Moninna or
Moduenna
(cap.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
Coemgen died A.
d.
617, according to the "Annals of the Four Masters," that it should follow, matters here related concerning him must have happened before his death.
See n.
6, p.
S^^j ^^^^'
s^ See that most elegantly illuminated, exquisitely written, and devout narrative,
"
Prince and Saviour : the story of Jesus simply told for the Young," by Rosa Mulholland, pp. 13, 14- New and enlarged edition, Dublin :
M'Glashan and Gill, 1876, i2mo.
S3 See Professor O'Looney's Irish Life of
St. Brigid, pp. 41, 42.
S4 See ibid. This Life also remarks, that
she never washed her hands, or her feet, or her head in the presence of men.
Nihil diminuit de
Nee diminuit ejus substantiam.
•' Tradiditliquoremseulaecuidamrustico, Quando erat necesse,
In the same tract, we find the following
lines, which do not admit of easy explana^ tion :
Et
est nee crescere Nee quidquam diminui. '*
repertum
" Accesserat ad pralium Coemginus Celebris
ss St. Matt. xxV. , 29.
prosperitate hospitis,
by a gifted lady, intituled,
176 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
of God, that He was pleased to manifest her sanctity by the performance of most renowned miracles, s^ These are abundantly instanced, throughout her
acts. Whenever liberality is hoped for, it will usually be fully tested ; and, an opinion of unrestricted and active charity must inevitably draw together
needy and afflicted, towards benevolently-disposed persons. Hence, it happened, that so many poor and infirm individuals flocked to St. Brigid, not only from her own locality, but from most distant places. Those were allured by a report of her virtues and charities, while, they hoped relief under privation from their various distresses. When our saint had satisfied the wants of one pauper, she was ready to perform a like charitable office for a petitionersucceeding; whilethesamegenerousdispositionwasmanifested towards all, without personal favour or exception. However her bounty had been extended to the whole flock, notwithstanding her charity was still moderated, according to various necessities ; she gave abundantly to those most in need, more restrictedly to those in middling circumstances, and a little was only distributed to those needing little. Yet, no gift of hers could be considered small, when her hands administered relief, and her warm heart became the prompter of her largesses. S7 Again, she was very humble, and she attended or was accustomed to the herding of sheep, as an occupation, and to early risingjS^ as conducive to health. This her life proves, and Cuimin of Coindeire states, in his poem,s9 referring to her great perfections. She spent indeed many years, diligently serving the Lord, performing signs and miracles, curing every disease and sickness. Her vigils were incessant, and she watched over those subjects committed to her charge, with extra- ordinary care and tenderness. Her numerous miracles are compared to the grass of the field, because it grows in such abundance, by one of her many eulogists. Those wonders, recorded in her various Acts, would seem to confirm such a statement. ^° She is specially ranked among the friends^' and
5^ See "Breviarium Romanum. " Pars Hiemalis. Officia Propria Hiberniae Sane- torum, quae a Clero Hibernico recitantur. Die i. Februarii. Officium S. Brigidse. Noct. sec. lect. vi.
Hennessy's copy of the Donegal Martyrology, most obligingly lent to the writer, by its learned owner.
S9 This begins with " Patrick of the fort of Macha loved," &c. Thus he says :—
" The blessed loved Brighit
57 See
Colgan's
"Trias " Thaumaturga.
Vita
PP- 576, 5^0-
Vita Prima S. Brigida;, sees, v. , vi. , vii. ,
S.
p. 515, her panegyric is thus pronounced
Quinta
Brigidie, cap. xxxviii,, liii. , Ij^ ^he Latin version of the
*• Non erat cum
hospitibus aspera ;
Hospitality towards men of virtues. "
*° See the " of Martyrology Donegal,'*
**
"
Non erat armentaria montana :
Nata est in medio campo ;
Bona est scala populis,
Ad intrandum in regnum filii Mariae.
Prseclara erat Preeclarus concentus
"
Bridget of the benedictions loved Perpetual mortification beyond woman*
hood.
Watching and early rising, Hospitality to saintly men,"
58
*•
tibus. "
See Mac Firbiss' List of Bishops' Sees,
Calendar of Irish Saints," p. 161. A somewhat different Latin translation is given for the foregoing lines, by Colgan, at p. 606 of * ' Trias Thau-
maturga. "
^^ See " Breviarium Romanum. " Pars
Benigne tractabat leprosos miseros, at the 1st of February.
In extruxit suam St. Cumineus of
campo civitatem, Con6r,
Vita S. Brendani.
in his " On poem,
Post obitum patrocinatur multitudini populorum.
the Characteristic Virtues of Irish Saints," as translated into English, says :—
congregatio Brigidae Placentinus, quem
canebat.
Circa solum Christum erat solicita : Res ha;c erat competens advenien-
p. 622, and Rev. Dr. Kelly's
Ac, voce Cuil Corra. " This jotting is in a note, appended to this passage, in Wm. M*
:
:
and — Sheep herding early rising
—
Constant piety, which was not pre- scribed;
" pendix Quartaad Acta S. Brigidas, cap. xii. ,
"
See " Trias Colgan's
Thaumaturga.
Ap-
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 177
disciples^^ of our great Irish Apostle, St. Patrick ; and, among his numerous religious daughters, not one was more distinguished for great force of character, for high intellectual accomplishments, and for sublime spiritual
gifts.
CHAPTER XIV.
VISION OF ST. BRIGID REGARDING HER APPROACHING DEATH—HER PREPARATION— ST. NENNID ADMINISTERS THE LAST SACRAMENTS TO HER—THE YEAR AND DAY OF ST. BRIGID'S DEPARTURE—THE PLACE WHERE IT OCCURRED—KILDARE AND ITS RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS—ST. BRIGID'S SHRINE AND RELICS—HONOUR PAID TO HER MEMORY.
We are informed, St. Brigid had a revelation, foiur years before her death, that the time for her departure out of this world was approaching, and that
she also had a prophetic knowledge, respecting the place of her resurrection. ^ This intuition was to her a source of joy. She had now attained a venerable
age. '' Accordingly, she prepared for her approaching end, by redoubling prayers, watchings, fastings and charities. Although Jier remote preparation
for death had commenced, at a very early period, by the practice of virtue and good works ; yet, towards the close of life, as if all she had hitherto done were of no account, in her estimation, she became devoted almost uninter- ruptedlytoheavenlyaspirationsandcontemplation. Tohermindandtoher memory, often recurred this thought, that a life-time spent in pious preparation gave a suitable guarantee for a holy death. She endeavoured to watch care- fully, during her journey through life, that she might not be confounded by her spiritualenemies,whentouchingtheportalsofdeath. Norwashersolicitude confinedtoherownspiritualinterests. Beingboundtorenderanaccountfor those religious females entrusted to her charge, she was vigilant in her official position. This was manifested, by her unceasing solicitude and through her frequent exhortations. Her prayers had a retrospective and a prospective aim, on behalf of those dear sisters, who were to remain behind in this world of pilgrimage. While in the flesh, she loved them, not according to the
maxims or of practice
and 3 holy spirit.
but in a
Having regulated the religious state of her city and nunnery, as also of
various establishments, subject to her rule, throughout Ireland ;4 we are told, in her Fourth Life, that she expressed to her sisters a desire to visit
before death the sepulchre and reHcs of her holy patron. Archbishop Patrick. Brigid knew, also, it relates, that she should not return alive to the
Hiemalis. Officia Propria Hibemise Sane- torum, quae a Clero Hibemico recitantur. Die I. Februarii. Officium S. Brigidai. Noct. sec. lect. vi;
^^
Also, Vita Quarta S. Brigidse, lib. ii. , cap. xcviii. , xcix. , p. 562, ibid.
From the words of her Fourth Life,
Colgan infers, that St. Brigid wrote a special rule and founded a particular institute for holy women ; otherwise, he does not think
worldlings,
religious
See Colgah's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap.
xxiii. , p. 269. Yet, only in a mediate or it likely, that various houses could be re-
remote sense must we regard her, as having been one of those virgins, veiled by St.
presented, as being subject to her care, This position he endeavours to establish, by citing various authorities. See ibid. , Ap-
ad Acta
Vita iv. S. Brigidse, lib. ii. , cap. xii. , sect. 81, p. 171.
Patrick. — Chapter XIV.
See "The Life of St. Brigid," by an Irish Priest, chap, x. , p.
^
pendix Tertia
S. Brigidse, cap. ii. , p. 610. And, Vita Quarta S. Brigidae, n. 23, p. 566. See, also, the Bollandists' "Acta ^ See Bishop Challoner's " Britannia Sanctorum," tomus i. Die i. Februarii.
133,
Sancta," part i. , February 1st, p. 94.
3 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Quinta S. Brigidae, cap. Ivi. , p. 581.
Vol. II.
N
178 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
usual city of her residence. It is said, St. Patrick, at the time of his death, had commanded our saint to bless all Ireland, thirty years afterwards, and that in consequence of this desire, she now made a tour over the whole island, blessing every part of it. s Having arrived in the province of the Ultonians,^ in the northern part of Ireland, she was there seized, it is stated, with her last illness. It is generally beUeved, that she died thirty years after the departure of St. Patrick. 7
St. Conleath, Bishop of Kildare, departed this life on the 3rd of May,
519 ;^ and, St. Brigid did not long survive him. ^ She was already descending
thevaleofyears,andinfirmitybegantogrowuponher; although,wearenot given to understand, what had been the nature of that sickness, which caused
her death. At its approach, however, she had a conference with one of her nuns, named Darlugdacha, to whom she confided a charge over her com-
She was now about to cease from her toils and to enjoy everlasting rest ;
but, whether decay or decrepitude, awaited her closing years, seems to be alto- getherunknown. ^3 Whenthelastdayofourmostillustriousandholyvirgin in this life had approached, and after a long pilgrimage, Brigid was beckoned toherreward. Then,whilesailingontheBritishsea,'4byforceofthewinds, or rather by God's providence, St. Ninnid was wafted to the Irish coast. ^s
after the event of her own
declared her successor should survive only one year, and depart this life on the ist of February ; so that thus, both their names should be venerated, on this same day. " Therefore, as they were united in affection during life, in like measure, after death, their memories were conjointly held in honour. It would seem beyond the power of tongue or pen, to describe the wonders of Brigid's daily existence. Many miracles and incidents already recorded, concerning this holy abbess, and several not mentioned in this her life, will be found in the Acts of various other Irish saints. "
munity,
expected departure.
s See Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's " La
Santita Prodigiosa. " Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. Libro Sesto, pp. 583, 584.
Life, by St. Evin (pars iii. , cap. 4, 6), Life of St.
Moninna or Moduenna (cap. 3), Cap- grave's Life of the same Saint (cap. 14), Life of St. Albeus, Cod. Kilk. (cap. 23), another Life of the same Saint (cap. 18, 19), Life of St. Finnian of Clonaixi (cap. 15), Life of St. Tighernach (cap. 2, 10), O^Donnell's Life of St. Columkille (lib, i. , cap. 9), Supplement to the Life of St. Kieran of Clonmacnoise (cap. 26), Life of St. Gildas (cap. 9), Life of St. Brendan, Cod. Kilk. (cap, 50), Life of
^
In Irish it is written UbcA, tJLcAij, and
This is Latinized Ultonia and Ulidia.
7 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.
"
Quarta Vita S. Brigidee, lib. ii. , cap. xcix. ,
p. 562.
^
The Annales Ultonienses record, at A. D. 519, the death of Conlaed, Bishop of Cille
dara, p. 13. See Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum St. Aid, bishop (cap. 16, 20), Life of St.
Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus ii.
9 See "The Life of St. Brigid," by an
Irish Priest, chap, x. , p. 134.
^° See Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's " La
Santitk Prodigiosa. " Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. Libro Sesto, pp. 559 to 561.
Maidoc (cap. 62), Life of St, Moling (cap. 22), Life of St. Kieran, of Saigir (cap. 30), Life of St. Kieran, of Clonmacnoise (cap. i. , 47), Life of St. Columba (cap. 4, 5, 66, 241), Life of St. Moelruan (cap. 42), Life of St. Corbmac (cap. 9), Life of St. Fintan,
^* See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi- hermit (15th Nov. ) See " Trias Thauma-
bemiae," Februarii I. Vita S. Derlugdachse, p. 230. Also, the Acts of St. Derlugdacha hereafter subjoined, and on the Ist of Febru-
in his
"
turga, sees. i. to xxii. , pp. 602 to 606.
'3 See "The Life of St. Brigid," by an
Irish Priest, chap, x. , pp, 133, 134,
'* In Professor Irish Life of O'Looney's
ary.
" These are introduced
St.
nitroet) IaitH
" Nin-
byColgan Appendix Secunda, seu Supplementum Actorum S. Brigidae, ex aliorum Sanctorum vitis & aliis hystoriis. " He quotes the Fourth
Life of St. Patrick, by St. Eleran, the sup- posed author (cap. 94), the Sixth, by Jocelin (cap. 94, 95, 188, 189). The Tripartite
Brigid
i-oaii, i. e. ,
"
didh of the undefiled hand," is said to have
come from Rome of Letha, pp. 47, 48.
^s See Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's "La
Santitk Prodigiosa. " Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. Libro Sesto, pp. 584 to 566.
^° St. also Bridget
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 179
Afterwards a large fish was caught, and brought to him. When it had been
cut up into parts, according to the legend of his life, that key belonging to the lock of his manacled hand was found within its body. Finding all these events to have happened by Divine appointment, with sorrow of heart, the
"
pious Ninnidius said :
It is not meet, that a mortal should any longer
oppose designs of the living God, and of Omnipotent power. " Hearing about St. Brigid's infirmity, he went to visit her ; and, at the hour of her
departure, as she had already predicted, the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Eternal God, she received from the undefiled hand
of holy Ninnidius. '^
There are many different opinions of writers, as to St. Brigid's exact age, at the time of her demise. Henry of Marlborough'7 tells us, that she was born A. D. 468, and that she died on the ist of February, a. d. 523. Conse- quently, she could only have been fifty-five years old, at her decease. But, no other writer sets her age down at less than seventy years, when she died. ''^ This latter seems to be the most generally received opinion. Our Martyro- logies'9 and Annals^° concur. The seventy-first^^ and the seventy-fourth year
"
Martyrology of Donegal"^'' has noticed, that she yielded her spirit, after having completed seventy-four years, a. d. 525. ^3 The author of St. Brigid's Fourth Life has regarded her
death, as occurring, thirty years after that of St. Patrick,^^ and in the eightieth year of her age. ^s Colgan, too, thinks this probable, on account of the latt—er
for her death-period have been stated. Thus, the
—nt and so
authority being so ancie respectable.
She is even eighty-seventh year. ^^
but without correctness
to have attained her
'^ " See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.
Quarta Vita S. Brigidse, lib. li. , cap. Ixiii. , p. 559. Also, Quinta Vita S. Brigidse, cap. Iviii. , p. 582.
fecit quinariam literam transcriptoris error ;' i. e. , the transcriber mistook dxxii. for dxxu. "
^4 This story, about such a term of years '7 In his Annals. This, however, is not intervening between the deaths of the two
"
Chronicle of Ireland," saints, has been taken from that spurious published in 1809 at Dublin, by the Hiber- tract, called St. Patrick's Testament, in
to be found in his
nia Press Company.
'^
which we find the favourite division of our Apostle's years into thirties. To these was added another thirty, at the end of which
This is the opinion of Ussher in his
"Primordia Ecclesiarum Britannicarum,"
cap. xvii. , p, 884, and in his "Index St. Brigid was to bless Ireland. Hence, it
Clironologicus," A. D, 523, as also of Sir James Ware, "De Scriptoribus Hibernise,"
lib. i. , cap. ii,, p, 9.
'9 The "Martyrology of Tallagh," com-
piled by St. ^ngus and St. Maelruan, in
"
got into he Fourth Life of St. Brigid, and it became popular. Marianus Scotus, hav- ing assigned St. Patrick's death to a. d. 491, placed, agreeably to this supposition, that of St. Brigid in 521 ; while, the sticklers for A. D, 493, following the same principle, fixed
the ninth century, has this record :
Ca-
lendis Februarii. Dormitio S. Brigidse, it at A. D, 523. One of these was Bollandus,
Ixx. , anno setatis suie. " See Rev. Dr. when commenting on the Acts of St. Brigid ; Kelly's edition, p. xiv. but, his successors, Henschennius and Pape-
^°
The Annals of Ulster, or of Senat Mac brochius, rejected these thirty years, and
Mognus, cited by Ussher, agree, where at
madeoutanothercalculation. This,however,
cannot be admitted in their observations ; for,
A. D. we read 523,
:
" S. Quies
p. 3. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hiberni- carum Scriptores," tomus iv.
Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
land," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sec. vi. , n. 87, p.
457-
^s For this statement, there appears to be
little probability. Yet, an Irish Life of St. Brigid concurs in the previous calculations.
^^
At the year 523. we find entered in William M. Hennessy's "Chronicum Sco- torum," the Dormition of St. Brigid in the 87th year of her age, or 77th as some assert, pp. 40, 41.
^^
According to the computation of Friar
Clyn, that she was born a. d. 439, and of
Hanmer, that she died a. d. 510, she must
have departed in her seventy-first year.
s^ See that most elegantly illuminated, exquisitely written, and devout narrative,
"
Prince and Saviour : the story of Jesus simply told for the Young," by Rosa Mulholland, pp. 13, 14- New and enlarged edition, Dublin :
M'Glashan and Gill, 1876, i2mo.
S3 See Professor O'Looney's Irish Life of
St. Brigid, pp. 41, 42.
S4 See ibid. This Life also remarks, that
she never washed her hands, or her feet, or her head in the presence of men.
Nihil diminuit de
Nee diminuit ejus substantiam.
•' Tradiditliquoremseulaecuidamrustico, Quando erat necesse,
In the same tract, we find the following
lines, which do not admit of easy explana^ tion :
Et
est nee crescere Nee quidquam diminui. '*
repertum
" Accesserat ad pralium Coemginus Celebris
ss St. Matt. xxV. , 29.
prosperitate hospitis,
by a gifted lady, intituled,
176 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
of God, that He was pleased to manifest her sanctity by the performance of most renowned miracles, s^ These are abundantly instanced, throughout her
acts. Whenever liberality is hoped for, it will usually be fully tested ; and, an opinion of unrestricted and active charity must inevitably draw together
needy and afflicted, towards benevolently-disposed persons. Hence, it happened, that so many poor and infirm individuals flocked to St. Brigid, not only from her own locality, but from most distant places. Those were allured by a report of her virtues and charities, while, they hoped relief under privation from their various distresses. When our saint had satisfied the wants of one pauper, she was ready to perform a like charitable office for a petitionersucceeding; whilethesamegenerousdispositionwasmanifested towards all, without personal favour or exception. However her bounty had been extended to the whole flock, notwithstanding her charity was still moderated, according to various necessities ; she gave abundantly to those most in need, more restrictedly to those in middling circumstances, and a little was only distributed to those needing little. Yet, no gift of hers could be considered small, when her hands administered relief, and her warm heart became the prompter of her largesses. S7 Again, she was very humble, and she attended or was accustomed to the herding of sheep, as an occupation, and to early risingjS^ as conducive to health. This her life proves, and Cuimin of Coindeire states, in his poem,s9 referring to her great perfections. She spent indeed many years, diligently serving the Lord, performing signs and miracles, curing every disease and sickness. Her vigils were incessant, and she watched over those subjects committed to her charge, with extra- ordinary care and tenderness. Her numerous miracles are compared to the grass of the field, because it grows in such abundance, by one of her many eulogists. Those wonders, recorded in her various Acts, would seem to confirm such a statement. ^° She is specially ranked among the friends^' and
5^ See "Breviarium Romanum. " Pars Hiemalis. Officia Propria Hiberniae Sane- torum, quae a Clero Hibernico recitantur. Die i. Februarii. Officium S. Brigidse. Noct. sec. lect. vi.
Hennessy's copy of the Donegal Martyrology, most obligingly lent to the writer, by its learned owner.
S9 This begins with " Patrick of the fort of Macha loved," &c. Thus he says :—
" The blessed loved Brighit
57 See
Colgan's
"Trias " Thaumaturga.
Vita
PP- 576, 5^0-
Vita Prima S. Brigida;, sees, v. , vi. , vii. ,
S.
p. 515, her panegyric is thus pronounced
Quinta
Brigidie, cap. xxxviii,, liii. , Ij^ ^he Latin version of the
*• Non erat cum
hospitibus aspera ;
Hospitality towards men of virtues. "
*° See the " of Martyrology Donegal,'*
**
"
Non erat armentaria montana :
Nata est in medio campo ;
Bona est scala populis,
Ad intrandum in regnum filii Mariae.
Prseclara erat Preeclarus concentus
"
Bridget of the benedictions loved Perpetual mortification beyond woman*
hood.
Watching and early rising, Hospitality to saintly men,"
58
*•
tibus. "
See Mac Firbiss' List of Bishops' Sees,
Calendar of Irish Saints," p. 161. A somewhat different Latin translation is given for the foregoing lines, by Colgan, at p. 606 of * ' Trias Thau-
maturga. "
^^ See " Breviarium Romanum. " Pars
Benigne tractabat leprosos miseros, at the 1st of February.
In extruxit suam St. Cumineus of
campo civitatem, Con6r,
Vita S. Brendani.
in his " On poem,
Post obitum patrocinatur multitudini populorum.
the Characteristic Virtues of Irish Saints," as translated into English, says :—
congregatio Brigidae Placentinus, quem
canebat.
Circa solum Christum erat solicita : Res ha;c erat competens advenien-
p. 622, and Rev. Dr. Kelly's
Ac, voce Cuil Corra. " This jotting is in a note, appended to this passage, in Wm. M*
:
:
and — Sheep herding early rising
—
Constant piety, which was not pre- scribed;
" pendix Quartaad Acta S. Brigidas, cap. xii. ,
"
See " Trias Colgan's
Thaumaturga.
Ap-
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 177
disciples^^ of our great Irish Apostle, St. Patrick ; and, among his numerous religious daughters, not one was more distinguished for great force of character, for high intellectual accomplishments, and for sublime spiritual
gifts.
CHAPTER XIV.
VISION OF ST. BRIGID REGARDING HER APPROACHING DEATH—HER PREPARATION— ST. NENNID ADMINISTERS THE LAST SACRAMENTS TO HER—THE YEAR AND DAY OF ST. BRIGID'S DEPARTURE—THE PLACE WHERE IT OCCURRED—KILDARE AND ITS RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS—ST. BRIGID'S SHRINE AND RELICS—HONOUR PAID TO HER MEMORY.
We are informed, St. Brigid had a revelation, foiur years before her death, that the time for her departure out of this world was approaching, and that
she also had a prophetic knowledge, respecting the place of her resurrection. ^ This intuition was to her a source of joy. She had now attained a venerable
age. '' Accordingly, she prepared for her approaching end, by redoubling prayers, watchings, fastings and charities. Although Jier remote preparation
for death had commenced, at a very early period, by the practice of virtue and good works ; yet, towards the close of life, as if all she had hitherto done were of no account, in her estimation, she became devoted almost uninter- ruptedlytoheavenlyaspirationsandcontemplation. Tohermindandtoher memory, often recurred this thought, that a life-time spent in pious preparation gave a suitable guarantee for a holy death. She endeavoured to watch care- fully, during her journey through life, that she might not be confounded by her spiritualenemies,whentouchingtheportalsofdeath. Norwashersolicitude confinedtoherownspiritualinterests. Beingboundtorenderanaccountfor those religious females entrusted to her charge, she was vigilant in her official position. This was manifested, by her unceasing solicitude and through her frequent exhortations. Her prayers had a retrospective and a prospective aim, on behalf of those dear sisters, who were to remain behind in this world of pilgrimage. While in the flesh, she loved them, not according to the
maxims or of practice
and 3 holy spirit.
but in a
Having regulated the religious state of her city and nunnery, as also of
various establishments, subject to her rule, throughout Ireland ;4 we are told, in her Fourth Life, that she expressed to her sisters a desire to visit
before death the sepulchre and reHcs of her holy patron. Archbishop Patrick. Brigid knew, also, it relates, that she should not return alive to the
Hiemalis. Officia Propria Hibemise Sane- torum, quae a Clero Hibemico recitantur. Die I. Februarii. Officium S. Brigidai. Noct. sec. lect. vi;
^^
Also, Vita Quarta S. Brigidse, lib. ii. , cap. xcviii. , xcix. , p. 562, ibid.
From the words of her Fourth Life,
Colgan infers, that St. Brigid wrote a special rule and founded a particular institute for holy women ; otherwise, he does not think
worldlings,
religious
See Colgah's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap.
xxiii. , p. 269. Yet, only in a mediate or it likely, that various houses could be re-
remote sense must we regard her, as having been one of those virgins, veiled by St.
presented, as being subject to her care, This position he endeavours to establish, by citing various authorities. See ibid. , Ap-
ad Acta
Vita iv. S. Brigidse, lib. ii. , cap. xii. , sect. 81, p. 171.
Patrick. — Chapter XIV.
See "The Life of St. Brigid," by an Irish Priest, chap, x. , p.
^
pendix Tertia
S. Brigidse, cap. ii. , p. 610. And, Vita Quarta S. Brigidae, n. 23, p. 566. See, also, the Bollandists' "Acta ^ See Bishop Challoner's " Britannia Sanctorum," tomus i. Die i. Februarii.
133,
Sancta," part i. , February 1st, p. 94.
3 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Vita Quinta S. Brigidae, cap. Ivi. , p. 581.
Vol. II.
N
178 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February i.
usual city of her residence. It is said, St. Patrick, at the time of his death, had commanded our saint to bless all Ireland, thirty years afterwards, and that in consequence of this desire, she now made a tour over the whole island, blessing every part of it. s Having arrived in the province of the Ultonians,^ in the northern part of Ireland, she was there seized, it is stated, with her last illness. It is generally beUeved, that she died thirty years after the departure of St. Patrick. 7
St. Conleath, Bishop of Kildare, departed this life on the 3rd of May,
519 ;^ and, St. Brigid did not long survive him. ^ She was already descending
thevaleofyears,andinfirmitybegantogrowuponher; although,wearenot given to understand, what had been the nature of that sickness, which caused
her death. At its approach, however, she had a conference with one of her nuns, named Darlugdacha, to whom she confided a charge over her com-
She was now about to cease from her toils and to enjoy everlasting rest ;
but, whether decay or decrepitude, awaited her closing years, seems to be alto- getherunknown. ^3 Whenthelastdayofourmostillustriousandholyvirgin in this life had approached, and after a long pilgrimage, Brigid was beckoned toherreward. Then,whilesailingontheBritishsea,'4byforceofthewinds, or rather by God's providence, St. Ninnid was wafted to the Irish coast. ^s
after the event of her own
declared her successor should survive only one year, and depart this life on the ist of February ; so that thus, both their names should be venerated, on this same day. " Therefore, as they were united in affection during life, in like measure, after death, their memories were conjointly held in honour. It would seem beyond the power of tongue or pen, to describe the wonders of Brigid's daily existence. Many miracles and incidents already recorded, concerning this holy abbess, and several not mentioned in this her life, will be found in the Acts of various other Irish saints. "
munity,
expected departure.
s See Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's " La
Santita Prodigiosa. " Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. Libro Sesto, pp. 583, 584.
Life, by St. Evin (pars iii. , cap. 4, 6), Life of St.
Moninna or Moduenna (cap. 3), Cap- grave's Life of the same Saint (cap. 14), Life of St. Albeus, Cod. Kilk. (cap. 23), another Life of the same Saint (cap. 18, 19), Life of St. Finnian of Clonaixi (cap. 15), Life of St. Tighernach (cap. 2, 10), O^Donnell's Life of St. Columkille (lib, i. , cap. 9), Supplement to the Life of St. Kieran of Clonmacnoise (cap. 26), Life of St. Gildas (cap. 9), Life of St. Brendan, Cod. Kilk. (cap, 50), Life of
^
In Irish it is written UbcA, tJLcAij, and
This is Latinized Ultonia and Ulidia.
7 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.
"
Quarta Vita S. Brigidee, lib. ii. , cap. xcix. ,
p. 562.
^
The Annales Ultonienses record, at A. D. 519, the death of Conlaed, Bishop of Cille
dara, p. 13. See Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum St. Aid, bishop (cap. 16, 20), Life of St.
Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus ii.
9 See "The Life of St. Brigid," by an
Irish Priest, chap, x. , p. 134.
^° See Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's " La
Santitk Prodigiosa. " Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. Libro Sesto, pp. 559 to 561.
Maidoc (cap. 62), Life of St, Moling (cap. 22), Life of St. Kieran, of Saigir (cap. 30), Life of St. Kieran, of Clonmacnoise (cap. i. , 47), Life of St. Columba (cap. 4, 5, 66, 241), Life of St. Moelruan (cap. 42), Life of St. Corbmac (cap. 9), Life of St. Fintan,
^* See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi- hermit (15th Nov. ) See " Trias Thauma-
bemiae," Februarii I. Vita S. Derlugdachse, p. 230. Also, the Acts of St. Derlugdacha hereafter subjoined, and on the Ist of Febru-
in his
"
turga, sees. i. to xxii. , pp. 602 to 606.
'3 See "The Life of St. Brigid," by an
Irish Priest, chap, x. , pp, 133, 134,
'* In Professor Irish Life of O'Looney's
ary.
" These are introduced
St.
nitroet) IaitH
" Nin-
byColgan Appendix Secunda, seu Supplementum Actorum S. Brigidae, ex aliorum Sanctorum vitis & aliis hystoriis. " He quotes the Fourth
Life of St. Patrick, by St. Eleran, the sup- posed author (cap. 94), the Sixth, by Jocelin (cap. 94, 95, 188, 189). The Tripartite
Brigid
i-oaii, i. e. ,
"
didh of the undefiled hand," is said to have
come from Rome of Letha, pp. 47, 48.
^s See Abbate D. Giacomo Certani's "La
Santitk Prodigiosa. " Vita di S. Brigida Ibernese. Libro Sesto, pp. 584 to 566.
^° St. also Bridget
February i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 179
Afterwards a large fish was caught, and brought to him. When it had been
cut up into parts, according to the legend of his life, that key belonging to the lock of his manacled hand was found within its body. Finding all these events to have happened by Divine appointment, with sorrow of heart, the
"
pious Ninnidius said :
It is not meet, that a mortal should any longer
oppose designs of the living God, and of Omnipotent power. " Hearing about St. Brigid's infirmity, he went to visit her ; and, at the hour of her
departure, as she had already predicted, the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Eternal God, she received from the undefiled hand
of holy Ninnidius. '^
There are many different opinions of writers, as to St. Brigid's exact age, at the time of her demise. Henry of Marlborough'7 tells us, that she was born A. D. 468, and that she died on the ist of February, a. d. 523. Conse- quently, she could only have been fifty-five years old, at her decease. But, no other writer sets her age down at less than seventy years, when she died. ''^ This latter seems to be the most generally received opinion. Our Martyro- logies'9 and Annals^° concur. The seventy-first^^ and the seventy-fourth year
"
Martyrology of Donegal"^'' has noticed, that she yielded her spirit, after having completed seventy-four years, a. d. 525. ^3 The author of St. Brigid's Fourth Life has regarded her
death, as occurring, thirty years after that of St. Patrick,^^ and in the eightieth year of her age. ^s Colgan, too, thinks this probable, on account of the latt—er
for her death-period have been stated. Thus, the
—nt and so
authority being so ancie respectable.
She is even eighty-seventh year. ^^
but without correctness
to have attained her
'^ " See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.
Quarta Vita S. Brigidse, lib. li. , cap. Ixiii. , p. 559. Also, Quinta Vita S. Brigidse, cap. Iviii. , p. 582.
fecit quinariam literam transcriptoris error ;' i. e. , the transcriber mistook dxxii. for dxxu. "
^4 This story, about such a term of years '7 In his Annals. This, however, is not intervening between the deaths of the two
"
Chronicle of Ireland," saints, has been taken from that spurious published in 1809 at Dublin, by the Hiber- tract, called St. Patrick's Testament, in
to be found in his
nia Press Company.
'^
which we find the favourite division of our Apostle's years into thirties. To these was added another thirty, at the end of which
This is the opinion of Ussher in his
"Primordia Ecclesiarum Britannicarum,"
cap. xvii. , p, 884, and in his "Index St. Brigid was to bless Ireland. Hence, it
Clironologicus," A. D, 523, as also of Sir James Ware, "De Scriptoribus Hibernise,"
lib. i. , cap. ii,, p, 9.
'9 The "Martyrology of Tallagh," com-
piled by St. ^ngus and St. Maelruan, in
"
got into he Fourth Life of St. Brigid, and it became popular. Marianus Scotus, hav- ing assigned St. Patrick's death to a. d. 491, placed, agreeably to this supposition, that of St. Brigid in 521 ; while, the sticklers for A. D, 493, following the same principle, fixed
the ninth century, has this record :
Ca-
lendis Februarii. Dormitio S. Brigidse, it at A. D, 523. One of these was Bollandus,
Ixx. , anno setatis suie. " See Rev. Dr. when commenting on the Acts of St. Brigid ; Kelly's edition, p. xiv. but, his successors, Henschennius and Pape-
^°
The Annals of Ulster, or of Senat Mac brochius, rejected these thirty years, and
Mognus, cited by Ussher, agree, where at
madeoutanothercalculation. This,however,
cannot be admitted in their observations ; for,
A. D. we read 523,
:
" S. Quies
p. 3. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hiberni- carum Scriptores," tomus iv.
Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
land," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sec. vi. , n. 87, p.
457-
^s For this statement, there appears to be
little probability. Yet, an Irish Life of St. Brigid concurs in the previous calculations.
^^
At the year 523. we find entered in William M. Hennessy's "Chronicum Sco- torum," the Dormition of St. Brigid in the 87th year of her age, or 77th as some assert, pp. 40, 41.
^^
According to the computation of Friar
Clyn, that she was born a. d. 439, and of
Hanmer, that she died a. d. 510, she must
have departed in her seventy-first year.
