Senani, Inis-catha, among the Manuscripts,^*^ now
preserved
in the Franciscan Convent, Dublin.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
SENAN, OR SENANUS, BISHOP AND ABBOT OF INIS- CATTERY, COUNTY OF CLARE.
\_FIFTH AND SIXTH CENTURIES. ]
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—MANUSCRIPT AND PUBLISHED AUTHORITIES FOR ST. SENAN'S ACTS— HIS BIRTH AND FUTURE GREATNESS, FORETOLD BY ST. PATRICK—HIS PARENTAGE AND NATIVITY—ANECDOTES OF HIS YOUTH—VOCATION FOR THE RELIGIOUS STATE —HE STUDIES UNDER THE ABBOT CASSIDUS OR CASSIDANUS.
the Gospel of Christ has been proclaimed for many cen-
the world is ALTHOUGH
in a
large proportion,
heathen.
t
idolaters ; but, mainly by the spread and migration of those races, whose conversionwascompleted,intheearlycenturiesoftheChurch. Converts are made here and there, in our own time ; and, occasionally, whole tribes and communities of heathens, are brought over to the true faith, by apostolic men. Yet, nowhere, perhaps, do we find such wonderful and great results effected, in this providential way, as had been, through the zealous labours of our ancient Irish saints.
The sources, from which we purpose giving the Acts of the present holy man, are derived from a variety of Manuscripts, copies of which are yet extant, and some of these have been published. Thus, Colgan^ and the Bollandists^ have issued two of the chief Acts, which are intermingled with muchlegendarymatter. Besides,therearespecialbiographicalaccountsofthis illustrious abbot : thus, Albert le Grand,3 Bishop Challenor,-* Rev. Alban
Article ix. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. while, an Appendix, in Latin, gives the ex-
uri
es,
Christianity
still,
is, indeed, still making advances, and still spreading, among benighted
Kelly, p. xvii. —Chapter —' " Article i. i. See Acta
chapters, pp. 537 to 540 {rec/e).
= See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. ,
Martii viii. De Sancto Senano Episcopo et Abbate in Hibernia. A previous commen- lary, in ten paragraphs, is prefixed to the
same Acts, which Colgan had already pub- lished ; special notes are added to their text ;
tracts, from Albert le Grand's notices of St.
Senan, pp. 760 to 779.
3 See "Les Vies des Saints de la Bre-
tagne Armorique, avec un ample Catalogue des Evesques d'icelle. " By this writer, St. Senan is called St. Sane, in French; he being considered one, among the chief patrons of St. Pol de Leon diocese. This Life was chiefly compiled, from the nine Lessons of the Leon Breviary, and from monuments or acts of Iniscathy Church, in Ireland, which, we are told, had been dedi- cated to the Blessed Virgin. St. Sane is called the Patron of Plausensis and of Guic- Sanensis churches, in this work, and, he is said to have died, about the year 480. But, Colgan remarks, that as he had not seen the
Sanctorum HiberniK," Martii viii.
Vita S. Senani Episcopi et Confessoris. Ex Vetusto Codice Kilkenniensi collato cum alio Sal- maticensi, pp. 512 to 525 (? r<r/(»), with notes. Secunda Vita, sive Supplementum Vitro S. Senani. Ex Hibernico transumptum, pp. 526 to 537 (rccte), with notes. Then follows an Appendix ad Vitam S. Senani, in six
March 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 211
Butler,5 and Rev. S. Baring-Gould^ have their respective accounts of him.
There is an Enghsh translation, by John Lloyd, of an Irish Life of St. Senan
of Scattery Island, with poems on his miracles, conversations and prophecies,
in the Royal Irish Academy collection. 7 The Metrical Life of St. Senan,^
together with the second prose Life,9 called a supplement to the former, by Colgan, are the most accessible authorities we are able to find. These are
further illustrated, by the judicious remarks of more recent Irish historian? , and writers. The Metrical Life of St. Senan was taken'° from an old parch- ment Manuscript, called the Codex Kilkenniensis ; having been collated with a Salamancan copy. In this latter were wanting stanzas, from the sixth chapter or series of verses, to the twentieth. " Even, in the Codex Kilkenni- ensis, after the thirteenth chapter or series, Colgan is of opinion, that a leaf at least is wanting ; and, as a matter of course, a lacuna occurs, in the Metri- calLife,aspublished. " Itsauthorispraised,however,forhisexactitude. '3 Besides the Metrical Life, Colgan had in his possession another biography of our saint, and written in Irish. ^'^ It belonged to a Leinster gentleman, called WilliamDeorodan,orDerodan. 'S Thismanuscriptwasmorelengthyand copious than the other ; but, it appears to have been interpolated, by some
lessons of this Leon Breviary, nor learned what these churches of Armoric Britain
" He refers to notes 10 and i6, for proof of this assertion ; but the^e, no doubt, are tical with St. Senan of Iniscathy, more errors of the press, as in neither of the pub-
observed, regarding their patron, he could not decide whether their St. Sane was iden-
especially, as there were many other saints, bearing this latter name, in Ireland, differ- ing in point of time and dignity, from the subject of our memoir. In any case, if St. Sane be not different from St. Senan of Inis- cathy, he must have lived to a period, much
*'
later than a. d. 480. See Colgan's Acta
Sanctorum Hibernise," viii. Martii. Vita Metrica S. Senani, n, I, p. 228, rede 524.
* See "Britannia Sancta," part i. , pp. 163 to 166.
5 See " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and other principal Saints," vol. iii. , March viii.
* See "Lives of the Saints," vol. iii. , pp.
159 to 163.
7 Among the Messrs. Hodges and Smith
MSS. No. 9. A small 4to paper MS. It likewise has poems on other saints.
® Although occasionally a defective measure may be found, in some lines, yet this occurs very rarely ; while the Latin is evidently formed on classic models, and the phraseology by no means assumes a rude cast.
5 As published by Colgan and the Bollan- dists. The former we shall have frequent occasion to quote as the First or Metrical Life, and the latter as the Second or Prose Life. The paging, as corrected f—rom the printer's mistakes, —has reference unless otherwiseexpressed toColgan'swork.
'" By Colgan.
" To me, the author appears to have been conversant with local features of the country around Iniscattery ; and, it might not be
improbable, that he was a monk belonging to the monastery there established. That he lived many centuries ago appears from
lished Lives do we find corresponding notes, referring to his present statement. The notes, which he really seems to have re- ferred to, are numbered 20 and 21, in the Metrical Life.
'3 St. Colman, son of Lenin, also wrote our saint's Acts, in verse ; and, reference is made to one of his narratives, in the Supple- mental or Second Life, which Colgan has published.
'• The Manuscript, sometimes called Codex Kilkenniensis, iDelonging to Marsh's Library, Dublin, has a Vita S. Senani, fol. 77 to 80.
'S Probably, it was the copy of a small translated pamphlet, intituled, "The Life, Miracles, and Prophetical Predictions of the Blessed St. Senan, Bishop of Inniscahy, first written by Odranus, successor to St. Senan in the Bishoprick, and now faithfully translated out of the original Irish into English, by M. G. , 1689. " The edition, which I have seen, purports to be issued at Limerick ; George M, Goggin, Printer, 34 George's-street, a. d. 1848. It has 36 pages closely printed in i8mo. This little chap- book is divided into six chapters. The nar- ratives contained in it, although agreeing in various particulars, with those published by Colgan, yet, in other respects, materially differ. The last chapter professes to treat on the last Will and Testament of this saint. As a conclusion, we find some dog- grel English metrical lines, which contain certain predictions, began with a colloquy between St, Senan and St. Comgallus cf Banagher, and in shape of a Dialogue. Then follows a colloquy, between St. Senan and St. Brandon of Birr, in the same style.
this fact, of Iniscatthy Church, in his day, not having lost its episcopal character.
212 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 8.
ignorant transcriber, who undertook the insertion of a iew particulars, shadowing forth his own erroneous impressions, or inventions. ^^ On this account, and for the sake of brevity, Colgan would not translate this entire Life into Latin, especially as he had not a correct copy of it. '? But, as several chapters were to be found in this Irish MS. , and as the latter threw additional light on many circumstances, more obscurely related in the former, besides serving to illustrate the antiquities of the country, he deemed it right to present that portion, which he has published. '^ In addition to the fore- going, to which he refers, in different notes subjoined, Colgan gives an Ap- pendix to St. Senan's Life ; in which he treats, regarding various writers of his Acts, and of those who refer to him, in their works. The learned Irish hagiologist tells us, that, in addition to St. Senan's Irish Life, he found some
verses, in a manuscript, belonging to Iniscathy j but, which he did not con- sider worth the trouble of translating, because these were the production of a
modern pen. Besides, they abounded in fables, and were even badly written. '9
Among the O'Longan Manuscripts,^" preserved in the Royal Irish Academy's collection, Dublin, are various copies of St. Senan's Life. One of these begins, with the words, " Mirabilis Deus in Sanctis," &c. , which shows, it must have been distinct from his published Acts. ^' This, it is sup- posed,"^ had been transcribed from the Book of Lismore. =3 Again, the folio
These supposed predictions are evidently clumsy and comparatively modern fabrica- tions.
'*
found one, referring to a friendship, said to have existed, between our saint and the Blessed Martin of Tours, with assistance, which this latter is said to have rendered St. Senan, during his last agony. But, the falsity of this supposition is apparent. St. Martin died in the year 367, according to St. Gregory of Tours ; or, in the year 402, according to Sulpicius Severus. See the latter data, agreed to by Baronius, in his notes on the Roman Martyrology, at the lith of November. St. Senan was not born for many years subsequent to 432, when St. Patrick hrst came to Ireland ; for, after this period, our Irish Apostle had predicted this saint's future birth. This should also appear, from the names of those Irish saints, who are said in his Life to have been contempo- raneous with him, such as, Kieran of Clon- macnoise, Brendan of Birr, Deirmit of Inis Clothran, &c. Hence, our saint must have flourished in the sixth century.
'* See
Colgan's
niae," viii. Martii, p. 611 {nrte 525). Vita Metrica S. Senani, n. 21, and Secunda Vita
S. Senani, n. i, p. 539 (n-cle 535). Hence- forth, it must be understood, while referring to the Lives of St. Senan, that in citing Colgan's pages, the numbers have been cor-
rected. Unfortunately, not only in this portion of his work, but almost, if not alto- gether, throughout the remainder of his volume, the paging is erroneous. Yet, to correct these errors, in other places, might
entirely mislead the reader, by giving more particular references.
'9 Our Irish hagiologist adds a note, for Among these interpolations is to be. the instances which he furnishes, in support
'7 See the Metrical Life, n. 21, p. 525 {recte).
of this position. Thus, it is absurdly stated, that St. Senan had no less than fifty-six brothers, all of whom were saints : his mother is sometimes called Finnmathia, the daughter of Beodan, and sometimes she is called Cumaina, the daughter of Dalbro- nius : among her holy sons are named Mo- lassius, Carthage or Mochudda, Grellan, Ruan, Cronan, Mochiamoc, Mochua, Camin, Caimgin, Colman Macduach, Uasu- anach, Luctigem, Maccretius, Mainchin of Limerick, and many others, if not belonging to a different father, at least respectively re- moved by race and period. Colgan shows, that not only do such statements conflict, with the most genuine Acts of St. Senan ; but, they are even repugnant to other accounts, histories and saints' Acts, as also to reason itself. He then refers more in detail to those saints enumerated, and to their paternal and maternal parentage, ac- cordingto their respective Lives, and . Angus's tract, lib. iv. See note 37, postfixed to the Second Life, p, 537.
" Acta Sanctoram Hiber-
*° See vol. viii. of this to 149.
collection, pp. 123
'^
Life commences with the foregoing words.
-''
By Professor Eugene O'Curry, in his I Manuscript Catalogue.
^^ It is described, by the copyist, as an old vellum book, written as was thought 800 years, before his time. In it are the Lives of Patrick, of Colum Cille, of Bridget of Kil- dare, of Ciaran of Clonmacnois, of Fionn- chu of Brigobhoun, of Finen of Clonard, of
Neither the Metrical, nor the Prose,
March 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 213
paper MS. in the R. I. x\. , No. 39, b. , contains an Irish Life of St. Senan, of ScatteryIsland. TheBodleianLibrary,atOxford,hastheActsofthissaint,^'' and they are found also in Irish, among the Stowe Manuscripts. ^5 There is a Vita S.
Senani, Inis-catha, among the Manuscripts,^*^ now preserved in the Franciscan Convent, Dublin. Among the Irish MSS. of Michael O'Clery, preserved in the Burgundian Library, at Bruxelles, is a fragment of St. Senan's Life, while there are Poems of Dellanus, upon this saint. ^? Besides, other copies of Senan's Acts are in the Burgundian Library, at Bruxelles. ''^
In our saint's second Life, we are told, when St. Patrick^? came to preach
the Faith of Christ, in that part of the country, called Hy-Fidhgente,3° he predictedthefuturebirthandgreatnessofSt. Senan. Thisterritorywasin- habited by a tribe, from which its name had been derived. The Shannon is said to have been its northern boundary, and Sliabh Luachra confined it, on thesouth; eastward,theRiverMaigueandtheMorningStarRiverran,and on the west, the County of Kerry formed its boundary. ^' While St. Patrick brought over many from the errors of idolatry, in this part of the country,32 ^ report of his extraordinary success and great virtues circulated amongst the people of Corcobaschind,33 in Clare County, on the northern bank of the Shannon. The people of this territory,34 with their prince, felt a most earnest
and from Kerry to Limerick, according to
John O'Donovan, Thus, Bruree parish is
situated, partly in Coshma barony, and
partly in that of Upper Connello, in the
county of Limerick ; and, its name was
derived from a Fort, in which the King of
Hy-Figeinte resided, and near which the original parish church of Bruree had been
See Sir Thomas Dufifus " which Hardy's Descrip- righ,
Brenuinn, son of Finlough, of Mochua, &c.
Devonshire. It is a paper transcript, 8vo. ,
xix. Cent. It is in MS. Phillips, 10294. siastical in origin ; but, it is called Brugli-
See p. 149. — *• Thus described :
Vita S. Senani Insy Gathi MS. Bodl. Rawl. B. 505 , pp. 223, 231, veil. fol. xiv. Cent. A similar Life is found in MS. Bodl. Rawl. B. 485, f. 249, veil. 4to. xiv. cent. There is also a Life of St. Senan, a MS. , belonging to the Duke of
" the fort of the
tive Catalogue of Materials relating to the or Burgum regis, in Latin. In all the
History of Great Britain and Ireland," vol.
i. , part i. , pp. 125, 126. —
ancient Irish histories, it is celebrated, as a chief seat of the senior representatives of
^5 It is thus described
Vita S.
Fiacha who assumed the Figeinte,
surname,
Senani, transcribed by Donall O'Duinin, MS. Stowe
36, s. 244 to 287, 4to paper. See Stowe Catalogue," p. 162.
3' See Dr. O' Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters," vol. v. , n. 6, p. 1580. The
3^ Colgan makes Hy-Fidhgente a part of Kerry County, and he refers to the Life of
St. Molua, who belonged to the country, in-
habited " Fidhgente. " It is said by nepotes
to have been situated, "in media planitie Mummonise, usque ad medium montis Lua- chrre in Occidente ad Australem plagam
"
^* In the large folio paper MS. intituled,
" When Brian Borumha was
Vitae Sanctorum," ex Codice Inisensi, pp. 244 to 250.
*' A folio MS. Collectanea, classed Vol.
viii. . No. 3201, contains a Life of St. Senan,
taken from the Irish Manuscript of the
Jesuit Salamancan College, and collated
with a MS. belonging to R. P. Ward ;
while, there is also a long Poem, and a
to this saint. In Vol. xxii. , containing Nos.
7672, 7673, 7674, there is a Vita S. Senani,
fol. 186.
="8
=*» See his Life, at the 17th of March.
30 The country of the Hy-Figeinte em- braced the greater and better part of the county of Limerick ; it extended from the Shannon to the middle of Slieve Loughra,
belonging to Trinity College, Dublin, classed E. 2, 14 ; namely, from Inishmore in the
:
placed. Hence, then, its name is not eccle-
signifies,
king,"
O'Donovan, after the reign of Brian Boru. ""
Hymn
In a MS. Vol. iv. part ii. there is an fluminis Sinna. "—" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Irish Life of St. Senan, p. 118 ; an account niae," viii. Martii, n. 3, p. 535.
of the miracles wrought after death through 33 It is divided into two districts, East and St. Senan, p. 233 ; and different poems West. Every Irish authority places Corco- attributed to St. Senan, St. Brendan and
others in Irish, p. 142. These were tran-
scribed, by Michael O'Clery, from older
MSS.
"
exact extent is given in a description of the
editor adds
King of Munster, Donovan, the ancestor of the O'Donovan family, was chief of all this territory, but his descendants were driven from it shortly after the English invasion. "
:
Bhaiscinn in the west of Thomond, and its
county of Clare, preserved in a manuscript,
mouth of the River Feargus, to Loophead,
and from the Shannon, to the boundary of
Hy-Brickan.
3* It was formerly conterminous with the
214 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [March 8.
desire to welcome the messenger of Heaven, and their hearts were already- prepared to receive Gospel truths. Having provided a great number of
boats, they passed over the Shannon, at a place, called Donoghmore, a parish church, in Limerick diocese. 35 At this time, the shades of evening had set in, and the saint felt fatigued with instructions he had already given, and baptisms he had performed, for his neophytes. The people of Corco- baschinds^ presented themselves to him, and earnestly besought him to visit their part of the country, that they might be directed in the way of life, and instructed in Catholic doctrine. 37 St. Patrick told them, that on the follow- ing morning, he would give an answer to their petition. Alleging the defence- less state, in which their ships and territory had been left, they most earnestly urged him, not to delay, in complying with their request. The saint assented. Having expounded the dogmas of faith to them, at some length, and finding corresponding dispositions in their souls, he baptized them in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, and in waters of the adjoining river. Having made them living members of Christ's mystical body, he imparted his benediction to them, likewise, while invoking prosperity and fertility on their country. But, the Corcabaschind people, not satisfied with receiving Christian baptism themselves, requested the saint, that he would come as soon as possible to their country, so that their wives, children and servants might enjoy a like inestimable privilege. The saint excused himself this time, alleging as a
reason for not complying with their request, the number of clerics and people, who were in his train, and who usually followed him to receive instruction, on points of doctrine, and relative to their spiritual advancement. He promised, however, to avail himself of a more favourable opportunity, for satisfying their desires. To these objections, they answered, that means, for conveying himself and all his companions across that part of the Shannon, had
present baronies of Ibrickan, Moyarta and about two miles south-east of Limerick city. Clonderalaw. The original extent of the It contains a church in ruins, near the
country of Corca-Bhaiscinn is still preserved in the Ecclesiastical division, which is the best guide to follow, in ascertaining the original limits of this great tribal district,
which was circumscribed, from time to time, by the encroachment of the O'Briens, and of their correlatives. The " Liber Regalis
modern Catholic chapel.
^6 AH the Irish genealogists and historians
agree, that the country of CorcoBhaiscinn, in the west of Thomond, derived its appellation from the descendants of Cairbre Bascain, son of Conary the Great (the 122nd Monarch of Ireland) and brother of Cairbre Riada, the
"
Visitationis places the following parishes ancestor of the Dalriads of Scotland ; for
in the deanery of Corca-Vaskin, Barony of Core, when thus prefixed to the name or cog- Islands : I. Cionedagad, Barony of Clon- nomen of an ancestor, always signifies, pro- deralaw. 2. Kilchrist. 3. Disert Murhurly geny, race or offspring, and it is nearly
[Kildysart]. 4. Kilfeddan. 5. Killafin. synonymous with clann, cinel, or sliocht.
map of the county of Clare, preserved among the Ordnance Survey Records, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, we find, that the territo- ries of East and West Corcabaschind com- prised the south-western portion of that county. This map is now bound up in the volume "Letters and Extracts relative to Ancient Territories in Thomond, 1841. "
6. Kilmurry and Clonderclagh, Barony of
Ibrickan. 7. Killarda [Killard], Barony of
Clonderalaw. 8. Killimure [Killimer]. 9.
Kilmichill, Barony of Moyarta. 10. Kil- Mahon O'Brien conquered them. See macduane. 11. Kilrush. 12. Kilferigh. "Letters and Extracts relative to Ancient 13. Kilballihone, Barony of Ibrickan. 14. Territories in Thomond, 1841. " Ordnance Kilmurry. 15. Kilfarboy, Barony of Moy- Survey, sects, iv. and v. Corca Bhaiscin, arta. 16. Moifartach. There can be no East and West, p. 25. ^Yritten by John doubt, that the original country of Corca-
Bhaiscinn comprised these sixteen parishes and, this fact being discovered, the extent of the territory adjoining it, to the east, be- comes as clear as daylight. See Mr.
O'Donovan, in 1841.
'^^ According to Mr. O'Donovan's ancient
O'Donovan's
"
;
Ancient Territories in Tho-
mond," Signed "J. O'D," February 13th, 1841. "Letters and Extracts, relative to Ancient Territories in Thomond, 1841," pp. 25 to 44.
33 There is a parish, named Donoghmore,
^s The Tripartite Life of St. Patrick
The descendants of this Carbry Bascain in- habited this district, and were its chiefs, until the nth century, when the descendants of
March 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 215
been provided. At last, St. Patrick relieved himself from their importunities, by saying, that he could not go with them, until he had more fully instructed those people of the country, where he then preached, in the mysteries of
faith, and until he had built churches, and provided good pastors for them. He enquired, however, if there was any elevated place near him, from which he could obtain a view of their country. ^^ When conducted to a mountain, called Findinne,39 which he ascended, he obtained a view of the boundaries of Corcobaschind, towards the North and East. He then predicted, that in course of time, their bounds should be enlarged, on the East, as far as the mountain Echtge,-*" and on the North, to another, which he pointed out in Corcomroe. Afterthis,seeinginthefuture,theirstateandtheirpatron,St. Patrick said to those, who were present, and to the inhabitants of that
"
There is no reason why I should visit your territory in person, since God hath provided an illustrious and a be- loved patron, who will be born among you. For, a being, loved by God and man, shall spring from your race, while from his infancy, he shall be enriched with Divine graces. His name shall be Senan. As to a protector and patron, you shall not alone look upon him, but the people of Hy-Fidhgente shall also regard him. 'H When, with due honour and reverence, you invoke him, all things shall succeed prosperously with you. However, should you fail in this respect, your prosperity must end, and your lands shall cease to be fertile ; famine will come upon you, and your children shall bear a foreign yoke. He shall extirpate the huge monster, so hostile to you, which exists on the island opposite, and lying between yourselves and the people of Hy-Fidh- gente. This island shall afterwards be inhabited, by Senan and by his monks. But, until this son of light begin to shine among you, with the brightness of his sanctity and doctrine, I will send some of my disciples, who shall wash the remainder of your people in the waters of regeneration, and who shall not
42 saint sent
Then the — his two
country, showing in the distance :
in the doctrines of Faith. "
disciples, named Maculatus, a Priest, and Latius, a Deacon^^ who were
fail to instruct
you,
states, that St. Patrick, when he came to the district of Tuamonia, from the top of a mountain, called Fintine, near Domnach-
and Extracts relative to Ancient Territories in Tliomond, 1841," Signed "J. O'D. , February 13th, 1841," p. 71.
" S. Senanum Gerrchinnio Dubtacii filio natum, post annos aliquot nas- cendum," &c.
\_FIFTH AND SIXTH CENTURIES. ]
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—MANUSCRIPT AND PUBLISHED AUTHORITIES FOR ST. SENAN'S ACTS— HIS BIRTH AND FUTURE GREATNESS, FORETOLD BY ST. PATRICK—HIS PARENTAGE AND NATIVITY—ANECDOTES OF HIS YOUTH—VOCATION FOR THE RELIGIOUS STATE —HE STUDIES UNDER THE ABBOT CASSIDUS OR CASSIDANUS.
the Gospel of Christ has been proclaimed for many cen-
the world is ALTHOUGH
in a
large proportion,
heathen.
t
idolaters ; but, mainly by the spread and migration of those races, whose conversionwascompleted,intheearlycenturiesoftheChurch. Converts are made here and there, in our own time ; and, occasionally, whole tribes and communities of heathens, are brought over to the true faith, by apostolic men. Yet, nowhere, perhaps, do we find such wonderful and great results effected, in this providential way, as had been, through the zealous labours of our ancient Irish saints.
The sources, from which we purpose giving the Acts of the present holy man, are derived from a variety of Manuscripts, copies of which are yet extant, and some of these have been published. Thus, Colgan^ and the Bollandists^ have issued two of the chief Acts, which are intermingled with muchlegendarymatter. Besides,therearespecialbiographicalaccountsofthis illustrious abbot : thus, Albert le Grand,3 Bishop Challenor,-* Rev. Alban
Article ix. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. while, an Appendix, in Latin, gives the ex-
uri
es,
Christianity
still,
is, indeed, still making advances, and still spreading, among benighted
Kelly, p. xvii. —Chapter —' " Article i. i. See Acta
chapters, pp. 537 to 540 {rec/e).
= See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. ,
Martii viii. De Sancto Senano Episcopo et Abbate in Hibernia. A previous commen- lary, in ten paragraphs, is prefixed to the
same Acts, which Colgan had already pub- lished ; special notes are added to their text ;
tracts, from Albert le Grand's notices of St.
Senan, pp. 760 to 779.
3 See "Les Vies des Saints de la Bre-
tagne Armorique, avec un ample Catalogue des Evesques d'icelle. " By this writer, St. Senan is called St. Sane, in French; he being considered one, among the chief patrons of St. Pol de Leon diocese. This Life was chiefly compiled, from the nine Lessons of the Leon Breviary, and from monuments or acts of Iniscathy Church, in Ireland, which, we are told, had been dedi- cated to the Blessed Virgin. St. Sane is called the Patron of Plausensis and of Guic- Sanensis churches, in this work, and, he is said to have died, about the year 480. But, Colgan remarks, that as he had not seen the
Sanctorum HiberniK," Martii viii.
Vita S. Senani Episcopi et Confessoris. Ex Vetusto Codice Kilkenniensi collato cum alio Sal- maticensi, pp. 512 to 525 (? r<r/(»), with notes. Secunda Vita, sive Supplementum Vitro S. Senani. Ex Hibernico transumptum, pp. 526 to 537 (rccte), with notes. Then follows an Appendix ad Vitam S. Senani, in six
March 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 211
Butler,5 and Rev. S. Baring-Gould^ have their respective accounts of him.
There is an Enghsh translation, by John Lloyd, of an Irish Life of St. Senan
of Scattery Island, with poems on his miracles, conversations and prophecies,
in the Royal Irish Academy collection. 7 The Metrical Life of St. Senan,^
together with the second prose Life,9 called a supplement to the former, by Colgan, are the most accessible authorities we are able to find. These are
further illustrated, by the judicious remarks of more recent Irish historian? , and writers. The Metrical Life of St. Senan was taken'° from an old parch- ment Manuscript, called the Codex Kilkenniensis ; having been collated with a Salamancan copy. In this latter were wanting stanzas, from the sixth chapter or series of verses, to the twentieth. " Even, in the Codex Kilkenni- ensis, after the thirteenth chapter or series, Colgan is of opinion, that a leaf at least is wanting ; and, as a matter of course, a lacuna occurs, in the Metri- calLife,aspublished. " Itsauthorispraised,however,forhisexactitude. '3 Besides the Metrical Life, Colgan had in his possession another biography of our saint, and written in Irish. ^'^ It belonged to a Leinster gentleman, called WilliamDeorodan,orDerodan. 'S Thismanuscriptwasmorelengthyand copious than the other ; but, it appears to have been interpolated, by some
lessons of this Leon Breviary, nor learned what these churches of Armoric Britain
" He refers to notes 10 and i6, for proof of this assertion ; but the^e, no doubt, are tical with St. Senan of Iniscathy, more errors of the press, as in neither of the pub-
observed, regarding their patron, he could not decide whether their St. Sane was iden-
especially, as there were many other saints, bearing this latter name, in Ireland, differ- ing in point of time and dignity, from the subject of our memoir. In any case, if St. Sane be not different from St. Senan of Inis- cathy, he must have lived to a period, much
*'
later than a. d. 480. See Colgan's Acta
Sanctorum Hibernise," viii. Martii. Vita Metrica S. Senani, n, I, p. 228, rede 524.
* See "Britannia Sancta," part i. , pp. 163 to 166.
5 See " Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and other principal Saints," vol. iii. , March viii.
* See "Lives of the Saints," vol. iii. , pp.
159 to 163.
7 Among the Messrs. Hodges and Smith
MSS. No. 9. A small 4to paper MS. It likewise has poems on other saints.
® Although occasionally a defective measure may be found, in some lines, yet this occurs very rarely ; while the Latin is evidently formed on classic models, and the phraseology by no means assumes a rude cast.
5 As published by Colgan and the Bollan- dists. The former we shall have frequent occasion to quote as the First or Metrical Life, and the latter as the Second or Prose Life. The paging, as corrected f—rom the printer's mistakes, —has reference unless otherwiseexpressed toColgan'swork.
'" By Colgan.
" To me, the author appears to have been conversant with local features of the country around Iniscattery ; and, it might not be
improbable, that he was a monk belonging to the monastery there established. That he lived many centuries ago appears from
lished Lives do we find corresponding notes, referring to his present statement. The notes, which he really seems to have re- ferred to, are numbered 20 and 21, in the Metrical Life.
'3 St. Colman, son of Lenin, also wrote our saint's Acts, in verse ; and, reference is made to one of his narratives, in the Supple- mental or Second Life, which Colgan has published.
'• The Manuscript, sometimes called Codex Kilkenniensis, iDelonging to Marsh's Library, Dublin, has a Vita S. Senani, fol. 77 to 80.
'S Probably, it was the copy of a small translated pamphlet, intituled, "The Life, Miracles, and Prophetical Predictions of the Blessed St. Senan, Bishop of Inniscahy, first written by Odranus, successor to St. Senan in the Bishoprick, and now faithfully translated out of the original Irish into English, by M. G. , 1689. " The edition, which I have seen, purports to be issued at Limerick ; George M, Goggin, Printer, 34 George's-street, a. d. 1848. It has 36 pages closely printed in i8mo. This little chap- book is divided into six chapters. The nar- ratives contained in it, although agreeing in various particulars, with those published by Colgan, yet, in other respects, materially differ. The last chapter professes to treat on the last Will and Testament of this saint. As a conclusion, we find some dog- grel English metrical lines, which contain certain predictions, began with a colloquy between St, Senan and St. Comgallus cf Banagher, and in shape of a Dialogue. Then follows a colloquy, between St. Senan and St. Brandon of Birr, in the same style.
this fact, of Iniscatthy Church, in his day, not having lost its episcopal character.
212 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 8.
ignorant transcriber, who undertook the insertion of a iew particulars, shadowing forth his own erroneous impressions, or inventions. ^^ On this account, and for the sake of brevity, Colgan would not translate this entire Life into Latin, especially as he had not a correct copy of it. '? But, as several chapters were to be found in this Irish MS. , and as the latter threw additional light on many circumstances, more obscurely related in the former, besides serving to illustrate the antiquities of the country, he deemed it right to present that portion, which he has published. '^ In addition to the fore- going, to which he refers, in different notes subjoined, Colgan gives an Ap- pendix to St. Senan's Life ; in which he treats, regarding various writers of his Acts, and of those who refer to him, in their works. The learned Irish hagiologist tells us, that, in addition to St. Senan's Irish Life, he found some
verses, in a manuscript, belonging to Iniscathy j but, which he did not con- sider worth the trouble of translating, because these were the production of a
modern pen. Besides, they abounded in fables, and were even badly written. '9
Among the O'Longan Manuscripts,^" preserved in the Royal Irish Academy's collection, Dublin, are various copies of St. Senan's Life. One of these begins, with the words, " Mirabilis Deus in Sanctis," &c. , which shows, it must have been distinct from his published Acts. ^' This, it is sup- posed,"^ had been transcribed from the Book of Lismore. =3 Again, the folio
These supposed predictions are evidently clumsy and comparatively modern fabrica- tions.
'*
found one, referring to a friendship, said to have existed, between our saint and the Blessed Martin of Tours, with assistance, which this latter is said to have rendered St. Senan, during his last agony. But, the falsity of this supposition is apparent. St. Martin died in the year 367, according to St. Gregory of Tours ; or, in the year 402, according to Sulpicius Severus. See the latter data, agreed to by Baronius, in his notes on the Roman Martyrology, at the lith of November. St. Senan was not born for many years subsequent to 432, when St. Patrick hrst came to Ireland ; for, after this period, our Irish Apostle had predicted this saint's future birth. This should also appear, from the names of those Irish saints, who are said in his Life to have been contempo- raneous with him, such as, Kieran of Clon- macnoise, Brendan of Birr, Deirmit of Inis Clothran, &c. Hence, our saint must have flourished in the sixth century.
'* See
Colgan's
niae," viii. Martii, p. 611 {nrte 525). Vita Metrica S. Senani, n. 21, and Secunda Vita
S. Senani, n. i, p. 539 (n-cle 535). Hence- forth, it must be understood, while referring to the Lives of St. Senan, that in citing Colgan's pages, the numbers have been cor-
rected. Unfortunately, not only in this portion of his work, but almost, if not alto- gether, throughout the remainder of his volume, the paging is erroneous. Yet, to correct these errors, in other places, might
entirely mislead the reader, by giving more particular references.
'9 Our Irish hagiologist adds a note, for Among these interpolations is to be. the instances which he furnishes, in support
'7 See the Metrical Life, n. 21, p. 525 {recte).
of this position. Thus, it is absurdly stated, that St. Senan had no less than fifty-six brothers, all of whom were saints : his mother is sometimes called Finnmathia, the daughter of Beodan, and sometimes she is called Cumaina, the daughter of Dalbro- nius : among her holy sons are named Mo- lassius, Carthage or Mochudda, Grellan, Ruan, Cronan, Mochiamoc, Mochua, Camin, Caimgin, Colman Macduach, Uasu- anach, Luctigem, Maccretius, Mainchin of Limerick, and many others, if not belonging to a different father, at least respectively re- moved by race and period. Colgan shows, that not only do such statements conflict, with the most genuine Acts of St. Senan ; but, they are even repugnant to other accounts, histories and saints' Acts, as also to reason itself. He then refers more in detail to those saints enumerated, and to their paternal and maternal parentage, ac- cordingto their respective Lives, and . Angus's tract, lib. iv. See note 37, postfixed to the Second Life, p, 537.
" Acta Sanctoram Hiber-
*° See vol. viii. of this to 149.
collection, pp. 123
'^
Life commences with the foregoing words.
-''
By Professor Eugene O'Curry, in his I Manuscript Catalogue.
^^ It is described, by the copyist, as an old vellum book, written as was thought 800 years, before his time. In it are the Lives of Patrick, of Colum Cille, of Bridget of Kil- dare, of Ciaran of Clonmacnois, of Fionn- chu of Brigobhoun, of Finen of Clonard, of
Neither the Metrical, nor the Prose,
March 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 213
paper MS. in the R. I. x\. , No. 39, b. , contains an Irish Life of St. Senan, of ScatteryIsland. TheBodleianLibrary,atOxford,hastheActsofthissaint,^'' and they are found also in Irish, among the Stowe Manuscripts. ^5 There is a Vita S.
Senani, Inis-catha, among the Manuscripts,^*^ now preserved in the Franciscan Convent, Dublin. Among the Irish MSS. of Michael O'Clery, preserved in the Burgundian Library, at Bruxelles, is a fragment of St. Senan's Life, while there are Poems of Dellanus, upon this saint. ^? Besides, other copies of Senan's Acts are in the Burgundian Library, at Bruxelles. ''^
In our saint's second Life, we are told, when St. Patrick^? came to preach
the Faith of Christ, in that part of the country, called Hy-Fidhgente,3° he predictedthefuturebirthandgreatnessofSt. Senan. Thisterritorywasin- habited by a tribe, from which its name had been derived. The Shannon is said to have been its northern boundary, and Sliabh Luachra confined it, on thesouth; eastward,theRiverMaigueandtheMorningStarRiverran,and on the west, the County of Kerry formed its boundary. ^' While St. Patrick brought over many from the errors of idolatry, in this part of the country,32 ^ report of his extraordinary success and great virtues circulated amongst the people of Corcobaschind,33 in Clare County, on the northern bank of the Shannon. The people of this territory,34 with their prince, felt a most earnest
and from Kerry to Limerick, according to
John O'Donovan, Thus, Bruree parish is
situated, partly in Coshma barony, and
partly in that of Upper Connello, in the
county of Limerick ; and, its name was
derived from a Fort, in which the King of
Hy-Figeinte resided, and near which the original parish church of Bruree had been
See Sir Thomas Dufifus " which Hardy's Descrip- righ,
Brenuinn, son of Finlough, of Mochua, &c.
Devonshire. It is a paper transcript, 8vo. ,
xix. Cent. It is in MS. Phillips, 10294. siastical in origin ; but, it is called Brugli-
See p. 149. — *• Thus described :
Vita S. Senani Insy Gathi MS. Bodl. Rawl. B. 505 , pp. 223, 231, veil. fol. xiv. Cent. A similar Life is found in MS. Bodl. Rawl. B. 485, f. 249, veil. 4to. xiv. cent. There is also a Life of St. Senan, a MS. , belonging to the Duke of
" the fort of the
tive Catalogue of Materials relating to the or Burgum regis, in Latin. In all the
History of Great Britain and Ireland," vol.
i. , part i. , pp. 125, 126. —
ancient Irish histories, it is celebrated, as a chief seat of the senior representatives of
^5 It is thus described
Vita S.
Fiacha who assumed the Figeinte,
surname,
Senani, transcribed by Donall O'Duinin, MS. Stowe
36, s. 244 to 287, 4to paper. See Stowe Catalogue," p. 162.
3' See Dr. O' Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters," vol. v. , n. 6, p. 1580. The
3^ Colgan makes Hy-Fidhgente a part of Kerry County, and he refers to the Life of
St. Molua, who belonged to the country, in-
habited " Fidhgente. " It is said by nepotes
to have been situated, "in media planitie Mummonise, usque ad medium montis Lua- chrre in Occidente ad Australem plagam
"
^* In the large folio paper MS. intituled,
" When Brian Borumha was
Vitae Sanctorum," ex Codice Inisensi, pp. 244 to 250.
*' A folio MS. Collectanea, classed Vol.
viii. . No. 3201, contains a Life of St. Senan,
taken from the Irish Manuscript of the
Jesuit Salamancan College, and collated
with a MS. belonging to R. P. Ward ;
while, there is also a long Poem, and a
to this saint. In Vol. xxii. , containing Nos.
7672, 7673, 7674, there is a Vita S. Senani,
fol. 186.
="8
=*» See his Life, at the 17th of March.
30 The country of the Hy-Figeinte em- braced the greater and better part of the county of Limerick ; it extended from the Shannon to the middle of Slieve Loughra,
belonging to Trinity College, Dublin, classed E. 2, 14 ; namely, from Inishmore in the
:
placed. Hence, then, its name is not eccle-
signifies,
king,"
O'Donovan, after the reign of Brian Boru. ""
Hymn
In a MS. Vol. iv. part ii. there is an fluminis Sinna. "—" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Irish Life of St. Senan, p. 118 ; an account niae," viii. Martii, n. 3, p. 535.
of the miracles wrought after death through 33 It is divided into two districts, East and St. Senan, p. 233 ; and different poems West. Every Irish authority places Corco- attributed to St. Senan, St. Brendan and
others in Irish, p. 142. These were tran-
scribed, by Michael O'Clery, from older
MSS.
"
exact extent is given in a description of the
editor adds
King of Munster, Donovan, the ancestor of the O'Donovan family, was chief of all this territory, but his descendants were driven from it shortly after the English invasion. "
:
Bhaiscinn in the west of Thomond, and its
county of Clare, preserved in a manuscript,
mouth of the River Feargus, to Loophead,
and from the Shannon, to the boundary of
Hy-Brickan.
3* It was formerly conterminous with the
214 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [March 8.
desire to welcome the messenger of Heaven, and their hearts were already- prepared to receive Gospel truths. Having provided a great number of
boats, they passed over the Shannon, at a place, called Donoghmore, a parish church, in Limerick diocese. 35 At this time, the shades of evening had set in, and the saint felt fatigued with instructions he had already given, and baptisms he had performed, for his neophytes. The people of Corco- baschinds^ presented themselves to him, and earnestly besought him to visit their part of the country, that they might be directed in the way of life, and instructed in Catholic doctrine. 37 St. Patrick told them, that on the follow- ing morning, he would give an answer to their petition. Alleging the defence- less state, in which their ships and territory had been left, they most earnestly urged him, not to delay, in complying with their request. The saint assented. Having expounded the dogmas of faith to them, at some length, and finding corresponding dispositions in their souls, he baptized them in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, and in waters of the adjoining river. Having made them living members of Christ's mystical body, he imparted his benediction to them, likewise, while invoking prosperity and fertility on their country. But, the Corcabaschind people, not satisfied with receiving Christian baptism themselves, requested the saint, that he would come as soon as possible to their country, so that their wives, children and servants might enjoy a like inestimable privilege. The saint excused himself this time, alleging as a
reason for not complying with their request, the number of clerics and people, who were in his train, and who usually followed him to receive instruction, on points of doctrine, and relative to their spiritual advancement. He promised, however, to avail himself of a more favourable opportunity, for satisfying their desires. To these objections, they answered, that means, for conveying himself and all his companions across that part of the Shannon, had
present baronies of Ibrickan, Moyarta and about two miles south-east of Limerick city. Clonderalaw. The original extent of the It contains a church in ruins, near the
country of Corca-Bhaiscinn is still preserved in the Ecclesiastical division, which is the best guide to follow, in ascertaining the original limits of this great tribal district,
which was circumscribed, from time to time, by the encroachment of the O'Briens, and of their correlatives. The " Liber Regalis
modern Catholic chapel.
^6 AH the Irish genealogists and historians
agree, that the country of CorcoBhaiscinn, in the west of Thomond, derived its appellation from the descendants of Cairbre Bascain, son of Conary the Great (the 122nd Monarch of Ireland) and brother of Cairbre Riada, the
"
Visitationis places the following parishes ancestor of the Dalriads of Scotland ; for
in the deanery of Corca-Vaskin, Barony of Core, when thus prefixed to the name or cog- Islands : I. Cionedagad, Barony of Clon- nomen of an ancestor, always signifies, pro- deralaw. 2. Kilchrist. 3. Disert Murhurly geny, race or offspring, and it is nearly
[Kildysart]. 4. Kilfeddan. 5. Killafin. synonymous with clann, cinel, or sliocht.
map of the county of Clare, preserved among the Ordnance Survey Records, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, we find, that the territo- ries of East and West Corcabaschind com- prised the south-western portion of that county. This map is now bound up in the volume "Letters and Extracts relative to Ancient Territories in Thomond, 1841. "
6. Kilmurry and Clonderclagh, Barony of
Ibrickan. 7. Killarda [Killard], Barony of
Clonderalaw. 8. Killimure [Killimer]. 9.
Kilmichill, Barony of Moyarta. 10. Kil- Mahon O'Brien conquered them. See macduane. 11. Kilrush. 12. Kilferigh. "Letters and Extracts relative to Ancient 13. Kilballihone, Barony of Ibrickan. 14. Territories in Thomond, 1841. " Ordnance Kilmurry. 15. Kilfarboy, Barony of Moy- Survey, sects, iv. and v. Corca Bhaiscin, arta. 16. Moifartach. There can be no East and West, p. 25. ^Yritten by John doubt, that the original country of Corca-
Bhaiscinn comprised these sixteen parishes and, this fact being discovered, the extent of the territory adjoining it, to the east, be- comes as clear as daylight. See Mr.
O'Donovan, in 1841.
'^^ According to Mr. O'Donovan's ancient
O'Donovan's
"
;
Ancient Territories in Tho-
mond," Signed "J. O'D," February 13th, 1841. "Letters and Extracts, relative to Ancient Territories in Thomond, 1841," pp. 25 to 44.
33 There is a parish, named Donoghmore,
^s The Tripartite Life of St. Patrick
The descendants of this Carbry Bascain in- habited this district, and were its chiefs, until the nth century, when the descendants of
March 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 215
been provided. At last, St. Patrick relieved himself from their importunities, by saying, that he could not go with them, until he had more fully instructed those people of the country, where he then preached, in the mysteries of
faith, and until he had built churches, and provided good pastors for them. He enquired, however, if there was any elevated place near him, from which he could obtain a view of their country. ^^ When conducted to a mountain, called Findinne,39 which he ascended, he obtained a view of the boundaries of Corcobaschind, towards the North and East. He then predicted, that in course of time, their bounds should be enlarged, on the East, as far as the mountain Echtge,-*" and on the North, to another, which he pointed out in Corcomroe. Afterthis,seeinginthefuture,theirstateandtheirpatron,St. Patrick said to those, who were present, and to the inhabitants of that
"
There is no reason why I should visit your territory in person, since God hath provided an illustrious and a be- loved patron, who will be born among you. For, a being, loved by God and man, shall spring from your race, while from his infancy, he shall be enriched with Divine graces. His name shall be Senan. As to a protector and patron, you shall not alone look upon him, but the people of Hy-Fidhgente shall also regard him. 'H When, with due honour and reverence, you invoke him, all things shall succeed prosperously with you. However, should you fail in this respect, your prosperity must end, and your lands shall cease to be fertile ; famine will come upon you, and your children shall bear a foreign yoke. He shall extirpate the huge monster, so hostile to you, which exists on the island opposite, and lying between yourselves and the people of Hy-Fidh- gente. This island shall afterwards be inhabited, by Senan and by his monks. But, until this son of light begin to shine among you, with the brightness of his sanctity and doctrine, I will send some of my disciples, who shall wash the remainder of your people in the waters of regeneration, and who shall not
42 saint sent
Then the — his two
country, showing in the distance :
in the doctrines of Faith. "
disciples, named Maculatus, a Priest, and Latius, a Deacon^^ who were
fail to instruct
you,
states, that St. Patrick, when he came to the district of Tuamonia, from the top of a mountain, called Fintine, near Domnach-
and Extracts relative to Ancient Territories in Tliomond, 1841," Signed "J. O'D. , February 13th, 1841," p. 71.
" S. Senanum Gerrchinnio Dubtacii filio natum, post annos aliquot nas- cendum," &c.
