No More Learning

Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 265.
'"
See at March 17th, cap. viii.
" The Hon. Algernon Herbert, in his Ad-
ditional Notes to the " Irish Version of the Historia Britonum of Nennius," interprets
Bun Dnletkglas, as "Fort of the Entirely Painted," and in reference to the Dubhda-
—
The Franciscan copy has
'
In Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiber- ni;e," it is described, as being "in regione Momonise Muscragia nuncupata," xx. Mar- tii, Vita S. Gobbani, p. 631. Here it is said,
that St. Carthagus built a monastery, in "In- sula Picti," which was "in freto Eogain. "
See, also, n. 5.
3 Elsewhere, Colgan renders it
Article ii.
Kelly, p. XX.
Edited by Rev. Dr.
nuifi-en Inr^ pice. °"
" Picht," or "in insulis Pictorum. " See xii. Martii. Vita S. Fetchvoni, n. 7, p. 589.
Ibid.
• See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (m), p. 433. 5 In the O'Clerys' Calendar.
= See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," n. 33, p. 31, and Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 265.
' Dr. Todd in a note
" Over this
'^ See ibid. Secunda Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxix. , xxxi. , p. 14, and nn. 47, 52, p. 19.
'• See " Acta tomus Sanctorum,"
656.
's See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxxiv. , p. 72, and nn. 34, 35, p. 1 10. .
name (Ross), in the more recent hand is
written, as a gloss, o 'Oun oa lecglAf, "of
Dunda-lethglas. "
' His feast is said to have been, on the
29th of April.
i. ,
rilis vii. Among the pretermitted feasts, p.
says,
Ap-
in Inse
leths, the Crutheni of Dalriadia. See note
xvii. , p. liv. I
the latter seems to have figure
April 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 75
patrick have been erected, at a very early date, but we ought even regard this Rus or Ross as presiding over it, some time in the fifth century. '* Although the father's name and the place seem different, yet St. Ruisen of Inis Pict may probably be identified with a Russ, or Russen, son to Rodan, Abbot of Innis- freil. '' A conjecture has been offered, likewise, that this saint was identical with the Ruissin, son to Lappain, mentioned in the Life of St. Molagga. "^ He died,'' it is said, a. d. 658, the comorban to St. Barr of Cork. And, we are told, moreover, that Marianus O'Gorman, as also the commentator on iEngus,
St. Columba's ^'
was undertaken, and whose festival has been assigned to the 27th of Decem- ber, by some Scottish writers ; but, Colgan thinks, it ought rather be referred to the 7th of April," as noted in the Martyrologies of Tallagh, of Donegal, of Marianus O'Gorman and of Maguire. ^3 He flourished, a. d. 563, but the date forhisdeathisuncertain. '* TheMartyrologyofDonegal,=5thisdayrecords a festival, in honour of Ruisen, of Inis-Picht.
Article \\\. —St. Senan, Bishop and Abbot. St. Senan seems to
have been doubly registered, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 7th of April; but, with the qualification of his being called Abbot, in one
instance, instead of Bishop," as he is in another place : for, we do not believe, the double entry of this name, at the same day, can refer to distinct saints.
Following the same authority, the Bollandists,^ enter " Senanus Episcopus,"
"
and
ofInisCarthy,atthe8thofMarch. ThereismentionedinourCalendarsa St. Senan, of Achadh-Coel, or of " the narrow field. " Where this was situated has not transpired. But his descent is thus traced. He was the son of Ernin,* son of Trien, son of Dunnius, son to Eochod, son to Bronnfinn, son of Eugene, son of Artcorb, son to Fiach Suighde, the first of the Desies family. ' This saint was the brother of St. Erca, the virgin, who is venerated, at the 12th ofMay. Itseemsnoteasytoidentifyhim,withanyoneoftheSaintsSenan, undistinguished by patronymics, as found in our Calendars. Again, there is a genealogy of St. Senan, son of Becan,* while there is a genealogy of Senan
this saint's Natalis was celebrated, on the of ^° we have 7th April. Again,
say,
an account of Sl Russeus, or Russenus, the son of Rodan, who was one of
companions,
when his first missionary expedition to Britain
Senanus Abbas," with reference to Colgan's Acts of St. Senan, Abbot
'' See Rev. William Reeves' "Ecclesias- tical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dro- more. " Appendix A, p. 142, and Appen-
dix LL. , p. 377.
' See " Memoir of the City and North
Western Liberties of Londonderry," Part ii. , sec. 2, p. 27.
'' Colganadds, "aquibusvocatur Russenus de Insulis Pictorum.
'*See "Trias Thaumaturga,"Quarla Ap- pendix ad Acta S. Columbae,, cap. x. , num.
too, p. 492.
'S Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
'»
See his Life, at the 20th of January.
96, 97. — Article hi.
Kelly, p. xx.
'
Edited by Rev. Dr.
" And in a note on this obiit, we read,
"" that Corcach-more was the great Corcach
or Marsh, now Cork, the chief city of Mun-
iter. It is also frcquenily called Corcach-
mor-M—umhan, »>. the great Cork of Mun-
ster. " Dr. O'Donovan s "Annals of the rilis vii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 292, 293, and n.
(i). Ibid. » See
656. <ThereisagenealogyofSenanofAchad
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise," XX. Januarii, n, 28, p. 150.
Chail, son of in the "Leahhar Ernin,
p. 15, col. i, line 46.
Colgan's
Breac,"
" See his Life, at the 9th of
s See " " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
niae," xv. Januarii. Some illustrations will be met with, in the Appendix ad Acta S. Ila;, cap. ii. , p. 73.
June.
" This is evidently Colgan's meaning,
although he writes, through mistake, tur 9 Aprilis. "
"
cola-
Thus we find the distinct entries in the Franciscan copy : first Senani <\b, and after two other saints occurs Sen Am epi.
'See " Acta . Sanctorum," tomus i. , Ap-
74 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 7.
Liath, from C. ill t-Shenan Liath,? in our ancient Manuscripts. But, we can- not be sure, that any of the foregoing were venerated, on this day. There was
a church of St. Senan, at Kells, in the county of Meath ^
; but,
whether or not
it had connection with the present holy man, or with some one of many other
saints, bearing the name, and found in our Calendars, it might not be safe to
affirm. A St. Senan, a monk of Durrow, is set down, by Colgan, at the 7th
and nth of April,? and he is classed among the disciples of St. Columba. '" The name of Senan, Bishop, is recorded, in the Martyrology of Donegal," as having a festival, at this day.
Article IV. —St. Mac Liag, of Doire. We meet with the simple
entry, Mac Liag, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 7th of April. In the last chapter of St. Declan's Acts,^ allusion is made to a Macliegus, a bishop ;
and, Colgan supposes,3 he was venerated, either on the 8th of February,^ or at the present day. He is mentioned, among the disciples of St. Patrick,s although no account of his place is given. We find two Mac Liags, connected with the celebrated Derry, and noted in our Annals. One of these Avas Giolla Mac Liag, the son of Rory, and better known as St. Gelasius, whose festivalhasbeenrecorded,atthe27thofMarch. TherewasanotherGiolla Mac Liag, or Gelasius O'Branain, who succeeded to the government of Derry monastery, on the death of Flahertach O'Brolchain, who died a. d. 1175. The latter Giolla Mac Liag resigned the Abbey, in 1 198 ; nor can we find any fur- ther account, regarding him. * The Bollandists ^ have Macliegus Dorensis,
simply, at the 7th of April. According to the Martyrology of Donegal,^ like- wise, a saint, denominated Mac Liag, of Doire, was venerated, on this day.
Article V. —St. Aedh, of Oilein Reachrann, or of Rathlin
Island, County of Antrim. [Eighth Centuryi\ That Islands should be
the places of residence, chosen by many early Irish missionaries, may be in-
ferred, from the many instances of old ecclesiastical structures thereon, and
from their religious discipline, which was essentially recluse. Other propagan- dists of the faitii founded churches. With the Irish, the church was frequently a
hermitage,andnotaplaceforlargecongregationsofthefaithful. Manyofour primitive churches were known as Cills, Kills, or "Cells.
" It improves the evidence in favour of Islands, within and around our shores, having been lone spots, such as anchorites would love, at the introduction of Christianity, rather than marts of trade or nests of pirates, for which they might be fairly taken, if
'In the "Leabhar Breac," p. 20, col. I,
^
gee "Trjas Thaumaturga," Quinta Ap- pendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p.
269.
line 30.
7 See also the
"
Leabhar Breac," p. 21,
col. 4, line 47,
^ See Rev. A. Cogan's "Diocese of Meath,
Ancient and Modern," vol. i. , chap. v. p.
38.
9 See "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Ap-
•
Colgan has it misprinted,
3
Februarii. "
ad Acta S. Columbae, chap, x. , num. 105, p. 492. Also, Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbs, cap. v. , sec. ii. , p. 508.
"> See his Life, at the 9th of June.
" Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
96, 97. —' Edited Article IV.
pendix
Rev. Dr.
p. XX. In the Franciscan copy, we find
rilis vii. the Among
656.
*
pretermitted saints, p.
by
See his Life, at the 24th of July.
Kelly,
niAc tiA5 o OAii\e.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 96, 97.
=
"
The reader is referred to an account of St.
Mac Liac, or Mac Liag, Bishop of Liath- Dromma, or Leitrim, at the 8th day of Feb- ruary.
s See the Life of St. Patrick, chap, xxiv. ,
n. 346.
"^ See "Memoir of the City and North
Western Liberties of Londonderry," Part ii. , sec. 2, p. 29.
' See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Ap-
April 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 75
we looked solely to their position. ' St. Aedh was son of Cairbre, and he be- came abbot of Rechrann monastery. * We read, in the Martyrology of
—
or of
—
The place is now known as Rathlin Island,^ off the northern coast of Antrim.
Donegal,3 that Aedh Oilein*
the Island
was venerated,
on this
day.
It does not appear, that a church had been built there, before a. d. 630. * This
saint appears to have immediately succeeded St. Murghal,? Abbot, who died A. D. 764. St. Aedh did not long survive him ; for, he departed, in the year
768, according to the Annals of the Four Masters, or in 672, according to tho. se of Ulster. The tnie year appears to have been a. d. 773. ' In the year 790,
the shrines of Rathlin were destroyed, by the gentile pirates. ' It is probable, one belonging to this saint, as also, some shrines of his holy predecessors, p)erished. Thus, like the stranded ship, once filled with life and motion, many a house of prayer, in former times, lies lowly and desolate ; while, in contem-
plating its melancholy wreck, with its peculiar and artistic beauty, the visitor's tlioughts are subdued to reverence and prayer, when rejoicing in the living Faith, that survives the ruin of material temples.
Article VI. —St. Brynach, or Brenach, of Carn Engvli, Wales. [Fifth Century. '] His Life, which is to be found in a Manuscript,' belong- ing to the British Museum, has been lately published by Rees. " St. Brynach,
as he is called by the Welsh writers, or Brenach, was an Irishman by birth. 3 Id -Michael Alford's work,* the name of Bemacus Abbas is entered, in his Index, as being among the Saints of Anglia ; but, the reference to his place, in the Annals, finds only a counterpart in omission. The Bollandists s notice him, at the 7th of April, as Abbot Bemacus ; and, they state, that his place of abode was traditionally held to have been, in northern Cambria. But, as not having ascertained the genuineness of his Acts, nor his place in
history, nor having had time to investigate properly liis atltiis, they pass over Bemacus Abbas, for want ofbetter information- He is said to have flourished, before the middle of the fifth century. * This saint performed great miracles. He lived in a solitary spot, on the banks of the Caman, where lie erected a cell and a church. These were encompassed by liilis. 'I'here he served God faithfully, until summoned to his heavenly reward. He often ascended a higii eminence, to enjoy the vision and discourse of Angels. It was afterwards
Articlev. —' Seesomeveryjudiciousre- 377.
marks on this subject, by the Protestant writers of that very elaborate, learned, and
beautifully-illustrated work, " The Channel Islands," by David Thomas Ansted and
Robert Gordon Latham, Part iii. , chap, xiii. , pp. 326, 327.
'See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbse, cap. viii. , p. 570.
'Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 96, 97.
' According to Colgan, his feast was kept
on the zgih September,
' See "L'Art de Verefier les Dates," tome
L, p. 66, and observations, in n. (m) in Dr. , O'Donovan's "Annals ofthe Four Masters,"
vol. i. , pp. 372, 373.
» . See Colgan's "Trias Thamaturga,"
Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbse,
« In a note. Dr. Todd tran. slate it, Aedh of the Island. "
" We
may
Department, Vespasian, A. xiv.
' Sec " Lives of the Cambro-British
says,
5 It is now a parish, in the barony of Car)-, ""
""
and it is described, on the Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the County of Antrim," Sheet I.
' See various records of this place, in Rev. William Reeves' "Ecclesiastical Antiqui- tiesofDown,ConnorandDromore. "Appen- dix T, pp. 248 to 450, and Calendar LL, p.
Gwyddle, or Brenach the Irishman. "
* See "Annales Kcclesia; Anglo-Sax-
onicre. " Leodii, 1663, fol.
' See "Acta Sanctorum," tomusi. , Aprilis
vii. Among the pretermitted feasts, p. 655.
cap. viii. , p. 510—. Article vi.
' in the Cottonian Classed,
Saints," p. 5.
' The Welsh Triads call him, Brynach
"
'. See Right Rev. Patrick F. Moran's Early Irish Missions," p. 5.
76 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 7.
called the " Mountain of Angels. " It now bears the name Cam Engyli, and it overhangs the Nevern. At its foot was built a church. ? St. Brenach passed out of this world, on the 7th of April. ^ His relics were placed, under the eastern wall of his church. 9
Article VII. —Reputed Festival of St. Sigenius, Scottish Pres- byter AND Abbot, of the Island Helluensis. Treating about the incidents of the reign of Donaldus, the fifty-third King of Scotland, Lesley
declares,' that the foregoing holy man was held in great veneration, by all persons ; yet, that writer does not call him a saint, or blessed, as the Bollan- dists remark, at this dale. = Arnold Wion introduces the name of Sigenius, into his Benedictine Martyrology, as a saint, although not knowing the date for his festival. John Wilson places him, in the English Martyrology, at the 7th of April. Ferrarius, in his General Catalogue of the Saints, followed him. Atthe7thofApril,ThomasDempster3 hasanentry,recordingthefestivalof Sigenius, Abbot. '* He states, likewise, that the Martyrologium Anglicum has a similar commemoration. This festival is given, by David Camerarius,5 in hisScottishEntriesintheKalendar. ^ IntheearlierBreviaryofAberdeen, as also in the ancient Martyrology of Tallagh, there is no mention of Sigenius ; and, therefore, the Bollandists chose to leave him, until more cer- tain authorities could be adduced, for placing him among the recognised saints. In the Anonymous Calendar of our Irish Saints, published by O'SuUivan Beare,? the name of the present holy man appears, as Sigenus,^ at the present date.
Article VIII. —Reputed Festival of St. Brandan, or Brundan, Bishop and Confessor. \Sixth Century. ] In a Manuscript of Florarius, and by the Scholiast on Usuard,' there is a notice of Abbot Brandanus, cele- brated for his voyage, and he is called Bishop, likewise, by Petrus de Natali- bus,° as also, by other writers. 3 His life will be found more fully written, at the 1 6th May, the date usually assigned for his festival.
Article IX. —Reputed Feast of St. Vincent Ferrer, Confessor,
AND a Missionary, in Ireland. \Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries. ] In the Kalendar of an ancient Ambrosian Missal and Breviary, the festival
of this saint is marked, at the 7 th of April ;' but, his Life has been more properly written, for the 5th of this month.
'SeeFenton's"Pembrokeshire,"p. 543.
^ According to the " Martyrologium Aug- licanum. " Second Edition.
5 See Ri^ht Rev. Patrick F. Moran's " Early Irish Missions," p. 6.
=TIius: "7Die. SanctusSigeneiusAbbas Benchorensis monasterii in Insula Hoyensi. "
'
See iiiit. , p. 236.
' See " Historioe Calholicx Ibernice Com-
pendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi.