No More Learning

*
Article IV. —St. Nessan, of Uladh. The published Martyrology
of 1 a to honour of at the of Tallagh, registers festival, Nessan, Uladh, 29th
2
It seems evident, his place must be sought for in the province of Ulster, but
the exact locality is not known, The Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman
calls him "hallowed Nessan. "3 He is entered also in the Martyrology of
4 Donegal.
Article V. —St. Sedrach, Bishop. According to the Martyrology
commemorated,
29th
September. In a similar way is he noticed in the Book of Leinster copy.
1
of
Mac
Feilire of Marianus O'Gorman, he is eulogised as Sedrach,
These words, " cum
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
262, 263.
s See Common—Place Book, F. , p. 82.
'
Article IV. Edited by
Kelly, p. xxxv.
2
Rev. Dr.
"
modest, bashful,
Thus: nerTAti Ul<vo.
3 Written in Irish nerfAn naeimM. —
Dr. Whitley Stokes'
''Feilire Hui
Gormain," pp. 186, 187.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
262, 263.
Article v. —1 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
p.
xxxv.
2 We find, likewise, the following entry in
the Hook of Leinster copy : Seonach cum
ncliqunr—to this is added Opi, indicating that he was a bishop.
September 29. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 637
and excellent," at this date. 3 He seems to have attained the rank of bishop in the Irish church, The name Sedrach, without any further designation or addition, is found in the Martyrology of Donegal,* at this same date.
ArticleVI. —St. Colman. MarianusO'GormanmentionsSt. Colman
with an 1 at the of
eulogy, 29th September,
Article VII. —St. Comgill or Comghall. A festival in honour of
to determine his period, place or position.
is entered in the Martyrology of Donegal, at the 29th of September.
Comgill, who is called " a soldier of Christ," appears in the published 12
Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 29th of September. In the Feilire of Marianus O'Gorman, he is simply noticed at this same date. 3 The Martyr-
ology of Donegal* merely enters the name Comghall, at the 29th of September.
Articlic VIII. —Feast of St. Michael the Archangel. In the
Church from a very remote date, the Festival of this Head of the Angelic
Host had been observed with special solemnity. In Ireland, St. ^Engus
the Culdee has pronounced a distinguished eulogy on him, at the 29th of
in the " Feilire. "1 Allusion is made to his with the September, fight
Dragon and Anti-Christ. 2 The Scholiast has comments3 which state, that Michael
was Prince of the Angels, and that as a soldier he was the champion whose
name is explained by sicui Deus in Mount Garganus. In recording his feast at this day, Marianus O'Gorman addresses the Archangel Michael as a powerful intercessor. * The Bollandists treat very fully about St. Michael,
6
the Archangel^ in a learned dissertation, by Father John Stilting, S. J. , in
3 Thus : Se-onach pAlnars £eboa. —Dr. soldier whitesided, hostful, will slay
""
Whitley Stokes' Feilire Hui Gormain,"
pp. 186, 187.
4 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Wrathful Antichrist. "
Transactions of the
Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of
beautiful wondrous Colman. " See Dr. notices are added: "Hoc die factum (sic) "
262, 263. — Article vi.
/Engus, p. cxxxix.
2 See Apocalypse xii. , 7.
* Thus is he commemorated,
Colman oeboa Amna, which is rendered 3 See ibid. , p. cxlviii. The following
"
Whitley Stokes' Feilire Hui Gormain," est dedicatio basilicae Michaelis. Onlo
pp. 186, 187.
2
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 262, 263.
Article vil—" Edited Kelly, p, xxxv.
Dominicse diei et uestes albe super altaria et sine labore seruili communicatio corporis et sanguinis Christi et elimosinarum in
et Michaelis turbis. " pauperes praedicatio
4 Thus run the Irish lines :
Rev. Dr. In the Book of Leinster copy, he is also
2 entered as
Archaingel rop sciat(h)
mor Michel damfri demna
3
mibm
See Dr. Whitley Stokes' Feilire Hui
Comj;iLLi
Xpi. "
by
Gormain," pp. 186, 187.
4 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. They are translated by Dr. Whitley
Stokes : May the great Archangel Michaela be a buckler to me against devils to protect my soul ! — " Feilire Hui Gormain," pp.
262, 263.
Article viil—* In the " Leabhar Breac,"
copy we read : —
LA^leo prviA -orvic nT>AlAch "Oiarx rtticheL bale bua-oAch -Arvrlig <dmchr\irc mrwich 1nmil flirgel fluAgAch.
186, 187. "
Thus translated by Dr. Whitley Stokes
"At the fight against the multitudinous toricus. It is contained in 38 sections Dragon of our Michael stout, victorious, the and 580 paragraphs.
;
2
but we find no other
particulars A festival, in honour of Colman,
—
do imdegail m'anma.
5 See Acta Sanctorum," tomus viii. ,
Septembris xxix, De S. Michaele
Archangelo, et de Omnibus Angelis, pp. 4
to
123.
6 Described as a Commentarius His-
63$ LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [September29.
which is included an enquiry regarding the date, circumstances and traditions of the Apparition at Mount Gargan. ?
Article IX. —Eutic or Eutychius. The Martyrology of Marianus
O'Gorman notices the feast of at the Eutic,
29th
Euticus or Euthichius was one of a band of Martyrs, that suffered for the
Faith in Thrace, and the acts of whose martyrdom are related at this day, as they have been gleaned from the ancient Martyrologies by the
2
Article X. —Reputed Feast for St. Barr. At the 29th of September, Camerarius has the Festival of St. Barrus or Finbarrus, Confessor and first Bishop of Caithness. ' However, when treating about
Bollandists.
at the true date for his Feast—the
we have already shown that no distinct Bishop of Caithness so-called existed. Quoting Camerarius, the Bollandistss have a Feast for
St. — of Finbarr, Bishop Cork,
of this
ArticleXI. —FeastofCoganus,Abbot. Atthe29thofSeptember,
in the English Martyrology, printed in the year 1608, Coganus Abbot is set
down as a saint, but with an asterisk, by which is indicated, that he is not
found in the more ancient Martyrologies. Wion calls him a saint in the
"
Appendix to his Lignum Vitae. " Ferrarius follows these authorities by
month2
St. Barr, Bishop, at this day.
calling
him
Abbot in Scotia. The
1 who their repeat
Coganus
Comganus, about whom they treated at the 2nd of August.
Bollandists,
entries, state they found no clue to his cultus, but at the 13th of October, they promise a possible examination as to whether he be identical with Conganus, classed with the pretermitted at the 20th of February, or with
ArticleXII. —FestivalofSt. Disibod. Somewriters,asDempster 1
observes, place the Finding of St. Dysibod's Relics, at this day. At the 2
29th of September, also, the Bollandists, quoting Wion, Menard, and Bucelin, have a festival for St. Disibod. His chief feast is at the 8th of
July. 3
Article XIII. —Reputed Feast for St. Firminus, Bishop of
Amiens —The 1 Camerarius, have noticed a festival for Bollandists, quoting
St. Firminus,BishopofAmiens,atthe29thdayofSeptember. Atthe25th day of this month, there are notices of him in the present volume. 2
7
This subject is specially treated in the
twentieth, and
Stokes'
feasts, p. 2. —] Article xi.
tomus viii. ,
eighteenth, nineteenth, twenty-first sections.
See
Acta Sanctorum,"
Articleix. —' See Dr.
saints,
Article xil—'See his Menoh><num
Whitley "Feilire HuiGormain,"pp. 186, 187.
pretermitted
p. 3. 2""
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus viii. , Septembris xxix. De SS. Eutico vel Eutichio, Plauto. et forte Heraclea, Placido. Ambuto, Tracia, Donata, Martyribus, in
Thracia, pp. 125—, 126. In three paragraphs. Article x. 'See Scottish Entries in
Scoticum, in Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 213.
2
See "Acta Sanctorum. " tomus viii. , Septembris xxix. Among the pretermitted feasts, p. 2.
3
At that date, his life has been written the Kalendar of David Camerarius, in in the Seventh Volume of this work.
Bishop Forbes* Saints," p. 240.
2
"
Kalendars of Scottish
Art. i.
Article xiil—' See" Acta Sanctorum/'
In the present volume. Art i.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus viii. , Septembris xxix. Among the pretermitted
tomus viii. ,
pretermitted
2
Septembris xxix.
feasts, 2. p.
Among the
See Art. x.
of 1 St. September.
"
Septembris xxix. Among the
25th
September 30. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 639
Cbirtirtb 2Bay of September
ARTICLE I. —ST. MOCHONNA, OF CLUAIN-AIRDNE. [SEVENTH AND EIGHTH CENTURIES.
]
OF most saints recorded in the Irish Calendars, we have barely their
names, or when their ancient places are mentioned in connection
with them, only conjecture can be hazarded to fix localities, which serve to
identify these with denominations preserved in modern topography. According
to the of 1 we find that veneration was published Martyrology Tallagh, given
to Mochonna of Cluain-Airdne, at the 30th of September. For such deno-
mination, however, this version of the Martyrology substitutes Cuairne,
evidently through mistake.
correct 2 at this date. entry,
That copy of it in the Book of Leinster has the
The of Marianus O'Gorman has Martyrology
Mo Chonna entered at this day in his Feilire 3 while his scholiast notes, ;
that he was of Cluain Airdne. 4 In the Trip rtite Life of St. Patrick. s it is
stated, that when the Irish Apostle came to the territory of K. ierragia Airtigh, and to a place called Dromat, in the west of Ireland, he received a grant of land, whereon to build a church. Over this he set Cona, the smith, and a
6
Colgan conjectures, that Cluain- Airdne may be the Church of Cluain-aird, in the territory of Airteach, and diocese of Elphin. ? Colgan was inclined to think, that Cona was the same as Mochonna, which means " my Cona" of Cluain-airdne church, and who is mentioned in the Irish Calendars, at September 30th. His only reason for doubting of their identity was, that this St Mochonna's death is assigned by
8
Consequently, either he was not the same as Cona, or the Tripartite, amid its numberless anachronisms, has placed Cona in times long prior to his real period. 9 The truer identification, however, is that of Mochonna, who was born about or sometime after the middle of the seventh, and who died in the earlier part of the eighth, century, Jiis exact position in the church has not been ascertained. According to the O'Clerys, the 30th of September was the day of his death, and the year
brother to Bishop Sacellus, or Sechnall.
the Four Masters to a,d. 713.
was *9 The Annals of 713.
it at a. d. 1 ' 714.
have
Later still, at a. d. 715, Tighernach has recorded the death of Mocondha
Ulster, however,
placed
2 for which we should read Moconna Airne. Dr. O' Donovan has remarked, that although there are countless places in Ireland, known as
Cnerne,'
Article i. —« Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxv.
2
8 See Dr. O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. ,
pp. 312, 313.
9 See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
Thus niochonnA Cluam Airtne.
3 See Dr. Whitley Stokes' "Feilire Hui History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, v. , sect.
Gormain," pp. 186, 187. •
4 Thus : CliiAttA -Airvone.
s See the Life of St. Patrick Apostle of
Ireland, at the 17th of March, in the Third
Volume of this work, chap, xii. , and nn.
27, 28.
6 He is not identified in our Calendars.
"
7 See
Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. Ivi. , p. 137, and n. 115, p. 178.
x. , n. 98, p. 248.
,0 See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 312, 313.
Trias Thaumaturga," Septima
"
Chuerni," a mistake for Mochonna Cluana-
"There we find written,
Mocomno-
airne. See Dr. O'Conor's
Hibernicarum Scriptores," Annates Ultonienses, p. 74.
I2
See ibid. , tomus ii. , Annales, pp. 227, 228.
Rerum
""
tomus iv. ,
Tigernachi
64o LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [September30.
1
Cluain-airdne, * he could discover nothing to prove among these that one,
to which allusion is made. 1 * The festival of Mochonna, of Cluain Airdne, is
entered likewise, in the
of j s at this same date. Martyrology Donegal,
Article II. —Reputed Feast of a St. Conna. According to the pub-
1
lished Martyrology of Tallagh, veneration was given to Conna, at this date.
The contraction, Sae, is found postfixed. A similar entry is to be found in
the Book of Leinster 2 Conna does not differ from the former copy. Perhaps
saint.
Article III. —St. Brigid, of Cluainfidhe, or perhaps of Kil-
1
entry.
any further designation, Brigit is entered in the Feilire of Marianus O'Gorman,
at this day. 3 In the Martyrology of Charles Maguire, as in the Martyrologies of Tallagh and of Marianus O'Gorman, the feast of a St. Brigid is entered at
the 30th of September/ Among the holy women, who are recorded as having flourished in the Irish church, there is a St. Brigid, who was daughter
to Conchraid, and she belonged to the family of Mactail. Colgan says, this family seems to have been derived, from the Kings of Munster, having issued from the race of ^Engus, King over that province. From this line, St. Mactail the Bishop was descended. 5 Or perhaps, the family of Mactail was derived from the O'Brien sept. Cassius, surnamed Tallins, had several sons, among whom were Blodius, Cassius, Sedneus, and D—elbatius. Hence it
breedy, Queen's County. In the published Martyrology of Tallagh, feast of St. Brigitta is thus simply recorded, at the 30th of September.
the Book of Leinster at this copy,
day,
the In there is a similar 2 Without
that some one of or of—
their Blodius' happens, these, posterity especially
children, who inherited the chieftainship" might be considered as belonging to the family of Mactail. The word itself signifies son of Tallius. 6 If Colgan's conjecture be correct, those circumstances connected with the family and place of her residence point out St. Brigid, who is venerated on the 30th of September, as the one mentioned in St. Senan's Second Life. From it we are able to procure the following account of her. We are told there, how St. Brigid, a holy virgin, had established herself in a cell, on the banks of the river Shannon, and at a place, called Clain in fidi, or Cluainfidhe,? Whilst there, she had prepared a cloak or chasuble for St. Senan, which she desiredsenttohim,buthadnotthenecessarymeansfortransport. However, she covered the vestment with hay, and having placed it, with some letters, in an osier basket, which floated out on the river, the result was committed to a providential issue. The letters were directed to St. Senan, and contained a request, that he would send the Most Holy Sacrament to her. By a miracle of Divine Providence, and without any human direction, the basket
*3 Usually Anglicised Clonarny.
14 See, -'Annals of the Four Masters,"
vol. i. , n. (g), pp. 312, 313.
15 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidw, cap.
6 See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- 262, 263. — Colgan's
Article 11. Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxv.
2
Thus: Corma—efCAe.
Article III. 'Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxxv.
2
Thus b|M5iCAe.
3 See Dr. Whitley Stokes' "Feilire Hui
' n.
Gormain," pp. 186, 187.
4 See, Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," ibid. y n. 24, p. 540, (rede), 536.
i. ,p. 612. s"
According to the Menelogium
Genealogicum," cap. 34.
nLx," viii. Martii, 24, p. 540 (rede), 536. 1 This is rendered into English "the retreat in the wood. " Colgan thinks it to called Inisfidhe in the Life of St. Maccretius. It is sometimes found transposed, and written Fidh-inis, "the woody island. " It lies in the River Shannon, where the Fergus enters. See
be identical with a place
September 30. ] LIVES 01 THE IRISH SAINTS. 641
floated out into the bed of the Shannon, which at this point was very wide; and, at length it landed on the Island shore, near the church of St. Senan. This circumstance, being revealed to the holy man, he called one of his disciples, who was a Deacon. He was desired to bring the basket, which lay on the shore, to the monastery. Having fulfilled such orders, Senan took the vestment and letters contained in the basket. He then placed therein, as we are told, two portions of salt and a pixis containing the Sacred Host. 8 He next ordered, in the name of God, to whom every creature owes obedience, that the basket should return by the same way it had come, and restore to St. Biigid one of the lumps of salt and the pixis it contained ; and that it should bear the other portion ot salt, to St. Diermit,9 who dwelt in the monastery of Inis-clothrand. According to St. Senan's mandate, the basket returned to St. Brigid. She took out therefrom the pixis, and one of the salt portions. Before she had time to remove the other, the basket was carried off by motion of the water; and it sailed, by a direct course, against the river's current until it arrived at Inisclothrand. Having under- stood what had occurred through a Divine revelation, St. Diermit went forth, and brought the basket to his monastery with much joy. He gave thanks to God, for the wonder wrought through his holy servant, St. Senan. 10 Of the thirteen saints bearing this name, as mentioned by our Irish Martyrologists, Colgan supposed the circumstance already related can only apply to that St. Biigid, who was venerated on the 30th of September. However, in the Third11 and Fourth12 Lives ot St. Brigid,*3 such anecdote was transferred to her, with tins variation, that the basket or box was entrusted to the ocean, and had t—o pass over a very great round and —extent of sea. Such a
in which there is
marvellous story, which has probably Helped to give rise to the opinion, * that Senan was 'established at Inniscatthy before tiie death of St. Brigid. *S A St. Brighit, or Bride, seems to have been venerated in the Parish ot Bordwell, 16 Queen's Coun y. Tnere had been a pattern at a Bride's Well, "7 not tar from
transaction
nothing improbable
related, in to St Senan. He adds, that if we
the Metrical Life of St. Senan. See St. Brigid of Kildare as having sent this Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," chasuble, it must have been while she viii Martii. Vita Metrica S, Senani, cap. resided in Connaught, since other incidents xxiii. , p. 527 [recle) 523. There . St. here related could only accord with the
Diermit, and not St. -rigid, is said to have wnole narrative.