Several modern headstones and
tombstones
are now within the enclosure.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
, cap.
Antiquitates. "
Life of St. Columba," n. (f ), p. 86.
expressed
" simul verbis et manu
39 There were other saints many
3' See Morinus, Sacr. Ordinat. Exerc. "
the 28th of April, and St. Cronan, a Bishop viii. ; also, Valesius' note on Evagrius' Ec- of Lismore, whose festival is celebrated on
clesiasticalHistory,"i. , 13.
3= As we read " solus panem fregit. " 33 Or as " ritu. "
the1stofJuly. BothoftheseCronans,just named, lived posteriorly to St. Columba.
St. Cronan of Roscrea A. D. flourished,
expressed episcopali
3* See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
625, when he was present at the death of St. Mobianus, son to Hua Alto, as we find in his Life ; and from this, it appears, also, that he survived many years, nor do we read that this Cronan was a bishop. St. Cronan of Lismore died, in A. D. 717, according to the "Annals of the Four Masters. " As, the pontificate of Leo X. See Cardinal therefore, we do not remember any other Munster Cronan, who was a bishop, it is most probable, tliat our saint, who, it ap- pears, was both a Munsterman and a bishop, must in all likelihood be considered identical with the Cronan who visited Columkille, as related in Acts of this latter saint. See " Acta Sanctorum ix.
Adamnan's "Vita S. Columbae," lib. i,,
cap. xliv. , p. 348. 35 See ibid.
3^ This benediction varied, according to the various festivals, and the practice con- tinued for many centuries, even as late as
Bona, "Opera Omnia. " Rerum Liturgi- carum, lib. ii. , cap. xvi. , pp. 356 to 360.
37 See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's "Life of St. Columba," n. (e), p. 85.
3^ From the anecdote already related, it is supposed, that our saint flourished when St. Columkille lived on lona Island. Now St. Columba came to this island, in the year 565, according to Ussher. See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 4, p. 168 ; or, in A. D. 563, according
Colgan's Hiberniae," Februarii, n. 11, p. 303.
4° See the BoUandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii ix. De S. Cronano Episcopo in Hibemia, p. 339.
DLXiii. , p. 532,
"
Britannicarum Ecclesi-
Munster,
Cronan of Roscrea, whose feast occurs on
432 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 9.
Harris^^ this saint has been confounded with a Bishop of Lismore, bearing a similarname/' Ournativemartyrologists,undervariousformsofhisname, haveenteredthefeastofthissaint,atthe9thofFebruary. ThusSt. ^ngus the Culdee, the Martyrology of Tallagh, Marianus 0'Gorman,'^3 and Cathald Maguire,-*-^ have their respective notices. We find recorded, also, in the Martyrology of Donegal,'*^ as having a festival on this day, Cuardn,^^ the Wise, in Deisi Mumhan. The foreign martyrologists, Canisius, Hermann Greuen and Ferrarius accord. '^^ In the anonymous catalogue of Irish Saints, published by O'Sullivan Beare, at the 9th of February, Tronanus is entered. Tronanus, bishop, is likewise given in Henry Fitzsimon's list, at the same date, and on authority of the Carthusian Martyrology. '^ This seems in- tended for St. Cronan. In Scotland, as well as in Ireland, the memory of this saint was held in great veneration. At the 9th of February,^9 the Ka- lendar of Drummond enters the departure to Christ, in Ireland, of Mochu- aroc, a holy and a most wise man. 5° Some memorials of his veneration seem,untiloflate,tohaveprevailedinIreland. IntheparishofEdermine, county of Wexford, there is a St. Kieran's well (? Cuaran's), where a patron had been held, formerly, on the 9th of February, s^ It has been remarked,
that no St. Kieran occurs on this day, in the Irish Calendars. s^ Most pro- bably,thatpatronwasnootherthanthepresentCuaranorCronan. The old church of Edermine was situated in the townland of Glebe, on high ground, but no part of it remained in 1840, it having been pulled down, when the modern church was finished. It had a — attached.
large graveyard
About half a mile to the north was St. Kieran's well
53
a strong spring. The
"
cious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins. " S4 Because this holy man
Sacred Scripture has placed on record,
Wisdom will not enter into a mali-
"ofthe Lordin
"himin ofheart
and
so did he acquire that spirit, whereby he well deserved an epithet,
thought
goodness,"
sought
simplicity
"
;" the
^' See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , Lismore," p. 549-
"
Bishops of
^s Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
4= Now Colgan expressly distinguishes the
present saint from Cronan of Lismore, and
for a very just reason, viz. : that their times
were different. It is therefore strange, called Mochuarocc in the Felire of Aengus. '
"
Cronan" before his eyes, in the place cited, name, signifying *my little Cuar,' or
that Ware, who had the
Acts of St. Mochuarocc is the devotional form of the
and where he found mention made of the son of Nethsemon, could have fallen into such a mistake. This cannot be accounted for, except by his having read too cursorily what had been written, about these Cronans. Archdall (at Lismore) has only a part of Ware's mistake ; for, he does not call Cronan of Lismore, son of Nethsemon, but he says, that Cronan died, on the 9th of February. Yet, this day is assigned in the Calendars, not to his death, but to that of Nethsemon's son. See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xix. , sec. vi. , n. 73, pp. 164, 165.
3 Thus he writes, at the 9th of February : CuA^An in ecctiA in "Oeipb mumAn.
^X-p x)0 |\ob Ainm Ci\onAn mAc necVife- mon. " Cuaranus, sapiens, in Desiis Mo- monise, est qui et Cronanus filius Nethse-
"
monis dicitur.
** " Mochuarocus sapiens in regione De-
siorum quiescit : qui et Cronanus filius Neth- semonis dicitur.
Cuaran. "
'^ See Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
niae," ix. Februarii. De S. Cronano qui et Cueranus, n. 12, p. 303.
*^ Sec *' Historiae Catholicae Ibernise Com- pendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii,, p. 57.
^9 Idus v.
42, 43-
*& in a note Dr. Todd says, at this word,
Cuaran, "The later hand has added in the margin rnociiA|\occ, -p. ^e. , ^i. e. , he is
so gge Bishop Forbes' * ' Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 4,
si See " Letters containing Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Wexford, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840," vol. ii. John O'Donovan's communication, p. 97.
sz in 1840, the well was still visited by old people, to obtain the cure of various diseases.
S3 A patron held here, about 1810, is now
abolished. Two old oak trees grew over
this well in 1840. See t'did. , p. 97. S4Wisdomi. , 1,4
February 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 433
Wise," by which he was known among his contemporaries, and which our Chronicles have left on record, even to the present time.
Article III. —Cruimther Finne, of Druim Licce, now probably Drumlease,CountyofLeitrim. Thehistoryoflivesspentintheservice ofheavenismostirksomereadingtotheworldly-minded. Thiswecancom- prehend, for, unhappily, the sympathies, which should render such history in- teresting, are neither active nor diffused enough to recommend its exposition, nortoinduceitsattentivestudy. Fromtheprefix,Cruimther,tothenameof thissaintFinne,itmaybeconcluded,hewasinpriest'sorders. IntheMar- tyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 9th of February, we find entered, Crimtir Finnai, Droma Licci. This is supposed to have been the place, at first called Druim- dara, before the time of St. Patrick. ^ It lay, in an ancient territory, called Call- raidhe, or Calry, where the Irish Apostle baptized Mac-Caerthinn,and obtained agrantofDruim-daire,3forthepurposeofbuildingachurch. Then,thegreat
Drumlease Cemetery, County of Leitrim.
missionary, having obtained this very beautiful site, with the fertile land adjoining it, seems to have become enamoured with that spot, and the grand scenery stretched around ; for, he erected houses, sheds or seats there, to accommodate himself and his disciples. On this account, the name was changed to Druim-lias. 4 But, the duties of his Apostleship caUing him
Article hi. —^ Edited Kelly, p. XV.
=
by
Rev. Dr.
3 So called, on account of the probably,
oaks, which covered this fine eminence in former times.
4 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. ciii. , p. 143-
See Miss M. F. Cusack's "Life of St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland. " William M. Hennessy's version of the Irish Tripartite,
book ii. , p. 431.
VolII. 2F
434 LIVES 01' THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 9.
onward, in an easterly, or in a north-easterly, direction, he left the charge of a monastery founded there to his dalta, or foster-son, St. Benignus,5 who
ruled it, as superior, for twenty years. In the Martyrology of Donegal,^ the notice of Cruimhther Finne, of Druimlicce, occurs, at this date. It is pro-
bable, this Finne was a holy priest, who lived and died, at the monastery just indicated. The time, at which he flourished, cannot be ascertained ; yet, most likely, it was at an early date. At present, on the summit of a gently ascending cone-shaped hill, there is an ancient burial-ground, sur- rounded by a low stone wall, nearly quadrangular. 7 Only the foundations of an old church, which stood not long ago over the ground, can be traced under mounds of grass, in the middle of this cemetery.
Several modern headstones and tombstones are now within the enclosure. From the grave- yard, a superb view is obtained. A deep descent, on every side, causes a widecircumvallation; andthenbegintoascendrangesofdistanthillsand mountains, circling like a vast amphitheatre, to the wavy lines of cloud-land on the far horizon. The Benbulban mountains, beyond Lough Gill, in Sligo, tower in forms of wild grandeur, while their cliffs along the sides seem to be scored by a thousand yawning seams, so as to be, in many places, quite inaccessible. Truly, our national Apostle must have relished keenly the beauties of nature, when in this case, as in nearly all other instances, he pitched his tent on the hill-tops, and revelled, with a fine poetic spirit, which underlies every effect of true devotion, while he adored the Creator, and admired the majesty of his works. Drumlease is in the diocese of Kilmore, and province of Armagh. ^ Here St. Patrick founded a monastery, with a church, near the River Buannad, or Boonid, before he placed St. Benignus overit. 9 Itgrewintoanestablishmentofconsi—derableimportance; for, previous to the ninth century, seven holy bishops who doubtless lived in the place—were there interred. *° This modern Drumlease appears to re- present the more ancient forms of name, Druim-daire and Drumlias. It was converted mto a parish," when the monastic establishment disappeared. " It is situated, near the eastern extremity of Lough Gill, in the barony of
Dromahaire, and county of Leitnm. It was placed, also, in the ancient territory of Brefifney. '3 It lies about one half mile south-east from Droma-
s Colgan has a doubt, as to whether this
be the St. Benignus, who succeeded St.
Patrick, in the Archiepiscopate of Armagh,
and whose feast occurs, at the 9th of No-
vember ; or, a St. Benignus, brother of St.
Cethech. Both of these were, likewise, his
disciples, and both of them were with him,
at this time, in Connaught. See ibid. , lib.
ii. , cap. lii. , and n. 109, pp. 136, 177, 178.
Yet, our national hagiologist inclines to the 14, 15. The townland proper is marked,
belief, that the present St. Benignus may be identical with a St. Benatius, who is noted in a list of the churches ol the diocese of Elphin, and who is said to have been vene- rated at Kill-cliuile, in the deaconate of Sil- mairedaich, at the 3rd of April.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
42, 43.
' the accompanying sketch has been
taken, by the writer, on the spot, in June, 1876 ; drawn on the wood, by William F.
Wakeman, ot Enniskillen, it has been en- graved by Mrs. Millard, of Dublin.
^
See Nicholas Carlisle's "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," sub voce DrunUease.
on the two latter sheets. A very consider- able number of ancient forts are to be found in the immediate neighbourhood of Drum- lease. The old graveyard and village site, on the north of the River Bonet, is marked on Sheet 15.
" Its see lands ** were formerly attached
to the archbishopric of Armagh, but were passed to the see of Kilmore, and are now leased in perpetuity. The charter of the church lan—ds, to Armagh, is in the Book of
» See Archdall's **Monasticon Hibemi- cum," p. 408.
*°
ment of the works of St. ^ngus the Culdee.
This Colgan states, from an old frag-
See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septnna Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , nn. 150, 151, p. 180.
" Its bounds are defined on the "Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Leitrim. " Sheets 6, 7, 10, ii,
Miss M. F. Cusack's "Life of St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," n. 4, p.
Armagh. " 431.
February 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 435
haire/4 to which an interesting drive for the tourist lies, through the winding glens'5 of the picturesque River Bonnet, which rushes over its broken courses, into the head of Lough Gill,^^ after passing the grand ruined fortahce of the O'Roorkes, Chiefs of West Breffney. '^ This, indeed, is a region for interesting exploration, on the part of an intelligent antiquary. The ruins of Creavelea*^ Franciscan Convent are quite close to the spot, on a truly picturesque situation, high over the spreading valley, which opens on either bank of the river, before it disembogues into Upper Lough Gill. This once splendid monastery'9 was erected a. d. 1508, by Owen O'Roorke, prince of Breifny, at the instance of his wife, Margaret O'Brien, daughter to Conor, King of Thoraond. ^° The founders here sleep, in the same tomb. In 1536, a fire broke out, and a considerable portion of the convent was destroyed. '* Soon, afterwards, it was repaired ; but, again, the place was desecrated by Sir Richard Bingham, the English governor of Connaught, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Through various vicissitudes, the Franciscan Friars, sometimes ejected from their noble house, and sometimes restored, yet lived on, in poor thatched cabins, in the neighbourhood, to the beginning of the last century. ^^' The entire of this grand structure was built of a fine grey lime-
stone, and the rums are yet, in many places, well preserved, although wholly unroofed. The monastic church, and the adjoining parts, are in the best
state of repair ; while, the refectory, dormitories, chapter-room and cloisters, with numerous outer buildings, are last hastening to decay. Some old tombs are lo be found, within the church, and the cemetery adjoining is still much used, as a place for interment. '3 The ancient conventual grounds have been converted mto a fine demesne, through which the pilgrim now
" **
Meehan's Rise and Fail of the Irish Fran-
ciscan Monasteries, and Memoirs ot the
Irish Hierarchy in the Seventeenth Cen«
*3 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. Seplima Vita S. Patiicii, lib. ii. , nn. 150,
lease. or
151, p. 180.
'"* See Nicholas Carlisle's
"
cal Dictionary oi Ireland," sub voce^ Drum- The site is still called Carrig-Phadruig,
**
^5 This is the scene, which is supposed to
have inspired our poet Moore, when com-
posing these opening lines of a charming Irish melody :—
Patrick's Rock," because local tradi* tion has it, that St. Patrick erected a church on the same site. See ibid. , p. 83.
" In vol. iv. (2324-2340) of Burgundian Library Manuscripts, relating to Ireland, and preserved in Bruxelles, we find in the contents, a List of the Monasteries belong- ing to the Brothers of the Franciscan Mi- norites, in Ireland, as also a List 01 Provin- cials of the same order, in Ireland, from the beginning of the Retormation.
^"^ TheVenerableCharlesO'ConorofBa-
or Crievliagh Friars, the first rudiments of Latin, as we are told in that most interesting work, " Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the late Charles O'Conor, of Belanagare, Esq. , M. R. I. A. " By the Rev. Charles
Topographi-
tury," chap, vii. , pp. 82 to 86. ^°
•*
to
the visitor's gaze ; for, when driving down from 17 18 to 1724, by one of the Creavelea
The valley lay smilling before me. Where lately 1 left her behind ;
Yet, I trembled, and something hung o'er me,
That sadden'd the joy of my mind. "
the river's course, the vale and river before
often appear to ascend, with the windings of the road.
'' Fragments of the twelfth century castle seem to lie yet nearer to the river.
** A curious illusion is optical
produced
lenagare,
bom ist, 17 10, was taught, January
'^ It is sometimes called
town house and demesne immediately adjoin Creevelea ; on the opposite bank of the River Bonet, and navigable thence to Sligo, extend the town and castle of Drumahaire. These objects are shown, on Sheet 14 of the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Leitrim. "
'9 A very interesting account of this vener- able rum will be found, in Rev. C. P,
O'Conor,
D. D. , Member of the Acrtdemy
Crevilly.
Friars-
of Cortona," vol. i. , pp. 157, 158. H^ was
taught Irish grammatically, by the same
friar, who could scarcely speak a word of
English.
^3 The accompanying illustration was drawn on the wood, by William F. Wake- man, after a photograph, taken by Frederick H. Mares. It has been engraved, by Mrs. Millard.
436
LIVES 01' 7HE miSH SAINTS. [February 9.
approaches this place. The ancient monastery of Drum-lias was burned A. p. 1360. An old church in ruins, stood there f^ but, with many other interesting objects, it has now disappeared. The religious house here does not appear to have been afterwards restored ; and, the site was probably abandoned, by the
monks, although a parish church sup- plied the devotional wants of that neigh- bourhood. This would seem to have
become a rectory,^^
dependent on Creve- lea, after the Fran- ciscans obtained
possession of their home, in the latter
delightful locality. Besides, the more historic Drum-lias there is also a Drum-
lish f^ this is a village and townland in the parish of Killoe, in the barony and
county of Longford. ''7 In the county of Fer- managh, there are two different town-
—called Drum- lands,
the
parish of K-inawley, and barony of Clan- awley,^^ and the other in the parish of De- venish and barony of
lish one, in
Creevlea Ruins, County
Leitiim.
Magheraboy. ^9
Again, there is a Drumlish, in the parish of Tedavnet, barony and county Monaghan ;3o a Drumlish in the parish of Clooncraff, barony and county of Roscommon ;3» and a Drumlish, in the parish of Dromore, barony of Omagh East,andcountyofTyrone. 3=' Intheimmediateneighbourhoodofthetown of Larne, county of Antrim, on the top of a hill, called Drumalis,33 stood a
=4 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. iii. , pp. 616 to 618, and n. (i), ibid.
=5 In an inquisitioni in the reign of lames
I. , and taken during the first year, among
possessions of Creevalea, we find noticed,
'•
the rectory of Drerjleis," doubtless, Dnim- leis.
^'^ See ** Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Fermanagh. " Sheet 33-
=9 See ibid. . Sheets IS, 31.
3' See ** Oalnance Survey Townland '^ Marked on the " Ordnance Survey Maps for the County of Roscommon. "
Townland Maps for the County of Leitrim. " Sheet 5.
=7 See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. i. , pp. 517, 518.
Sheet 17.
3= " Townland See Ordnance Survey
Maps for the County of Tyrone. " Sheet 42.
30 See
*'
Ordnance Sui-vey Townland
Maps for the County of Monaghan. " Sheet 6.
February 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 437
religious establishment, according to popular tradition. 34 Its existence is even proved by secular documents. The site is a most lovely one. 35 OriginallytheplaceseemstohavebeencalledClondumalis. ThePremon- stratenses or White Canons were in possession of it, when suppressed in 1542, during the reign of Henry VIII. 36 However, it seems most likely, the Druim Licce of Cruimther Finne must be identified, with Drumlease, in Leitrim county.
Article IV. —Festival of the Second Deposition of St. Fursey's
Relics. [^Seventh Cenfury. ] Among the visions,' occurring in our native literature, the vision of St. Fursey is that most generally known. It is
doubted, among various respectable writers, whether the death of this holy contemplative—whose Acts have been already given, at the i6th of January—
should properly be assigned to that day,=' or rather to the 9th of February. 3 We have already seen, while Desmay marks the former date, as the anni-
versary for his canonization, he places St. Fursey's death, at the present
day. 4 Colgan supposes, as well on the authority of Desmay, that the i6th of January had been the day of our saint's canonization, and not of his death; as,also,becauseRaban,inhisMartyrology,callsittheday,notofa first, but of a second, deposition, of the saint. s By this, he means, the re-
"
33 Here the people of Larne were ac-
customed to assemble for festive sports on
Easter Monday, May Day, and on other
occasions, as described by the local poet E, I, 29 ; and E. 4, 12. In an ancient
and historian, Dr. M'Henry, in his novel,
vellum folio MS. , noted as vol. xxiv. . No.
7960, of the Library Catalogue, at Bruxelles, there is a copy of this Vision of the Irish soldier Tungdal, the authorship of which is attributed to one Marcus. It commences thus: "Incipit prologus Marci ad abbatis- sam quandam," and after this prologue com-
"
O'Halloran. "
34 The townlands of Drtimaliss and Curran,
in the parish of Larne, and barony of Upper Glenarm, are noticed on "Ordnance Survey Tow^nland Maps for the County of Antrim. " Sheets 35, 40.
35 In a lecture, delivered in the Town mences, " Ibernia igitur Insula. " The fol-
Hall of Larne, on Wednesday evening, Nov. , 6th, 1872, the Rev. Classon Porter, says : " It includes an extensive view of the Irish
channel, with the Maiden Lighthouses and
theScotchcoastinthedistance; ofIsland-
magee; oftheCorranandLarneLough; of
Magheremoume ; of Glynn village ; of the nuscript, from which the foregoing is ex- Bank Braes ; of the town and valley of
—Larne, and of the highlands of Kilwaghter
of mountain, hill and dale—which, varied magnificence, could not be surpassed ; nor can any one, in the present day, who is alive to the beauties of nature, look from the
top of this gently-sloping hill, on the gor- geous panorama, which is there spread before him, without admiring the taste of the holy men, who chose such a lovely spot as the scene of their pious labours, and the site of their peaceful abode. " Published in the Larne Reporter of that time.
tracted, was without any illuminations, nor could Mr. Bindon, who examined it, find any
in a
all enclosed picturesque background,
there.
3^ See ibid. —
Article iv.
^
One of these has lately
86.
4 From the statement of Venerable Bede,
been published, in the Italian language, " Visione di Tugdalo volgarizzata nel Secolo xiv.
Antiquitates. "
Life of St. Columba," n. (f ), p. 86.
expressed
" simul verbis et manu
39 There were other saints many
3' See Morinus, Sacr. Ordinat. Exerc. "
the 28th of April, and St. Cronan, a Bishop viii. ; also, Valesius' note on Evagrius' Ec- of Lismore, whose festival is celebrated on
clesiasticalHistory,"i. , 13.
3= As we read " solus panem fregit. " 33 Or as " ritu. "
the1stofJuly. BothoftheseCronans,just named, lived posteriorly to St. Columba.
St. Cronan of Roscrea A. D. flourished,
expressed episcopali
3* See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
625, when he was present at the death of St. Mobianus, son to Hua Alto, as we find in his Life ; and from this, it appears, also, that he survived many years, nor do we read that this Cronan was a bishop. St. Cronan of Lismore died, in A. D. 717, according to the "Annals of the Four Masters. " As, the pontificate of Leo X. See Cardinal therefore, we do not remember any other Munster Cronan, who was a bishop, it is most probable, tliat our saint, who, it ap- pears, was both a Munsterman and a bishop, must in all likelihood be considered identical with the Cronan who visited Columkille, as related in Acts of this latter saint. See " Acta Sanctorum ix.
Adamnan's "Vita S. Columbae," lib. i,,
cap. xliv. , p. 348. 35 See ibid.
3^ This benediction varied, according to the various festivals, and the practice con- tinued for many centuries, even as late as
Bona, "Opera Omnia. " Rerum Liturgi- carum, lib. ii. , cap. xvi. , pp. 356 to 360.
37 See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's "Life of St. Columba," n. (e), p. 85.
3^ From the anecdote already related, it is supposed, that our saint flourished when St. Columkille lived on lona Island. Now St. Columba came to this island, in the year 565, according to Ussher. See "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 4, p. 168 ; or, in A. D. 563, according
Colgan's Hiberniae," Februarii, n. 11, p. 303.
4° See the BoUandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii ix. De S. Cronano Episcopo in Hibemia, p. 339.
DLXiii. , p. 532,
"
Britannicarum Ecclesi-
Munster,
Cronan of Roscrea, whose feast occurs on
432 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 9.
Harris^^ this saint has been confounded with a Bishop of Lismore, bearing a similarname/' Ournativemartyrologists,undervariousformsofhisname, haveenteredthefeastofthissaint,atthe9thofFebruary. ThusSt. ^ngus the Culdee, the Martyrology of Tallagh, Marianus 0'Gorman,'^3 and Cathald Maguire,-*-^ have their respective notices. We find recorded, also, in the Martyrology of Donegal,'*^ as having a festival on this day, Cuardn,^^ the Wise, in Deisi Mumhan. The foreign martyrologists, Canisius, Hermann Greuen and Ferrarius accord. '^^ In the anonymous catalogue of Irish Saints, published by O'Sullivan Beare, at the 9th of February, Tronanus is entered. Tronanus, bishop, is likewise given in Henry Fitzsimon's list, at the same date, and on authority of the Carthusian Martyrology. '^ This seems in- tended for St. Cronan. In Scotland, as well as in Ireland, the memory of this saint was held in great veneration. At the 9th of February,^9 the Ka- lendar of Drummond enters the departure to Christ, in Ireland, of Mochu- aroc, a holy and a most wise man. 5° Some memorials of his veneration seem,untiloflate,tohaveprevailedinIreland. IntheparishofEdermine, county of Wexford, there is a St. Kieran's well (? Cuaran's), where a patron had been held, formerly, on the 9th of February, s^ It has been remarked,
that no St. Kieran occurs on this day, in the Irish Calendars. s^ Most pro- bably,thatpatronwasnootherthanthepresentCuaranorCronan. The old church of Edermine was situated in the townland of Glebe, on high ground, but no part of it remained in 1840, it having been pulled down, when the modern church was finished. It had a — attached.
large graveyard
About half a mile to the north was St. Kieran's well
53
a strong spring. The
"
cious soul, nor dwell in a body subject to sins. " S4 Because this holy man
Sacred Scripture has placed on record,
Wisdom will not enter into a mali-
"ofthe Lordin
"himin ofheart
and
so did he acquire that spirit, whereby he well deserved an epithet,
thought
goodness,"
sought
simplicity
"
;" the
^' See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , Lismore," p. 549-
"
Bishops of
^s Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
4= Now Colgan expressly distinguishes the
present saint from Cronan of Lismore, and
for a very just reason, viz. : that their times
were different. It is therefore strange, called Mochuarocc in the Felire of Aengus. '
"
Cronan" before his eyes, in the place cited, name, signifying *my little Cuar,' or
that Ware, who had the
Acts of St. Mochuarocc is the devotional form of the
and where he found mention made of the son of Nethsemon, could have fallen into such a mistake. This cannot be accounted for, except by his having read too cursorily what had been written, about these Cronans. Archdall (at Lismore) has only a part of Ware's mistake ; for, he does not call Cronan of Lismore, son of Nethsemon, but he says, that Cronan died, on the 9th of February. Yet, this day is assigned in the Calendars, not to his death, but to that of Nethsemon's son. See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xix. , sec. vi. , n. 73, pp. 164, 165.
3 Thus he writes, at the 9th of February : CuA^An in ecctiA in "Oeipb mumAn.
^X-p x)0 |\ob Ainm Ci\onAn mAc necVife- mon. " Cuaranus, sapiens, in Desiis Mo- monise, est qui et Cronanus filius Nethse-
"
monis dicitur.
** " Mochuarocus sapiens in regione De-
siorum quiescit : qui et Cronanus filius Neth- semonis dicitur.
Cuaran. "
'^ See Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
niae," ix. Februarii. De S. Cronano qui et Cueranus, n. 12, p. 303.
*^ Sec *' Historiae Catholicae Ibernise Com- pendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii,, p. 57.
^9 Idus v.
42, 43-
*& in a note Dr. Todd says, at this word,
Cuaran, "The later hand has added in the margin rnociiA|\occ, -p. ^e. , ^i. e. , he is
so gge Bishop Forbes' * ' Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 4,
si See " Letters containing Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Wexford, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840," vol. ii. John O'Donovan's communication, p. 97.
sz in 1840, the well was still visited by old people, to obtain the cure of various diseases.
S3 A patron held here, about 1810, is now
abolished. Two old oak trees grew over
this well in 1840. See t'did. , p. 97. S4Wisdomi. , 1,4
February 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 433
Wise," by which he was known among his contemporaries, and which our Chronicles have left on record, even to the present time.
Article III. —Cruimther Finne, of Druim Licce, now probably Drumlease,CountyofLeitrim. Thehistoryoflivesspentintheservice ofheavenismostirksomereadingtotheworldly-minded. Thiswecancom- prehend, for, unhappily, the sympathies, which should render such history in- teresting, are neither active nor diffused enough to recommend its exposition, nortoinduceitsattentivestudy. Fromtheprefix,Cruimther,tothenameof thissaintFinne,itmaybeconcluded,hewasinpriest'sorders. IntheMar- tyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 9th of February, we find entered, Crimtir Finnai, Droma Licci. This is supposed to have been the place, at first called Druim- dara, before the time of St. Patrick. ^ It lay, in an ancient territory, called Call- raidhe, or Calry, where the Irish Apostle baptized Mac-Caerthinn,and obtained agrantofDruim-daire,3forthepurposeofbuildingachurch. Then,thegreat
Drumlease Cemetery, County of Leitrim.
missionary, having obtained this very beautiful site, with the fertile land adjoining it, seems to have become enamoured with that spot, and the grand scenery stretched around ; for, he erected houses, sheds or seats there, to accommodate himself and his disciples. On this account, the name was changed to Druim-lias. 4 But, the duties of his Apostleship caUing him
Article hi. —^ Edited Kelly, p. XV.
=
by
Rev. Dr.
3 So called, on account of the probably,
oaks, which covered this fine eminence in former times.
4 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. ciii. , p. 143-
See Miss M. F. Cusack's "Life of St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland. " William M. Hennessy's version of the Irish Tripartite,
book ii. , p. 431.
VolII. 2F
434 LIVES 01' THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 9.
onward, in an easterly, or in a north-easterly, direction, he left the charge of a monastery founded there to his dalta, or foster-son, St. Benignus,5 who
ruled it, as superior, for twenty years. In the Martyrology of Donegal,^ the notice of Cruimhther Finne, of Druimlicce, occurs, at this date. It is pro-
bable, this Finne was a holy priest, who lived and died, at the monastery just indicated. The time, at which he flourished, cannot be ascertained ; yet, most likely, it was at an early date. At present, on the summit of a gently ascending cone-shaped hill, there is an ancient burial-ground, sur- rounded by a low stone wall, nearly quadrangular. 7 Only the foundations of an old church, which stood not long ago over the ground, can be traced under mounds of grass, in the middle of this cemetery.
Several modern headstones and tombstones are now within the enclosure. From the grave- yard, a superb view is obtained. A deep descent, on every side, causes a widecircumvallation; andthenbegintoascendrangesofdistanthillsand mountains, circling like a vast amphitheatre, to the wavy lines of cloud-land on the far horizon. The Benbulban mountains, beyond Lough Gill, in Sligo, tower in forms of wild grandeur, while their cliffs along the sides seem to be scored by a thousand yawning seams, so as to be, in many places, quite inaccessible. Truly, our national Apostle must have relished keenly the beauties of nature, when in this case, as in nearly all other instances, he pitched his tent on the hill-tops, and revelled, with a fine poetic spirit, which underlies every effect of true devotion, while he adored the Creator, and admired the majesty of his works. Drumlease is in the diocese of Kilmore, and province of Armagh. ^ Here St. Patrick founded a monastery, with a church, near the River Buannad, or Boonid, before he placed St. Benignus overit. 9 Itgrewintoanestablishmentofconsi—derableimportance; for, previous to the ninth century, seven holy bishops who doubtless lived in the place—were there interred. *° This modern Drumlease appears to re- present the more ancient forms of name, Druim-daire and Drumlias. It was converted mto a parish," when the monastic establishment disappeared. " It is situated, near the eastern extremity of Lough Gill, in the barony of
Dromahaire, and county of Leitnm. It was placed, also, in the ancient territory of Brefifney. '3 It lies about one half mile south-east from Droma-
s Colgan has a doubt, as to whether this
be the St. Benignus, who succeeded St.
Patrick, in the Archiepiscopate of Armagh,
and whose feast occurs, at the 9th of No-
vember ; or, a St. Benignus, brother of St.
Cethech. Both of these were, likewise, his
disciples, and both of them were with him,
at this time, in Connaught. See ibid. , lib.
ii. , cap. lii. , and n. 109, pp. 136, 177, 178.
Yet, our national hagiologist inclines to the 14, 15. The townland proper is marked,
belief, that the present St. Benignus may be identical with a St. Benatius, who is noted in a list of the churches ol the diocese of Elphin, and who is said to have been vene- rated at Kill-cliuile, in the deaconate of Sil- mairedaich, at the 3rd of April.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
42, 43.
' the accompanying sketch has been
taken, by the writer, on the spot, in June, 1876 ; drawn on the wood, by William F.
Wakeman, ot Enniskillen, it has been en- graved by Mrs. Millard, of Dublin.
^
See Nicholas Carlisle's "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," sub voce DrunUease.
on the two latter sheets. A very consider- able number of ancient forts are to be found in the immediate neighbourhood of Drum- lease. The old graveyard and village site, on the north of the River Bonet, is marked on Sheet 15.
" Its see lands ** were formerly attached
to the archbishopric of Armagh, but were passed to the see of Kilmore, and are now leased in perpetuity. The charter of the church lan—ds, to Armagh, is in the Book of
» See Archdall's **Monasticon Hibemi- cum," p. 408.
*°
ment of the works of St. ^ngus the Culdee.
This Colgan states, from an old frag-
See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septnna Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , nn. 150, 151, p. 180.
" Its bounds are defined on the "Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Leitrim. " Sheets 6, 7, 10, ii,
Miss M. F. Cusack's "Life of St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," n. 4, p.
Armagh. " 431.
February 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 435
haire/4 to which an interesting drive for the tourist lies, through the winding glens'5 of the picturesque River Bonnet, which rushes over its broken courses, into the head of Lough Gill,^^ after passing the grand ruined fortahce of the O'Roorkes, Chiefs of West Breffney. '^ This, indeed, is a region for interesting exploration, on the part of an intelligent antiquary. The ruins of Creavelea*^ Franciscan Convent are quite close to the spot, on a truly picturesque situation, high over the spreading valley, which opens on either bank of the river, before it disembogues into Upper Lough Gill. This once splendid monastery'9 was erected a. d. 1508, by Owen O'Roorke, prince of Breifny, at the instance of his wife, Margaret O'Brien, daughter to Conor, King of Thoraond. ^° The founders here sleep, in the same tomb. In 1536, a fire broke out, and a considerable portion of the convent was destroyed. '* Soon, afterwards, it was repaired ; but, again, the place was desecrated by Sir Richard Bingham, the English governor of Connaught, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Through various vicissitudes, the Franciscan Friars, sometimes ejected from their noble house, and sometimes restored, yet lived on, in poor thatched cabins, in the neighbourhood, to the beginning of the last century. ^^' The entire of this grand structure was built of a fine grey lime-
stone, and the rums are yet, in many places, well preserved, although wholly unroofed. The monastic church, and the adjoining parts, are in the best
state of repair ; while, the refectory, dormitories, chapter-room and cloisters, with numerous outer buildings, are last hastening to decay. Some old tombs are lo be found, within the church, and the cemetery adjoining is still much used, as a place for interment. '3 The ancient conventual grounds have been converted mto a fine demesne, through which the pilgrim now
" **
Meehan's Rise and Fail of the Irish Fran-
ciscan Monasteries, and Memoirs ot the
Irish Hierarchy in the Seventeenth Cen«
*3 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. Seplima Vita S. Patiicii, lib. ii. , nn. 150,
lease. or
151, p. 180.
'"* See Nicholas Carlisle's
"
cal Dictionary oi Ireland," sub voce^ Drum- The site is still called Carrig-Phadruig,
**
^5 This is the scene, which is supposed to
have inspired our poet Moore, when com-
posing these opening lines of a charming Irish melody :—
Patrick's Rock," because local tradi* tion has it, that St. Patrick erected a church on the same site. See ibid. , p. 83.
" In vol. iv. (2324-2340) of Burgundian Library Manuscripts, relating to Ireland, and preserved in Bruxelles, we find in the contents, a List of the Monasteries belong- ing to the Brothers of the Franciscan Mi- norites, in Ireland, as also a List 01 Provin- cials of the same order, in Ireland, from the beginning of the Retormation.
^"^ TheVenerableCharlesO'ConorofBa-
or Crievliagh Friars, the first rudiments of Latin, as we are told in that most interesting work, " Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the late Charles O'Conor, of Belanagare, Esq. , M. R. I. A. " By the Rev. Charles
Topographi-
tury," chap, vii. , pp. 82 to 86. ^°
•*
to
the visitor's gaze ; for, when driving down from 17 18 to 1724, by one of the Creavelea
The valley lay smilling before me. Where lately 1 left her behind ;
Yet, I trembled, and something hung o'er me,
That sadden'd the joy of my mind. "
the river's course, the vale and river before
often appear to ascend, with the windings of the road.
'' Fragments of the twelfth century castle seem to lie yet nearer to the river.
** A curious illusion is optical
produced
lenagare,
bom ist, 17 10, was taught, January
'^ It is sometimes called
town house and demesne immediately adjoin Creevelea ; on the opposite bank of the River Bonet, and navigable thence to Sligo, extend the town and castle of Drumahaire. These objects are shown, on Sheet 14 of the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Leitrim. "
'9 A very interesting account of this vener- able rum will be found, in Rev. C. P,
O'Conor,
D. D. , Member of the Acrtdemy
Crevilly.
Friars-
of Cortona," vol. i. , pp. 157, 158. H^ was
taught Irish grammatically, by the same
friar, who could scarcely speak a word of
English.
^3 The accompanying illustration was drawn on the wood, by William F. Wake- man, after a photograph, taken by Frederick H. Mares. It has been engraved, by Mrs. Millard.
436
LIVES 01' 7HE miSH SAINTS. [February 9.
approaches this place. The ancient monastery of Drum-lias was burned A. p. 1360. An old church in ruins, stood there f^ but, with many other interesting objects, it has now disappeared. The religious house here does not appear to have been afterwards restored ; and, the site was probably abandoned, by the
monks, although a parish church sup- plied the devotional wants of that neigh- bourhood. This would seem to have
become a rectory,^^
dependent on Creve- lea, after the Fran- ciscans obtained
possession of their home, in the latter
delightful locality. Besides, the more historic Drum-lias there is also a Drum-
lish f^ this is a village and townland in the parish of Killoe, in the barony and
county of Longford. ''7 In the county of Fer- managh, there are two different town-
—called Drum- lands,
the
parish of K-inawley, and barony of Clan- awley,^^ and the other in the parish of De- venish and barony of
lish one, in
Creevlea Ruins, County
Leitiim.
Magheraboy. ^9
Again, there is a Drumlish, in the parish of Tedavnet, barony and county Monaghan ;3o a Drumlish in the parish of Clooncraff, barony and county of Roscommon ;3» and a Drumlish, in the parish of Dromore, barony of Omagh East,andcountyofTyrone. 3=' Intheimmediateneighbourhoodofthetown of Larne, county of Antrim, on the top of a hill, called Drumalis,33 stood a
=4 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. iii. , pp. 616 to 618, and n. (i), ibid.
=5 In an inquisitioni in the reign of lames
I. , and taken during the first year, among
possessions of Creevalea, we find noticed,
'•
the rectory of Drerjleis," doubtless, Dnim- leis.
^'^ See ** Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Fermanagh. " Sheet 33-
=9 See ibid. . Sheets IS, 31.
3' See ** Oalnance Survey Townland '^ Marked on the " Ordnance Survey Maps for the County of Roscommon. "
Townland Maps for the County of Leitrim. " Sheet 5.
=7 See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. i. , pp. 517, 518.
Sheet 17.
3= " Townland See Ordnance Survey
Maps for the County of Tyrone. " Sheet 42.
30 See
*'
Ordnance Sui-vey Townland
Maps for the County of Monaghan. " Sheet 6.
February 9. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 437
religious establishment, according to popular tradition. 34 Its existence is even proved by secular documents. The site is a most lovely one. 35 OriginallytheplaceseemstohavebeencalledClondumalis. ThePremon- stratenses or White Canons were in possession of it, when suppressed in 1542, during the reign of Henry VIII. 36 However, it seems most likely, the Druim Licce of Cruimther Finne must be identified, with Drumlease, in Leitrim county.
Article IV. —Festival of the Second Deposition of St. Fursey's
Relics. [^Seventh Cenfury. ] Among the visions,' occurring in our native literature, the vision of St. Fursey is that most generally known. It is
doubted, among various respectable writers, whether the death of this holy contemplative—whose Acts have been already given, at the i6th of January—
should properly be assigned to that day,=' or rather to the 9th of February. 3 We have already seen, while Desmay marks the former date, as the anni-
versary for his canonization, he places St. Fursey's death, at the present
day. 4 Colgan supposes, as well on the authority of Desmay, that the i6th of January had been the day of our saint's canonization, and not of his death; as,also,becauseRaban,inhisMartyrology,callsittheday,notofa first, but of a second, deposition, of the saint. s By this, he means, the re-
"
33 Here the people of Larne were ac-
customed to assemble for festive sports on
Easter Monday, May Day, and on other
occasions, as described by the local poet E, I, 29 ; and E. 4, 12. In an ancient
and historian, Dr. M'Henry, in his novel,
vellum folio MS. , noted as vol. xxiv. . No.
7960, of the Library Catalogue, at Bruxelles, there is a copy of this Vision of the Irish soldier Tungdal, the authorship of which is attributed to one Marcus. It commences thus: "Incipit prologus Marci ad abbatis- sam quandam," and after this prologue com-
"
O'Halloran. "
34 The townlands of Drtimaliss and Curran,
in the parish of Larne, and barony of Upper Glenarm, are noticed on "Ordnance Survey Tow^nland Maps for the County of Antrim. " Sheets 35, 40.
35 In a lecture, delivered in the Town mences, " Ibernia igitur Insula. " The fol-
Hall of Larne, on Wednesday evening, Nov. , 6th, 1872, the Rev. Classon Porter, says : " It includes an extensive view of the Irish
channel, with the Maiden Lighthouses and
theScotchcoastinthedistance; ofIsland-
magee; oftheCorranandLarneLough; of
Magheremoume ; of Glynn village ; of the nuscript, from which the foregoing is ex- Bank Braes ; of the town and valley of
—Larne, and of the highlands of Kilwaghter
of mountain, hill and dale—which, varied magnificence, could not be surpassed ; nor can any one, in the present day, who is alive to the beauties of nature, look from the
top of this gently-sloping hill, on the gor- geous panorama, which is there spread before him, without admiring the taste of the holy men, who chose such a lovely spot as the scene of their pious labours, and the site of their peaceful abode. " Published in the Larne Reporter of that time.
tracted, was without any illuminations, nor could Mr. Bindon, who examined it, find any
in a
all enclosed picturesque background,
there.
3^ See ibid. —
Article iv.
^
One of these has lately
86.
4 From the statement of Venerable Bede,
been published, in the Italian language, " Visione di Tugdalo volgarizzata nel Secolo xiv.
