opposite the south side wall, and not far from
6
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," the corner of a Protestant church, within the
Septima Vita S.
6
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," the corner of a Protestant church, within the
Septima Vita S.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v8
William J.
Walsh, Archbishop of Dublin, presided at a public meeting of the parishioners, who subscribed over ^1,000, after the ceremony of laying the foundation-stone of the new building had taken place.
By this most desirable improvement, the church has been lengthened over thirty feet ; while the addition com-
2
prises exteriorly a lofty tower and belfry turret, ? with two entrances to the
church from Halston-street, and interiorly, a chancel, with two side chapels, elegantly designed and suitably decorated, has been constructed. The chancel window, erected in the perpendicular Gothic style, has a very im-
posingappearance. Thetowerrisestoaheightofninety-fourfeet,andit comprises five stories. The main entrance has a double-bayed window over
it ; while a similar window is placed on the corresponding compartment, beside the large chancel-window. Triple lancet windows are in the tower, and lighting the bell-ringing chamber. Above this, there is a circular chiselled limestone case for a clock. The tower-turrets and gables are crenellated ; the whole frontage presenting a very imposing appearance.
The immediate substratum of the entire of the district occupying both sides, in immediate contiguity with the River Lififey, is composed of a bed or series of veins of sand. It varies in depth from 6 in. to 10 ft. or 12 ft. , and this occurs more particularly on the northern side, where it stretches away to a very considerable distance from the river. St. Michan's Protestant Church is built upon that bed of sand ; the foundations, as a matter of course, were excavated through it, and laid upon a substratum of hard tenacious clay. The vaults underlying that church have been for centuries the receptacle of dead bodies a8 and, while some of those have been
;
enclosed for particular families, others have received indiscriminately the coffins and remains of various individuals. A remarkable feature of those
vaults is the antiseptic property they possess for preserving the bodies of
those persons therein deposited. A cemetery also surrounds the church ;
and, for a long series of years, it has been used as a favourite place for
interment, by the Catholics and Protestants of St. Michan's Parish.
If we could at all regard the Bollandists' Latin " Vita sancti Micheae" as a
safe authority, St. Michan was buried in his parochial church at Dublin.
Moreover, he died on the viii. of the September Kalends, according to the
same account 29 these statements are in accord with a reliable ; yet, probably,
popular and local tradition of remote origin.
'7 The accompanying illustration of the New Facade in Halston-street has been
ferred that sketch to the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
"' Several of these were of cele- persons
brity. Among them were the two brothers, John and Henry Shears, who were executed as rebels in 1798, and of whom very full
memoirs are contained in Dr. Richard R. Madden's "United Irish- Evans, and issued, Dublin, 1 892, 4to. From men, their Lives and Times. " Second
it many of the previous statements have been edition, London, i860, 8vo.
drawn. Mr. William F. Wakeman trans- *' The Latin " Vita sancti Micheae "
ap-
from a
in the Irish Builder of October 1st, 1892, and which is given as a frontispiece to an
copied
lithograph,
which
appeared
interesting brochure, "The History of the Roman Catholic Church and Parish of St. and
interesting
Michan, Dublin," written by Mr. Edward
August 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 377
As has been already stated, at this date, in the ancient Martyrology of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, and now known as Christ Church, Dublin, there is a record of St. Michan, Confessor. 3° A more recent
hand has there inserted his title as a Bishop. 3
1
In the Martyrology of
3 at the
honour St. Michan of Cill Michen, in Ath-cliath, now Dublin city. No records seem to have been preserved, and which might serve to attest the year, when St. Michan's Church had been first erected ; but, it is not probable, that an earlier building stood on the site of its present vaults. However, the upper structure was remodelled or repaired at different periods. 33 Nor is there good warrant for the statement, that St. Michan's body is yet preserved in one of the church vaults. 34 It is altogether probable, however, that the holy ecclesiastic himself may have built that church during his life-time, and that he may have been buried therein, or at least, in the cemetery adjoining. It is likely, moreover, that the original church and cemetery were laid out, at one and the same time.
There is a place called Cloonymeaghan, in the barony of Corran, and
"
county of Sligo, and it has been rendered 3s
of Mhican. " According to tradition, it is stated, that St. Mhican, the patron
Donegal,*
25th
of we find that a festival was celebrated to August,
Cluain-michan, i. e. , the retreat of a parish in Dublin, which bears his name, was a bishop and confessor,
and an abbot. There a 6 dated 16th perhaps by Bull,3
December, 1488,37
8
Pope Innocent VIII. granted a license, permitting Eugene MacDonagh3 to found a monastery in that place, for Dominican friars. In the registry
of the order which had been preserved in Sligo, it is recorded that Bernard MacDonagh, the son of Dermot, called the prior, and a reader of divinity
pears to conclude with the following : the individual, whose memory it had been " Oratio : Deus, qui beatum Micheam intended to commemorate. Many have
pontificem tuum inter innumera mirabilia
thought, that it was designed as a sculptural representation of St. Michan himself.
spaciosum mare sicco vestigio transire
fecisti : concede, quaesumus, nos ejus inter-
ventu ab omnibus nequitiis peccaminum its Scenery, Character," &c, vol. ii. , p. 312.
liberatos esse, secum in aeterna lsetitia con-
Per Dominum &c. " nostrum,"
3* See Mr. and Mrs. Hall's •» Ireland : 35 By the Rev. Thomas Walsh, in his
gaudere.
Concluding their notices of him, the Bol-
History
of the Irish and Hierarchy
" landists state :
Prseter haec, nihil novimus
Monasteries of Ireland," County of Sligo,
p. 645.
36 Thisgrantedfacultiestoer—ectthreenew
de isto qualicumque Michea, quo vel histo-
riam
ipsius comprobemus. "
vel cultum Dominican houses in Ireland one in Kil-
a fabulis — expurgemus,
'•
Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Augusti xxv. Among the pre-
ejus
Cloonymeaghan, in the diocese of Achonry.
See De " Hibernia Domi- Bishop Burgo's
nicana," cap. vii. , Num. vii. , p. 75.
37 My attention was first directed to this passage, by Mr. Edward Evans, in a letter headed 40 Corn-market, April 2nd, 1 89 1. He adds : "If St. Michan was born in the town or county of Sligo, and embraced Christianity there, about the ninth century, Saints by the Bollandists is found the and founded an anchorite or monastery
termitted Saints,
3° See "The Book of Obits and Martyro-
p. 3.
logy of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, commonly called Christ Church,
Dublin," edited by John Clarke Crosthwaite, A. M. , and Rev. Dr. James Henthorn Todd,
pp. 68 and 149.
31 Among notices of the pretermitted
" Michanus
variis Kalendariis in nostro Ms indice Osith of Colchester. This event would to a
following,
aliquis
notatur ex
there,
he should be with St. co-temporary
sanctorum, de quo supra. "—" Acta Sancto- rum," tomus v. , Augusti xxv. , p. 4.
3» Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves,
pp. 226, 227.
» When making some alterations in the
certain extent explain why a church was erect«d to his memory in Dublin two centuries later, at a time when the Danes of this country all embraced Catholicity, and had it doubly dedicated to him and to
interior an ancient* stone figure of an St. Osith. "
ecclesiastic was found in one of the side walls, and it is now visible ; but, it has no inscription or special indication to denote
38 In the Constitution of the Pope, he is called Eugenius Macdonchard.
3» However, De Burgo maintains, that it
dare, another in
Meath,
and the third in
378 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 25.
there, founded the monastery of Clunimhilian, which afterwards became a cell to that of Sligo. 3^ Although suppressed at the time of the Refor- mation/ the remains of the church and the conventual buildings are still in a good state of preservation. The plan was much the same as the ruined Dominican buildings at Sligo, and having the conventual buildings towards the north. However, all the parts were smaller, as also less
ornate, not having any of the elaborate and artistic carving, which forms so
1
At the viii. of the Kalends of September, or the 25th of August,
a feature in the famous cloisters of
1
Sligo. '' Cloonymeighan
conspicuous
cemetery is now the chief burying place for the united parishes of Cloonog- hill, Kilshalvy and Kilturra.
In his day, the prophet Micheas lamented, that the holy men had perished from earth, and that none were found to be upright among men ; while he was left as one to glean in autumn only the few remaining grapes, whentherewasnoclustertoeat. Moreover,hecomplained,thatthewicked lay in wait for blood, and that every one of these hunted his brother to death, while the evil of their hands was called good, when unrighteousness abounded. Still hoping for the coming of his Saviour, and the taking away of iniquity, the prophet had confidence in the Divine mercy and promises, which should restore to Israel her true inheritance. *' Happily for us, living in a more enlightened age, the dark night ol persecution has ceased, and that sacrifice offered by St. Michan on the spot, hallowed by so many Catholic associations, has been renewed and perpetuated by zealous pastors, even to the present day.
Article II. —St. Sillan, Bishop and Abbot of Magh-bile, or
Moville. [Sixth ami Seventh Centuries. '] In the published Martyrology of Tallagh, a notice of this holy prelate's parentage and place of residence will be
found.
his name is likewise to be met in the Tallagh Martyrology contained in the Book of Leinster ; and there, besides his being called Bishop and Abbot of
he is said to have been son to Findchain. 2 In the
Life of St. Patrick,3 we are informed, that when the Irish Apostle directed his course to the northern parts, he came to a territory known as Bredach,4 where he found three Deacons, his own nephews, and who were the sons of his sister. There ruled Olild, son of Eugene, and there, too, on the Lord's Day, he celebrated the Holy Sacrifice and pointed out a spot on which a
Magh-Bile,
Tripartite
was an independent house, although owing
to the fewness of conventuals of its own, it
was ruled for some time by fathers of the
Sligo community. See " Hibernia Domi- Kelly's "Calendar of Irish Saints," &c,
nicana," cap. ix. , sect, xxxix. , p. 327.
40 It was then granted to the Taaffes, from whom, with the rest of the property, it passed to the Earl of Shelburne, except about two acres under and around the ruins. Those belonged to the Dodwells, and were transmitted by them to their relative, Mr.
Creighton.
41
See Ven. and Very Rev. Terence O'Rorke, D. D. , Archdeacon of Elphin, P. P. of Ballysadare and Kilvarnet, in his
"History of Sligo: Town and County,"
vol.
p. xxxiii.
'Thus reads that entry: Si Haw mac
fitrochAm epf Agur 4bb mobile, "See his Life at the 17th March, in the Third Volume of this work, Art. i. , chap. xiv. 4 So called from a stream that enters Lough Foyle, in that place. This territory comprised about the eastern half of the barony of Inishowen, and County of Donegal. This little river and Bredach-Glyn still retain the former name. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , n.
ii. , chap. xxvi. ,p. 193.
(t), p. 1015.
« See Micheas, vii.
Article II. —
r ** Sillani mac Finncoin Ep. ocus Abb. Maighi Bile. " See Rev. Dr.
August 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 379
church should be built. There, also, the Apostle initiated iEngus,* the son of Oilill, to Holy Orders. Afterwards, that place was known as Domnach bile f but, who the first pastor of this Church had been is not recorded. The pre- sent holy man must have been born about the middle of the sixth century. Where his birth took place does not seem to be known, but probably it was in the northern part of Ireland, and most likely he was trained in a school established in Moville, County of Donegal, at a very early date. However, others consider him to have been connected with Magh-bile, or Moville, in theCountyofDown. ByonewellconversantwiththelanguageofIreland, it is stated, that Magh Bhile signifies the plain of the ancient tree, and as he believes, the early Christians in this island always took advantage of some site of pagan worship, at or near which to erect their churches ; it is con-
on account of some sanctuary of trees that grew on the plain, regarded as a Fidh-nemhedh or " sacred wood. " ' A modern and local writer conjec- tures, that this saint must have been Bishop over Inishowen. There is strong intrinsic evidence, in some archaeological remains found within the grave-yard of Donagh, to indicate that this locality had been formerly the seat of an episcopal church and a residence. Besides many other curious monuments of art, ancient and modern, a stone is pointed out, whereon the figure of a bishop, clothed in pontifical dress, with a crozier in his hand, is
jectured, that the church site of Magh-bhile was selected for such a purpose, ""
represented.
8 A monster
appears ready
to devour him. Behind this
figure
are two angels, bearing a cross, which is surmounted by a crown. These
figures are allegorical. Another figure resembles a round-tower. There
is also an Irish Cross, with four points deeply indented within a circle.
Thismonumentseemsofremoteantiquity,andit is thoughttodatesofar
back as the fifth or sixth century. 9 It would seem that St. Sillan flourished
towards the close of the sixth and the beginning of the seventh century.
About this time, he lived in or presided over the ancient monastery founded
10
at Moville.
The Annals of the Four Masters" and of Inisfallen, at 613, call him both bishop and abbot ; but the territory in which he actually lived has not been indicated. In our Calendars, Martyrologies, and Annals, Maghbile is often mentioned, and in a general and an absolute manner, without any allusion to a
Tighernach and the Annals of Ulster simply style him abbot.
second monastery of that name.
12
However, Harris has the two Movilles or
5 He is said to have been venerated as a probably set here before the Roman alphabet
Saint, on the 18th of February, at Druim was used in Ireland, as there are no
Bearta. See a further account of him, at characters upon it. It is 3^ feet long,
that date, in the Second Volume of this 11 inches broad, and a foot thick. " It lies
work, Art. ix.
opposite the south side wall, and not far from
6
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," the corner of a Protestant church, within the
Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, ii. , cap. cxxii , p. 145.
old grave-yard. Itis shaded by giant ash trees,
"
Inishowen : Its Histoiy, Traditions and Antiquities," "A tract in the "Book of Ballymote" chap, xi. , pp. 1 12, 113, and chap, xviii. ,
7 Thus writes William James Doherty :
referring to the Argonautic expedition, the sacred shrine, where Polites and Priam were
killed by Pyrrhus, is called by the name of
p. 196.
10 It is stated hy William James Doherty,
that the patron Saint of Maghbile in Innis-
Fidh-nemhedh by the Irish translator, as owen is Finnian, or Finianus, abbot and
'' equivalent for the very aged laurel that spreads its branches over the altar, an—d which
owen and Tir-connell :
bishop, and that he is venerated in the Irish calendar on the nth of February. See
lI See Dr. O'Donovan's vol. edition,
embraced the Penates in its shades. "
"Innis-owen and Tirconnell
and sect, topographical,"
iv. , pp. 14, 15.
. "The Inishowen anonymous antiquarian states: "It is most likely the oldest-Christian monument in the North of Ireland, and was
i. ,
"Inis- Notes, antiquarian
anti- quarian and topographical," sect, iv. , p. 15.
9 S,ee Maghtochair's
pp. 240, 241.
" In consideration of such omission, and
as a faithful chronicler, Ware was right in
:
Notes,
380 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 25,
Maghbiles, while he attributes the foundation of both these to St. Finnian. ^ Archdall goes further, and pretends to give the names of some of the abbots of Moville in Donegal? * It seems very probable, that he was led
The of that Index1* was deceived compiler
astray by
Topographicus
abbot over it.
22
There can be no question, however, but this excellent
to " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
the Index
niae," in which Finian is mentioned as having been at both Maghbiles.
by
Some difficulty has been presented, in ascertaining Siollan's exact place.
Archdall
16
places this saint over Moville, on Lough Foyle, in Inisowen. This
monastery of Domnach-bile, commonly called Maghbile, he says was founded by St. Patrick. On other and apparently more reliable authority, the St. Sillan or Siollan commemorated at this day was placed over Maghbile or
Moville,
neartheheadof
Strangford Lough,
inthe ofDown. 1? How- County
ever, that writer is supposed to have confounded Maghbile or Movill in
Donegal with the former place, owing to a similarity of names. Indeed,
Archdall seems to have been led a statement of 18 that astray by Colgan,
Donnaghbile was afterwards called Magh-bile, and that a monastery was 1
there placed. * It would be still more incorrect to state, that St. Patrick placed over it, ^Lngus, son of Olild. 20 It might be more probable, that
after arriving at mature age, ^Engus founded Donnaghbile, in Bredach,21
some years after the visit of St. Patrick to Inishowen. Some doubts are
expressed,astowhetherMovilleinDonegalhadbeeneveramonastery; for,
although adopting the affirmative opinion, Colgan could not make any person
topographer and antiquary had a perfect local knowledge of the spot ; and, even later, tradition and old monuments existing serve an important purpose, in giving more than probability to his opinion. Moville in Down was a well-knownmonastery,governedbySt. FinianorSt. Finnena3 inthesixth
century. It continued to flourish, until the period of the Reformation, when 2
in 1542 it was suppressed. * Formerly Moville, in Inishowen, formed but one parish, until the year 1788, when it was divided into two Protestant parishes. TheseweredenominatedUpperandLowerMoville. Accordingto
making but one Maghbile or Movill, vix. : that of Down. See " De Hibernia et
Antiquitatibus ejus," cap xxvi. , p. 181.
13 Not having in his day any better guide, Harris as editor should have adhered to Sir
James Ware, his author.
14 There we find an entry of such names
to clerical orders, by St. Patrick. Such
form of expression implies simply receiving tonsure. See the Vita Tripartita S. Patricii,
par. ii. , cap. cxxii. , p. 145.
2l ** In the Leabhar-Lcacan is set forth the
genealogies of the Kinel Owen, with the families belonging to the tribe called Ha- Bredach, from their ancestor, Eoghain Bre-
as Finian, Siollan, Aengus M'Lonigsy, &c.
Now these are the same identical persons, dach. The O'Duibhdarmas, or collateral
whom with many others he reckons at Moville, in Down.
'5 It does not appear to be established,
that this person could have been Colgan
himself.
branch of the tribe of na- Bredach, of the race of Owen (pronounced De-year-ma) anglicized
MacDermott, were ancient chiefs of Bredach,
and formerly a numerous tribe in the south-
east of Innisowen. The name is still extant
16
17 See Dr. Reeves' Ecclesiastical Anti- centuries. " William James Doherty's
See "Monasticon Hibernicum," u
p. 103.
in the — after a of peninsula, lapse many
of Down, Connor and Dromore," quities pp.
151, 152.
18
See "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima 15. Vita S. Patricii, n. 177, p. 181.
nicum," ppTl24, 125.
2s See Maghtochair's " Inishowen : Its
'9 This erection, however, Colgan does not
ascribe to St. Patrick, who probably only
fixed on the site when he visited that part of
the country. On that spot, a church and tember. monastery might have been afterwards built.
80
Eugene, is merely said to have been initiated
This yEngus, grandson of the dynast
the of names. identity
" Inis-owen and Tirconnell Ami- : Notes,
quarian and Topographical," sect, iv. , p.
See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's
"
Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. I, chap, vi. , sec.
ii. and n. 17, pp. 262 to 265.
** His festival is kept on the loth Sep-
'* See Archdall's "Monasticon Hiber-
August 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
381
the Catholic 2* even the whole forms but one arrangement, yet,
con- taining over 35,000 acres. At the year 613, the Annals of Innisfallen call this saint, a bishop and an abbot, when recording his death. This event is placed at 618, by the O'Clerys, both in the Martyrology of Donegal, and in the Annals of the Four Masters. 26 According to the statements of Tigernach, the Chronicon Scotorum, and the Annals of Ulster, his demise is recorded at
2* at this Duald Mac Firbis enters date,
6 2? Under the head of it).
Magh-Bile,
Siollan, who is called the son of Fionchan. He is, likewise, styled bishop
and abbot of Magh, or Maigh-Bile. Without particularizing his locality, at 2
this same date, the Martyrology of Donegal 9 designates him, Siollan, Bishop and Abbot of Magh-bile. The Irish Calendar, belonging to the Irish Ordnance Survey Records 3° and that at present preserved in the Royal Irish Academy, has a notice of this saint, at the 25th of August. At
x a station on the Waterford and Limerick not far from Railway,
Kilsheelan,3 Clonmel,thepatronsaint'sdayisonthelastSundayofAugust. Thereare
2
two belfry-opes in the west gable of the old ruins. It has been conjectured,3 that the present saint may have been the patron. It seems difficult, however, to connect him with this distant spot in the south of Ireland. Probably it had been some other saint, and bearing a like name.
ArticleIII. —St. BroccanofMaighin,orBroganofIomdan. St. 1
BrocanofMaighinoccursinthepublishedMartyrologyofTallagh, ashav- ing a festival on this day. Somewhat divergent is the entry of his festival, on the viii. of the September Kalends, in that copy contained in the Book of Leinster. 2 The form of name Maighin or Moyne is very common in Irish topographical designations ; and it is often compounded with other terms. The present Maighin is probably identical with Moyne, near the mouth of the River Moy, and in the northern part of Mayo County. The name Brogan of Iomdan3 is set down in the Martyrology of Donegal/ as having been venerated at the 25th of August.
History, Traditions and Antiquities," chap. xv. , xvi. , pp. 158, 170.
'6 See Dr. O'Donovan's Edition, vol. i. ,
pp. 240, 241.
27 See Rev. William Reeves' " Ecclesias-
tical Antiquities of Down, Connor and
Dromore. " Appendix A. , p. 152, and Ap-
pendix LL. , p. 379.
a8 See ' '
Proceedings
Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
so called, in which it is situated, is shown on sheets 77, 78, 83, 84, ibid. It also ex- tends into the barony of Upperthird, and
"
this latter portion is noted on the
nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Waterford," sheets 2, 6.
3* By the Rev. D. B. Mulcahy, C. C. , Loughgiel, Pharis, Co. Antrim, that the place may have received its name from this saint. He says that CilX-c-SilL&n is called
Kilteelan by the Irish-speaking people.
ofthe —
Letter 17th October, 1874.
part i. , pp. 120, iai.
»
Todd and
Edited by Drs.
Reeves, pp.
226,227.
30 In this Irish Calendar, at the viii. of the
Kalends of September (August 25th), we find, "S10IW1 efp. -A5Uf Abb moijebile A°. "Oi. ,618. " SeeOrdnanceSurveyOffice Copy, Common Place Book, F. , p. 73.
2 There he is thus noticed : Onoccam in 5-Ain—probably an error of the scribe.
3AnotebyDr. ToddsaysatIomdan:
"So says the gloss in Mar. O'Gorman ; the ''
of the Royal Irish
i
31 A townland so named, in the barony of M. Taml calls him Broccanus Maighin ;
Iffaand Offa East. It is described on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Tipperary," sheet 84. The parish
i. e. , Broccan in Maighin. "
4 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeres, pp.
226,227.
Article hi. Kelly, p. xxxiii.
'
Edited by Rev. Dr.
parish,
Ord-
382 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 26.
ArticleIV. —"ReputedFeastofSt. Bareas. Intheanonymouslist of Irish Saints, published by O'Sullevan Beare,1 we find a St. Bareus, at the 25thofAugust. Wethinkthistohavebeenamistakeofentry,asnoother warrant for it can be discovered in our Calendars.
Article V. —Festival of St. Bartholomew, Martyr. The festival
25th of August, as may be found in the Feilire of St. iEngus. There his name takes the Irish form Parrthalon.
2
prises exteriorly a lofty tower and belfry turret, ? with two entrances to the
church from Halston-street, and interiorly, a chancel, with two side chapels, elegantly designed and suitably decorated, has been constructed. The chancel window, erected in the perpendicular Gothic style, has a very im-
posingappearance. Thetowerrisestoaheightofninety-fourfeet,andit comprises five stories. The main entrance has a double-bayed window over
it ; while a similar window is placed on the corresponding compartment, beside the large chancel-window. Triple lancet windows are in the tower, and lighting the bell-ringing chamber. Above this, there is a circular chiselled limestone case for a clock. The tower-turrets and gables are crenellated ; the whole frontage presenting a very imposing appearance.
The immediate substratum of the entire of the district occupying both sides, in immediate contiguity with the River Lififey, is composed of a bed or series of veins of sand. It varies in depth from 6 in. to 10 ft. or 12 ft. , and this occurs more particularly on the northern side, where it stretches away to a very considerable distance from the river. St. Michan's Protestant Church is built upon that bed of sand ; the foundations, as a matter of course, were excavated through it, and laid upon a substratum of hard tenacious clay. The vaults underlying that church have been for centuries the receptacle of dead bodies a8 and, while some of those have been
;
enclosed for particular families, others have received indiscriminately the coffins and remains of various individuals. A remarkable feature of those
vaults is the antiseptic property they possess for preserving the bodies of
those persons therein deposited. A cemetery also surrounds the church ;
and, for a long series of years, it has been used as a favourite place for
interment, by the Catholics and Protestants of St. Michan's Parish.
If we could at all regard the Bollandists' Latin " Vita sancti Micheae" as a
safe authority, St. Michan was buried in his parochial church at Dublin.
Moreover, he died on the viii. of the September Kalends, according to the
same account 29 these statements are in accord with a reliable ; yet, probably,
popular and local tradition of remote origin.
'7 The accompanying illustration of the New Facade in Halston-street has been
ferred that sketch to the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
"' Several of these were of cele- persons
brity. Among them were the two brothers, John and Henry Shears, who were executed as rebels in 1798, and of whom very full
memoirs are contained in Dr. Richard R. Madden's "United Irish- Evans, and issued, Dublin, 1 892, 4to. From men, their Lives and Times. " Second
it many of the previous statements have been edition, London, i860, 8vo.
drawn. Mr. William F. Wakeman trans- *' The Latin " Vita sancti Micheae "
ap-
from a
in the Irish Builder of October 1st, 1892, and which is given as a frontispiece to an
copied
lithograph,
which
appeared
interesting brochure, "The History of the Roman Catholic Church and Parish of St. and
interesting
Michan, Dublin," written by Mr. Edward
August 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 377
As has been already stated, at this date, in the ancient Martyrology of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, and now known as Christ Church, Dublin, there is a record of St. Michan, Confessor. 3° A more recent
hand has there inserted his title as a Bishop. 3
1
In the Martyrology of
3 at the
honour St. Michan of Cill Michen, in Ath-cliath, now Dublin city. No records seem to have been preserved, and which might serve to attest the year, when St. Michan's Church had been first erected ; but, it is not probable, that an earlier building stood on the site of its present vaults. However, the upper structure was remodelled or repaired at different periods. 33 Nor is there good warrant for the statement, that St. Michan's body is yet preserved in one of the church vaults. 34 It is altogether probable, however, that the holy ecclesiastic himself may have built that church during his life-time, and that he may have been buried therein, or at least, in the cemetery adjoining. It is likely, moreover, that the original church and cemetery were laid out, at one and the same time.
There is a place called Cloonymeaghan, in the barony of Corran, and
"
county of Sligo, and it has been rendered 3s
of Mhican. " According to tradition, it is stated, that St. Mhican, the patron
Donegal,*
25th
of we find that a festival was celebrated to August,
Cluain-michan, i. e. , the retreat of a parish in Dublin, which bears his name, was a bishop and confessor,
and an abbot. There a 6 dated 16th perhaps by Bull,3
December, 1488,37
8
Pope Innocent VIII. granted a license, permitting Eugene MacDonagh3 to found a monastery in that place, for Dominican friars. In the registry
of the order which had been preserved in Sligo, it is recorded that Bernard MacDonagh, the son of Dermot, called the prior, and a reader of divinity
pears to conclude with the following : the individual, whose memory it had been " Oratio : Deus, qui beatum Micheam intended to commemorate. Many have
pontificem tuum inter innumera mirabilia
thought, that it was designed as a sculptural representation of St. Michan himself.
spaciosum mare sicco vestigio transire
fecisti : concede, quaesumus, nos ejus inter-
ventu ab omnibus nequitiis peccaminum its Scenery, Character," &c, vol. ii. , p. 312.
liberatos esse, secum in aeterna lsetitia con-
Per Dominum &c. " nostrum,"
3* See Mr. and Mrs. Hall's •» Ireland : 35 By the Rev. Thomas Walsh, in his
gaudere.
Concluding their notices of him, the Bol-
History
of the Irish and Hierarchy
" landists state :
Prseter haec, nihil novimus
Monasteries of Ireland," County of Sligo,
p. 645.
36 Thisgrantedfacultiestoer—ectthreenew
de isto qualicumque Michea, quo vel histo-
riam
ipsius comprobemus. "
vel cultum Dominican houses in Ireland one in Kil-
a fabulis — expurgemus,
'•
Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , Augusti xxv. Among the pre-
ejus
Cloonymeaghan, in the diocese of Achonry.
See De " Hibernia Domi- Bishop Burgo's
nicana," cap. vii. , Num. vii. , p. 75.
37 My attention was first directed to this passage, by Mr. Edward Evans, in a letter headed 40 Corn-market, April 2nd, 1 89 1. He adds : "If St. Michan was born in the town or county of Sligo, and embraced Christianity there, about the ninth century, Saints by the Bollandists is found the and founded an anchorite or monastery
termitted Saints,
3° See "The Book of Obits and Martyro-
p. 3.
logy of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, commonly called Christ Church,
Dublin," edited by John Clarke Crosthwaite, A. M. , and Rev. Dr. James Henthorn Todd,
pp. 68 and 149.
31 Among notices of the pretermitted
" Michanus
variis Kalendariis in nostro Ms indice Osith of Colchester. This event would to a
following,
aliquis
notatur ex
there,
he should be with St. co-temporary
sanctorum, de quo supra. "—" Acta Sancto- rum," tomus v. , Augusti xxv. , p. 4.
3» Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves,
pp. 226, 227.
» When making some alterations in the
certain extent explain why a church was erect«d to his memory in Dublin two centuries later, at a time when the Danes of this country all embraced Catholicity, and had it doubly dedicated to him and to
interior an ancient* stone figure of an St. Osith. "
ecclesiastic was found in one of the side walls, and it is now visible ; but, it has no inscription or special indication to denote
38 In the Constitution of the Pope, he is called Eugenius Macdonchard.
3» However, De Burgo maintains, that it
dare, another in
Meath,
and the third in
378 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 25.
there, founded the monastery of Clunimhilian, which afterwards became a cell to that of Sligo. 3^ Although suppressed at the time of the Refor- mation/ the remains of the church and the conventual buildings are still in a good state of preservation. The plan was much the same as the ruined Dominican buildings at Sligo, and having the conventual buildings towards the north. However, all the parts were smaller, as also less
ornate, not having any of the elaborate and artistic carving, which forms so
1
At the viii. of the Kalends of September, or the 25th of August,
a feature in the famous cloisters of
1
Sligo. '' Cloonymeighan
conspicuous
cemetery is now the chief burying place for the united parishes of Cloonog- hill, Kilshalvy and Kilturra.
In his day, the prophet Micheas lamented, that the holy men had perished from earth, and that none were found to be upright among men ; while he was left as one to glean in autumn only the few remaining grapes, whentherewasnoclustertoeat. Moreover,hecomplained,thatthewicked lay in wait for blood, and that every one of these hunted his brother to death, while the evil of their hands was called good, when unrighteousness abounded. Still hoping for the coming of his Saviour, and the taking away of iniquity, the prophet had confidence in the Divine mercy and promises, which should restore to Israel her true inheritance. *' Happily for us, living in a more enlightened age, the dark night ol persecution has ceased, and that sacrifice offered by St. Michan on the spot, hallowed by so many Catholic associations, has been renewed and perpetuated by zealous pastors, even to the present day.
Article II. —St. Sillan, Bishop and Abbot of Magh-bile, or
Moville. [Sixth ami Seventh Centuries. '] In the published Martyrology of Tallagh, a notice of this holy prelate's parentage and place of residence will be
found.
his name is likewise to be met in the Tallagh Martyrology contained in the Book of Leinster ; and there, besides his being called Bishop and Abbot of
he is said to have been son to Findchain. 2 In the
Life of St. Patrick,3 we are informed, that when the Irish Apostle directed his course to the northern parts, he came to a territory known as Bredach,4 where he found three Deacons, his own nephews, and who were the sons of his sister. There ruled Olild, son of Eugene, and there, too, on the Lord's Day, he celebrated the Holy Sacrifice and pointed out a spot on which a
Magh-Bile,
Tripartite
was an independent house, although owing
to the fewness of conventuals of its own, it
was ruled for some time by fathers of the
Sligo community. See " Hibernia Domi- Kelly's "Calendar of Irish Saints," &c,
nicana," cap. ix. , sect, xxxix. , p. 327.
40 It was then granted to the Taaffes, from whom, with the rest of the property, it passed to the Earl of Shelburne, except about two acres under and around the ruins. Those belonged to the Dodwells, and were transmitted by them to their relative, Mr.
Creighton.
41
See Ven. and Very Rev. Terence O'Rorke, D. D. , Archdeacon of Elphin, P. P. of Ballysadare and Kilvarnet, in his
"History of Sligo: Town and County,"
vol.
p. xxxiii.
'Thus reads that entry: Si Haw mac
fitrochAm epf Agur 4bb mobile, "See his Life at the 17th March, in the Third Volume of this work, Art. i. , chap. xiv. 4 So called from a stream that enters Lough Foyle, in that place. This territory comprised about the eastern half of the barony of Inishowen, and County of Donegal. This little river and Bredach-Glyn still retain the former name. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , n.
ii. , chap. xxvi. ,p. 193.
(t), p. 1015.
« See Micheas, vii.
Article II. —
r ** Sillani mac Finncoin Ep. ocus Abb. Maighi Bile. " See Rev. Dr.
August 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 379
church should be built. There, also, the Apostle initiated iEngus,* the son of Oilill, to Holy Orders. Afterwards, that place was known as Domnach bile f but, who the first pastor of this Church had been is not recorded. The pre- sent holy man must have been born about the middle of the sixth century. Where his birth took place does not seem to be known, but probably it was in the northern part of Ireland, and most likely he was trained in a school established in Moville, County of Donegal, at a very early date. However, others consider him to have been connected with Magh-bile, or Moville, in theCountyofDown. ByonewellconversantwiththelanguageofIreland, it is stated, that Magh Bhile signifies the plain of the ancient tree, and as he believes, the early Christians in this island always took advantage of some site of pagan worship, at or near which to erect their churches ; it is con-
on account of some sanctuary of trees that grew on the plain, regarded as a Fidh-nemhedh or " sacred wood. " ' A modern and local writer conjec- tures, that this saint must have been Bishop over Inishowen. There is strong intrinsic evidence, in some archaeological remains found within the grave-yard of Donagh, to indicate that this locality had been formerly the seat of an episcopal church and a residence. Besides many other curious monuments of art, ancient and modern, a stone is pointed out, whereon the figure of a bishop, clothed in pontifical dress, with a crozier in his hand, is
jectured, that the church site of Magh-bhile was selected for such a purpose, ""
represented.
8 A monster
appears ready
to devour him. Behind this
figure
are two angels, bearing a cross, which is surmounted by a crown. These
figures are allegorical. Another figure resembles a round-tower. There
is also an Irish Cross, with four points deeply indented within a circle.
Thismonumentseemsofremoteantiquity,andit is thoughttodatesofar
back as the fifth or sixth century. 9 It would seem that St. Sillan flourished
towards the close of the sixth and the beginning of the seventh century.
About this time, he lived in or presided over the ancient monastery founded
10
at Moville.
The Annals of the Four Masters" and of Inisfallen, at 613, call him both bishop and abbot ; but the territory in which he actually lived has not been indicated. In our Calendars, Martyrologies, and Annals, Maghbile is often mentioned, and in a general and an absolute manner, without any allusion to a
Tighernach and the Annals of Ulster simply style him abbot.
second monastery of that name.
12
However, Harris has the two Movilles or
5 He is said to have been venerated as a probably set here before the Roman alphabet
Saint, on the 18th of February, at Druim was used in Ireland, as there are no
Bearta. See a further account of him, at characters upon it. It is 3^ feet long,
that date, in the Second Volume of this 11 inches broad, and a foot thick. " It lies
work, Art. ix.
opposite the south side wall, and not far from
6
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," the corner of a Protestant church, within the
Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, ii. , cap. cxxii , p. 145.
old grave-yard. Itis shaded by giant ash trees,
"
Inishowen : Its Histoiy, Traditions and Antiquities," "A tract in the "Book of Ballymote" chap, xi. , pp. 1 12, 113, and chap, xviii. ,
7 Thus writes William James Doherty :
referring to the Argonautic expedition, the sacred shrine, where Polites and Priam were
killed by Pyrrhus, is called by the name of
p. 196.
10 It is stated hy William James Doherty,
that the patron Saint of Maghbile in Innis-
Fidh-nemhedh by the Irish translator, as owen is Finnian, or Finianus, abbot and
'' equivalent for the very aged laurel that spreads its branches over the altar, an—d which
owen and Tir-connell :
bishop, and that he is venerated in the Irish calendar on the nth of February. See
lI See Dr. O'Donovan's vol. edition,
embraced the Penates in its shades. "
"Innis-owen and Tirconnell
and sect, topographical,"
iv. , pp. 14, 15.
. "The Inishowen anonymous antiquarian states: "It is most likely the oldest-Christian monument in the North of Ireland, and was
i. ,
"Inis- Notes, antiquarian
anti- quarian and topographical," sect, iv. , p. 15.
9 S,ee Maghtochair's
pp. 240, 241.
" In consideration of such omission, and
as a faithful chronicler, Ware was right in
:
Notes,
380 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 25,
Maghbiles, while he attributes the foundation of both these to St. Finnian. ^ Archdall goes further, and pretends to give the names of some of the abbots of Moville in Donegal? * It seems very probable, that he was led
The of that Index1* was deceived compiler
astray by
Topographicus
abbot over it.
22
There can be no question, however, but this excellent
to " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
the Index
niae," in which Finian is mentioned as having been at both Maghbiles.
by
Some difficulty has been presented, in ascertaining Siollan's exact place.
Archdall
16
places this saint over Moville, on Lough Foyle, in Inisowen. This
monastery of Domnach-bile, commonly called Maghbile, he says was founded by St. Patrick. On other and apparently more reliable authority, the St. Sillan or Siollan commemorated at this day was placed over Maghbile or
Moville,
neartheheadof
Strangford Lough,
inthe ofDown. 1? How- County
ever, that writer is supposed to have confounded Maghbile or Movill in
Donegal with the former place, owing to a similarity of names. Indeed,
Archdall seems to have been led a statement of 18 that astray by Colgan,
Donnaghbile was afterwards called Magh-bile, and that a monastery was 1
there placed. * It would be still more incorrect to state, that St. Patrick placed over it, ^Lngus, son of Olild. 20 It might be more probable, that
after arriving at mature age, ^Engus founded Donnaghbile, in Bredach,21
some years after the visit of St. Patrick to Inishowen. Some doubts are
expressed,astowhetherMovilleinDonegalhadbeeneveramonastery; for,
although adopting the affirmative opinion, Colgan could not make any person
topographer and antiquary had a perfect local knowledge of the spot ; and, even later, tradition and old monuments existing serve an important purpose, in giving more than probability to his opinion. Moville in Down was a well-knownmonastery,governedbySt. FinianorSt. Finnena3 inthesixth
century. It continued to flourish, until the period of the Reformation, when 2
in 1542 it was suppressed. * Formerly Moville, in Inishowen, formed but one parish, until the year 1788, when it was divided into two Protestant parishes. TheseweredenominatedUpperandLowerMoville. Accordingto
making but one Maghbile or Movill, vix. : that of Down. See " De Hibernia et
Antiquitatibus ejus," cap xxvi. , p. 181.
13 Not having in his day any better guide, Harris as editor should have adhered to Sir
James Ware, his author.
14 There we find an entry of such names
to clerical orders, by St. Patrick. Such
form of expression implies simply receiving tonsure. See the Vita Tripartita S. Patricii,
par. ii. , cap. cxxii. , p. 145.
2l ** In the Leabhar-Lcacan is set forth the
genealogies of the Kinel Owen, with the families belonging to the tribe called Ha- Bredach, from their ancestor, Eoghain Bre-
as Finian, Siollan, Aengus M'Lonigsy, &c.
Now these are the same identical persons, dach. The O'Duibhdarmas, or collateral
whom with many others he reckons at Moville, in Down.
'5 It does not appear to be established,
that this person could have been Colgan
himself.
branch of the tribe of na- Bredach, of the race of Owen (pronounced De-year-ma) anglicized
MacDermott, were ancient chiefs of Bredach,
and formerly a numerous tribe in the south-
east of Innisowen. The name is still extant
16
17 See Dr. Reeves' Ecclesiastical Anti- centuries. " William James Doherty's
See "Monasticon Hibernicum," u
p. 103.
in the — after a of peninsula, lapse many
of Down, Connor and Dromore," quities pp.
151, 152.
18
See "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima 15. Vita S. Patricii, n. 177, p. 181.
nicum," ppTl24, 125.
2s See Maghtochair's " Inishowen : Its
'9 This erection, however, Colgan does not
ascribe to St. Patrick, who probably only
fixed on the site when he visited that part of
the country. On that spot, a church and tember. monastery might have been afterwards built.
80
Eugene, is merely said to have been initiated
This yEngus, grandson of the dynast
the of names. identity
" Inis-owen and Tirconnell Ami- : Notes,
quarian and Topographical," sect, iv. , p.
See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's
"
Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. I, chap, vi. , sec.
ii. and n. 17, pp. 262 to 265.
** His festival is kept on the loth Sep-
'* See Archdall's "Monasticon Hiber-
August 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
381
the Catholic 2* even the whole forms but one arrangement, yet,
con- taining over 35,000 acres. At the year 613, the Annals of Innisfallen call this saint, a bishop and an abbot, when recording his death. This event is placed at 618, by the O'Clerys, both in the Martyrology of Donegal, and in the Annals of the Four Masters. 26 According to the statements of Tigernach, the Chronicon Scotorum, and the Annals of Ulster, his demise is recorded at
2* at this Duald Mac Firbis enters date,
6 2? Under the head of it).
Magh-Bile,
Siollan, who is called the son of Fionchan. He is, likewise, styled bishop
and abbot of Magh, or Maigh-Bile. Without particularizing his locality, at 2
this same date, the Martyrology of Donegal 9 designates him, Siollan, Bishop and Abbot of Magh-bile. The Irish Calendar, belonging to the Irish Ordnance Survey Records 3° and that at present preserved in the Royal Irish Academy, has a notice of this saint, at the 25th of August. At
x a station on the Waterford and Limerick not far from Railway,
Kilsheelan,3 Clonmel,thepatronsaint'sdayisonthelastSundayofAugust. Thereare
2
two belfry-opes in the west gable of the old ruins. It has been conjectured,3 that the present saint may have been the patron. It seems difficult, however, to connect him with this distant spot in the south of Ireland. Probably it had been some other saint, and bearing a like name.
ArticleIII. —St. BroccanofMaighin,orBroganofIomdan. St. 1
BrocanofMaighinoccursinthepublishedMartyrologyofTallagh, ashav- ing a festival on this day. Somewhat divergent is the entry of his festival, on the viii. of the September Kalends, in that copy contained in the Book of Leinster. 2 The form of name Maighin or Moyne is very common in Irish topographical designations ; and it is often compounded with other terms. The present Maighin is probably identical with Moyne, near the mouth of the River Moy, and in the northern part of Mayo County. The name Brogan of Iomdan3 is set down in the Martyrology of Donegal/ as having been venerated at the 25th of August.
History, Traditions and Antiquities," chap. xv. , xvi. , pp. 158, 170.
'6 See Dr. O'Donovan's Edition, vol. i. ,
pp. 240, 241.
27 See Rev. William Reeves' " Ecclesias-
tical Antiquities of Down, Connor and
Dromore. " Appendix A. , p. 152, and Ap-
pendix LL. , p. 379.
a8 See ' '
Proceedings
Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
so called, in which it is situated, is shown on sheets 77, 78, 83, 84, ibid. It also ex- tends into the barony of Upperthird, and
"
this latter portion is noted on the
nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Waterford," sheets 2, 6.
3* By the Rev. D. B. Mulcahy, C. C. , Loughgiel, Pharis, Co. Antrim, that the place may have received its name from this saint. He says that CilX-c-SilL&n is called
Kilteelan by the Irish-speaking people.
ofthe —
Letter 17th October, 1874.
part i. , pp. 120, iai.
»
Todd and
Edited by Drs.
Reeves, pp.
226,227.
30 In this Irish Calendar, at the viii. of the
Kalends of September (August 25th), we find, "S10IW1 efp. -A5Uf Abb moijebile A°. "Oi. ,618. " SeeOrdnanceSurveyOffice Copy, Common Place Book, F. , p. 73.
2 There he is thus noticed : Onoccam in 5-Ain—probably an error of the scribe.
3AnotebyDr. ToddsaysatIomdan:
"So says the gloss in Mar. O'Gorman ; the ''
of the Royal Irish
i
31 A townland so named, in the barony of M. Taml calls him Broccanus Maighin ;
Iffaand Offa East. It is described on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Tipperary," sheet 84. The parish
i. e. , Broccan in Maighin. "
4 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeres, pp.
226,227.
Article hi. Kelly, p. xxxiii.
'
Edited by Rev. Dr.
parish,
Ord-
382 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 26.
ArticleIV. —"ReputedFeastofSt. Bareas. Intheanonymouslist of Irish Saints, published by O'Sullevan Beare,1 we find a St. Bareus, at the 25thofAugust. Wethinkthistohavebeenamistakeofentry,asnoother warrant for it can be discovered in our Calendars.
Article V. —Festival of St. Bartholomew, Martyr. The festival
25th of August, as may be found in the Feilire of St. iEngus. There his name takes the Irish form Parrthalon.
