Hall's
exquisite
work : "Ire- land : its Scenery, Character," &c.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
Article II. —Loichen, of Cong, County of Mayo. It is remark- able, in the early times of Christia^nity, that when the Pagans burned their dead, the Christians placed their bodies in sepulchres. The faithful were taught by Christ, that death was only sleep, and that the bodies of the dead should be deposited in a place of rest. Thus, the present term of cemetery,
which is taken from a Greek
Island, together with this idea, was a sentiment, universally felt by our Chris- tian ancestors, that while the cemetery most appropriately adjoined the church of a locality, there, too, were the congregations to regard it, as the place of their resurrection. In the present connexion, it is a pleasing circumstance to record those enlightened efforts made to preserve the walls,' if not to restore an Irish fane, which had formerly a wide-spread celebrity. The remark applied to Normandy, by a learned ecclesiastic, that if the cemetery sur- rounded the church, the church itself was oftentimes one vast cemetery,'' has
*' The following stanza is from the "Leab- "
har Breac copy, with Whitley Stokes' English translation : —
Ldpeit peciip ceochom DpebivAing nia|\cj\A rhbuaoe CotiAchtetp cam oine X)onn<in eja huape.
"With the feast of Deacon Peter, who
betlangori medebatur, K. " Seep. 197. Jbid. ** There is a tine old Map of ihe Isles of
Rum, Egg, Muck, and Kannog, royal folio size, compiled about 1620, by T. Pont.
« See Joseph Anderson's " Scotland in Early Christian Times," First Series, Lec- ture v. , p. 193, note I.
5° See " Collections on the Shires of Aber- "
deen and Banff, p. 505.
5'Seetlie "OrilnanceSurveyTownland
for the — of sheet 12. Maps County Dublin,"
to victorious
sprang martyrdom,
with his
clergy a fair assemblage (? ), Donnan of chilly Eca. "
"Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
104, 105. See, likewise, pp. 404, 405.
" See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scottish Saints,' at xv. Kl. corresponding with the 17th of April. "Apud Britt. -iniam Sanctus Donnan cum socia turba hoc die
martyrio coronatus est. " See p. 10.
*5 At XV. Kalends of May, or 17th of
Article ii.
view was engraved by . Mrs. Millard.
» See M. I'Abbe Cochet's "La Normaridie Souterraine ou Notices sur des Cimetieres Roinains et des Cimetieres Francs explores en Normandie," Premiere Partie, chap, i. ,
p. I,
April, we find p. 115. Ilnd.
"
Donani ab iii. Lee. '' See
'
Allusion is here made, to that munificence of expenditure, by the late Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, ownerofthesoil, who, over twenty years ago, undertook the work of restoration, so as to preserve the former style of Cong Abbey. Since that time, William F. Wakeman, drew a sketch of the ruins, for Sir William Wilde, whicli with a modern photograph enabled him to prepare the Exterior View of Cong, drawn on the wood, and now illustrating the text. This
" " S. Donane Abot and confess, in Scot- land vnder King Machabeda. " See p. 150. Ibid.
*' Under xvii. "Donanni abbatis patroni in Achtcrles, cujus baculus circulatus cuili-
Vou IV. —No. 4.
N
word, signifies
" a of rest. " In our own place
194 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 17.
like relationsliip to many of our churches, that have disappeared, and where graves are now only to be found. Too frequently, in the past, as at the pre- sent time, have our rulers desecrated and disregarded those pious associations, connected with the churcli and the cemetery. But, our people have even for- gotten the reverence due to them, as did the more culpable Christians of the Middle Ages, in Rome, and whose forefathers, driven from the pagan ceme- teries,3 resorted to the Catacombs,'* while these latter were gradually ne- glected, until their very sites passed away from memory. ' In the Martyrology of Tallagh^ is recorded the name, Lochin, Cunga, at the 17th of April. The place, with which this holy man was connected, and in Irish denominated
" a neck uponthatisthmus,whichdividesLoughMaskfromLoughCorrib. Theplace
Cunga, signifies
/' and,
it is so
called, owing
to its situation peculiar
Exterior View of Cong Abbey, County of Mayo.
is now known as Cong, and it lies on an insulated spot of ground, which is surrounded on all sides, by a number of streams. ' This inconsiderable village—once a town of great note—is beautifully situated, in the barony of Kilmain, and in the county of Mayo. * Its locality was near the great plain
3 Until the year of 257 of the Christian era the Roman laws protected buri. il ground ; but, after that, the Christians were forbidden to use the cemeteries. Then recourse was had to the subterranean chambers, since known as the Catacombs.
* It is calculated, that there are 350 miles ofsubterranean tomb-avenues about Rome, and containing 7,000,000 bodies. The build-
ing of those required an infinity of l. ibour, as some of the Catacomb tombs are fifty feet deep, and often five stories, in height.
s Not until the loth of December, 1593, were the real Catacombs discovered. A learned man then interested himself in the discovery, and worked at excavating the
passages for thirty-six years, in the meantime writing a great number of manuscripts, de- scriptive of the wonderful subterranean ce- metery. Interest was thus awakened. In our own time*, organized societies for the prosecution of that work have been formed.
The men composing these societies have
already made curious and great discove-
ries.
'
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxi. The Franciscan copy has Lochetii Cungi.
' See Sir William Wilde's "Lough Corrib,
its Shores and Islands : with Notices of
Lough Mask," chap, vii. , p. 145.
'See Archdall's "Monasticon Hiberni-
cum," p. 498.
April 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 195
of Moytura, which lay to the west and north, and where a great battle had
beenfought,intheyearoftheworld3303. 9 Thatneighbourhoodwasvery
populous, before tiie period of the Christian era. Traces of the dwellings
and monuments of its former inhabitants even yet remain. '" It does not
appear, that St. Patrick," or any of his immediate attendants, approached
nearer to Cong than Inchangoill ; but, its charming situation pointed it out,
as the site for a religious establishment. This circumstance, and its vast
water-power so suitable for milling establishments, soon called a town into
existence. The origin of a monastery, at this place, has been referred to the
seventh century ; and, some have asserted, that its foundation is traceable to
the celebrated Patron of Fore, in the county of Westmeath. Sir James Ware ob-
serves, that St. Fechin " was said some time to have been Abbot of Cong. For
this,thereseemstobeslightfoundation. '3 Theexistingruinsofecclesiasti-
cal establishments there hardly refer to so early a period. The monastery of
Cong is said, also, to have been founded,'. < by Donald, son of Aed, or Aidus,
——
and grandson 's not nephew as in the English translation of Anmirech, that
is Domnald II. , King of Ireland, who died in 642. However this may be, it is very certain, that at such an early period, it could not have been intended, foracommunityofAugustinianCanons. Thisfoundationhasbeenassigned to A. D. 624, by Sir James Ware ;'* his editor Harris adds, or 635. '^ A St.
Molocus of Cong, whose name is in the Calendars, at the 17th of April, is "
noticed by Father John Colgan. "' With the expletive ww, or my," prefixed, to the Latinized Locus, this is probably intended, as applying to the present
Loichin. It seems probable, enough, although this monastery at Cong might
have been erected, at the expense of King Domnald, that Molocus or
Loichin was really the first Abbot, and probably the chief Patron of the
place ; for, he was the saint, whose name is found joined to that of Cunga. 's
Near Cong, as we are told, is an Island, known as Inis-an-Gael-crabhuig, or
"
the
Island of the religious strangers," in which are the ruins of two chapels,
and many graves of holy men. In conformity with its etymology, tradition
states it to have been one of those marts of literature, which Ireland threw
open to the converted Saxons. ^" It is stated,^' that the ruins of several
churches may be seen here f but, these no longer exist, and the name of
one only remains, at present, attached to the field of the Killeen-breac, or
"
littlespeckledchurch. " Itliestothesouthoftheabbeygrounds. 'sCong
» See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
nn. 32, 33, 34, p. 151. It will be observed, that ten Molacuses are enumerated, in the
foregoing list, as given by Colgan ; although he had said previously, there were eight bearing this name, and different from our saint. Perhaps, two saints of this name were venerated, on two different days of the year, or, perchance, one St. Molacus was com-
Four Masters," vol. i. ,pp. 16, 17.
° See Sir William Wilde's " Lough Corrib, its Shores and Islands ; with No-
tices of Lough Mask," chap, vii. , p. 162.
" See his Life, at the 17th of March.
" See his Life, at the 20th of January, vol.
i. , and chap. i.
"
in the Second Life of St. Fechin, Abbot of Fore.
'* See Sir James Ware, " De Hibemia et
Antiquitatibus ejus,'' cap. xxvi. , p. 222.
'5 Whence Ware derived this information.
the Rev. Dr. Lanigan could not discover.
" See " De Hibemia et Antiquitatibus
ejus," cap, xxvi. , p. 222.
' Probably a mistake for 625. See Harris
Ware, vol. i. , "Antiquities of Ireland, "chap. xxxviii. , p. 268.
'*
See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniac," xx. Januarii, Vita St. Molaggse seu Molaci, &c. ,
on
Apparently, not more than
memorated,
three
different
days.
the " suo "
'» See Colgan's Topograpliicai Index to "
the ActaSanctorumHiberniae. "
"° See John D'Alton's Illustrations of Irish
Topograpliy, No. ii. , in the "Irish Penny Magazine," vol. i. , No. 2, p. 10.
" In the first instance, by Father John
Colgan.
" See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiberni-
cum," p. 501.
»3 In an old garden to the left of the se-
cond eastern bridge, there is a remarkable
stone, called Leach-na-poll, or the "flag- stone of the holes," which is described and
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 17.
196
was originally a bishopric, as regulated by the Synod of Rath-BreasiU, about AD 1010: and, it is thought probable, that this ancient See had been trans- ferred to Aanai-hdown, early in the twelfth century. ^* The locality of Loichen is celebrated, for that delightfully situated old abbey, which had been erected there, about the same period. Many objects of antiquity and of scenic interest are to be found, in connexion with this spot j^s but, the old
monastic ruins are particularly calculataid to impress the visitor. Here died
Roderick O'Conor, the last Monarch of Ireland, in November, 11 98;=" here
ruled a succession of Augustinian Abbot*; and here, too, after the suppression of this Abbey, its possessions fell into the hands of laics, while gradually the
old ecclesiastical buildings were crumbling into decay. ^? The ruins of Cong
Interior View of Cong Abbey, County of Mayo.
Church and Monastery occupy the south-western angle of the Island. '' Only thechancelwallsarenowperfect; butthetombsofmanydistinguishedpersons are still to be seen. The celebrated Cross of Cong was long preserved in this Abbey, and afterwards it was kept in the town ; but, of late years, it has been secured by the Royal Irish Academy, where it is shown, as a choice object of local and medieval art. The Bollandists have no notice of St. Loichen, at the 6th April. On this day, we read, in the Martyrology of Done-
figured,
in Sir William Wilde's "Lough
"^ The accompanying illustration of the in- terior, drawn on the spot, by William F. Wakeman, and by him transferred to the
wood, was engraved by Mrs. Millard.
=8 Samuel Lover, R. H. A. , in the "Irish Penny Magazine," has furnished a beautiful sketch of the Ruins of Cong, as they were in 1833, and it has been copied by Sir William
"
Corrib, its Shores and Islands," &c. , chap,
vii. , pp. 163, 164.
'* See ib'ul. , chap, iv. , p. 64.
'S For very interesting engravings and a description of Cong, the reader is referred to Mr. and Mrs.
Hall's exquisite work : "Ire- land : its Scenery, Character," &c. , vol. iii. , PP- 365 to 377-
No. 2, pp. 9, 10.
Lough Coirib, its Shores and Islands," &:c. , chap, vii. , p.
__ ,. ,,• '' See the " Irish Penny Journal, vol. 1. ,
Wilde, in his work on 170.
April 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 197
gal,»9 that Loichen, of Cong, was venerated. But, the period when he lived does not seem to have been determined.
Article III. —St. Lughaidh Mac Garbain, possibly of Teglaisreann,
County of Louth. At this date, a festival is set down, in the Martyrology of
Tallagh,' in honour of Lughaidh Mac Garbain. He is thought, by Colgan, to have been brother to St. Bega, whose feast occurs at the loth of February. ^ The Bollandists3 have entered Lugadius filius Garvani,* at the i ytli of April. They notice, likewise, a particular Lugadius Praesbyter, who is mentioned in the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, and who is thought, by Colgan, to have been oneofthosesaints,so-called,intheIrishCalendars,atthisdate. Inourac- count of St. Meallan,5 the name of that Lugadius occurs, as a companion. He was one of those six students, who, it has been stated, met St. Patrick on his going to Rome. To them, St. Patrick gave a hide, which he had under his side, for twelve years. * Of it, they made a satchel, for their books. ' This custom of keeping books in cases or satchels seems to have been prevalent in the early times. Those circumstances, connected with the foregoing incident, are more fully detailed, in the First Volume of this work.
Article IV. —St. Aedhan Mac Garbain. At this date, we find en- tered,intheMartyrologyofTallagh,"thenameAedhanMacGarbain. Quot- ing the same authority, however, the Boliandists ' have placed him, at the 17th of April, as Adamus—evidently a misprint—the son of Garvan. It may be a question raised, owing to the patronymic, if the present were not a brother of the holy man, previously noticed.
Article V. —St. Lughaidh Mac Druchta. The name of Lughaidh Mac Druchta is set down, in the Martyrology of Tallagh," at the 17th of April. The Boliandists,' on the same authority, have Lugadius filius Druchtae, at the same date. It seems likely enough, that one of the present holy men may be identical with the Lugadius, placed by St. Patrick in charge of the churchhefoundedatTeglaisreann,^inthecountyofLouth; yet,thismatter has been very much confused by Colgan,^ who in one case, places his feast at
*» Edited by Drs. Tofld and Reeves, pp. 104, 105. Al>o, Appendix to the Introduc- tion. Sect, xxxvii—i. , at p. xlvii.
'
Articleiii. Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
p. xxi. The Franciscan cupy enters lug<ii'D
niAC 5<jpb<jin.
' See our notices of her, at that date.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Ap-
is to the Tripartiie Life, chap. v. ; but the chapter is marked ix. in Cogan's edition of
rilis xvii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 476.
p. 476. I Article v. —"Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
* According to the Martyrology of Tal- p. xxi. The Franciscan copy has Lujaio
mAC ,t)i\ucc<i.
'See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Ap-
rilis xvii. Among the pretermitted saints," 'See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " p. 476. •
Vita Tripartita S. Patricii, lib. ii. ,cap. ix. , 'See "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima p. 130, and n. 30, p. 174. Also, thid. Sexta Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xiii. , p. 131.
lagh.
5 His festival occurs, at the 28th of
January.
Vita S. Patricii, cap. xciii. , p. 86, and n.
104, p. 113.
' In a note, Dr. Reeves says, the reference
Also, nn^ 42, 43, 44, p. 1 74.
« See ibid. , Quinta Appendix ad Acta S.
Patricii, cap. xxii. , p. 206.
"
Trias Thaumatu—rga," at p. 130, col. 2.
Kev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxi. The Franciscan copy has the
Article iv. 'Edited by
entry of deDiti mAC Japbdin.
' See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Ap-
rilis xvii. Among the pretermitted saints,
1. 98 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 17.
the 1 7th of April, and who, in another passage,' has a notice of a St. Luga-
dius. Bishop of Connor, who died on the 1 7th of April, a. d. 537. It is doubt- ful, to whom identification be assigned with the following, as we read, in the
Martyrology of Donegal,' that on this day, veneration was paid to Lugliaidh, son of Ere, at Fordruim, in Dealbhna Assail. There was a Fordruim, now
known as Fardrum,? in the parish of Kileleagh, and county of Westmeath. ^
There was also a Fordruim, now Fordrum, in the barony of Inishowen, and
countyofDonegal. 9 But,itisnotsoeasytodeterminetheterritory,called Dealbhna Assail, in which Fordruim was situated.
Article VI. —St. Eochaidh, Abbot of Lismore, County of Water- ford,ORLismoreinScotland. Anentryappears,intheMartyrologyof Tallagh,'atthe17thofApril,regardingSt. EochaidofLismore. ^ TheBol- landists notice him, likewise, at this same date. We are at a loss to know, how- ever, if he were connected with that renowned school of learning, at Lismore,' in the south of Ireland ; or, if the place where he lived was Lismore Island, one of the Scottish Hebrides. '* This was the episcopal seat for Argyll. It is possible, this may have been the saint, who was the companion of St. Columkille,5 when he left Ireland for Alba,' and who has been incorrectly
called Eglodius, by Hector Boetius, by John Lesley, and by Thomas Demp- ster. ' We are referred, by Colgan, to his Acts, which were published, at the 25th of January. * There he is styled Apostle of the Picts. ' Bishop Forbes has a notice of this saint. '° On this day, St. Eochaidh, Abbot of Lismore, died, A. D. 634, according to the Annals of the Four Masters. " This was only three years after the expulsion of St. Carthage " from Rahen, in the King's County. '3 The Martyrology of Donegal 't records, that Eochaidh, Abbot of Lis-more, had a festival celebrated, in his honour, on this day.
Article VII. —St. Landricus, or Landry, Bishop of Meaux, or
Metz,
France.
\Sevmth Century^
The 'that the father ' of circumstances,
"
ScotiMonasticon,"pp. 2iSto222. There, too, we are told, that it was " connected
with St. Moluag, who adopted an Irish type, and died 592. " See p. 232. Further no-
tices of it are in the Supplemental Notes, at p. 401.
5 See his Life, at the 9th of June.
'See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columba;,
i See Ilistoria Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. v. , num. 491, p. 265.
'See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemiae," xxv. Januarii. De S. Euchadio, Pictorum Apos- tolo, pp. 163, 164.
' For an account of him, the reader is re-
ferred to our First Volume, at the 25ih of
January.
'"See "Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
p. 335.
" See Dr. O'Donovan's Edition, vol. i. ,
pp. 252, 253.
" His feast occurs, at the 14th of May. "3 See ibid.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
5 See ! *! (! '. , p.
