156 "
cap. I. ,
hac nostra
de insula and also in ;"
" Life of St. Columba," lib. 56, 57, andnn. (b, c, d), ibid.
i. , cap. 28, pp.
158 He was one of the original companions
of St. Columba, his near relative, and he was
immediate successor as Abbot over Iona. He partita, lib. iii. , cap. civ. , p. 168.
died, on the 9th ofJune, a. d. 598 ; but, ac- cording to Colgan, in a. d. 600.
159 This illustrates the mixed nature of
"
166 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 37,
themonastic ofthat system
day
and
place.
pp. 71, 72, and nn. (a, b, c, d, e), ibid.
l6i InIrish,W&Liacrxiinwasaclanname,
For as the monks, after the harvest
:
" As you have ordered me, For the past few days, and
are in the position here mentioned.
162 It is now called the Machar or Plain, while it is the most level and productive part of the island. Here is the Cnoc Aingel, in his "Vita S. Columbae," lib. ii. , cap. 28, 44,
and lib. iii. , cap. 16.
163 Thus Adamnan states in his Life, lib. i. ,
"
lib. i. , cap. 30, "nostro huic monasterio. " These expressions indicate, that the Memoirs of St. Columba were written in Hy, and by a memberofits community.
164 From the narrative it would seem, that here the most laborious part of the way com-
which is mentioned
by Adamnan,
menced
siderable ascent, and the path becomes rugged.
l6= In the Lives of St. Patrick, in Colgan's
" Trias we read about the Thaumaturga,"
odorous flowers on the occasion of his death, in the " Vita a Jocelino," cap. clxxxxii. , p. 108, and likewise, in Septima or Vita Tri-
; while,
a
at Bol-lethne, there is con-
454 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
all painful, but most pleasing, and in my heart a heavenly joy, which gives me such comfort and consolation, that I forget grief and care —of every kind. Eve—n the heavy load which I carry on my back, is lightened how I can't tell so as that I hardly think I have any weight to bear. " Other reapers in turn declared they had the same feeling. All then knelt and requested the holy Baithen's intercession, that they might learn the cause and origin of this heavenly relief, so unaccountable to themselves.
" our father Columba's tender affection for
because he could not come in person on this occasion to meet us, he does so in spirit, and to our great comfort. " Having heard these words, they all knelt down again, and blessed Christ in his faithful servant. 166
One of the most adventurous navigators known in those early ages was a member of the Iona institute. Of Cormacus Ua Laithain, 16 ? that holy man who so often sought for a wilderness in the sea, St. Columba prophesied he shouldfailinhisendeavour. 168 ThisCormacus,hopedtofindadesert,andhe setoutonedayfromthatregion,lyingbeyondtheriver,variedlycalledMuada,16?
us,
of our toil, he is always grieved when we return late to the monastery. Now,
plied :
1'2 whichrisesinthe
of Sligo, and which bounds '73 the counties of Sligo and of Mayo, before it falls into the Bay of Killala. Another Cormac founded a church beside the River Moy. 174 In St. Columba's time, the district there noticed was called Irros Domno. 1 ? 5 or " Erris '? 6 of the Damnonii," 177 a section of the Firbolgs. Columba predicted, that Cormac should not find there what he desired, and for no other fault, but that he had brought in his company a certain monk, belonging to a religious Abbot, and without leave of this latter. 1 ? 8 By him,
1? 1
derived from his ancestor Eochaidh Liatha- nach. It afterwards assumed the form Olethan, and it was applied to a cantred, in
Museide,
1?
Moadus,
Moda,
or
Moy,
present county
loppuf TDoriinAnn, or " Erris of the Dam- nonii," and they supposed, that it derived such a name from the £ir» T)orhnArm, or
ViriDamnonii. See " Keating's History
of Ireland," vol. i. , pp. 188, 190 ; also com-
A rural deanery, in the diocese of Cloyne, is conter-
the south-east of Cork
county.
minous with the civil district.
168 Among the " Poems of Thomas tion of Haliday.
D'Arcy McGee," edited by Mrs. J. Sadlier, there is one referring to this individual, and
176 Now the barony of Erris, in the county
of Mayo. It is principally occupied by the
enormous of
parish Kilcommon, extending
over 203,396 acres.
177 Inbher Domnonn was the old name for
" St. Cormac the Legend of the Isle of Lewis.
a See pp. 229
intituled,
Navigator,"
to 231.
169 pjr. Prichard widely errs, in identifying the mouth of the Malahide river, near
the mouth of this river with Wexford Har- Dublin, and now disguised in Muldowney. bour. See "Ethnology of the Celtic Race. " It was derived from the same source. The 170 Tirechan writes the word Muada and word loppur1 or Ipruif signifies a " promon-
Muaide. SeeLiberArThacanus,fol. \$b,a,
l$a, a.
171 TheMoadusis numbered among the nine
great rivers of Ireland byGiraldus Cambren-
tory. " It is applied, simply, or in composi-
tion, to many places on the coasts of Galway,
Kerry, and Donegal. See Hardimau's
sis, in his
"
Topographia Hibernica," lib. i. ,
Chorographical Description of West or ; also
6. The mwAi-oe or Hy- 11 1 pAq\A
" Battle of Leana," Magh
cap.
Fiachrach of the Moy is now the barony
Tireragh, in the county of Sligo, whi>e it occupied the right side of the river, and the
Eugene O'Curry's
p. 35. Tirechan mentions the Campus Dornnon in regione filiorum Amolngid, in Liber Armacanus, fol. \ob, a, 14b, s. See also
178 In the Lives of the Iri>h the Saints,
formula "acceptalicentia" generally implied the superior's assent to any petition pre- ferred by his subjects. See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," lib. i. ,
cap. 6, and nn. (a, b, c, d, e), pp. 30, 31.
179 Copies of it are found in the Bodleian
Library, at Oxford, Laud, 615, and in the
ArhAtjAit),
Colgan's
Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 59*7.
now Tirawley, in Mayo,
" Trias
Hi
occupied the left. See Dr. O"Donovan's
Thaumaturga," Quinta
"
Tribes and Customs of Fiachrach," pp. 96 to 101.
172 It is called in Irish, muAfoe. •W A little to the south of Ballina.
" Acta Sanctorun Hiber- nian," Manii xxvi. , Vita S. Corbmaci, cap.
x. , p. 752*.
*n The Irish always styled this territory,
Genealogies,
Hy-
174 See
Colgan's
" You all know," he re-
and however mindful
pare with pp. 132, 144, 168, 368,398. Edi-
"
HIar Connaught," pp. 73, 96, 97
June 9. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 455
the
petition
was either refused or not entertained. A of St. Columba with St. Corbmac Ua
is 1 ? ?
poem extant, being
l8° his
a
when the latter had returned after his first navigation of the boundless ocean, 181 and after both had escaped from the Coire Brecain. 182 This is said to have been composed in Hy. l83 The same holy man Cormac l8« laboured a second time to find a wilderness, or large tract of land, out in the ocean. He had sailed far away, intent on this object. St. Columba was then staying in Drum Alban, and he commended Cormac to the King of the Orcades, in
Colloquy
presence of King Brudeus. St. Columba said
lately sailed, to discover a desert in the trackless ocean, after much wander- ing should they happen to reach the Orkneys, direct this chief, whose hos- tages are in your hands, that no injury befall them. " This the saint said, be- cause he knew by revelation, that after long and painful navigation, Cormac should be driven to the Orkney Islands. So it came to pass, through respect for the former commendation of St. Columkille, he escaped from the danger of death. As some of the saint's monks entered into conversation respecting Cormac, they said it was not known what issue his navigation had, or whether it was fortunate or unsuccessful. The saint overheard them talking in this
and he " Cormac of whom are now shall replied : you speaking,
manner,
arrive here this very day. " Within one hour after this occurred, Cormac arrived,tothegreatjoyandadmirationofallthecompany. Hethenpro- ceeded to the oratory, to thank the Lord for his safe return. The third time, that the said venerable man Cormac attempted to find out a wilderness in the sea, his life was exposed to great danger ; for being driven by a strong south wind, that blew for fourteen days without intermission, he sailed into the North Seas, even beyond the course and limits that should restrain human navigation and daring, in those unknown waters. It seemed impossible for him to return. But, on the tenth hour of the fourteenth day, there arose most fearful and insupportable dangers. Certain loathsome and terrible in- sects assailed the ship, on its sides, stem and prow. They were even ready to pierce it through the leather covering, which protected the ribs of his vessel. At sight of these creatures, which were nearly the size of frogs, and which could swim rapidly, although they could not fly in the air, the mariners were greatly annoyed and pained. For their stings were very penetrating, and they crowded in large numbers on the oar-handles. Seeing those mon- sters, Cormac and his mariners were so much afraid and amazed, that with tears trickling down their faces, they addressed their prayers to God, who alone is the sure and sovereign refuge in all distress. At the same time, St. Columba was present in spirit with Cormac, while in his ship. He caused, therefore, a sign to be made for his monks to assemble in the oratory. There
" Dear brethren, pray most earnestly for Cormac, who now sustains great dangers, having sailed beyond the allotted bounds of prudent enterprise. We ought therefore con- ceive a tender compassion for our dear fellow-members, being in such mani- fest danger, and pray to God for their comfort and safety. Behold, at this
moment, Cormac and his mariners are shedding copious tears, and fervently
prophesying after his wonted manner, Columba said
:
Burgunclian Library, Bruxelles.
off the north coast of Ireland.
l83 A version of this Poem in Irish, with an
English translation by Eugene O'Curry, as also illustrative notes, may be found in Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Co-
Additional Notes
lumba," F, pp. [264 to
269.
l84 Of whom Adamnan speaks, in his First
Book of St. Columba's Life.
180 His festival
occurs,
at the 21st of
June.
181 This begins with "Oia oo beacA a
Chopb-rmc criAin,—Latinized " Bene venisti
"
Cormace dilecte. " Colgan's Trias Thau-
maturga," Tertia Appendix ad Acta S. Columhse, Secunda pars, p. 472.
182 A celebrated
whirlpool
in the ocean,
:
M Some of our brethren have
Liathain,
disciple,
456 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
praying to our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us assist them, by our prayers, and taking compassion on us, the Almighty will cause the southern winds of the'Jast fourteendaystoblowreversedlyfromthenorth. " Afterspeakingthisandmuch more, St. Columba fell down prostrate on his knees before the altar. With a sorrowful heart and a doleful voice, he besought the omnipotent moderator of winds and waves, for the safety of the adventurous navigators. After
"
prayer, he rose up and refraining from tears, he joyfully said :
with our clear brethren, for whom we have been praying, for God will now convert the south wind into a northern gale, that will deliver them from all
danger and bring them hither in safety. " Immediately, the south winds ceased, and the north winds began to blow. This favourable change con- tinued for many days. Cormac at last arrived safe, and he gladdened all the company of monks with his presence. His first visit, after landing, was paid to St. Columba. By this, the reader may conjecture how great the holy Abbot was in God's eyes, who by invoking Christ's name commanded the raging winds and swelling billows. l8s
There is yet extant, an interesting account, regarding the wanderings of two priests or monks, belonging to St. Columkille's community. 186 On returning to Hy from Ireland, l8 ? they were driven by adverse winds into the northern seas,wheretheysawstrangemenandgreatwonders. Thismayhavesome foundation in
gators
had
fact,'
penetrated
so far north as
Iceland,
l89 which in
part they
colonized J
Aporici
Latin,
88 for we know that at a the Irish navi- very early period,
and Christianized. Even it is possible, they proceeded so far as Greenland, 9°
where are yet the ruins of primitive churches, very closely resembling those
built in —so far back as the time of St. Columba. Whether one of Ireland,
—he adventurers
whom the
tradition has been
foregoing preserved
t
regarding
was St. Cormac Ua Laithan or not admits of question.
A very poor and needy man, living near a place called Stagnum
now known as Loch Abor J92 came to the Lochabar,'93
'91 in
saint, bemoaning that he had nothing wherewith to sustain his wife and chil- dren. Columba had compassion for his distress. "Go, and cut in the next
" obediencethemanbroughtwithoutdelay. Thesaintsharpeneditwithhis
and bring it to me in haste. " This through ownhands,formingitintoapointedspit. Blessingit,likewise,hedelivered
wood a long pole," said our saint,
185 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 42, pp. 166to 171. andnn. (a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, k, 1, m), ibid.
186 Contained in the Book of Fermoy.
north-eastern continuation of the Linnhe Loch, and known as that part of Loch Eil lying between Fort William and Corren Ferry. This was the Loch Abor proper of early times.
Hon. Algernon Herbert.
141 A Latinized form of ^eyvAOAch, which
was the Irish name.
143 This is a large Island, which lies to the
a. d. " Tarinad 698,
cognomen from Bute, a likely place to have become his re- sidence while in Islay. See Additional Notes, No. xvii. , pp. xxix to lxvi. , ibid. Subse- quently it came into the possession of the Dalriadic colony. Early in the sixth cen- tury, Muiredhech, son of Aengus Beg, son of Ere, settled in it. As the tract on the Men of Alba states, he was the first of the Scoti,
west of Cantyre, and it contains three and also in Lodbroch's Epiced, pp. 23, 107,
parishes, Kilarrow, Kilchoman, and Kildal-
108. In the Books of Lecan at fol. \\%b, a,
and in Mac Firbis' at 401, Genealogies, p.
we find the original Irish, of which the fol-
ton. See " Parochiales Origines
Scoriae," vol. ii. , part i. , pp. 260 to 275. Kilarrow is said to have its derivation fromCiLbniAoL-
"
imba. Ilea, an adjective form, comes from son of Ere (who was slain by his brother),
who inhabited He. See Roderick O'Fla- "
herty's Ogygia," pars iii. , Scotia; Regum Catalogus Chronologo-Genealogicus, p. 470. From Aengus, son of Fergus Mor, and father of Muiredhach, the family called Cmeb n ^engur'A derived its name.
144 As seems most probable on Islay, called II, in Haco's Expedition, pp. 54, 56,
lowing is a translation :
Fergus the Little,
452 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
death, within a few days. This grievous crime soon came to the saint's hearing, ithavingbeenrelatedbycertaintravellers. Tothem,hespokeinthismanner: "That unhappy man hath not lied to me, but to God, and his name shall be blotted out of the Book of Life. This I say now, in the middle of summer, but before he taste in autumn pork that hath been fed with acorns, he shall die suddenly and be buried in hell. " The accursed wretch laughed to scorn our saint's prophetic threat. At length, the harvest season being come, the wicked man commanded a hog, fattened with acorns and the kernals of nuts,
to be for none of his other swine had killed,
yet
ordered that a piece of its flesh should be roasted, so that by tasting of it, he
might frustrate the saint's prophecy. Being roasted, the wretch stretched out his hand to take a morsel of the flesh ; but, before he could put this hand into his mouth, he fell down a corpse. 146 Exhaling thus his wicked soul, before those horrified persons who were present, the murderer was consigned tohiseverlastingdoom. Thosewhoheardandsawthisprodigionseffectof
1 God's justice, honoured Christ in his holy prophet. *?
The holy man prophesied, in a most miraculous manner, regarding a cer-
tainRoman 1*8 Atone Mocuminx+9cameto the saint, city. time, Lugbeus
after the harvest, and that monk found him greatly excited, for Columba's face shone with a wonderful brilliancy. Wherefore Lugbeus could not bear to look at him, and he ran away in great terror. It would seem, Columba had then a vision, concerning the very remarkable destruction of Alvum, after- wards known as Citta Nova,IS° in Istria. Some have supposed,'S1 the ancient name of that
was ^Emonia 152 however, according to other authorities, city ;
this denomination belonged to Labacum, or Laubac,^ in Lower Carniola. By gently clapping his hands, the saint called Lugbeus back, and asked him on returning, why he fled so quickly? "I fled, because I was very much
alarmed," he replied. After a while, becoming more confident, he said to the saint: "Did any strange vision appear to you just now? " The saint
answered " A fearful vengeance has been exacted in a distant country. "
:
" What vengeance," said the youth, "and in what country? " The saint then addressed him thus : "A fire of sulphur has been poured down from
had one son, viz. , Seudna, a quo Cinel Con- cridhe in He, or Cinel Coneraige, i. e. , Con- craith or Concrighe, son of Bolg, son of Seudna, son of Fergus the Little, son of Ere, son of Eochaidh Muinreamher. " A parallel place in the Book of Ballymote, calls this family of Islay the Cenel Secn-a. See fol. 84b, a.
145 Islay is remarkable for its fertility. In
565, Colman Beg, son of Diarmait Mac
Cerbhail, in company with Conal, son of relaturi essent. " Martyrologium V. Id.
Comgall, Lord of Dalriada, invaded this island, and carried away much booty. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Mas-
ters," vol. i. , pp. 204, 205, and n. (a).
146 It appears, from the Scotch Retours, that the lands of Nerrabolfada (now Nera-
Junii. See Canisius, tomus vi. , p. 854.
"
,SI See the "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , bols), in the Rinns of Islay, together with Junii, p. 2o8(5 ; also tomus vii. , Maii, p.
Woull (now Vaull), in Tiree, formerly be- 14 ; Geogr. Blavina, vol. viii. , p. 57, 58. longed to the Monastery of Derry, accord- J52 It became an episcopal See, in the ing to the Inquisitions, Spec. vie. Argyll, tenth century. John, its first bishop, was
"
147 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " jEmonia Vindicata," Salisburgi, 1647.
No. 67, 83, 93. styled
Episcopus /Emonensis. " See
"Life of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 23, pp. 134, 135. See also nn. (a, b, c, d), tbid.
IS3
J. L. Schonleben, Archdeacon of Lower Carniola, published an Essay to show, that ^Emonia was the former name of this
148 The Rev. Dr. Reeves gives the modern
place.
been J « He slaughtered.
name, on authority of Notker Balbulus, as
being identical with the present Citta Nuova.
The event is thus narrated, by that ancient
"
Subversionem quoque civitatis
writer:
qure nunc Nova dicitur in Italia, in subi- taneo stupore, terrae hiatu, imo coelestis vise respectu subversam conspexit, et aliis exta- sin ejus mirantibus id ipsum nuntiavit, sed et hoc prcedixit, quod Gallici nautre, sicut et factum est eande—m rem ipso anno in Scotia
Antique Lectiones," ,49 Of him, Adamnan had already spoken,
*s°
It is situated, on the north bank of the River Quieto, in Istria.
June 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 453
heaven this moment on a city, subject to Rome, and within the Italian terri- toryj almost3,000men,besideswomenandchildren,haveperished. 154 Before the end of this year, sailors coming here from the provinces of Gaul, 155 shall tell you these tidings. " 156 His words proved true, in a few months ; for, the same Lugbeus, happening to accompany the saint to Cantyre, met with the captain and crew of a bark, that had just arrived. These told everything regarding the city and its inhabitants, exactly as had been foretold. 157
Among the companions of St. Columba on Iona, none was more distin-
than St. Baithen. 158 We find him called the " or
guished
economus, steward,"
tery. 15? Among those wonderful manifestations of prophetical spirit may be mentioned here the comforting visit which the monks of St. Columba, at one time, received from him on a journey.
"
dispensator,"
were in the returning
came to a 160 place,
while in other
records,
he is made
superior
of a monas-
to the
This was situated midway between the western
of the brethren. He said to them " Now, my brethren, whoever notices
:
anything wonderful and unusual, between the corn fields and the monastery,
160 half between the Machar and Just way
the Monastery, and a little east of Cnoc Orain, there is a spot called Bol-leithne. This maybea corruption of the originalname.
work,
called in Irish Cuuleilne.
evening
monastery, they
little l62 of plain
101
and their
16* Each of the monks he thought
Iona,
saw something strange and unusual, about which, however, they didnot venture to speak to one another. 16* And so it happened, for some days successively, at the same time and place. The holy Baithen then superintended the work
monastery.
must declare it openly. " An elder brother said
I shall tell you what I observed, on this spot. evennow,Ifeeljustasifalltheflowersl65 onearthwerecollectedtogether, the fragrant odour is so refreshing ; I feel also a glow of heat within me, not at
•54 « Est autem Istria Italiacarum Provin- ciarum sub dominio Veneto una ; atque hoc sensu hie dicitur Romani juris, i. e. , intra Italics terminos sita fuisse civitas ilia. " Baer-
tius,
(f),
in "Acta 161 The word which Sanctorum," tomusii. , cuib,
n.
Junii ix. De Sancto Columba, Vita Secunda, cap. iv. , p. 208.
255 Frequent intercourse between the Bri- tish Isles and Gaul then existed. When St. Columbanus was at Nantes, and the autho- rities there wished to send him back to Ire- land, a ship was found in that harbour,
for the — Scotorum com- ready purpose, "quae
mercia vexerat. " Jonas, Vita S. Columbani,
cap. 22. See Fleming's "Collectanea
See also Messingham's Florilegium Hibernipe Sanctorum," p. 234A Even at the inland Clonmacnois, "in illis diebus quibus fratres S. Kiarani segetes suas mete- bant, mercatores Gallorum venerunt ad S. Kieranum, et repleverunt ingens vas de vino i—llo quod S. Kieranus fratribus suis dedit. "
Vita S. Kiarani, cap. 31, in Codex, fol. 147/', b, Marsh's Library, Dublin.
'57 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
Colgan always interprets secessus, signifies most commonly "acorner. " Therearethreeorfourplaces in Iona to which it is still applied, but none
Sacra," p. 236a.
156 "
cap. I. ,
hac nostra
de insula and also in ;"
" Life of St. Columba," lib. 56, 57, andnn. (b, c, d), ibid.
i. , cap. 28, pp.
158 He was one of the original companions
of St. Columba, his near relative, and he was
immediate successor as Abbot over Iona. He partita, lib. iii. , cap. civ. , p. 168.
died, on the 9th ofJune, a. d. 598 ; but, ac- cording to Colgan, in a. d. 600.
159 This illustrates the mixed nature of
"
166 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 37,
themonastic ofthat system
day
and
place.
pp. 71, 72, and nn. (a, b, c, d, e), ibid.
l6i InIrish,W&Liacrxiinwasaclanname,
For as the monks, after the harvest
:
" As you have ordered me, For the past few days, and
are in the position here mentioned.
162 It is now called the Machar or Plain, while it is the most level and productive part of the island. Here is the Cnoc Aingel, in his "Vita S. Columbae," lib. ii. , cap. 28, 44,
and lib. iii. , cap. 16.
163 Thus Adamnan states in his Life, lib. i. ,
"
lib. i. , cap. 30, "nostro huic monasterio. " These expressions indicate, that the Memoirs of St. Columba were written in Hy, and by a memberofits community.
164 From the narrative it would seem, that here the most laborious part of the way com-
which is mentioned
by Adamnan,
menced
siderable ascent, and the path becomes rugged.
l6= In the Lives of St. Patrick, in Colgan's
" Trias we read about the Thaumaturga,"
odorous flowers on the occasion of his death, in the " Vita a Jocelino," cap. clxxxxii. , p. 108, and likewise, in Septima or Vita Tri-
; while,
a
at Bol-lethne, there is con-
454 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
all painful, but most pleasing, and in my heart a heavenly joy, which gives me such comfort and consolation, that I forget grief and care —of every kind. Eve—n the heavy load which I carry on my back, is lightened how I can't tell so as that I hardly think I have any weight to bear. " Other reapers in turn declared they had the same feeling. All then knelt and requested the holy Baithen's intercession, that they might learn the cause and origin of this heavenly relief, so unaccountable to themselves.
" our father Columba's tender affection for
because he could not come in person on this occasion to meet us, he does so in spirit, and to our great comfort. " Having heard these words, they all knelt down again, and blessed Christ in his faithful servant. 166
One of the most adventurous navigators known in those early ages was a member of the Iona institute. Of Cormacus Ua Laithain, 16 ? that holy man who so often sought for a wilderness in the sea, St. Columba prophesied he shouldfailinhisendeavour. 168 ThisCormacus,hopedtofindadesert,andhe setoutonedayfromthatregion,lyingbeyondtheriver,variedlycalledMuada,16?
us,
of our toil, he is always grieved when we return late to the monastery. Now,
plied :
1'2 whichrisesinthe
of Sligo, and which bounds '73 the counties of Sligo and of Mayo, before it falls into the Bay of Killala. Another Cormac founded a church beside the River Moy. 174 In St. Columba's time, the district there noticed was called Irros Domno. 1 ? 5 or " Erris '? 6 of the Damnonii," 177 a section of the Firbolgs. Columba predicted, that Cormac should not find there what he desired, and for no other fault, but that he had brought in his company a certain monk, belonging to a religious Abbot, and without leave of this latter. 1 ? 8 By him,
1? 1
derived from his ancestor Eochaidh Liatha- nach. It afterwards assumed the form Olethan, and it was applied to a cantred, in
Museide,
1?
Moadus,
Moda,
or
Moy,
present county
loppuf TDoriinAnn, or " Erris of the Dam- nonii," and they supposed, that it derived such a name from the £ir» T)orhnArm, or
ViriDamnonii. See " Keating's History
of Ireland," vol. i. , pp. 188, 190 ; also com-
A rural deanery, in the diocese of Cloyne, is conter-
the south-east of Cork
county.
minous with the civil district.
168 Among the " Poems of Thomas tion of Haliday.
D'Arcy McGee," edited by Mrs. J. Sadlier, there is one referring to this individual, and
176 Now the barony of Erris, in the county
of Mayo. It is principally occupied by the
enormous of
parish Kilcommon, extending
over 203,396 acres.
177 Inbher Domnonn was the old name for
" St. Cormac the Legend of the Isle of Lewis.
a See pp. 229
intituled,
Navigator,"
to 231.
169 pjr. Prichard widely errs, in identifying the mouth of the Malahide river, near
the mouth of this river with Wexford Har- Dublin, and now disguised in Muldowney. bour. See "Ethnology of the Celtic Race. " It was derived from the same source. The 170 Tirechan writes the word Muada and word loppur1 or Ipruif signifies a " promon-
Muaide. SeeLiberArThacanus,fol. \$b,a,
l$a, a.
171 TheMoadusis numbered among the nine
great rivers of Ireland byGiraldus Cambren-
tory. " It is applied, simply, or in composi-
tion, to many places on the coasts of Galway,
Kerry, and Donegal. See Hardimau's
sis, in his
"
Topographia Hibernica," lib. i. ,
Chorographical Description of West or ; also
6. The mwAi-oe or Hy- 11 1 pAq\A
" Battle of Leana," Magh
cap.
Fiachrach of the Moy is now the barony
Tireragh, in the county of Sligo, whi>e it occupied the right side of the river, and the
Eugene O'Curry's
p. 35. Tirechan mentions the Campus Dornnon in regione filiorum Amolngid, in Liber Armacanus, fol. \ob, a, 14b, s. See also
178 In the Lives of the Iri>h the Saints,
formula "acceptalicentia" generally implied the superior's assent to any petition pre- ferred by his subjects. See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," lib. i. ,
cap. 6, and nn. (a, b, c, d, e), pp. 30, 31.
179 Copies of it are found in the Bodleian
Library, at Oxford, Laud, 615, and in the
ArhAtjAit),
Colgan's
Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 59*7.
now Tirawley, in Mayo,
" Trias
Hi
occupied the left. See Dr. O"Donovan's
Thaumaturga," Quinta
"
Tribes and Customs of Fiachrach," pp. 96 to 101.
172 It is called in Irish, muAfoe. •W A little to the south of Ballina.
" Acta Sanctorun Hiber- nian," Manii xxvi. , Vita S. Corbmaci, cap.
x. , p. 752*.
*n The Irish always styled this territory,
Genealogies,
Hy-
174 See
Colgan's
" You all know," he re-
and however mindful
pare with pp. 132, 144, 168, 368,398. Edi-
"
HIar Connaught," pp. 73, 96, 97
June 9. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 455
the
petition
was either refused or not entertained. A of St. Columba with St. Corbmac Ua
is 1 ? ?
poem extant, being
l8° his
a
when the latter had returned after his first navigation of the boundless ocean, 181 and after both had escaped from the Coire Brecain. 182 This is said to have been composed in Hy. l83 The same holy man Cormac l8« laboured a second time to find a wilderness, or large tract of land, out in the ocean. He had sailed far away, intent on this object. St. Columba was then staying in Drum Alban, and he commended Cormac to the King of the Orcades, in
Colloquy
presence of King Brudeus. St. Columba said
lately sailed, to discover a desert in the trackless ocean, after much wander- ing should they happen to reach the Orkneys, direct this chief, whose hos- tages are in your hands, that no injury befall them. " This the saint said, be- cause he knew by revelation, that after long and painful navigation, Cormac should be driven to the Orkney Islands. So it came to pass, through respect for the former commendation of St. Columkille, he escaped from the danger of death. As some of the saint's monks entered into conversation respecting Cormac, they said it was not known what issue his navigation had, or whether it was fortunate or unsuccessful. The saint overheard them talking in this
and he " Cormac of whom are now shall replied : you speaking,
manner,
arrive here this very day. " Within one hour after this occurred, Cormac arrived,tothegreatjoyandadmirationofallthecompany. Hethenpro- ceeded to the oratory, to thank the Lord for his safe return. The third time, that the said venerable man Cormac attempted to find out a wilderness in the sea, his life was exposed to great danger ; for being driven by a strong south wind, that blew for fourteen days without intermission, he sailed into the North Seas, even beyond the course and limits that should restrain human navigation and daring, in those unknown waters. It seemed impossible for him to return. But, on the tenth hour of the fourteenth day, there arose most fearful and insupportable dangers. Certain loathsome and terrible in- sects assailed the ship, on its sides, stem and prow. They were even ready to pierce it through the leather covering, which protected the ribs of his vessel. At sight of these creatures, which were nearly the size of frogs, and which could swim rapidly, although they could not fly in the air, the mariners were greatly annoyed and pained. For their stings were very penetrating, and they crowded in large numbers on the oar-handles. Seeing those mon- sters, Cormac and his mariners were so much afraid and amazed, that with tears trickling down their faces, they addressed their prayers to God, who alone is the sure and sovereign refuge in all distress. At the same time, St. Columba was present in spirit with Cormac, while in his ship. He caused, therefore, a sign to be made for his monks to assemble in the oratory. There
" Dear brethren, pray most earnestly for Cormac, who now sustains great dangers, having sailed beyond the allotted bounds of prudent enterprise. We ought therefore con- ceive a tender compassion for our dear fellow-members, being in such mani- fest danger, and pray to God for their comfort and safety. Behold, at this
moment, Cormac and his mariners are shedding copious tears, and fervently
prophesying after his wonted manner, Columba said
:
Burgunclian Library, Bruxelles.
off the north coast of Ireland.
l83 A version of this Poem in Irish, with an
English translation by Eugene O'Curry, as also illustrative notes, may be found in Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Co-
Additional Notes
lumba," F, pp. [264 to
269.
l84 Of whom Adamnan speaks, in his First
Book of St. Columba's Life.
180 His festival
occurs,
at the 21st of
June.
181 This begins with "Oia oo beacA a
Chopb-rmc criAin,—Latinized " Bene venisti
"
Cormace dilecte. " Colgan's Trias Thau-
maturga," Tertia Appendix ad Acta S. Columhse, Secunda pars, p. 472.
182 A celebrated
whirlpool
in the ocean,
:
M Some of our brethren have
Liathain,
disciple,
456 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 9.
praying to our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us assist them, by our prayers, and taking compassion on us, the Almighty will cause the southern winds of the'Jast fourteendaystoblowreversedlyfromthenorth. " Afterspeakingthisandmuch more, St. Columba fell down prostrate on his knees before the altar. With a sorrowful heart and a doleful voice, he besought the omnipotent moderator of winds and waves, for the safety of the adventurous navigators. After
"
prayer, he rose up and refraining from tears, he joyfully said :
with our clear brethren, for whom we have been praying, for God will now convert the south wind into a northern gale, that will deliver them from all
danger and bring them hither in safety. " Immediately, the south winds ceased, and the north winds began to blow. This favourable change con- tinued for many days. Cormac at last arrived safe, and he gladdened all the company of monks with his presence. His first visit, after landing, was paid to St. Columba. By this, the reader may conjecture how great the holy Abbot was in God's eyes, who by invoking Christ's name commanded the raging winds and swelling billows. l8s
There is yet extant, an interesting account, regarding the wanderings of two priests or monks, belonging to St. Columkille's community. 186 On returning to Hy from Ireland, l8 ? they were driven by adverse winds into the northern seas,wheretheysawstrangemenandgreatwonders. Thismayhavesome foundation in
gators
had
fact,'
penetrated
so far north as
Iceland,
l89 which in
part they
colonized J
Aporici
Latin,
88 for we know that at a the Irish navi- very early period,
and Christianized. Even it is possible, they proceeded so far as Greenland, 9°
where are yet the ruins of primitive churches, very closely resembling those
built in —so far back as the time of St. Columba. Whether one of Ireland,
—he adventurers
whom the
tradition has been
foregoing preserved
t
regarding
was St. Cormac Ua Laithan or not admits of question.
A very poor and needy man, living near a place called Stagnum
now known as Loch Abor J92 came to the Lochabar,'93
'91 in
saint, bemoaning that he had nothing wherewith to sustain his wife and chil- dren. Columba had compassion for his distress. "Go, and cut in the next
" obediencethemanbroughtwithoutdelay. Thesaintsharpeneditwithhis
and bring it to me in haste. " This through ownhands,formingitintoapointedspit. Blessingit,likewise,hedelivered
wood a long pole," said our saint,
185 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 42, pp. 166to 171. andnn. (a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, k, 1, m), ibid.
186 Contained in the Book of Fermoy.
north-eastern continuation of the Linnhe Loch, and known as that part of Loch Eil lying between Fort William and Corren Ferry. This was the Loch Abor proper of early times.
