In the city of Dublin, the
festival
of the Apostle St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v7
i.
5 A tomb-stone, lying flat and partly de- faced, has a large central cross, and a mar-
ginal inscription in Latin, notifying that it is the last resting-place of Daniel Kinsellagh, who died 8th Nov. , 1646. Another slab is to the memory of Patrick Doyle, and his wife Catherine, who lived to the age of 126
Clare, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839," vol. i. Letter of John O'Donovan, dated Kilrush, 4th No- vember, 1839, pp. 322, 323.
8
As the denomination of Tegh Moling was applied by the Irish to his habitation on the banks of the River Barrow, so the various forms of Toomullin, Tuamullin, Tuamolyn, or Toumoulin, may possibly be resolved into Tegh Moling, or the House of Molin—g ;
years.
To the left of this altar, there is a slab of although the first part of the compound if
black marble set in the wall, on which not corrupted in tradition—seems nearer to
appears the following inscription: "Here the Irish tuaim, which means " a mound "
lieth the body of Bryan Kavanagh, of Drum- min, of the family of Ballyleaugh. A man
remarkably known to the nobility and gentry of Ireland by the name of Bryan Nestroake, from his noble actions and valour in King
James's troops in the battles of the Boyne
or "a tomb. " See Dr. P. W. Joyce's
"Origin and History of Irish Names of
Places," part iii. , chap, iii. , pp. 322 to 324. 9 It is shown, on the " Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the County of Clare," sheet 8.
I0 The measurements in the text were taken by the writer on the spot,
"John O'Donovan supposes this apart- ment to have been an addition built out from the west gable, and he adds, that after its erection, a pointed doorway was broken into it close to the south wall.
and
Aughrim.
He died the February 8th,
1 735, aged 74 years. Also the body of his
wife, Mary Kavanagh, alias Murphy, with
foure of their children. R. I. P. " Bryan
Kavanagh is said to have got the appellation
of Nestroake from a sabre-cut mark upon his
face received in the battle of Aughrim.
" I2
7 See Letters containing Information re- The accompanying sketch of the in-
lative to the Antiquities of the County of terior was taken by the writer, on the occa-
383 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 25.
gave light to one of the apartments. In the dividing wall from the nave, two additional openings or windows are to be seen above. In the nave is a beautifully coved window, with a circular head, deeply splayed on the inside, with pointed and narrow mullions on the outside. Another window appears high up in the south side wall of the nave, with a doorway, which is now
walled up. *3 Nothing appears on the north wall, in the shape of an opening, if we except a formless breach, which now affords entrance to the interior. The soil about the church was tilled for potatoes, and the vegetation was ot that peculiar rankness, which has been caused by its use for centuries as a
Interior of Toumoulin Church Ruins, County of Clare.
cemetery, now totally closed and disused. Human remains are often turned up, during the process of cultivation. A bracket or cornice of dressed stones on the inside of the whole building gave support to the roof; and, on a cor- responding level outside, were drip-stones along the top of the side walls. A belfrysurmountedthecross-gable. Thesouthwallsareratherruinous; but,all the masonry was rock-grouted, and composed of large limestones dressed. 14 This old building stands near the margin of a rivulet, and just below it a beauti- ful cascade murmurs, immediately under a high projecting rock, on the south
On the outside, which is about 7 feet from
the present level of the ground, it is only feet in height and 7 inches in width.
14 Near the church is a spring called by the
'3 John O'Donovan states, that at a dis-
tance of five feet from the east gable there is
a round-beaded window, at the height of
four feet from the ground on the outside, and
measuring on the inside six feet by three
feet nine inches, and on the outside four feet
by five inches and one-half inch. The east
gable contains a neat window, wide and
round on the inside, and narrow and pointed the Ordnance Survey in 1839," vol. i. (. 11 the outside. It measures on the inside 7 Letter of John O'Donovan, dated Kilrush, feet in height and 3 feet 8 inches in width. 4th November, 1839, p. 319.
sion of a visit to these ruins in June, 1877. It was afterwards drawn by William F. Wakeman on the wood, and engraved by Mrs. Millard;
people Tubber Brickaron, and which they believe will cure sore eyes. —According to
John O'Donovan's statement
the
more correct one—
probably holy
it is the
well of St.
Brecan, near the old church of Toomullin.
"
See Letters containing Information re-
lative to the Antiquities of the County of Clare, collected during the Progress of
July 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 3X9
side. At the 25th of July, the Martyrology of Donegal ** enters Moshiolog, pupil of Moling Luachra. Where the present holy man lived, or when he died, has not been ascertained. That he was celebrated in his day is proba- ble, owing to the circumstance of his fame having extended even to Scotland, where he was also venerated. In the Calendar of Drummond, at the 25th of July, there is a feast 16 for the Natalis of the Holy Confessors, Mocolmoc, Mosiloc, and Nesain. More information than this bare announcement of the festival and of their names, we can hardly expect to learn regarding them.
Article IV. —Feast of St. Colman O'Liathain, Bishop or Abbot of Lismore. [Seventh and Eighth Centuries}. Clearness, conciseness, and objective treatment, are the usual characteristics of ancient classical histo-
rians and biographers, in reference to their subjects. Only in some special instances can all such qualifications be applied to notices of our saints, owing to a want of suitable dates and materials for combinations in detail. The feast of this saint, called Mocholmoc, is set down in the "Feilire" of St. iEngus, at the of 1
A comment is which throws some on his
25th July.
2 Afestival is
8
It is probable, that he was both Bishop and Abbot of Lismore ; for, he is called Comorban or suc- cessor of St. Mochudda,9 in the Calendar of Cashel. According to his usual computation, the Rev. Dr. Lanigan places the death of St. Colman O'Liathain, in the year 726. This learned writer believes, likewise, that his natalis should
202, 203. 7 See 16 "
niam Natale Sanctorum Confessorum Mo-
p. 149.
8 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , at a. d. 725, pp. 322
323-
9 Fifth Volume of this a See the work,
the 14th of May, where his Life has been given, Art. i.
I0
See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. iii. , chap, xix. , sect, vi. , p. 163, and nn. 74, 75, p. 165, ibid.
Il See Dr. O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. ,
" See of Donegal," edited "Martyrology
by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 202, 203. J3 See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae,
Januarii xx. Vita S. Molagga, n. 10, p. 149. See, likewise, the Life of St. Molagga, at the 20th of January, in the First Volume of
cohnoc et Mosiloc et Nesain. "— Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
P' 19. — Article iv.
l
See "Transactions of the
Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. , p. cxii.
2 In this we read mocholmoc gloss
. 1. Colman IukvLiacIiah o birfino^mochu-od. Thus rendered: i. e. Colman descendant of
Liathan, of Less mor Mochuda.
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxx.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Vita S. Colmani, n. 12,
pp. 322, 323.
4 See
nise," Januarii xxii. p, 155.
Colgan's
s The Life of St. Colman will be found at
the 22nd of January, in the First Volume of
this work, Art. i. Seen. 26, ibid.
qffixed,
light
in the
ology of Tallagh,3 to honour St. Colman, said to have been identical with Mocholmoc h-Fachrach. According to the Calendar of Cashel, a festival in honour of this holy person occurs, on the 25th of July. He has been con- founded with another St. Colman, Bishop and Abbot of Lismore, whose feast was kept on the 22nd of January. * This latter died in the year 702. 5 The present saint appears to have succeeded Cronan Ua Eoan, Abbot of Lismore, who died on the istof a. d. 6 calls St. Colman O'Liathain
family.
registered, likewise,
at the
25th
July,
Martyr-
June, 716. Colgan
a Bishop of Lismore, in one place. 7 The Four Masters, however, when re-
cording his death, only style him a select doctor.
The Four Masters 11 his death at place
12 also the death of St.
15 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. Cronan, in the year 717.
"
Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, Thus entered : viii. Kal. Apud Hiber- Januarii xx. Vita S. Mollagce, n. 10
be to the of assigned 25th
a. d. as also do the 725,
10
July.
O'Clerys. Colgan, assigns
Bishop
6• See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the this work, under which the substance of
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 314,315. The Colgan's note may be found, Art. i. , Annals of Ulster place the death of this chap. i.
of
39o LIVES OE 1HE IRISHSAINTS. [July 25.
ColnianO'Liathain,BishopofLisraore,toa. d. 725. '3 IntheAnnalsofUlster, his death is placed at a. d. 730. '* In neither entry, however, do we find St. Colman O'Liadain called Bishop ofLismore. At this same date, the Martyr- ologyofDonegal'5 entersthename,ColmanUaLiathain,Doctor. Inthetable appended to this Martyrology, the compiler has a Latin comment, written in Irish characters, to the purport, that yEngus calls him Mocholmog, in the same way as Miarnog for Iarna, Mosiolog, Maodhdg, Moedoein. 16
Article V. —Festival of St. James the Greater, Apostle. In the ancient Irish Church, there was a festival for "Jacob without reproach," at
the of 25th day
as we find it recorded in the u Feilire " of St. 1 /Engus.
July,
In a scholion annexed, we are told, that this was James, the son of Zebedee, who was killed by Herod Agrippa, and who was the first among the Apostles to suffer martyrdom. 2 The Acts of St. James the Greater have been treated almost exhaustively by the Bollandists in their work,3 at the 25th of July, and they have been edited by Father William Cuper, S. J. They are preceded by historic commentaries, and in two parts are they divided. The first historic disquisition is contained in thirteen sections, and one hundred and eighty- eight paragraphs. Then follows an account of Miracles 4 attributed to his intercession,andthistracts issupposedtohavebeenwrittenbyPopeCal- lixtus II. Another 6 to Miracles ^ which took in 8
tract, relating place Italy, follows the former. The second historic disquisition is comprised in eighteen
sections, and two hundred and thirty-five paragraphs, in reference to the Span- ish traditions regarding this Apostle. This again is succeeded by an Appen-
dix^ in five sections, and sixty-seven paragraphs. ?
In the city of Dublin, the festival of the Apostle St. James the Greater had formerly been kept with
particular devotion, especially in the church and parish dedicated to him. Even to the present day, an annual fair is held there, and on this day, in St.
James'-street. In many other parts of Ireland, this Apostle's memory had been venerated, while several churches and chapels were dedicated to him,
in all parts of the country. At the 25th of July, a patron used formerly be lveld, at a celebrated spa-well, at Keerikee, in a most charming wooded place, at the opening of the wild and sublime pass of Glenmalure, county of Wicklow. Little more can be gleaned about its origin or object ; nor, is there any saint known to the people in connexion with it. However, it seems to us pretty evident, that this was a local celebration, in honour of the Apostle St. James
14 Thus " Colman Littain
: nepos religio-
4 These—as the Bollandists it— express
sus doctor, pausant. "—Rev. Dr. O'Conor's
are taken "ex Ms. monasterii Marchianen- sis, quod cum altero Ms. Basilica: S. Petri contulimus. "
" Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus
iv. Annales Ultonienses, p. 31.
15 Edited 202, 203.
by
Drs. Todd and
Reeves, pp.
5 It has a andit runsin seven Prologue,
chapters and sixty-two paragraphs, to which
16
See ibid. , — notes are pp. 382, 383.
appended. *"6 is
Article v. See Transactions of the
Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,*part i. On the Calendar of
Oengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. cxii.
"
This, according to the Bollandists, ex Ms. codice Pistoriensi, cujus authenti-
2 The scholiast adds in Latin
Jacobo filio Zepedei martiris Chr—istifori. i.
:
Kandanei celebratur Romanis. " Ibid. cxxi.
p.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Julii xxv. De S. Jacobo Majore, Apostolo et Martyre, Compostellae in Hispania, pp. 5 to 124.
" Sed cum
cum apographum anno 1727 accepimus. "
' The author of it was Contarini, a syn- chronic cleric, and an eye-witness to much of
what he relates.
8 old titles or sub- This tract contains the
jects of the chapters. The Bollandists have
a Prologue, and the narrative proper in four
chapters and forty-three paragraphs, with notes.
9 De Cassar-augustana Deiparae imagine,
July 25. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
391
the Greater. At Wurtzburgh, on the 25th of July, there was also a com- memoration of St. James the Greater, patron of the Scots. 10
Article VI. —Reputed Feast of St. Donard, Patron of Slieve
Donard, County of Down. {Fifth and Sixth Centuries']. Already we
have given the few particulars known or placed upon record, regarding Su
Donard, with an account of the locality which he had selected as the site for
his 1 the of March is held to have been solitary dwelling. Although 24th
sacred to the memory of St. Donard ;
popular patron day. Then, the Catholics of this neighbourhood used to climbupSlieveDonard,todopenanceandtooffertheirdevotions. . Onthe summit are two rude edifices. One was a huge heap of stones, piled up in a
2
pyramidical figure. In this several cavities were formed, and within them
the people sheltered themselves during unfavourable weather, while they heard Mass. A cave was in the centre of this heap, and it was formed by broad flat stones, so disposed as to support each other without any cement. The other edifice was composed of many similar stones. These were arranged intorudewallsandpartitions,calledchapels. Ithasbeenconjectured,thatthese constituted the former oratory and cell of St. Donard. 3 On the south-eastern side of Slieve-Donard, about two miles from Newcastle and on the road to Kilkeel, the ancient church of Ballagh or Ballagh-a-Neir 4 is situated. It is sometimes called the old church of Ballachanery. This has almost entirely disappeared ; the most conspicuous part remaining is a portion of a gable, containing a circular chancel arch, six feet in the span. At the point of that wall from which it springs, there is a projection or set-off, which appears as if intended to support an inner arch of a more ornamental character. The wall, which is pierced by this chancel arch, is three feet in thickness. There are still remaining portions of the walls and traces of the foundations. These show, that the church consisted of a nave, measuring 33 feet, by 18 feet, and a chancel 18 feet long, by 12 feet in width. s This church is also called by some old people Killnahattin. 6 This church is named in the traditions of the people " St. Mary's," and as so called, it is set down on the Ordnance SurveyTownlandMapsfortheCountyofDown. Fewlocaltraditionscon- cerning this church remain among the people, at the present time. The ancient cemetery is now unused, except for the interment of unbaptized chil- dren, or as the last resting-place for the remains of some friendless wanderer.
ArticleVII. —St. Colan,crCaolan. WefindenteredintheMartyr-
quam S. Jacobus erexisse traditur. 4 A drawing, with a description, of the 10 In the Menologium Scotorum of Thomas ruin, and intituled, Notice of the Ancient
"
Jacobi Majoris Scotorum patroni. F. F. "
Dempster,
it is thus entered:
— Church of the Protestant Herbipoli Ballagh-a-Neir, by
Forbes'
" Kalendars
l
of Scottish
" read before the Down, Connor, and Papers
Dromore Church Architecture Society,"
during the year 1844, pp. 17, 18, 19. 5SeeVeryRev. JamesO'Laverty's His-
torical Account of the Diocese of Down and
Bishop
Saints," p. 206. —
Article vi.
this work, at the 24th of March, Art. i.
an
See B. J.
Doyle's
2 These are said to be
the of worthy study
antiquary. Ulster," p. 69.
According to the Terrier of 1615,
is an
Donard's natural scenery.
Capella
de Ballotheneirry, or part of
See the Third Volume of
"
"Toursin In this elegant work, there
Connor, Ancientand Modern," vol. i. , p. 28. 6""
interesting description
3 See Philip Dixon Hardy's "Northern
paid to the bishop in proxy, 2s. ; in refec-
nevertheless, the 25th of July was his
Archdeacon
of be seen in the Down, may
of Slieve "
Morne, nearly by ye sea from Newcastle,"
Tourist, or Strangers' Guide to the North tions, 2s. ; and in synodals, 2s.
l
and North- West of Ireland," pp. 63, 64. Article vii. — Edited by Rev. Dr.
392
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 25.
1
ology of Tallagh, that veneration was given to a St. Colan at the 25th of
July. Most probably, the name should have been written Caolan. On the western shore of Lough Mask, and near the lake, there is a single tree stand- ing. It is a remarkable object, and at its roots, an ancient well—held in
greatvenerationbytheneighbouringpeasantry—maybeseen. OntheOrd- nance Survey Map, it is called Toberkeelagh, " the well of St. Keelagh," or
—
as states an antiquarian writer 3
it—more probably perhaps Keelan. A stone seat, and a bush covered with votive offerings are near this spring. A mile south from the well, there is a ruined church, probably dedicated to the same saint. This church is a rec- tangular building, measuring externally 42 feet in length, by 22 feet 8 inches in width. The walls are 2 feet 6 inches in thickness. Most of the eastern gible is standing; it is about 24 feet high. Some 12 or 15 feet of the western g ible, and about the same height allowed for a few feet of the other portions of the building, are the sole remaining traces. The doorway was probably in the southern wall. From the style of a window 3 remaining in the eastern wall, this building has been assigned to about the middle of the fourteenth cen- tury. Althoughapparentlycorrespondingwiththenameofthepresentsaint —whiletherearemanyotherCaolans,andCeallans,inourCalendars—it is not easy to determine the patron of Toberkeelagh well and church. Intelli- gent people in the neighbourhood say, however, the proper name should be Toberkeelaw. * The Martyrology of Donegal, s at the 25th of July, has Caolan simply entered, without further designation.
who has visited the spot, and who describes
Article VIII. —St. Fiachra Cael, of Cluain Caichtne, or Cluana
1
Cain. According to the Martyrology of Tallagh, St. Fiachra coel Cluana
Cain had a festival on this That of 3 veneration was day. Donegal states,
given at the 25th of July, to Fiachra Cael, of Cluain Caichtne. It is probable,
the latter word is an incorrection, and that C Cain,
orClonkeen—
name many places in Ireland have received
term " Cael" means "thin ,; or "slender/' and probably it has reference to the personal appearance of this holy man.
Article IX. —St. Fiachra, or Fiahrach. At the 25th of July, the
1
Martyrology of Tallagh
has the separate name of Fiahrach. That of Done-
3 records the name of another Fiachrach or Fiachra. We are
gal
that there is a Fiachra, son of Colman, son to Eoghan, and belonging to the race of Colla-da-chrioch. At Kilfera, about two or three miles south of the city of Kilkenny, and not far from the River Nore, an old and a ruined oratory
or hermitage is to be seen within a graveyard. The sculptured figure of an
xxx.
See an interesting communication of
Joseph Nolan, E. R. G. S. I. , in the "Journal of the Historical and Archaeological Associa- tion of Ireland," vol. i. , part ii. , Fourth
Series, January, 1871, pp. 349, 350.
3 The peculiarities of which are described
by Mr. Nolan.
* See ibid. , p. 350.
5 Edited by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves,
pp. 202, 203.
Articleviii. —x Edited Kelly, p. xxx.
Kelly, p.
by Rev. Dr. Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
—luana
which
is the correct The rendering.
202, 203. — Article ix.
Edited
by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxx.
a Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
202, 203.
3 The foregoing particulars were stated to
the writer, by Miss Mary Shearman of Kil- kenny, in September, 1872.
informed,
July 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 393
ecclesiastic—said to have been St. Fiacra—was there shown, but it has been brokenandremovedduringpastyears. * Inthegraveyard,anancienttreeof vast dimensions grew, but having been uprooted, some human remains of persons, who had been buried for centuries, were exposed. 3 This manifests
the great antiquity of the burial-ground. It may be a ——
if the St. Fiacre connected with this place were the present, or some one of the other Fiacras elsewhere mentioned in our Calendars. Perhaps, he may be identical with St. Fiachra, Abbot of Ullard—a place not far distant—and
whose feast occurs on the 2nd day of May.
5 A tomb-stone, lying flat and partly de- faced, has a large central cross, and a mar-
ginal inscription in Latin, notifying that it is the last resting-place of Daniel Kinsellagh, who died 8th Nov. , 1646. Another slab is to the memory of Patrick Doyle, and his wife Catherine, who lived to the age of 126
Clare, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839," vol. i. Letter of John O'Donovan, dated Kilrush, 4th No- vember, 1839, pp. 322, 323.
8
As the denomination of Tegh Moling was applied by the Irish to his habitation on the banks of the River Barrow, so the various forms of Toomullin, Tuamullin, Tuamolyn, or Toumoulin, may possibly be resolved into Tegh Moling, or the House of Molin—g ;
years.
To the left of this altar, there is a slab of although the first part of the compound if
black marble set in the wall, on which not corrupted in tradition—seems nearer to
appears the following inscription: "Here the Irish tuaim, which means " a mound "
lieth the body of Bryan Kavanagh, of Drum- min, of the family of Ballyleaugh. A man
remarkably known to the nobility and gentry of Ireland by the name of Bryan Nestroake, from his noble actions and valour in King
James's troops in the battles of the Boyne
or "a tomb. " See Dr. P. W. Joyce's
"Origin and History of Irish Names of
Places," part iii. , chap, iii. , pp. 322 to 324. 9 It is shown, on the " Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the County of Clare," sheet 8.
I0 The measurements in the text were taken by the writer on the spot,
"John O'Donovan supposes this apart- ment to have been an addition built out from the west gable, and he adds, that after its erection, a pointed doorway was broken into it close to the south wall.
and
Aughrim.
He died the February 8th,
1 735, aged 74 years. Also the body of his
wife, Mary Kavanagh, alias Murphy, with
foure of their children. R. I. P. " Bryan
Kavanagh is said to have got the appellation
of Nestroake from a sabre-cut mark upon his
face received in the battle of Aughrim.
" I2
7 See Letters containing Information re- The accompanying sketch of the in-
lative to the Antiquities of the County of terior was taken by the writer, on the occa-
383 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 25.
gave light to one of the apartments. In the dividing wall from the nave, two additional openings or windows are to be seen above. In the nave is a beautifully coved window, with a circular head, deeply splayed on the inside, with pointed and narrow mullions on the outside. Another window appears high up in the south side wall of the nave, with a doorway, which is now
walled up. *3 Nothing appears on the north wall, in the shape of an opening, if we except a formless breach, which now affords entrance to the interior. The soil about the church was tilled for potatoes, and the vegetation was ot that peculiar rankness, which has been caused by its use for centuries as a
Interior of Toumoulin Church Ruins, County of Clare.
cemetery, now totally closed and disused. Human remains are often turned up, during the process of cultivation. A bracket or cornice of dressed stones on the inside of the whole building gave support to the roof; and, on a cor- responding level outside, were drip-stones along the top of the side walls. A belfrysurmountedthecross-gable. Thesouthwallsareratherruinous; but,all the masonry was rock-grouted, and composed of large limestones dressed. 14 This old building stands near the margin of a rivulet, and just below it a beauti- ful cascade murmurs, immediately under a high projecting rock, on the south
On the outside, which is about 7 feet from
the present level of the ground, it is only feet in height and 7 inches in width.
14 Near the church is a spring called by the
'3 John O'Donovan states, that at a dis-
tance of five feet from the east gable there is
a round-beaded window, at the height of
four feet from the ground on the outside, and
measuring on the inside six feet by three
feet nine inches, and on the outside four feet
by five inches and one-half inch. The east
gable contains a neat window, wide and
round on the inside, and narrow and pointed the Ordnance Survey in 1839," vol. i. (. 11 the outside. It measures on the inside 7 Letter of John O'Donovan, dated Kilrush, feet in height and 3 feet 8 inches in width. 4th November, 1839, p. 319.
sion of a visit to these ruins in June, 1877. It was afterwards drawn by William F. Wakeman on the wood, and engraved by Mrs. Millard;
people Tubber Brickaron, and which they believe will cure sore eyes. —According to
John O'Donovan's statement
the
more correct one—
probably holy
it is the
well of St.
Brecan, near the old church of Toomullin.
"
See Letters containing Information re-
lative to the Antiquities of the County of Clare, collected during the Progress of
July 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 3X9
side. At the 25th of July, the Martyrology of Donegal ** enters Moshiolog, pupil of Moling Luachra. Where the present holy man lived, or when he died, has not been ascertained. That he was celebrated in his day is proba- ble, owing to the circumstance of his fame having extended even to Scotland, where he was also venerated. In the Calendar of Drummond, at the 25th of July, there is a feast 16 for the Natalis of the Holy Confessors, Mocolmoc, Mosiloc, and Nesain. More information than this bare announcement of the festival and of their names, we can hardly expect to learn regarding them.
Article IV. —Feast of St. Colman O'Liathain, Bishop or Abbot of Lismore. [Seventh and Eighth Centuries}. Clearness, conciseness, and objective treatment, are the usual characteristics of ancient classical histo-
rians and biographers, in reference to their subjects. Only in some special instances can all such qualifications be applied to notices of our saints, owing to a want of suitable dates and materials for combinations in detail. The feast of this saint, called Mocholmoc, is set down in the "Feilire" of St. iEngus, at the of 1
A comment is which throws some on his
25th July.
2 Afestival is
8
It is probable, that he was both Bishop and Abbot of Lismore ; for, he is called Comorban or suc- cessor of St. Mochudda,9 in the Calendar of Cashel. According to his usual computation, the Rev. Dr. Lanigan places the death of St. Colman O'Liathain, in the year 726. This learned writer believes, likewise, that his natalis should
202, 203. 7 See 16 "
niam Natale Sanctorum Confessorum Mo-
p. 149.
8 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , at a. d. 725, pp. 322
323-
9 Fifth Volume of this a See the work,
the 14th of May, where his Life has been given, Art. i.
I0
See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. iii. , chap, xix. , sect, vi. , p. 163, and nn. 74, 75, p. 165, ibid.
Il See Dr. O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. ,
" See of Donegal," edited "Martyrology
by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 202, 203. J3 See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae,
Januarii xx. Vita S. Molagga, n. 10, p. 149. See, likewise, the Life of St. Molagga, at the 20th of January, in the First Volume of
cohnoc et Mosiloc et Nesain. "— Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
P' 19. — Article iv.
l
See "Transactions of the
Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. , p. cxii.
2 In this we read mocholmoc gloss
. 1. Colman IukvLiacIiah o birfino^mochu-od. Thus rendered: i. e. Colman descendant of
Liathan, of Less mor Mochuda.
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxx.
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Vita S. Colmani, n. 12,
pp. 322, 323.
4 See
nise," Januarii xxii. p, 155.
Colgan's
s The Life of St. Colman will be found at
the 22nd of January, in the First Volume of
this work, Art. i. Seen. 26, ibid.
qffixed,
light
in the
ology of Tallagh,3 to honour St. Colman, said to have been identical with Mocholmoc h-Fachrach. According to the Calendar of Cashel, a festival in honour of this holy person occurs, on the 25th of July. He has been con- founded with another St. Colman, Bishop and Abbot of Lismore, whose feast was kept on the 22nd of January. * This latter died in the year 702. 5 The present saint appears to have succeeded Cronan Ua Eoan, Abbot of Lismore, who died on the istof a. d. 6 calls St. Colman O'Liathain
family.
registered, likewise,
at the
25th
July,
Martyr-
June, 716. Colgan
a Bishop of Lismore, in one place. 7 The Four Masters, however, when re-
cording his death, only style him a select doctor.
The Four Masters 11 his death at place
12 also the death of St.
15 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. Cronan, in the year 717.
"
Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae, Thus entered : viii. Kal. Apud Hiber- Januarii xx. Vita S. Mollagce, n. 10
be to the of assigned 25th
a. d. as also do the 725,
10
July.
O'Clerys. Colgan, assigns
Bishop
6• See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the this work, under which the substance of
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 314,315. The Colgan's note may be found, Art. i. , Annals of Ulster place the death of this chap. i.
of
39o LIVES OE 1HE IRISHSAINTS. [July 25.
ColnianO'Liathain,BishopofLisraore,toa. d. 725. '3 IntheAnnalsofUlster, his death is placed at a. d. 730. '* In neither entry, however, do we find St. Colman O'Liadain called Bishop ofLismore. At this same date, the Martyr- ologyofDonegal'5 entersthename,ColmanUaLiathain,Doctor. Inthetable appended to this Martyrology, the compiler has a Latin comment, written in Irish characters, to the purport, that yEngus calls him Mocholmog, in the same way as Miarnog for Iarna, Mosiolog, Maodhdg, Moedoein. 16
Article V. —Festival of St. James the Greater, Apostle. In the ancient Irish Church, there was a festival for "Jacob without reproach," at
the of 25th day
as we find it recorded in the u Feilire " of St. 1 /Engus.
July,
In a scholion annexed, we are told, that this was James, the son of Zebedee, who was killed by Herod Agrippa, and who was the first among the Apostles to suffer martyrdom. 2 The Acts of St. James the Greater have been treated almost exhaustively by the Bollandists in their work,3 at the 25th of July, and they have been edited by Father William Cuper, S. J. They are preceded by historic commentaries, and in two parts are they divided. The first historic disquisition is contained in thirteen sections, and one hundred and eighty- eight paragraphs. Then follows an account of Miracles 4 attributed to his intercession,andthistracts issupposedtohavebeenwrittenbyPopeCal- lixtus II. Another 6 to Miracles ^ which took in 8
tract, relating place Italy, follows the former. The second historic disquisition is comprised in eighteen
sections, and two hundred and thirty-five paragraphs, in reference to the Span- ish traditions regarding this Apostle. This again is succeeded by an Appen-
dix^ in five sections, and sixty-seven paragraphs. ?
In the city of Dublin, the festival of the Apostle St. James the Greater had formerly been kept with
particular devotion, especially in the church and parish dedicated to him. Even to the present day, an annual fair is held there, and on this day, in St.
James'-street. In many other parts of Ireland, this Apostle's memory had been venerated, while several churches and chapels were dedicated to him,
in all parts of the country. At the 25th of July, a patron used formerly be lveld, at a celebrated spa-well, at Keerikee, in a most charming wooded place, at the opening of the wild and sublime pass of Glenmalure, county of Wicklow. Little more can be gleaned about its origin or object ; nor, is there any saint known to the people in connexion with it. However, it seems to us pretty evident, that this was a local celebration, in honour of the Apostle St. James
14 Thus " Colman Littain
: nepos religio-
4 These—as the Bollandists it— express
sus doctor, pausant. "—Rev. Dr. O'Conor's
are taken "ex Ms. monasterii Marchianen- sis, quod cum altero Ms. Basilica: S. Petri contulimus. "
" Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus
iv. Annales Ultonienses, p. 31.
15 Edited 202, 203.
by
Drs. Todd and
Reeves, pp.
5 It has a andit runsin seven Prologue,
chapters and sixty-two paragraphs, to which
16
See ibid. , — notes are pp. 382, 383.
appended. *"6 is
Article v. See Transactions of the
Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,*part i. On the Calendar of
Oengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. cxii.
"
This, according to the Bollandists, ex Ms. codice Pistoriensi, cujus authenti-
2 The scholiast adds in Latin
Jacobo filio Zepedei martiris Chr—istifori. i.
:
Kandanei celebratur Romanis. " Ibid. cxxi.
p.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Julii xxv. De S. Jacobo Majore, Apostolo et Martyre, Compostellae in Hispania, pp. 5 to 124.
" Sed cum
cum apographum anno 1727 accepimus. "
' The author of it was Contarini, a syn- chronic cleric, and an eye-witness to much of
what he relates.
8 old titles or sub- This tract contains the
jects of the chapters. The Bollandists have
a Prologue, and the narrative proper in four
chapters and forty-three paragraphs, with notes.
9 De Cassar-augustana Deiparae imagine,
July 25. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
391
the Greater. At Wurtzburgh, on the 25th of July, there was also a com- memoration of St. James the Greater, patron of the Scots. 10
Article VI. —Reputed Feast of St. Donard, Patron of Slieve
Donard, County of Down. {Fifth and Sixth Centuries']. Already we
have given the few particulars known or placed upon record, regarding Su
Donard, with an account of the locality which he had selected as the site for
his 1 the of March is held to have been solitary dwelling. Although 24th
sacred to the memory of St. Donard ;
popular patron day. Then, the Catholics of this neighbourhood used to climbupSlieveDonard,todopenanceandtooffertheirdevotions. . Onthe summit are two rude edifices. One was a huge heap of stones, piled up in a
2
pyramidical figure. In this several cavities were formed, and within them
the people sheltered themselves during unfavourable weather, while they heard Mass. A cave was in the centre of this heap, and it was formed by broad flat stones, so disposed as to support each other without any cement. The other edifice was composed of many similar stones. These were arranged intorudewallsandpartitions,calledchapels. Ithasbeenconjectured,thatthese constituted the former oratory and cell of St. Donard. 3 On the south-eastern side of Slieve-Donard, about two miles from Newcastle and on the road to Kilkeel, the ancient church of Ballagh or Ballagh-a-Neir 4 is situated. It is sometimes called the old church of Ballachanery. This has almost entirely disappeared ; the most conspicuous part remaining is a portion of a gable, containing a circular chancel arch, six feet in the span. At the point of that wall from which it springs, there is a projection or set-off, which appears as if intended to support an inner arch of a more ornamental character. The wall, which is pierced by this chancel arch, is three feet in thickness. There are still remaining portions of the walls and traces of the foundations. These show, that the church consisted of a nave, measuring 33 feet, by 18 feet, and a chancel 18 feet long, by 12 feet in width. s This church is also called by some old people Killnahattin. 6 This church is named in the traditions of the people " St. Mary's," and as so called, it is set down on the Ordnance SurveyTownlandMapsfortheCountyofDown. Fewlocaltraditionscon- cerning this church remain among the people, at the present time. The ancient cemetery is now unused, except for the interment of unbaptized chil- dren, or as the last resting-place for the remains of some friendless wanderer.
ArticleVII. —St. Colan,crCaolan. WefindenteredintheMartyr-
quam S. Jacobus erexisse traditur. 4 A drawing, with a description, of the 10 In the Menologium Scotorum of Thomas ruin, and intituled, Notice of the Ancient
"
Jacobi Majoris Scotorum patroni. F. F. "
Dempster,
it is thus entered:
— Church of the Protestant Herbipoli Ballagh-a-Neir, by
Forbes'
" Kalendars
l
of Scottish
" read before the Down, Connor, and Papers
Dromore Church Architecture Society,"
during the year 1844, pp. 17, 18, 19. 5SeeVeryRev. JamesO'Laverty's His-
torical Account of the Diocese of Down and
Bishop
Saints," p. 206. —
Article vi.
this work, at the 24th of March, Art. i.
an
See B. J.
Doyle's
2 These are said to be
the of worthy study
antiquary. Ulster," p. 69.
According to the Terrier of 1615,
is an
Donard's natural scenery.
Capella
de Ballotheneirry, or part of
See the Third Volume of
"
"Toursin In this elegant work, there
Connor, Ancientand Modern," vol. i. , p. 28. 6""
interesting description
3 See Philip Dixon Hardy's "Northern
paid to the bishop in proxy, 2s. ; in refec-
nevertheless, the 25th of July was his
Archdeacon
of be seen in the Down, may
of Slieve "
Morne, nearly by ye sea from Newcastle,"
Tourist, or Strangers' Guide to the North tions, 2s. ; and in synodals, 2s.
l
and North- West of Ireland," pp. 63, 64. Article vii. — Edited by Rev. Dr.
392
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 25.
1
ology of Tallagh, that veneration was given to a St. Colan at the 25th of
July. Most probably, the name should have been written Caolan. On the western shore of Lough Mask, and near the lake, there is a single tree stand- ing. It is a remarkable object, and at its roots, an ancient well—held in
greatvenerationbytheneighbouringpeasantry—maybeseen. OntheOrd- nance Survey Map, it is called Toberkeelagh, " the well of St. Keelagh," or
—
as states an antiquarian writer 3
it—more probably perhaps Keelan. A stone seat, and a bush covered with votive offerings are near this spring. A mile south from the well, there is a ruined church, probably dedicated to the same saint. This church is a rec- tangular building, measuring externally 42 feet in length, by 22 feet 8 inches in width. The walls are 2 feet 6 inches in thickness. Most of the eastern gible is standing; it is about 24 feet high. Some 12 or 15 feet of the western g ible, and about the same height allowed for a few feet of the other portions of the building, are the sole remaining traces. The doorway was probably in the southern wall. From the style of a window 3 remaining in the eastern wall, this building has been assigned to about the middle of the fourteenth cen- tury. Althoughapparentlycorrespondingwiththenameofthepresentsaint —whiletherearemanyotherCaolans,andCeallans,inourCalendars—it is not easy to determine the patron of Toberkeelagh well and church. Intelli- gent people in the neighbourhood say, however, the proper name should be Toberkeelaw. * The Martyrology of Donegal, s at the 25th of July, has Caolan simply entered, without further designation.
who has visited the spot, and who describes
Article VIII. —St. Fiachra Cael, of Cluain Caichtne, or Cluana
1
Cain. According to the Martyrology of Tallagh, St. Fiachra coel Cluana
Cain had a festival on this That of 3 veneration was day. Donegal states,
given at the 25th of July, to Fiachra Cael, of Cluain Caichtne. It is probable,
the latter word is an incorrection, and that C Cain,
orClonkeen—
name many places in Ireland have received
term " Cael" means "thin ,; or "slender/' and probably it has reference to the personal appearance of this holy man.
Article IX. —St. Fiachra, or Fiahrach. At the 25th of July, the
1
Martyrology of Tallagh
has the separate name of Fiahrach. That of Done-
3 records the name of another Fiachrach or Fiachra. We are
gal
that there is a Fiachra, son of Colman, son to Eoghan, and belonging to the race of Colla-da-chrioch. At Kilfera, about two or three miles south of the city of Kilkenny, and not far from the River Nore, an old and a ruined oratory
or hermitage is to be seen within a graveyard. The sculptured figure of an
xxx.
See an interesting communication of
Joseph Nolan, E. R. G. S. I. , in the "Journal of the Historical and Archaeological Associa- tion of Ireland," vol. i. , part ii. , Fourth
Series, January, 1871, pp. 349, 350.
3 The peculiarities of which are described
by Mr. Nolan.
* See ibid. , p. 350.
5 Edited by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves,
pp. 202, 203.
Articleviii. —x Edited Kelly, p. xxx.
Kelly, p.
by Rev. Dr. Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
—luana
which
is the correct The rendering.
202, 203. — Article ix.
Edited
by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxx.
a Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
202, 203.
3 The foregoing particulars were stated to
the writer, by Miss Mary Shearman of Kil- kenny, in September, 1872.
informed,
July 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 393
ecclesiastic—said to have been St. Fiacra—was there shown, but it has been brokenandremovedduringpastyears. * Inthegraveyard,anancienttreeof vast dimensions grew, but having been uprooted, some human remains of persons, who had been buried for centuries, were exposed. 3 This manifests
the great antiquity of the burial-ground. It may be a ——
if the St. Fiacre connected with this place were the present, or some one of the other Fiacras elsewhere mentioned in our Calendars. Perhaps, he may be identical with St. Fiachra, Abbot of Ullard—a place not far distant—and
whose feast occurs on the 2nd day of May.
