'3 See D'Alton's
"
History of the Arch-
^^ See his Life at the 1st of July,
February 12.
"
History of the Arch-
^^ See his Life at the 1st of July,
February 12.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
OrthisisSeanach,per- haps, son to Coireall of Cealla Ua Maghach, and who belongs to the race of Conaire, son to Modh Lamha, and whose festival is celebrated on this day.
His place has baffled our efforts to identify it.
The late Professor O'Curry, who examined the antiquarian features of Kilshanny parish, 3 in his native county, a.
d.
1839.
states, that the denomination is of ecclesiastical origin,
"
the church of Seanach" or " of St. Seanach. " Although several of this name had been mentioned in the Irish Calendar, Mr. O'Curry was not able to identify any of them with this locality. The old church lies on the townland of Kil- shanny, in a good state of preservation. The admeasurements are then
and that it had been originally spelled Cill-Sheanaigh, />. ,
given, with the fullest details.
There is a large burial-ground attached, and
a "
August, St. Augustine's day. ^
There a
was on the 28th of held,
holy well,"
south-east of it.
"patron"
Article XVI. —Festival of St. Finan, F'innian, Fennia or Findia, Bishop of Moville, County of Down. \Sixth Cenim-y^ A holy bishop, Finan of Maghbile, is entered, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at
the nth of February. He descended from a highly respectable family; for, as we learn, he belonged to the race of Fiatach Finn, Monarch of Enn,
to the
" Naoimhshencas naomh Inis ^ which Fail,"
poem, Finnen,
according
festivals j-^ but, we prefer treating about the particulars of his life, at the loth of September, which seems to have been his chief feast. Under the head of
Magh-Bile, Duald Mac Firbiss enters, Fennian of Magh-Bile, or Fennia, Bishop of Magh-Bile, at February the nth. Findia, Bishop of Magh-Bile,
thus " [of him,]
offair
Maghbile,"
&c. This
says isnowknownas
place
Moville, or Movilla,3 in the parish of Newtownards, barony of Lower Ards, and county of Down. The present date appears to have been one of his
Article XIV. —* Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. XV.
Cluana Iraird," follow the foregoing entry. It is quite evident, however, this is a case of mistaken identity, on the part of the writer.
= " The Saint History of the Saints of Inis Fail. "
Article XV,
—
'
Edited by
Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. XV.
= Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
3 This place is described on the **Ord- 3 The parish of Kilshanny, in the barony nance Survey Townland Maps for the
46, 47.
"
Survey Townland Maps for the County of
•
Clare. " Sheets 8, 10,
*" Letters containing Information re-
lative to the Antiquities of the County of Clare, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839," vol. i. , pp. 307 to 312.
of Corcomroe, is marked on the
Ordnance
County of Down. " Sheet 6.
* See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nice," xviii. Martii. Appendix ad Acta S. Fridiani, cap. ii. , pp. 642, 643.
s gge "Proceedings of the Royal Irish
Academy," Irish MSS. series, vol. i. , part
i. , pp. 120, 121.
"
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 44, 45.
Article xvl—» Edited
Kelly, p. XV. These words, "no Finnain
by
Rev. Dr.
February 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 487
isrecorded,likewise,intheMartyrologyofDonegal,^onthisday. Wealso find, the name of this bishop entered, in the calendar, compiled by the Rev. Dr. Reeves,7 for that particular north-eastern district of Ireland, about which he wrote. The present holy man was one of the most renowned bishops,
in the early ages of Irish Christianity.
Ctoelftl) JBap of jfetiruarp^
ARTICLE I. —ST. SEDULIUS, OR SIADHAL, OR SHEIL,^ BISHOP OF DUBLIN, WITH OTHER HOLY AND LEARNED IRISHMEN, BEARING A SIMILAR NAME.
[FHOM THE FIFTH TO THE NINTH CENTURY. ^
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—ORIGIN OF THE NAME SIADHAL OR SHIEL—SEDULIUS, BISHOP OF DUBLIN—OPINIONS REGARDING HIM—HIS DEATH.
the very remote period of Irish history, and long before the Christian
IN a. m.
era, 3303,
theTuathaDeDanannscameto
Ireland,
andsucceededin
displacingtheFirbolgmonarchs,whoheldswayfroma. m. 3226. ^ Fromthe
latterpeople,manyfamiliesofConnaught,especially,datetheirorigin. ^ By
all writers, the Tuatha De Dananns are admitted to have been a highly in- tellectual race. Although, it has been stated, that no Irish family claims its descent from the latter remarkable colony ; yet, it has been also asserted, there is, at least, one decided exception to this hypothesis, as proved from our native annals and from other sources. 3 We are informed, that the Clan Siadhal or Shell, settled in the county of Antrim from a remote period, is traceablefromtheancientTuathaDeDananns. Fromearliesttimes,that tribe-name is recorded under various grammatical forms and unsettled ortho- graphies. Yet,itmostlyoccurs,inourannals,connectedwiththeprofession of those intellectual and scientific pursuits, for which that people were cele-
"
brated, long after they seemed to
ing the haze of remote antiquity, and intricacies attending this obscure lingual subject, it is thought, our records must bear to light the name and celebrity oftheClanShiel,undervariousdistinguishedforms. Thusthose,whostudy the Irish language, will be able to trace how the initial letters D, and S, used in the earUer forms of this name, come to be aspirated or almost mute--^ In
7 See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of
Down, Connor and Dromore. " Appendix
LL, p. 376.
ARTICLE I. —Chapter i. —'^ See Dr.
O'Donovan's "Annals of tl:ke Four Mas- ters," vol. i. , pp. 12, 13, 16, 17.
^
See Dr. O'Donovan's "Tribes and Customs of Hy-Many," &c. Introductory
acknowledgments to an accomplished lady, and a gifted Irish scholar, Mrs. Barrett of
Bruckless, whose original family name was
Remarks, pp. 85, 86. Also, his
"
from other sources, the writer feels greatly mdebted, while her philological illustrations serve especially to elucidate the present article.
"
^ Thus, writes Mrs. Barrett,
father of Ogham, the inventor of the Ogham writing, is written Sealvagh in a later age. Sirna Saeghlach, son of Dian, Sovereign of
Genea- logics, Tribes and Customs of Hy-Fiach-
Deal Vagh
rach," &c. , p. 350.
3 For some interesting notes on the matter
which follows, the writer has to tender his
disappear from history," Notwithstand-
Shell. For a list of long
distinguished names, culled from the Irish annals and
488 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [Februaryi the case of Siadal, s before / has in Irish the same sound that sh receives in
— hence from Siadal comes Sheil. s In the reign of Cormac Mac Art, we find that when the learned professions were appointed, to various families, that of
; Enghsh while
^aspirated
inthemiddleofawordis
insound equal tojv
medicine was held
Dandnn ^ family. "
by
'' Dia na-h iche " or Diancecht, of " the Tuath Dd
^
tures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History," lect. ii. , pp. 45, 46.
*
For these remarks, Mrs. Barrett is our
^"^
According to the "Martyrology of Donegal. " Drs. Todd's and Reeves' edition, pp. 46, 47. This is also stated by Marianus O'Gorman.
See Professor Eugene O'Curry's "Lee-
bishops of Dublin," p. 24.
'^ Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xv.
'S gee " Acta Sanctorum, "tomusii. , Feb-
ruarii xii. He is found the
among preter-
" Acta Sanctorum Hil)er- copo Dubliniensi, n. I, p. 315.
The Siedhuils or Sheils were remarkable as medical very
doctors, and in course of time, they were scattered through many Irish dis- tricts, while not only in the profession of the healing art, but in other sciences,
were they very renowned. 7 History, theology, poetry, rhetoric, law, eloquence, have in turn received and bestowed gifts, in reference to this in- tellectualfamily; while,inChurchandState,manyoftheirscionshaveshone pre-eminently conspicuous. We find this name, with the letter S as its
initial,
in the
"
word, Saoi, translated,
"a
noble,"
a " a "learned professor,"
a andinvarious —
doctor," applications, becoming Saighal Seanchad,
placed, entering on the subjects and names, which are included in the present article. By an accomplished Irish poet and writer,9 we are told, that Sedulius was but the Latinized form for the Irish name Seidhuil. ^° This, too, is said, by Dr. Lanigan, to be the same as Shiel. "
Among eight especially distinguished Irishmen, bearing this name, and who are noticed by Colgan,^^ St. Sedulius, Bishop of Dublin, comes first in the
order of treatment. Much uncertainty prevails, in consequence of the meagre and unsatisfactory notices left us, regarding this saint, called in Irish Siedhul,^3 and Anglicized Shiel. The simple entry, Siatal, bishop, is met with, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^^ at this date. The Bollandists briefly notice him. '5 Siedhul was son to Luat or Luaith,'^ it is said ; and he was born, probably, about the commencement of the eighth century. He was admitted to holy orders, and he became abbot, at Athcliath, now Dublin. Besides this distinction, he receives, also, the title of bishop, over that see. He is noted, in the Martyrologies of Tallagh, and of Marianus O'Gorman. It is said, that when St. Rumold'7 resigned his see, into the hands of Pope Stephen III. ,^^ this Pontiff" conferred it on Sedulius, who was renowned for his learning and piety. ^9 Harris admits him, as a bishop over Dublin ; but.
man," """"""
h-e^/a na- na d
a historian," Saoi Firdana, a poet Ard Magister is
caib " or " chief master of sciences. " ^ These remarks seem to us not dis-
Ireland, A. M. 4169, is another form. Dia na-h iche, i. e. , the God of healing. Sidhe, their monuments, &c. , bear an affinity to the name. "
s See Very Rev. Canon Ulick J. Bourke's
"Aryan Origin of the Gaelic Race and
Language," &c. , chap, xv. , p. 461.
Chase' being written by Rychard Sheale. " Ibid.
" See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, i. , sect, ix. , n. 69, p. 20.
^ See
ni3C," xii. Februarii. De S. Sedulio Epis- mitted saints, p. 574.
Colgan's
authority.
9 Denis Florence M'Carthy.
^° He remarks, also, respecting this name
" '^
of Shiel, that it is one of which, under any This Sovereign Pontiff reigned from
of its forms, Ireland may well tie proud," A. D. 752 to 757. See Sir Harris Nicolas' "
See Poets and Dramatists of Ireland," vol. "Chronology of History," p. 211. Dr. i. , p. 48. The writer adds, in a note: Lanigan remarks, however, that it would be "England, too, can boast a poet of this hard to find, ^there De Burgo got such in- name. The celebrated ballad of 'Chevey formation.
" See *' Acta Sanctorum liibernise," xii. Februarii, pp. 315 to 326.
'3 See D'Alton's
"
History of the Arch-
^^ See his Life at the 1st of July,
February 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 489
Ware excludes him from his Hst of bishops for this see. =° Dr. Lanigan does
not exactly deny, what he would fain disapprove, that any regular bishop had been appointed before Donatus to preside over Dublin. He admits, how- ever, the possibility of Sedulius having been raised, like other abbots of eminent merit, to episcopal rank, without being attached permanently to any diocese. He doubts not, that Sedulius' promotion might have been a consequence of FerfuguilFs death. This latter was abbot and bishop, at Clondalkin, and he departed this life, on the loth of March, a. d. 785. =^^ Lanigan supposes it probable, that bishops, at least of that denomination, known as chorepiscopi, must have resided in that neighbourhood, to perform certain necessary episcopal functions. Sedulius, he thinks, might have be- longed to such a class. He passed out of life, on the 12 th day of February, A. D. 786. " IntheMartyrologyofDonegal^sisrecorded,onthisday,Siadhal, sonofLuath,BishopofDubhHnn. Heissaidtohavedeparted,a. d. 785. In the table, appended to this work, he is noted as having died, in 789. '^ It must be remarked, that bishop and abbot are terms frequently confounded, in the pages of many, among our monastic writers and annalists f^ since, within their own monasteries and over their own subjects, a superior ecclesi- astical jurisdiction was frequently exercised, by many abbots.
CHAPTER II.
CAIUS C^LIUS SEDULIUS—THE OBSCURITY OF HIS HISTORY—CONTROVERSIES REGARD- ING THE PLACE OF HIS BIRTH—HIS EARLY EDUCATION—THE TIME WHEN HE FLOURISHED—HIS EUROPEAN TRAVELS—RANK HE HELD IN THE CHURCH—HIS GENIUS AS A POET AND THEOLOGIAN—HIS WRITINGS—VARIOUS EDITIONS OF THEM—EULOGIES OF DIFFERENT AUTHORS REGARDING THEM—HIS DEATH.
By far the most renowned Sedulius is he, who is called by some writers,
Caelius, and by others, Caius Ctelius. The greatest incertitude prevails, respecting this Christian poet of the fourth century. ^ Some writers have stated, there is no reliable knowledge, regarding him, or the time when he lived. ^ Among distinguished men of the ancient Church, there is, indeed,
scarcely any, concerning whom, so many questions have been started, or about whom, such a variety of opinions has been held.
Although our national hagiologist, Colgan, introduces some account of this holy man, and truly ingenious writer, with various learned dissertations appended, at the 12th of February ;3 it is admitted,, that the day for his
^5 See De Burgo's "Officia Propria Sane-
"
torum Hibernise.
S. Rumoldi, lect. v. , p. 66,
remarks the date should be 785, according to the Four Masters and Colgan. Trias Thaum. , p. II2, n, 69. See ibid. , pp, 468, 469.
^° In Harris' we Ware, read,
"
nice," xii. Februarii, De S. Sedulio Epis-
death a earlier than here,"
n.
10, p, 315,
See M. le Dr. Hoefer's
placed
i,, Bishops of Ireland, p. 306.
—
Nouvelle Biographic Generale depuis les
^^ March,
Temps les plus recules jusqu'a nos jours," tome xliii. , col, 682.
=^ See " The of Uni- Imperial Dictionary
versal Biography," vol. iii. , p. 944.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum HiberniDe," xii, Febraarii, Vita Venerabilis Sedulii, pp,
316 to 326.
"
vol, i,, sect, cap, XX,,
v,,and
nn.
36, 37, 38,
day
Die Prima Julii officium
" In an an- cient Irish calendar, I find this prelate called Shiel Mac Bait, Bishop of Dublin, a—nd his
Vol,
See some notices of him at the loth of See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
pp. 228, 230,
^3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
46, 47.
^4 This however is an error. Dr, Reeves
^s See Colgau's copo Dubliniensi,
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
Chapter ii. *'
^
490
LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February12.
festival—if such there be—has not yet been decided. It must be observed,
however, that Camerarius, and it is said, others, have placed it, at the 20th of February, and at the 13th of June ;'^ but, as such assertions do not rest
on satisfactory evidence, it is better, j^erhaps, to leave this matter a still open question. The Bollandists have only a few brief notices of this vener-
able man. 5 Notwithstanding the celebrity of Sedulius, his history is very obscure. His place of birth, also, has been disputed ; some considering him to have been a Scotsman,^ and others a Spaniard. 7 Seduliu—s—-called by some writers Csecilius, and by others Caius Coslius Sedulius is said^ to have been a Scot, or an Irishman. Yet Labbe states, that no ancient writer has called him a Scot. ^ However, nearly all writers, who have treated about Caius or C^lius Sedulius, make him a Scot, while many have styled him an Irish Scot. 9 Stanihurst'° declares that he was born in Ireland. Without determining to what country he belonged, Labbe confines himself to showing, that there is no sufficient proof for his having been designated an Irishman, and that he ought to be distinguished from a Sedulius, who was a bishop, in 721, as also from another Sedulius, the commentator on St. Paul's Epistles. " This latter was undoubtedly from Ireland, and he flourished in the ninth century. This may be discovered, from intrinsic evidences, found in his writings, as also, from reliable inscriptions, which have been affixed to some
manuscript copies. "
The first question to be determined is, whether the elder Sedulius was
an Irishman, or belonging to some part of the Continent. '3 Following a crowd of old writers, Ussher^4 and Colgan's have discussed almost every point,relatingtoSedulius. Thesemaintain,thathewasanativeofIreland. '^ Ware^7 and Harris,'^ likewise, adopt such an opinion. Some British Scots have, as usual, put in their claim for Sedulius, on account of His being generally designated by the appellation Scotus or Scotigena. But, it has
< Camerarius adds : "alii diem ejus fes- tum ponant decimo tertio Junii. " Yet, for this statement no authority is quoted.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii,, Feb- ruarii xii. Among the pretermitted saints,
toria Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii,, num. 229, p. 130.
p. 574.
^ *'
Hyberniensis, in omnes Epistolas Pauli CoUectaneum," to be met with in an old codex, belonging
_^ Bale offers such an opinion, in
Scrip- torum lUustrium Majoris Brytannioe, quam nunc Angliam et Scotiam vocant," cent.
to Fulda,
'^ Dr. Lanigan very satisfactorily discusses this question concerning Sedulius' birth, as being referable to Ireland. See " Ecclesi-
xiv. , num. ix. , p. 187.
7 Damianus a Goes, a Portugese knight,
is quoted by Dr. Hanmer, as an authority
" 8"
for this statement. See land," p. 92.
Chronicle of Ire-
astical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, i. , sect, viii. , and notes, pp. 1 7 to 21.
See his historic dissertation, postfixed to Cardinal Bellarmine's account of Cajus
Ccelms Sedulius, Presbyter Scotus. "Ope-
De Scriptoribus
'"See Britannicarum Ecclesiarum An-
tiquitates," cap. xvi. , pp. 402 to 408.
'S See the Life of Sedulius, at the xii. of
February. j,
rum," tomus septimus. Ecclesiasticis, p. 149.
'^ inan be"
By Bishop Tanner, too, he is said to
—" edition of their Bibliotheca Sanctorum tannico-Hibernica : sive de
5Thusthe
Cologne theologians, "
patria Hibernus. "
Bibliotheca Bri-
"
Scotus Hiberniensis. " Dempster takes them to task, however, for this assumed mistake, by asserting, there is no evidence for their statement, nor was there any use of the latter term, in the en- lightened period when Sedulius flourished ; but, that it was afterwards framed to dis-
Scriptoribus, qui in Anglia, Scotia, et Hibernia ad saeculi xvii. initium floruerunt literarum ordine juxta familiarum nomina dispositis, com-
mentarius," p. 659.
'7 See " De Scriptoribus Hibernian," lib.
i. , cap. i. , p. 4.
'"See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , "The
Patrum," call him
tinguish the Scottish mountaineers and Writers of Ireland," book i. , chap, ii,, p. backwoodsmen from those dwelling in the 7.
mid-sea and lowland regions. See "His-
'°
In his historical work.
" See " De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis," tomus ii.
" Such as, " Sedulii Scoti
February 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 491
been almost universally admitted, that, if he were a Scot at all, he must have been an Irish one. Even, in those very passages, from which his Scottish origin is deduced, Sedulius is called, not merely Scotus, but, likewise, Scotus
"^^
Still,
the Spanish writers, F. Bivarius, and Nicholas Antonio,^" incline, with many
of their countrymen, to the generally received opinion of Sedulius having
Hyberniensis. ^9 Other writers have said, that he was a Spaniard.
been an Irishman. ^"^ Some writers have thrown out, as a mere
conjecture,
that he was a native of ^^3 Amid these doubts and and while Italy. disputes,
nothing is adduced to overturn the assertion that he was an Irish Scot, another argument occurs, which has been overlooked by Ussher, and by most writers. This is derived from the name Sedulius, one which is quite common in Ireland. ^-^ It is written in Irish Siedhuil ; we may suppose, the same as Shiel. Colgan reckons eight eminent men of that name, known in Irish history. Except in the case of this poet. Dr. Lanigan believes, no single instance can be traced of so old a name, disguised in an existing form, in any other country, and found in a Latinized shape, so early as
the fifth century.
Whether the pious and elegant scholar, of whom we are now to treat, had
been one of the Scots, believing in Christ, before the arrival of St. Patrick, or one of those converts made by the latter illustrious Apostle, or a man of
genius, who left his native island, in the early age of Christianity, as a pagan, and who had been brought to the light of Faith, in a more distant country ; these are questions, around which too much mystery revolves, for the hope ofanyrationalsolution. However,CaiusCseliusSeduliusisstatedtohavebe- come, in early life,^5 the disciple of Hildebertus f^ a most learned Archbishop of the Scots, according to John of Trittenham. ^7 In these statements, he is followed by the generality of writers. ^^ It is likely, Sedulius had a perfect knowledge of the Irish language and literature of the Gentile period, before he left home, and when abroad, he succeeded in acquiring that classic taste and learning, of which he soon became a master. Inflamed with a great desire of making greater proficiency in letters,^? he resolved on leaving his native country of Scotia or Ireland. 3° The inscription of certain commen- taries on the Epistles of St. Paul are reUed on, by some writers, to show that
^9 On this question, the reader is referred
to the accounts of Archbishop Ussher, of
gliam et vScotiam vocant," &c,, cent, xiv. ,
Bibliotheca Bri-
tannico-Hibernica," &c. , p. 659.
^^ See Liber, "De Scriptonbus Ecclesi-
asticis. "
^^
Such as by Aldus Manutius, Lilius Gi- raldus, Sixtus Senensis, Georgius Fabricius, Franciscus Juretus, Jacobus Sirmondus, and Autbertus Miraeus.
^^ See Wills' "Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , part i. , first period, p. 106.
3° After citing the opinion of Stanihurst,
Dr. Hanmer " Sedulius was not observes,
only of Irish birth, but also the light of all Ireland. " He closes this question in the
following quaint and illogical manner: " And to shut up this challenge of all sides, I find that there was a second Sedulius, a man of no lesse fame and learning, and hee is said to bee a Scottish man, theirfore let Ireland being more antient than Scotland take the first, and Scotland the last. " See " Chronicle, of Ireland," p. 95.
Colgan, and of Rev. Dr. Lanigan. ^^ "
num. ix. , p. 187.
^"^ *'
See Ussher's Britannicarum Ecclesi-
arumAntiquitates,"cap. xvi. , p,403.
v. , num. 115, p. 201.
" Antonio remarks, that if Sedulius were
a Spaniard, Isidorus would be likely to
^'^ " See
Bibliotheca Hispana Vetus," &c. , tomus i. , lib. iii. Nicolas Antonio states, that Sedulius, the Poet, is acknowledged by certain writers to have derived his Sootic origin, from Hibernia, while he deserves to be classed among the Spanish writers, cap.
class ibid.
him, among
the
Spanish
writers. See
^3 See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, i. , sect, viii. ,
p.
"
the church of Seanach" or " of St. Seanach. " Although several of this name had been mentioned in the Irish Calendar, Mr. O'Curry was not able to identify any of them with this locality. The old church lies on the townland of Kil- shanny, in a good state of preservation. The admeasurements are then
and that it had been originally spelled Cill-Sheanaigh, />. ,
given, with the fullest details.
There is a large burial-ground attached, and
a "
August, St. Augustine's day. ^
There a
was on the 28th of held,
holy well,"
south-east of it.
"patron"
Article XVI. —Festival of St. Finan, F'innian, Fennia or Findia, Bishop of Moville, County of Down. \Sixth Cenim-y^ A holy bishop, Finan of Maghbile, is entered, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at
the nth of February. He descended from a highly respectable family; for, as we learn, he belonged to the race of Fiatach Finn, Monarch of Enn,
to the
" Naoimhshencas naomh Inis ^ which Fail,"
poem, Finnen,
according
festivals j-^ but, we prefer treating about the particulars of his life, at the loth of September, which seems to have been his chief feast. Under the head of
Magh-Bile, Duald Mac Firbiss enters, Fennian of Magh-Bile, or Fennia, Bishop of Magh-Bile, at February the nth. Findia, Bishop of Magh-Bile,
thus " [of him,]
offair
Maghbile,"
&c. This
says isnowknownas
place
Moville, or Movilla,3 in the parish of Newtownards, barony of Lower Ards, and county of Down. The present date appears to have been one of his
Article XIV. —* Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. XV.
Cluana Iraird," follow the foregoing entry. It is quite evident, however, this is a case of mistaken identity, on the part of the writer.
= " The Saint History of the Saints of Inis Fail. "
Article XV,
—
'
Edited by
Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. XV.
= Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
3 This place is described on the **Ord- 3 The parish of Kilshanny, in the barony nance Survey Townland Maps for the
46, 47.
"
Survey Townland Maps for the County of
•
Clare. " Sheets 8, 10,
*" Letters containing Information re-
lative to the Antiquities of the County of Clare, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839," vol. i. , pp. 307 to 312.
of Corcomroe, is marked on the
Ordnance
County of Down. " Sheet 6.
* See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nice," xviii. Martii. Appendix ad Acta S. Fridiani, cap. ii. , pp. 642, 643.
s gge "Proceedings of the Royal Irish
Academy," Irish MSS. series, vol. i. , part
i. , pp. 120, 121.
"
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 44, 45.
Article xvl—» Edited
Kelly, p. XV. These words, "no Finnain
by
Rev. Dr.
February 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 487
isrecorded,likewise,intheMartyrologyofDonegal,^onthisday. Wealso find, the name of this bishop entered, in the calendar, compiled by the Rev. Dr. Reeves,7 for that particular north-eastern district of Ireland, about which he wrote. The present holy man was one of the most renowned bishops,
in the early ages of Irish Christianity.
Ctoelftl) JBap of jfetiruarp^
ARTICLE I. —ST. SEDULIUS, OR SIADHAL, OR SHEIL,^ BISHOP OF DUBLIN, WITH OTHER HOLY AND LEARNED IRISHMEN, BEARING A SIMILAR NAME.
[FHOM THE FIFTH TO THE NINTH CENTURY. ^
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—ORIGIN OF THE NAME SIADHAL OR SHIEL—SEDULIUS, BISHOP OF DUBLIN—OPINIONS REGARDING HIM—HIS DEATH.
the very remote period of Irish history, and long before the Christian
IN a. m.
era, 3303,
theTuathaDeDanannscameto
Ireland,
andsucceededin
displacingtheFirbolgmonarchs,whoheldswayfroma. m. 3226. ^ Fromthe
latterpeople,manyfamiliesofConnaught,especially,datetheirorigin. ^ By
all writers, the Tuatha De Dananns are admitted to have been a highly in- tellectual race. Although, it has been stated, that no Irish family claims its descent from the latter remarkable colony ; yet, it has been also asserted, there is, at least, one decided exception to this hypothesis, as proved from our native annals and from other sources. 3 We are informed, that the Clan Siadhal or Shell, settled in the county of Antrim from a remote period, is traceablefromtheancientTuathaDeDananns. Fromearliesttimes,that tribe-name is recorded under various grammatical forms and unsettled ortho- graphies. Yet,itmostlyoccurs,inourannals,connectedwiththeprofession of those intellectual and scientific pursuits, for which that people were cele-
"
brated, long after they seemed to
ing the haze of remote antiquity, and intricacies attending this obscure lingual subject, it is thought, our records must bear to light the name and celebrity oftheClanShiel,undervariousdistinguishedforms. Thusthose,whostudy the Irish language, will be able to trace how the initial letters D, and S, used in the earUer forms of this name, come to be aspirated or almost mute--^ In
7 See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of
Down, Connor and Dromore. " Appendix
LL, p. 376.
ARTICLE I. —Chapter i. —'^ See Dr.
O'Donovan's "Annals of tl:ke Four Mas- ters," vol. i. , pp. 12, 13, 16, 17.
^
See Dr. O'Donovan's "Tribes and Customs of Hy-Many," &c. Introductory
acknowledgments to an accomplished lady, and a gifted Irish scholar, Mrs. Barrett of
Bruckless, whose original family name was
Remarks, pp. 85, 86. Also, his
"
from other sources, the writer feels greatly mdebted, while her philological illustrations serve especially to elucidate the present article.
"
^ Thus, writes Mrs. Barrett,
father of Ogham, the inventor of the Ogham writing, is written Sealvagh in a later age. Sirna Saeghlach, son of Dian, Sovereign of
Genea- logics, Tribes and Customs of Hy-Fiach-
Deal Vagh
rach," &c. , p. 350.
3 For some interesting notes on the matter
which follows, the writer has to tender his
disappear from history," Notwithstand-
Shell. For a list of long
distinguished names, culled from the Irish annals and
488 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [Februaryi the case of Siadal, s before / has in Irish the same sound that sh receives in
— hence from Siadal comes Sheil. s In the reign of Cormac Mac Art, we find that when the learned professions were appointed, to various families, that of
; Enghsh while
^aspirated
inthemiddleofawordis
insound equal tojv
medicine was held
Dandnn ^ family. "
by
'' Dia na-h iche " or Diancecht, of " the Tuath Dd
^
tures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History," lect. ii. , pp. 45, 46.
*
For these remarks, Mrs. Barrett is our
^"^
According to the "Martyrology of Donegal. " Drs. Todd's and Reeves' edition, pp. 46, 47. This is also stated by Marianus O'Gorman.
See Professor Eugene O'Curry's "Lee-
bishops of Dublin," p. 24.
'^ Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xv.
'S gee " Acta Sanctorum, "tomusii. , Feb-
ruarii xii. He is found the
among preter-
" Acta Sanctorum Hil)er- copo Dubliniensi, n. I, p. 315.
The Siedhuils or Sheils were remarkable as medical very
doctors, and in course of time, they were scattered through many Irish dis- tricts, while not only in the profession of the healing art, but in other sciences,
were they very renowned. 7 History, theology, poetry, rhetoric, law, eloquence, have in turn received and bestowed gifts, in reference to this in- tellectualfamily; while,inChurchandState,manyoftheirscionshaveshone pre-eminently conspicuous. We find this name, with the letter S as its
initial,
in the
"
word, Saoi, translated,
"a
noble,"
a " a "learned professor,"
a andinvarious —
doctor," applications, becoming Saighal Seanchad,
placed, entering on the subjects and names, which are included in the present article. By an accomplished Irish poet and writer,9 we are told, that Sedulius was but the Latinized form for the Irish name Seidhuil. ^° This, too, is said, by Dr. Lanigan, to be the same as Shiel. "
Among eight especially distinguished Irishmen, bearing this name, and who are noticed by Colgan,^^ St. Sedulius, Bishop of Dublin, comes first in the
order of treatment. Much uncertainty prevails, in consequence of the meagre and unsatisfactory notices left us, regarding this saint, called in Irish Siedhul,^3 and Anglicized Shiel. The simple entry, Siatal, bishop, is met with, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^^ at this date. The Bollandists briefly notice him. '5 Siedhul was son to Luat or Luaith,'^ it is said ; and he was born, probably, about the commencement of the eighth century. He was admitted to holy orders, and he became abbot, at Athcliath, now Dublin. Besides this distinction, he receives, also, the title of bishop, over that see. He is noted, in the Martyrologies of Tallagh, and of Marianus O'Gorman. It is said, that when St. Rumold'7 resigned his see, into the hands of Pope Stephen III. ,^^ this Pontiff" conferred it on Sedulius, who was renowned for his learning and piety. ^9 Harris admits him, as a bishop over Dublin ; but.
man," """"""
h-e^/a na- na d
a historian," Saoi Firdana, a poet Ard Magister is
caib " or " chief master of sciences. " ^ These remarks seem to us not dis-
Ireland, A. M. 4169, is another form. Dia na-h iche, i. e. , the God of healing. Sidhe, their monuments, &c. , bear an affinity to the name. "
s See Very Rev. Canon Ulick J. Bourke's
"Aryan Origin of the Gaelic Race and
Language," &c. , chap, xv. , p. 461.
Chase' being written by Rychard Sheale. " Ibid.
" See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, i. , sect, ix. , n. 69, p. 20.
^ See
ni3C," xii. Februarii. De S. Sedulio Epis- mitted saints, p. 574.
Colgan's
authority.
9 Denis Florence M'Carthy.
^° He remarks, also, respecting this name
" '^
of Shiel, that it is one of which, under any This Sovereign Pontiff reigned from
of its forms, Ireland may well tie proud," A. D. 752 to 757. See Sir Harris Nicolas' "
See Poets and Dramatists of Ireland," vol. "Chronology of History," p. 211. Dr. i. , p. 48. The writer adds, in a note: Lanigan remarks, however, that it would be "England, too, can boast a poet of this hard to find, ^there De Burgo got such in- name. The celebrated ballad of 'Chevey formation.
" See *' Acta Sanctorum liibernise," xii. Februarii, pp. 315 to 326.
'3 See D'Alton's
"
History of the Arch-
^^ See his Life at the 1st of July,
February 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 489
Ware excludes him from his Hst of bishops for this see. =° Dr. Lanigan does
not exactly deny, what he would fain disapprove, that any regular bishop had been appointed before Donatus to preside over Dublin. He admits, how- ever, the possibility of Sedulius having been raised, like other abbots of eminent merit, to episcopal rank, without being attached permanently to any diocese. He doubts not, that Sedulius' promotion might have been a consequence of FerfuguilFs death. This latter was abbot and bishop, at Clondalkin, and he departed this life, on the loth of March, a. d. 785. =^^ Lanigan supposes it probable, that bishops, at least of that denomination, known as chorepiscopi, must have resided in that neighbourhood, to perform certain necessary episcopal functions. Sedulius, he thinks, might have be- longed to such a class. He passed out of life, on the 12 th day of February, A. D. 786. " IntheMartyrologyofDonegal^sisrecorded,onthisday,Siadhal, sonofLuath,BishopofDubhHnn. Heissaidtohavedeparted,a. d. 785. In the table, appended to this work, he is noted as having died, in 789. '^ It must be remarked, that bishop and abbot are terms frequently confounded, in the pages of many, among our monastic writers and annalists f^ since, within their own monasteries and over their own subjects, a superior ecclesi- astical jurisdiction was frequently exercised, by many abbots.
CHAPTER II.
CAIUS C^LIUS SEDULIUS—THE OBSCURITY OF HIS HISTORY—CONTROVERSIES REGARD- ING THE PLACE OF HIS BIRTH—HIS EARLY EDUCATION—THE TIME WHEN HE FLOURISHED—HIS EUROPEAN TRAVELS—RANK HE HELD IN THE CHURCH—HIS GENIUS AS A POET AND THEOLOGIAN—HIS WRITINGS—VARIOUS EDITIONS OF THEM—EULOGIES OF DIFFERENT AUTHORS REGARDING THEM—HIS DEATH.
By far the most renowned Sedulius is he, who is called by some writers,
Caelius, and by others, Caius Ctelius. The greatest incertitude prevails, respecting this Christian poet of the fourth century. ^ Some writers have stated, there is no reliable knowledge, regarding him, or the time when he lived. ^ Among distinguished men of the ancient Church, there is, indeed,
scarcely any, concerning whom, so many questions have been started, or about whom, such a variety of opinions has been held.
Although our national hagiologist, Colgan, introduces some account of this holy man, and truly ingenious writer, with various learned dissertations appended, at the 12th of February ;3 it is admitted,, that the day for his
^5 See De Burgo's "Officia Propria Sane-
"
torum Hibernise.
S. Rumoldi, lect. v. , p. 66,
remarks the date should be 785, according to the Four Masters and Colgan. Trias Thaum. , p. II2, n, 69. See ibid. , pp, 468, 469.
^° In Harris' we Ware, read,
"
nice," xii. Februarii, De S. Sedulio Epis-
death a earlier than here,"
n.
10, p, 315,
See M. le Dr. Hoefer's
placed
i,, Bishops of Ireland, p. 306.
—
Nouvelle Biographic Generale depuis les
^^ March,
Temps les plus recules jusqu'a nos jours," tome xliii. , col, 682.
=^ See " The of Uni- Imperial Dictionary
versal Biography," vol. iii. , p. 944.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum HiberniDe," xii, Febraarii, Vita Venerabilis Sedulii, pp,
316 to 326.
"
vol, i,, sect, cap, XX,,
v,,and
nn.
36, 37, 38,
day
Die Prima Julii officium
" In an an- cient Irish calendar, I find this prelate called Shiel Mac Bait, Bishop of Dublin, a—nd his
Vol,
See some notices of him at the loth of See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
pp. 228, 230,
^3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
46, 47.
^4 This however is an error. Dr, Reeves
^s See Colgau's copo Dubliniensi,
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
Chapter ii. *'
^
490
LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February12.
festival—if such there be—has not yet been decided. It must be observed,
however, that Camerarius, and it is said, others, have placed it, at the 20th of February, and at the 13th of June ;'^ but, as such assertions do not rest
on satisfactory evidence, it is better, j^erhaps, to leave this matter a still open question. The Bollandists have only a few brief notices of this vener-
able man. 5 Notwithstanding the celebrity of Sedulius, his history is very obscure. His place of birth, also, has been disputed ; some considering him to have been a Scotsman,^ and others a Spaniard. 7 Seduliu—s—-called by some writers Csecilius, and by others Caius Coslius Sedulius is said^ to have been a Scot, or an Irishman. Yet Labbe states, that no ancient writer has called him a Scot. ^ However, nearly all writers, who have treated about Caius or C^lius Sedulius, make him a Scot, while many have styled him an Irish Scot. 9 Stanihurst'° declares that he was born in Ireland. Without determining to what country he belonged, Labbe confines himself to showing, that there is no sufficient proof for his having been designated an Irishman, and that he ought to be distinguished from a Sedulius, who was a bishop, in 721, as also from another Sedulius, the commentator on St. Paul's Epistles. " This latter was undoubtedly from Ireland, and he flourished in the ninth century. This may be discovered, from intrinsic evidences, found in his writings, as also, from reliable inscriptions, which have been affixed to some
manuscript copies. "
The first question to be determined is, whether the elder Sedulius was
an Irishman, or belonging to some part of the Continent. '3 Following a crowd of old writers, Ussher^4 and Colgan's have discussed almost every point,relatingtoSedulius. Thesemaintain,thathewasanativeofIreland. '^ Ware^7 and Harris,'^ likewise, adopt such an opinion. Some British Scots have, as usual, put in their claim for Sedulius, on account of His being generally designated by the appellation Scotus or Scotigena. But, it has
< Camerarius adds : "alii diem ejus fes- tum ponant decimo tertio Junii. " Yet, for this statement no authority is quoted.
5 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii,, Feb- ruarii xii. Among the pretermitted saints,
toria Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii,, num. 229, p. 130.
p. 574.
^ *'
Hyberniensis, in omnes Epistolas Pauli CoUectaneum," to be met with in an old codex, belonging
_^ Bale offers such an opinion, in
Scrip- torum lUustrium Majoris Brytannioe, quam nunc Angliam et Scotiam vocant," cent.
to Fulda,
'^ Dr. Lanigan very satisfactorily discusses this question concerning Sedulius' birth, as being referable to Ireland. See " Ecclesi-
xiv. , num. ix. , p. 187.
7 Damianus a Goes, a Portugese knight,
is quoted by Dr. Hanmer, as an authority
" 8"
for this statement. See land," p. 92.
Chronicle of Ire-
astical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, i. , sect, viii. , and notes, pp. 1 7 to 21.
See his historic dissertation, postfixed to Cardinal Bellarmine's account of Cajus
Ccelms Sedulius, Presbyter Scotus. "Ope-
De Scriptoribus
'"See Britannicarum Ecclesiarum An-
tiquitates," cap. xvi. , pp. 402 to 408.
'S See the Life of Sedulius, at the xii. of
February. j,
rum," tomus septimus. Ecclesiasticis, p. 149.
'^ inan be"
By Bishop Tanner, too, he is said to
—" edition of their Bibliotheca Sanctorum tannico-Hibernica : sive de
5Thusthe
Cologne theologians, "
patria Hibernus. "
Bibliotheca Bri-
"
Scotus Hiberniensis. " Dempster takes them to task, however, for this assumed mistake, by asserting, there is no evidence for their statement, nor was there any use of the latter term, in the en- lightened period when Sedulius flourished ; but, that it was afterwards framed to dis-
Scriptoribus, qui in Anglia, Scotia, et Hibernia ad saeculi xvii. initium floruerunt literarum ordine juxta familiarum nomina dispositis, com-
mentarius," p. 659.
'7 See " De Scriptoribus Hibernian," lib.
i. , cap. i. , p. 4.
'"See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , "The
Patrum," call him
tinguish the Scottish mountaineers and Writers of Ireland," book i. , chap, ii,, p. backwoodsmen from those dwelling in the 7.
mid-sea and lowland regions. See "His-
'°
In his historical work.
" See " De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis," tomus ii.
" Such as, " Sedulii Scoti
February 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 491
been almost universally admitted, that, if he were a Scot at all, he must have been an Irish one. Even, in those very passages, from which his Scottish origin is deduced, Sedulius is called, not merely Scotus, but, likewise, Scotus
"^^
Still,
the Spanish writers, F. Bivarius, and Nicholas Antonio,^" incline, with many
of their countrymen, to the generally received opinion of Sedulius having
Hyberniensis. ^9 Other writers have said, that he was a Spaniard.
been an Irishman. ^"^ Some writers have thrown out, as a mere
conjecture,
that he was a native of ^^3 Amid these doubts and and while Italy. disputes,
nothing is adduced to overturn the assertion that he was an Irish Scot, another argument occurs, which has been overlooked by Ussher, and by most writers. This is derived from the name Sedulius, one which is quite common in Ireland. ^-^ It is written in Irish Siedhuil ; we may suppose, the same as Shiel. Colgan reckons eight eminent men of that name, known in Irish history. Except in the case of this poet. Dr. Lanigan believes, no single instance can be traced of so old a name, disguised in an existing form, in any other country, and found in a Latinized shape, so early as
the fifth century.
Whether the pious and elegant scholar, of whom we are now to treat, had
been one of the Scots, believing in Christ, before the arrival of St. Patrick, or one of those converts made by the latter illustrious Apostle, or a man of
genius, who left his native island, in the early age of Christianity, as a pagan, and who had been brought to the light of Faith, in a more distant country ; these are questions, around which too much mystery revolves, for the hope ofanyrationalsolution. However,CaiusCseliusSeduliusisstatedtohavebe- come, in early life,^5 the disciple of Hildebertus f^ a most learned Archbishop of the Scots, according to John of Trittenham. ^7 In these statements, he is followed by the generality of writers. ^^ It is likely, Sedulius had a perfect knowledge of the Irish language and literature of the Gentile period, before he left home, and when abroad, he succeeded in acquiring that classic taste and learning, of which he soon became a master. Inflamed with a great desire of making greater proficiency in letters,^? he resolved on leaving his native country of Scotia or Ireland. 3° The inscription of certain commen- taries on the Epistles of St. Paul are reUed on, by some writers, to show that
^9 On this question, the reader is referred
to the accounts of Archbishop Ussher, of
gliam et vScotiam vocant," &c,, cent, xiv. ,
Bibliotheca Bri-
tannico-Hibernica," &c. , p. 659.
^^ See Liber, "De Scriptonbus Ecclesi-
asticis. "
^^
Such as by Aldus Manutius, Lilius Gi- raldus, Sixtus Senensis, Georgius Fabricius, Franciscus Juretus, Jacobus Sirmondus, and Autbertus Miraeus.
^^ See Wills' "Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , part i. , first period, p. 106.
3° After citing the opinion of Stanihurst,
Dr. Hanmer " Sedulius was not observes,
only of Irish birth, but also the light of all Ireland. " He closes this question in the
following quaint and illogical manner: " And to shut up this challenge of all sides, I find that there was a second Sedulius, a man of no lesse fame and learning, and hee is said to bee a Scottish man, theirfore let Ireland being more antient than Scotland take the first, and Scotland the last. " See " Chronicle, of Ireland," p. 95.
Colgan, and of Rev. Dr. Lanigan. ^^ "
num. ix. , p. 187.
^"^ *'
See Ussher's Britannicarum Ecclesi-
arumAntiquitates,"cap. xvi. , p,403.
v. , num. 115, p. 201.
" Antonio remarks, that if Sedulius were
a Spaniard, Isidorus would be likely to
^'^ " See
Bibliotheca Hispana Vetus," &c. , tomus i. , lib. iii. Nicolas Antonio states, that Sedulius, the Poet, is acknowledged by certain writers to have derived his Sootic origin, from Hibernia, while he deserves to be classed among the Spanish writers, cap.
class ibid.
him, among
the
Spanish
writers. See
^3 See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, i. , sect, viii. ,
p.
