It does not seem wanting to
uneducated
humanity, but it is most
generally found in persons of refined tastes.
generally found in persons of refined tastes.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
The townland here gave name to the parish.
Besides those objects already described, the cell of St.
Lassar is pointed out, and within the townland of Killesher.
?
There is
" Church of the on a Mass,"
another old called church,
Tempulnaffrin,
townland of the same name in the adjoining parish of Cleenish. ^ It is
charmingly situated on the northern bank of Lower Lough Mac Neane,9 which is the Loch-da-en of Irish history.
ArticleIII. —St, Diermaid,BishopofAirindh-Indaich. Froman early time, the zeal of our religious was manifested in those sacrifices made
possible she may have been the saint con- nectedwithKillesher, inthatcounty.
4 It was transcribed See fol. 112.
5 See Dr. O'Donovan's
Michael
^ See "Ordnance Townland Survey
by
O'Clery.
Maps 9 There is a tradition, it took name from
— dated from letter,
that two built nests eagles
Enniskillen, Nov. loth, 1834 "Fermanagh the circumstance
Letters of I. O. S. ," vol. i. , pp. 78, 79. in one of its islands. See Letters con-
MSS. in the R. I. A.
^
The accompanying view, drawn on the spot by William F. Wakeman in September,
1873, has been engraved by A. Appleton.
''
taining Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Fermanagh, collected dur- ing the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1834-5. R. 1. A. ," pp. 79, 80.
"
oftheCountyofFermanagh. Sheets26,32.
7 See
Ordnance Survey Totvnland Maps "
of Fermanagh. " Sheet 25.
January 6. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
by them, to procure the salvation of souls. Were we to admit Colgan's
conjecture, that the present saint might have been the companion of St. Columkille, when he journeyed from Ireland to Britain,' and the " ministrator "
of that great saint, we should find little difficulty in fixing the period when he flourished. The identity of name, notwithstanding, will not determine
this question. * St. Columba's companion, Diermaid, is frequently mentioned
in Columkille's various Acts. 3 That "minister" or servant, named Dier-
maid, appears to have been present at the death of his master,^ and to have
lived after 597. Various saints, bearing the name of Diermaid or Diarmait,
appear in our calendars. s Most of those are clearly distinguishable from the
companion of St. Columba ; while it seems difficult, if not impossible, to
identify any one of them with him. We find Eochod and Eachdach set
do\vn as the name of the present Diarmait's father ; but few other distinctive
particulars can be gleaned to clear the obscurity surrounding his Acts.
However, the place of this saint is found written Airiudh-Ionduigh. This
musthavebeenthenameofanancientsee; butW^illiamM. Hennessysays,
it has not been yet identified. ^ Diarmaid, Bishop of Airindh-Indaich, is set
down in the Martyrology of Donegal^ on this day. His name is somewhat
differently entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ where he is called the
son of Eachdach, and he is represented as having connexion with Airiud
sin la Cerclac. When or in what rank of bishops this St. Diermait lived
is still involved in uncertainty. His place seems to have escaped the identi-
fication of our topographical investigators. In the Franciscan MS. copy of
the Martyrology of Tallagh, the names of twenty foreign saints precede the entry of this sainfs name, as the first on the list of nine distinct holy Irish
persons. It may be observed, once for all, that the ancient Hieronymian Martyrology evidently furnished the chief authority for an insertion of various
foreign saints in the Martyrology of Tallagh, and in the Felire of St. ^ngus.
Article IV,—St. Curnan Beg, Patron of Kilcornan, Diocese and CountyofLimerick. TheFaithofoldtimeshasneverflickeredoutfrom the hearts and homes of the faithful ; but, on the contrary, it has acquired a new lustre, in its transmission to the present age, when inherited from the ministry of many a holy pastor, in many a seclu—ded locality of Ireland.
"
The
small stature is found recorded in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' with a festival to his honour, at the 6th day of January. The later Martyrology of Donegal,* while noting the veneration paid to St. Curnan Beg on this
S—t.
Art. III. —' See "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbse, cap.
ix. , p. 487. Also, Hector Boetius, "His-
toria Scotorum," lib. ix. , p. 166; Leslseus,
"
Historia Regum Scotorum," p. 150. This voyage took place about A. D. 563.
^ Nor indeed does Colgan decide anything
on this See "Trias
point. Thaumaturga,"
n. 42, p. 374.
3 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Life
of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 8, 12, 22, 25, 29j 30, 34; lib. ii. , cap. 29, 30; lib. iii. , cap. II, 23.
"* See
"Trias
*
"Diarmaid mac^ Eachdach o Airiud sin la Cerclac. " See Rev. Dr. Kelly's edition, p. xi. In the Franciscan copy, it is
'OiA|\mAi'o.
Art. iv. Edited by the Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xi. In the Franciscan MS. copy, at this same date, we find simply CAupriAn.
'
present
Curnan, styled
Beg,
httle," probably owing
Colgan's
Thaumaturga. "
—. Ocoac. ,.
Cumineus or Vita Secunda S. Columba,
cap. xxxv. , pp. 329, 330. Also O'Donell's
or Quinta Vita S. Columbae, lib. iii. , cap.
'
Becc or
to his
Diermait commemorated at the loth, 15th, and i6th of January ; at the 24th of April ;
at the 21st of June ; at the 8th of July; at the 28th of September; at the 12th of Octo- ber; and at the 12th and 20th of December,
^
See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part
•
n. 2.
7 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 5 Besides the present saint, mc find a 8, 9.
liv. , p. 440.
Vol. I. G
i. , pp. 84, 85, 8, 9.
82 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 6.
day, is more precise in giving his genealogy, and the exact place where he was reverenced as patron. The writer of this Calendar, O'Clery, remarks, that we find a Curnan—it is be be assumed the present holy man—a son of
Sinell, belonging to the race of Condri, son of Fearghus, son to Ross Ruadh, who was son of Rudhraighe. From this latter was derived the Clann-Rudhraighe. St. Curnan Beg is said to have belonged to Cill-Chur- nain, a place which doubtless derived its denomination from a church or cell there founded by him. There is a parish, known'as'Kilcornan or Kil- coran, in the barony of Clanwilliam, and county of Tipperary. 3 There an old church in ruins may yet be seen within an ancient^burial-ground. The
Ruins of an Ancient Church at Killeen.
Cill-Churnan, with which our saint was connected, however, seems to be represented in the etymon of Kilcornan parish, situated within the ancient district of Caenraighe, now the barony of Kenry, in the diocese and county of Luimneach or Limerick. -^ Within this and
close to the beautiful demesne of Curragh Chase,5 are the ruins of an ancient church at
3 See Lewis' "
of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 72. Likewise "Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps of the County ofTipperary," Sheet58.
^ In a Table appended to the Martyrology of Donegal, St. Curnan Beg is noted as Patron of Cill Curnain parish in Cainraidho, in the county and diocese of Limerick. A fair and a holiday were held here, in the seventeenth century, as we may infer from the remarks of O'Clery. See pp. 392, 393. Since that time, the fair and holiday appear to have been abolished.
s The residence of Aubrey De Vere, one
of our distinguished Irish poets. In this
beside whom he at the battle of Has- fought
tings. The De Veres of Curragh Chase descend in the female line from the De Veres, Earls of Oxford. Edward De Vere, Eaii of Oxford in the reign of Queen Eliza- beth, was a poet, and he wrote several spirited songs. About two hundred years ago, the De Veres settled in Ireland. The late Sir Aubrey De Vere, baronet, father to the living Aubrey De Vere, was a highly- gifted writer of sonnets and other poems, for the most part descriptive of Irish scenery and historic events. His poems are chiefly to be found collected in his volumes, insti- tuted, "A Song of Faith," and "Mary Tudor. " In this latter, the last he wrote,
Topographical Dictionary
family of the De Veres, poetic inspiration
seems to have — been hereditary
is the fine poem designated
''
The Lamenta-
a circum- stance not unusual, as we find in recurring to the bardic history of our Celtic tribes. The first settler in England of the family was Aubrey De Vere, a Norman baron, and a brother-in-law of William the Conqueror,
tion of Ireland. " "The Search after Proser-
pine," "Julian the Apostate," with several
dramatic and lyric compositions, are instinct with grace and feeling, while many shorter poems are justly popular.
parish,
quite
January 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 83
Killeen. '^ These vestiges and the old burial-ground most probably mark the former site of St. Curnan Beg's religious establishment. At all events, the writer is assured by Aubrey De Vere, Esq. / that he had never heard any tradition regarding any other church-site within the bounds of Kilcornan parish. The following are very nearly the dimensions of this old church. In length, it measures about forty-five feet ; in breadth, it is about twenty- four feet ; the height of the side-walls reaches to about fourteen feet ; while the height of the gables is about twenty-two feet. The walls are about two feet nine inches in thickness. There are windows at both sides, three feet high, and six inches wide. There is a window at the east end. —Under the gable, at the west end, there is a space about six feet by two probably a window, or possibly the space for hanging a bell. The church does not appear to lie exactly east and west. In the northern wall, opposite the entrance, there is an arch, nearly filled up with masonry. This appears to have been, at one time, a second entrance : it is about seven feet and a-half foot in height, by about three feet in width. The entrance is at the southern side, and it consists of an arched opening, six feet by three feet. It stands on
a gentle, grassy slope, about six feet high, and in a rough green field, with afewbushesandbramblesovergrowing. ^ Thewallsslantexternallyfrom about four feet near the foundations, while this circumstance imparts a character of solidity and dignity to the antique structure. It stands on an elevated slope of about twenty feet over the adjoining grounds.
The enjoyment of beautiful natural scenery is as much an acquirement as
a faculty.
It does not seem wanting to uneducated humanity, but it is most
generally found in persons of refined tastes. On plain, on hill, in valley, and along the margins of our streams and lakes, the site of some old ruined fane is hardly even wanting to hallow the spot ; and yet for lack of better information than most tourists possess, ignorance of its past associations and history deprives it of greatly additional interest. These remarks are ap- plicable to the scenery and site of the places already mentioned.
ArticleV. —St. Lugidon,SonofDeclan,Bishop. Thenameofa saint is often the only voice emitted from our Calendars to break a silence of many centuries. Here a patronymic is added. In the Martyrology of Donegal,' Lugidon, son of Declan, bishop, is recorded on this day. In the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ he is mentioned, on the 6th of January, as Lugidon, Mac Declan, Under this form of the name, we cannot discover it in our Annals.
Article VI. —St. Dighdhi. In the Franciscan copy of the Tallagh Martyr)5>logy there is an entry, the latter portion of which is obliterated.
* See " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps in the County of Limerick. " Sheet ii.
^ In a letter headed Curragh Chase, Adare, Dec. 30th, 1873.
nished a very elegant and correct sketch of the ruin. This has been drawn on wood by William F. Wakeman and engraved by George A. H—anlon.
'
Art. v. Edited by Drs. Todd and
Reeves, pp. 8, 9.
^ Edited Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xi. At by
this day, the viii, 1x>uf, the Franciscan copy has tusiTDon mc . . . .
* The
were communicated to the writer in a letter
dated
Curragh Chase, Adare, January 6th, 1874, from Aubrey De Vere, Esq. , through whose kind instrumentality, a friend and
neighbour, Mr. Taylor of HoUypark, fur-
foregoing descriptive particulars
84 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 6.
This regards a Saint Digdi Cercl. . . ' In the published Martyrology,^ there is no such entry—at least under the foregoing form. In the Martyrology of
Donegal,3 at the 6th of January, we find a St. Dighdhi simply ^vritten.
ArticleVII. —AReputedSt. Cearclach. ThenameofaSt. Cear-
clach is set down, at this day, without further designation, in the Martyr-
ology of Donegal. ^ We suspect some error in the application of such name to a person, regarding whom we have no other account. The form,
in which the word occurs in a preceding entry, at this date, renders it very dubious in application, except possibly to some place.
Article VIII. —St. Dianarch or Dianach, Bishop. The Franciscan MS. copy of the Martyrology of Tallagh enters a Dianarch, bishop,' at this day. In the published copies of this Calendar,^ we have Dianach a bishop. In the Martyrology of Donegal,3 there is no mention of such a saint at this day. Yet, there is a St. Dianach, Bishop of Domhnach Mor-Muighe-Ene, at the 1 6th of this month. 4 It is is not possible to state with certainty whether the present holy prelate must be distinguished from him.
Article IX. —St. Muadhnat, Virgin, of Caille, Drumcliffe, County Sligo. \Sixth Century. '] In numerous instances, we find it was customary in the Irish Church to venerate, on the same day, saints of a particular family, community, or place. Nor is it probable, that all such persons could have died on that particular festival. It rather appears to have been a matter of convenience, thus to classify and unite them, for various good reasons. The present holy woman, and the other two virgins, who follow in order, are said to have been the daughters of Naidfraic, and sisters to St. Molaissius, Abbot of Devenish. ' The Martyrologies of Tallagh and of Marianus O'Gorman, as also a Commentator on St. ^ngus, place the festivals of those pious sisters at the 6th of January. They were venerated at a place called Enac-ard. ^ We find that Caille is said to have been the name of St. Muadhnat's habitation. It seems to have been situated in Cairbre, and near Drum-cliabh. 3 This was probably her natal place. It is now known as Drum-cliffe, a parish in the barony of Lower Carbery, and county of Sligo. 4 It lies near the sea-shore, a little to the north of Sligo, and it is situated within the diocese of Elphin. A portion of its round towerhereremains,asaproofofitsancientconsequence. ^ St. Columkille is said to have been the first founder of a religious establishment, at this place. ^ From the sixth century, Drumcliffe had its abbatial succession,
Art. VI. —' In the original it is •Oi^-oi Cq\cl. .
nise," xv. Febmarii. Vita S. Farannani, n. 36, pp. 339, 340.
of Drumcliff
="
Edited-
the Rev. Dr.
3 There is a
Thomas O'Conor in the
by
by Letters Contain- 3 Edited by the Rev. Drs. Todd and ing Information relative to the County of Reeves, pp. 8, 9. Sligo, collected during the Progress of the Art. VII. —' Edited by Drs. Todd and Ordnance Survey in 1836. " R. I. A. , pp.
_ xi.
Kelly, p.
description "
Reeves, pp. 8—, 9. 83 to 131, and subsequently to p. 401.
'*"
Art. VIII. in the original it is 'OiAnAi\c O^D.
'
Edited by the Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xi.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves.
4 See ibid. , pp. 18, 19.
Art. IX. —' See his Life at the 12th of
September.
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
=
See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
See
of the County of Sligo. " Sheet 8.
s The annexed engraving by Mrs. Millard is from a photograph taken by Frederick II. Mares, 79 Grafton St. , DubHn.
^ See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Vita S. Columbse (O'Donell's), lib, i. ^ cap. Ix. , p. 399.
January 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 85
and the herenachy of the Church became limited in the eleventh century to thefamilyofO'BeollainorO'Boland. 7 To—St. Columkilleisattributedthe
poetic sentiment of attachment to this spot
:
Beloved to my heart also in the West— Dnimcliffe at Culcinne's strand. ^
Its situation is one of great attractiveness to the tourist, and yet in a district
but little frequented. The present Protes- tant church stands on the site of an ancient religious es- tablishment while
;
many relics of the
past are observable
throughout the par- ish. 9 Wearetold/°
that areligioushouse had been founded
here by a St. Fintan, a disciple of St. Co-
lumba, at a place called Cailleavin- de. " This was pro- bably the Cai 1 1 e, where St. Muadh- nat's Convent stood. St. Muadhnat is men- tioned in the Martyr-
ology of Donegal," as having had a fes-
tival on this day. She lived in the sixth century. Inthetable appended, she is also called Muagh- neat, i. e. , Mo-Aig- nes. ^3 In the pub-
lished Martyrology '
a notice at the 6th
Drumcliffe Round Tower, County Sli&go.
,•
. , ,-r\
>
/
of January, Ingen Natfraich, in Enach-airdd. There is probably a mistake
^ See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's residence. See " Ordnance Survey To^vnland "Life of St. Columba. " Additional Notes, Maps of the County of Sligo. " Sheet 8.
and O. '^ Edited Drs. Todd and p. 279, pp. 393, 394, 399, 400. by
^
"rich Drumcliff," in that wonderful poem
of James Clarence Mangan, " most musical,
G.
Reeves, pp.
See ibid. , p. 289. Allusion is made to 8,9.
'3 In a marginal note. Dr. Reeves here
says, "The name Agnes is written in the most melancholy. " It is well known as margin opposite this entry; meaning that
" The Lament of the Princes. " See Hayes' "Ballads of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 147.
"
5 See Lewis'
of Ireland," vol. i. , pp. 266, 512, 513.
'°/l>id. , p. 513.
" A little to the north and north-west of Drumcliffe Round Tower are the denomina- tions of CuUaghmore and Cullaghbeg. Here it is likely the present holy woman had hpr
Agnes is the Latin of Aignes, who is in the Irish Calendar called Mo-Aignes, MyAgnes or Muaghneat. This however cannot be the St. Agnes of the Roman Calendar, as her commemoration is Jan. 21 and 28. Molanus has two other Agneses at 2 and 16 Sept. " See Hid. , pp.
" Church of the on a Mass,"
another old called church,
Tempulnaffrin,
townland of the same name in the adjoining parish of Cleenish. ^ It is
charmingly situated on the northern bank of Lower Lough Mac Neane,9 which is the Loch-da-en of Irish history.
ArticleIII. —St, Diermaid,BishopofAirindh-Indaich. Froman early time, the zeal of our religious was manifested in those sacrifices made
possible she may have been the saint con- nectedwithKillesher, inthatcounty.
4 It was transcribed See fol. 112.
5 See Dr. O'Donovan's
Michael
^ See "Ordnance Townland Survey
by
O'Clery.
Maps 9 There is a tradition, it took name from
— dated from letter,
that two built nests eagles
Enniskillen, Nov. loth, 1834 "Fermanagh the circumstance
Letters of I. O. S. ," vol. i. , pp. 78, 79. in one of its islands. See Letters con-
MSS. in the R. I. A.
^
The accompanying view, drawn on the spot by William F. Wakeman in September,
1873, has been engraved by A. Appleton.
''
taining Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Fermanagh, collected dur- ing the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1834-5. R. 1. A. ," pp. 79, 80.
"
oftheCountyofFermanagh. Sheets26,32.
7 See
Ordnance Survey Totvnland Maps "
of Fermanagh. " Sheet 25.
January 6. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
by them, to procure the salvation of souls. Were we to admit Colgan's
conjecture, that the present saint might have been the companion of St. Columkille, when he journeyed from Ireland to Britain,' and the " ministrator "
of that great saint, we should find little difficulty in fixing the period when he flourished. The identity of name, notwithstanding, will not determine
this question. * St. Columba's companion, Diermaid, is frequently mentioned
in Columkille's various Acts. 3 That "minister" or servant, named Dier-
maid, appears to have been present at the death of his master,^ and to have
lived after 597. Various saints, bearing the name of Diermaid or Diarmait,
appear in our calendars. s Most of those are clearly distinguishable from the
companion of St. Columba ; while it seems difficult, if not impossible, to
identify any one of them with him. We find Eochod and Eachdach set
do\vn as the name of the present Diarmait's father ; but few other distinctive
particulars can be gleaned to clear the obscurity surrounding his Acts.
However, the place of this saint is found written Airiudh-Ionduigh. This
musthavebeenthenameofanancientsee; butW^illiamM. Hennessysays,
it has not been yet identified. ^ Diarmaid, Bishop of Airindh-Indaich, is set
down in the Martyrology of Donegal^ on this day. His name is somewhat
differently entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ where he is called the
son of Eachdach, and he is represented as having connexion with Airiud
sin la Cerclac. When or in what rank of bishops this St. Diermait lived
is still involved in uncertainty. His place seems to have escaped the identi-
fication of our topographical investigators. In the Franciscan MS. copy of
the Martyrology of Tallagh, the names of twenty foreign saints precede the entry of this sainfs name, as the first on the list of nine distinct holy Irish
persons. It may be observed, once for all, that the ancient Hieronymian Martyrology evidently furnished the chief authority for an insertion of various
foreign saints in the Martyrology of Tallagh, and in the Felire of St. ^ngus.
Article IV,—St. Curnan Beg, Patron of Kilcornan, Diocese and CountyofLimerick. TheFaithofoldtimeshasneverflickeredoutfrom the hearts and homes of the faithful ; but, on the contrary, it has acquired a new lustre, in its transmission to the present age, when inherited from the ministry of many a holy pastor, in many a seclu—ded locality of Ireland.
"
The
small stature is found recorded in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' with a festival to his honour, at the 6th day of January. The later Martyrology of Donegal,* while noting the veneration paid to St. Curnan Beg on this
S—t.
Art. III. —' See "Trias Thaumaturga,"
Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbse, cap.
ix. , p. 487. Also, Hector Boetius, "His-
toria Scotorum," lib. ix. , p. 166; Leslseus,
"
Historia Regum Scotorum," p. 150. This voyage took place about A. D. 563.
^ Nor indeed does Colgan decide anything
on this See "Trias
point. Thaumaturga,"
n. 42, p. 374.
3 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Life
of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 8, 12, 22, 25, 29j 30, 34; lib. ii. , cap. 29, 30; lib. iii. , cap. II, 23.
"* See
"Trias
*
"Diarmaid mac^ Eachdach o Airiud sin la Cerclac. " See Rev. Dr. Kelly's edition, p. xi. In the Franciscan copy, it is
'OiA|\mAi'o.
Art. iv. Edited by the Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xi. In the Franciscan MS. copy, at this same date, we find simply CAupriAn.
'
present
Curnan, styled
Beg,
httle," probably owing
Colgan's
Thaumaturga. "
—. Ocoac. ,.
Cumineus or Vita Secunda S. Columba,
cap. xxxv. , pp. 329, 330. Also O'Donell's
or Quinta Vita S. Columbae, lib. iii. , cap.
'
Becc or
to his
Diermait commemorated at the loth, 15th, and i6th of January ; at the 24th of April ;
at the 21st of June ; at the 8th of July; at the 28th of September; at the 12th of Octo- ber; and at the 12th and 20th of December,
^
See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part
•
n. 2.
7 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 5 Besides the present saint, mc find a 8, 9.
liv. , p. 440.
Vol. I. G
i. , pp. 84, 85, 8, 9.
82 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 6.
day, is more precise in giving his genealogy, and the exact place where he was reverenced as patron. The writer of this Calendar, O'Clery, remarks, that we find a Curnan—it is be be assumed the present holy man—a son of
Sinell, belonging to the race of Condri, son of Fearghus, son to Ross Ruadh, who was son of Rudhraighe. From this latter was derived the Clann-Rudhraighe. St. Curnan Beg is said to have belonged to Cill-Chur- nain, a place which doubtless derived its denomination from a church or cell there founded by him. There is a parish, known'as'Kilcornan or Kil- coran, in the barony of Clanwilliam, and county of Tipperary. 3 There an old church in ruins may yet be seen within an ancient^burial-ground. The
Ruins of an Ancient Church at Killeen.
Cill-Churnan, with which our saint was connected, however, seems to be represented in the etymon of Kilcornan parish, situated within the ancient district of Caenraighe, now the barony of Kenry, in the diocese and county of Luimneach or Limerick. -^ Within this and
close to the beautiful demesne of Curragh Chase,5 are the ruins of an ancient church at
3 See Lewis' "
of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 72. Likewise "Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps of the County ofTipperary," Sheet58.
^ In a Table appended to the Martyrology of Donegal, St. Curnan Beg is noted as Patron of Cill Curnain parish in Cainraidho, in the county and diocese of Limerick. A fair and a holiday were held here, in the seventeenth century, as we may infer from the remarks of O'Clery. See pp. 392, 393. Since that time, the fair and holiday appear to have been abolished.
s The residence of Aubrey De Vere, one
of our distinguished Irish poets. In this
beside whom he at the battle of Has- fought
tings. The De Veres of Curragh Chase descend in the female line from the De Veres, Earls of Oxford. Edward De Vere, Eaii of Oxford in the reign of Queen Eliza- beth, was a poet, and he wrote several spirited songs. About two hundred years ago, the De Veres settled in Ireland. The late Sir Aubrey De Vere, baronet, father to the living Aubrey De Vere, was a highly- gifted writer of sonnets and other poems, for the most part descriptive of Irish scenery and historic events. His poems are chiefly to be found collected in his volumes, insti- tuted, "A Song of Faith," and "Mary Tudor. " In this latter, the last he wrote,
Topographical Dictionary
family of the De Veres, poetic inspiration
seems to have — been hereditary
is the fine poem designated
''
The Lamenta-
a circum- stance not unusual, as we find in recurring to the bardic history of our Celtic tribes. The first settler in England of the family was Aubrey De Vere, a Norman baron, and a brother-in-law of William the Conqueror,
tion of Ireland. " "The Search after Proser-
pine," "Julian the Apostate," with several
dramatic and lyric compositions, are instinct with grace and feeling, while many shorter poems are justly popular.
parish,
quite
January 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 83
Killeen. '^ These vestiges and the old burial-ground most probably mark the former site of St. Curnan Beg's religious establishment. At all events, the writer is assured by Aubrey De Vere, Esq. / that he had never heard any tradition regarding any other church-site within the bounds of Kilcornan parish. The following are very nearly the dimensions of this old church. In length, it measures about forty-five feet ; in breadth, it is about twenty- four feet ; the height of the side-walls reaches to about fourteen feet ; while the height of the gables is about twenty-two feet. The walls are about two feet nine inches in thickness. There are windows at both sides, three feet high, and six inches wide. There is a window at the east end. —Under the gable, at the west end, there is a space about six feet by two probably a window, or possibly the space for hanging a bell. The church does not appear to lie exactly east and west. In the northern wall, opposite the entrance, there is an arch, nearly filled up with masonry. This appears to have been, at one time, a second entrance : it is about seven feet and a-half foot in height, by about three feet in width. The entrance is at the southern side, and it consists of an arched opening, six feet by three feet. It stands on
a gentle, grassy slope, about six feet high, and in a rough green field, with afewbushesandbramblesovergrowing. ^ Thewallsslantexternallyfrom about four feet near the foundations, while this circumstance imparts a character of solidity and dignity to the antique structure. It stands on an elevated slope of about twenty feet over the adjoining grounds.
The enjoyment of beautiful natural scenery is as much an acquirement as
a faculty.
It does not seem wanting to uneducated humanity, but it is most
generally found in persons of refined tastes. On plain, on hill, in valley, and along the margins of our streams and lakes, the site of some old ruined fane is hardly even wanting to hallow the spot ; and yet for lack of better information than most tourists possess, ignorance of its past associations and history deprives it of greatly additional interest. These remarks are ap- plicable to the scenery and site of the places already mentioned.
ArticleV. —St. Lugidon,SonofDeclan,Bishop. Thenameofa saint is often the only voice emitted from our Calendars to break a silence of many centuries. Here a patronymic is added. In the Martyrology of Donegal,' Lugidon, son of Declan, bishop, is recorded on this day. In the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ he is mentioned, on the 6th of January, as Lugidon, Mac Declan, Under this form of the name, we cannot discover it in our Annals.
Article VI. —St. Dighdhi. In the Franciscan copy of the Tallagh Martyr)5>logy there is an entry, the latter portion of which is obliterated.
* See " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps in the County of Limerick. " Sheet ii.
^ In a letter headed Curragh Chase, Adare, Dec. 30th, 1873.
nished a very elegant and correct sketch of the ruin. This has been drawn on wood by William F. Wakeman and engraved by George A. H—anlon.
'
Art. v. Edited by Drs. Todd and
Reeves, pp. 8, 9.
^ Edited Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xi. At by
this day, the viii, 1x>uf, the Franciscan copy has tusiTDon mc . . . .
* The
were communicated to the writer in a letter
dated
Curragh Chase, Adare, January 6th, 1874, from Aubrey De Vere, Esq. , through whose kind instrumentality, a friend and
neighbour, Mr. Taylor of HoUypark, fur-
foregoing descriptive particulars
84 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [January 6.
This regards a Saint Digdi Cercl. . . ' In the published Martyrology,^ there is no such entry—at least under the foregoing form. In the Martyrology of
Donegal,3 at the 6th of January, we find a St. Dighdhi simply ^vritten.
ArticleVII. —AReputedSt. Cearclach. ThenameofaSt. Cear-
clach is set down, at this day, without further designation, in the Martyr-
ology of Donegal. ^ We suspect some error in the application of such name to a person, regarding whom we have no other account. The form,
in which the word occurs in a preceding entry, at this date, renders it very dubious in application, except possibly to some place.
Article VIII. —St. Dianarch or Dianach, Bishop. The Franciscan MS. copy of the Martyrology of Tallagh enters a Dianarch, bishop,' at this day. In the published copies of this Calendar,^ we have Dianach a bishop. In the Martyrology of Donegal,3 there is no mention of such a saint at this day. Yet, there is a St. Dianach, Bishop of Domhnach Mor-Muighe-Ene, at the 1 6th of this month. 4 It is is not possible to state with certainty whether the present holy prelate must be distinguished from him.
Article IX. —St. Muadhnat, Virgin, of Caille, Drumcliffe, County Sligo. \Sixth Century. '] In numerous instances, we find it was customary in the Irish Church to venerate, on the same day, saints of a particular family, community, or place. Nor is it probable, that all such persons could have died on that particular festival. It rather appears to have been a matter of convenience, thus to classify and unite them, for various good reasons. The present holy woman, and the other two virgins, who follow in order, are said to have been the daughters of Naidfraic, and sisters to St. Molaissius, Abbot of Devenish. ' The Martyrologies of Tallagh and of Marianus O'Gorman, as also a Commentator on St. ^ngus, place the festivals of those pious sisters at the 6th of January. They were venerated at a place called Enac-ard. ^ We find that Caille is said to have been the name of St. Muadhnat's habitation. It seems to have been situated in Cairbre, and near Drum-cliabh. 3 This was probably her natal place. It is now known as Drum-cliffe, a parish in the barony of Lower Carbery, and county of Sligo. 4 It lies near the sea-shore, a little to the north of Sligo, and it is situated within the diocese of Elphin. A portion of its round towerhereremains,asaproofofitsancientconsequence. ^ St. Columkille is said to have been the first founder of a religious establishment, at this place. ^ From the sixth century, Drumcliffe had its abbatial succession,
Art. VI. —' In the original it is •Oi^-oi Cq\cl. .
nise," xv. Febmarii. Vita S. Farannani, n. 36, pp. 339, 340.
of Drumcliff
="
Edited-
the Rev. Dr.
3 There is a
Thomas O'Conor in the
by
by Letters Contain- 3 Edited by the Rev. Drs. Todd and ing Information relative to the County of Reeves, pp. 8, 9. Sligo, collected during the Progress of the Art. VII. —' Edited by Drs. Todd and Ordnance Survey in 1836. " R. I. A. , pp.
_ xi.
Kelly, p.
description "
Reeves, pp. 8—, 9. 83 to 131, and subsequently to p. 401.
'*"
Art. VIII. in the original it is 'OiAnAi\c O^D.
'
Edited by the Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xi.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves.
4 See ibid. , pp. 18, 19.
Art. IX. —' See his Life at the 12th of
September.
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
=
See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
See
of the County of Sligo. " Sheet 8.
s The annexed engraving by Mrs. Millard is from a photograph taken by Frederick II. Mares, 79 Grafton St. , DubHn.
^ See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quinta Vita S. Columbse (O'Donell's), lib, i. ^ cap. Ix. , p. 399.
January 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 85
and the herenachy of the Church became limited in the eleventh century to thefamilyofO'BeollainorO'Boland. 7 To—St. Columkilleisattributedthe
poetic sentiment of attachment to this spot
:
Beloved to my heart also in the West— Dnimcliffe at Culcinne's strand. ^
Its situation is one of great attractiveness to the tourist, and yet in a district
but little frequented. The present Protes- tant church stands on the site of an ancient religious es- tablishment while
;
many relics of the
past are observable
throughout the par- ish. 9 Wearetold/°
that areligioushouse had been founded
here by a St. Fintan, a disciple of St. Co-
lumba, at a place called Cailleavin- de. " This was pro- bably the Cai 1 1 e, where St. Muadh- nat's Convent stood. St. Muadhnat is men- tioned in the Martyr-
ology of Donegal," as having had a fes-
tival on this day. She lived in the sixth century. Inthetable appended, she is also called Muagh- neat, i. e. , Mo-Aig- nes. ^3 In the pub-
lished Martyrology '
a notice at the 6th
Drumcliffe Round Tower, County Sli&go.
,•
. , ,-r\
>
/
of January, Ingen Natfraich, in Enach-airdd. There is probably a mistake
^ See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's residence. See " Ordnance Survey To^vnland "Life of St. Columba. " Additional Notes, Maps of the County of Sligo. " Sheet 8.
and O. '^ Edited Drs. Todd and p. 279, pp. 393, 394, 399, 400. by
^
"rich Drumcliff," in that wonderful poem
of James Clarence Mangan, " most musical,
G.
Reeves, pp.
See ibid. , p. 289. Allusion is made to 8,9.
'3 In a marginal note. Dr. Reeves here
says, "The name Agnes is written in the most melancholy. " It is well known as margin opposite this entry; meaning that
" The Lament of the Princes. " See Hayes' "Ballads of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 147.
"
5 See Lewis'
of Ireland," vol. i. , pp. 266, 512, 513.
'°/l>id. , p. 513.
" A little to the north and north-west of Drumcliffe Round Tower are the denomina- tions of CuUaghmore and Cullaghbeg. Here it is likely the present holy woman had hpr
Agnes is the Latin of Aignes, who is in the Irish Calendar called Mo-Aignes, MyAgnes or Muaghneat. This however cannot be the St. Agnes of the Roman Calendar, as her commemoration is Jan. 21 and 28. Molanus has two other Agneses at 2 and 16 Sept. " See Hid. , pp.
