Four
accurate
and beautiful wood engrav-
ings, representing various sections of this antique reliquary, are published.
ings, representing various sections of this antique reliquary, are published.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
5 Mellawas his mother's name, and his two sisters were Grealla andGreillseach.
'° Colgan
seems to think, this holy man may be the St. Monachus, a priest, and the provider of St. Patrick's fire and wood. He is mentioned in the saint's
Tripartite Life. " From the sequel, however, it must appear that this is quite an improbable supposition. Perhaps he belonged to the family of St.
Maccarthenn, one of St. Patrick's disciples. An Irish poem has been ascribed, although with some diffidence, to this saint. It has been cited by O'Fla-
herty, but the subject proves it to be quite apocryphal in character," and undeserving of serious notice. '3 It was Manchan of Leath that composed
the charming poem, which begins in this manner :—
• Would that, Son of the living God,'* O eternal ancient King," &c.
We have no means left for ascertaining whether St. Manchan had been the first founder of a monastery at Leth, now I. emanaghan,^5 but it seems not
latter is traced to Maelerioch, son of Rudh-
raighe Mor of Ulster. " See "Annals of
the Four Masters," vol. 1. , n. (u), p. 276.
of Endeus Bogain, son of Conall Gulban,
&c. ; 2. St. Manchin, son of Coelius, son to Kenannan, son of yEnguss, son to Alid, son
of Euchad Maimbedon, &c. ; 3. Manchan, 9 bishop, son of Muredac, son to Fortchern,
''
Letters containing Information rela-
son of Dichull, son to Crimthann, sou of Armedac, son to Senac, son of ^dlog, son to Oscuon, belonging to the race of Fiach
Suighde ; 4. Manchin Limericensis, son of Sedna, son to Cass, son of Conall, de- scended from the race of Cormac Cass. 5. Manchin, son of Moenach, son of Carill or Cai'ol, son to Fiach, son of Ross, son to Ere, son of Trien, belonging to the race of Macon. — Besides, three others may be added
tive to the Antiquities of the King's County, collected during the progress of the Ord-
nance Survey in 1837," vol. i. , p. 221.
Quite a different version of this saint's pe-
digree is found in the Leabhar Breac. It
may be well to compare, with what has been
stated regarding an Ulster St. Fursey, in
the Life of St. Fursey, Abbot of Perrone,
at the 1 6th of January, the following trans-
lated extract, furnished by Professor O'Loo-
ney, regarding the family of Manchan-Leith:
**
son of
St. Manchan, son of CoUan : 3. St. Man- dromma, and Colman Mulind, and Bishop
: i. St. sonof 2.
Manchan,
Daga
;
Fursa,
Fintan,
Mac Ere of Domnach mor Muighe Coba, and Colman Comraire in Meath and Man- chan Leith, were five brothers, and Damnat was their sister. "
'° As stated in the O'Clery's Calendar.
Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. iii. , cap. xcviii. , p. 169,
chan says that he was a Welshman, and and n. 128, p. 188.
came to this kingdome at once with " In this we are that St. the [? . (? . , told, James
chan, son of Ere. See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibemife," xiv. Februarii, n. 4, P- 332.
* A different
in the translation of the Annals of Clon-
pedigree
for our saint is
given
— "And because the coworbes of Saint Man-
"See "Trias
macnoise, at a. d. 661. There we read
:
along with] St. Patrick, I thought good here
to set down his pedigree, to disprove their
allegations. Manchan was son of Failve,
who was son of Angine, who was son of
Bogany, who was son of Conall Golban,
the ancester of O'Donnell, as is confidently
laid do%vn the " of the among Genealogies
Saints of Ireland. " On this passage, Mr.
O'Donovanremarks "Inthe'
: Genealogies
of the Irish Saints,' compiled bythe O'Clerys, there is given the pedigree of a St. Manchan, of the race of Conall Gulban, the ancestor of O'Donnell ; but he was not Manchan of
Leath-Manchain, for the pedigree of the
Apostle did not leave his own country to
preach the Gospel in other lands, as had been generally believed.
'"s The title of the poem is I'O'OAt 6 ^\o
VlAii\5et)-poTn. O'Flaherty calls the reputed "
author, Manchenus nostras Lethensis. "
See " 286. Ogygia," pars iii. , cap. xlviii. , p.
It is most probable, he was the first St.
O'Flaherty, however, only adds, in a marginal note, that he
flourished in the seventh century.
'* According to the O'Clery's Calendar.
'5 A portion of Kilmanaghan parish is
situated in the barony of Clonlonan, and it
Manchan of Leth.
and Mochoe Noen-
412 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 24.
improbable. WereadthatafterCamConaillbattle,inwh—ichDiarmaid,son
a — over
Slaine, gained victory Guaire,
ofAedh
a. d.
other accounts, a. d. 648^7 the conqueror, on returning, granted Tuaimn
"
God and to St. Kieran. He also pronounced three maledictions on that
Eirc,'^ i. e. , Liath-Manchain,^9 with its sub-divisions of land, as
altar-sod"^° to
king,
people
is shown on the ' ' Oi"dnance Survey Town- land Maps for the County of Westmeath,"
Sheets 30, 31, 36 ; while a portion of it is in Kilcoursey barony, and this is shown on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the King's County. " Sheets i, 2, 7, 8. On the latter Sheets, i, 2, 8, Kilmanaglian town- land is to be seen. On Sheet 2, the old church and graveyard may be traced.
'9 A more complete account of this place
'*
noise, this battle was fought A. D. 642, and
"
According
to the Annals of Clonmac-
giving the foyle to his enemies, returned to Clonvicknose again, to congra- tulate the clergy, by whose intercession he gained that victory, and bestowed on them for ever Toymenerke, with the appurte- nances, now called Lyavanchan, in honour of God and St. Keyran, to be held free, with- out anychargeintheworld, insomuch that the King of Meath might not thenceforth chal- lenge a draught of water thereout by way of
Dermod,
The
648, this entry
entitled, the
3,4,5-
"
Shrine of St. Manchan," pp.
any charge.
^^
=5
— Ulster under A. D. So state the
O'Clerys.
to the "Liber Viridis Mi-
ubi Guaire
densis.
^7 O'Donovaii's "Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. v. , n. (n), pp. 1402, 1403.
— Irish Ord. King's County Letters,
"
Annals of place,
:
" '* Bellum Cairne Conaill,
According
et Diarmait mac ^lida Slaine victor erat. " ilr. O'Donovan, how- ever, appears to refer this battle to a. d.
fugit,
his when
649, by emendation, quoting
"
'. '
extract from the ""
Survey," vol. i. , p. 221. Mr. O'Donovan's
i. , n. (x), pp. 260, 261. '^ "
"9 1 am, however, inclined to think, as Fenagh was situated in the county of Lei- trim, this account—if it deserves credit— must have reference rather to St. Manchan,
This is translated Erc's mound," or "tumulus," by Dr. O'Donovan. We are
should take even a drink of water ^' and ordered his there,
whose
burial-place to be at Clonmacnois. ^^ In consequence of this donation of Tuaim n Eire to Clonmacnois Monastery, it seems probable, some monks of that house were established there, and that these formed a cell or dependent branch. =3 Over these monks St. Manchan may have been their first abbot or prior. ^4 Such an opinion appears the more probable, from the circum- stance, that the death of our saint occurred at no very remote period from the foundation of his monastery. The name Liath-Manchain, now Lema- naghan, signifies "Manchan's grey land," according to Dr. O'Donovan. There is a church, called Liath-Manchain, or Leth-Manchain, in Deaibh-na- Mhec Cochlain, and here he was venerated. ^5 The old church ofLemanaghan had been situated in the middle of a bog, about the year 1615. =^ At that time its position rendered it nearly inaccessible, although such is not the case at present. *^ St. Manchan's well, bearing the name of Tobar-Manchain, existed in Liath-Manchan townland, in the year 1838. ^^ We are informed by Mr. O'Donovan that in the Book of Fenagh it is stated that St. ! Manchan had been an intimate friend of St. Caillin. Manchan is said to have been the executor of his ^vill and his successor in the abbacy of Fenagh. ^9 A
an
''^ "
Annals of Clonmacnoise. "
See his Annals of the Four Masters, vol. letter, dated Banagher, January 18th, 1838.
"
place, where the old church of I^emana- Abbot of Mohill, in that county. The acts
told, it
was the original name of the
in the of — and ghan, baiony Garrycastle,
King's County, now stands in ruins. " Ibid. ,
n.
of this abbot will be found at the February.
14th
of
(a), p.
261.
642,^^ or, according
to
"
mation relative to the Antiquities of the
King's County, collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1837," voL i. , pp. 218 to 221.
^ Tlie term ' ' altar-sod" means literally,
" land on the altar, i. e. , land belonging to the altar, i. e. , church land. "
-' We assume the to may meaning be,
without permission of the owners, to whom he consigned it.
^^
O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol i. , pp. 260, 26r, 262, 263.
^5 According to Lewis, this parish of Le- managhan is also called Kilnegarenagh. See "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 257.
'* See " The Exhibition Expositor," No. xii. , p. 5, col. I. The article in question is
will be found in
Letters containing Infor-
January 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 413
very old vellum book, in which are found the Martyrology of Tamlacht- Maiolruain, and the saints of the same name, with an account of many among the mothers of the saints, &c. , states, that Manchan of Liath, in habits and life, was like unto Hieronimus, who was very learned. Liath is compounded with the denomination of various places in Ireland, but it is easy to deter- mine the locality of the present saint, which was Liath-Manchain, now known as Kilmanaghan, a parish, partly in the barony of Clonlonan, county ot Westmeath,butchieflyinthatofKilcoursey,King^sCounty, Theoldchurch was uprooted, and a Protestant church, now deserted, was erected on its site. -° St. Manchan died in 661, according to the Annals of Clonmacnoise, or in the year 664,3^ according to the Annals of the Four Masters. He was one of many who had been carried off by that great plague, known as the Buidhe ConnaiJ. 32 jje appears to have died on the 24th of January,33 on which day his feast was annually celebrated in Lemanaghan. 34 A shrine, supposed to have contained the relics of this saint, was long kept on the altar at the place of his deposition. 35 This is covered with boards on the inside, and with bronzeoutsidethem. Itisverybeautifullycarved. 36 Ithadbeenpreserved, for twelve or thirteen years previous to the great Dublin Exhibition of 1853,37 in charge of the Rev. Christopher O'Reilly, C. C. , of Lemanaghan. 3S On the altar of the Catholic Church belonging to Meelaane, in this parish, St.
Manchan's shrine was erected. 3?
Four accurate and beautiful wood engrav-
ings, representing various sections of this antique reliquary, are published. *'" Dr. O'Donovan had been informed, that Dr. Petrie had taken a drawing of
it, previous to 1838. This information, however, seems to have been in- correct. In several ^\Titten passages,-*' Dr. Petrie has particularly spoken of the skill and taste displayed by ancient Irish artists in the construction of shrines. He enumerates many such instances. Some sacred objects of this description were in his own possession. Yet he does not appear to have known that this shrine of St. Manchan was in existence. He quotes at length from Ward, and Colgan, a Latin litany in which a St. Manchan is mentioned. Had he known anything about this shrine, at that period, he would undoubtedly have mentioned it. "*"* A very interesting description of
3» To this day, the saint's relics are pre- 37 This ancient reliquary had been obtained
served in a triangular shrine, in the parish by John Lentaigne, Esq. , for the purpose of
of Lemanaghan, diocese of Ardagh. See being exhibited in that great emporium of '•
Rev. A. Cogan's Diocese of Meath, An- industrial productions and the fine arts,
cient and Modem," vol. ii. , chap, xix. , p. 539 and n.
Here the writer of this work had the plea -
3' "At the year 664, the Foiir Masters
record the death of St. Manchan of Liath,
but the Annals of Clonmacnoise, which are
generallytwo—andthreeyears,andsome- depository—andoneamongtheveryfew
39 See "King's County Letters of Irish 3^ See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Ord. Survey," vol. i. , p. 221. Mr. O'Do-
er in their dates, his
^
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 274 to 277.
33 At this day (ix. of the calends of Febru- ary) his feast occurs in the Irish Calendar,
Survey copy, now preserved in the R. I. A. Common Place Book, F, p. 14.
34 O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. v. , n. (k), pp. 1402, 1403.
3SSee Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 257.
3' According to the O'Clerys.
novan's letter, dated Banagher, January! 8th, 1838.
*° See "Exhibition Expositor," No. xii. ,
mAncAn Leic mAc 1onn<\oi.
—Ordnance
an admirable article descriptive
sure of examining minutely so fine a speci- men of curious and beautiful workmanship,
Our feelings of deeper veneration must be excited by—a recollection that it has been a
for the relics of a saint
place remaining belong-
times five, earli
death in 661. " King's County Letters of ing to our own country.
Irish Ord. Survey, vol. i. , p. 220. —Mr. ^s « I'^e Exhibition Expositor," No. xii. , O'Donovan's Letter, dated Banagher, Ja- p. 5.
nuary i8th, 1838.
containing
from the pen of Robert Travers, M. D.
' Especially of his celebrated work, "The Ecclesiastical Architecture of Ireland, anterior to the Anglo-Norman Invasion. " This work was published in 1845.
^ Nor does Dr. Petrie allude to that in- teresting article published in the "Dublin
414 LIVES 01 THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 24.
St. Manchan's shrine has been given in a serial to which alkision has—been
already made. '*3 It is a wooden chest or a case of a cruciform figure
that
is, of a wedge resting on its base, ^vith the edge uppermost. + The two
principal sides slope upwards after the manner of a double reading-desk,
overlapping both the base and the triangular ends or gables. Each of these
principal sides is ornamented by a very conspicuously-figured cross. Each
of its four extremities, as also the intersection of the arms, is marked by a
hemisphere. This and the connecting portions are exquisitely wTought in brass, with the peculiar interlaced Irish tracery, enriched in some parts with enamel work in red and white. On one of those sides, there are ten bronze figuresinrelief—. Fiveareoneachsideofthecross,justreachingtoits horizontal arm and there are evident traces of many more figures. ^s it is interesting to consider, whether those deficient parts may not be traced out, and perhaps be discovered. ^^ Now St. Manchan's shrine'*? retains but ten
of those figures, but it had originally fifty-two. Two engravings in the ""
Dublin Penny Journal are, in one instance, that of a warrior, while the other represents an ecclesiastic*^ These are very similar to the figures on St. Manchan'sshrine;andoneofthemhadbeeninthepossessionofaMr. Maguire. -»9 The Lemanaghan shrine is supported on four small quadrilateral legs of bronze. At each angle of the base, there was formerly a large bronze ring, through which the bearers might pass their staves, when the shrine was borne in procession. Three of those rings still remain. 5° There are curious human figures in relief. Ten remain complete, and the fragment of an eleventh; these are attached to the shrine by rivets or pins of the same metal. 5' From the position of several pins which now remain without figures, and numerous perforations in the wood, which indicate the former
Penny Journal," nor to the shrine there said to be preser\'ed in the county of West- meath. See vol. i. , No. 13, Sept. 22, 1832, P- 97-
« "The Exhibition Expositor," No. xii. ,
p. 4.
*The wood, of which the shrine is con-
structed, is that of the yew-tree. The base, however, consists of a more recent and a greatly inferior quality of timber.
*5 Considerable portions of an ornamental
brass border remain on both those sides,
and the ends are
triangular completely
covered with their original decorated bronze.
**A clue to the restoration of, at least,
two missing figures may be supplied by the "Historic Sketch of the Past and Present
State of the Fine Arts in Ireland," published in the "Dublin Penny Journal," vol. i. , p. 97, of Sept. , 1832, where two forms are engraved of the same style and size with those remaining on the shrine. The writer
of the article, having stated, that most of the small bronze figures found in Ireland,
and not very far from the boundary. Dr. Travers adds •. ^^ Could then these two figures have been extracted from the shrine de- scribed as being in the county of Westmeath? If it be not identical with St. Manchan's, its ornaments were very similar—. Some ac- count of that Westmeath shrine some more precise information as to its locality, is now greatly to be desired. "
** The writer of the historic sketch, after telling us, that "these bronze are of great —interest and value," adds as to one of them
" The bronze is in the valuable original
Museum of Irish Antiquities of Mr. Ma- guire, to whom we are indebted for the drawing. " He does not tell where the other figure was, nor whence he had it.
^5 He was either sexton or verger of St. Patrick's cathedral. He is many years dead. He was a collector of antiquities, but his entire collection has been sold.
S'' On careful examination, the walls of tlie shrine are found to be double, probably from an older shrine being enclosed, or
covered in the one, which is newly present
and considered to be
ably of Christian origin, goes on to say
were — idols, unquestion-
ancient. A
simile in plaster, and coloured according to
the original, is now to be seen in the Mu- seum of the Royal Irish Academy.
5' The shrine itself was originally covered
with thin plates of polished silver, upon which the figures and other ornaments of gilt bronze were laid down; so that they
:
This fact is proved from an ancient shrine still preserved in the county of Westmeath, which is covered over with figures of this
description. " It seems probable, this is meant for St. Manchan's shrine.
*' Although not brought from Westmeath, it is from a place in an adjoining county,
evidently very
very perfect fac-
"
January 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
415
insertion of others, we can ascertain, that there were originally in the shrine no less than fifty-two such figures. These were disposed in two rows, on
each of the principal sides, so as completely to occupy those spaces left free by the crosses. The upper row consists of twelve, the lower of fourteen figures, from the entire of which only ten now remain in their original position. 52 Before the exhibition of this venerable antiquarian relic,53 it was delivered in the first instance, to the Most Reverend Paul Cullen, afterwards Cardinal Archbishop of Dublin, in whose presence it was opened. The relics were removed, as it was intended to return them with this shrine, to their proper locality, after the exhibition had closed. In supposing this shrine to be that of St. Manchan, surnamed of Leath, we are chiefly influenced by Dr. 0'Dono\'an's high authority,54 corroborated by local traditions, and supported by the fact of its having been for several years past preserved at Lemanaghan. ss The Martyrology of Tallagh assigns the festival of St. Manchan to the 24th of January, corresponding with ix. of the Kalends of February. 56 TheKalendarofDrummondalsocallshimamostwiseman, when setting down his festival at this same date. 57 On this day, in the Martyrology of Donegal,^^ is recorded Manchan of Liath, son of Indagh. Under the head of Cill Mainchin, Duald Mac Firbis records Bishop Man- chan, or Mainchin, in Cill Manchan. s9 It would seem, that long after the time of its founder a monastery continued at Lemanaghan. One of its
*'"
abbots departed this life, after the beginning of the thirteenth century. Afterwards the monastic establishment disappeared, and it became converted into a vicarage, with a parish church. ^' It seems to have been a dependency on the Priory of Gailinn, now Gillen,^^ an old church giving name to a parish, in the barony of Garrycastle, and in the northern part of the King's County. The site of St. Manchan's former monastery looks desolate, and it is now little frequented by visitors.
Article II. —St. Cadoc, Abbot of Lanncarvan, in Wales. {Sixth
Century. '] Romance, poetry, and mistakes, as to persons,' dates, and localities, are strangely blended in this holy man's Acts. Among the most celebrated of British worthies, the Blessed Abbot Cadoc holds a highly-
*'
showed, however the heralds might dislike ^'^ it, upon a field of argent. Of this silver covering or ground, but a few fragments are
xManchan leith mac in Dagdae. " See
preserved. If, as is probable, the upper edge, where the sloping sides meet, was ornamented with acroteria, they have com-
pletely disappeared.
5' Dr. Travers adds: " Whether these
figures were intended to represent saints and
apostles, with the bishop, prince, brehons, and warriors of the region to which the shrine belonged, and whether there was not amongst them some representation of St. Manchan himself, we shall not now, in the absence of so
enquire. "
inAnchAn Leich fn in OAigbe.
57 " in Hibernia natale Sancti Manchani
viri sapientissimi. " See Bishop Forbes'
many S3 In 1853.
of them,
cum," p. 401.
^' See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. v. , pp. 1402, 1403.
'^ The ruins of this church are to be seen
in Mr. Armstrong's demesne, adjoining the
village of Farbane. i>ce n.
— iiitt. , (i).
'
Article it. The present Cadoc seems
to have been more intimately connected with Wales and Ireland ; while another, also called Sophias, is thought to have suffered martyrdom.
5* See Dr. Travers' article in "The
Exhibition Expositor. "
55 how- This writer, adds: "We doubt,
ever, whether a claim might not be sustained on behalf of the celebrated St. Manchan of Mohill, which is in the same ancient
dioc^seofArdagh, and who flourished early in the eleventh century. "
Rev. Dr. Kelly's "Calendar of Irish Saints,"
etc. , p. xiii. The Franciscan copy enters,
"
Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 3.
^8 jr^ited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 26, 27.
59 See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i.
seems to think, this holy man may be the St. Monachus, a priest, and the provider of St. Patrick's fire and wood. He is mentioned in the saint's
Tripartite Life. " From the sequel, however, it must appear that this is quite an improbable supposition. Perhaps he belonged to the family of St.
Maccarthenn, one of St. Patrick's disciples. An Irish poem has been ascribed, although with some diffidence, to this saint. It has been cited by O'Fla-
herty, but the subject proves it to be quite apocryphal in character," and undeserving of serious notice. '3 It was Manchan of Leath that composed
the charming poem, which begins in this manner :—
• Would that, Son of the living God,'* O eternal ancient King," &c.
We have no means left for ascertaining whether St. Manchan had been the first founder of a monastery at Leth, now I. emanaghan,^5 but it seems not
latter is traced to Maelerioch, son of Rudh-
raighe Mor of Ulster. " See "Annals of
the Four Masters," vol. 1. , n. (u), p. 276.
of Endeus Bogain, son of Conall Gulban,
&c. ; 2. St. Manchin, son of Coelius, son to Kenannan, son of yEnguss, son to Alid, son
of Euchad Maimbedon, &c. ; 3. Manchan, 9 bishop, son of Muredac, son to Fortchern,
''
Letters containing Information rela-
son of Dichull, son to Crimthann, sou of Armedac, son to Senac, son of ^dlog, son to Oscuon, belonging to the race of Fiach
Suighde ; 4. Manchin Limericensis, son of Sedna, son to Cass, son of Conall, de- scended from the race of Cormac Cass. 5. Manchin, son of Moenach, son of Carill or Cai'ol, son to Fiach, son of Ross, son to Ere, son of Trien, belonging to the race of Macon. — Besides, three others may be added
tive to the Antiquities of the King's County, collected during the progress of the Ord-
nance Survey in 1837," vol. i. , p. 221.
Quite a different version of this saint's pe-
digree is found in the Leabhar Breac. It
may be well to compare, with what has been
stated regarding an Ulster St. Fursey, in
the Life of St. Fursey, Abbot of Perrone,
at the 1 6th of January, the following trans-
lated extract, furnished by Professor O'Loo-
ney, regarding the family of Manchan-Leith:
**
son of
St. Manchan, son of CoUan : 3. St. Man- dromma, and Colman Mulind, and Bishop
: i. St. sonof 2.
Manchan,
Daga
;
Fursa,
Fintan,
Mac Ere of Domnach mor Muighe Coba, and Colman Comraire in Meath and Man- chan Leith, were five brothers, and Damnat was their sister. "
'° As stated in the O'Clery's Calendar.
Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. iii. , cap. xcviii. , p. 169,
chan says that he was a Welshman, and and n. 128, p. 188.
came to this kingdome at once with " In this we are that St. the [? . (? . , told, James
chan, son of Ere. See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hibemife," xiv. Februarii, n. 4, P- 332.
* A different
in the translation of the Annals of Clon-
pedigree
for our saint is
given
— "And because the coworbes of Saint Man-
"See "Trias
macnoise, at a. d. 661. There we read
:
along with] St. Patrick, I thought good here
to set down his pedigree, to disprove their
allegations. Manchan was son of Failve,
who was son of Angine, who was son of
Bogany, who was son of Conall Golban,
the ancester of O'Donnell, as is confidently
laid do%vn the " of the among Genealogies
Saints of Ireland. " On this passage, Mr.
O'Donovanremarks "Inthe'
: Genealogies
of the Irish Saints,' compiled bythe O'Clerys, there is given the pedigree of a St. Manchan, of the race of Conall Gulban, the ancestor of O'Donnell ; but he was not Manchan of
Leath-Manchain, for the pedigree of the
Apostle did not leave his own country to
preach the Gospel in other lands, as had been generally believed.
'"s The title of the poem is I'O'OAt 6 ^\o
VlAii\5et)-poTn. O'Flaherty calls the reputed "
author, Manchenus nostras Lethensis. "
See " 286. Ogygia," pars iii. , cap. xlviii. , p.
It is most probable, he was the first St.
O'Flaherty, however, only adds, in a marginal note, that he
flourished in the seventh century.
'* According to the O'Clery's Calendar.
'5 A portion of Kilmanaghan parish is
situated in the barony of Clonlonan, and it
Manchan of Leth.
and Mochoe Noen-
412 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 24.
improbable. WereadthatafterCamConaillbattle,inwh—ichDiarmaid,son
a — over
Slaine, gained victory Guaire,
ofAedh
a. d.
other accounts, a. d. 648^7 the conqueror, on returning, granted Tuaimn
"
God and to St. Kieran. He also pronounced three maledictions on that
Eirc,'^ i. e. , Liath-Manchain,^9 with its sub-divisions of land, as
altar-sod"^° to
king,
people
is shown on the ' ' Oi"dnance Survey Town- land Maps for the County of Westmeath,"
Sheets 30, 31, 36 ; while a portion of it is in Kilcoursey barony, and this is shown on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the King's County. " Sheets i, 2, 7, 8. On the latter Sheets, i, 2, 8, Kilmanaglian town- land is to be seen. On Sheet 2, the old church and graveyard may be traced.
'9 A more complete account of this place
'*
noise, this battle was fought A. D. 642, and
"
According
to the Annals of Clonmac-
giving the foyle to his enemies, returned to Clonvicknose again, to congra- tulate the clergy, by whose intercession he gained that victory, and bestowed on them for ever Toymenerke, with the appurte- nances, now called Lyavanchan, in honour of God and St. Keyran, to be held free, with- out anychargeintheworld, insomuch that the King of Meath might not thenceforth chal- lenge a draught of water thereout by way of
Dermod,
The
648, this entry
entitled, the
3,4,5-
"
Shrine of St. Manchan," pp.
any charge.
^^
=5
— Ulster under A. D. So state the
O'Clerys.
to the "Liber Viridis Mi-
ubi Guaire
densis.
^7 O'Donovaii's "Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. v. , n. (n), pp. 1402, 1403.
— Irish Ord. King's County Letters,
"
Annals of place,
:
" '* Bellum Cairne Conaill,
According
et Diarmait mac ^lida Slaine victor erat. " ilr. O'Donovan, how- ever, appears to refer this battle to a. d.
fugit,
his when
649, by emendation, quoting
"
'. '
extract from the ""
Survey," vol. i. , p. 221. Mr. O'Donovan's
i. , n. (x), pp. 260, 261. '^ "
"9 1 am, however, inclined to think, as Fenagh was situated in the county of Lei- trim, this account—if it deserves credit— must have reference rather to St. Manchan,
This is translated Erc's mound," or "tumulus," by Dr. O'Donovan. We are
should take even a drink of water ^' and ordered his there,
whose
burial-place to be at Clonmacnois. ^^ In consequence of this donation of Tuaim n Eire to Clonmacnois Monastery, it seems probable, some monks of that house were established there, and that these formed a cell or dependent branch. =3 Over these monks St. Manchan may have been their first abbot or prior. ^4 Such an opinion appears the more probable, from the circum- stance, that the death of our saint occurred at no very remote period from the foundation of his monastery. The name Liath-Manchain, now Lema- naghan, signifies "Manchan's grey land," according to Dr. O'Donovan. There is a church, called Liath-Manchain, or Leth-Manchain, in Deaibh-na- Mhec Cochlain, and here he was venerated. ^5 The old church ofLemanaghan had been situated in the middle of a bog, about the year 1615. =^ At that time its position rendered it nearly inaccessible, although such is not the case at present. *^ St. Manchan's well, bearing the name of Tobar-Manchain, existed in Liath-Manchan townland, in the year 1838. ^^ We are informed by Mr. O'Donovan that in the Book of Fenagh it is stated that St. ! Manchan had been an intimate friend of St. Caillin. Manchan is said to have been the executor of his ^vill and his successor in the abbacy of Fenagh. ^9 A
an
''^ "
Annals of Clonmacnoise. "
See his Annals of the Four Masters, vol. letter, dated Banagher, January 18th, 1838.
"
place, where the old church of I^emana- Abbot of Mohill, in that county. The acts
told, it
was the original name of the
in the of — and ghan, baiony Garrycastle,
King's County, now stands in ruins. " Ibid. ,
n.
of this abbot will be found at the February.
14th
of
(a), p.
261.
642,^^ or, according
to
"
mation relative to the Antiquities of the
King's County, collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1837," voL i. , pp. 218 to 221.
^ Tlie term ' ' altar-sod" means literally,
" land on the altar, i. e. , land belonging to the altar, i. e. , church land. "
-' We assume the to may meaning be,
without permission of the owners, to whom he consigned it.
^^
O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol i. , pp. 260, 26r, 262, 263.
^5 According to Lewis, this parish of Le- managhan is also called Kilnegarenagh. See "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 257.
'* See " The Exhibition Expositor," No. xii. , p. 5, col. I. The article in question is
will be found in
Letters containing Infor-
January 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 413
very old vellum book, in which are found the Martyrology of Tamlacht- Maiolruain, and the saints of the same name, with an account of many among the mothers of the saints, &c. , states, that Manchan of Liath, in habits and life, was like unto Hieronimus, who was very learned. Liath is compounded with the denomination of various places in Ireland, but it is easy to deter- mine the locality of the present saint, which was Liath-Manchain, now known as Kilmanaghan, a parish, partly in the barony of Clonlonan, county ot Westmeath,butchieflyinthatofKilcoursey,King^sCounty, Theoldchurch was uprooted, and a Protestant church, now deserted, was erected on its site. -° St. Manchan died in 661, according to the Annals of Clonmacnoise, or in the year 664,3^ according to the Annals of the Four Masters. He was one of many who had been carried off by that great plague, known as the Buidhe ConnaiJ. 32 jje appears to have died on the 24th of January,33 on which day his feast was annually celebrated in Lemanaghan. 34 A shrine, supposed to have contained the relics of this saint, was long kept on the altar at the place of his deposition. 35 This is covered with boards on the inside, and with bronzeoutsidethem. Itisverybeautifullycarved. 36 Ithadbeenpreserved, for twelve or thirteen years previous to the great Dublin Exhibition of 1853,37 in charge of the Rev. Christopher O'Reilly, C. C. , of Lemanaghan. 3S On the altar of the Catholic Church belonging to Meelaane, in this parish, St.
Manchan's shrine was erected. 3?
Four accurate and beautiful wood engrav-
ings, representing various sections of this antique reliquary, are published. *'" Dr. O'Donovan had been informed, that Dr. Petrie had taken a drawing of
it, previous to 1838. This information, however, seems to have been in- correct. In several ^\Titten passages,-*' Dr. Petrie has particularly spoken of the skill and taste displayed by ancient Irish artists in the construction of shrines. He enumerates many such instances. Some sacred objects of this description were in his own possession. Yet he does not appear to have known that this shrine of St. Manchan was in existence. He quotes at length from Ward, and Colgan, a Latin litany in which a St. Manchan is mentioned. Had he known anything about this shrine, at that period, he would undoubtedly have mentioned it. "*"* A very interesting description of
3» To this day, the saint's relics are pre- 37 This ancient reliquary had been obtained
served in a triangular shrine, in the parish by John Lentaigne, Esq. , for the purpose of
of Lemanaghan, diocese of Ardagh. See being exhibited in that great emporium of '•
Rev. A. Cogan's Diocese of Meath, An- industrial productions and the fine arts,
cient and Modem," vol. ii. , chap, xix. , p. 539 and n.
Here the writer of this work had the plea -
3' "At the year 664, the Foiir Masters
record the death of St. Manchan of Liath,
but the Annals of Clonmacnoise, which are
generallytwo—andthreeyears,andsome- depository—andoneamongtheveryfew
39 See "King's County Letters of Irish 3^ See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Ord. Survey," vol. i. , p. 221. Mr. O'Do-
er in their dates, his
^
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 274 to 277.
33 At this day (ix. of the calends of Febru- ary) his feast occurs in the Irish Calendar,
Survey copy, now preserved in the R. I. A. Common Place Book, F, p. 14.
34 O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. v. , n. (k), pp. 1402, 1403.
3SSee Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 257.
3' According to the O'Clerys.
novan's letter, dated Banagher, January! 8th, 1838.
*° See "Exhibition Expositor," No. xii. ,
mAncAn Leic mAc 1onn<\oi.
—Ordnance
an admirable article descriptive
sure of examining minutely so fine a speci- men of curious and beautiful workmanship,
Our feelings of deeper veneration must be excited by—a recollection that it has been a
for the relics of a saint
place remaining belong-
times five, earli
death in 661. " King's County Letters of ing to our own country.
Irish Ord. Survey, vol. i. , p. 220. —Mr. ^s « I'^e Exhibition Expositor," No. xii. , O'Donovan's Letter, dated Banagher, Ja- p. 5.
nuary i8th, 1838.
containing
from the pen of Robert Travers, M. D.
' Especially of his celebrated work, "The Ecclesiastical Architecture of Ireland, anterior to the Anglo-Norman Invasion. " This work was published in 1845.
^ Nor does Dr. Petrie allude to that in- teresting article published in the "Dublin
414 LIVES 01 THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 24.
St. Manchan's shrine has been given in a serial to which alkision has—been
already made. '*3 It is a wooden chest or a case of a cruciform figure
that
is, of a wedge resting on its base, ^vith the edge uppermost. + The two
principal sides slope upwards after the manner of a double reading-desk,
overlapping both the base and the triangular ends or gables. Each of these
principal sides is ornamented by a very conspicuously-figured cross. Each
of its four extremities, as also the intersection of the arms, is marked by a
hemisphere. This and the connecting portions are exquisitely wTought in brass, with the peculiar interlaced Irish tracery, enriched in some parts with enamel work in red and white. On one of those sides, there are ten bronze figuresinrelief—. Fiveareoneachsideofthecross,justreachingtoits horizontal arm and there are evident traces of many more figures. ^s it is interesting to consider, whether those deficient parts may not be traced out, and perhaps be discovered. ^^ Now St. Manchan's shrine'*? retains but ten
of those figures, but it had originally fifty-two. Two engravings in the ""
Dublin Penny Journal are, in one instance, that of a warrior, while the other represents an ecclesiastic*^ These are very similar to the figures on St. Manchan'sshrine;andoneofthemhadbeeninthepossessionofaMr. Maguire. -»9 The Lemanaghan shrine is supported on four small quadrilateral legs of bronze. At each angle of the base, there was formerly a large bronze ring, through which the bearers might pass their staves, when the shrine was borne in procession. Three of those rings still remain. 5° There are curious human figures in relief. Ten remain complete, and the fragment of an eleventh; these are attached to the shrine by rivets or pins of the same metal. 5' From the position of several pins which now remain without figures, and numerous perforations in the wood, which indicate the former
Penny Journal," nor to the shrine there said to be preser\'ed in the county of West- meath. See vol. i. , No. 13, Sept. 22, 1832, P- 97-
« "The Exhibition Expositor," No. xii. ,
p. 4.
*The wood, of which the shrine is con-
structed, is that of the yew-tree. The base, however, consists of a more recent and a greatly inferior quality of timber.
*5 Considerable portions of an ornamental
brass border remain on both those sides,
and the ends are
triangular completely
covered with their original decorated bronze.
**A clue to the restoration of, at least,
two missing figures may be supplied by the "Historic Sketch of the Past and Present
State of the Fine Arts in Ireland," published in the "Dublin Penny Journal," vol. i. , p. 97, of Sept. , 1832, where two forms are engraved of the same style and size with those remaining on the shrine. The writer
of the article, having stated, that most of the small bronze figures found in Ireland,
and not very far from the boundary. Dr. Travers adds •. ^^ Could then these two figures have been extracted from the shrine de- scribed as being in the county of Westmeath? If it be not identical with St. Manchan's, its ornaments were very similar—. Some ac- count of that Westmeath shrine some more precise information as to its locality, is now greatly to be desired. "
** The writer of the historic sketch, after telling us, that "these bronze are of great —interest and value," adds as to one of them
" The bronze is in the valuable original
Museum of Irish Antiquities of Mr. Ma- guire, to whom we are indebted for the drawing. " He does not tell where the other figure was, nor whence he had it.
^5 He was either sexton or verger of St. Patrick's cathedral. He is many years dead. He was a collector of antiquities, but his entire collection has been sold.
S'' On careful examination, the walls of tlie shrine are found to be double, probably from an older shrine being enclosed, or
covered in the one, which is newly present
and considered to be
ably of Christian origin, goes on to say
were — idols, unquestion-
ancient. A
simile in plaster, and coloured according to
the original, is now to be seen in the Mu- seum of the Royal Irish Academy.
5' The shrine itself was originally covered
with thin plates of polished silver, upon which the figures and other ornaments of gilt bronze were laid down; so that they
:
This fact is proved from an ancient shrine still preserved in the county of Westmeath, which is covered over with figures of this
description. " It seems probable, this is meant for St. Manchan's shrine.
*' Although not brought from Westmeath, it is from a place in an adjoining county,
evidently very
very perfect fac-
"
January 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
415
insertion of others, we can ascertain, that there were originally in the shrine no less than fifty-two such figures. These were disposed in two rows, on
each of the principal sides, so as completely to occupy those spaces left free by the crosses. The upper row consists of twelve, the lower of fourteen figures, from the entire of which only ten now remain in their original position. 52 Before the exhibition of this venerable antiquarian relic,53 it was delivered in the first instance, to the Most Reverend Paul Cullen, afterwards Cardinal Archbishop of Dublin, in whose presence it was opened. The relics were removed, as it was intended to return them with this shrine, to their proper locality, after the exhibition had closed. In supposing this shrine to be that of St. Manchan, surnamed of Leath, we are chiefly influenced by Dr. 0'Dono\'an's high authority,54 corroborated by local traditions, and supported by the fact of its having been for several years past preserved at Lemanaghan. ss The Martyrology of Tallagh assigns the festival of St. Manchan to the 24th of January, corresponding with ix. of the Kalends of February. 56 TheKalendarofDrummondalsocallshimamostwiseman, when setting down his festival at this same date. 57 On this day, in the Martyrology of Donegal,^^ is recorded Manchan of Liath, son of Indagh. Under the head of Cill Mainchin, Duald Mac Firbis records Bishop Man- chan, or Mainchin, in Cill Manchan. s9 It would seem, that long after the time of its founder a monastery continued at Lemanaghan. One of its
*'"
abbots departed this life, after the beginning of the thirteenth century. Afterwards the monastic establishment disappeared, and it became converted into a vicarage, with a parish church. ^' It seems to have been a dependency on the Priory of Gailinn, now Gillen,^^ an old church giving name to a parish, in the barony of Garrycastle, and in the northern part of the King's County. The site of St. Manchan's former monastery looks desolate, and it is now little frequented by visitors.
Article II. —St. Cadoc, Abbot of Lanncarvan, in Wales. {Sixth
Century. '] Romance, poetry, and mistakes, as to persons,' dates, and localities, are strangely blended in this holy man's Acts. Among the most celebrated of British worthies, the Blessed Abbot Cadoc holds a highly-
*'
showed, however the heralds might dislike ^'^ it, upon a field of argent. Of this silver covering or ground, but a few fragments are
xManchan leith mac in Dagdae. " See
preserved. If, as is probable, the upper edge, where the sloping sides meet, was ornamented with acroteria, they have com-
pletely disappeared.
5' Dr. Travers adds: " Whether these
figures were intended to represent saints and
apostles, with the bishop, prince, brehons, and warriors of the region to which the shrine belonged, and whether there was not amongst them some representation of St. Manchan himself, we shall not now, in the absence of so
enquire. "
inAnchAn Leich fn in OAigbe.
57 " in Hibernia natale Sancti Manchani
viri sapientissimi. " See Bishop Forbes'
many S3 In 1853.
of them,
cum," p. 401.
^' See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. v. , pp. 1402, 1403.
'^ The ruins of this church are to be seen
in Mr. Armstrong's demesne, adjoining the
village of Farbane. i>ce n.
— iiitt. , (i).
'
Article it. The present Cadoc seems
to have been more intimately connected with Wales and Ireland ; while another, also called Sophias, is thought to have suffered martyrdom.
5* See Dr. Travers' article in "The
Exhibition Expositor. "
55 how- This writer, adds: "We doubt,
ever, whether a claim might not be sustained on behalf of the celebrated St. Manchan of Mohill, which is in the same ancient
dioc^seofArdagh, and who flourished early in the eleventh century. "
Rev. Dr. Kelly's "Calendar of Irish Saints,"
etc. , p. xiii. The Franciscan copy enters,
"
Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 3.
^8 jr^ited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 26, 27.
59 See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i.
