3 Leitrim,
according
to William M.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
Maidoco, et filio poetse requiescunt Cluanmorise, invoco in auxiliummeum.
" But, Colgan is of opinion,
that these foregoing words only apply to saints, whose relics were preserved in the shrine of St. Onchuo, which remained at Clonmore. See "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niss," viii. Februarii, n. i6, p. 277. How- ever, this excessive number is greatly dimi-
sufficiently plain from the allusions in -it to
certain disputes concerning the place where the relics collected by a St. Onchuo were
nished, in a later published version of
**
The
277.
^ In a memorandum, kindly furnished to
the writer, by Mr. John M'Call, whose native place is near Clonmore, and who at
present lives at 25 Patrick-street, Dublin, it is remarked, that Dr. Lanigan hardly studied Colgan's observations on St. Onchuo, with any sort of care, since he has indulged in so many vague assertions, regarding the pre- sent holy man.
Litany of Aengus Ceile De," as taken from
the MS. folios formerly belonging to the
"Book of Leinster," and now preserved in
the Franciscan Library, Dublin, tloi pceu
cec c^uimchi]\ a\k "oec 1 ctuAin mo|\, La moe"ooc ocuf La triAc int) eicif, hoc
" Two thousand nine hundred and ten priests in Cluanmor, with
9 St. Onchuo seems to have
those relics to the monastery of Clonmore, MoedhocandM—acIneicis(sonofthesage), atwhichplacehedied,asthescholiaston
omnef Inuoeo, \\,.
assigned
I invoke," &c. "The Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. iii. May, 1867, pp. 392, 393-
s Colgan gives as his authority for this
assertion, the following Latin translation of
the foregoing verses has it, in this following Latin version: "Sunt namque membra sive ossa Finani leprosi et Onchuonis in uno
"" loconempeCluanmorias. See ActaSanc-
torum Hibemise," viii. Februarii, n. 17, p. 277.
some old Irish verses attributed to St.
" ^° "
Moling: Venerabiles sunt duo, quorum
quiescunt corpora juxta crucem ad Austrum ; S. Onchuo qui mundi fluentis non tenebatur
See in reference to this subject The
Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. vi. , Feb. ,
afFectu ; et S. Finanus
refragibilis : ubi cadit arbor, inde auferri non debent ejus rami sive frondes. " From
these words, Colgan infers, that a contest arose, regarding those relics collected by
Onchuo, and which may be supposed to have originated between members of that monastery, in which our saint was a monk, and those of the monastery in which he died.
^
Dr. Lanigan conjectures, that a poem,
attributed to St. Moling of Ferns, was the
composition of a Clonmore monk, who eases, it is now nearly unknown and ne- wished to make it appear, that the whole
body of St. Finian reposed in that place.
He allows, however, that a part of his relics was probably to be found there, in St.
bon-
Filius
fuit vir sermone potens, poeta magnus et ir-
— Francis Grose has Captain given
two
orum strenuus opifex
:
poetee (Onchuo)
views one an and the other an —interior,
exterior, view of Clonmore Castle, in his
"Antiquities of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 76. They were drawn, by Lieutenant Daniel
Grose, in 1792, and they present a good re- presentation of its former strength.
Onchuo's collection. He adds
Moling was not the author of the poem, is
leprosus operum
:
" That St.
chap, ii. , p. 10. A solitary rowan, or moun-
tain ash, more commonly called, a "quicken- tree," grows near this well.
deposited. "—" Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. iii. , chap, xviii. , sect, iii. , n. 34,
p. 87.
7 See Colgan's
"
Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae. " Vita S. Onchuonis, cap. viii. , p.
1870, p. 244.
^^
^^
holy well the sacred brotherhood of the ad- joining monastery, and several of their
"Though it was obviously from this
flock, for ages gone by, drew their necessary
supply of water, and though it was until
very recently resorted to by the peasantry
for miles round for the cure of many dis-
glected, and —suffered to choke up with grass
and weeds. " ^John M
'Call's
and History of Cluain-mor-Maedhoc," &c. ,
"Antiquities
4o8 LIVES OB THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 8.
The shattered parts of another cross may be seen there ; and, it is supposed to have been that cross, to the south of which St. Mogue's, St. Finan's and St. Onchuo'sbodieswereinterred. Whenthiscrosswascompleteanderect, it could not have been much less than twelve feet in height. The shaft, sunk in a stone socket, yet stands, and near it may be seen the dissevered upper part, but the centre portion is missing. It is probable, this cross, as also the lesser one, had been demolished by the Cromwellian soldiers,^3 under Colonel Hewson, in 1650, when the castle of Clonmore was destroyed. An old stone basin, four feet in length, by two and a-half feet in width, with
one of the holy water fonts,'-» formerly belonging to the monastery, lies within a small enclosure, north of the church, ^s
St. Onchuo lived, probably, during the time when Aid, the son of Ainmi-
reach, King of Ireland, reigned, from about the year 568 to 594,'^ since our saint was contemporaneous with St. Maidoc of Clonmore, said to have been an elder, and a uterine brother'7 of that monarch Aid. '^ A very ancient vellum book,^9 which has been mentioned, under Brighet, at the ist of Feb- ruary, states, that Mac-in-Eccis, in his manners and life was like unto Ambrose. ^° Fromthisobservation,wearenaturallyledtobelieve,thathe was an exact imitator of the holy Bishop of Milan,^''' in piety and love of study. " We have no record, defining the year of St. Onchuo's death; although, it is pretty certain, he flourished about the middle, or towards the
close, of the sixth century.
The ancient calendars of Ireland contain allusions to this holy pilgrim,
at the present date. Thus, on the 8th of February, the Martyrology of Tallagh^3 registers Hua ind Egais, who collected the relics of the saints. We are further informed, that his discourses were always regarding Christ. ^'^ The Calendars of CashePs and of Marianus O'Gorman^^ celebrate, likewise, the characteristics and pursuits of this most religious poet. We read, as set down in the Martyrology of Donegal,^? on this day, about Onchu, Mac in
=^
^3 A tradition, to this effect, prevails in His feast occurs, as a Duplex, in the
the neighbourhood. See John Ryan's Roman Breviary, at the 7th of December,
''
and
of the
County
of with an Office of Nine Lessons. See
Antiquities Carlow," chap, xxxi. , p. 336.
History
"
die vii. Decembris.
'4 It is a pitiable case, that no antiquary and artist combined can be found to enume- rate, illustrate and classify for us the nume- rous old fonts, now lying neglected in so many of our' graveyards, and after the fashion or manner, shown in that elegant volume,
" A Series of Ancient Baptismal Fonts, Chronologically Arranged. " Drawn by F.
~-
These characteristics are well shown in
who calls our saint, Hua an Eiges, or " descen- Simpson, Jun. Engraved by R. Roberts. dant of the poet," observes, that he was
Only English remains are therein given.
Onchuo, the Poet, of Connaught, who reli- giously and elegantly composed every kind of verse, and who was always engaged cele- brating the Divine praises,
=^5 it states, that Onchuo, a remarkable
poet, was of Connaught origin, and that he
rested in Cluainmor, in Lagenia,
cs See John M'Call's interesting and eru- *'
The Antiquities and His-
dite little tract,
tory of Cluain-mor-Maedhoc, now Clon- more, in the County of Carlow," &c. , chap. ii. , pp. 10, II.
^^ See Dr. O'Donovan's *' Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 204 to 221.
^^ This Colgan promised to show, in his
Acts, at the nth of April.
cap. i. , viii. , and n. I, pp. 276, 277.
*9 This is now preserved in the Franciscan
Library, Dublin.
"^ See Drs. Todd's and Reeves* " Martyr-
ology of Donegal," pp. 42, 43.
=<^
By this authority, he is called Onchuo
'^ '* See Colgan's
Mac Aneigeas, i. e. , "son of the poet," bom in Connaught. He it is, who collected many relics of the Saints of Ireland, at the
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nias," viii. Februarii. Vita S. Onchuonis, monastery of Clonmore, of St. Maidoc.
^
Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," Vita S. Onchuonis, n. 18,
p. 277.
"7 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
42, 43.
Breviarium Romanuip," pars Hiemalis,
the Life of St. Ambrose, by his Secretary Paulinus the Deacon, and afterwards a Priest.
=3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xv.
'^^ a Commentator on St.
" viii. Februarii.
See Colgan's
iEngus,
February 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 409
Eccis,'*^ of the Connacians. It was he, we are informed, that collected a great many relics of the saints of Erinn to Cluain-mor-Maedhog. In the KalendarsofScotland,oursaintwaslikewisecelebrated. TheKalend—arof
Drummond enters the nat—
alis of the confessor
responding with the 8th of February, in the island of Hibernia. 's The
practise of making pilgrimages, to the churches and shrines of renowned
Irish Saints, was formerly much in vogue ; and, those accounts, left in the Acts of St. Onchuo, prove, that the relics of holy persons were held in great
veneration,wheretheirmortalremainsweredeposed. Infine,thereliquary, containing sacred memorials, and which our saint collected during his life, gave a just celebrity to his pious zeal. It also added much, after his death, to the renown of Clonmore, where his own body lay, awaiting the final re- surrection of the just.
Article II. —St. Mac Liac or Mac Liag, Bishop of Liath-Dromma OR Leitrim. At this date, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ we find Mac Liac, Bishop of Liath dromma. No further clue is given here, as to his
family or race. In the Martyrology of Donegal,^ however, he is called Mac Liag, Bishop of Liathdrum. He is also said to have been a scion of the race of Colla Uais, who was Monarch of Ireland. Under the head of Liath-
Duald Mac Firbiss Mac — of
Druim,3 enters, Liag, Bishop Liath-druim,
at
February the 8th. 4 Where the Liath-druim or as Anglicised Leitrim—
with which this saint was connected, had been situated, can hardly be deter-
mined with accuracy. Liathdruims was an ancient name^ for Tara Hill ;7
there was a Liathdruim, in Clanrickard's territory, and now a barony in the
county of Galway f there was a Liathdruim, in the parish of Monasteroris, in
theKing'sCounty-p therewaslikewiseaLiathdruim,inWestBreifne,orin
the territory of Muintir Eolais. ^° There are countless places, bearing the
name Leitrim," /,<? . , the Grey Ridge," in various parts of Ireland. ^3 The
Liath-Dromma or Leitrim, best known in Ireland, is now a poor, decaying
^'^ in the of on the banks of the and parish Kiltoghert,^^ Shannon,
village,
which gives name to a townland, barony and county, in the province of Connaught. Hence,wemayinfer,thisLeitrimwasonceaplaceofnote. ^^
*2 In a note, Dr. Todd says, that the County. " Sheet ii. There is also a Lei-
words, Mac in Eccis, signify "son of the
poet. "
29 See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
tra, in the parish of Clonmacnoise, in this county. See ibid. Sheet 13.
^° See O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. v. , pp. 1708, 1709, and vol.
vi. , 1964, Also, vol. vii. Index, pp. 1965.
p. 77, ibid.
"No less than 44 Leitrims—singly or in
composition—and found as townland names,
appear in the "General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and
Baronies of Ireland," p. 642.
Scottish Saints," p. 4. Article ii. —'^ Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
Kelly,
p. XV.
= Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
42, 43.
3 Leitrim, according to William M. Hen-
nessy's note.
i. , pp. 1 16, 117. 5 See Petrie's
"
"
4 See
Academy," Irish MSS. series, vol. i. , part
Proceedings of the Royal Irish
History and Antiquities of Tara Hill," p. 108.
chap, ix. , p. 506. " '3 See Dr. O'Donovan's
Annals of the
^ See Dr. O'Donovan's edition of " Leab- har na g-Ceart, or Book of Rights," n. (t),
p. 144,
7 See O'Donovan's
Four Masters," vol. ii. , n. (f ), p. 622.
*'
'* on Ordnance Sur- This is shown the
vey Townland Maps for the County of Lei- trim. " Sheet 27.
"
Masters," vol. ii. , n. (f), pp. 622, 623.
8 vol. v. , n. Ibid. ,
Annals of the Four
'S This extensive parish is represented on Sheets 20, 21, 23, 24, 27, 28, 31, 32, ibid. 9 See ibid. , vol. iii. , n. (h), p. 192. And, It includes 30,494 acres, 3 roods and 2
(o), pp. 1772, 1773.
"Ordnance Survey Maps of the King's perches of land and water.
Oncu,
at the vi. Ides cor-
'=
History of Irish Names of Places," part iv. ,
See Dr. P. W. Joyce's "Origin and
410 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 8.
The present Macliegus, and the brother of St. Modichu or Modicus,^7 also called Dichiio or Modichuo, were sons of Cernach, son to Aid, son of Goar,
son to Amalgad, son of Muredach/^ son of Carthenn, son of Ethac,^9 son to
Echod, son of Colla Uais. ='° By Colgan, St. Macliegus is called Bishop of
Liethdrumia, and his feast is assigned to the 8th of February. ''^ He is followed by Archdall,^^ who tells us his place Lietdrumai or Liathdromen is identical with Leitrim, in that county of Ireland so called.
Article III. —St. Trenog or Ternoc, Anchorite, on the West OF the River Barrow. This holy man is entered, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 8th of February, as Ternoc, Anchorita. From the latter adjunct, we may suppose he lived a solitary life. A later record spells his name somewhat differently, and it also vaguely defines his place. In the Martyrology of Donegal,^' there is recorded, on this day, a festival, for St. Trenog,anAnchorite,onthewestoftheBearbha. Thiswastheancient name for the River Barrow ;3 yet, although conjectures may be offered, re- garding various old churches and former religious sites, at the direction in- dicated, such a description is still too indefinite, to discover the exact posi- tion of that place, where St. Ternoc or Ternog passed his hermit-life.
Article IV. —St. Failbhe, of Erdomh. The simple entry, Failbhe, is all that occurs in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 8th of February.
Preceding this entry the word, Airdoni, is placed. It is doubtless intended, as a reference to this saint's locality, which is differently spelled in a more recent calendar. We read, on this day, as recorded in the Martyrology of Donegal,^aboutFailbhe,ofErdomh. 3 Wherethisplacewassituatedisnot
^^ See Archdall's "Monasticon Hiberni-
cum," p. 410.
'7 See a notice of him, at the 7th of Jan-
uary.
" In one enumeration of the pedigree,
this name seems missing.
^9 In one enumeration, this name is ap-
parently left out.
on its banks was a continuous wood. A great-uncle to the authoress—as her father
—used to
" Ellauna," which recites the for- tunes of an imaginary Princess of Leix, is below mediocrity; yet, the venerable au- thoress, who in her declining years was often seen by the writer, secured universal esteem and respect, owing to her gentleness
and
of demeanour, bountiful charities, ge-
nuine sympathy for the distresses of the
poor.
Article iv. — Edited by Rev. Dr.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
^° See
nise," xxxi, Januarii. Appendix ad Acta S. Maidoci, cap. iv. , pp. 222, 223.
^^ See ibid.
=2 See "Monasticon Hibemicum," p. 410.
poem,
Colgan's
Article hi.
—
^
Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. XV.
= Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
42, 43.
3 In notes to "Ellauna"—
a romantic poem, in four cantos, written by Mrs. St. John, of Stradbally, in the Queen's County,
xv.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
42, 43.
3 It has been suggested to me, by Mr.
and published in 1815—it is stated, that the Barrow was also called Birga-Emhin, and
Joseph O'Longan, that this place was. called hence Monaster-Abhan, or Monasterevan, after one of the ecclesiastical buildings,
'*
the monastery on the river," founded by Dermod O'Dempsey, and dedicated to St.
Mary, A. D. 1 185. We are told, moreover,
that at one part o—f its course from Slieve-
—d castle Bloom Mountains between the ol
of "woody Lea" and Portarlington in the beginning of the last century, the country
known as zxierdavih^ ox erdani, also spelled, aurdom, erdom, urdom, erdoiii, or irdom,
and supposed to be compounded of the
words, eA^, "end" or "limit," and "oath
or Dr. Petrie has de- oom, "a house. "
voted a special sub-section,
in his
from home to Portarlington, a distance of seven miles, by passing from branch to branch, among the trees. The adventurer died, at the age of ninety, a. d, 1771. See nn. 2, 3, 43, pp. 77, 108. The fanciful
related the story
go
youth,
Kelly, p. =
^
to this
in "The Ecclesiastical Architecture of Ire-
subject,
February 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 411
known; unless,indeed,itbeidenticalwithaplace,calledIrdomh-Ciarain, in or near the ancient city of Clonmacnoise, on the banks of the Shannon. 4 In the year 1070, a causeway was made from the Cross of Bishop Etchen to Irdomh-Chiarain, by Mealchiarain Mac Cuinn-na-m-Boccht ; he also con- structed a causeway from Cross-Chomghaill to Uluidh-na-d Tri-gCross,5 and thence westwards to the entrance of the street. ^ Long before this, we read of another city improvement having been effected at Clonmacnoise, and soon after the Danish power ceased to be formidable, in Ireland. In 1026, Breasal Conailleach made a paved way, from Uluidh7-na-d Tri-gCross to Garrdha-an-bhainbh. 2 Itseemsprobable,thattheantiquarianexplorermay be able to trace these lines of causeway, in a spot, now so very lonely, and by no means presenting the same defined outline of former streets and objects, as may yet be found in the anciently buried cities of Herculaneum or Pompeii. 9
ArticleV. --St. RuidhcheorRuidche,Virgin. IntheMartyrology of Donegal we find mentioned, as having been venerated on this day, Ruidhche, Virgin. An entry, almost similar, is made in the Martyrology of Tallagh,2 at the 8th of February. It seems not unlikely, that from her cradle, she was endowed with the happiest dispositions, which were carefully andtenderlynurturedbyherpious,goodandsensibleparents; for,suchis usually the order of a Hfe begun in grace.
ArticleVI. —St. Cera,Virgin. ThefestivalofaSaintCere,accord- ing to the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ or of St. Cera,'' Virgin, as found written in the Martyrology of Donegal,3 is set down for this day. There is no men-
tion, whatever, regarding her place.
land, anterior to the Anglo-Saxon Invasion," &c. , part ii. , sect, iii. , subs, v. , pp. 437 to
444. The conclusion, at which he appears to arrive, is, "that the erdams noticed in the Irish annals were most probably sacris- ties, or other lateral apartments, entered from the interior of the church. "
4 We find, from Cormac's Glossary, this
^a^xia-oa a bAnAbbAi-o, Le. , "the Abbess
"
Dr. O'Donovan says, this is probablythetruename. Seen. (o),ibid. ,
pp. 812, 813.
^ The reader is referred to that most corn-
plete work on the discoveries of Herculaneum
and Pompeii, exhibiting all the paintings, bronzes, miniatures, etc. , hitherto published in rare or expensive works, with the addi- tion of many others, which had not pre-
"
Herculaneum et Pom- peii. —Recueil general des Peintures, Bron- zes, Mosaiques, etc. , decouverts jusqu'a ce jour et reproduits d'apres tous les ouvrages publies jusqu'a present, avec un Texte ex- pHcatif,deM. Barre. " Thisworkcontains 700 fine and curious engravings. It was
issued in eight volumes, imperial 8vo, A. D, 1870, from the press of Didot, Paris.
Article v. —' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 42, 43.
" Aurdam 'an addition to a *
rendering:
house,' «>. , aur-doini^ i. e. , aur-tegdais at-
tached house,' i. e. , side house. " See
"
or Cormac's Glossary," translated and annotated by the late John O'Donovan, LL. D,, edited with notes and
indices, by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. 3.
s The Monument, or Penitential Station
of the Three Crosses. " This monument is still pointed out at Clonmacnoise," n. (p).
^ See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
7The AnnalsofClonmacnoise,"atA. D. 1026, alludes to this place and circumstance. UluiT) is rendered into EngUsh "a heap of stones," and we are told, that the pavement to it, from "the Abbess her Gardaine," was
made by Breassall Conalleaghe"— Note (q). 8 Dr. O'Donovan explains this denomina- tion as "the Garden of the Sucking Pig," the name of a field at Clonmacnoise. Yet Mageoghegan explains it as if written
viously appeared.
SAriAf ChoixmAic,
Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 898 to 901. "
her gardaine.
-
^
Article vi. — Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xv.
^
Pronounced Ceara, or Keara. It has
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p.
that these foregoing words only apply to saints, whose relics were preserved in the shrine of St. Onchuo, which remained at Clonmore. See "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niss," viii. Februarii, n. i6, p. 277. How- ever, this excessive number is greatly dimi-
sufficiently plain from the allusions in -it to
certain disputes concerning the place where the relics collected by a St. Onchuo were
nished, in a later published version of
**
The
277.
^ In a memorandum, kindly furnished to
the writer, by Mr. John M'Call, whose native place is near Clonmore, and who at
present lives at 25 Patrick-street, Dublin, it is remarked, that Dr. Lanigan hardly studied Colgan's observations on St. Onchuo, with any sort of care, since he has indulged in so many vague assertions, regarding the pre- sent holy man.
Litany of Aengus Ceile De," as taken from
the MS. folios formerly belonging to the
"Book of Leinster," and now preserved in
the Franciscan Library, Dublin, tloi pceu
cec c^uimchi]\ a\k "oec 1 ctuAin mo|\, La moe"ooc ocuf La triAc int) eicif, hoc
" Two thousand nine hundred and ten priests in Cluanmor, with
9 St. Onchuo seems to have
those relics to the monastery of Clonmore, MoedhocandM—acIneicis(sonofthesage), atwhichplacehedied,asthescholiaston
omnef Inuoeo, \\,.
assigned
I invoke," &c. "The Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. iii. May, 1867, pp. 392, 393-
s Colgan gives as his authority for this
assertion, the following Latin translation of
the foregoing verses has it, in this following Latin version: "Sunt namque membra sive ossa Finani leprosi et Onchuonis in uno
"" loconempeCluanmorias. See ActaSanc-
torum Hibemise," viii. Februarii, n. 17, p. 277.
some old Irish verses attributed to St.
" ^° "
Moling: Venerabiles sunt duo, quorum
quiescunt corpora juxta crucem ad Austrum ; S. Onchuo qui mundi fluentis non tenebatur
See in reference to this subject The
Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol. vi. , Feb. ,
afFectu ; et S. Finanus
refragibilis : ubi cadit arbor, inde auferri non debent ejus rami sive frondes. " From
these words, Colgan infers, that a contest arose, regarding those relics collected by
Onchuo, and which may be supposed to have originated between members of that monastery, in which our saint was a monk, and those of the monastery in which he died.
^
Dr. Lanigan conjectures, that a poem,
attributed to St. Moling of Ferns, was the
composition of a Clonmore monk, who eases, it is now nearly unknown and ne- wished to make it appear, that the whole
body of St. Finian reposed in that place.
He allows, however, that a part of his relics was probably to be found there, in St.
bon-
Filius
fuit vir sermone potens, poeta magnus et ir-
— Francis Grose has Captain given
two
orum strenuus opifex
:
poetee (Onchuo)
views one an and the other an —interior,
exterior, view of Clonmore Castle, in his
"Antiquities of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 76. They were drawn, by Lieutenant Daniel
Grose, in 1792, and they present a good re- presentation of its former strength.
Onchuo's collection. He adds
Moling was not the author of the poem, is
leprosus operum
:
" That St.
chap, ii. , p. 10. A solitary rowan, or moun-
tain ash, more commonly called, a "quicken- tree," grows near this well.
deposited. "—" Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. iii. , chap, xviii. , sect, iii. , n. 34,
p. 87.
7 See Colgan's
"
Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae. " Vita S. Onchuonis, cap. viii. , p.
1870, p. 244.
^^
^^
holy well the sacred brotherhood of the ad- joining monastery, and several of their
"Though it was obviously from this
flock, for ages gone by, drew their necessary
supply of water, and though it was until
very recently resorted to by the peasantry
for miles round for the cure of many dis-
glected, and —suffered to choke up with grass
and weeds. " ^John M
'Call's
and History of Cluain-mor-Maedhoc," &c. ,
"Antiquities
4o8 LIVES OB THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 8.
The shattered parts of another cross may be seen there ; and, it is supposed to have been that cross, to the south of which St. Mogue's, St. Finan's and St. Onchuo'sbodieswereinterred. Whenthiscrosswascompleteanderect, it could not have been much less than twelve feet in height. The shaft, sunk in a stone socket, yet stands, and near it may be seen the dissevered upper part, but the centre portion is missing. It is probable, this cross, as also the lesser one, had been demolished by the Cromwellian soldiers,^3 under Colonel Hewson, in 1650, when the castle of Clonmore was destroyed. An old stone basin, four feet in length, by two and a-half feet in width, with
one of the holy water fonts,'-» formerly belonging to the monastery, lies within a small enclosure, north of the church, ^s
St. Onchuo lived, probably, during the time when Aid, the son of Ainmi-
reach, King of Ireland, reigned, from about the year 568 to 594,'^ since our saint was contemporaneous with St. Maidoc of Clonmore, said to have been an elder, and a uterine brother'7 of that monarch Aid. '^ A very ancient vellum book,^9 which has been mentioned, under Brighet, at the ist of Feb- ruary, states, that Mac-in-Eccis, in his manners and life was like unto Ambrose. ^° Fromthisobservation,wearenaturallyledtobelieve,thathe was an exact imitator of the holy Bishop of Milan,^''' in piety and love of study. " We have no record, defining the year of St. Onchuo's death; although, it is pretty certain, he flourished about the middle, or towards the
close, of the sixth century.
The ancient calendars of Ireland contain allusions to this holy pilgrim,
at the present date. Thus, on the 8th of February, the Martyrology of Tallagh^3 registers Hua ind Egais, who collected the relics of the saints. We are further informed, that his discourses were always regarding Christ. ^'^ The Calendars of CashePs and of Marianus O'Gorman^^ celebrate, likewise, the characteristics and pursuits of this most religious poet. We read, as set down in the Martyrology of Donegal,^? on this day, about Onchu, Mac in
=^
^3 A tradition, to this effect, prevails in His feast occurs, as a Duplex, in the
the neighbourhood. See John Ryan's Roman Breviary, at the 7th of December,
''
and
of the
County
of with an Office of Nine Lessons. See
Antiquities Carlow," chap, xxxi. , p. 336.
History
"
die vii. Decembris.
'4 It is a pitiable case, that no antiquary and artist combined can be found to enume- rate, illustrate and classify for us the nume- rous old fonts, now lying neglected in so many of our' graveyards, and after the fashion or manner, shown in that elegant volume,
" A Series of Ancient Baptismal Fonts, Chronologically Arranged. " Drawn by F.
~-
These characteristics are well shown in
who calls our saint, Hua an Eiges, or " descen- Simpson, Jun. Engraved by R. Roberts. dant of the poet," observes, that he was
Only English remains are therein given.
Onchuo, the Poet, of Connaught, who reli- giously and elegantly composed every kind of verse, and who was always engaged cele- brating the Divine praises,
=^5 it states, that Onchuo, a remarkable
poet, was of Connaught origin, and that he
rested in Cluainmor, in Lagenia,
cs See John M'Call's interesting and eru- *'
The Antiquities and His-
dite little tract,
tory of Cluain-mor-Maedhoc, now Clon- more, in the County of Carlow," &c. , chap. ii. , pp. 10, II.
^^ See Dr. O'Donovan's *' Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 204 to 221.
^^ This Colgan promised to show, in his
Acts, at the nth of April.
cap. i. , viii. , and n. I, pp. 276, 277.
*9 This is now preserved in the Franciscan
Library, Dublin.
"^ See Drs. Todd's and Reeves* " Martyr-
ology of Donegal," pp. 42, 43.
=<^
By this authority, he is called Onchuo
'^ '* See Colgan's
Mac Aneigeas, i. e. , "son of the poet," bom in Connaught. He it is, who collected many relics of the Saints of Ireland, at the
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nias," viii. Februarii. Vita S. Onchuonis, monastery of Clonmore, of St. Maidoc.
^
Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," Vita S. Onchuonis, n. 18,
p. 277.
"7 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
42, 43.
Breviarium Romanuip," pars Hiemalis,
the Life of St. Ambrose, by his Secretary Paulinus the Deacon, and afterwards a Priest.
=3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xv.
'^^ a Commentator on St.
" viii. Februarii.
See Colgan's
iEngus,
February 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 409
Eccis,'*^ of the Connacians. It was he, we are informed, that collected a great many relics of the saints of Erinn to Cluain-mor-Maedhog. In the KalendarsofScotland,oursaintwaslikewisecelebrated. TheKalend—arof
Drummond enters the nat—
alis of the confessor
responding with the 8th of February, in the island of Hibernia. 's The
practise of making pilgrimages, to the churches and shrines of renowned
Irish Saints, was formerly much in vogue ; and, those accounts, left in the Acts of St. Onchuo, prove, that the relics of holy persons were held in great
veneration,wheretheirmortalremainsweredeposed. Infine,thereliquary, containing sacred memorials, and which our saint collected during his life, gave a just celebrity to his pious zeal. It also added much, after his death, to the renown of Clonmore, where his own body lay, awaiting the final re- surrection of the just.
Article II. —St. Mac Liac or Mac Liag, Bishop of Liath-Dromma OR Leitrim. At this date, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ we find Mac Liac, Bishop of Liath dromma. No further clue is given here, as to his
family or race. In the Martyrology of Donegal,^ however, he is called Mac Liag, Bishop of Liathdrum. He is also said to have been a scion of the race of Colla Uais, who was Monarch of Ireland. Under the head of Liath-
Duald Mac Firbiss Mac — of
Druim,3 enters, Liag, Bishop Liath-druim,
at
February the 8th. 4 Where the Liath-druim or as Anglicised Leitrim—
with which this saint was connected, had been situated, can hardly be deter-
mined with accuracy. Liathdruims was an ancient name^ for Tara Hill ;7
there was a Liathdruim, in Clanrickard's territory, and now a barony in the
county of Galway f there was a Liathdruim, in the parish of Monasteroris, in
theKing'sCounty-p therewaslikewiseaLiathdruim,inWestBreifne,orin
the territory of Muintir Eolais. ^° There are countless places, bearing the
name Leitrim," /,<? . , the Grey Ridge," in various parts of Ireland. ^3 The
Liath-Dromma or Leitrim, best known in Ireland, is now a poor, decaying
^'^ in the of on the banks of the and parish Kiltoghert,^^ Shannon,
village,
which gives name to a townland, barony and county, in the province of Connaught. Hence,wemayinfer,thisLeitrimwasonceaplaceofnote. ^^
*2 In a note, Dr. Todd says, that the County. " Sheet ii. There is also a Lei-
words, Mac in Eccis, signify "son of the
poet. "
29 See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
tra, in the parish of Clonmacnoise, in this county. See ibid. Sheet 13.
^° See O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. v. , pp. 1708, 1709, and vol.
vi. , 1964, Also, vol. vii. Index, pp. 1965.
p. 77, ibid.
"No less than 44 Leitrims—singly or in
composition—and found as townland names,
appear in the "General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and
Baronies of Ireland," p. 642.
Scottish Saints," p. 4. Article ii. —'^ Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
Kelly,
p. XV.
= Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
42, 43.
3 Leitrim, according to William M. Hen-
nessy's note.
i. , pp. 1 16, 117. 5 See Petrie's
"
"
4 See
Academy," Irish MSS. series, vol. i. , part
Proceedings of the Royal Irish
History and Antiquities of Tara Hill," p. 108.
chap, ix. , p. 506. " '3 See Dr. O'Donovan's
Annals of the
^ See Dr. O'Donovan's edition of " Leab- har na g-Ceart, or Book of Rights," n. (t),
p. 144,
7 See O'Donovan's
Four Masters," vol. ii. , n. (f ), p. 622.
*'
'* on Ordnance Sur- This is shown the
vey Townland Maps for the County of Lei- trim. " Sheet 27.
"
Masters," vol. ii. , n. (f), pp. 622, 623.
8 vol. v. , n. Ibid. ,
Annals of the Four
'S This extensive parish is represented on Sheets 20, 21, 23, 24, 27, 28, 31, 32, ibid. 9 See ibid. , vol. iii. , n. (h), p. 192. And, It includes 30,494 acres, 3 roods and 2
(o), pp. 1772, 1773.
"Ordnance Survey Maps of the King's perches of land and water.
Oncu,
at the vi. Ides cor-
'=
History of Irish Names of Places," part iv. ,
See Dr. P. W. Joyce's "Origin and
410 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 8.
The present Macliegus, and the brother of St. Modichu or Modicus,^7 also called Dichiio or Modichuo, were sons of Cernach, son to Aid, son of Goar,
son to Amalgad, son of Muredach/^ son of Carthenn, son of Ethac,^9 son to
Echod, son of Colla Uais. ='° By Colgan, St. Macliegus is called Bishop of
Liethdrumia, and his feast is assigned to the 8th of February. ''^ He is followed by Archdall,^^ who tells us his place Lietdrumai or Liathdromen is identical with Leitrim, in that county of Ireland so called.
Article III. —St. Trenog or Ternoc, Anchorite, on the West OF the River Barrow. This holy man is entered, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 8th of February, as Ternoc, Anchorita. From the latter adjunct, we may suppose he lived a solitary life. A later record spells his name somewhat differently, and it also vaguely defines his place. In the Martyrology of Donegal,^' there is recorded, on this day, a festival, for St. Trenog,anAnchorite,onthewestoftheBearbha. Thiswastheancient name for the River Barrow ;3 yet, although conjectures may be offered, re- garding various old churches and former religious sites, at the direction in- dicated, such a description is still too indefinite, to discover the exact posi- tion of that place, where St. Ternoc or Ternog passed his hermit-life.
Article IV. —St. Failbhe, of Erdomh. The simple entry, Failbhe, is all that occurs in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 8th of February.
Preceding this entry the word, Airdoni, is placed. It is doubtless intended, as a reference to this saint's locality, which is differently spelled in a more recent calendar. We read, on this day, as recorded in the Martyrology of Donegal,^aboutFailbhe,ofErdomh. 3 Wherethisplacewassituatedisnot
^^ See Archdall's "Monasticon Hiberni-
cum," p. 410.
'7 See a notice of him, at the 7th of Jan-
uary.
" In one enumeration of the pedigree,
this name seems missing.
^9 In one enumeration, this name is ap-
parently left out.
on its banks was a continuous wood. A great-uncle to the authoress—as her father
—used to
" Ellauna," which recites the for- tunes of an imaginary Princess of Leix, is below mediocrity; yet, the venerable au- thoress, who in her declining years was often seen by the writer, secured universal esteem and respect, owing to her gentleness
and
of demeanour, bountiful charities, ge-
nuine sympathy for the distresses of the
poor.
Article iv. — Edited by Rev. Dr.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
^° See
nise," xxxi, Januarii. Appendix ad Acta S. Maidoci, cap. iv. , pp. 222, 223.
^^ See ibid.
=2 See "Monasticon Hibemicum," p. 410.
poem,
Colgan's
Article hi.
—
^
Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. XV.
= Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
42, 43.
3 In notes to "Ellauna"—
a romantic poem, in four cantos, written by Mrs. St. John, of Stradbally, in the Queen's County,
xv.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
42, 43.
3 It has been suggested to me, by Mr.
and published in 1815—it is stated, that the Barrow was also called Birga-Emhin, and
Joseph O'Longan, that this place was. called hence Monaster-Abhan, or Monasterevan, after one of the ecclesiastical buildings,
'*
the monastery on the river," founded by Dermod O'Dempsey, and dedicated to St.
Mary, A. D. 1 185. We are told, moreover,
that at one part o—f its course from Slieve-
—d castle Bloom Mountains between the ol
of "woody Lea" and Portarlington in the beginning of the last century, the country
known as zxierdavih^ ox erdani, also spelled, aurdom, erdom, urdom, erdoiii, or irdom,
and supposed to be compounded of the
words, eA^, "end" or "limit," and "oath
or Dr. Petrie has de- oom, "a house. "
voted a special sub-section,
in his
from home to Portarlington, a distance of seven miles, by passing from branch to branch, among the trees. The adventurer died, at the age of ninety, a. d, 1771. See nn. 2, 3, 43, pp. 77, 108. The fanciful
related the story
go
youth,
Kelly, p. =
^
to this
in "The Ecclesiastical Architecture of Ire-
subject,
February 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 411
known; unless,indeed,itbeidenticalwithaplace,calledIrdomh-Ciarain, in or near the ancient city of Clonmacnoise, on the banks of the Shannon. 4 In the year 1070, a causeway was made from the Cross of Bishop Etchen to Irdomh-Chiarain, by Mealchiarain Mac Cuinn-na-m-Boccht ; he also con- structed a causeway from Cross-Chomghaill to Uluidh-na-d Tri-gCross,5 and thence westwards to the entrance of the street. ^ Long before this, we read of another city improvement having been effected at Clonmacnoise, and soon after the Danish power ceased to be formidable, in Ireland. In 1026, Breasal Conailleach made a paved way, from Uluidh7-na-d Tri-gCross to Garrdha-an-bhainbh. 2 Itseemsprobable,thattheantiquarianexplorermay be able to trace these lines of causeway, in a spot, now so very lonely, and by no means presenting the same defined outline of former streets and objects, as may yet be found in the anciently buried cities of Herculaneum or Pompeii. 9
ArticleV. --St. RuidhcheorRuidche,Virgin. IntheMartyrology of Donegal we find mentioned, as having been venerated on this day, Ruidhche, Virgin. An entry, almost similar, is made in the Martyrology of Tallagh,2 at the 8th of February. It seems not unlikely, that from her cradle, she was endowed with the happiest dispositions, which were carefully andtenderlynurturedbyherpious,goodandsensibleparents; for,suchis usually the order of a Hfe begun in grace.
ArticleVI. —St. Cera,Virgin. ThefestivalofaSaintCere,accord- ing to the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ or of St. Cera,'' Virgin, as found written in the Martyrology of Donegal,3 is set down for this day. There is no men-
tion, whatever, regarding her place.
land, anterior to the Anglo-Saxon Invasion," &c. , part ii. , sect, iii. , subs, v. , pp. 437 to
444. The conclusion, at which he appears to arrive, is, "that the erdams noticed in the Irish annals were most probably sacris- ties, or other lateral apartments, entered from the interior of the church. "
4 We find, from Cormac's Glossary, this
^a^xia-oa a bAnAbbAi-o, Le. , "the Abbess
"
Dr. O'Donovan says, this is probablythetruename. Seen. (o),ibid. ,
pp. 812, 813.
^ The reader is referred to that most corn-
plete work on the discoveries of Herculaneum
and Pompeii, exhibiting all the paintings, bronzes, miniatures, etc. , hitherto published in rare or expensive works, with the addi- tion of many others, which had not pre-
"
Herculaneum et Pom- peii. —Recueil general des Peintures, Bron- zes, Mosaiques, etc. , decouverts jusqu'a ce jour et reproduits d'apres tous les ouvrages publies jusqu'a present, avec un Texte ex- pHcatif,deM. Barre. " Thisworkcontains 700 fine and curious engravings. It was
issued in eight volumes, imperial 8vo, A. D, 1870, from the press of Didot, Paris.
Article v. —' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 42, 43.
" Aurdam 'an addition to a *
rendering:
house,' «>. , aur-doini^ i. e. , aur-tegdais at-
tached house,' i. e. , side house. " See
"
or Cormac's Glossary," translated and annotated by the late John O'Donovan, LL. D,, edited with notes and
indices, by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. 3.
s The Monument, or Penitential Station
of the Three Crosses. " This monument is still pointed out at Clonmacnoise," n. (p).
^ See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
7The AnnalsofClonmacnoise,"atA. D. 1026, alludes to this place and circumstance. UluiT) is rendered into EngUsh "a heap of stones," and we are told, that the pavement to it, from "the Abbess her Gardaine," was
made by Breassall Conalleaghe"— Note (q). 8 Dr. O'Donovan explains this denomina- tion as "the Garden of the Sucking Pig," the name of a field at Clonmacnoise. Yet Mageoghegan explains it as if written
viously appeared.
SAriAf ChoixmAic,
Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 898 to 901. "
her gardaine.
-
^
Article vi. — Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xv.
^
Pronounced Ceara, or Keara. It has
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p.
