^^ It seems probable enough, that the pre- sent saint had been
venerated
in Scotland, ^5 from an entry in the Kalendaro<" Drummond.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
143.
The following is Dr. Whitley Stokes' Eng- lish translation : —"Ronan (the) Fair's soul went to starry heaven, with the man bright, prolific, Baethine mac Findach. "—"Trans- actions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the
Calendar of Oengus, p. Ixxxi.
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxv.
* See "Acta Sanctorum," tomns v. ,
Mali xxii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 126.
s See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," xix. Februarii. De S. Baitheno, Epis- copo, p. 369, and n. 4.
"See "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Majiuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. Ixxxix.
3* These remarks are the result of personal observation, and of information, obtained on the occasion of a visit to this Island and to its very interesting group of ruins, in July, 1868.
Article ii. —' Truly we felt how homely, descriptive, appropriate, fanciful, and faith- ful, were the lines of our national poet :
" In climes full of sunshine, though splendid the flowers,
Their sighs have no freshness, their odour no worth ;
'Tis the cloud and the mist of our own Isle of showers.
That call the rich spirit of fra- grancy forth. "
7 The Dal Messincorb and some of the old Leinster Pedigrees are set forth as the * In the "Leabhar Breac "copy, we No. i. , to illustrate the Genealogical Tables, in Rev. John Francis Shearman's " Loca
—Moore's "Irish Melodies. " read :
CecliAinj Animm lloriAin pnt) ^o|\]Mchet) jMnnAch tAfinpeix CAin cbAnnAcb bAicheni niAc pnnAch.
Patriciana. See No. ii. , p. 16.
^ See Lewis' " Topographical Dictionary
of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 577.
'These and the following observations
are from notes and observations, taken on IM
546
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [MAY;:
bly spent his religious days, in retirement from all worldly concerns. This place, now known as Ennisboyne, sometimes called Ennisboheen,^ or Dun- ganstown, seems to have derived its denomination from him. This is now aparish,situatedinthebaronyofArklow,andcountyofWicklow. Notfar from the county town, there are some few ruins of an ancient church to be seen. Around it is a burial ground. Formerly the church was situated on a small low-lying island, within a deep ravine, through which flows the Three Mile Water River. 9 Within the memory of persons yet living, this island was recollected ; but, one branch of the stream having been dried up, the river has taken a particular bend, so as to form that island into a peninsula. Still human bones and old rude headstones are there turned up, while no trace of a building can be seen. The surface only appears, at present, as a very green pasture, with the blackest of mould underneath. High stepping-stones
Inishboheen Cemetery, County of Wicklow.
now cross the stream into the former island. Tradition has it, thata suicide oran insane person having been interred there, at a period long remote, the church became elevated to the high bank, on the south side of the river, during a singlenight. Therationaleofthislegendmustbe,thattheoldchurchhaving fallenintodecaycenturiesago,it wasdeemednecessarytobuildanotheron the slope of the ravine, so as to render it less exposed to floods and more accessible to frequeiiters. This last church is even now a shapeless mass of ruins. Jt once consisted of a nave and choir ; tlie former was internally 46 feet, 3 inches, in length, by 22 feet, in width—while the choir was 17 feet, in length, by 15 feet, 5 inches, in breadth. The situation is uncommonly
the spot, after a visit with an okl and of Kill)ride was built.
esteemed friend, the Very Rev. Michael Maloney, P. P. , of Ennisboyne, Kilbride, and Castlctimon parishes, during the month of April, 1871. His parish was called Ennis- bethan, before A. I). 1795, when the chapel
'" The accompanying illustration of the scene is from a drawing by the writer, in July, 1S73, on the spot, and since trans- ferred to the wood, by William E. Wakeman. It was engraved by Airs. Millard.
—
May 22. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
romantic, at the plateau over a deep glen, through which the Three Mile Water winds along to the high sand banks, a little below where it enters the sea, at Maghera Point. '° Here, the people have a tradition, St. Patrick " first landed, when he reached the Wicklow coast. Only two fragments of the choir walls remain, and all the nave walls are nearly levelled with the ground. However, the former dimensions are quite traceable. Two granite caps of windows lie within the graveyard, still much resorted to for interments. " Tiie turning of an arch is yet traceable, between nave and choir. The church walls are 2 feet, 10 inches, in thickness, on an average. The burial-ground has been enclosed with a modern wall ; but, at one angle, the river below has undermined the upper clay bank, and a semicircular land-slide there has been the consequence. The scenery around thi. ; old church is of the most delightful character. According to the Martyrology of Donegal,'3 Baoithin, son to Finnach, of Inis Baithin, in the east of Leinster,'4 had veneration given
him, on this day.
ArticleHI. St. RonanFinn,ofLannRonain,CountyofDown. For the 22nd of May, a festival is recorded, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ to honour Ronan Find, of Lan Ruadain Ronain f and, at the same date, the "Feilire"ofSt. yEngusmentionshim,withspecialeulogy. Accordingtothe scholiast on that copy found in the " Leabhar Breac," Ronan the Fair was son of Saran, son to Colgan or Colcu, son of Tuathal, son to Cruindbel,^ son of Fedlimid, son to Fiacha Cassan, son of Colla da Chrich, son of Echaid Doimplen. + This saint is noticed, in the Book of Lecain. s The Bollandists ^ have some account of St. Ronnanus, Bishop and Confessor, at this date, althoughtheyacknowledge,thatlittleisknownabouthim. Hemusthave flourished, in the early part of the seventh century, if we are to attach credit to certain romantic fragments of our national history. Some Scottish writers callhimadiscipleofSt. Benedict; but,theygivenowarrant,forsuchastate-
ment. Theepithetappliedtohim—bytheIrish—ofFinnsignifies"white," or " fair. " He was the son of Saran, son to Colgan, and he sprung from the family of Orgiell, or Colla Dachrioch,7 according to the poem, which is called the Naemhshenchus of the Saints of Inis Fail. The mother of Ronan, and the mother of Fionnchu, of the Bri Gobhann, were sisters. ^ Elsewhere, he is conjecturedtohavebeenthesonofBerach. 9 Allusionismadetothissaint,
" See his Life, in the Third Volume of this work, at March 17th, Art. i.
" An old cut stone, with an inscription 1698, lies at the head of a grave. It is very rudely carved.
'3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 137.
"In
it is again corrected. See ibid. , pp. 362,
Lan Ruadain Ronain, in manu recenti. "
3 'fhe scholiast adds, " a quo Hui-Cruind-
beoil. "
'' See " Transactions of the Royal Irish
Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. , pp. Ixxxi. , Ixxxix.
^A note, by William M. Hennessy, Esq. ,
't In a note. Rev. Dr. Reeves says
the Manuscript copy ia^vua^ tAijen, 'west
of Leinster,' is the reading ; but, as this is a
clerical error, it has been rectified in the 79 bb. "
text, both here and at the i6th, p. 130, * See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , supra. " A similar error occurs, in the Maii xxii. Among the pretermitted saints, table postfixed to this Martyrology, where p. 125.
363.
Article hi.
—
'
Edited by Rev. Dr.
'See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum. Hiber- niae," xxi. Martii. Vita S. Endei. Appendix, cap. i v. , p. 713.
" The Life of Fionnchu, chap. viii. is quoted for the foregoing statement.
' See Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, " Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 462, 463.
Kelly, p. xxv.
^ In this work, the latter words in Italics
are said to have been added, by a more re- cent hand. There we read : " Ronani find o
:
M. R. I. A. , says:
1lui]"en o nioig^AAuh . 1. i|']. -up|\iACA HonAin pnt) iriAc be|\A]'c (lAnn bAig) B. of Lecain,
—
"Ronan Finn Copco
547
548
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 2 2.
by Father Jolin Colgan,'° as having been venerated, at the church of Lann Ronain, on the 22nd of May. There is aLann Ronan situated in CorcaRuisen, inMagrath, nearNewr}', county of Down. " Nothwithstanding, Colgan thinks" Lann Ronain to have been identical with Magherahn, otherwise called Lane orLannHuachaille,orI^annMocholmog,inthedioceseofDromore. This, however,hasbeendenied,bytheRev. WilliamReeves. '^ Thesituationof LannRonain,"theChurchofRonan,"isnotexactlyknown. However,it would appear to have been near Moira, in the old parish of Magheralin, of which Moira formed a part, until a. d. 1725. '+ The church of Moira is called St. Innis. 's This is the Ronan, who denounced Suibhne, son to Colman Ciar, King of Dal Araidhe, because Suibhne had dragged the said Ronan dis- honourably from the place, where he was praising God, out of the church, andhecasthisPsalterintoapoolofwater,whereitwassubmerged. The king did not permit the saint to remain in the church. '^ For this impiety, Suibhnebecamefrantic. HiswanderingsaftertheBattleofMaghRatharere- lated,inacuriousoldtract,calledtheBuileShuibhne. '? ThisSuibhnedied A. D. 637,accordingtotheAnnalsofTighernach. '^ TheScotchwritershave made Ronan a Bishop ; and, at this date, he has an office of Three Lessons in the Breviary of Aberdeen. It is also said, that he flourished a. d. 603. Again, Camerarius commemorates him as that Ronan, the Scot, who strenuously de- fended the Roman rite for the celebration of Easter, in the Synod of Strenes- healh,'9 a. d. 664. However, his feast is usually referred to the 6th ^° or 7th^' of
February. If we credit Dempster,'^ he departed this life a. d. 660, in Levinia ;
but, he seems rather to have died in Ireland. The INIartyrology of Donegal =3 registers, on this daj-, the name of Ronan Finn, of Lann Ronain Finn, in Ui Eachach Uladh. In the Irish Calendar, preserved in the Royal Irish Aca- demy, the festival of this saint is at the xi. of the June Kalends, which cor- responds with the 22nd of May.
^^ It seems probable enough, that the pre- sent saint had been venerated in Scotland, ^5 from an entry in the Kalendaro<" Drummond. ^^ On the little Island of North Rona,^7 which lies nearly sixty Uiiles north from the Butt of Lewis, there is a primitive church, called Team-
'° See "Acta Sanctorum riibernise/'xxi. Martii, Appendix ad Acta S. Endaei, cap. iv. , p. 713.
" See Rev. Dr. Kelly's " Calendar of Irish Saints," p. 43.
Books.
'^See Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibemi-
caram Scriptores," tomus ii. , Tigernachi Annales, p. 193.
'5 See Venerable Bede's "Historia Eccle- " See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," siastica Gentis Scotorum," lib. iii. , cap.
Martii xxx. De S. Colniano Lannensi, sive XXV. , pp. 233 to 239.
Linnensi Abbate, p. 792. '° For this date, Camerarius cites the Bre-
'3 See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of viary of Aberdeen, which, however, gives
Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix EE, n. (o), p. 313.
'* An entry in the Book of Lecan (fol. 96 b) is cited, as authority for the above state- ment. It is thus Latinized, " Lann Ronain Finn, in Corco Ruishen, in Magh Rath. "
5 See Rev. William Reeves' " Ecclesias- tical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix LL, p. 378, and note (x).
" See " Battle of Magh Rath," edited by John O'Donovan, pp. 232, 233.
"' The Buile Shuihhne, or Madness of
Suibhne, was an ancient historical romance,
giving an account of the lunacy and death of
this celebrated chieftain. For more regard-
ing him, see that beautiful historic poem of nani et Baitinni. "—Bishop Forbes' " Ka- Sir Samuel Fergu>on, " Congal," in Five lendars of Scottish Saints," pp. 13, 14.
the feast of a Ronan only at the 7th.
" Dempster, citing the Scottish Breviary,
gives his feast at this date.
" See " Historia I'. cclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xvi. , num. 1066, p. 564.
' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 137
-^ There we read : " Uon^n pon 6 \&x\\\ TlotKMi p"" i"tlib CAccA(b 111. "—Ord- nance Survey Office copy, Common Place Book F, p. 48.
F. S. Gordon's " Sco- tichronicon," vol. i. , pp. 47 to 50.
^5 See Rev. Dr.
J.
=* At xi. Kal. Junii, we read : " Apud Hi- berniam Natale Sanctorum Confessorum Ro-
May 2 2. ]
549
—— —
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS
pull Ronan. The Island is steep and rugged,^^ while St. Ronan's church stands on an elevated plateau, near the soutliern side of that remote spot. Externally, thechurchisnowonlyaroundedheapofloosestones. Itconsistsoftwoparts, the eastern one of which is manifestly older than the other ; and, it was very curiously constructed, as seen in the interior, for there the end walls converge slightly towards each other, and the side walls so greatly, that although they are seven feet six inches apart on the floor, they are only two feet apart at the roof. ^9 This is formed of slabs, laid across from wall to wall. In the west end, there is a small square doorway, and so low, that those who enter must creep through on hands and knees. Over the doorway is a flat-headed windovv. 3° At the east end of the cell, and in the middle of tlie floor, lies an altar-slab, three feet in length. As a nave to a chancel and attached to the west end, there is another cell, internally 14 feet, 8 inches long, by 8 feet, 3 inches wide. It has a flat-headed doorway, and a small ourial ground is contiguous to the building, in which are several stone crosses,3' small and plain. There was a building, called Teampull nam Manach outside the graveyard. 3^ The career of this holy man, it must be acknowledged, is involved in great obscurity.
Article IV. St. Brecan, the Pilgrim, of Teampull Breccain, Island of Aranmore, County of Galway. This saint has been iden- tified with St, Brecan, founder of Ardbraccan See, in Meath, by the learned Dr. Petrie. He even says, our historic records make this certain. ' But, as the feast of this holy bishop was celebrated on the 6th of December, the ])re- sent St. Brecan's festival is known to have been held, on the 22nd of May,
at the handsome and formerly parochial church, known as Tempull Breccain, or '' the Church of Breccain. "^ This holy saint appears to have been distin- guished as the Pilgrim. Early in the present century, his tomb was discovered near that church, dedicated to his memory, on Aranmore, and we even have preserved an engraving and a description of it. Some curious inscriptions therehavealsocometolight. NearthischurchofSt. Brecan,therewasanother commonlycalledTempullaPhuill. Severalofthoseedifices,whichexistedin the middle of the seventeenth century, are now known to have fallen into ruin, so that their very site cannot at present be distinguished.
Article V. Saints Aghna, Luighsech, Caissin, Virgins, of Druim- DA-DHART. An entry appears, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 22nd of May, where these virgins are denominated Na teora cailleacha Droma da dart. Luigsech, virgin, is separately entered, in this record, as also Caisin seu Dunice. They were three nuns, and their place was Druim-da-dhart. On the authority of the Tallagh Martyrology, the Bollandists ^ only enter by
=7 It is a mere rock in the wide Atlantic, having five families living on it in Rlartin's time, and in that of Sir George Mackenzie, but it is now completely uninhabited.
-'** Ic rises to a height of 350 feet.
^i Qne of these—and the tallest—is en-. graved for Joseph Anderson's work,
3= '< it was about tlie size of the western cell above described, and had an altar with around grey stone on the top. " Ibid. , p
^' Two woodcuts, illustrating the ground- 116. — See " Ecclesiastical plan and interior of this old church are given ARTICLE IV. '
in Joseph Anderson's "Scotland in Early Architecture of Ireland anterior to the
ChristianTimes,"Lect. iii. , pp. II3,I15.
3° It is only 19 inches long, by 8 inches wide. There is another window of similar form, and nearly of similar size, close to the
ea«t end of the north wall.
Anglo-MormanInvasion,"partii. , sect,ii. ,
pp. 139, 140.
^ See Dr. Malachy Keely's List of
Churches, which existed in Aran, beforeA. D. 1645, published by Colgan, in " Acta Sane-
—
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 22.
name a feast for Laghsecha, virgin, at the 22nd of May; however, they re- cord, also, Tres Sanctimoniales de Druimdadhart. We read in the Martyr- ology of Donegal,3 that on this day veneration was given to Aghna, Luigh- sech, and Cassin, virgins. In the table to this Martyrology, Aghna is called daughterofEoghain,sonofTal. Forsuchastatement,wefindtherequoted,"* the Hagiogensis, or Saints' Genealogy. s
ArticleVI. TheSevenSonsofEdniusofMaighin,orMoyne, CountyofMayo. OnlyEodusaoMaiginistheentrywefind,atthe22ndof May, in the Islartyrology of Tallagh. ' The BoUandists, quoting from this same authority, have the Seven Sons of Eodusius or Edusius of Maighin. Their place is represented to have been Maighin, It is now known as Moyne, in the barony of Tirawley, and county of Mayo. It would seem, that a religious establishment had been here, before the erection in 1460 of a Franciscan monastery,^ the beautiful and extensive ruins of which yet re- main. 3 A festival in honour of the seven sons of Ednius, was celebrated on this day, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal. *
Article VII. Reputed Feast of Nortyla, or Nortilas, Bishop OFVerden,LowerSaxony. OntheauthorityofCamerarius,'theBoUan- dists^ enter Nortyla, as a Saint and Martyr, at the 22nd of May. Bruschius only alludes to Nortyla, without giving him the title of saint. In the Life of St. Suitbert,3 Bishop of Verden, we have already noticed the Translation of Nortyla's remains, with those of other holy Bishops, to a new tomb, a. d. 1630, by Francis William, Bishop of Verden.
Article VIII. St. Cassinus of Sexhumka. Quoting the Martyr- ology of Tallagh, the BoUandists ' have a notice of St. Cassinus of Sexhumka, at the 22nd of May.
Article IX. The Sons of Eochaidh. The sons of Eochaidh were venerated,on this day, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal. *
550
torum Hibernix," xxi. Martii. Appendix ad Acta S. Endei, cap. vii. , p. 715.
Article v. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. XXV.
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Maii xxiL Among tiie pretermitted saints, p. 125.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 1 37.
* At fol. 39.
5 This, it appears from Dr. Todd's note, refers to a MS. , containing the Genealogy of the Kings and Saints of Ireland, preserved in the College of St. Isidore, Rome. See pp. 354, 355. Jl'iJ.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
bus iis in locis occisi aut exclusi fuerunt. "
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Maii xxii. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 125.
3 vjeevolumeiv. ofthiswork,atthe30th
of April, Ait. x.
Article viii. —' See "Acta Sancto-
rum," tomus v. , Maii xxii. Among the pre- tcrinitted saints, p. 125.
Artule IX. — ' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 137.
Article vi. — ' Kelly, p. XXV.
Edited
by Rev.
Dr.
" See Archdall's " Monaeticon Iliberni- cum,"p. 507.
The following is Dr. Whitley Stokes' Eng- lish translation : —"Ronan (the) Fair's soul went to starry heaven, with the man bright, prolific, Baethine mac Findach. "—"Trans- actions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the
Calendar of Oengus, p. Ixxxi.
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxv.
* See "Acta Sanctorum," tomns v. ,
Mali xxii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 126.
s See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," xix. Februarii. De S. Baitheno, Epis- copo, p. 369, and n. 4.
"See "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Majiuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. Ixxxix.
3* These remarks are the result of personal observation, and of information, obtained on the occasion of a visit to this Island and to its very interesting group of ruins, in July, 1868.
Article ii. —' Truly we felt how homely, descriptive, appropriate, fanciful, and faith- ful, were the lines of our national poet :
" In climes full of sunshine, though splendid the flowers,
Their sighs have no freshness, their odour no worth ;
'Tis the cloud and the mist of our own Isle of showers.
That call the rich spirit of fra- grancy forth. "
7 The Dal Messincorb and some of the old Leinster Pedigrees are set forth as the * In the "Leabhar Breac "copy, we No. i. , to illustrate the Genealogical Tables, in Rev. John Francis Shearman's " Loca
—Moore's "Irish Melodies. " read :
CecliAinj Animm lloriAin pnt) ^o|\]Mchet) jMnnAch tAfinpeix CAin cbAnnAcb bAicheni niAc pnnAch.
Patriciana. See No. ii. , p. 16.
^ See Lewis' " Topographical Dictionary
of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 577.
'These and the following observations
are from notes and observations, taken on IM
546
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [MAY;:
bly spent his religious days, in retirement from all worldly concerns. This place, now known as Ennisboyne, sometimes called Ennisboheen,^ or Dun- ganstown, seems to have derived its denomination from him. This is now aparish,situatedinthebaronyofArklow,andcountyofWicklow. Notfar from the county town, there are some few ruins of an ancient church to be seen. Around it is a burial ground. Formerly the church was situated on a small low-lying island, within a deep ravine, through which flows the Three Mile Water River. 9 Within the memory of persons yet living, this island was recollected ; but, one branch of the stream having been dried up, the river has taken a particular bend, so as to form that island into a peninsula. Still human bones and old rude headstones are there turned up, while no trace of a building can be seen. The surface only appears, at present, as a very green pasture, with the blackest of mould underneath. High stepping-stones
Inishboheen Cemetery, County of Wicklow.
now cross the stream into the former island. Tradition has it, thata suicide oran insane person having been interred there, at a period long remote, the church became elevated to the high bank, on the south side of the river, during a singlenight. Therationaleofthislegendmustbe,thattheoldchurchhaving fallenintodecaycenturiesago,it wasdeemednecessarytobuildanotheron the slope of the ravine, so as to render it less exposed to floods and more accessible to frequeiiters. This last church is even now a shapeless mass of ruins. Jt once consisted of a nave and choir ; tlie former was internally 46 feet, 3 inches, in length, by 22 feet, in width—while the choir was 17 feet, in length, by 15 feet, 5 inches, in breadth. The situation is uncommonly
the spot, after a visit with an okl and of Kill)ride was built.
esteemed friend, the Very Rev. Michael Maloney, P. P. , of Ennisboyne, Kilbride, and Castlctimon parishes, during the month of April, 1871. His parish was called Ennis- bethan, before A. I). 1795, when the chapel
'" The accompanying illustration of the scene is from a drawing by the writer, in July, 1S73, on the spot, and since trans- ferred to the wood, by William E. Wakeman. It was engraved by Airs. Millard.
—
May 22. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
romantic, at the plateau over a deep glen, through which the Three Mile Water winds along to the high sand banks, a little below where it enters the sea, at Maghera Point. '° Here, the people have a tradition, St. Patrick " first landed, when he reached the Wicklow coast. Only two fragments of the choir walls remain, and all the nave walls are nearly levelled with the ground. However, the former dimensions are quite traceable. Two granite caps of windows lie within the graveyard, still much resorted to for interments. " Tiie turning of an arch is yet traceable, between nave and choir. The church walls are 2 feet, 10 inches, in thickness, on an average. The burial-ground has been enclosed with a modern wall ; but, at one angle, the river below has undermined the upper clay bank, and a semicircular land-slide there has been the consequence. The scenery around thi. ; old church is of the most delightful character. According to the Martyrology of Donegal,'3 Baoithin, son to Finnach, of Inis Baithin, in the east of Leinster,'4 had veneration given
him, on this day.
ArticleHI. St. RonanFinn,ofLannRonain,CountyofDown. For the 22nd of May, a festival is recorded, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ to honour Ronan Find, of Lan Ruadain Ronain f and, at the same date, the "Feilire"ofSt. yEngusmentionshim,withspecialeulogy. Accordingtothe scholiast on that copy found in the " Leabhar Breac," Ronan the Fair was son of Saran, son to Colgan or Colcu, son of Tuathal, son to Cruindbel,^ son of Fedlimid, son to Fiacha Cassan, son of Colla da Chrich, son of Echaid Doimplen. + This saint is noticed, in the Book of Lecain. s The Bollandists ^ have some account of St. Ronnanus, Bishop and Confessor, at this date, althoughtheyacknowledge,thatlittleisknownabouthim. Hemusthave flourished, in the early part of the seventh century, if we are to attach credit to certain romantic fragments of our national history. Some Scottish writers callhimadiscipleofSt. Benedict; but,theygivenowarrant,forsuchastate-
ment. Theepithetappliedtohim—bytheIrish—ofFinnsignifies"white," or " fair. " He was the son of Saran, son to Colgan, and he sprung from the family of Orgiell, or Colla Dachrioch,7 according to the poem, which is called the Naemhshenchus of the Saints of Inis Fail. The mother of Ronan, and the mother of Fionnchu, of the Bri Gobhann, were sisters. ^ Elsewhere, he is conjecturedtohavebeenthesonofBerach. 9 Allusionismadetothissaint,
" See his Life, in the Third Volume of this work, at March 17th, Art. i.
" An old cut stone, with an inscription 1698, lies at the head of a grave. It is very rudely carved.
'3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 137.
"In
it is again corrected. See ibid. , pp. 362,
Lan Ruadain Ronain, in manu recenti. "
3 'fhe scholiast adds, " a quo Hui-Cruind-
beoil. "
'' See " Transactions of the Royal Irish
Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , part i. , pp. Ixxxi. , Ixxxix.
^A note, by William M. Hennessy, Esq. ,
't In a note. Rev. Dr. Reeves says
the Manuscript copy ia^vua^ tAijen, 'west
of Leinster,' is the reading ; but, as this is a
clerical error, it has been rectified in the 79 bb. "
text, both here and at the i6th, p. 130, * See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , supra. " A similar error occurs, in the Maii xxii. Among the pretermitted saints, table postfixed to this Martyrology, where p. 125.
363.
Article hi.
—
'
Edited by Rev. Dr.
'See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum. Hiber- niae," xxi. Martii. Vita S. Endei. Appendix, cap. i v. , p. 713.
" The Life of Fionnchu, chap. viii. is quoted for the foregoing statement.
' See Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, " Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 462, 463.
Kelly, p. xxv.
^ In this work, the latter words in Italics
are said to have been added, by a more re- cent hand. There we read : " Ronani find o
:
M. R. I. A. , says:
1lui]"en o nioig^AAuh . 1. i|']. -up|\iACA HonAin pnt) iriAc be|\A]'c (lAnn bAig) B. of Lecain,
—
"Ronan Finn Copco
547
548
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 2 2.
by Father Jolin Colgan,'° as having been venerated, at the church of Lann Ronain, on the 22nd of May. There is aLann Ronan situated in CorcaRuisen, inMagrath, nearNewr}', county of Down. " Nothwithstanding, Colgan thinks" Lann Ronain to have been identical with Magherahn, otherwise called Lane orLannHuachaille,orI^annMocholmog,inthedioceseofDromore. This, however,hasbeendenied,bytheRev. WilliamReeves. '^ Thesituationof LannRonain,"theChurchofRonan,"isnotexactlyknown. However,it would appear to have been near Moira, in the old parish of Magheralin, of which Moira formed a part, until a. d. 1725. '+ The church of Moira is called St. Innis. 's This is the Ronan, who denounced Suibhne, son to Colman Ciar, King of Dal Araidhe, because Suibhne had dragged the said Ronan dis- honourably from the place, where he was praising God, out of the church, andhecasthisPsalterintoapoolofwater,whereitwassubmerged. The king did not permit the saint to remain in the church. '^ For this impiety, Suibhnebecamefrantic. HiswanderingsaftertheBattleofMaghRatharere- lated,inacuriousoldtract,calledtheBuileShuibhne. '? ThisSuibhnedied A. D. 637,accordingtotheAnnalsofTighernach. '^ TheScotchwritershave made Ronan a Bishop ; and, at this date, he has an office of Three Lessons in the Breviary of Aberdeen. It is also said, that he flourished a. d. 603. Again, Camerarius commemorates him as that Ronan, the Scot, who strenuously de- fended the Roman rite for the celebration of Easter, in the Synod of Strenes- healh,'9 a. d. 664. However, his feast is usually referred to the 6th ^° or 7th^' of
February. If we credit Dempster,'^ he departed this life a. d. 660, in Levinia ;
but, he seems rather to have died in Ireland. The INIartyrology of Donegal =3 registers, on this daj-, the name of Ronan Finn, of Lann Ronain Finn, in Ui Eachach Uladh. In the Irish Calendar, preserved in the Royal Irish Aca- demy, the festival of this saint is at the xi. of the June Kalends, which cor- responds with the 22nd of May.
^^ It seems probable enough, that the pre- sent saint had been venerated in Scotland, ^5 from an entry in the Kalendaro<" Drummond. ^^ On the little Island of North Rona,^7 which lies nearly sixty Uiiles north from the Butt of Lewis, there is a primitive church, called Team-
'° See "Acta Sanctorum riibernise/'xxi. Martii, Appendix ad Acta S. Endaei, cap. iv. , p. 713.
" See Rev. Dr. Kelly's " Calendar of Irish Saints," p. 43.
Books.
'^See Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hibemi-
caram Scriptores," tomus ii. , Tigernachi Annales, p. 193.
'5 See Venerable Bede's "Historia Eccle- " See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," siastica Gentis Scotorum," lib. iii. , cap.
Martii xxx. De S. Colniano Lannensi, sive XXV. , pp. 233 to 239.
Linnensi Abbate, p. 792. '° For this date, Camerarius cites the Bre-
'3 See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of viary of Aberdeen, which, however, gives
Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix EE, n. (o), p. 313.
'* An entry in the Book of Lecan (fol. 96 b) is cited, as authority for the above state- ment. It is thus Latinized, " Lann Ronain Finn, in Corco Ruishen, in Magh Rath. "
5 See Rev. William Reeves' " Ecclesias- tical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix LL, p. 378, and note (x).
" See " Battle of Magh Rath," edited by John O'Donovan, pp. 232, 233.
"' The Buile Shuihhne, or Madness of
Suibhne, was an ancient historical romance,
giving an account of the lunacy and death of
this celebrated chieftain. For more regard-
ing him, see that beautiful historic poem of nani et Baitinni. "—Bishop Forbes' " Ka- Sir Samuel Fergu>on, " Congal," in Five lendars of Scottish Saints," pp. 13, 14.
the feast of a Ronan only at the 7th.
" Dempster, citing the Scottish Breviary,
gives his feast at this date.
" See " Historia I'. cclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xvi. , num. 1066, p. 564.
' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 137
-^ There we read : " Uon^n pon 6 \&x\\\ TlotKMi p"" i"tlib CAccA(b 111. "—Ord- nance Survey Office copy, Common Place Book F, p. 48.
F. S. Gordon's " Sco- tichronicon," vol. i. , pp. 47 to 50.
^5 See Rev. Dr.
J.
=* At xi. Kal. Junii, we read : " Apud Hi- berniam Natale Sanctorum Confessorum Ro-
May 2 2. ]
549
—— —
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS
pull Ronan. The Island is steep and rugged,^^ while St. Ronan's church stands on an elevated plateau, near the soutliern side of that remote spot. Externally, thechurchisnowonlyaroundedheapofloosestones. Itconsistsoftwoparts, the eastern one of which is manifestly older than the other ; and, it was very curiously constructed, as seen in the interior, for there the end walls converge slightly towards each other, and the side walls so greatly, that although they are seven feet six inches apart on the floor, they are only two feet apart at the roof. ^9 This is formed of slabs, laid across from wall to wall. In the west end, there is a small square doorway, and so low, that those who enter must creep through on hands and knees. Over the doorway is a flat-headed windovv. 3° At the east end of the cell, and in the middle of tlie floor, lies an altar-slab, three feet in length. As a nave to a chancel and attached to the west end, there is another cell, internally 14 feet, 8 inches long, by 8 feet, 3 inches wide. It has a flat-headed doorway, and a small ourial ground is contiguous to the building, in which are several stone crosses,3' small and plain. There was a building, called Teampull nam Manach outside the graveyard. 3^ The career of this holy man, it must be acknowledged, is involved in great obscurity.
Article IV. St. Brecan, the Pilgrim, of Teampull Breccain, Island of Aranmore, County of Galway. This saint has been iden- tified with St, Brecan, founder of Ardbraccan See, in Meath, by the learned Dr. Petrie. He even says, our historic records make this certain. ' But, as the feast of this holy bishop was celebrated on the 6th of December, the ])re- sent St. Brecan's festival is known to have been held, on the 22nd of May,
at the handsome and formerly parochial church, known as Tempull Breccain, or '' the Church of Breccain. "^ This holy saint appears to have been distin- guished as the Pilgrim. Early in the present century, his tomb was discovered near that church, dedicated to his memory, on Aranmore, and we even have preserved an engraving and a description of it. Some curious inscriptions therehavealsocometolight. NearthischurchofSt. Brecan,therewasanother commonlycalledTempullaPhuill. Severalofthoseedifices,whichexistedin the middle of the seventeenth century, are now known to have fallen into ruin, so that their very site cannot at present be distinguished.
Article V. Saints Aghna, Luighsech, Caissin, Virgins, of Druim- DA-DHART. An entry appears, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 22nd of May, where these virgins are denominated Na teora cailleacha Droma da dart. Luigsech, virgin, is separately entered, in this record, as also Caisin seu Dunice. They were three nuns, and their place was Druim-da-dhart. On the authority of the Tallagh Martyrology, the Bollandists ^ only enter by
=7 It is a mere rock in the wide Atlantic, having five families living on it in Rlartin's time, and in that of Sir George Mackenzie, but it is now completely uninhabited.
-'** Ic rises to a height of 350 feet.
^i Qne of these—and the tallest—is en-. graved for Joseph Anderson's work,
3= '< it was about tlie size of the western cell above described, and had an altar with around grey stone on the top. " Ibid. , p
^' Two woodcuts, illustrating the ground- 116. — See " Ecclesiastical plan and interior of this old church are given ARTICLE IV. '
in Joseph Anderson's "Scotland in Early Architecture of Ireland anterior to the
ChristianTimes,"Lect. iii. , pp. II3,I15.
3° It is only 19 inches long, by 8 inches wide. There is another window of similar form, and nearly of similar size, close to the
ea«t end of the north wall.
Anglo-MormanInvasion,"partii. , sect,ii. ,
pp. 139, 140.
^ See Dr. Malachy Keely's List of
Churches, which existed in Aran, beforeA. D. 1645, published by Colgan, in " Acta Sane-
—
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 22.
name a feast for Laghsecha, virgin, at the 22nd of May; however, they re- cord, also, Tres Sanctimoniales de Druimdadhart. We read in the Martyr- ology of Donegal,3 that on this day veneration was given to Aghna, Luigh- sech, and Cassin, virgins. In the table to this Martyrology, Aghna is called daughterofEoghain,sonofTal. Forsuchastatement,wefindtherequoted,"* the Hagiogensis, or Saints' Genealogy. s
ArticleVI. TheSevenSonsofEdniusofMaighin,orMoyne, CountyofMayo. OnlyEodusaoMaiginistheentrywefind,atthe22ndof May, in the Islartyrology of Tallagh. ' The BoUandists, quoting from this same authority, have the Seven Sons of Eodusius or Edusius of Maighin. Their place is represented to have been Maighin, It is now known as Moyne, in the barony of Tirawley, and county of Mayo. It would seem, that a religious establishment had been here, before the erection in 1460 of a Franciscan monastery,^ the beautiful and extensive ruins of which yet re- main. 3 A festival in honour of the seven sons of Ednius, was celebrated on this day, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal. *
Article VII. Reputed Feast of Nortyla, or Nortilas, Bishop OFVerden,LowerSaxony. OntheauthorityofCamerarius,'theBoUan- dists^ enter Nortyla, as a Saint and Martyr, at the 22nd of May. Bruschius only alludes to Nortyla, without giving him the title of saint. In the Life of St. Suitbert,3 Bishop of Verden, we have already noticed the Translation of Nortyla's remains, with those of other holy Bishops, to a new tomb, a. d. 1630, by Francis William, Bishop of Verden.
Article VIII. St. Cassinus of Sexhumka. Quoting the Martyr- ology of Tallagh, the BoUandists ' have a notice of St. Cassinus of Sexhumka, at the 22nd of May.
Article IX. The Sons of Eochaidh. The sons of Eochaidh were venerated,on this day, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal. *
550
torum Hibernix," xxi. Martii. Appendix ad Acta S. Endei, cap. vii. , p. 715.
Article v. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. XXV.
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Maii xxiL Among tiie pretermitted saints, p. 125.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 1 37.
* At fol. 39.
5 This, it appears from Dr. Todd's note, refers to a MS. , containing the Genealogy of the Kings and Saints of Ireland, preserved in the College of St. Isidore, Rome. See pp. 354, 355. Jl'iJ.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
bus iis in locis occisi aut exclusi fuerunt. "
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Maii xxii. Among the pretermitted saints,
p. 125.
3 vjeevolumeiv. ofthiswork,atthe30th
of April, Ait. x.
Article viii. —' See "Acta Sancto-
rum," tomus v. , Maii xxii. Among the pre- tcrinitted saints, p. 125.
Artule IX. — ' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 136, 137.
Article vi. — ' Kelly, p. XXV.
Edited
by Rev.
Dr.
" See Archdall's " Monaeticon Iliberni- cum,"p. 507.
