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\
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
dfirsst JBaj) of aufftwfo
ARTICLE I. —ST. RIOCH, ABBOT OF INISBOFINDE, COUNTY OF LONGFORD.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—FAMILY AND RACE OF ST. RIOCH—HIS EARLY EDUCATION AND TRAINING —HIS MISSION TO IRELAND—A MIRACLE WROUGHT BY ST. PATRICK.
WHENtreating the history or particular epochs in a nation's life, it is
found to take a view of the circumstances necessary retrospective
and causes, that brought such events into prominence. Family relations and feelings, naturally inherited and existing, serve to mould the minds of men to a certain extent; but, while individual character asserts itself, spiritual gifts are the sole bounty of the Great Giver of all good to His children. In the present instance, following the most ancient and accessible records, and the most trustworthy traditions of Ireland, we are supposed to be dealing with the life of a holy man closely connected, not alone by the ties of kindred but by actual training, with the great Irish Apostle, St. Patrick. These were natural advantages which probably formed the bent of this saint's inclinations, to embrace a self-sacrificing career, and to walk in the footsteps of his illustrious teacher. Where we have few biographical notices of his early life, however, we must only recur to reasonable conjecture
and attested analogy, that as his public station and calling were distinguished, sothepreparationtoattainthemwasalsodiligentlyemployed. Evenwhen
we learn most about men's external actions and sayings, the problem of their secret inspirations is very far from being satisfactorily solved. Above
all, few have been able to find the secret motives, by which a Saint's acts, words and thoughts, can be explained, in a sense to render them most useful and edifying, for those who are willing to learn lessons, conducive towards their own spiritual profit. By personal associations and contact with the devout are many brought to a sense of their Christian duties. The record of such relations in social and moral intercourse gives the most salutary zest to biography. In tracing the connexion and in observing the results, however, much discrimination and care should be taken to draw just conclusions. Such process also presupposed, that good men's actions and their influences are well noted and analyzed. However, with stores of information for use of the modern biographer, seldom dojs it happen, that we find a wholly correct outline and colouring for his object. Still more
Vol, VIII. —No, i. A
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August i .
must a failure be anticipated, when it is remotely set in date, and when the
view must be directed to a vanishing point. No doubt, the present holy recluse had exalted models for imitation and guidance. The chief influences
and principles, that had been directing his actions, however, were drawn
from heavenly inspiration, and from his own pious aspirations, to employ well His time, and to serve a Great Master.
The father of Rioch is called Conis or Conisius, and he is said to have
1
been a native of Britain.
questioned, and with some appearance of correctness ; yet, our records and traditions point to the present saint, as not having been a native of Ireland. The Bollandists give but a brief notice at the ist of August, but they refer to the 6th February, for what they had previously written regarding him. 2 The Litany of St. Aengus invokes Morioc as one of the foreign saints buried in Ireland, and who went beyond the sea. There, however, he is styled the son of Ui Lcega, and twelve men are said to have accompanied him. 3 The present holy man is related to have been a nephew of St. Patrick,* by his sister Darerca. s She was the mother of Rioch, and she is reported to have had sixteen other sons, besides two daughters. All of these have been enrolled as Saints, in our Irish calendars. 6 To this statement might be added a probability of St. Rioch, with many, of his supposed brothers, having been called the children of Darerca, from a practice of ancient writers, wishing to exalt the celebrity of certain saints, in connecting them by relationship to the great St. Patrick, although perhaps on insufficient grounds, and even onlyonmereconjecture. Besides,theunusualnumberofDarerca'schildren —to credit a received account—must seem doubtful. To say the very least, it is hardly credible, that all of them were enrolled in the catalogue of our Saints. It is stated, however, that from his earliest youth, our Saint was St. Patrick's disciple, and that he learned many precepts of virtue from the Irish Apostle. These also he reduced to practice in his daily actions.
While the truth of this account has been
Another learned \vriter7 supposed our Saint to have been denominated 8
Mac-Hualaing, either son to Hualaingor descended from the family of Laing. 9 However, he is clearly in error. By referring to Colgan's note to St. Rioch's
at the 6th of— and not at the 6th of March— Acts, February,
as printedinLanigan wefinditstatedthere,thatInis-BofindeIslandwascalled
the Island of known as the son of Lugenius,
Hualaing.
advanced on either side of this contention, the greater number of those who
have investigated the subject support an opinion, affirming the relationship between SS. Patrick, Rioch and Mel. 11
Article i. —Chapter i—' See
Colgan's
'The Rev Dr
"Acta Sanctorum Hibernian," vii. Februarii.
DeS. Riocho Abbatede Inis-Bofinde, p. 267.
9
vol. i. , chap, viii. , sect, xiii. , p. 419. Also, See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Au- vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, iii. , pp. 10, II,
gusti i. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 2. '" So far from having been a brother of 3 Thus is it expressed : Da pep x>ec La Mel and a Briton, I find him called Mac-
moruoc, ttiac Vi-Ua Iocja, T>Ap niuip, hop omnep muoco. —" Irihh Kcclesiaslical Re-
cord. " Old series, vol. iii. , June, 1867, see pp. 468. 469.
*
See his Life, in the Third Volume of this work, at the 17th of March, Ait. i.
Hualaing, son of Hualaing, or of the family of Laing. "—Ibid. , n. 46, p. 12.
"According to the Mai tyrology of Tallagh, of Mananus O'Gorman and of Cathal Ma- guire. From these authorities, Colgan, shows, that this Island had two or perhaps three distinct names, and that probably,
5 See ibid. chap, iii. , n. 63. Her Feast llU
been referred to the 22nd of March, where Lugenius, from whom it had been called, some notices regarding her may be found. was the son of Hualaing. See " Acta Sanc- See ibid. , Art, ii.
torum Hi hernia;. " vi. Februarii. De S. •See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hi- Riocho Abbate de Inis-Bofinde, n. II, p.
berniae," vi. Februarii. De S. Mele, cap. 268.
ii. , p. 259, and nn. 24, 26, p. 263. " The Marfyrdlogy of Salisbury has the
10 Whatever be may
Lanigan,
8 See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
-
-
incorrectly
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
Of St. Rioch's early years and education, we have no special account;
Augusti. ]
—as
relations of St. Patrick. ' It should seem, notwithstanding, that he had resolved on dedicating himself to the work of spreading the Gospel in Ireland, when according to received accounts he followed the Irish Apostle, after the latter had left Britain. '3 According to an ancient tradition, twelve transmarine companions accompanied St. Rioch to Ireland, or at least were with him there. 14 We have no information respecting these twelve pilgrims, nor the country whence they emigrated ; but, if it be true, as stated, that Rioch was brother to Mel, and that both were nephews of St.
Patrick, we may probably recognise the native land of the latter as that whence St. Rioch and his twelve disciples sailed for Ireland. ' 5
—ur old
but, by o writers,
he is classed 2
among
the
disciples
among
the
The Rev. Dr. Lanigan denies, that our saint had been St. Patrick's
J? and Life'8 of our lush Jocelyn's
16 in to the disciple, opposition
Tripartite
Apostle. A principal argument, on which the learned Irish Church historian
relies, is founded on the unusual term of years to which his life must have been prolonged, were we to accept such a statement. We are told,^ that Rioch had charge of the books and writings, and that he was librarian to St. Patrick. 20 This office he discharged after he had been ordained Deacon.
According to the accounts extant, St. Rioch is said to have been a
companion of his uncle, St. Patrick, during all his journeys. But, in addition
to gifts of supernatural grace our saint had acquired, and that purity of soul whereby he became the admired of all admirers, he was remark ible for a
wonderful beauty of person ; as if a bounteous Creator had specially decreed, that the virtues and amiable qualities of his soul should be enshrined,
in an earthly temple, worthy of being considered the fairest receptacle of imperishable beauty, and within an ornamental casket, which contained
the precious jewels of most extraordinary virtues. 21
It is related, that whilst engaged in spreading the Gospel throughout Ireland, St. Patrick found some difficulty, in effecting the repentance of a
feast of St. Rioch and St. Mel, at the 6th of
No. 24, p. 473.
,s
Supposing him to have been that St. Rioch visited by Bishop Aidus on Lough See Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga," Ree, while the latter died in 589. See
"
Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. ,
iv. , pp. 226 to 228, and cap. xxiii. , p. 266. chap, viii. , sect, xiii. , p. 419, and nn. 174,
13 See ibid. Septima Vita S. Patricii, 175. 176, 177, p. 421.
February, on the ground that both were
brothers. Usshersustainsthesame connexion. 12 "
pars, ii. , cap. xxi. , p 132.
14 In a note, Colgan refers to the Acts of
St. Mel, published at the 6th of February,
and the Life of our Saint, published at the
same day. If the present St. Rioch be
identical with that person mentioned in the
Litany of ^Enguss, twelve foreign saints are
invoked as being his companions, in these
terms " SS. duodecim socios S. Riochi :
"
&c. See Dr. George Petrie's "Ecclesiastical Architecture and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii, sect, ii. ,
See in Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," 5 See "Topographical Illustrations of the Quarta Vita S. Patricii, cap. lxxi. , p. 44, Southern and Western suburbs of Kit- and nn. 47. 48, p. 49. Jocelin's or Sexia
transmarinos, inuoco,
cap. xvii. , p. 382, as also Ihdex Chrono-
lo^ijus, p. 568.
2j
See"TheTripartiteLifeofSt. Patrick," edited by Whitley Stokes, LL. D.
2I
p. 138. '
in " Pro- Vita S.
ceedmgs and Papers of the Kilkenny and and nn. 91, 92, 93, p. 112. Septima Vita
South-Eastof Ireland Archaeological Society," S. Patricii, pars, ii. , cap. cxvi. , pp. 144, vol, ii. New Series, November, 1859, 145, and nn. 166, 167, p. 181,
' Mr. kenny. by
John Hogan,
Patricii, cap.
lxxxiv. , 84, 85, pp
'? "
See Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga,"
Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, ii. , cap. xxi. , p. 132, and nn. 57, 58, 59, 60, p. 175.
l8
See ibid. Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. 1. , p. 76, and nn. 52, 53, p. 100.
' 9 See Archbishop Ussher's M Complete Work. -," edited by Dr. Elrmgton, vol. vi.
"
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquiiates,"
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August i,
22 Being at
however, through the cogency of the Saint's reasonings and miracles, he obtained the grace of regeneration, in the waters of Baptism. That chieftain was remarkable for his deformed countenance and limbs. He made frequent
complaints to Patrick, on the subject, and requested the Saint to exercise communicated and supernatural power in his regard by prayers, so that a miracle might be performed, as also for the edification of people, who were already believers. Moved by the chief's entreaties, St. Patrick enquired of him, what person he should most desire to resemble in beauty of appearance.
At that time, Rioch with many others was present. Looking around through the assemblage, Eugenius at once decided on his wish to assume the likeness of the young Deacon, who was the keeper of St. Patrick's books, and a Briton by birth. In appearance, he was the most comely of all men living in those parts. Requiring both of them to lie down on the same bed to sleep, and under the same coverlid, St. Patrick stood over them, while his hands were elevated towards heaven. A wonderful miracle is said to have taken place; for when awaking from sleep, that chieftain appeared to resemble the holy Deacon so closely, that his clerical tonsure only rendered the latter distinguishable from the chief. All, who had witnessed this result, were struck with admiration. More particularly the heart of Eugenius rejoiced, as his entreaties and desires had been gratified to his perfect
satisfaction. ^
CHAPTER II.
RETIREMENT OF ST. RIOCH FROM EPISCOPAL DUTIES TO INIS-BOFINDE—DESCRIPTION OF THIS ISLAND—HE IS SAID TO HAVE FOUNDED THERE A RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT —LOCAL TRADITIONS IN KILKENNY CITY REGARDING THE STATION OF RIOCH THERE—THE FORMER CHURCH OF ST. RIOCH.
wealthy
and
powerful
man, named
Eugenius.
length converted,
By St. Patrick, his nephew Rioch is said to have been raised to the episcopacy. This office does not seem to have accorded with his own inclinations, and humility induced the holy man to distrust his abilities for that public position. We can hardly doubt, that he remonstrated with the Irish Apostle, after having had some experience of pastoral work, and it should appear, that his vocation for the cell of a recluse was deemed to be that which more became his retiring disposition.
and duties, inseparable from his episcopal functions, did not leave him sufficient leisure to indulge his desires for heavenly contemplation and a life of solitude. Conscious of his soul's pious yearnings, St. Patrick assigned St. Rioch as a place for retreat the Island of Inis-Bofinde, on Lough Ree. This is an extensive lake, through which the River Shannon continues its course, between the province of Connaught and Longford County, in Leinster. It also lies in an arm of the lake, which stretches into the latter county, to receive the River Inny. The Island of St. Rioch is also written Inishbofin or "the Island of the White Cow," owing doubtless to some ancient mythologic legend.
" He is stated to have been the brother of Laoghaire, and son to Niall of the Nine Hostages. According to one account—that of Jocelyn—he only desired personal beauty
wished also to be distinguished for height of stature, and both requests were granted to him.
* See " Colgm's Acta Sanctorum Hi- such as St. Rioch poseeued, while other berniac," vi. Februarii. De S. Riocho,
Lives of St. Patrick state, that with it, he Abbate de Inis-Bofinde, p. 267.
He found that cares
August i. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
If we are to consider our saint as the nephew of St. Patrick, Rioch, bishop and abbot, founded a monastery there, about or soon after the middle of the fifth century. Wherefore, this must have been the oldest Christian
1
establishment on Lough Ree; that of Inis-Clothran being next in point of
2
time ; and that of Inis-Ainghin, being of a still later date. Others, however,
state, that St. Rioch did not found his institute there, until about the middle of the sixth century. 3 In the Annals of the Four Masters,* at the year 1089, and in reference to Lough Ree, Innis-Clothraun, now Inchcleraun,s Inis- bo-finne and Inis Ainggin are distinguished; for during that year, the churches of all three were burned by a predatory crew of the men ef Munster,
^-^^l
Old Church on Inisboffin Island, Lough Ree.
whose fleet was under the command of Muircheartach Ua Briain. 6 The old inhabitants of the Parish of Cashel,? in the County of Longford, used to
call the —Inish — a modern
present Cloghran changed by designation
into
in
" Island of the Seven Churches," which shows that formerly it was considered to be that one of greatest importance on Lough Ree. 8 The church and
1
beginning of the sixth century. of St. Peter's, barony of Athlone, and county 3"
3
,
Diocese of Meath, Ancient and Modern," vol. iii. , chap, lxxiv. ,
Quaker's Island by the title of Oilean na Seacht d' Teampull, or
English
Founded by St. Diarmaid, about the the west side of the Shannon, in the parish
Founded by St. Kiaran, before he became Roscommon. See The Tribes and Cus- Abbot of Clonmacnoise. toms of Hy-Many," edited by John
According to the statement of Rev. O'Donovan, p. 79, and n. (j).
Anthony Cogan, in his
"
* This parish with it's Islands is contained in the barony of Rathcline, and it embraces an area of 22,1500. 2r. 20/. , including of
of Ree and Lough
P- 573-
4 See Dr. O'Donovan's
vol.
water 2;-. 6,290a.
edition, PP-936» 937,andn. (d),ibid.
ii. ,
23/. 147a. or. 34/. ofsmallLoughs. Itisshown
s It is shown on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Long- ford," Sheet 21.
,
on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Longford," Sheets 17, 18, 21, 22, 25, 26.
8 See "Letters and Extracts containing Information relative to the Antiquities of
6 The church of Cluain-Eamhain, now Clponoun or Cloonown, was an old church on
bearing
Tyrconnell,
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August i.
traces of the monastic buildings on the Island of Inis-bo-finne are well
worthy of inspection^ They are still in fairly good preservation, and appear to run down towards the water's level. Extending from the front of the church, and towards the right hand corner as you enter, there is a quaint little church, with a small window peculiarly headed. 10 An elaborated window, having carved stone mulhons, at the other end iooktd into the large church. Inis-Bofinde is situated within the limits of Longford county, and in Ardagh diocese. It is quite distinct from another ocean Island called Innisbofrm,M off Morisk barony, county of Mayo. There is a third Island,
monastery on his Island, and over that establishment he presided as Abbot.