No More Learning

189 to 214, with accompanying map.
^9 Not far from the ruins of Sheepstown Church may be traced the site of Sheeps-
**
"^
See the ingenious and learned disserta-
Derrynahinch Old Church, County Kilkenny.
present high road to Ballyhale, as it runs towards Derrynahinch church,3° not far from the latter place. Several trees now surround Derrynahinch
'7 This, we are told, stands out very year 1864," vol. v. New series, part i. , pp.
"
and Papers of the Kilkenny and South-East
tion of Mr. John Hogan in
of Ireland Archaeological Society for the
of Kilkenny. " Sheet 31.
3° The site of Derrynahinch church and
Proceedings
Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County
town Castle. Both are shown on the
graveyard will be found on the
**
Ordnance
February 2. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 259
ruins,3^ the walls of which are richly draped with ivy. This church is said to have been dedicated to St. Martin. 32 Here, too, a patron was held on hisday. 33 OneofthefineststretchesoflandinIrelandmaybeviewedfrom this spot. According to the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, the Irish Apostle was the primitive founder of Mar-thor-theach, in Mag-Rigne, after he had left Belach-Gaurain, passing through Ossory,34 on his way to the bounds of Munster. 35 AthirdroadmaybetracedtotheprimitivelocalityofAugha- viller. 3^ Here, there is a round tower. 37 That which more immediately belongs to the object of this enquiry is a road, that led to the pass of Bea- lach-Ele,3^ and thence over Sliabh-Branach39 to the valley of the Suir. The course of this ancient way is marked by a regular line of townland villages, ruined castles, and ancient churches, which now lie far away from the public high-roads, concealed in rude bosheens, only surviving segments of the great thoroughfare, that in early times ran through Knockmoylan, Kilkeasy, and Kilcurl^o to Sheepstown, where it finds the stream, under the church at Ath- Duirn-Buidhe. Thence, it runs into the fields, and it is still open, as a neglected by-path, to Danganbeg Castle,^^ through the townland of Tinvaun. Thisroad,atpresent,isnotopenthroughSheepstown; but,fromthecastle of Kilcurl, it is turned out of the old track, and, by a modern line, it con- ductstothevillageofKnocktopher. Asimilarchangewaseffected,inthis road, at the north side of Sheepstown ; for, here, too, the ancient path is turned off by a modern line, to the town of Knocktopher, which proves, that in remote times, the great high-road ran direct through the centre of Sheeps-
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Kilkenny," on Sheet 32, between Derryna- hinch House and grounds, and Kiltorcan House and grounds, beside an old road-
way.
3' The accompanying engraving, by Mrs.
Millard, is from a drawing, taken on the spot, by the writer, in March, 1873. Notes,
descriptive of the ruins, he regrets having lost or mislaid ; but, as recollection serves,
titular St. Martin. That pastor abolished some nonsensical ceremonies of the former patron, but, very properly, he had the festi- val restored to its primitive simplicity and
dignity, by inaugurating its observance as a day for solemn and annual worship.
34 St. Patrick founded many other churches in ancient Ossory.
35 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita S. Patricii," pars iii. , cap.
within the ancient church, and under a xxvii,, xxviii. , p. 153.
ruinous east window, were the remains of an old stone-work altar. The view, in the illustration, represents a north or north-
westernaspect.
3^ Until of late years, his "patron" was
observed there, on the nth of November. —Mr. Hogan identifies this with Marthorteach
thinks
which he to be formed from Mar-
3^ Where there is an old church, round tower, graveyard and ruined castle, shown
*'
theen-teach, z>. , Martin's house. " This 639-
also stood within the ancient plain of Magh
Roighne. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals
of the Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (t), p. 494, at A. D. 859.
33 This was done, towards the close of the
last century, in the churchyard of Derryna- hinch. The patron was afterwards trans-
ferred to the chapel-yard of Ballyhale, where it continued to be kept on the Sunday next
after the I ith of November, f—or many years.
3^ This ancient denomination is said to be preserved, at the present day, in the rather modern village of Ballyhale, midway be- tween Kilkenny and Waterford. It is now a station, on the railroad connecting both cities. This town is within the old parish of Derrynahinch, represented on the " Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Kilkenny. " Sheets 31, 32, 35, 36.
39 Now the Walsh Mountains.
grotesque-looking figure possibly A —
4°
and a graveyard, as also a castle. See " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the
"
around the graveyard. This was intended
to represent the patron saint. Archdeacon
O'Shea, P. P. , on completion of his new Townland Maps for the County of Kil- church at Ballyhale had it dedicated to the kenny. " Sheet 31.
ancient one and carved as a bishop in pon-
tificals, used to be carried in procession
an
Here there is an old church in ruins
''
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
on the
fortheCountyofKilkenny. " Sheet31.
37 A rude engraving of it is presented in Tighe's "Statistical Observations relative to the County of Kilkenny, made in the years 1 800 and 1 801," part iii. , sect. 19, p.
Sheet 3 1 .
4* Shown on the " Ordnance Survey
County of Kilkenny.
26o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS
[February 2.
town. 42 Yet, when in later times, Knocktopher43 had grown up as its suc- cessful rival, the road was curved from the ancient and made to pass through the modem to\vn. Within a few hundred yards of Sheepstown church, the present road curves round to cross a stream, and over a stone bridge, at which place the rivulet spreads over a greater width, and forms a shallow. The old road, forming part of the great highway, that led from Bealach Ele through the plain of Magh Roighna, sank down to the water. Its banks accommodate themselves to the old track, which is yet visible through the fields, from Danganbeg direction. This is thought to have been the exact site of that ford, known as Ath-Duirnbuidhe. About a-quarter of a mile,
beyond this stream, rises the magnificent elevation of Knock-ad-Raighne. 44 Its eastern and southern slopes are covered by the spacious plantations of Flood Hall,4s once the seat of the celebrated Henry Flood ;46 but, its south- western declivities are bare and precipitous. Its proximity to Sheepstown church, and to the ford already mentioned, renders it pretty certain^r that venerable ruin occupies the site of the ancient historical church of Cill- Finnche. Itstandsonaneminence,overthevalley,throughwhichmeanders the mountain stream, which flows thence, through the town of Knocktopher. ^^ The church had no chancel ; it is a rude oblong building. It has a single and rather rude stunted lancet window, in the east gable. The head is rounded out of two single stones, and the jambs are widely splayed internally, in the Hiberno-Romanesque style. Within the present townland of Killinny, every vestige of an old church, or even of a graveyard, appears to have been effaced, as examined on the Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County ofKilkenny. 49 ItliespleasinglysituatednearthetownofKells,butonthe northern bank of King's River, across which possibly was the ancient ford.
42 The old church, at this place, is fast crumbling to decay, while it is both obscure
andneglected.
43 See this parish shown on the "Ordnance
magne in Magh Raighne. Or, it is in Hy Scellain of Sliabh Mairge that Findech DuimBuidheis,utaliiputant. Or,nomen viri a quo nominatur the place. Or, with
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Nindid Duirn Digrais, i. e. , of undefiled
Kilkenny. " Sheets 27, 28, 31, 32, 35. hands. "
Knocktopher town and its surroundings are to be seen on Sheet 31. The chief local
objects of interest are its abbey, its manor, anditscommons.
44 Knockadrina is a denomination due west of Flood Hall. See "Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the County of Kil- kenny. " Sheet 27. In the Leabhar Breac copy of the " Feilire," at & 1111 Nones, fol. 81, there is a marginal note, which Mr. Joseph O'Longan has obligingly transcribed for me, and appended the following English translation. It offers different guesses, re- garding this saint and his place, thus serving to illustrate the present topic :— pn-oech "OuiiMi . 1. 0CI11IL pncVie in Of|\Ai5ib . 1.
o ^cli "Ouipn bin-oe . 1. "Oopn buix)e
nomen colbf iriA^no Ammg tlAigne. no if in ii1o ScebtAin Slebo THaiia^o
ACA pn-oech "Ouitmi btn'oo uc Abi pucAnc. tlo nomen ui^vi a c|uo nomiriA- cu^A in bAti. no bAnnTom Diii|\n . "o. i. bAim iT)Ain. These comments are rendered in the succeeding English trans-
45 The house and beautiful demesne of Flood Hall are represented on the "Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County ofKilkenny. " Sheet27.
4'^ A celebrated political character and orator in the Irish Parliament of the last century, —and to whom Charles Phillips thus alludes
:
" Fancy again the patriot banner sees Wave 'mid the music of the mountain
breeze ;
Again beholds rejoicing commerce ride, Free as the winds that waft her o'er the
tide,
Or sighs, entranced, where once in truth
she hung
On the sweet tone of Flood's harmonious
tongue. "
—"
lation —
:
— Guide Nore. " "The Traveller's New
through Ireland," p. 102. 43 See Sheet 27.
literally
"Findech from Cill Duim, i. e. ,
tributary
stream,
Finche in Ossory, i. e. , from Ath Duim
Buidhe, ? . v. ,
Dom Buidhe nomea collis
The Emerald Isle," pp. 64, 65.
47 In Mr. Hogan's opinion.
48 The rivulet " rolls its
to swell the watery bosom of the majestic
t'EBRUARY 2. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINlS. 261
Ath Dorn. This latter denomination now appears to have been lost in
popular traditions. Among the names and festivals of the patron saints, in
the diocese of Ossory,5° copied from the manuscript of Right Rev. James
Phelan, bishop of that see, by his successor, the celebrated Bishop De Burgo, it seems strange, that no record of this saint, or of his church, can be found. s^
Whatever may be thought, regarding the exact locality for the present saint's veneration, Mr. Hogan's conjecture,52 that he had been venerated in four different places, and on four distinct days of the year,s3 seems improbable. It is sufficiently apparent, that the several saints named, and thus discon- nected, were not identical in person, as they are distinguished in the forms and attributes of name, of race, of place, and of festival.
Article V. —St. Colman. St. Cohiian is entered, in the Martyrology
of Tallagh,^ under the designation of Colman—then following—Illadhon on
Disert, at the 2nd of February. However, the Donegal Martyrology^ distin-
guishes Illadhon or Jollathan, from Colman. It is possible enough, this festival may have reference to the vigil of St. Colman of Kilmacduagh, who
is venerated on the succeeding day. According to the latter authority, a Colmanwasreverencedonthisparticularday. Hisplaceisnotmentioned.
Article VI. —St. Aithmet, Bishop of Clogher, County of Tyrone.
\Probably m the Sixth, Seuenth or Eighth Century. ^ With such prestige as the Christian pastors left to our early sees, the Irishman's heart must be inspired,hismindmu^beexpanded,andhissoulmustbeimproved. It is mentioned, in the Martyrologies of Tallagh,^ of Marianus O'Gorman, and of Donegal,^ that Aithmet, a Bishop of Clochar, had a festival, at this date. He flourished at rather an early period. The present saint is named Ermedus or Hermetius, by Colgan, and his festival is assigned to the 2nd of February. ReferenceismadetotheTripartiteLifeofSt. Patrick,andto Ussher, for some particulars regarding him. 3 Ermedus,^ Bishop of Clogher, is said to have written a Life of St. Patrick f but, at what particular period
50 See **
Spicilegium
Ossoriense Letters and
xiv.
"^ Edited
36, 37. Article VI.
Kelly, p. xiv.
a collection of
illustrative of the History of the Irish Church from the Reformation to the year 1800. " By Right Rev. Patrick Francis Moran,
by
pp. Rev. Dr.
of
D. D. , Bishop Ossory.
First
series,
No.
"" Edited Drs. Todd and Reeves, by
pp.
ciety," vol. iii. **
New series, part ii. , 1861. and Historical Illustrations
Original
ii. , pp. 6 to 10.
5' Yet in the Taxation of Ossory, A. D.
IS37» we find " Vicaria de Killermy," rated
at L 2, 13, 4. See ibid>, No. iii. , p. 11.
5= See " The Journal of the Kilkenny and South- East of Ireland Archaeological So-
36, 37.
3 See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Quarta
Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, pars iii. , p. 218.
^ it is thought, this may be the same as Hermetus, and for whose death no special date is given, in either Colgan's or Ware's List of the of The latter
Topographical
of the Suburbs of Kilkenny," pp. 355 to 387.
Bishops Clogher.
was drawn from the registry of that see.
: Being p. Papers
Drs. Todd and Reeves,
53 Thus, at the 1st of January, we find,
St. Fuinche Garbh, Virgin, of Ros-Oirthir,
on Lough Erne ; at the 25th, St. Finche,
Virgin ; at the present date, the saint under or Ermedhach, Abbot of Craobh-Laisre, consideration ; and, at the 17th of May, who is venerated on the 1st of January. Fionnchan, Bishop of Druim-eanaigh, and See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita of Druimfess. See what is said, at each S. Patricii, pars i. , cap. Ixix. , and n. 49,
date, regarding the foregoing saints. pp. 128, 172, 173. Article v. —-' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
Harris' Ware, vol. i. , pp. 177, 179.
"
Bishops of Clogher,"
—
"^
Edited by
s Colgan thinks it possible, Ermedus may be identical with St. Airmedach, Hermetius
362 Lives of 2he IRISH SAimS.
[February 2.
he flourished does not seem to be known. Even the date for his festival
becomes a subject of controversy f nor, is it necessary, always to class in- dividuals, similarly named in the Acts of our Saints, with the same category. The present parish of Clogher,7 in a barony, likewise so called, is of very considerable extent. Colgan places this saint, as a successor to Liberius,^ Bishop, over this see. We are left to infer from such a position, that the present saint flourished, probably long after a. d. 550, but previous to a. d. 731. 9 In pre-Christian times, this place had obtained celebrity. The very curious old moats, forts and an ancient graveyard, near the town of Clogher, are shown on the Ordnance Survey Townland Maps,^° for the County of Tyrone. These well deserve a more careful antiquarian enquiry, and in-
vestigation, than they have yet obtained.
ArticleVII. —St. Mothrianoc,Sonof-^ngus,ofRusgach. Itis probable, that the present saint had been honoured with a double festival. In the order of enumeration, this takes precedence. His father is called iEngus,butwecanmeetnofurthercluetohispedigreeandperiod. Atthe 2nd of February, we find set down in the Martyrology of Tallagh' a festival inhonourofMothrianocmacAengusa. Thereisnocorrespondingentryin the Martyrology of Donegal, at this date ; however, at the 20th of August," Mothenog, son of Aengus, Abbot of Riisgach, is there noted. 3 At this same date, the saint and place, without his patronymic is mentioned, in the Mar- tyrology of Tallagh. 4 There are various denominations in Ireland, known as Riasg, Riasc, Reisk, Rusg, Roosk, Rusk, signifying a moor, marsh or fen. The adjective forms are in still more general use ; and these give names to all those places called Roosky, Rusgaidh, Rooskagh, Roosca, Rousky and Rusky, of which there are about fifty in the four provinces of Ireland. ^ Originally, these were marshy or fenny places. ^ The present Rusgach thus derived its name ; but, it seems difiicult, if not impossible, to decide on its exact situation.
Article VIII. —St. Colman. This St. Colman may possibly be in-
tended for the St. Columban, of whom there is a short notice, at this day, in
"^
the Natales Sanctorum Belgii. " At the 2nd of February, the name Colman
is merely entered, in the Martyrology of Tallagh. ^ In addition to one, there is another St. Colman, separately mentioned in the Martyrology of Donegal,3 as having a festival, at this date. But, we are not informed, regarding that locality, in which he had been venerated.
* See the notices of St. Airmedach, Her-
metius or Ermedach, Abbot of Craibhi-
Laisre, at the 1st of January.
s By consulting the " General Alphabe* tical Index to the Townland and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland," &c. , pp. 796, 797, 806, 949, the reader will discover, at least sixty places bearing the aforesaid denominations, or their compounds. There are sixty-nine places besides, called Rush, the Anglicized form, with its different com- pounds. See pp. 805, 806. Dublin, 1861, lol.
^
See Dr. P. W. Joyce's "Origin and History of Irish Names of Places," part iv. , chap, vi. , p. 448.
^ See
"
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the County of Tyrone. " Sheets 51, 52,
57> 58, S9> 63, 64, 65, 68.
^
His feast occurs on the 2nd of Novem- ber.
9 See ** Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae,"xxiv.
Martii. Vita S. Maccarthenni. Appendix,
cap. iv. , p. 742.
" On Sheets 58, 59. Article vii. —» Edited
xiv.
Rev. Dr. See notices of him at that date.
Kelly, p. *
Article viii. —» In one 22.
paragraph, p.
3 See Drs. Todd and Reeves'
° 3
36,
Edited
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 37.
edition, pp. ^ See Dr. Kelly's edition, p. xxxii.
by
Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p.
xiv.
36, 37, and 224, 225.
by
February 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 263
Article IX. —Feast of St. Laurence, an Irish Bishop. {Twelfth
Century. ] A manuscript of Florarius, treats about an Irish bishop, called Laurence,atthe2ndofFebruary;^ theBollandistsrightlyconsiderhimto be identical with St. Laurence OToole, Archbishop of Dublin,^ whose chief feast occurs, on the 14th of November. 3 At Eu, in Normandy, where he died, the present seems to have been a local festival.
ArticleX. —FestivalofaReputedSt. Findech,Virgin. Atthe 2nd of February, in the " Kalendarium Drummondiense," we find it stated,^ that in Ireland, a St. Findech, Virgin, reposed in Christ. Possibly, this saint may be distinguished from Findeach Duimd, already noticed ; or, more likely, some confusion has been admitted, in placing such a notice, on the Scottish Calendar, in reference to the holy personage connected with Magh Raighne.
Cftirir Bap of jfebruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. ANATOLIUS, BISHOP OF SALINS, FRANCE.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—CHANGE OF IRISH NAMES—VARIOUS OPINIONS OF WRITERS REGARD- ING ST. ANATOLIUS—BORN IN IRELAND—HE BECOMES A BISHOP THERE—HE VISITS ROME, AND RETURNS THROUGH FRANCE.
use of Latinized or Grecised forms, for the original Irish names of
Thus
equivalent for some original title, now unknown. While living on the Continent, the present holy man might have assumed it, as being more easily pronounced
than his original designation. Perhaps, this had the same meaning ; yet, it would prove more than difficult to determine the Irish cognomen, even were wecorrectinthederivationofhisreceivedandtransmittedname. -* Andrew
THE
various is
holy men,
Gelasius,'' Marianus,3 severally represent different Irish denominations. Thus, too,AnatoliusdoesnotappeartohavebeenanIrishname; and,yet,itisthe
Article IX. —^ On this a. d. day,
in the case of of Maelisa, Bishop
a. d. 1152.
^
Down,
1262, Odo Rigant, Archbishop of Rouen, came to visit the Abbey of Eu, in Normandy. It was probably the occasion, for some trans- lation of St. Laurence O'Toole's relics, or
This represents several compounds of Gilla, as Gillamacliag, Gilladomhnaill.
9th of this month ; and of Maelmuire, as in
the case of Marianus O'Gorman, the Mar-
tyrologist.
* The present, at least, is from a Greek
derivative root. Thus, Anatolia, because it lies relatively to Greece and towards the east, is supposed to come from the word avdToXr) which means "a coming forth,"
especially as applied to the rising sun or moon.
frequently very arbitrary.
Malachias,^
3 This represents Maelbrige, as in the caseofMarianustheChronist; Muiredhach, =* See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus Feb- as in the case of Marianus Scotus, at the
fordepositingthem,inanewshrine.
i. , ruarii ii. Praetermissi et in alios dies re-
jecti, p. 269.
3 See his Life at this date.
Article x,
—
' There we meet this entry,
" Apud Hibemiam Sanct—a virgo Findech "
hoc die in Christo quievit. Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of the Scottish Saints," p. 4.
Article I. —Chapter i. —'This stands for Maelmaedhog, as in the case of Malachy O'Morgair, a. d. 1148 j and, for Maolisa, as
264 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 3.
Saussay makes this saint a native of Scotia. s We have already seen, that many Irishmen were known in Continental countries by names, which they did not bear in Ireland. This is readily accounted for, since their original onesmighthavebeeninflectedbyforeigners,amongwhomtheylived. The present holy man's real name, in Irish, began, perhaps with Ana, according to Dr. Lanigan'sconjecture; but,thewholeremainingpartofwhich,strangers amongwhomheresidedcouldnotwellpronounce. ^ ColgantreatsofSt. Anatolius, at the 3rd of February. 7 The Bollandists allude to him much more diffusely, and with more abundant materials. They have, besides their own preliminary observations and notes, a short old Life, written by some anonymous author. ^ In addition, they present a sketch or a memoir, drawn up by Father Chifflet. 9 The first of these Lives alludes to the fact, that several ancient tracts, referring to the history of holy men, were lost, by accident, worn away from the effects of time, or destroyed by fire. Hence, from tradition had been gleaned a few sparse memorials, deemed to be useful,
and of for the instruction and worthy record,
example ThatSt. AnatoliuswasaScotis constantlyasserted,bymanywriters,who
havetoucheduponhishistory; and,thathewasanIrishoneappearsfrom
his being described as a countryman of St. Columbanus of Luxeu, of St.
Deicolus, and of other distinguished missionaries, whose nationality cannot
fairly be questioned. Thus, in the Acts of St. Maimbodus, a—fter St. Colum-
—olus,Columbanus,andothersaintsfromScotia theoldname banus, Deic
forIreland andwhohadillustratedBurgundy,Anatolius,"fromthesame
Scotia, is especially named. According to an opinion of Chififlet, in that little sketch of his Life, Anatolius might have lived, early in the fifth century. In that case. Dr. Lanigan opines, he should have been either a Greek or a Cilician. There was, indeed, an Anatolius, Bishop of Adana, in Cilicia, who took part with St. John Chrysostom against Theophilus of Alexandria, and of whom Palladius" says, that it was reported he had withdrawn to Gaul. ^3 Now, whatever might have been the vulgar mode of speaking that prevailed, after the sixth century, when the Irish began to be generally known in France ; it cannot be supposed, that an Oriental bishop, who lived before St. Patrick preached in Ireland, could have been called by the inhabitants of Gaul, a Scotus. ^4 That our saint was the latter, ancient tradition in the archdiocese of Besangon^s affirms.
s See "Martyrologium Gallicanum," at this day.