Tassach's
missionary
career.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
Ap-
" See
Colgan's
pendix. cap. i. , p 598.
" Edited by Urs. Todd and Reeves, pp. p. xxi. 'i he Franciscan copy reads mac
100,101. Capch<MT\ lochA mic nina. " It is thus : mocAmog Innp CA6in. —
•
"
138 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 13.
the Martyrology of Donegal,* as having had veneration paid to them, on this day. They are also said to have been of Loch-mac-Nein : but, whether their place of retirement was on an Island, situated in the lake itself, or whether it was to be found on the shores which border it, we have now apparently no clueleftus,whichcouldservetodiscoverthatparticularsite. Intheyear1499, the Annals of the Four Masters' state, that Con Carragh and John O'Roorke took Melaghlin Mac Rannall, a prisoner, and they conveyed him to Inis- Ochta,*anIslandonLoughMacNen. ButRoryMaguirerescuedthepri- soner, and slew these two sons of O'Roorke. It seems hurtful to generous and refined feeling, that deeds of violence should be associated with so charmingalocality; and,evenmoreso,whenitisknown,thatholymenhad
Lough Mac Nean.
once sanctified those places which are historic, by their living presence, although we can only learn of them and their associations with the scene,
through the patronymic above recorded.
' " This is Anglicised,
tothewood. The is transferred engraving
by Mrs. Millard.
5 This is a village, situated on the neck of
land, which separates Upper fiom Lower Lough Macne. in, ami on the east bank of
waters of the Upper Lake to the Lower. 3 Here, in former times, the people say two Here is the cek-brated Well, called Davugh eagles used to build their nests, and Mr. Phadric. See " Parliamentary Gazetteer of
Fairy," or "Spirit. " The people have a tradition, that this island contains a subter-
stopped.
Wakeman, who relates, it adds :
"
Is it not
Ireland," vol. i. , p. 232.
' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
ICO, Id.
' See O'Donovan's Edition, vol. iv. , pp.
1250, 1251.
* See ibid. , nn. (m, n), p. 1250. This, we
are told, means the Lland of the Breast. The name had been preserved, even to the
possible, or very probable, that from this cir- cumstance the Loch derives its name ? Loch-
mac-nean is the Loch-da-en, ' Lake of the two birds,' of the old Irish wiiters. " Letter
dated B'. nniskillen,
April
13th, 1882.
<Theacconipanyingilhi>traiion was drawn on the spot, by William F. Wakeman, and
the Island of the
raneous vault, within which a figure in the
shape of a woman is perpetually sitting on a
stone, but the mouth of the cave is now the stream, which conveys the superfluent
April 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 139
Article VT. —Festival of the Deacon Paul, and of his Companions, Martyrs. The Feilire of St. ^ngus ' commemorates the Feast of the holy Deacon Paul, and of his companions, at the 13th day of April. The Kalen- dar of Drummond also celebrates the memory of these Martyrs, at the same date. ' The Martyrology of Tallagh 3 has a similar commemoration, on this dayJ although,astheBollandists»remark,withconfusionandinaccuracyof description. In various copies of the ancient Martyrology, ascribed to St. Jerome, this company of Martyrs are to be found, in the second place. Various readings of the names are to be met with, as also changes of names and additions, in different old Calendars. The age when they flourished, and the place where they suffered martyrdom, are alike imknown.
jfourUentf) 3Bap of ^pri'l.
ARTICLE 1. —ST. TASSACH, BISHOP OF RAHOLP, COUNTY OF DOWN.
[FIFTH CENTURY. ]
FROM
his peculiar connexion with the great Irish Apostle, St. Patrick, the fills a our earliest
present holy personage deservedly niche, among
Christian celebrities. The name of Tassach, Bishop, occurs, in the Martyro- logy of Tallagh,' at this date. While the Bollandists enter his name, S. Tassagus, from the same authority, they state," that nothing had come under their reading regarding him, or the other Irish Saints it notices, on the 14th
of April. Our national hagiologist. Father John Colgan, appears to have pre- pared some acts of this saint, for publication, at this day ;3 and, he promised
"
last century, as would appear from a short
manuscriptdescriptionofFermanagh,inpes-
session of the late George Petrie, Esq. ,
V. P. , R. I. A. It stated, that King Aedh ad astraconscendit. "—Bisliop Forbes' " Ka-
had a residence on it. It was called, pro- bably, from that circumstance, Inis Aodha,
Anglice, Inishce, i. e. Hugh's Island. See, Ortlnance Survey Townland M. ips for the
lendars of Scottish Saints," p. lo.
^ In the Franciscan copy, we find the en-
try pauli Oiaconi.
* See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Ap-
rilis Xii. De Sanctis Martyribus Januario, Pavlo, Carvio, Arobo, Bassa, Carita, et Agathonia, item Decimo, Calepodio et Leonitide, p. 129.
Aki ICLE I. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxi. The Franciscan copy has sti
CAiyAp. "See"ActaSanctorum,"tomusii. , Ap-
rilis xiv. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 200.
of — Sheet County Fermanagh, 25.
111 the " Leabhar Breac "
Con<ipiMnn*lu45 fonA <Jp5obeil cecVigenA
jejvuc CiMi-c cdinT)eoch<MH poL oeochaiTi ooniNema.
" With his chief host, happy for the biting of every mouth, well went Christ's champion:
Ar
copy, at this date, we read the following, in the original Irish, and it is translated by Whitley Stokes :—
1
iCLE VI.
'
may deacon Paul shelter us !
'" It says:
eodera die Paulus quoque
sanctus Diaconus cum turba magna martyrum
3 See " rum. "
Actuum Sanctorum quae MS. habentur, ordine Mensium et Die-
Catalogiis
140 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 14.
a further dissertation, regarding the present holy man, at the 14th of April. * In one passage of the Tripartite Life, our Saint's name seems to have been rather erroneously written Tassa. 5 The name of this holy bishop is to be found, likewise, in Fitzsimon's Catalogue of our national Saints. *
It may be reasonably conjectured, that St. Tassach was born some time,
in the earlier part of the fifth century ; but where or when, we are not able
to ascertain. 7 His parents were pagans, we may presume, and it seems not
unlikely they were connected with the northern parts of Ulster, which are
associated, likewise, with the ministry of this holy bishop. Being classed, as
a disciple of St. Patrick, St. Tassach was baptized, most probably, among
the earliest converts made, when that part ofUltonia, where the Irish Apostle
first landed, had been visited. Either he was brought up to some skilled
workmanship in metals, or he had a natural taste for mechanics and art, in
such a direction. But, we are at a loss to discover, when the Irish Apostle
formed the acquaintance of Tassach, and learned to appreciate his sincere
piety and artistic ingenuity.
That neighbourhood, where St. Patrick first landed in Ireland, at the
River Slainge, or Slany, in Lecale barony, and county of Down, was girdled round, in after times, by a number of churches. Few of these were more than a mile or two distant, from that spot. Indeed, it is suspected, that the celebrated wells of St. Patrick, at Struell, and which are traditionally reported to have been blessed by the Irish Apostle,* may have been identical with the ancient Slan, or Slainge, now Slany. These waters are not a mile from Saul, and they flow through a little secluded valley. They run between the peaked mountains of Struell and Slieve-na-grideal. There, some ruins of a church, dedicated to the saint, are extant. Thither a large concourse of pilgrims assembled yearly, and they are even yet accustomed to resort that place on St. John's Eve. i* It is near an almost perpendicular elevation, called Struell Mountain, producing a little mixture of grass and shamrock, with a few haw- thorns, and an abundant crop of furze. '" In the immediate vicinity of Saul Church, although in opposite directions, there are two other wells. These are famousforcuringeyediseases. Oneofthese,filledwithclearandsparkling water of excellent taste, is called the Mear-an Well," and in a stone near it is a hollow, said to have been the impression made by St. Patrick's knee ; whiletheotherisknownasTober-naSuil. " Weareinformed,byonewell
in the Struel wells, are now
by directions received from the local clergy, One of the Struel wells has a stone roof over it, and this is said to have been erected by a
rich " The rather lady, long, long ago. "
modern looking walls of a deserted chapel are seen ne. ir the wells.
'"Wefindan and exaggerated, prejudiced
slatement, purporting in a great measure to have been drawn from an article, in the " Belfast Magazine," and which refers to tlie Struell wells, with the pilgrimages and prac- tices of people frequenting them in Mid- summer. This account appears in Philip Dixon Hardy's "Northern Tourist," &c. , pp. 84 to 92.
" It is covered with flags, and walled
* See " Trias
S. Patricii, nn. , 27 dd. , and 19, p. 6,
^ See Hid. , Septima Vita S. Patricii, lih. iii. , cap. xcviii. , p. 167, and nn. 132, 133,
Thaumaturga.
ing
discontinued,
where p. 188.
'In Miss CusacU's "Life of St. P;itrick,
Apostle of Ireland," chap, vi. , n. 8, p. 250, it is said, he was born at R. iholp, in tiie county of Down ; but no authority for this statement is cited.
*
134,
Colgan
has some
comments,
at
'" See
Csitalogus aliquorum Sanctorum Ibemise. " HeistherecalledThassacus.
It is said, he made stations there, and on
Struel Mountain side, a rude mass of rock
is shown, which is called St. Patrick's chair.
On this steep and rocky site, various sta-
tions are resorted to by the people, and round. these were usually ended, at the chair. Annually, the Catholics flock here, Irom a
great distance.
' Many of the old practices, such as wash-
" See " An Inquiry into the true landing place of St. Patrick in Ulster," by J. W. Hanna, pp. II, 12, printed at Dowupatrick, June, 1858.
" Prima Vita
April 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 141
acquainted with the locality, that Knockengarre, now Walchstown,»3 was near Raholp ; as also Balibren,'* the site of which is still shown, at the Church Hill,'5 in Ballintougher. '* But greater than all of these was the Church of Saul. '' As we have seen, already, it was the first founded by St. Patrick, in Ireland. There, too, he spent some of his first and last days, as a Christian minister.
It seems probable, that St. Tassach had been prepared for the priesthood,
by St. Patrick himself; but, by whom he was ordained, we do not discover.
Again, Tassach had the gift of prophecy, for the Apostle of Ireland, he had
predicted, should receive the Holy Viaticum, at his hands. "' We are informed,
that St. Tassach was appointed as bishop over the Church, at Raholp ; but, ourearlyannalsdonotrecordanysuccessorsinthisSee. '' Thetownlandlies,
in the west angle of Ballyculter Parish. "" In a sub-denomination, called Banagher, or Benagh," about 100 yards to the right of that road, leading
from Downpatrick to Ballyculter, are the ruins, called Churchmoyley. " Tra- dition ascribes the foundation of the Church of St. Patrick,'^ to whom the present saint was artificer, and bishop, as stated in an old gloss, to the Martyroiogy of St. . ^Engus. "'* Here, St. Tassach most probably lived, and in close relationship, with his venerated Master, especially during the declining period of St. Patrick's life. The church ruins '5 and cemetery there occupy abouthalfaroodofground. '* Fromitselevationabovethesurrounding field, the latter appears to have been formerly a rath.
We are furnished with very few details, which might enable us to form a proper estimate of St.
Tassach's missionary career. He was one of Patrick's most favourite companions, and an artificer, who manufactured for him croziers, crosses, shrines, and bells, according to received accounts. "' Even, by St. Fiach, we are told, that Tassach was a worker in metals, for St. Patrick ; and, it is stated, that he first covered the staff of Jesus, with elegant work- manship, in his art. "* One of the most remarkable events of his life is the recorded fact, that he was the Tassach, who gave the body of Christ to St Patrick,"' and at the request of the Apostle, in the monastery of Sabhall, or
'3 It is noted, in the parish of Saul, and
"
barony of Lower Lecale, on the
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Down," Sheet 31.
** The name does not appear, on the Ord-
nance Maps.
'S This, too, is a local denomination.
" See <*»</.
'' The cemetery is still greatly resorted to,
forintermentsofthedeceasedCatholics. It hasaverycommandingsite, andabeautiful valley extends beneath it, to a range of hills, bordering on Strangford Lough.
'' See what is stated, by St. Fiach, in
'^ See Rev. William Reeves' " Ecclesias-
tical Antiquities of i>own, Connor and Dro-
more," p. 39, n. (h).
"*
At the 14th of April, ibid. Appendix A, p. 142, and Calendar LL, p. 377.
°5 These are 33 feet, 4 inches long, by 21 feet, 4 inches, wide. The east and west walls are about 12 feet, in height ; but, the south wall no longer stands. These wails are built with yellow clay. The eastern window is 4 feet, 6 inches, high, and 10 inches wide, on the outside ; it is splayed inwardly, to the width of 3 feet, 2 inches ; and, it ends, not in an arch, but in a large flag.
ruin there was formerly a wel—l, which was
probably the holy well. " Rev. James O'Laverty's "Historical Account of the Diocese ofDownand Connor,"vol. i. , p. 220.
^ See the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, ]ib. |iii. , cap. xcviii. , and c, p. 167, in Colgan's
" Trias Prima Vita Thamaturga,"
" " In the field to the north-east of the
Colgan's
S. Patricii, stanza 27, p. 3.
'' See a very interesting notice of it, in Rev. James O'Laverty's "Historical Ac- count of the Diocese of Down and Connor, AncientandModem,"vol. i. . pp. 221,222.
"" This lies, within the barony of Lower "
Lecale, and it is described, on the Ord- edition.
nance Survey Townland Maps for the
County of Down," Sheets, 31, 32, 38, 39. " Tiiese denominations do not appear, on
the Ordnance Survey Maps.
" The denomination does not appear, on
the Ordnance Survey Maps.
"* "
See Trias Thaumaturga," Prima Vita
S. Patricii, stanza 27, p. 3, and n. 27 dd. p. 6.
"» Seethe account, as already given, in vol. iii. of this work, and in our Life of St. Patrick, chap. xxvi.
Ordnance
142 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 14.
Saul, as the Life of Patrick states. 3° Besides, various Acts of our Apostle
allude to him, as having administered the Holy Communion to St. Patrick,3'
when be had been admonished by the Angel of his approaching end, and dur-
ing the holy man's last ilhiess. 3' At Kill-Chlopta,33 near Down, his Natalis was
celebrated Out, we have no account of when he died, only that we may ;
safely infer, St. Tassach survived his illustrious master, in the government of
his particular See. 3* From an early date, this holy Bishop seems to have been venerated in the Irish Church ; and, we find him commemorated . by St. . ^ngus, in his Feilire, at the 14th of April. At the same date, he is noticed, in the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman. 35 Likewise, on this day, we find mentioned in the Martyrology of Donegal,36 the name of Tassach, Bishop, of Rath Colptha, or Raholp, in Ulster, i. e. , in Leth-Cathail, now known as Lecale. Under the local heading, Duald Mac Firbis enters. Bishop
—
munion to Patrick, before his death ;37 at April the 4th is the date for his feast.
Tassach—in Rath-Colpa—
Patrick's artist
it was he that the com- gave
In Scotland, St. Tassagh was commemorated, likewise, on this day, as we find it, in the Kalendar of Drummond. 3* This commemoration was due, doubt- less, to the circumstance of his close'connection during life with St. Patrick, whose glorious and holy departure he helped to sooth and lighten, by the body and blood of our Divine Lord.
Article II. —St. Cillen, or Killian, Son of Lubnen, or Lubney, SAID TO HAVE BEEN Abbot OF BiRR, King's County. [Seveiilh Ce/ltUfJ. ] It seems probable, that the present holy man was born, early in the seventh century, but where, we cannot ascertain. In the Martyrology of Tallagh,' the name of Cillin mac Lubnain occurs, at the 14th of April. Colgan notes his feast, for the same date, calling him St. Killian, son of Lubney. " The proper names, Cillin, Cillen,3 Cillean, Cellin, Cellen, bearing the same origin andsignification,areoftenconfoundedwitheachother; onaccountofverbal affinity, likewise, they have been classed with the names, Coelan, Coelin,*
3° See the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, lib. iii. , cap. ciii. , p. i68, of Colgan's edi-
"
tion, in the "Trias Thaumaturga.
3" The Third Life of St. Patrick has it
"sicut illi Victor Angelus dixit," &c. , cap.
Ixxxix. , p. 28. See Colgan's "Trias Thau-
quote—when making this entry.
3' See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish
Academy," Irish MSS. series, vol. i. . Part
i. , pp. 124, 125.
3" Thus at xviii. Kl. Mali. , "Apud Hiber-
niam Sanctus episcopus et confessor Tassach hoc die ad Christum migravit. "—Bishop
maturga. "
3= See Hid. Joceline's or Sexta Vita S. Forbes'
Patricii, cap. cxc, p. 107. Also, Septima p. 10.
"
Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
VitaS. Patricii, lib. i. , cap. Ixxi. , p. 128. 33 This is only another name for Raholp.
Article ii.
—• Dr. Edited by Rev
3*
" Leabhar Breac " we have In the copy,
:
Kelly, p. xxi. The Franciscan copy has
Ciltiiie rtlAC tubriAi.
: the English translation after- original —
'
See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," xiv.
the
wards follows
Februarii. Vita S. KiUani et
Sociorum,
n.
Oobepc OT3ori«nic
Coi\p CjMfc iiifi 5 PY^^'^® lAcomAvnn 00 pAcpAic.
" The royal bishop Tassach gave, when he came, (the) body of Christ the truly strong
with communion, to Patrick. "
35 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Prima Vita S. Patricii, n. 19, p. 6.
3* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, p. 103. In a note, Dr. Todd states, that the O'Clerys most probably intended to insert
3'P-33l-
3 The words Cillin and Cillen, are dimi-
nutives, deduced from Cill, or Cell. Hence,
in Latin, they are interpreted by the expres- sion, Cellanus.
* The words, Coelan, Coelen, and Coelin, are derived from the monosyllables, Coel, or Cail, or, according to modern scholars, Caol, which will signify slender, or attenuated. As there is no letter K in the Irish language, its place is supplied by the consonant C, whicli, before and after slender vowels, receives tlie same pronunciation, as in other languages should be accorded to the former
king,
the quatrain of St. Fiach—whom they letter.
April 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. »43
andCoelen,which,however,haveadifferentderivation. Theforegoingnames
are variously applied to our Irish Saints. ^ The aforesaid names, when
Latinized, are variously expressed, by these words, Cillinus, Killinus, Cel- lenus, Kellenus, Kilianus, Kilienus, Cliilianus, and Chilienus ; as also, by Coelanus, Caolanus, Coelinus, Coelenus, and Caelanus. * The Bollandists,' who quote the Martyrology of Tallagh, as their authority, have Killinus filius Lubriaani,' for this day. By the local writer, likewise, are we told, that St. Kiilian, Abbot of Birr, and successor to St. Brendan, or Brenainn,' was com-
'° Various derivations have been According to Dr. O'Donovan, it was thus called, from the site having been a callow," or field, occasionally overflowed by a river. The local historian " was informed,'3 that Birr took its name, from the Irish word Bior, which is said to have meant, " a spring well," or " the brink of a
on the of memorated, 14th
April.
sought
for Biorra, or Birr.
St. Brendan's Catholic Chareb, in the Town of Birr, King's County.
river ;" and, as the ancient town was situate upon the river, it might from that circumstance have been denominated Birr. '* Another conjecture is, that it came from Bir, " a spit,"'' in consequence of the river there taking its de- nomination,fromacrookedweir,whichmighthaveresembledaspit. '* For.
» See Sexta Vita 5.
"Trias
Thaumaturga. " 3, p. 597.
that Part Town," &c. ,
Colgan's Brigidac,
i. , pp. i6, 17. n^at.
n.
' In these words, also, ot, at, and ac, are
" In Irish called
'' By an noble member of the Royal Irish
diphthongs.
' See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Ap-
" Cooke, who wrote the History of Par- sonstown.
rilis xir. Among the pretermitted saints, Academy.
p. 200.
'
This is evidently a misprint.
* His feast occurs, at the 2Qth of Novem-
" It is remarked, that Birr, in Hebrew, means "a well. "
'5 See Cooke's " Picture of Parsonstown,"
ber.
•" "i. ,p.
Sea The Picture of
the King's County, containing the History of
on the — re- foregoing
:
Parsonftown,
commenting
marks, Mr. O'Donovan observes
Part in In
16.
"All
thit
144 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 14.
merly, the place had great historic importance, and from the time St. Bren- dan '7 had there founded his monastery, in the sixth century. '* Upon the
grant of Birr town and the surrounding lands to the family of Parsons,'? the name had been changed by many to Parsonstown; however, the inhabitants of this place and neighbourhood prefer to call it, by the old historic denomi- nation.
" See
Colgan's
pendix. cap. i. , p 598.
" Edited by Urs. Todd and Reeves, pp. p. xxi. 'i he Franciscan copy reads mac
100,101. Capch<MT\ lochA mic nina. " It is thus : mocAmog Innp CA6in. —
•
"
138 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 13.
the Martyrology of Donegal,* as having had veneration paid to them, on this day. They are also said to have been of Loch-mac-Nein : but, whether their place of retirement was on an Island, situated in the lake itself, or whether it was to be found on the shores which border it, we have now apparently no clueleftus,whichcouldservetodiscoverthatparticularsite. Intheyear1499, the Annals of the Four Masters' state, that Con Carragh and John O'Roorke took Melaghlin Mac Rannall, a prisoner, and they conveyed him to Inis- Ochta,*anIslandonLoughMacNen. ButRoryMaguirerescuedthepri- soner, and slew these two sons of O'Roorke. It seems hurtful to generous and refined feeling, that deeds of violence should be associated with so charmingalocality; and,evenmoreso,whenitisknown,thatholymenhad
Lough Mac Nean.
once sanctified those places which are historic, by their living presence, although we can only learn of them and their associations with the scene,
through the patronymic above recorded.
' " This is Anglicised,
tothewood. The is transferred engraving
by Mrs. Millard.
5 This is a village, situated on the neck of
land, which separates Upper fiom Lower Lough Macne. in, ami on the east bank of
waters of the Upper Lake to the Lower. 3 Here, in former times, the people say two Here is the cek-brated Well, called Davugh eagles used to build their nests, and Mr. Phadric. See " Parliamentary Gazetteer of
Fairy," or "Spirit. " The people have a tradition, that this island contains a subter-
stopped.
Wakeman, who relates, it adds :
"
Is it not
Ireland," vol. i. , p. 232.
' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
ICO, Id.
' See O'Donovan's Edition, vol. iv. , pp.
1250, 1251.
* See ibid. , nn. (m, n), p. 1250. This, we
are told, means the Lland of the Breast. The name had been preserved, even to the
possible, or very probable, that from this cir- cumstance the Loch derives its name ? Loch-
mac-nean is the Loch-da-en, ' Lake of the two birds,' of the old Irish wiiters. " Letter
dated B'. nniskillen,
April
13th, 1882.
<Theacconipanyingilhi>traiion was drawn on the spot, by William F. Wakeman, and
the Island of the
raneous vault, within which a figure in the
shape of a woman is perpetually sitting on a
stone, but the mouth of the cave is now the stream, which conveys the superfluent
April 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 139
Article VT. —Festival of the Deacon Paul, and of his Companions, Martyrs. The Feilire of St. ^ngus ' commemorates the Feast of the holy Deacon Paul, and of his companions, at the 13th day of April. The Kalen- dar of Drummond also celebrates the memory of these Martyrs, at the same date. ' The Martyrology of Tallagh 3 has a similar commemoration, on this dayJ although,astheBollandists»remark,withconfusionandinaccuracyof description. In various copies of the ancient Martyrology, ascribed to St. Jerome, this company of Martyrs are to be found, in the second place. Various readings of the names are to be met with, as also changes of names and additions, in different old Calendars. The age when they flourished, and the place where they suffered martyrdom, are alike imknown.
jfourUentf) 3Bap of ^pri'l.
ARTICLE 1. —ST. TASSACH, BISHOP OF RAHOLP, COUNTY OF DOWN.
[FIFTH CENTURY. ]
FROM
his peculiar connexion with the great Irish Apostle, St. Patrick, the fills a our earliest
present holy personage deservedly niche, among
Christian celebrities. The name of Tassach, Bishop, occurs, in the Martyro- logy of Tallagh,' at this date. While the Bollandists enter his name, S. Tassagus, from the same authority, they state," that nothing had come under their reading regarding him, or the other Irish Saints it notices, on the 14th
of April. Our national hagiologist. Father John Colgan, appears to have pre- pared some acts of this saint, for publication, at this day ;3 and, he promised
"
last century, as would appear from a short
manuscriptdescriptionofFermanagh,inpes-
session of the late George Petrie, Esq. ,
V. P. , R. I. A. It stated, that King Aedh ad astraconscendit. "—Bisliop Forbes' " Ka-
had a residence on it. It was called, pro- bably, from that circumstance, Inis Aodha,
Anglice, Inishce, i. e. Hugh's Island. See, Ortlnance Survey Townland M. ips for the
lendars of Scottish Saints," p. lo.
^ In the Franciscan copy, we find the en-
try pauli Oiaconi.
* See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Ap-
rilis Xii. De Sanctis Martyribus Januario, Pavlo, Carvio, Arobo, Bassa, Carita, et Agathonia, item Decimo, Calepodio et Leonitide, p. 129.
Aki ICLE I. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxi. The Franciscan copy has sti
CAiyAp. "See"ActaSanctorum,"tomusii. , Ap-
rilis xiv. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 200.
of — Sheet County Fermanagh, 25.
111 the " Leabhar Breac "
Con<ipiMnn*lu45 fonA <Jp5obeil cecVigenA
jejvuc CiMi-c cdinT)eoch<MH poL oeochaiTi ooniNema.
" With his chief host, happy for the biting of every mouth, well went Christ's champion:
Ar
copy, at this date, we read the following, in the original Irish, and it is translated by Whitley Stokes :—
1
iCLE VI.
'
may deacon Paul shelter us !
'" It says:
eodera die Paulus quoque
sanctus Diaconus cum turba magna martyrum
3 See " rum. "
Actuum Sanctorum quae MS. habentur, ordine Mensium et Die-
Catalogiis
140 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 14.
a further dissertation, regarding the present holy man, at the 14th of April. * In one passage of the Tripartite Life, our Saint's name seems to have been rather erroneously written Tassa. 5 The name of this holy bishop is to be found, likewise, in Fitzsimon's Catalogue of our national Saints. *
It may be reasonably conjectured, that St. Tassach was born some time,
in the earlier part of the fifth century ; but where or when, we are not able
to ascertain. 7 His parents were pagans, we may presume, and it seems not
unlikely they were connected with the northern parts of Ulster, which are
associated, likewise, with the ministry of this holy bishop. Being classed, as
a disciple of St. Patrick, St. Tassach was baptized, most probably, among
the earliest converts made, when that part ofUltonia, where the Irish Apostle
first landed, had been visited. Either he was brought up to some skilled
workmanship in metals, or he had a natural taste for mechanics and art, in
such a direction. But, we are at a loss to discover, when the Irish Apostle
formed the acquaintance of Tassach, and learned to appreciate his sincere
piety and artistic ingenuity.
That neighbourhood, where St. Patrick first landed in Ireland, at the
River Slainge, or Slany, in Lecale barony, and county of Down, was girdled round, in after times, by a number of churches. Few of these were more than a mile or two distant, from that spot. Indeed, it is suspected, that the celebrated wells of St. Patrick, at Struell, and which are traditionally reported to have been blessed by the Irish Apostle,* may have been identical with the ancient Slan, or Slainge, now Slany. These waters are not a mile from Saul, and they flow through a little secluded valley. They run between the peaked mountains of Struell and Slieve-na-grideal. There, some ruins of a church, dedicated to the saint, are extant. Thither a large concourse of pilgrims assembled yearly, and they are even yet accustomed to resort that place on St. John's Eve. i* It is near an almost perpendicular elevation, called Struell Mountain, producing a little mixture of grass and shamrock, with a few haw- thorns, and an abundant crop of furze. '" In the immediate vicinity of Saul Church, although in opposite directions, there are two other wells. These are famousforcuringeyediseases. Oneofthese,filledwithclearandsparkling water of excellent taste, is called the Mear-an Well," and in a stone near it is a hollow, said to have been the impression made by St. Patrick's knee ; whiletheotherisknownasTober-naSuil. " Weareinformed,byonewell
in the Struel wells, are now
by directions received from the local clergy, One of the Struel wells has a stone roof over it, and this is said to have been erected by a
rich " The rather lady, long, long ago. "
modern looking walls of a deserted chapel are seen ne. ir the wells.
'"Wefindan and exaggerated, prejudiced
slatement, purporting in a great measure to have been drawn from an article, in the " Belfast Magazine," and which refers to tlie Struell wells, with the pilgrimages and prac- tices of people frequenting them in Mid- summer. This account appears in Philip Dixon Hardy's "Northern Tourist," &c. , pp. 84 to 92.
" It is covered with flags, and walled
* See " Trias
S. Patricii, nn. , 27 dd. , and 19, p. 6,
^ See Hid. , Septima Vita S. Patricii, lih. iii. , cap. xcviii. , p. 167, and nn. 132, 133,
Thaumaturga.
ing
discontinued,
where p. 188.
'In Miss CusacU's "Life of St. P;itrick,
Apostle of Ireland," chap, vi. , n. 8, p. 250, it is said, he was born at R. iholp, in tiie county of Down ; but no authority for this statement is cited.
*
134,
Colgan
has some
comments,
at
'" See
Csitalogus aliquorum Sanctorum Ibemise. " HeistherecalledThassacus.
It is said, he made stations there, and on
Struel Mountain side, a rude mass of rock
is shown, which is called St. Patrick's chair.
On this steep and rocky site, various sta-
tions are resorted to by the people, and round. these were usually ended, at the chair. Annually, the Catholics flock here, Irom a
great distance.
' Many of the old practices, such as wash-
" See " An Inquiry into the true landing place of St. Patrick in Ulster," by J. W. Hanna, pp. II, 12, printed at Dowupatrick, June, 1858.
" Prima Vita
April 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 141
acquainted with the locality, that Knockengarre, now Walchstown,»3 was near Raholp ; as also Balibren,'* the site of which is still shown, at the Church Hill,'5 in Ballintougher. '* But greater than all of these was the Church of Saul. '' As we have seen, already, it was the first founded by St. Patrick, in Ireland. There, too, he spent some of his first and last days, as a Christian minister.
It seems probable, that St. Tassach had been prepared for the priesthood,
by St. Patrick himself; but, by whom he was ordained, we do not discover.
Again, Tassach had the gift of prophecy, for the Apostle of Ireland, he had
predicted, should receive the Holy Viaticum, at his hands. "' We are informed,
that St. Tassach was appointed as bishop over the Church, at Raholp ; but, ourearlyannalsdonotrecordanysuccessorsinthisSee. '' Thetownlandlies,
in the west angle of Ballyculter Parish. "" In a sub-denomination, called Banagher, or Benagh," about 100 yards to the right of that road, leading
from Downpatrick to Ballyculter, are the ruins, called Churchmoyley. " Tra- dition ascribes the foundation of the Church of St. Patrick,'^ to whom the present saint was artificer, and bishop, as stated in an old gloss, to the Martyroiogy of St. . ^Engus. "'* Here, St. Tassach most probably lived, and in close relationship, with his venerated Master, especially during the declining period of St. Patrick's life. The church ruins '5 and cemetery there occupy abouthalfaroodofground. '* Fromitselevationabovethesurrounding field, the latter appears to have been formerly a rath.
We are furnished with very few details, which might enable us to form a proper estimate of St.
Tassach's missionary career. He was one of Patrick's most favourite companions, and an artificer, who manufactured for him croziers, crosses, shrines, and bells, according to received accounts. "' Even, by St. Fiach, we are told, that Tassach was a worker in metals, for St. Patrick ; and, it is stated, that he first covered the staff of Jesus, with elegant work- manship, in his art. "* One of the most remarkable events of his life is the recorded fact, that he was the Tassach, who gave the body of Christ to St Patrick,"' and at the request of the Apostle, in the monastery of Sabhall, or
'3 It is noted, in the parish of Saul, and
"
barony of Lower Lecale, on the
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Down," Sheet 31.
** The name does not appear, on the Ord-
nance Maps.
'S This, too, is a local denomination.
" See <*»</.
'' The cemetery is still greatly resorted to,
forintermentsofthedeceasedCatholics. It hasaverycommandingsite, andabeautiful valley extends beneath it, to a range of hills, bordering on Strangford Lough.
'' See what is stated, by St. Fiach, in
'^ See Rev. William Reeves' " Ecclesias-
tical Antiquities of i>own, Connor and Dro-
more," p. 39, n. (h).
"*
At the 14th of April, ibid. Appendix A, p. 142, and Calendar LL, p. 377.
°5 These are 33 feet, 4 inches long, by 21 feet, 4 inches, wide. The east and west walls are about 12 feet, in height ; but, the south wall no longer stands. These wails are built with yellow clay. The eastern window is 4 feet, 6 inches, high, and 10 inches wide, on the outside ; it is splayed inwardly, to the width of 3 feet, 2 inches ; and, it ends, not in an arch, but in a large flag.
ruin there was formerly a wel—l, which was
probably the holy well. " Rev. James O'Laverty's "Historical Account of the Diocese ofDownand Connor,"vol. i. , p. 220.
^ See the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, ]ib. |iii. , cap. xcviii. , and c, p. 167, in Colgan's
" Trias Prima Vita Thamaturga,"
" " In the field to the north-east of the
Colgan's
S. Patricii, stanza 27, p. 3.
'' See a very interesting notice of it, in Rev. James O'Laverty's "Historical Ac- count of the Diocese of Down and Connor, AncientandModem,"vol. i. . pp. 221,222.
"" This lies, within the barony of Lower "
Lecale, and it is described, on the Ord- edition.
nance Survey Townland Maps for the
County of Down," Sheets, 31, 32, 38, 39. " Tiiese denominations do not appear, on
the Ordnance Survey Maps.
" The denomination does not appear, on
the Ordnance Survey Maps.
"* "
See Trias Thaumaturga," Prima Vita
S. Patricii, stanza 27, p. 3, and n. 27 dd. p. 6.
"» Seethe account, as already given, in vol. iii. of this work, and in our Life of St. Patrick, chap. xxvi.
Ordnance
142 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 14.
Saul, as the Life of Patrick states. 3° Besides, various Acts of our Apostle
allude to him, as having administered the Holy Communion to St. Patrick,3'
when be had been admonished by the Angel of his approaching end, and dur-
ing the holy man's last ilhiess. 3' At Kill-Chlopta,33 near Down, his Natalis was
celebrated Out, we have no account of when he died, only that we may ;
safely infer, St. Tassach survived his illustrious master, in the government of
his particular See. 3* From an early date, this holy Bishop seems to have been venerated in the Irish Church ; and, we find him commemorated . by St. . ^ngus, in his Feilire, at the 14th of April. At the same date, he is noticed, in the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman. 35 Likewise, on this day, we find mentioned in the Martyrology of Donegal,36 the name of Tassach, Bishop, of Rath Colptha, or Raholp, in Ulster, i. e. , in Leth-Cathail, now known as Lecale. Under the local heading, Duald Mac Firbis enters. Bishop
—
munion to Patrick, before his death ;37 at April the 4th is the date for his feast.
Tassach—in Rath-Colpa—
Patrick's artist
it was he that the com- gave
In Scotland, St. Tassagh was commemorated, likewise, on this day, as we find it, in the Kalendar of Drummond. 3* This commemoration was due, doubt- less, to the circumstance of his close'connection during life with St. Patrick, whose glorious and holy departure he helped to sooth and lighten, by the body and blood of our Divine Lord.
Article II. —St. Cillen, or Killian, Son of Lubnen, or Lubney, SAID TO HAVE BEEN Abbot OF BiRR, King's County. [Seveiilh Ce/ltUfJ. ] It seems probable, that the present holy man was born, early in the seventh century, but where, we cannot ascertain. In the Martyrology of Tallagh,' the name of Cillin mac Lubnain occurs, at the 14th of April. Colgan notes his feast, for the same date, calling him St. Killian, son of Lubney. " The proper names, Cillin, Cillen,3 Cillean, Cellin, Cellen, bearing the same origin andsignification,areoftenconfoundedwitheachother; onaccountofverbal affinity, likewise, they have been classed with the names, Coelan, Coelin,*
3° See the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, lib. iii. , cap. ciii. , p. i68, of Colgan's edi-
"
tion, in the "Trias Thaumaturga.
3" The Third Life of St. Patrick has it
"sicut illi Victor Angelus dixit," &c. , cap.
Ixxxix. , p. 28. See Colgan's "Trias Thau-
quote—when making this entry.
3' See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish
Academy," Irish MSS. series, vol. i. . Part
i. , pp. 124, 125.
3" Thus at xviii. Kl. Mali. , "Apud Hiber-
niam Sanctus episcopus et confessor Tassach hoc die ad Christum migravit. "—Bishop
maturga. "
3= See Hid. Joceline's or Sexta Vita S. Forbes'
Patricii, cap. cxc, p. 107. Also, Septima p. 10.
"
Kalendars of Scottish Saints,"
VitaS. Patricii, lib. i. , cap. Ixxi. , p. 128. 33 This is only another name for Raholp.
Article ii.
—• Dr. Edited by Rev
3*
" Leabhar Breac " we have In the copy,
:
Kelly, p. xxi. The Franciscan copy has
Ciltiiie rtlAC tubriAi.
: the English translation after- original —
'
See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," xiv.
the
wards follows
Februarii. Vita S. KiUani et
Sociorum,
n.
Oobepc OT3ori«nic
Coi\p CjMfc iiifi 5 PY^^'^® lAcomAvnn 00 pAcpAic.
" The royal bishop Tassach gave, when he came, (the) body of Christ the truly strong
with communion, to Patrick. "
35 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Prima Vita S. Patricii, n. 19, p. 6.
3* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, p. 103. In a note, Dr. Todd states, that the O'Clerys most probably intended to insert
3'P-33l-
3 The words Cillin and Cillen, are dimi-
nutives, deduced from Cill, or Cell. Hence,
in Latin, they are interpreted by the expres- sion, Cellanus.
* The words, Coelan, Coelen, and Coelin, are derived from the monosyllables, Coel, or Cail, or, according to modern scholars, Caol, which will signify slender, or attenuated. As there is no letter K in the Irish language, its place is supplied by the consonant C, whicli, before and after slender vowels, receives tlie same pronunciation, as in other languages should be accorded to the former
king,
the quatrain of St. Fiach—whom they letter.
April 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. »43
andCoelen,which,however,haveadifferentderivation. Theforegoingnames
are variously applied to our Irish Saints. ^ The aforesaid names, when
Latinized, are variously expressed, by these words, Cillinus, Killinus, Cel- lenus, Kellenus, Kilianus, Kilienus, Cliilianus, and Chilienus ; as also, by Coelanus, Caolanus, Coelinus, Coelenus, and Caelanus. * The Bollandists,' who quote the Martyrology of Tallagh, as their authority, have Killinus filius Lubriaani,' for this day. By the local writer, likewise, are we told, that St. Kiilian, Abbot of Birr, and successor to St. Brendan, or Brenainn,' was com-
'° Various derivations have been According to Dr. O'Donovan, it was thus called, from the site having been a callow," or field, occasionally overflowed by a river. The local historian " was informed,'3 that Birr took its name, from the Irish word Bior, which is said to have meant, " a spring well," or " the brink of a
on the of memorated, 14th
April.
sought
for Biorra, or Birr.
St. Brendan's Catholic Chareb, in the Town of Birr, King's County.
river ;" and, as the ancient town was situate upon the river, it might from that circumstance have been denominated Birr. '* Another conjecture is, that it came from Bir, " a spit,"'' in consequence of the river there taking its de- nomination,fromacrookedweir,whichmighthaveresembledaspit. '* For.
» See Sexta Vita 5.
"Trias
Thaumaturga. " 3, p. 597.
that Part Town," &c. ,
Colgan's Brigidac,
i. , pp. i6, 17. n^at.
n.
' In these words, also, ot, at, and ac, are
" In Irish called
'' By an noble member of the Royal Irish
diphthongs.
' See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Ap-
" Cooke, who wrote the History of Par- sonstown.
rilis xir. Among the pretermitted saints, Academy.
p. 200.
'
This is evidently a misprint.
* His feast occurs, at the 2Qth of Novem-
" It is remarked, that Birr, in Hebrew, means "a well. "
'5 See Cooke's " Picture of Parsonstown,"
ber.
•" "i. ,p.
Sea The Picture of
the King's County, containing the History of
on the — re- foregoing
:
Parsonftown,
commenting
marks, Mr. O'Donovan observes
Part in In
16.
"All
thit
144 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 14.
merly, the place had great historic importance, and from the time St. Bren- dan '7 had there founded his monastery, in the sixth century. '* Upon the
grant of Birr town and the surrounding lands to the family of Parsons,'? the name had been changed by many to Parsonstown; however, the inhabitants of this place and neighbourhood prefer to call it, by the old historic denomi- nation.
