The author of his Life
represents
Carthage, as a solace to the aged
; as safety, for the infirm ; as a source of consolation, for the sorrowful ; as a
foundation, for those in despair ; as abounding in faith, for those in doubt and, as a firm guide, for those who were young.
; as safety, for the infirm ; as a source of consolation, for the sorrowful ; as a
foundation, for those in despair ; as abounding in faith, for those in doubt and, as a firm guide, for those who were young.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
It is now called Killchlu- thair (Kill chloohir), and it is four miles east ol" Cappoquin, in the county of Water- ford.
*5 See III. Kings, xvii. , 16.
^' See Vita ex antique MS. Ilibernico, cap. iv. , num. 48.
*' It is Latinized, '• Vadum Alvei. "
*^ This description proves the writer of our saint's life to have been quite conversant with the locality; as he was able particularly to state, how far the se. i-water, at the full, ascended the Bhickwater River,
" The Rev. David B. Mulcahy had been told by the Rev. Father Power, P. P. , of Toor. nneena, that there was a place opposite AfTanc, on tlie right bank of the Blackwater, still knownbythenameofBothernanaoim,
"the saints' road," commemorating the miracle wrought by St. Carthach, when he divided the Blackwater.
so See Josue iii. , 16.
s' See Vita ex antique MS. Hibernico, cap. iv. , num. 49.
5' See Vita ex duplici MS. Legendario, num. 12.
53 In Latin rendered "atrium magnum. "
5^ The author of St. Carthac's Life then adds : " Egregia jam et sancta civitas Liass- mor, cujus dimidium est asylum, in quo nulla mulier audet intrare : sed plenum est cellis et monasteriis sanctorum, et multitudo viro- rum sanctorum semper ibi manet. Viri enim religiosi ex omni Hibernise parte ; et non solum, sed ex Anglia et Britania con- fluunt ad eam, volentes ibi migrare ad Chris- turn," &c. Cap. iv. , num. 50.
55 This means, that she chose him, as her
ford," cap. iii. , p. 27.
'° See Les Petits Bollandistes' "Vies des
Saints," tome v. , xiv= jourde Mai, p. 519. *' Allusion to its history will be found, at the loth of April, in the Fourth Volume of this work, at Art. v. , treating on St. Mal- chus, or Malachus, Bishop of Lismore, in the
eleventh and twelfth centuries,
^- Ptolemy notices its river, which he calls
Daurona ; and Necham has allusion to it as Avenmore, of which he says
" Urbem Lismor, pertransit flumen Avenmore,
Ardmor cernit ubi concitus aquor adit,
The distich is thus translated :—
<<t>t-. . . i. a 1. 1 By Lismore town, the Avonmore doth
spiritual guardian or director.
5* Lis, in the Irish language, signifies "a
fort. " and Mor, "great. "
57 The Rev. Dr. Lanisran supposes, this
_
_
to have been the hill, neai Lismore, on which
there might have been a Dun or fort in
olden times. See " Ecclesiastical History of —Charles Smith's "Ancient and Present
Ireland," vol. ii. , cap. xiv. , sect. 14, n. 195,
PP- 354. 355-
58 See "General History of Ireland,"
Book ii. , p. 397, Duffy's edition.
59 See Charles Smith's " Ancient and Pre-
sent State of the County and City of Water-
. ? ^J , •. .
^"^^ Ardmore sees it to the ocean
'
State of the County and City of Waterford," f^^aP- "i-' P- 27-
*3 His feast occurs, at the 26th of Sep- tember.
^•t See Vita ex antique MS. Hibernico, cap, iv. , num. 50.
&
—
May 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
of benediction. "51 in one of our saint's Lives, it is said, that this miracle was obtained, through the prayers of St. Carthage, together with those of a St. Cohiian and a St. Mohia. s^ With his monks, our saint came to a small plain, named, as stated, in the Irish language, Maghsgiats—but more correctly should it have been written Maghsciath—and meaning in English, "plain of the buck- ler. " ThenCarthagewasonhisway,towardsaplacegrantedhim,bythechief- tain of Nan Desii. There they encamped. Having blessed this spot, the holy Pontiff, with his companions, marked out a site, on which they intended to build. But, a certain pious woman, named Cornell, who had a cell in that place, asked them, what they designed doing? Mochudda answered : "By the will of God, we prepare a moderate house, to contain our effects. " The virgin replied : " It shall not be small but large. " St. Mochudda returned for answer : " What thou sayest is true, O maid of Christ, because from its name, the place shall always be called Lismore,s3 in Irish. 54 Then the virgin presented herself as a client, with her cell, to St. Mochudda. ss
TheoldnameLismores^ wasDunsginne,57accordingtotheRev. Jeoffrey Keating ;s8 although it is said to have been called, even at a more remote time, Magh Sgiath, " the field of the shield. " However, it has been conjectured, that the present name of this place has been taken from a Danish fortification, known by the name of the Round Hill, standing a little to the east of the town,59 while Dr. Charles Smith, in reference to the former name Dunsginne, remarks, that Dun signifies a fort, situated on an eminence, and Sgein, a flight, which seems to allude to the flight of St. Carthage to this place. He has been
regarded as its first bishop,^° and especially as its chief Patron. The present town of Lismore—formerly a city of considerable note ^'—is situated on the south side of the noble River Blackwater. ^^ As St. Colman Elo ^3 had pre- dicted, the cemetery of St. Mochudda, in Lismore city, designated by the Angels, was that, in which our saint was buried. The author of his Life remarks, that God alone only knew the number of saints buried there after him, and down to the time, at which he wrote. ^* From the settlement of St. Car-
. .
. 1
271
272 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 14.
thage at Lismore, this city is said to have been dignified as a Bishop's See. Soon after his time, a great number of reHgious liouses and schools ^s were estabHshed,andauniversitywastherelocated. ThebestknownoftheMun- ster schools was that of Lismore,^^ said to have been founded in 633. At that time, when the holy confessor had been expelled from Ralian,he brought the holy virgin Flannaid with him ; and, when he came to Lismore, INIoc- hudda sent her to found a cell, on her former property. St. Flannaid built a famous nunnery, at a place called Cluain Dablam. ^7 This was founded, under the patronage and jurisdiction of St. Carthage. ^^ Besides the cathe- dral at Lismore, we are informed, that the holy Abbot here founded an Abbey ^9 for Canons Regular, as also a Hospital for Lepers ,'° but, it is pro- bable, he did not live there a sufficiently long time, to do much more than build cells and a church, for the use of his religious brethren. We are told,^' the cathedral here was originally constructed in the Saxon style p'^ the win- dows were narrow, and terminated with circular arches, each surmounted with a small window of circular shape. These round windows were over the entrance, also, and at the extremities of the transepts.
Notwithstanding the purity of this Abbot's life, yet would lie indulge in the deepest sorrow for his sins. In the poem 73 beginning, " Patrick of the fort of Macha,"''* Cuimine of Condaire states, no one ever lived befbre Mochuda, that had shed half as many penitential tears. A certain Magus, who felt displeased at the arrival of St. Carthage, in this place, came to him. Tempting our saint, he asked, if Carthage were the ser- vant of Christ, so that he should be able, in God's name, to cause a dry branch without bark, and which he bore in his hands, to bring forth fruit. Knowing that he wished to deride the Almighty's power, our saint blessed that dry branch, and caused it to bring forth bark, leaves, flowers, and fruit. When the Magus saw this miracle, he retired. Another day,apoormanindiscreetlyaskedSt. Carthageformilkandbeer. Oursaint, being near a fountain, blessed it. Immediately, it was changed into milk, then into beer, and, afterwards, into wine. He then ordered the man to par- tnkeofalltheseliquids,andtodrinkasmuchashewished. 75 Afterthis,finding his strength failing him, on account of his labours and extreme age, the holy bishop began to feel a great disinclination for interruptions caused by people, who flocked to him from every side. Having taken council with the brethren,
's An ancient college here "had the
honour of educating Alfred, King of Nor- thumberland, at a period when the learning
and culture of Ireland were celebrated over
the length and breadth of the known world,
3nd students from all countries flocked here
for education. "—William F. Wakeman's ii. , p. 336.
"Tourists' Guide to Ireland," Dublin to Cork, p. 342.
** . See "The Irish Ecclesiastical Record," Third . Series, vol. vi. , No. 4, April, 1885. "Ancient Irish Schools," by Rev. Timothy Lee, p. 251.
*' Thus it is written, in the Life of St. Carthach.
** See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Mali xiv. De S. Carthaco seu Mochudda, Episcopo et Abbate Lismoriensi in Iliber- nia. Alia Vita ex antiquo M. S. Ilibernico, cap. iii. , num. 29, p. 383.
^ 'Ihis Abbey ia said to have occupied the present site of Lismore Castle, which rises majestically and at a steep elevation imme-
'"'' This ignorance of the writer, on this subject, may be corrected by the substitution of the words Irish or Irish- Romanesque.
" On the characteristic virtues of Irish Saints.
'^^ Thus is the stanza translated into English :
—
diately over the Blackwater River,
? ° SeeSirJamesWare,"DeScriptoribus
Hibernise," lib. i. , cap. iii. , p. 21.
? ' By Rev. R. H. Ryland, in his " His- lory, Topography and Antiquities of the County and City of Waterford," &c. , sect,
" Mochuda loves the piety
Famous is every story of his stories Before him no one had shed
Half what he shed of tears. "
—Rev. Dr. Kelly's "Calendar of Irish Saints," p. 165.
'5 Sec V'ita ex antiquo MS. Ilibernico, cap. iv. , num. 51.
'"SeeVilaexanliquoMS. Ilibernico, capiv. ,
;
;
May 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
273
and obtained their unanimous consent, he went to a certain secret and safe place. Here,therewasarenownedmonastery,inavalley. Itlayeastwards from his own greater monastery, and yet, not far removed from it. Here, too, with a few attendants, he remained during a year and six months, leading an eremitical life, and being wholly occupied, in the contemplation of holy things.
After some time spent in this place, he was visited by his monks, and by someoftheolderandmoredecrepidbrethren. Tothese,headdressedreligious discourses,fullofinstruction,ondogmasoftheChurch. Hishomiliesalso contained admonitions, suitable for the lives of those, to whom they were directed.
The author of his Life represents Carthage, as a solace to the aged
; as safety, for the infirm ; as a source of consolation, for the sorrowful ; as a
foundation, for those in despair ; as abounding in faith, for those in doubt and, as a firm guide, for those who were young. 7'^ St. Carthage saw, that the holy old men and many of his monks had much trouble in ascending and descending the steeps, leading to that valley, where he dwelt, and when com- ing to visit him. Finding that his end was fast approaching, he called the brothers, and then ordered, that he should be brought to the parent house, so that he might not be an occasion of further trouble to them. But, the merci- ful and omnipotent God had now intended to remove his illustrious servant, from the scene of his labours. The Heavens were suddenly opened. Then, an army of Angels was sent, and it seemed as if these blessed spirits were moving in triumph to welcome him. On seeing the Heavens open, and the Angels advancing towards him, St. Carthage caused himself to be brought into the middle of the valley. Telling the holy seniors what he beheld, he ordered the Body and Blood of our Lord to be brought, and towards a place, where a fountain was afterwards seen. Here, a cross was also erected, and it was called, in future time, " the cross of migration. " Having then given many pious admonitions, and having received the Body and Blood of our Lord, in the Most Holy Sacrament, being surrounded by his holy seniors, and a multitude of brothers, he bade them all farewell. Then, kissing each one in order, with great piety and affection, he ascended with the Angels from earth to
Heaven. 77
The holy Abbot departed this Hfe, on the second of the May Ides 7^—corres-
ponding with the 14th of this month —the date assigned for his feast. We are told, that the Annalist Tighernach has a different day—the fifth of the May Ides -p but, this is not the case in that edition, published by Rev. Dr. 0'Conor. s° His death is placed, so early as 631, in the Bodleian copy of the Annals of Inisfallen;^' but, at 636, by Duald Mac Firbiss, and this is also the year set down, by Sir James Ware,^"" as also in the Annals of Ulster,^3 of Innis- fallen,*4 and of the Four Masters. ^5 Other accounts have a. d. 637,^^ for the dateofhisdemise; whilethus,writeTigernach,^? ArchbishopUssher,^^Bishop
nicarum Scriptores, tomus ii. , p. 13.
®^ See "DeScriptoribus Hibernise,"Iib. i. ,
cap. iii. , p. 21.
*3 See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum
Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus iv. An- nales Ultonienses, p. 47.
^+ In the Dublin Codex. See ibid. , tomus ii-jP-21.
^s See Dr. O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. , cap. iv. , num. 53. Also, Vita ex duplici MS. pp. 254, 255.
num. 52. Also, Vita ex dupliciMS. Legen- dario, num. 13.
77 The fuller narrative of St. Carthach's Acts concludes with words, which seem to close a lecture or homily ; referring to Christ our Lord, it runs, " cui est honor, gloria, et potestas, cum Deo Patre in unitate Spriritus Sancti,inseculaseculorum. Amen. "
Legendario.
79 See Sir James Ware, "DeScriptoribus
Hibernise," lib. i. , cap. iii. , p. 21.
^° See "Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores,"
tomus ii. , Tigernachi Annales, p. 193.
*' See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hiber-
7* See Vita ex antiquo MS. Hibernico,
^ See the Rev. Dr. Lanigan's " Ecclesi- astical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap. xiv. , sect, xiv. , n. 201, pp. 355, 356.
^7 See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's "Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus ii. Tiger- nachi Annales, p. 193.
S
;
274
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 14.
Challenor,89 Rev. Alban Butler,9° Dr. George Petrie,? ' Edwin Third Earl of Dunraven,9' Les Petits Bollandistes,93 and Rev. S. Ijaring-Gould. 94 How- ever, in Harris' Ware,^^ he enters also the date a. d. 638, for the departure of St. Carthage. This holy Patron was buried at Lismore ; and, it lias been said, within his own cathedral there. ? ^ In a particular part of this cily was an asylum, into which no woman was allowed to enter ;97 although, the reason for this cus- tom is not related. The day for the festival of its Patron, in that Diocese, is yet celebrated as a Double of the first-class, with an octave. Lismore is still a large
town; but, its once flourishing trade and manufactures, as nearly alike in all our Irish towns, are greatly diminishing ; while, only the castle,? ^ and some tolera- bly good houses, indicate the former importance of that ancient city. Of late
Catholic Church of St. Carthage, Lismore.
years, a very beauti- ful Catholic Church has been erected in Lismore, and it has been dedicated to the Patron, St. Cartilage. This noble monument to his memory, originated by the zeal and piety of Very Rev. Monsig-
nor Patk. Byrne, is of fine architectural proportions and harmony, built in the Italian style. 99 The following are its measurements : Total length of church, 145 feet; width across tran- septs, 84 feet;
width between aisle walls, 55 feet; width of nave, 28 feet ; height of nave, 57 feet; height of tower, 113 feet. '°° In his native district of Kerry, as it would seem, our saint had been also
commemorated. At Castlemaine, there is an old abbey, and in its graveyard there is a hollowed stone, called Cloch-Mochaeda, or the stone of St. Carthage
** Sec " Britaiinicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitatcs," Index Chronologicus, A. n. , Dcxxxvn. , p. 538.
^ See " Brilannia Sancla,'' iiart i. , p. 288.
9° See '• Lives of ihe Fatliers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. v. , May xiv.
9' See "Ecclesiastical Architecture and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. , sect, iii. , subs, i. , p. 342.
'^- Sec Notes on Irish Architecture,' edited by Miss Margaret Stokes, vol. ii. , p. 67.
'^ See "Vies des Saints," tome v. , xive jour de Mai, p. 519.
»< See " Lives of the Saints," vol. v. . May
——
May 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
Mochaeda. '°' HeisthepatronofCastlemaiue,andalsoofKiltallagh,where he was born. '"^ The feast of St. Carthach is commemorated, in the "FeiHre"'^^ ofSt. ^ngus, at the 14th of May. The commentator, has some observa- tions/°'» on this entry, " Mochuda Liss Moir. vel Finall nomen fratris ejus. "'°5 At the 14th of May, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,'°^ his name is set down as Carthaigh, /. ^. , Mochutta Lis-moir. It is also entered, in the Franciscan copy. '°7 On the 14th of May,'°^ the Kalendar of Drummond inserts '°9 the Natalis of St. Carthach, Bishop and Confessor, in Ireland, with an encomium on his virtues. This day, the Martyrology of Donegal "° enters the name of Mochuda, Bishop, of Lis-mor ; and, as it notes, he was also abbot of Raithin, at first. Under the head of Lis-mor, Duald Mac Firbis enters, Mochuda, bishop, quievit 636, May 14th. '" St. Carthagh'r, feast likewise occurs, in the Circle of the Seasons,"' at this same date.
In former times, as we frequently find it in their context, during the recital of Matins at the ecclesiastical ofiice, in monastic refectories, or for pious instruc- tion, the Chronicles or Lives of our Saints had been read. Hence, they were denominated Legenda, which may be Anglicized into Readings or Legends. These prelections often terminated, with an intimation, that everything men- tioned therein—and especially that referring to supernatural accounts—when the Church had not duly investigated and approved such narratives, must rest solely on the writer's credibility, and on the grounds as ascertained for his information. But, they are far from acquiring our unqualified assent, in all
xiv. , pp. 637.
5^ See vol. i. , " Bishops of Lismore," p.
549-
9* See Dr. Charles Smith's ''Ancient and
Present State of the County and City of Waterford," chap, iii. , p. 28.
9^ See Rev. Alban Butler's " Lives of the P'athers,MartyrsandotherprincipalSaints,' vol. v. , May xiv.
9^ Now belonging to the Duke of Devon- shire—but formerly to the Right Hon. Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork. A view of Lismore Castle and the cathedral as they stood, about the middle of the last century, will be found in Dr. Charles Smith's " An- cient and Present State of the County and City of Waterford, " chap, iii. , at p. 27.
5J The accompanying illustration, from an engraving, furnished by the venerable Pastor, has been drawn on the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and it was engraved, by Mrs. Millard.
'°° The foregoing details have been fur- nished in a letter received from Very Rev. Monsignor Patrick Byrne, P. P. , of Lismore, and dated November 19th, 18S4.
'°' See Miss Mary Frances Clare Cusack's "History of the Kingdom of Kerry," chap, xviii. , p. 400.
"= See ibid.
'°3 In the " Leabhar Breac " copy, we find :
Co]\onA AJU^ tJicco^A CoriAcbei-p cenrtiAcliim
y:o\i oenbich leip )"uc1iAin peiL chAin chAixcliAij TlAclnn.
Thus translated into English by Dr. Whitley
Stokes : —" Corona and Victor with their train, without abatement, on one festival pious, perennial, the fair feast of Carthach of Rathin. "—"Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , p. Ixxix.
'°** See ibid. , p. Ixxxvi.
*5 See III. Kings, xvii. , 16.
^' See Vita ex antique MS. Ilibernico, cap. iv. , num. 48.
*' It is Latinized, '• Vadum Alvei. "
*^ This description proves the writer of our saint's life to have been quite conversant with the locality; as he was able particularly to state, how far the se. i-water, at the full, ascended the Bhickwater River,
" The Rev. David B. Mulcahy had been told by the Rev. Father Power, P. P. , of Toor. nneena, that there was a place opposite AfTanc, on tlie right bank of the Blackwater, still knownbythenameofBothernanaoim,
"the saints' road," commemorating the miracle wrought by St. Carthach, when he divided the Blackwater.
so See Josue iii. , 16.
s' See Vita ex antique MS. Hibernico, cap. iv. , num. 49.
5' See Vita ex duplici MS. Legendario, num. 12.
53 In Latin rendered "atrium magnum. "
5^ The author of St. Carthac's Life then adds : " Egregia jam et sancta civitas Liass- mor, cujus dimidium est asylum, in quo nulla mulier audet intrare : sed plenum est cellis et monasteriis sanctorum, et multitudo viro- rum sanctorum semper ibi manet. Viri enim religiosi ex omni Hibernise parte ; et non solum, sed ex Anglia et Britania con- fluunt ad eam, volentes ibi migrare ad Chris- turn," &c. Cap. iv. , num. 50.
55 This means, that she chose him, as her
ford," cap. iii. , p. 27.
'° See Les Petits Bollandistes' "Vies des
Saints," tome v. , xiv= jourde Mai, p. 519. *' Allusion to its history will be found, at the loth of April, in the Fourth Volume of this work, at Art. v. , treating on St. Mal- chus, or Malachus, Bishop of Lismore, in the
eleventh and twelfth centuries,
^- Ptolemy notices its river, which he calls
Daurona ; and Necham has allusion to it as Avenmore, of which he says
" Urbem Lismor, pertransit flumen Avenmore,
Ardmor cernit ubi concitus aquor adit,
The distich is thus translated :—
<<t>t-. . . i. a 1. 1 By Lismore town, the Avonmore doth
spiritual guardian or director.
5* Lis, in the Irish language, signifies "a
fort. " and Mor, "great. "
57 The Rev. Dr. Lanisran supposes, this
_
_
to have been the hill, neai Lismore, on which
there might have been a Dun or fort in
olden times. See " Ecclesiastical History of —Charles Smith's "Ancient and Present
Ireland," vol. ii. , cap. xiv. , sect. 14, n. 195,
PP- 354. 355-
58 See "General History of Ireland,"
Book ii. , p. 397, Duffy's edition.
59 See Charles Smith's " Ancient and Pre-
sent State of the County and City of Water-
. ? ^J , •. .
^"^^ Ardmore sees it to the ocean
'
State of the County and City of Waterford," f^^aP- "i-' P- 27-
*3 His feast occurs, at the 26th of Sep- tember.
^•t See Vita ex antique MS. Hibernico, cap, iv. , num. 50.
&
—
May 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
of benediction. "51 in one of our saint's Lives, it is said, that this miracle was obtained, through the prayers of St. Carthage, together with those of a St. Cohiian and a St. Mohia. s^ With his monks, our saint came to a small plain, named, as stated, in the Irish language, Maghsgiats—but more correctly should it have been written Maghsciath—and meaning in English, "plain of the buck- ler. " ThenCarthagewasonhisway,towardsaplacegrantedhim,bythechief- tain of Nan Desii. There they encamped. Having blessed this spot, the holy Pontiff, with his companions, marked out a site, on which they intended to build. But, a certain pious woman, named Cornell, who had a cell in that place, asked them, what they designed doing? Mochudda answered : "By the will of God, we prepare a moderate house, to contain our effects. " The virgin replied : " It shall not be small but large. " St. Mochudda returned for answer : " What thou sayest is true, O maid of Christ, because from its name, the place shall always be called Lismore,s3 in Irish. 54 Then the virgin presented herself as a client, with her cell, to St. Mochudda. ss
TheoldnameLismores^ wasDunsginne,57accordingtotheRev. Jeoffrey Keating ;s8 although it is said to have been called, even at a more remote time, Magh Sgiath, " the field of the shield. " However, it has been conjectured, that the present name of this place has been taken from a Danish fortification, known by the name of the Round Hill, standing a little to the east of the town,59 while Dr. Charles Smith, in reference to the former name Dunsginne, remarks, that Dun signifies a fort, situated on an eminence, and Sgein, a flight, which seems to allude to the flight of St. Carthage to this place. He has been
regarded as its first bishop,^° and especially as its chief Patron. The present town of Lismore—formerly a city of considerable note ^'—is situated on the south side of the noble River Blackwater. ^^ As St. Colman Elo ^3 had pre- dicted, the cemetery of St. Mochudda, in Lismore city, designated by the Angels, was that, in which our saint was buried. The author of his Life remarks, that God alone only knew the number of saints buried there after him, and down to the time, at which he wrote. ^* From the settlement of St. Car-
. .
. 1
271
272 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 14.
thage at Lismore, this city is said to have been dignified as a Bishop's See. Soon after his time, a great number of reHgious liouses and schools ^s were estabHshed,andauniversitywastherelocated. ThebestknownoftheMun- ster schools was that of Lismore,^^ said to have been founded in 633. At that time, when the holy confessor had been expelled from Ralian,he brought the holy virgin Flannaid with him ; and, when he came to Lismore, INIoc- hudda sent her to found a cell, on her former property. St. Flannaid built a famous nunnery, at a place called Cluain Dablam. ^7 This was founded, under the patronage and jurisdiction of St. Carthage. ^^ Besides the cathe- dral at Lismore, we are informed, that the holy Abbot here founded an Abbey ^9 for Canons Regular, as also a Hospital for Lepers ,'° but, it is pro- bable, he did not live there a sufficiently long time, to do much more than build cells and a church, for the use of his religious brethren. We are told,^' the cathedral here was originally constructed in the Saxon style p'^ the win- dows were narrow, and terminated with circular arches, each surmounted with a small window of circular shape. These round windows were over the entrance, also, and at the extremities of the transepts.
Notwithstanding the purity of this Abbot's life, yet would lie indulge in the deepest sorrow for his sins. In the poem 73 beginning, " Patrick of the fort of Macha,"''* Cuimine of Condaire states, no one ever lived befbre Mochuda, that had shed half as many penitential tears. A certain Magus, who felt displeased at the arrival of St. Carthage, in this place, came to him. Tempting our saint, he asked, if Carthage were the ser- vant of Christ, so that he should be able, in God's name, to cause a dry branch without bark, and which he bore in his hands, to bring forth fruit. Knowing that he wished to deride the Almighty's power, our saint blessed that dry branch, and caused it to bring forth bark, leaves, flowers, and fruit. When the Magus saw this miracle, he retired. Another day,apoormanindiscreetlyaskedSt. Carthageformilkandbeer. Oursaint, being near a fountain, blessed it. Immediately, it was changed into milk, then into beer, and, afterwards, into wine. He then ordered the man to par- tnkeofalltheseliquids,andtodrinkasmuchashewished. 75 Afterthis,finding his strength failing him, on account of his labours and extreme age, the holy bishop began to feel a great disinclination for interruptions caused by people, who flocked to him from every side. Having taken council with the brethren,
's An ancient college here "had the
honour of educating Alfred, King of Nor- thumberland, at a period when the learning
and culture of Ireland were celebrated over
the length and breadth of the known world,
3nd students from all countries flocked here
for education. "—William F. Wakeman's ii. , p. 336.
"Tourists' Guide to Ireland," Dublin to Cork, p. 342.
** . See "The Irish Ecclesiastical Record," Third . Series, vol. vi. , No. 4, April, 1885. "Ancient Irish Schools," by Rev. Timothy Lee, p. 251.
*' Thus it is written, in the Life of St. Carthach.
** See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Mali xiv. De S. Carthaco seu Mochudda, Episcopo et Abbate Lismoriensi in Iliber- nia. Alia Vita ex antiquo M. S. Ilibernico, cap. iii. , num. 29, p. 383.
^ 'Ihis Abbey ia said to have occupied the present site of Lismore Castle, which rises majestically and at a steep elevation imme-
'"'' This ignorance of the writer, on this subject, may be corrected by the substitution of the words Irish or Irish- Romanesque.
" On the characteristic virtues of Irish Saints.
'^^ Thus is the stanza translated into English :
—
diately over the Blackwater River,
? ° SeeSirJamesWare,"DeScriptoribus
Hibernise," lib. i. , cap. iii. , p. 21.
? ' By Rev. R. H. Ryland, in his " His- lory, Topography and Antiquities of the County and City of Waterford," &c. , sect,
" Mochuda loves the piety
Famous is every story of his stories Before him no one had shed
Half what he shed of tears. "
—Rev. Dr. Kelly's "Calendar of Irish Saints," p. 165.
'5 Sec V'ita ex antiquo MS. Ilibernico, cap. iv. , num. 51.
'"SeeVilaexanliquoMS. Ilibernico, capiv. ,
;
;
May 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
273
and obtained their unanimous consent, he went to a certain secret and safe place. Here,therewasarenownedmonastery,inavalley. Itlayeastwards from his own greater monastery, and yet, not far removed from it. Here, too, with a few attendants, he remained during a year and six months, leading an eremitical life, and being wholly occupied, in the contemplation of holy things.
After some time spent in this place, he was visited by his monks, and by someoftheolderandmoredecrepidbrethren. Tothese,headdressedreligious discourses,fullofinstruction,ondogmasoftheChurch. Hishomiliesalso contained admonitions, suitable for the lives of those, to whom they were directed.
The author of his Life represents Carthage, as a solace to the aged
; as safety, for the infirm ; as a source of consolation, for the sorrowful ; as a
foundation, for those in despair ; as abounding in faith, for those in doubt and, as a firm guide, for those who were young. 7'^ St. Carthage saw, that the holy old men and many of his monks had much trouble in ascending and descending the steeps, leading to that valley, where he dwelt, and when com- ing to visit him. Finding that his end was fast approaching, he called the brothers, and then ordered, that he should be brought to the parent house, so that he might not be an occasion of further trouble to them. But, the merci- ful and omnipotent God had now intended to remove his illustrious servant, from the scene of his labours. The Heavens were suddenly opened. Then, an army of Angels was sent, and it seemed as if these blessed spirits were moving in triumph to welcome him. On seeing the Heavens open, and the Angels advancing towards him, St. Carthage caused himself to be brought into the middle of the valley. Telling the holy seniors what he beheld, he ordered the Body and Blood of our Lord to be brought, and towards a place, where a fountain was afterwards seen. Here, a cross was also erected, and it was called, in future time, " the cross of migration. " Having then given many pious admonitions, and having received the Body and Blood of our Lord, in the Most Holy Sacrament, being surrounded by his holy seniors, and a multitude of brothers, he bade them all farewell. Then, kissing each one in order, with great piety and affection, he ascended with the Angels from earth to
Heaven. 77
The holy Abbot departed this Hfe, on the second of the May Ides 7^—corres-
ponding with the 14th of this month —the date assigned for his feast. We are told, that the Annalist Tighernach has a different day—the fifth of the May Ides -p but, this is not the case in that edition, published by Rev. Dr. 0'Conor. s° His death is placed, so early as 631, in the Bodleian copy of the Annals of Inisfallen;^' but, at 636, by Duald Mac Firbiss, and this is also the year set down, by Sir James Ware,^"" as also in the Annals of Ulster,^3 of Innis- fallen,*4 and of the Four Masters. ^5 Other accounts have a. d. 637,^^ for the dateofhisdemise; whilethus,writeTigernach,^? ArchbishopUssher,^^Bishop
nicarum Scriptores, tomus ii. , p. 13.
®^ See "DeScriptoribus Hibernise,"Iib. i. ,
cap. iii. , p. 21.
*3 See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum
Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus iv. An- nales Ultonienses, p. 47.
^+ In the Dublin Codex. See ibid. , tomus ii-jP-21.
^s See Dr. O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. , cap. iv. , num. 53. Also, Vita ex duplici MS. pp. 254, 255.
num. 52. Also, Vita ex dupliciMS. Legen- dario, num. 13.
77 The fuller narrative of St. Carthach's Acts concludes with words, which seem to close a lecture or homily ; referring to Christ our Lord, it runs, " cui est honor, gloria, et potestas, cum Deo Patre in unitate Spriritus Sancti,inseculaseculorum. Amen. "
Legendario.
79 See Sir James Ware, "DeScriptoribus
Hibernise," lib. i. , cap. iii. , p. 21.
^° See "Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores,"
tomus ii. , Tigernachi Annales, p. 193.
*' See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hiber-
7* See Vita ex antiquo MS. Hibernico,
^ See the Rev. Dr. Lanigan's " Ecclesi- astical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap. xiv. , sect, xiv. , n. 201, pp. 355, 356.
^7 See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's "Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus ii. Tiger- nachi Annales, p. 193.
S
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274
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 14.
Challenor,89 Rev. Alban Butler,9° Dr. George Petrie,? ' Edwin Third Earl of Dunraven,9' Les Petits Bollandistes,93 and Rev. S. Ijaring-Gould. 94 How- ever, in Harris' Ware,^^ he enters also the date a. d. 638, for the departure of St. Carthage. This holy Patron was buried at Lismore ; and, it lias been said, within his own cathedral there. ? ^ In a particular part of this cily was an asylum, into which no woman was allowed to enter ;97 although, the reason for this cus- tom is not related. The day for the festival of its Patron, in that Diocese, is yet celebrated as a Double of the first-class, with an octave. Lismore is still a large
town; but, its once flourishing trade and manufactures, as nearly alike in all our Irish towns, are greatly diminishing ; while, only the castle,? ^ and some tolera- bly good houses, indicate the former importance of that ancient city. Of late
Catholic Church of St. Carthage, Lismore.
years, a very beauti- ful Catholic Church has been erected in Lismore, and it has been dedicated to the Patron, St. Cartilage. This noble monument to his memory, originated by the zeal and piety of Very Rev. Monsig-
nor Patk. Byrne, is of fine architectural proportions and harmony, built in the Italian style. 99 The following are its measurements : Total length of church, 145 feet; width across tran- septs, 84 feet;
width between aisle walls, 55 feet; width of nave, 28 feet ; height of nave, 57 feet; height of tower, 113 feet. '°° In his native district of Kerry, as it would seem, our saint had been also
commemorated. At Castlemaine, there is an old abbey, and in its graveyard there is a hollowed stone, called Cloch-Mochaeda, or the stone of St. Carthage
** Sec " Britaiinicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitatcs," Index Chronologicus, A. n. , Dcxxxvn. , p. 538.
^ See " Brilannia Sancla,'' iiart i. , p. 288.
9° See '• Lives of ihe Fatliers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol. v. , May xiv.
9' See "Ecclesiastical Architecture and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. , sect, iii. , subs, i. , p. 342.
'^- Sec Notes on Irish Architecture,' edited by Miss Margaret Stokes, vol. ii. , p. 67.
'^ See "Vies des Saints," tome v. , xive jour de Mai, p. 519.
»< See " Lives of the Saints," vol. v. . May
——
May 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
Mochaeda. '°' HeisthepatronofCastlemaiue,andalsoofKiltallagh,where he was born. '"^ The feast of St. Carthach is commemorated, in the "FeiHre"'^^ ofSt. ^ngus, at the 14th of May. The commentator, has some observa- tions/°'» on this entry, " Mochuda Liss Moir. vel Finall nomen fratris ejus. "'°5 At the 14th of May, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,'°^ his name is set down as Carthaigh, /. ^. , Mochutta Lis-moir. It is also entered, in the Franciscan copy. '°7 On the 14th of May,'°^ the Kalendar of Drummond inserts '°9 the Natalis of St. Carthach, Bishop and Confessor, in Ireland, with an encomium on his virtues. This day, the Martyrology of Donegal "° enters the name of Mochuda, Bishop, of Lis-mor ; and, as it notes, he was also abbot of Raithin, at first. Under the head of Lis-mor, Duald Mac Firbis enters, Mochuda, bishop, quievit 636, May 14th. '" St. Carthagh'r, feast likewise occurs, in the Circle of the Seasons,"' at this same date.
In former times, as we frequently find it in their context, during the recital of Matins at the ecclesiastical ofiice, in monastic refectories, or for pious instruc- tion, the Chronicles or Lives of our Saints had been read. Hence, they were denominated Legenda, which may be Anglicized into Readings or Legends. These prelections often terminated, with an intimation, that everything men- tioned therein—and especially that referring to supernatural accounts—when the Church had not duly investigated and approved such narratives, must rest solely on the writer's credibility, and on the grounds as ascertained for his information. But, they are far from acquiring our unqualified assent, in all
xiv. , pp. 637.
5^ See vol. i. , " Bishops of Lismore," p.
549-
9* See Dr. Charles Smith's ''Ancient and
Present State of the County and City of Waterford," chap, iii. , p. 28.
9^ See Rev. Alban Butler's " Lives of the P'athers,MartyrsandotherprincipalSaints,' vol. v. , May xiv.
9^ Now belonging to the Duke of Devon- shire—but formerly to the Right Hon. Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork. A view of Lismore Castle and the cathedral as they stood, about the middle of the last century, will be found in Dr. Charles Smith's " An- cient and Present State of the County and City of Waterford, " chap, iii. , at p. 27.
5J The accompanying illustration, from an engraving, furnished by the venerable Pastor, has been drawn on the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and it was engraved, by Mrs. Millard.
'°° The foregoing details have been fur- nished in a letter received from Very Rev. Monsignor Patrick Byrne, P. P. , of Lismore, and dated November 19th, 18S4.
'°' See Miss Mary Frances Clare Cusack's "History of the Kingdom of Kerry," chap, xviii. , p. 400.
"= See ibid.
'°3 In the " Leabhar Breac " copy, we find :
Co]\onA AJU^ tJicco^A CoriAcbei-p cenrtiAcliim
y:o\i oenbich leip )"uc1iAin peiL chAin chAixcliAij TlAclnn.
Thus translated into English by Dr. Whitley
Stokes : —" Corona and Victor with their train, without abatement, on one festival pious, perennial, the fair feast of Carthach of Rathin. "—"Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , p. Ixxix.
'°** See ibid. , p. Ixxxvi.
