s^ The reigning King of
Leinsters?
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
" There he
presented it to the King of Leinster. '^ Following the chronology of the Four Masters,"^ these events appear to have taken place in the year 593.
The death of Cumascach was soon followed by that of his father, Aedh, Monarch of Ireland. To avenge the murder of his son, and to exact the Borumha tribute^s from the Leinstermen, Aedh set out from his palace of Ailech,^^ which then occupied a most commanding position, at the head of Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly, in the northern part of Ulster. =^7 He as-
'S Cumuscagh's designs against the virtue of the Leinster queen were happily prevented. A pretext enabled her to fly from her palace for concealment, into the fastnesses of Dun- Buichet forest.
It is added, that the whole of this poem had been written, in another part of the book. But, it cannot now be found, in any known copies.
" If we are to credit that romantic history,
recording the dissolute Cumuscagh's acts, his death was not an unjust punishment for his crimes.
'3 For this great service, the church of Cill- Rannairech enjoyed an exemption from fu- ture charge or tribute.
"^ See Dr. O'Donovan's edition. Vol. i. ,
pp. 216, 217, and nn. (d, e, f).
'S The Abbe Ma-Geoghegan calls it " Boi-
rive ou Tribut. " See " Histoire de I'lr-
'*
This incident serves to illustrate what is
matter of contemporaneous history, viz. , that the satirical poets about this period
were exceedingly numerous throughout Ire- land, and their exactions required strict
legal repression. The habit of such a poet was no unlikely one for Cumascach to as-
sume, in trying to effect his escape.
'7 It does not now seem to be known,
'*
O'Conor translates Cill-Rannairech ab- ii. , chap, iii. , p. 301.
^'
In the ancient historical tract, called
donderry Journal," during the month of Oc- tober, 1874. The title is " Aileach of the Kings : a short sketch of its History and Traditions, from authentic sources. " The author is Rev. John K. O'Dogherty, P. P. , of Newtownstewart. His first paper opens
According to Dr. O'Donovan, Dr.
lande, Ancienne et Modeme," tome i. , partie
surdly, omnes. " The
years Innishowen,"
" ecclesia ad manifestandura
** Several
Sir Charles Gavan
"
—
" God bless the gyey mountains of dark
Donegal !
God bless royal Aileach, the pride of them
all;
For she sits evermore, like a queen on her
"the
or "church of Rannairc" the name ballad of
celebrated, in his this remarkable
—is, proper rendering
'9 The parish of Kilranelagh in the barony of Upper Talbotstown is shown on the "Ord-
nance Survey Maps for the County of Wick- low," Sheets 27, 32. The townland proper isontheformersheet. KilranelaghChurch, in ruins, is to be seen on it, and near there is a holy well.
=~ The " Annals of the Four Masters," al- luding to Cumuscach's death, cite two lines, taken from an Irish poem, attributed to St. Maidoc. TheyarethusrenderedintoEng- lish :—
" I implore the powerful Lord, near Cill- Rannairech,
It was he that took revenge of Comus- cach, that slew Aedh Mac Ainmirech. "
Duffy
cell,"
of a man.
ruined object
:
"Borumha Laighean," two lines of the fore-
going quartain are given in Irish. The ver-
sion is somewhat different. —The first line is
—"On the eastern shore of the Swilly, on the summit of a hill eight hundred and two feet above the level of the lie the remains of a
closely interwoven the story of our country,
thus translated, in English
sea,
Cyclopean fortress, with whose history was
"
:
I pray the [al] mighty Lord, the principal incumbent ©f Cill-Rannairtch. "
supra
have now since elapsed,
throne,
And smiles on the valleys of Green Innish-
owen. "—See Edward Hayes' "Ballads of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 33, 34.
°^ A series of admirable papers has ap-
peared in successive numbers of the
''
Lon-
with the following description
:
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 549
sembled the forces of Leath Chuiiin. '* Marching southwards, he soon crossed the River Rye'9 and proceeded directly to the place where his son had been killed. He afterwards pitched his camp at Baeth-Eabha,3° close toDun-Buice. 3^ Aboutthistime,Brandubhwasstayingataplacecalled Scadhairc—Anglicized Skerks'—in the south of Ui-Ceinnseallagh. 33 Soon as he heard of King Aedh's arrival at the Rye, the King of Leinster moved northwards towards his principal fort of Rath-Brain Duibh,34 near Baltinglass,3S in the county of Wicklow. On the way,36 ^g passed over Mointeach,37 Muinchin, Daimhne,33 Etar,39 ArdchoilUd, and Ard-m Bresta. He then crossed the River Slaney,'»° and proceeded over the land of Fe to Bal- tinglass. +' Here he was met by Bishop Aidan, King Aedh's half brother. If, as seems most probable,'*^ this prelate was a distinct person from our
intheforgottenyearsofthehazypast. Few fromthejourneytakenbyBrandubhnorth*
of the pleasure-seekers, who visit it in the glowing summer or the mellow autumn, and
who gaze enraptured on the glorious scenery
it presents to their view, think for a moment
wards, and the localities named during his
march, we can hardly suppose the Leinster king set out from the Ossoronian Skeirke.
33 In ancient times, as we are told, the territory of Ui Cinnseallaigh comprised the present county of Wexford, with parts of Wicklow and Carlow. The River Suir di- vided it from the country of the Decies. See "County Wexford Extracts," I. O. S. , vol. i. , p. 277,
3< Now Rathbran.
35 Formerly called Bealach-Conghlais; but it would seem to have had a yet more ancient name, Bealach-Dubhthaire. This was pro- bably owing to the fact, that it was on the old high-way, which led to Eas-Duthaire, the ancient name for Poulaphoka Waterfall. Or it may refer to the Duffry.
3'^ The following denominations, in the
text, have not been identified from the
" General Index to the Town- Alphabetical
lands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland. "
37 "The adjective mointeach signifies a boggy place, and it gives name to several
that the soil they tread on is both royal and
sacred—the former court of kings and the
arena of Patrick's combat with Paganism.
Yet so it is ; for here on Greenan Hill was
the Northern Tara—known to us in history
as Ailcach of the Kings ; and here did Ire-
land's when " great apostle, — visiting
Tyr- owen of the Islands" as Innishowen was then called—confront and conquer the learn- ing of the Druids, and win to the faith the
monarch himself. "
^'
This was the northern division of Ire- land, said to have been divided from the southern one, called Leath Mogha, by a chain of sand-hills denominated Esker Riada, extending from Dublin city to the head of
See " of
"
Galway Bay. Haverty's
Ireland, Ancient and Modem, chap. v. , p. 35-
^ This small stream skirts the northern
bounds of Kildare county, and falls into the
River Liffey at Leixlip. 3° Not identified.
3' Now Dunboyke, a townland so called,
owing to an ancient dim, or earthen fort, in
the parish of Hollywood, barony of Lower
Talbotstown. Thereisalsoagrave-yardon
the townland, and a church in ruins. See
places now called Montiagh,and Montiaghs. "
"
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of
History
County of Wicklow," Sheet 15.
3= There is a parish of Skeirke, in the
Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Wexford," Sheets 26, 32. It lies east- ward of the River Slaney, and the townland, cular area enclosed with a stone rampart, with its modem house and ornamental
barony of Upper Ossory in the Queen's County. We are told in a modern work,
barony of Ballaghkeen shown on the
*'
and surrounded with a fosse ; in the centre of the area is a pyramidal stone, about six feet high, with fragments of several others ; towards the eastern side are the remains of a cromlech, and towards the north is a high mound with a fiat summit. There are also some ruins of the ancient castle of Garran. " —Lewis'"TopographicalDictionai7ofIre- land," vol. ii. , p. 556. There is an old ruined church in the grave-yard of Skeirke. Vet
are some Druidical remains, situ-
that in it
ated on a high hill, and consisting of a cir-
Dr. P. W. " and of Joyce's Origin History
Irish Names of Places," part iv. , chap, vi. , p. 452.
3^ There is a Upper and a Lower Damna townland shown in the parish of Ballycallan,
and barony of Cranagh on the
"
Kilkenny," Sheets 18, 19.
3* There is a parish of Edermine in the
"
grounds, has a most picturesque appearance immediatelyontheriver'sbanks. Itisde- scribed on the former sheet.
^ This river rises from the western slopes
of the Wicklow mountains. and takes a south-
easterlycoursethroughWexfordcounty. It enters the Irish Sea through Wexford haven. *' RathbranandBaltinglassliewestwards
of the River Slaney,
•^ See the genealogy of this St. Maodhog,
55° LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
saint; yet,bothwerelivingatplacescalledClonmore,'*3andbothwerecon-
temporaneous.
It would appear, from all that can be gleaned out of the present St. Maidoc's
acts, that he was living, but at the monastery of Cluain Dicholla Gairbir44 in Wexford,4s at that exact time, when the celebrated battle of Dunbolg^^ had been fought, a. d. 598. 47 Here, by means of a well-devised stratagem, the warlike King of Leinster, Brandubh, obtained a complete victory over theforcesofAedh,thesonofAinmire. ^^ Inthisdecisivebattle,theIrish monarch was slain. 49
Very confused and unchronologically placed are those accounts, in our saint's published acts, regarding the order in which Brandubh's battles were fought. s° By our annals and other records, they can only be rendered in- telligible. Thus the battle of Dunbolg, in which King Aidus was defeated and lost his life, is related^' before that just retribution which the King of Leinster visited on his son Cumuscagh. s^ A conjecture has been offeredS3 that a battle, of which mention is made towards the close of St. Maidoc's life,54 must have been diiferent from that one, in which Cumuscach lost his life ; especially as the first conflict narrated was intended to avenge the death of this prince. It must also have been different from that, in which King yEdus was slain ; for he is said to have been killed, not only before the battle alluded to, but even before that account given regarding the death ofCumuscach. 55 Yet,anothersolutionmaybefoundforsuchstatements.
of Cluain-mor at tlie nth of April. For lands, all to be devoted to God's service.
that date, it would seem, those details, re-
garding this foray and campaign, are better reserved.
43 A lengthened extract in the Irish cha- racter, from a MS. life of St. Maodhoge, belonging to the R. I. A. , as we are informed by Mr. O'Cmry, relates to Ferns, Clonmore, &c. See "County Wexford Extracts," in I. O. S. MSS. , vol. i. , p. 379.
See "Irish Ecclesiastical Record, "vol. vii. ,
p. 364.
4» It is stated by Abbe Ma-Geoghegan,
that his death occurred on the 9th of Janu- ary, A. D. 599, at the age of sixty-six, apd in
the twenty-seventh year of his reign. See " Histoire de I'Irlande, Ancienne et Mo-
deme," tome i. , partie ii. , chap, iii. , p. 301. 5° Thus we have an account, regarding a
44 Now known as Clonmore.
the Rev. William Reeves, this is a
in the barony of Bantry, in the centre of the
coimty of Wexford. It was formerly called
Cluain-mor-Dicholla Gairbh. This is not
to be confounded with Cluain-mor Maedhoc,
which is mentioned in the Annals, and which
was so called from another St. Moedhoc, Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap. xvi. whose day is April ii ; his church is Clon-
more, in the county of Carlow. " See his
paper, "On Some Ecclesiastical Bells," &c.
45 Archdall falls into the error of con- founding two different saints with their re- spective churches. See his "Monasticon Hibemicum,"p. 734.
4«0r "the fort of the sacks," so called from the remarkable stratagem which de- cided this battle. See "
S3 By Colgan.
5* The object of this expedition, we are told, was to assert northern superiority over and to devastate the more southern portion of our island. It was intended, likewise, to humble the acquired pretensions of the Leinster people, owing to their recent suc- cesses.
of
p. 86.
and he there
that very glaring anachronisms must be re- marked. These are the inversions of historic incidents, which are not found mentioned in the "Codex Insulensis. " He appears to have supposed that a third battle, not dis- coverable from our records, might have been fought between the men of Leinster and of the North. See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," xxxi. Januarii, n. 49, p. 220.
Ireland,
Ancient and
Modem," chap, x. ,
55 has a Colgan
note,
observes,
47 See Rev. Dr. Reeves "On Some Ec- clesiastical Bells in the collection of the Lord Primate. "
4^ To this occasion it is said must be re- ferred the Leinster king's bestowal on St, Aidan of the royal seat at Ferns, its ban-
quetting halls and champions' apartments, its woods and hunting grounds, and other'
According '*
supreme Irish monarch, joined by the Kings of Connaught and Ulster, had collected a great army. It was marshalled under difife- rent chieftains, and then he marched against the Leinster people.
Haverty's History
to parish
war which broke out. The of
King Tara,
S' See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemire," xxxi.
s^ Incorrectly called Cuasg, in St. Mai- doc's acts, as published.
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 551
Perhaps, owing to some confusion which occurs in the introduction of this
battle, and that chronological inaccuracy of making Cumuscach vindicate the death of his father, we are not to believe, that a third battle had been fought to settle the differences of the Leinster people and their northern adversaries ; but possibly, the writer of our saint's life had received, on doubtful authority, a false version respecting those warlike occurrences. He had confounded either the battle of Dunbolg, or of Dun-bucat, with the contest which he afterwards mentions. In a former part of our saint's acts, his biographer had already alluded to the battle of Dunbolg, in which ^dus lost his life.
s^ The reigning King of Leinsters? —so state the acts—came to holy Archbishop St. Maidoc, when he heard of the danger that threatened, and then com- plained of this unjust invasion. The servant of God^^ encouraged the King ofLeinstertomeettheadvancinghostsboldly; promisingatthesametime, that as many holy men were engaged in the service of God, within his dominions,theyshouldallofferupprayersforhissuccess. Duringthenight, St. Maidocstoodwithhishandsextendedinprayer. 59 Onthedayfollowing, trusting in the God of battles, through his patron St. Maidoc, the Leinster Kingwentforthtomeettheinvadingarmy. Thehostsoftheotherpro- vinces were utterly routed with a loss of twenty-four thousand slain in battle -^
besides many others who fell, in a tumultuous retreat that ensued. ^^
It would appear, that Brandubh must have followed up his victories, by invading the northern parts of Ireland. We read, after the defeat of the monarch Aedh, that Brandubh came to a place called Callachuari, bearing with him much spoil, collected in the north of the island. While moving alongthecoast,^=^acertainlepermeetinghimaskedforalms. Thekinggave him a cow,^3 which had borne a calf Thence proceeding towards his own territorial possessions, Brandubh pitched his camp, on the banks of the River Slaney. While here, he had a vision, which caused him great uneasiness. He then seemed carried to Hell, where demons met him with open jaws. Amongst others, he saw one evil spirit greater and stronger than the rest, placed at the gates. His mouth seemed open, as if prepared to devour, and makingadesperateattempttodrawthekingtowardshim,forthispurpose. At that moment, filled with joy and exceedingly beautiful, a cleric came forward, and placed in the mouth of the dragon a cow, like to that which the king had given to the leper. ^4 Thus, he seemed to rescue this monarch from the
s^From the apparent inaccuracy of narra- nise," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap.
live,regardingasubsequentbattle,wemay Ix. ,pp. 214,215.
perhaps infer, either that the writer's infor- mant was not contemporaneous with the events he related, or that he lived in a diffe- rent part of the country from that place in which they occurred.
^'^ In the Vita S. Aidui, Rev. W. J. Rees' " Lives fof the Cambro-British Saints," p. 241, the shore he passed by is called Ech- drom.
^3 In the life of our saint, the animal Bran- dubh gave is said to have been "ludarium Sancti Aidui. Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives calvum et flavum. " Colgan remarks on
57 Stated to be Brandubh. See Vita
of the Cambro-British Saints," p. 249.
5^ Maidoc then appears to have been stay-
at his foundation of Cluain DichoUa. See
ing
Rev. Dr. Reeves " On Some Ecclesiastical
Bells," &c. This church probably lay on
Brandubh's line of march to encounter the monarch Aedh.
S9See the "Irish Ecclesiastical Record,"
vol. vii. , pp. 363, 364.
^ See Vita S. Aidui. Rev. W. J. Rees'
Saints," p. Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
this passage, that some MSS. read "lilium,"
while others have "fulvum. " By "Luda-
or " Laodarium," a "heifer," rium," perhaps
is to be understood, perhaps from the Irish word "Laodh," which means a "calf. " Hence " Ludaria " or " Laodaria " is to be interpreted "having a calf. " See n. 28, p. 217. In O'Reilly's "Irish-English Dic- tionary," Iao^ is " a calf" in Irish. In Welsh"Iho. " ^&^subvoce.
"Lives of the Cambro-British
^t See
Irish Ecclesiastical
Record,"
vol.
249.
6' **
See Colgan's
" vii. , p. 365.
552 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
power of his foul adversary. Again, this demon attempted to draw the king
towards him, when the same cleric struck that monster's head with his staff,
andclosedhisfierymouth. However,Brandubhinhisdreamsseemedto
escape a threatened fatality, and his spirit was at once restored to his body.
On awaking from his trance or from sleep, the king told his familiars what
had occurred. So mentally depressing was the influence this vision exercised,
thathisbodilyhealthsufferedinconsequence. Theking'sattendantsthen
brought him to a place, called Inbher Grairachinn. ^s His friends here^
mentioned Maidoc's name, in connection with many miracles which were
wrought. They advised Brandubh to send for holy water, blessed by the
saint. Brandubh " no means but I vi'ill rather in to replied, By ; go person
themanofGod. " Thenascendinghischariot,thekingcametoSt. Maidoc. This latter, hearing of Brandubh's approach, went out to meet him. When
the king saw Maidoc coming at a distance, he cried out " This saint hath
:
rescued me from the demon's mouth, and from the pains of Hell ; now do I knowhisappearance. " Afterwards,thekingprostratedhimselfatoursaint's
" I am
whatsoever you shall prescribe, for my soul's salvation, in the name of God, I will perform. " Then the saint, by prayer, healed all his infirmities. ^7 The king told him what had occurred, in his vision, acknowledging at the same time his great obligations to the Lord's holy servant. Moreover, Brandubh promised that, after his death, his remains and those of his posterity should repose in St. Maidoc's cemetery. ^^ The king then made rich offerings to our saint. Amongst other gifts, he presented that land on which Ferns monastery was built,^9 and where the saint's body reposed, together with Brandubh's remains, and those of his posterity. 7° We are told, that King Brandubh, by his influence, caused a great convocation of clerics and laics, belonging to the province of Leinster, to be assembled at a synod. ''* There
was declared to be annexed to St. Maidoc's see and church at Ferns. After-
feet, saying :
truly
contrite for so much evil and having wrought ;
the archbishopric of Leinster? ^—at first assigned to St. Fiech of Sletty73— wards, we are told, our saint was consecrated and appointed archbishop,74
This event is thought to have taken
city,
7' See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "On Some Eccle-
"
etc.
^^ Dr. Lanigan remarks, that the so-called
archbishops of those times in Ireland, ex-
** The place where he lay ill is called
Bererimtham in the Vita S. Aidui of Rev. strictly speaking, metropolitans invested
in presence of numerous spectators. 75
*5 In a subsequent passage this place on the sea-shore is rendered Inbher Crumchinn. It probably lay on some part of the eastern coast, and in the county of Wexford or Wicklow.
siastical Bells,
W. J. Rees' " Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," p. 242.
with such jurisdiction as the canon law has established. They enjoyed, by courtesy, a sort of honorary pre-eminence, the title pas-
*' See
"
Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol.
vii. , p. 365.
'^See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "On Some Ec-
clesiastical Bells," etc.
^ The Acts of St. Maidoc seem to place
the building of this religious establishment
after the vision of King Brandubh, Yet,
the chronological disorder of these Acts
leaves it doubtful at what period of the in which he endeavours to show, that those
king's career this foundation took place. '•The Acts state, that when our saint had founded Ferns monastery, in this place, a city afterwards arose near it. This city seems to have sprung into importance, and to have been the growth of years, before King Brandubh's close of life, and ere he
are in error who suppose there were not four archbishoprics to be found in Ireland, be- fore the time of Cardinal Paparo, who is said to have established them, but only in the year 11 52. See his " Acta Sanctorum Hi-
bemice," xxxi, Januarii, n. 29, pp. 217» 218.
75 See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
nise," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap.
of it into an thought elevating
archiepiscopal —in other words, an important episcopal—
cepting the primate of Armagh, were not,
sing from one see to another. See
'*
Eccle- siastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap,
xiv. , sec. x. , n. 135, p. 540.
7^ See Gratianus Lucius' "Cambrensis
Eversus," Rev. Dr. Kelly's edition, vol. iii. , cap. xxxi. , pp. 472, 473.
? * Colgan has a long note on this subject,
xxvii. , xxviii. , p. 211. Ferns," p. 436.
" Ecclesiastical His*
two Irish stanzas thus recounts the happy privileges of this place : —
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS
January 31. ]
place A. D. 598,7'5 Qj. during the three following years. At least it must
have occurred before Brandubh's death. 77 Our saint's election by the Leinster bishops was quite in accordance with the disciplinary code, that prevailed at
this early period in the Irish Church. 78 The acts of this synod, how- ever, like so many others, even of more recent date, seem not recoverable at the pre- sent time.
An ecclesiastical an- tiquary would desire to visit the parish and town of Ferns. 79 It is thought to be one of the first among the thirty churches erected by St. Aidan within
Hy-Cainnselach. Ferns parish^ lies within the baronies of Scara- walsh and Gorey. The old abbey of Ferns is ill decay. ^' The ancient city from which it de- rived name has now declined from its for-
_ =„
77 See Dr.
lory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sec. X. , p. 338.
Round Tower belonging lo Ferns Abbey, Co. Wexford.
marginal gloss on the "Feilire" of St. 7* See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of /Engus. The following English version of
Lanigan's
7^ " As yet, none of the metropolitan sees
had been definitively fixed by Rome, but it
was deemed expedient, not to say necessary,
for the maintenance of discipline, and for the
observance of the canonical decrees, that to
each province there should be at least one
bishop enjoying pre-eminence, and invested
with quasi-metropolitan jurisdiction. The
" Moedoc shall sing hymns and the Psalter ;
The desire for constant chaunting is awakened,
By that plain of heavenly sounds ; —O Lord, who rulest the elements! "
"
See Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol.
vii. , pp. 317, 318.
^ It is bounded on the north by Kilrush
and Carneu parishes ; on the east, by Kil- coom parish ; on the south, by the Clone
MS.
^^
Liber Canonum," drawn up as an
ecclesiastical code of laws for Ireland before
the year 700, expressly sanctions such an
election of a metropolitan by the decree of
his brother bishops, and it cannot surprise
bishops
if,
of all the province should be desirous to have their decree sanction—ed and confirmed by the temporal authority. " "Irish Ecclesi- astical Record," vol. vii. , pp. 364, 365.
7»In the "Leabhar Breac" there is a
us as in the case of St. Aidan, the
''
Plain of Fearna, plain of Fearna, Where the chaste Moedoc shall be \ Plain where are hounds and troops ; Plain that will be filled with sacred
chaunting !
and Kilcormack and
on the west,
by Ballycarney parish.
*' We find a very beautiful ink
drawing
of
parishes
;
554 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
merimportance. ^^ Asmightbeexpected,somevenerableruinsofthepast are left. ^3 in ancient Irish MSS. Ferns is always called Feama.
presented it to the King of Leinster. '^ Following the chronology of the Four Masters,"^ these events appear to have taken place in the year 593.
The death of Cumascach was soon followed by that of his father, Aedh, Monarch of Ireland. To avenge the murder of his son, and to exact the Borumha tribute^s from the Leinstermen, Aedh set out from his palace of Ailech,^^ which then occupied a most commanding position, at the head of Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly, in the northern part of Ulster. =^7 He as-
'S Cumuscagh's designs against the virtue of the Leinster queen were happily prevented. A pretext enabled her to fly from her palace for concealment, into the fastnesses of Dun- Buichet forest.
It is added, that the whole of this poem had been written, in another part of the book. But, it cannot now be found, in any known copies.
" If we are to credit that romantic history,
recording the dissolute Cumuscagh's acts, his death was not an unjust punishment for his crimes.
'3 For this great service, the church of Cill- Rannairech enjoyed an exemption from fu- ture charge or tribute.
"^ See Dr. O'Donovan's edition. Vol. i. ,
pp. 216, 217, and nn. (d, e, f).
'S The Abbe Ma-Geoghegan calls it " Boi-
rive ou Tribut. " See " Histoire de I'lr-
'*
This incident serves to illustrate what is
matter of contemporaneous history, viz. , that the satirical poets about this period
were exceedingly numerous throughout Ire- land, and their exactions required strict
legal repression. The habit of such a poet was no unlikely one for Cumascach to as-
sume, in trying to effect his escape.
'7 It does not now seem to be known,
'*
O'Conor translates Cill-Rannairech ab- ii. , chap, iii. , p. 301.
^'
In the ancient historical tract, called
donderry Journal," during the month of Oc- tober, 1874. The title is " Aileach of the Kings : a short sketch of its History and Traditions, from authentic sources. " The author is Rev. John K. O'Dogherty, P. P. , of Newtownstewart. His first paper opens
According to Dr. O'Donovan, Dr.
lande, Ancienne et Modeme," tome i. , partie
surdly, omnes. " The
years Innishowen,"
" ecclesia ad manifestandura
** Several
Sir Charles Gavan
"
—
" God bless the gyey mountains of dark
Donegal !
God bless royal Aileach, the pride of them
all;
For she sits evermore, like a queen on her
"the
or "church of Rannairc" the name ballad of
celebrated, in his this remarkable
—is, proper rendering
'9 The parish of Kilranelagh in the barony of Upper Talbotstown is shown on the "Ord-
nance Survey Maps for the County of Wick- low," Sheets 27, 32. The townland proper isontheformersheet. KilranelaghChurch, in ruins, is to be seen on it, and near there is a holy well.
=~ The " Annals of the Four Masters," al- luding to Cumuscach's death, cite two lines, taken from an Irish poem, attributed to St. Maidoc. TheyarethusrenderedintoEng- lish :—
" I implore the powerful Lord, near Cill- Rannairech,
It was he that took revenge of Comus- cach, that slew Aedh Mac Ainmirech. "
Duffy
cell,"
of a man.
ruined object
:
"Borumha Laighean," two lines of the fore-
going quartain are given in Irish. The ver-
sion is somewhat different. —The first line is
—"On the eastern shore of the Swilly, on the summit of a hill eight hundred and two feet above the level of the lie the remains of a
closely interwoven the story of our country,
thus translated, in English
sea,
Cyclopean fortress, with whose history was
"
:
I pray the [al] mighty Lord, the principal incumbent ©f Cill-Rannairtch. "
supra
have now since elapsed,
throne,
And smiles on the valleys of Green Innish-
owen. "—See Edward Hayes' "Ballads of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 33, 34.
°^ A series of admirable papers has ap-
peared in successive numbers of the
''
Lon-
with the following description
:
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 549
sembled the forces of Leath Chuiiin. '* Marching southwards, he soon crossed the River Rye'9 and proceeded directly to the place where his son had been killed. He afterwards pitched his camp at Baeth-Eabha,3° close toDun-Buice. 3^ Aboutthistime,Brandubhwasstayingataplacecalled Scadhairc—Anglicized Skerks'—in the south of Ui-Ceinnseallagh. 33 Soon as he heard of King Aedh's arrival at the Rye, the King of Leinster moved northwards towards his principal fort of Rath-Brain Duibh,34 near Baltinglass,3S in the county of Wicklow. On the way,36 ^g passed over Mointeach,37 Muinchin, Daimhne,33 Etar,39 ArdchoilUd, and Ard-m Bresta. He then crossed the River Slaney,'»° and proceeded over the land of Fe to Bal- tinglass. +' Here he was met by Bishop Aidan, King Aedh's half brother. If, as seems most probable,'*^ this prelate was a distinct person from our
intheforgottenyearsofthehazypast. Few fromthejourneytakenbyBrandubhnorth*
of the pleasure-seekers, who visit it in the glowing summer or the mellow autumn, and
who gaze enraptured on the glorious scenery
it presents to their view, think for a moment
wards, and the localities named during his
march, we can hardly suppose the Leinster king set out from the Ossoronian Skeirke.
33 In ancient times, as we are told, the territory of Ui Cinnseallaigh comprised the present county of Wexford, with parts of Wicklow and Carlow. The River Suir di- vided it from the country of the Decies. See "County Wexford Extracts," I. O. S. , vol. i. , p. 277,
3< Now Rathbran.
35 Formerly called Bealach-Conghlais; but it would seem to have had a yet more ancient name, Bealach-Dubhthaire. This was pro- bably owing to the fact, that it was on the old high-way, which led to Eas-Duthaire, the ancient name for Poulaphoka Waterfall. Or it may refer to the Duffry.
3'^ The following denominations, in the
text, have not been identified from the
" General Index to the Town- Alphabetical
lands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland. "
37 "The adjective mointeach signifies a boggy place, and it gives name to several
that the soil they tread on is both royal and
sacred—the former court of kings and the
arena of Patrick's combat with Paganism.
Yet so it is ; for here on Greenan Hill was
the Northern Tara—known to us in history
as Ailcach of the Kings ; and here did Ire-
land's when " great apostle, — visiting
Tyr- owen of the Islands" as Innishowen was then called—confront and conquer the learn- ing of the Druids, and win to the faith the
monarch himself. "
^'
This was the northern division of Ire- land, said to have been divided from the southern one, called Leath Mogha, by a chain of sand-hills denominated Esker Riada, extending from Dublin city to the head of
See " of
"
Galway Bay. Haverty's
Ireland, Ancient and Modem, chap. v. , p. 35-
^ This small stream skirts the northern
bounds of Kildare county, and falls into the
River Liffey at Leixlip. 3° Not identified.
3' Now Dunboyke, a townland so called,
owing to an ancient dim, or earthen fort, in
the parish of Hollywood, barony of Lower
Talbotstown. Thereisalsoagrave-yardon
the townland, and a church in ruins. See
places now called Montiagh,and Montiaghs. "
"
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of
History
County of Wicklow," Sheet 15.
3= There is a parish of Skeirke, in the
Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Wexford," Sheets 26, 32. It lies east- ward of the River Slaney, and the townland, cular area enclosed with a stone rampart, with its modem house and ornamental
barony of Upper Ossory in the Queen's County. We are told in a modern work,
barony of Ballaghkeen shown on the
*'
and surrounded with a fosse ; in the centre of the area is a pyramidal stone, about six feet high, with fragments of several others ; towards the eastern side are the remains of a cromlech, and towards the north is a high mound with a fiat summit. There are also some ruins of the ancient castle of Garran. " —Lewis'"TopographicalDictionai7ofIre- land," vol. ii. , p. 556. There is an old ruined church in the grave-yard of Skeirke. Vet
are some Druidical remains, situ-
that in it
ated on a high hill, and consisting of a cir-
Dr. P. W. " and of Joyce's Origin History
Irish Names of Places," part iv. , chap, vi. , p. 452.
3^ There is a Upper and a Lower Damna townland shown in the parish of Ballycallan,
and barony of Cranagh on the
"
Kilkenny," Sheets 18, 19.
3* There is a parish of Edermine in the
"
grounds, has a most picturesque appearance immediatelyontheriver'sbanks. Itisde- scribed on the former sheet.
^ This river rises from the western slopes
of the Wicklow mountains. and takes a south-
easterlycoursethroughWexfordcounty. It enters the Irish Sea through Wexford haven. *' RathbranandBaltinglassliewestwards
of the River Slaney,
•^ See the genealogy of this St. Maodhog,
55° LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
saint; yet,bothwerelivingatplacescalledClonmore,'*3andbothwerecon-
temporaneous.
It would appear, from all that can be gleaned out of the present St. Maidoc's
acts, that he was living, but at the monastery of Cluain Dicholla Gairbir44 in Wexford,4s at that exact time, when the celebrated battle of Dunbolg^^ had been fought, a. d. 598. 47 Here, by means of a well-devised stratagem, the warlike King of Leinster, Brandubh, obtained a complete victory over theforcesofAedh,thesonofAinmire. ^^ Inthisdecisivebattle,theIrish monarch was slain. 49
Very confused and unchronologically placed are those accounts, in our saint's published acts, regarding the order in which Brandubh's battles were fought. s° By our annals and other records, they can only be rendered in- telligible. Thus the battle of Dunbolg, in which King Aidus was defeated and lost his life, is related^' before that just retribution which the King of Leinster visited on his son Cumuscagh. s^ A conjecture has been offeredS3 that a battle, of which mention is made towards the close of St. Maidoc's life,54 must have been diiferent from that one, in which Cumuscach lost his life ; especially as the first conflict narrated was intended to avenge the death of this prince. It must also have been different from that, in which King yEdus was slain ; for he is said to have been killed, not only before the battle alluded to, but even before that account given regarding the death ofCumuscach. 55 Yet,anothersolutionmaybefoundforsuchstatements.
of Cluain-mor at tlie nth of April. For lands, all to be devoted to God's service.
that date, it would seem, those details, re-
garding this foray and campaign, are better reserved.
43 A lengthened extract in the Irish cha- racter, from a MS. life of St. Maodhoge, belonging to the R. I. A. , as we are informed by Mr. O'Cmry, relates to Ferns, Clonmore, &c. See "County Wexford Extracts," in I. O. S. MSS. , vol. i. , p. 379.
See "Irish Ecclesiastical Record, "vol. vii. ,
p. 364.
4» It is stated by Abbe Ma-Geoghegan,
that his death occurred on the 9th of Janu- ary, A. D. 599, at the age of sixty-six, apd in
the twenty-seventh year of his reign. See " Histoire de I'Irlande, Ancienne et Mo-
deme," tome i. , partie ii. , chap, iii. , p. 301. 5° Thus we have an account, regarding a
44 Now known as Clonmore.
the Rev. William Reeves, this is a
in the barony of Bantry, in the centre of the
coimty of Wexford. It was formerly called
Cluain-mor-Dicholla Gairbh. This is not
to be confounded with Cluain-mor Maedhoc,
which is mentioned in the Annals, and which
was so called from another St. Moedhoc, Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap. xvi. whose day is April ii ; his church is Clon-
more, in the county of Carlow. " See his
paper, "On Some Ecclesiastical Bells," &c.
45 Archdall falls into the error of con- founding two different saints with their re- spective churches. See his "Monasticon Hibemicum,"p. 734.
4«0r "the fort of the sacks," so called from the remarkable stratagem which de- cided this battle. See "
S3 By Colgan.
5* The object of this expedition, we are told, was to assert northern superiority over and to devastate the more southern portion of our island. It was intended, likewise, to humble the acquired pretensions of the Leinster people, owing to their recent suc- cesses.
of
p. 86.
and he there
that very glaring anachronisms must be re- marked. These are the inversions of historic incidents, which are not found mentioned in the "Codex Insulensis. " He appears to have supposed that a third battle, not dis- coverable from our records, might have been fought between the men of Leinster and of the North. See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," xxxi. Januarii, n. 49, p. 220.
Ireland,
Ancient and
Modem," chap, x. ,
55 has a Colgan
note,
observes,
47 See Rev. Dr. Reeves "On Some Ec- clesiastical Bells in the collection of the Lord Primate. "
4^ To this occasion it is said must be re- ferred the Leinster king's bestowal on St, Aidan of the royal seat at Ferns, its ban-
quetting halls and champions' apartments, its woods and hunting grounds, and other'
According '*
supreme Irish monarch, joined by the Kings of Connaught and Ulster, had collected a great army. It was marshalled under difife- rent chieftains, and then he marched against the Leinster people.
Haverty's History
to parish
war which broke out. The of
King Tara,
S' See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemire," xxxi.
s^ Incorrectly called Cuasg, in St. Mai- doc's acts, as published.
January 31. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 551
Perhaps, owing to some confusion which occurs in the introduction of this
battle, and that chronological inaccuracy of making Cumuscach vindicate the death of his father, we are not to believe, that a third battle had been fought to settle the differences of the Leinster people and their northern adversaries ; but possibly, the writer of our saint's life had received, on doubtful authority, a false version respecting those warlike occurrences. He had confounded either the battle of Dunbolg, or of Dun-bucat, with the contest which he afterwards mentions. In a former part of our saint's acts, his biographer had already alluded to the battle of Dunbolg, in which ^dus lost his life.
s^ The reigning King of Leinsters? —so state the acts—came to holy Archbishop St. Maidoc, when he heard of the danger that threatened, and then com- plained of this unjust invasion. The servant of God^^ encouraged the King ofLeinstertomeettheadvancinghostsboldly; promisingatthesametime, that as many holy men were engaged in the service of God, within his dominions,theyshouldallofferupprayersforhissuccess. Duringthenight, St. Maidocstoodwithhishandsextendedinprayer. 59 Onthedayfollowing, trusting in the God of battles, through his patron St. Maidoc, the Leinster Kingwentforthtomeettheinvadingarmy. Thehostsoftheotherpro- vinces were utterly routed with a loss of twenty-four thousand slain in battle -^
besides many others who fell, in a tumultuous retreat that ensued. ^^
It would appear, that Brandubh must have followed up his victories, by invading the northern parts of Ireland. We read, after the defeat of the monarch Aedh, that Brandubh came to a place called Callachuari, bearing with him much spoil, collected in the north of the island. While moving alongthecoast,^=^acertainlepermeetinghimaskedforalms. Thekinggave him a cow,^3 which had borne a calf Thence proceeding towards his own territorial possessions, Brandubh pitched his camp, on the banks of the River Slaney. While here, he had a vision, which caused him great uneasiness. He then seemed carried to Hell, where demons met him with open jaws. Amongst others, he saw one evil spirit greater and stronger than the rest, placed at the gates. His mouth seemed open, as if prepared to devour, and makingadesperateattempttodrawthekingtowardshim,forthispurpose. At that moment, filled with joy and exceedingly beautiful, a cleric came forward, and placed in the mouth of the dragon a cow, like to that which the king had given to the leper. ^4 Thus, he seemed to rescue this monarch from the
s^From the apparent inaccuracy of narra- nise," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap.
live,regardingasubsequentbattle,wemay Ix. ,pp. 214,215.
perhaps infer, either that the writer's infor- mant was not contemporaneous with the events he related, or that he lived in a diffe- rent part of the country from that place in which they occurred.
^'^ In the Vita S. Aidui, Rev. W. J. Rees' " Lives fof the Cambro-British Saints," p. 241, the shore he passed by is called Ech- drom.
^3 In the life of our saint, the animal Bran- dubh gave is said to have been "ludarium Sancti Aidui. Rev. W. J. Rees' "Lives calvum et flavum. " Colgan remarks on
57 Stated to be Brandubh. See Vita
of the Cambro-British Saints," p. 249.
5^ Maidoc then appears to have been stay-
at his foundation of Cluain DichoUa. See
ing
Rev. Dr. Reeves " On Some Ecclesiastical
Bells," &c. This church probably lay on
Brandubh's line of march to encounter the monarch Aedh.
S9See the "Irish Ecclesiastical Record,"
vol. vii. , pp. 363, 364.
^ See Vita S. Aidui. Rev. W. J. Rees'
Saints," p. Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
this passage, that some MSS. read "lilium,"
while others have "fulvum. " By "Luda-
or " Laodarium," a "heifer," rium," perhaps
is to be understood, perhaps from the Irish word "Laodh," which means a "calf. " Hence " Ludaria " or " Laodaria " is to be interpreted "having a calf. " See n. 28, p. 217. In O'Reilly's "Irish-English Dic- tionary," Iao^ is " a calf" in Irish. In Welsh"Iho. " ^&^subvoce.
"Lives of the Cambro-British
^t See
Irish Ecclesiastical
Record,"
vol.
249.
6' **
See Colgan's
" vii. , p. 365.
552 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
power of his foul adversary. Again, this demon attempted to draw the king
towards him, when the same cleric struck that monster's head with his staff,
andclosedhisfierymouth. However,Brandubhinhisdreamsseemedto
escape a threatened fatality, and his spirit was at once restored to his body.
On awaking from his trance or from sleep, the king told his familiars what
had occurred. So mentally depressing was the influence this vision exercised,
thathisbodilyhealthsufferedinconsequence. Theking'sattendantsthen
brought him to a place, called Inbher Grairachinn. ^s His friends here^
mentioned Maidoc's name, in connection with many miracles which were
wrought. They advised Brandubh to send for holy water, blessed by the
saint. Brandubh " no means but I vi'ill rather in to replied, By ; go person
themanofGod. " Thenascendinghischariot,thekingcametoSt. Maidoc. This latter, hearing of Brandubh's approach, went out to meet him. When
the king saw Maidoc coming at a distance, he cried out " This saint hath
:
rescued me from the demon's mouth, and from the pains of Hell ; now do I knowhisappearance. " Afterwards,thekingprostratedhimselfatoursaint's
" I am
whatsoever you shall prescribe, for my soul's salvation, in the name of God, I will perform. " Then the saint, by prayer, healed all his infirmities. ^7 The king told him what had occurred, in his vision, acknowledging at the same time his great obligations to the Lord's holy servant. Moreover, Brandubh promised that, after his death, his remains and those of his posterity should repose in St. Maidoc's cemetery. ^^ The king then made rich offerings to our saint. Amongst other gifts, he presented that land on which Ferns monastery was built,^9 and where the saint's body reposed, together with Brandubh's remains, and those of his posterity. 7° We are told, that King Brandubh, by his influence, caused a great convocation of clerics and laics, belonging to the province of Leinster, to be assembled at a synod. ''* There
was declared to be annexed to St. Maidoc's see and church at Ferns. After-
feet, saying :
truly
contrite for so much evil and having wrought ;
the archbishopric of Leinster? ^—at first assigned to St. Fiech of Sletty73— wards, we are told, our saint was consecrated and appointed archbishop,74
This event is thought to have taken
city,
7' See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "On Some Eccle-
"
etc.
^^ Dr. Lanigan remarks, that the so-called
archbishops of those times in Ireland, ex-
** The place where he lay ill is called
Bererimtham in the Vita S. Aidui of Rev. strictly speaking, metropolitans invested
in presence of numerous spectators. 75
*5 In a subsequent passage this place on the sea-shore is rendered Inbher Crumchinn. It probably lay on some part of the eastern coast, and in the county of Wexford or Wicklow.
siastical Bells,
W. J. Rees' " Lives of the Cambro-British Saints," p. 242.
with such jurisdiction as the canon law has established. They enjoyed, by courtesy, a sort of honorary pre-eminence, the title pas-
*' See
"
Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol.
vii. , p. 365.
'^See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "On Some Ec-
clesiastical Bells," etc.
^ The Acts of St. Maidoc seem to place
the building of this religious establishment
after the vision of King Brandubh, Yet,
the chronological disorder of these Acts
leaves it doubtful at what period of the in which he endeavours to show, that those
king's career this foundation took place. '•The Acts state, that when our saint had founded Ferns monastery, in this place, a city afterwards arose near it. This city seems to have sprung into importance, and to have been the growth of years, before King Brandubh's close of life, and ere he
are in error who suppose there were not four archbishoprics to be found in Ireland, be- fore the time of Cardinal Paparo, who is said to have established them, but only in the year 11 52. See his " Acta Sanctorum Hi-
bemice," xxxi, Januarii, n. 29, pp. 217» 218.
75 See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
nise," xxxi. Januarii. Vita S. Maidoci, cap.
of it into an thought elevating
archiepiscopal —in other words, an important episcopal—
cepting the primate of Armagh, were not,
sing from one see to another. See
'*
Eccle- siastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap,
xiv. , sec. x. , n. 135, p. 540.
7^ See Gratianus Lucius' "Cambrensis
Eversus," Rev. Dr. Kelly's edition, vol. iii. , cap. xxxi. , pp. 472, 473.
? * Colgan has a long note on this subject,
xxvii. , xxviii. , p. 211. Ferns," p. 436.
" Ecclesiastical His*
two Irish stanzas thus recounts the happy privileges of this place : —
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS
January 31. ]
place A. D. 598,7'5 Qj. during the three following years. At least it must
have occurred before Brandubh's death. 77 Our saint's election by the Leinster bishops was quite in accordance with the disciplinary code, that prevailed at
this early period in the Irish Church. 78 The acts of this synod, how- ever, like so many others, even of more recent date, seem not recoverable at the pre- sent time.
An ecclesiastical an- tiquary would desire to visit the parish and town of Ferns. 79 It is thought to be one of the first among the thirty churches erected by St. Aidan within
Hy-Cainnselach. Ferns parish^ lies within the baronies of Scara- walsh and Gorey. The old abbey of Ferns is ill decay. ^' The ancient city from which it de- rived name has now declined from its for-
_ =„
77 See Dr.
lory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sec. X. , p. 338.
Round Tower belonging lo Ferns Abbey, Co. Wexford.
marginal gloss on the "Feilire" of St. 7* See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of /Engus. The following English version of
Lanigan's
7^ " As yet, none of the metropolitan sees
had been definitively fixed by Rome, but it
was deemed expedient, not to say necessary,
for the maintenance of discipline, and for the
observance of the canonical decrees, that to
each province there should be at least one
bishop enjoying pre-eminence, and invested
with quasi-metropolitan jurisdiction. The
" Moedoc shall sing hymns and the Psalter ;
The desire for constant chaunting is awakened,
By that plain of heavenly sounds ; —O Lord, who rulest the elements! "
"
See Irish Ecclesiastical Record," vol.
vii. , pp. 317, 318.
^ It is bounded on the north by Kilrush
and Carneu parishes ; on the east, by Kil- coom parish ; on the south, by the Clone
MS.
^^
Liber Canonum," drawn up as an
ecclesiastical code of laws for Ireland before
the year 700, expressly sanctions such an
election of a metropolitan by the decree of
his brother bishops, and it cannot surprise
bishops
if,
of all the province should be desirous to have their decree sanction—ed and confirmed by the temporal authority. " "Irish Ecclesi- astical Record," vol. vii. , pp. 364, 365.
7»In the "Leabhar Breac" there is a
us as in the case of St. Aidan, the
''
Plain of Fearna, plain of Fearna, Where the chaste Moedoc shall be \ Plain where are hounds and troops ; Plain that will be filled with sacred
chaunting !
and Kilcormack and
on the west,
by Ballycarney parish.
*' We find a very beautiful ink
drawing
of
parishes
;
554 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 31.
merimportance. ^^ Asmightbeexpected,somevenerableruinsofthepast are left. ^3 in ancient Irish MSS. Ferns is always called Feama.
