Another
indication
of the precise locality for the saint's birth-place may be gathered from that Irish Life, when it mentions the visit of St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
, chap, viii.
, pp.
8vo.
69, 70.
79 See " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," pp.
284 to 287.
^° See " Lectures on the Manuscript Ma-
terials of Ancient Irish History," Lect. xiii. , p. 289, Lect. xvi. , p. 340, Lect. xviii. , p.
^9 See " Nouvelle Biographie Generate, tome vii. , p. 319.
5° See " Lives of the Saints," vol. v. . May 16, pp. 217 to 223.
9' See tome v. , pp. 533, 534. 9= See vol. ii. , p. 741.
"
May i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
phy,92in Les Petits Bollandistes,93 andin the "Dictionary of Christian Biogra- phy. "94 Later still has been published, " Les Voyages Merveilleuxde Saint Bran- dan a la Recherche du Paradis Terrestre," Legende en vers du XIP Siecle, publi^ed'aprfes le Manuscrit du Musee Britannique avec Introduction parFran- cisque-Michel. 95 It is the same, as that—to which allusion has been made and which was addressed to Queen Aaliz. A short Introduction, and some observations on the text, accompany this Legend,
While St. Patrick, about the middle of the fifth century, was in view of Luachra, and on the banks of the Shannon, according to the Irish Tripartite Life,^^ he predicted that a star of the Western World should be born,97 in West Munster, and that he should be the great patriarch of monks. 9^ This prophecy is said to have been delivered, in reference to that mountain range,99 which lies near to the present Castle Island,'°° and to the east of Tralee, in the county of Kerry. This prophecy introduced in consequence of Luachra being mentioned—was intended to announce the birth of St. Brendan, or Braen, the Fair, son of Findlug, belong- ing to the family of Hua Alta, of Ciarraige Luachra. '°' A certain great and wealthy man, named Airde,'°^ who lived in the territory of Kyarragi, had hospitably entertained, one night, the celebrated Prophet, St. Becus Mac De, and the host had asked his guest to predict some new and welcome event, which should soon take place. Then, the prophet said: " This very night, between thee and the sea, shall be born one, whom thou and thy posterity shall serve in time to come, and whom, for his sanctity, many shall venerate. " That very night, also, thirty of the rich host's cows brought forth calves. The country where this event took place is described, as lying about the coasts of Ireland, which are opposite to the setting sun. '°3 Its general name was Kyarragi, or as specified, in some accounts, Ciarraighe '°-» Luachra.
396
93 See "Vies des Saints," tome v. , xvic Jour de Mai, p. 557.
9* Edited by William Smith, LL. D. ,
and Henry Wace, M. A. , vol. i. , pp. 335,
336.
95 A Paris, 1878, 8vo.
9* See the Irish Tripartite Life of . St.
Patrick, part iii. , edited by Miss M. F. Cusack, p. 472.
9' In some accounts—as in the Irish Tri- partite Life—it is stated, that Brenainn, son of the Ua-Altce was to receive birth one hundred and twenty years after St. Patrick's prophecy.
9** This shows St. Brendan was not a na- tive of Clonfert, as some writers have as- serted.
99 There is a veiy interesting description of them, in the " Battle of Magh-Lena," edited by Eugene O'Curry, p. 24.
'°° . See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. vi. , n. (f), pp. 2078,
2079.
'°' The Scholiast on the copy of the Fci-
lirc of St. /Engus, contained in the Leabhar Breac, has a comment on this saint's family, in which he quotes the following stanza, from an Irish Poem :—
O j;AbAif THAC h. A\Xzm bpenAin-o coLm acIcai <Vchc iTiAf Ve^|A nif mef<MT)c Opn cofe CluAin fei\c<M.
It is thus translated, by Dr. Whitley Stokes:
" Since the son of Hua Alltai took it, Brenann with the multitude of his
flocks,
It is not better, it is not the worse, Clonfcrt, from that to this. "
—"Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca- demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. Ixxwi.
'°- He is also called Mac Fidhaigh, in the Irish Life. The site of his house, at the present day, is a beautifully verdant hillock, in the townland of Listrim, and parisii of Ardfert. On the top of this is a plateau, and there the site of an ancient Cahir is easily traceable, but not a stone of it now remains in situ. The people yet call it Cahir-Airde, or Cahirard, rendered by the Rev. Mr. O'Donoghue, "the fort of Airdc. "
'°^ I'^ Marsh's Library copy, the Acts of St. Brendan thus open: " Natus est beatis- sinuis Brendanus Abb. as inzepharia Mumen- ensi pl. aga, in regione qure dicitur Kyarra;^! , qua; gens est circa oras littoiis IlyberniK
contra solis occasum. "
^°* This denomination is drawn from Ciar,
the son of Fergus Mac Roighc, whose dc- scendants occupied it, and from Raighc, which means a district.
'°' A. Jubinal's version of the " Navigatio
—
Sancti Brendani " has "e stagnile regione Mimensium ortus fuit. "
'°* The " Lectio," or "Legenda Brevis " has " venerabilis Brendanus in provincia stagnile Mummensium natus. " See Most Rev. Patrick Francis Moran's "Acta Sancti Brendani," p. 139.
'°7 The townland and town of Tralee, in the parish so named, and in the barony of Trughanacmy, are found, on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Kerry," sheets 21, 29.
"• This district down to the present day is known by the Irish-speaking inhabitants as Cuil—(or the Corner), and the parish in Irish is called Faroiste na Cuiie—so that the Rev. Mr. O'Donoghue considers the form of the name, as given by Duald Mac Ferbuis, to be more correct, than that given in the Irish Life.
"5 Appended to the Pedigrees of St. Brendan, as given in his Book of Genealo- gies, there is a statement, that the saint be- longed to Altraighe-Cuile-beara, or Cin- beara, L. 8, p. 729. Manuscript contained
—"
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
According to one of liis Lives, St. Brendan was born in a marshy region of Munster/°5 Thisdoesnotnecessarilysuppose,thatthesituationwasdamp; but, rather, that is was near that Lough-Uke appearance of the sea,'°^ which is noticeable, at the entrance to Tralee liarbour. '°7 According to a local tradition, Annagh,'°^ which is close to that town, was the place of his nativity. Alltraighe Caille,'°9 situated in Ciarraighe Luachra,"° was the precise dis- trict, according to the Book of Lismore/" and it extended from Slieve- Luachra on the east, to the shore along Tralee Bay, on the west. The de- nomination Altraighe'" has entirely disappeared from Kerry topography for many centuries. Again, there appears to have been a distinction, in this part of the country, between one portion, called Altraighe Cliach,"3 and another, which was known as Altraighe Cuile-beara,"4 or Cinbeara. In the latter, which is stated to have been the portion, extending from the Spa to Fenit Island,St. Brendanisthoughttohavebeenboni. ^s Veryfewtraditionsre- garding the life and times of St. Brendan survive in this district of Ardfert,"^ which was so intimately associated with his history ; and, so far as could be discovered by inquiry, from the old residents, who were likely to know of any such local tradition. "? It seems certain, from the Irish Life of the saint preserved in the Book of Lismore, that he was born,"^ in or near the pre- sent Fenit,"9 now a large townland—about six miles west from Tralee and on the northern shore of Tralee Harbour—consisting of a promontory, lying between that shore and Barrow harbour. It is called Fenit Without, while
May 1 6. ]
397
'°^ The townland and parish of Annagh,
partly in the barony of Corkaguiny, and in the Royal Irish Academy's copy of the
partly in the barony of Truglianacmy, are shown. Ibid. , sheets 28, 29, 37, 38.
'°9 This seems to have been the tract of land, lying between Ardfert, Fenit, and Tralee.
"° Following many old writers, Sir James Ware makes Brendan a native of Kerry. Tradition accords likewise with this asser- tion, and even with greater particularity. See "De Scriptoribus Hibernice," lib. i. , cap. ii. , p. 12.
" Fol. 72.
" Book of Lecan.
"* The parish of Ardfert is situated, partly
in the barony of Clanmaurice, and partly in that of Trughanacmy, and it is shown, on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Majjs for the County of Kerry," sheets 14, 19, 20, 21, 28, 29. The town and townland proper are on sheets 20, 21.
"' Such is the information, conveyed to the writer, in a communication of the Rev. Denis O'Donoghue, P. P. , of Ardfert to
; whom he feels specially indebted, for much of what precedes and follows, in reference to
"= The Rev. Mr. O'Donoghue has derived
it from Alt, meaning the Ua-Alta, who St. Brendan's birth-place.
possessed that large district—raige or regio. That was the sept from whom . St. Brendan sprung.
"-* This seems to have been near Tralee, as the Rev. Mr. O'Donoghue believes ; and, it was the district in which St. Sedna venerated at the 12th of March—son of Ere, and of Mor, the sister of St. David of Mene- via, was born. It is mentioned, in the Feilire of St. iEngus.
"^ As to the precise place of his birth, the Rev. Mr. O'Donoghue could find no trace of an ancient tradition, among the people anywhere in Kerry.
"5 The townland and parish, so named, are in the barony of Trughanacmy, and shown, on the " Ordnance Survey Town- land Maps for the County of Kerry," sheet 28.
"° The accompanying illustration of Fenit
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 1 6. an adjoining island is called Fenit Within. The area of both divisions of
398
Fenit is somewhat less than 700 statute acres
parish in Catholic times, and there were in the Island, at least two ancient churches, the sites of which are marked on the Ordnance Survey Map. At present, there is scarcely any trace remaining, to indicate the site for one of theseoldchurches,althoughitspositioniswellknown. Theruinsbestpre- served of P'enit old church lie a short distance to the west of Fenit Castle;'TM they are destroyed, however, to the very foundations. As appear from these.
Fenit Island and Castle, County of Kerry.
brown stones were used with lime-stone, in the construction. '^' At present, it is not an easy matter to discover, if lime had been used or not, in the building ; for, in a bit of the north wall, w^hich remained several years ago near the east end, no lime was observable, in the mortar. The thickness of the wall was three feet six inches ; the length of the church was thirty-seven feet, six inches; its breadth was fifteen feet. From this description, it is obvious, that the ruins are those of a very ancient church. It was built many centuries ago, and possibly, in or not very long after St. Brendan's time. '" Detachedfromtheseruins—butquitenear—thefoundationsofanotherancient building may be traced ; this was probably a religious establishment, con- nected with the church. All around these ruins, to the distance of five or six perches, there are unmistakable traces of an ancient burial-ground, which has not been used for interments, within the memory of the oldest inhabitants.
Island and its Castle has been drawn on
the wood, by William F. Wakeman, from
a photograph of Mr. Daly, Tralce, procured
through the kindness of Rev. Denis
O'Donoghue, P. P. The engraving is by O'Donoghue, who observes, the ruins,
which he visited, in the beginning of the pre- '" See the communication of Mr. Thomas sent year 1855, are nearly as they had been O'Conor, in " Letters containing Information described, by Mr. Thomas O'Conor, over
Mrs. Millard.
;
yet, they formed a separate
relative to the Antiquities of the County of Kerry, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 15^41. "
"' Such is the opinion of Rev. Denis
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
399
The account from St. Brendan's Irisli Life clearly implies, that the house of his nativity was in Fenit, or in its immediate vicinity.
Another indication of the precise locality for the saint's birth-place may be gathered from that Irish Life, when it mentions the visit of St. Bee Mac De, "the chief prophet of Ireland," to the house of Airde Mac Fitlaigh, the Brugaid, or large farmer, on the advent of Brendan's birth ; where, at the request of his wealthy host, St. Bee Mac De prophesied the birth of St. Brendan, on that very night, between him and the sea. Between the Cahir or Fort of Airde "3 and the sea lies Fenit Island to the west, and about three English miles distant. This suits admirably well the further statement,"'* that the house of Finlogh, the father of St. Brendan, was at a distance from that of Airde; while, there is no locality between Cahir-Airde and the sea, in any other direction, which fits in with that description so completely. An extraordinary illumination was over the house, and Angels hovered there, on i^he night when St. Brendan
was born; and, we are told, that the whole of Altraighe-Caille appeared to be in a blaze of light. This was seen by a holy Bishop, named St. Earc, or Ere, "5 from his residence, which must have commanded a view of that dis- trict, where Brendan was born. This statement should point, likewise, to Fenit, as the place thus seen by St. Ere. Of this saint's connexion with Kerry, there is scarcely any historical trace, except what is given in the Lives of his foster-child, St. Brendan ; but, fortunately, there remains an indelible trace of his connexion with this district, in the name of a very ancient church or sanctuary dedicated to his memory, and probably founded and occupied by himself. This is called Tarmuin-Eirc,'^^ or the sanctuary of Ere, the grass- grown ruins of which are to be seen at Lerrig,"? about three miles to the north of Ardfert. From the swelling slope—on which those venerable ruins lie—Fenit is distant about seven miles to the south-west. It can easily be seen from that spot, as there is no high ground intervening. We may, therefore, well credit that sitatement of the writer, who tells us, that the holy Bishop St. Ere, from his ancient Termon or Sanctuary at Lerrig, looking across
the plains about Ardfert, saw that wondrous light, which "filled all Fenit" on the night of this heavenly-gifted birth.
The celebrated Navigator, St. Brendan, is said to have been the son of Finlogue, or Finnlog. '^^ The wife of Finlog lived a holy life with her husband. Both parents appear to have selected Bishop Ere, as
forty years previous.
'^3 This local denomination is not found on
the Ordnance Survey Maps.
'=* In the Irish Life.
'^5 In the Irish Calendars, there are festi-
County of Kerry," sheets 20, 21. The town- land is divided into north and south.
'^^ In the lower margin of that copy of the Feilire of St. ^ngus, contained in the " Leabhar Breac ;" there is a pedigree thus drawn out by the Commentator : Brenann, son of Findlug, son of Olchu, son of Ogaman,
vals to different saints, bearing this name,
viz. : St. Earc, Priest, at July 13th; St.
Earc, bishop of Domhnach-mor of Magh- son of Findchure, son of Delbna, son of Danihairne, at September 17th; St. Earc, John, son of Usalec, son of Estamon, son of bishop, at October 2nd ; St. Earc, bishop of Mugh Toeth, who is called Ciar, son of Fer- Domhnach-mor, at October 27th ; and St. gus, son of Rossa. Or Brenaind, son of
Earc, bishop of Slane, at November 2nd. It is remarkable, also, that a female saint is
Findlug, son of Olchu, son of Findchath, son of Gossa (? ), son of Gaible, son of Ecne, son of Altae. See "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. Ixxxvii.
'-' Thus we read : " cujus pater Findluag nomine erat fidelis, qui cum uxore sua in legitimo matrimonio sub confessione Erci Episcopi vivebat. " Prima Vita S. Brendani,
named Earc, daughter of Sinell of Miliuc her feast is at the 24th of October.
;
'^* This denomination is not to be found, on the '' Ordnance Survey Townland Maps," relating to the district.
'^7 This is a town and townland, in the
parish of Kilmoyly, and barony of Clan-
maurice. They are noted, on the " Ord- cap. i. , p. i. Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's nance Survey Townland Maps for the " Acta Sancti Brendani. "
—
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
their confessor or siiiriiual director. '^9 According to St. Brendan's Irish Life,'3° he had a brother, wlio was a bishop, named Domanigen, and whose feast has been assigned to the 29th of April;'3i while, he had a sister, called Briga, or Brigh,'32 said to have been of Enach-duin. '^s Thus, St. Brendan was descended from the race of Ciar, son to Ferghus, son of Ros, son to Rudhraighe. Several years after the death of St. Patrick, his nativity took place, and probably towards the close of the fifth century. '34
Aswehavestated,Brendansprungfromregalancestors. Beforethebirth, his mother had a vision, in which a miraculous brilliancy surrounded her, and raysofgreatsplendour—seemingasfinestgold—issuedfromherbreasts. This circumstance she related to Bishop Ere, wlio thus interpreted it, by exclaiming : " O happy woman, a man of admirable blessedness, and full of the Holy Spirit, shall in due course be born to thee. " Not long afterwards, that predic- tion was fulfilled, in the birth of St. Brendan. '35 The period to which his birth has been referred was one fruitful of great glory for the Church in Ire- land. Through every quarter of the land, churches and monasteries might be seen rising ; then began those schools and colleges, which, down to the Middle Ages, continued to attract to their halls the youth of Continental na- tions. Both sexes participated in the glory of this renaissance ; and, we are told, in the neighbourhood of holy anchorets lived anchoretesses no less holy. Companies of virgins followed their spiritual mothers, as troops of disciples journeyedwiththeirmasters. Thesistersbecamethepossessorsofthehouses, which monks built ; the convents were open equally to the brethren and sisters; and, in this way, those pious relations among the members of both sexes sprungup,andwhichproducedsuchhappyfruit. Thesistersbecamenurses of the young ; and their pupils frequently became Bishops and Abbots, as we find exemplified in the case of our present saint. The Fourth Life of St.
Patrick, as also the Tripartite, state St. Brendan to have been born one hun- dred and twenty years, after the great Irish Aposde's death. '36 However, this is generally understood to be a mistake of statement and of calculation. '37 According to one supposition, '38 St. Patrick died a. d. 465 ; and, the birth of St. Brendan followed, about twenty years later, viz. , a. d. 484. The wealthy Airde having been shown by St. Bee Mac De '39 the house, in which the infant was to receive birth, that host arose in the morning, and went to the place, where prostrate on his knees, he venerated the newly-born child. Raising the infant to his bosom, Airde cried out, before all who were pre- sent: "O son, I acknowledge thee to be my foster-child, and receive me as thy fosterer. " He also presented the thirty cows with their calves, as an oftering to him, and then Airde joyfully returned to his home ; for his family and dwelling-place were within the future parish of St. Brendan. '-t" Owing to the
400
Brendan was born.
'^s See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's
" Acta Sancti Brelidani," Prima Vita, cap. i. , p. i.
'^ See Colgan's " Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Vita S. Patricii, cap. Ixxix. , p. 44, and Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, iii. , cap. xlvii. , p. 158.
'3? It is thought, by Colgan, the numerals of January. See the " Martyrology of cxx. had been placed in error by some scribe
«3o See chap. vi.
3' Thus, at the third of the Kalends of May, the calendar quotes him as follows : "Domanigen Bishop of Tuaim, Muscraighe, j. e. , son of Fionlugh, brother of Brendan, son of Fionnlugh, who was of the race of Ciar, son of Fergus, son of Ros, son of Rudh- raighe. "
"^ Her feast has been assigned to the 7th
Donegal," edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves,
pp. 8^ g.
"3 According to St. Brendan's Irish Life,
atchap. Ixix.
»3< It has l)een asserted, by Rev. Dr.
Lanigan, St. Patrick did not live until A. D. 484, this being the year, in which
for xxx.
'J^ See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's " Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap. Ti. , sect, viii. , n. 85, p. 292.
'3' His feast occurs, at the I2lh of Octo- ber.
'«° Se« Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 401
. miraculous manifestations vouchsafed to him, St. Ere '' was induced, to pro- ceed on the following day, to seek out the child of Benediction, whose birth wassignalizedinsoextraordinaryamanner. TakingBrendanintohisarms, Ere cried out : " O man of the Living God ! receive me as thy obedient monk. Oman of God! how the hearts of men ought rejoice at thy birth, when the Angels of Fleaven are glad of thy coming ! And, my heart, above that of all others, bounds with love for thee. " So great was his emotion, that the Bishop burst into tears. Then, having baptized the infant, this latter received thenameofBrendan,bywhichhewasafterwardssowellknown. Having then blessed him. Bishop Ere returned to his own home. ''*^ This baptism, according to a local tradition, took place at Tubrid Beg,'43 about five miles from Tralee. Adjoining the well are said to be traces of the. convent of St. Ita, or Ida,'44 who reared the saint. '^s The Irish Life of St. Brendan iden- tifies the spot, where he had been baptized, as Tubber-na-Molt, or the Wedders' Well. This is situated in the townland of Tubrid, not far from
Ardfert, and in the same parish.
According to his Irish Life, it may be observed, that the saint had
at first got from his family the name of Mobi. He was afterwards called Brendan, or Broenfind, meaning "fair," or "bright drop," because of the wonderful light that shone on the night of his birth over that house, where he was born, and it " filled all Fenit. "'46 After baptism, the infant remained only one year, in the house of his parents. It appears, that at the end of this time. Bishop Ere had some providential design in view, and he came to lead Brendan away from his family, at that early age. A female descendant of the princely house of the Desii, in the county of Waterford, whom the annalists style St. Ita,'47 was enrolled at an early age, in the list of consecrated virgins. . She repaired to the territory of Hy-Conaill, in the county of Limerick. There ,she fixed her residence, and was soon joined by great numbers of pious maidens. To her nunnery, Brendan was brought by Bishop Ere, where the holy virgin assumed the duty of rearing and of educating her young foster-son.
For five years, she nurtured the boy, with great care and tenderness. He was of a joyous temperament, and his dispositions were gentle, so that his foster- mother had a great affection for her infant charge. One day, she asked what gave him such delight, as had been manifested in his looks. With artless simplicity, the child said : " Because I see you and the other pious nuns
" Acta Sancti Brendani," Prima Vita, cap. ii. , p. 2.
'•*' The Rev. S. Baring-Gould thinks he was, perhaps, the celebrated bishop of Slane, so called. See " Lives of the Saints," vol. v. , May 16, p. 217. We suppose, however, that he was quite a different person, and locally connected with Kerry.
^^ See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's " Acta Sancti Brendani," Prima Vita, cap. iii. , p. . 3.
"*3 This place, in the barony of Clan- maurice, is noted, on the " Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the County of Kerry," sheet 21.
144 Her feast occurs, on the 15th of January.
145 For the foregoing information, the writer is indebted to Mrs.
69, 70.
79 See " Kalendars of Scottish Saints," pp.
284 to 287.
^° See " Lectures on the Manuscript Ma-
terials of Ancient Irish History," Lect. xiii. , p. 289, Lect. xvi. , p. 340, Lect. xviii. , p.
^9 See " Nouvelle Biographie Generate, tome vii. , p. 319.
5° See " Lives of the Saints," vol. v. . May 16, pp. 217 to 223.
9' See tome v. , pp. 533, 534. 9= See vol. ii. , p. 741.
"
May i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
phy,92in Les Petits Bollandistes,93 andin the "Dictionary of Christian Biogra- phy. "94 Later still has been published, " Les Voyages Merveilleuxde Saint Bran- dan a la Recherche du Paradis Terrestre," Legende en vers du XIP Siecle, publi^ed'aprfes le Manuscrit du Musee Britannique avec Introduction parFran- cisque-Michel. 95 It is the same, as that—to which allusion has been made and which was addressed to Queen Aaliz. A short Introduction, and some observations on the text, accompany this Legend,
While St. Patrick, about the middle of the fifth century, was in view of Luachra, and on the banks of the Shannon, according to the Irish Tripartite Life,^^ he predicted that a star of the Western World should be born,97 in West Munster, and that he should be the great patriarch of monks. 9^ This prophecy is said to have been delivered, in reference to that mountain range,99 which lies near to the present Castle Island,'°° and to the east of Tralee, in the county of Kerry. This prophecy introduced in consequence of Luachra being mentioned—was intended to announce the birth of St. Brendan, or Braen, the Fair, son of Findlug, belong- ing to the family of Hua Alta, of Ciarraige Luachra. '°' A certain great and wealthy man, named Airde,'°^ who lived in the territory of Kyarragi, had hospitably entertained, one night, the celebrated Prophet, St. Becus Mac De, and the host had asked his guest to predict some new and welcome event, which should soon take place. Then, the prophet said: " This very night, between thee and the sea, shall be born one, whom thou and thy posterity shall serve in time to come, and whom, for his sanctity, many shall venerate. " That very night, also, thirty of the rich host's cows brought forth calves. The country where this event took place is described, as lying about the coasts of Ireland, which are opposite to the setting sun. '°3 Its general name was Kyarragi, or as specified, in some accounts, Ciarraighe '°-» Luachra.
396
93 See "Vies des Saints," tome v. , xvic Jour de Mai, p. 557.
9* Edited by William Smith, LL. D. ,
and Henry Wace, M. A. , vol. i. , pp. 335,
336.
95 A Paris, 1878, 8vo.
9* See the Irish Tripartite Life of . St.
Patrick, part iii. , edited by Miss M. F. Cusack, p. 472.
9' In some accounts—as in the Irish Tri- partite Life—it is stated, that Brenainn, son of the Ua-Altce was to receive birth one hundred and twenty years after St. Patrick's prophecy.
9** This shows St. Brendan was not a na- tive of Clonfert, as some writers have as- serted.
99 There is a veiy interesting description of them, in the " Battle of Magh-Lena," edited by Eugene O'Curry, p. 24.
'°° . See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. vi. , n. (f), pp. 2078,
2079.
'°' The Scholiast on the copy of the Fci-
lirc of St. /Engus, contained in the Leabhar Breac, has a comment on this saint's family, in which he quotes the following stanza, from an Irish Poem :—
O j;AbAif THAC h. A\Xzm bpenAin-o coLm acIcai <Vchc iTiAf Ve^|A nif mef<MT)c Opn cofe CluAin fei\c<M.
It is thus translated, by Dr. Whitley Stokes:
" Since the son of Hua Alltai took it, Brenann with the multitude of his
flocks,
It is not better, it is not the worse, Clonfcrt, from that to this. "
—"Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca- demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. Ixxwi.
'°- He is also called Mac Fidhaigh, in the Irish Life. The site of his house, at the present day, is a beautifully verdant hillock, in the townland of Listrim, and parisii of Ardfert. On the top of this is a plateau, and there the site of an ancient Cahir is easily traceable, but not a stone of it now remains in situ. The people yet call it Cahir-Airde, or Cahirard, rendered by the Rev. Mr. O'Donoghue, "the fort of Airdc. "
'°^ I'^ Marsh's Library copy, the Acts of St. Brendan thus open: " Natus est beatis- sinuis Brendanus Abb. as inzepharia Mumen- ensi pl. aga, in regione qure dicitur Kyarra;^! , qua; gens est circa oras littoiis IlyberniK
contra solis occasum. "
^°* This denomination is drawn from Ciar,
the son of Fergus Mac Roighc, whose dc- scendants occupied it, and from Raighc, which means a district.
'°' A. Jubinal's version of the " Navigatio
—
Sancti Brendani " has "e stagnile regione Mimensium ortus fuit. "
'°* The " Lectio," or "Legenda Brevis " has " venerabilis Brendanus in provincia stagnile Mummensium natus. " See Most Rev. Patrick Francis Moran's "Acta Sancti Brendani," p. 139.
'°7 The townland and town of Tralee, in the parish so named, and in the barony of Trughanacmy, are found, on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Kerry," sheets 21, 29.
"• This district down to the present day is known by the Irish-speaking inhabitants as Cuil—(or the Corner), and the parish in Irish is called Faroiste na Cuiie—so that the Rev. Mr. O'Donoghue considers the form of the name, as given by Duald Mac Ferbuis, to be more correct, than that given in the Irish Life.
"5 Appended to the Pedigrees of St. Brendan, as given in his Book of Genealo- gies, there is a statement, that the saint be- longed to Altraighe-Cuile-beara, or Cin- beara, L. 8, p. 729. Manuscript contained
—"
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
According to one of liis Lives, St. Brendan was born in a marshy region of Munster/°5 Thisdoesnotnecessarilysuppose,thatthesituationwasdamp; but, rather, that is was near that Lough-Uke appearance of the sea,'°^ which is noticeable, at the entrance to Tralee liarbour. '°7 According to a local tradition, Annagh,'°^ which is close to that town, was the place of his nativity. Alltraighe Caille,'°9 situated in Ciarraighe Luachra,"° was the precise dis- trict, according to the Book of Lismore/" and it extended from Slieve- Luachra on the east, to the shore along Tralee Bay, on the west. The de- nomination Altraighe'" has entirely disappeared from Kerry topography for many centuries. Again, there appears to have been a distinction, in this part of the country, between one portion, called Altraighe Cliach,"3 and another, which was known as Altraighe Cuile-beara,"4 or Cinbeara. In the latter, which is stated to have been the portion, extending from the Spa to Fenit Island,St. Brendanisthoughttohavebeenboni. ^s Veryfewtraditionsre- garding the life and times of St. Brendan survive in this district of Ardfert,"^ which was so intimately associated with his history ; and, so far as could be discovered by inquiry, from the old residents, who were likely to know of any such local tradition. "? It seems certain, from the Irish Life of the saint preserved in the Book of Lismore, that he was born,"^ in or near the pre- sent Fenit,"9 now a large townland—about six miles west from Tralee and on the northern shore of Tralee Harbour—consisting of a promontory, lying between that shore and Barrow harbour. It is called Fenit Without, while
May 1 6. ]
397
'°^ The townland and parish of Annagh,
partly in the barony of Corkaguiny, and in the Royal Irish Academy's copy of the
partly in the barony of Truglianacmy, are shown. Ibid. , sheets 28, 29, 37, 38.
'°9 This seems to have been the tract of land, lying between Ardfert, Fenit, and Tralee.
"° Following many old writers, Sir James Ware makes Brendan a native of Kerry. Tradition accords likewise with this asser- tion, and even with greater particularity. See "De Scriptoribus Hibernice," lib. i. , cap. ii. , p. 12.
" Fol. 72.
" Book of Lecan.
"* The parish of Ardfert is situated, partly
in the barony of Clanmaurice, and partly in that of Trughanacmy, and it is shown, on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Majjs for the County of Kerry," sheets 14, 19, 20, 21, 28, 29. The town and townland proper are on sheets 20, 21.
"' Such is the information, conveyed to the writer, in a communication of the Rev. Denis O'Donoghue, P. P. , of Ardfert to
; whom he feels specially indebted, for much of what precedes and follows, in reference to
"= The Rev. Mr. O'Donoghue has derived
it from Alt, meaning the Ua-Alta, who St. Brendan's birth-place.
possessed that large district—raige or regio. That was the sept from whom . St. Brendan sprung.
"-* This seems to have been near Tralee, as the Rev. Mr. O'Donoghue believes ; and, it was the district in which St. Sedna venerated at the 12th of March—son of Ere, and of Mor, the sister of St. David of Mene- via, was born. It is mentioned, in the Feilire of St. iEngus.
"^ As to the precise place of his birth, the Rev. Mr. O'Donoghue could find no trace of an ancient tradition, among the people anywhere in Kerry.
"5 The townland and parish, so named, are in the barony of Trughanacmy, and shown, on the " Ordnance Survey Town- land Maps for the County of Kerry," sheet 28.
"° The accompanying illustration of Fenit
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 1 6. an adjoining island is called Fenit Within. The area of both divisions of
398
Fenit is somewhat less than 700 statute acres
parish in Catholic times, and there were in the Island, at least two ancient churches, the sites of which are marked on the Ordnance Survey Map. At present, there is scarcely any trace remaining, to indicate the site for one of theseoldchurches,althoughitspositioniswellknown. Theruinsbestpre- served of P'enit old church lie a short distance to the west of Fenit Castle;'TM they are destroyed, however, to the very foundations. As appear from these.
Fenit Island and Castle, County of Kerry.
brown stones were used with lime-stone, in the construction. '^' At present, it is not an easy matter to discover, if lime had been used or not, in the building ; for, in a bit of the north wall, w^hich remained several years ago near the east end, no lime was observable, in the mortar. The thickness of the wall was three feet six inches ; the length of the church was thirty-seven feet, six inches; its breadth was fifteen feet. From this description, it is obvious, that the ruins are those of a very ancient church. It was built many centuries ago, and possibly, in or not very long after St. Brendan's time. '" Detachedfromtheseruins—butquitenear—thefoundationsofanotherancient building may be traced ; this was probably a religious establishment, con- nected with the church. All around these ruins, to the distance of five or six perches, there are unmistakable traces of an ancient burial-ground, which has not been used for interments, within the memory of the oldest inhabitants.
Island and its Castle has been drawn on
the wood, by William F. Wakeman, from
a photograph of Mr. Daly, Tralce, procured
through the kindness of Rev. Denis
O'Donoghue, P. P. The engraving is by O'Donoghue, who observes, the ruins,
which he visited, in the beginning of the pre- '" See the communication of Mr. Thomas sent year 1855, are nearly as they had been O'Conor, in " Letters containing Information described, by Mr. Thomas O'Conor, over
Mrs. Millard.
;
yet, they formed a separate
relative to the Antiquities of the County of Kerry, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 15^41. "
"' Such is the opinion of Rev. Denis
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
399
The account from St. Brendan's Irisli Life clearly implies, that the house of his nativity was in Fenit, or in its immediate vicinity.
Another indication of the precise locality for the saint's birth-place may be gathered from that Irish Life, when it mentions the visit of St. Bee Mac De, "the chief prophet of Ireland," to the house of Airde Mac Fitlaigh, the Brugaid, or large farmer, on the advent of Brendan's birth ; where, at the request of his wealthy host, St. Bee Mac De prophesied the birth of St. Brendan, on that very night, between him and the sea. Between the Cahir or Fort of Airde "3 and the sea lies Fenit Island to the west, and about three English miles distant. This suits admirably well the further statement,"'* that the house of Finlogh, the father of St. Brendan, was at a distance from that of Airde; while, there is no locality between Cahir-Airde and the sea, in any other direction, which fits in with that description so completely. An extraordinary illumination was over the house, and Angels hovered there, on i^he night when St. Brendan
was born; and, we are told, that the whole of Altraighe-Caille appeared to be in a blaze of light. This was seen by a holy Bishop, named St. Earc, or Ere, "5 from his residence, which must have commanded a view of that dis- trict, where Brendan was born. This statement should point, likewise, to Fenit, as the place thus seen by St. Ere. Of this saint's connexion with Kerry, there is scarcely any historical trace, except what is given in the Lives of his foster-child, St. Brendan ; but, fortunately, there remains an indelible trace of his connexion with this district, in the name of a very ancient church or sanctuary dedicated to his memory, and probably founded and occupied by himself. This is called Tarmuin-Eirc,'^^ or the sanctuary of Ere, the grass- grown ruins of which are to be seen at Lerrig,"? about three miles to the north of Ardfert. From the swelling slope—on which those venerable ruins lie—Fenit is distant about seven miles to the south-west. It can easily be seen from that spot, as there is no high ground intervening. We may, therefore, well credit that sitatement of the writer, who tells us, that the holy Bishop St. Ere, from his ancient Termon or Sanctuary at Lerrig, looking across
the plains about Ardfert, saw that wondrous light, which "filled all Fenit" on the night of this heavenly-gifted birth.
The celebrated Navigator, St. Brendan, is said to have been the son of Finlogue, or Finnlog. '^^ The wife of Finlog lived a holy life with her husband. Both parents appear to have selected Bishop Ere, as
forty years previous.
'^3 This local denomination is not found on
the Ordnance Survey Maps.
'=* In the Irish Life.
'^5 In the Irish Calendars, there are festi-
County of Kerry," sheets 20, 21. The town- land is divided into north and south.
'^^ In the lower margin of that copy of the Feilire of St. ^ngus, contained in the " Leabhar Breac ;" there is a pedigree thus drawn out by the Commentator : Brenann, son of Findlug, son of Olchu, son of Ogaman,
vals to different saints, bearing this name,
viz. : St. Earc, Priest, at July 13th; St.
Earc, bishop of Domhnach-mor of Magh- son of Findchure, son of Delbna, son of Danihairne, at September 17th; St. Earc, John, son of Usalec, son of Estamon, son of bishop, at October 2nd ; St. Earc, bishop of Mugh Toeth, who is called Ciar, son of Fer- Domhnach-mor, at October 27th ; and St. gus, son of Rossa. Or Brenaind, son of
Earc, bishop of Slane, at November 2nd. It is remarkable, also, that a female saint is
Findlug, son of Olchu, son of Findchath, son of Gossa (? ), son of Gaible, son of Ecne, son of Altae. See "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. Ixxxvii.
'-' Thus we read : " cujus pater Findluag nomine erat fidelis, qui cum uxore sua in legitimo matrimonio sub confessione Erci Episcopi vivebat. " Prima Vita S. Brendani,
named Earc, daughter of Sinell of Miliuc her feast is at the 24th of October.
;
'^* This denomination is not to be found, on the '' Ordnance Survey Townland Maps," relating to the district.
'^7 This is a town and townland, in the
parish of Kilmoyly, and barony of Clan-
maurice. They are noted, on the " Ord- cap. i. , p. i. Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's nance Survey Townland Maps for the " Acta Sancti Brendani. "
—
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
their confessor or siiiriiual director. '^9 According to St. Brendan's Irish Life,'3° he had a brother, wlio was a bishop, named Domanigen, and whose feast has been assigned to the 29th of April;'3i while, he had a sister, called Briga, or Brigh,'32 said to have been of Enach-duin. '^s Thus, St. Brendan was descended from the race of Ciar, son to Ferghus, son of Ros, son to Rudhraighe. Several years after the death of St. Patrick, his nativity took place, and probably towards the close of the fifth century. '34
Aswehavestated,Brendansprungfromregalancestors. Beforethebirth, his mother had a vision, in which a miraculous brilliancy surrounded her, and raysofgreatsplendour—seemingasfinestgold—issuedfromherbreasts. This circumstance she related to Bishop Ere, wlio thus interpreted it, by exclaiming : " O happy woman, a man of admirable blessedness, and full of the Holy Spirit, shall in due course be born to thee. " Not long afterwards, that predic- tion was fulfilled, in the birth of St. Brendan. '35 The period to which his birth has been referred was one fruitful of great glory for the Church in Ire- land. Through every quarter of the land, churches and monasteries might be seen rising ; then began those schools and colleges, which, down to the Middle Ages, continued to attract to their halls the youth of Continental na- tions. Both sexes participated in the glory of this renaissance ; and, we are told, in the neighbourhood of holy anchorets lived anchoretesses no less holy. Companies of virgins followed their spiritual mothers, as troops of disciples journeyedwiththeirmasters. Thesistersbecamethepossessorsofthehouses, which monks built ; the convents were open equally to the brethren and sisters; and, in this way, those pious relations among the members of both sexes sprungup,andwhichproducedsuchhappyfruit. Thesistersbecamenurses of the young ; and their pupils frequently became Bishops and Abbots, as we find exemplified in the case of our present saint. The Fourth Life of St.
Patrick, as also the Tripartite, state St. Brendan to have been born one hun- dred and twenty years, after the great Irish Aposde's death. '36 However, this is generally understood to be a mistake of statement and of calculation. '37 According to one supposition, '38 St. Patrick died a. d. 465 ; and, the birth of St. Brendan followed, about twenty years later, viz. , a. d. 484. The wealthy Airde having been shown by St. Bee Mac De '39 the house, in which the infant was to receive birth, that host arose in the morning, and went to the place, where prostrate on his knees, he venerated the newly-born child. Raising the infant to his bosom, Airde cried out, before all who were pre- sent: "O son, I acknowledge thee to be my foster-child, and receive me as thy fosterer. " He also presented the thirty cows with their calves, as an oftering to him, and then Airde joyfully returned to his home ; for his family and dwelling-place were within the future parish of St. Brendan. '-t" Owing to the
400
Brendan was born.
'^s See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's
" Acta Sancti Brelidani," Prima Vita, cap. i. , p. i.
'^ See Colgan's " Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Vita S. Patricii, cap. Ixxix. , p. 44, and Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, iii. , cap. xlvii. , p. 158.
'3? It is thought, by Colgan, the numerals of January. See the " Martyrology of cxx. had been placed in error by some scribe
«3o See chap. vi.
3' Thus, at the third of the Kalends of May, the calendar quotes him as follows : "Domanigen Bishop of Tuaim, Muscraighe, j. e. , son of Fionlugh, brother of Brendan, son of Fionnlugh, who was of the race of Ciar, son of Fergus, son of Ros, son of Rudh- raighe. "
"^ Her feast has been assigned to the 7th
Donegal," edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves,
pp. 8^ g.
"3 According to St. Brendan's Irish Life,
atchap. Ixix.
»3< It has l)een asserted, by Rev. Dr.
Lanigan, St. Patrick did not live until A. D. 484, this being the year, in which
for xxx.
'J^ See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's " Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap. Ti. , sect, viii. , n. 85, p. 292.
'3' His feast occurs, at the I2lh of Octo- ber.
'«° Se« Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 401
. miraculous manifestations vouchsafed to him, St. Ere '' was induced, to pro- ceed on the following day, to seek out the child of Benediction, whose birth wassignalizedinsoextraordinaryamanner. TakingBrendanintohisarms, Ere cried out : " O man of the Living God ! receive me as thy obedient monk. Oman of God! how the hearts of men ought rejoice at thy birth, when the Angels of Fleaven are glad of thy coming ! And, my heart, above that of all others, bounds with love for thee. " So great was his emotion, that the Bishop burst into tears. Then, having baptized the infant, this latter received thenameofBrendan,bywhichhewasafterwardssowellknown. Having then blessed him. Bishop Ere returned to his own home. ''*^ This baptism, according to a local tradition, took place at Tubrid Beg,'43 about five miles from Tralee. Adjoining the well are said to be traces of the. convent of St. Ita, or Ida,'44 who reared the saint. '^s The Irish Life of St. Brendan iden- tifies the spot, where he had been baptized, as Tubber-na-Molt, or the Wedders' Well. This is situated in the townland of Tubrid, not far from
Ardfert, and in the same parish.
According to his Irish Life, it may be observed, that the saint had
at first got from his family the name of Mobi. He was afterwards called Brendan, or Broenfind, meaning "fair," or "bright drop," because of the wonderful light that shone on the night of his birth over that house, where he was born, and it " filled all Fenit. "'46 After baptism, the infant remained only one year, in the house of his parents. It appears, that at the end of this time. Bishop Ere had some providential design in view, and he came to lead Brendan away from his family, at that early age. A female descendant of the princely house of the Desii, in the county of Waterford, whom the annalists style St. Ita,'47 was enrolled at an early age, in the list of consecrated virgins. . She repaired to the territory of Hy-Conaill, in the county of Limerick. There ,she fixed her residence, and was soon joined by great numbers of pious maidens. To her nunnery, Brendan was brought by Bishop Ere, where the holy virgin assumed the duty of rearing and of educating her young foster-son.
For five years, she nurtured the boy, with great care and tenderness. He was of a joyous temperament, and his dispositions were gentle, so that his foster- mother had a great affection for her infant charge. One day, she asked what gave him such delight, as had been manifested in his looks. With artless simplicity, the child said : " Because I see you and the other pious nuns
" Acta Sancti Brendani," Prima Vita, cap. ii. , p. 2.
'•*' The Rev. S. Baring-Gould thinks he was, perhaps, the celebrated bishop of Slane, so called. See " Lives of the Saints," vol. v. , May 16, p. 217. We suppose, however, that he was quite a different person, and locally connected with Kerry.
^^ See Most Rev. Patrick F. Moran's " Acta Sancti Brendani," Prima Vita, cap. iii. , p. . 3.
"*3 This place, in the barony of Clan- maurice, is noted, on the " Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the County of Kerry," sheet 21.
144 Her feast occurs, on the 15th of January.
145 For the foregoing information, the writer is indebted to Mrs.
