—Feast of the
Translation
of the Relics of St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
"Acta Sanctorum
=In a note Todd Dr.
— Hiberniae," xi. Februarii.
" Videtur esse nengildam voca—t. "
n. 29, p. 314.
=*
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
*
quam
Edited by See
says,
Marianus hoc die Er-
See notices of this saint, already given, at the nth of this month.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 48, 49.
*
Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
Vita S. Canoci,
Article v. p. xv.
Article vi Kelly, p. xv.
*
—
not to be
distinguished
February 13. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 517
atthat13thofFebruary. CroshereisprobablyamistakeforRos. Yet,
we find, in Irish local topography, the nearest approach to this denomination,
in Crossrah,^ parish of Kilbride, barony of Clonmahon, county of Cavan ; in
Crossreagh,3 parish of Ballywillan, barony of Lower Dunluce, county of
Antrim; inCrossreagh,4parishofMullagh,andbaronyofCastlerahan,also
in Crossreagh,5 parish of Castleterra, and barony of Upper Loughtee—both
oftheseinthecountyofCavan; inCrossreagh,^parishofBallyvvillin,barony
North- East Liberties of Coleraine, county of Londonderry ; in Crossreagh,
parish of Killeevan, barony of Dartree, county of Monaghan ;7 in Cross-
reagh,^ or Doohat, in the parish of Derrynoose, barony of Tiranny, county
of . Armagh ; in Crossreagh^ East, parish of Ballyaghran, barony North East
Liberties of Coleraine, county of Londonderry, as also in Crossreagh'° West,
in the same parish, barony and county. Besides the foregoing notice in our
earliest Calendar, we find, that Cuachnat, virgin, of Ros-raithe," is mentioned,
in the of ^^ on this We meet with a townland Martyrology Donegal, day.
denomination of Rossreagh,^3 in the parish of Tullyfern, barony of Kilma- crenan, and county of Donegal.
Article VII. —St. Columbanus, or Columban, Abbot and Recluse, AT Ghent, in Belgium. [Tenth Century. '] At the 13th of February,
^^ It is described on the "Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the County of Cavan. " Sheet42.
Mart, of Tallaght reads, 'of Ros-Fachtna. ' The gloss over the name Cuachnat in the BrusselsMS. oftheMart,ofO'Gormanis
3 It is described on the Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the County of Antrim. " Sheet 6.
"
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Cavan. "
Sheet 40.
s See ibid. . Sheets 20, 21.
^ See "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the County of Londonderry. " Sheet 3.
65, oc lloff flAiche, virgin of Ross Raithe ;' and the Mart. Taml. , in the sam—e
MS. , has Cruachnat, oc Ros Fachtna ''
4 It is defined on the
Cruachnat, at Ros Fachtna, there is there- fore some confusion. "
7
See
Townland Survey Maps
of — Sheets County Donegal. " 45, 46.
"Ordnance
48, 49.
'3 its bounds are marked, on the " Ord-
nance Survey Townland Maps for the
for the County of Monaghan. " Sheet 17.
^ See its limits on the " Ordnance Survey
TownlandMapsfortheCountyofArmagh. "
'
Sheets 19, 23.
9 Its lands are shown on the
"
tholicse Iberniae Compendium," tomus i. , lib.
iv,, cap. xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii. , p. 53.
"
3 in SeehisActs,atthei8thofJanuary.
s See the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Februarii xiii. Prsetermissi et in
alios dies rejecti, p. 664. Also, xv. Feb- ruarii. De S. Columbano Abbate, sect. 2,
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of
Menologium Scoticum. "
Londonderry. " Sheet3.
" See ibid.
" In a note, Dr. Todd says at this word,
" The later hand adds here, '6 Uof IT^ccnA, M. T. ,' meaning that the
Ros-raithe,
"
'^
Catalogus aliquorum Sanctorum Ibernise Columbanus, abbot and recluse. Reference is made to Molanus. ^ In the
""
anonymous catalogue of Irish Saints, Columbanus Recluses is entered at
this day,=' and there is every reason to suppose it has reference to the holy recluse at Ghent, in Belgium, about whom we have already treated, at the
seconddayofthismonth. TheBollandists,amongthepretermittedsaints, have allusion to this recorded festival, at the present date, where they take
occasion to reprove the Scotchman, Dempster, for the error he commits, by citing Molanus, in reference to the Columban, as understood by the Irish Calendarists. At the 13th of February, Dempster has a notice of St. Columban, Abbot of Sutri, and styled a recluse. 3 This holy man is men- tionedintheActsofSt. Deicolus. * DempsterconfoundshereSt. Columban, AbbotofLure,withSt. Columban,RecluseofGhent. s Wesuspect,how-
Henry Fitzsimon in his
enters
** '
"
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
"
Article vii. In NataUbus Sancto-
rum Belgii. " ^"
SeeO'SullevanBeare's Historiae Ca-
5i8 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February13.
ever, that the 13th of February is a mistake, fallen into by writers, for the 15th of this month—said to have been the date for his death.
Article VIII. —St. Fionan, said to have been of Druim-Neoid, OR Dromhabrad. The Martyrology of Tallagh' has the single name of S. Finan entered, at the 13th of February. Among the saints related by family to the great St. Brigid, we find a St. Finan, son of Fergna, son to
Cobthach, son of Muredach, son to Laisre, son of Daire, son to Denius, son ofConla,sonofArturusCorb,&c. ' Wearetoldthathewaseithervenerated on this day, or on the 4th of October. 3 So it seems difficult to identify him. It is mentioned, in the Martyrology of Donegal,'^ that veneration was paid to Fionan, of Druim-neoid, on this day. The writers state, that he descended from the race of Brian, son of Eoachaid Muighmhedhoin. However, the Finan of Drumneods is called the son of Aldus, son to Ectach, son of -^ngus, son to Muredach, surnamed the Bald, son of Eogan Sreibh. The place to which allusion is made cannot be ascertained, with certainty ; however, it may be well to state, that it seems to be derived from the Iris—h words, Drum,
or— which means " a
Drom, Drim, Druim,^ ridge,"
and Neod
same as Nead^ which signifies "a nest. " The latter is traceable under the forms of Net, Nad, Neth, Nid, or Ned. ^ Thus, Drumnid, also Drimna, a
townland near Mohill, in the parish and barony of this name, county of Leitrim,9 and Drumneth,^° in the parish of Magherally or Magheravally, barony of Lower Iveagh, county of Down, means " the ridge of the nests ;"
"
while, Derrynaned, in Mayo, has the signification of
the oak-wood of the
birds' nests. " " There is a Drumnigh,^"* in the parish of Kinsaley, and barony
of Coolock,—as also a Drimnagh,'3 townland and parish, ^+ in the barony of
Uppercross these are to be found in the county of Dublin. We find a
Drimnagh, in the parish of Ogulla, in the barony and county of Koscommon. 's There is a Drimna Beg and a Drimna More, in the parish of Kilcrohane,
of ^^ We also find a Drimna Kerry.
of Dunkerron
East and a Drimna West, in the parish of Tynagh, barony of Leitrim, and
barony
South, county
p. 84. 7.
Article viii.
derived.
Kelly, p. XV. " •*
—*
Santilogium Genealogicum, chap. Sheets 28, 32.
Edited by Rev. Dr. "
» on It is shown,
xiv. or XV. This latter was son to Carbre, "
'°
**
Its limits are to be seen, on the sumamcd Niadh. See Colgan's Acta nance Survey Townland Maps for the
Sanctorum Hibernise. " Appendix ad Acta S. Finani, cap, I, p. 46.
3 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidae, cap. 3, p. 613.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
48, 49-
s See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
niae," ix. Januarii. Appendix ad Acta S. Finani, cap. i. There, the Menologic Ge- nealogies are cited (cap. viii. ) as authority.
* This form is multiple, in its combina-
tions, with Irish places.
' Under its varieties of spelling, this word
has a variety of compounds, in Irish topo- graphy.
County of Down. " Sheet 27.
" See Dr. P. W. Joyce's "Origin and
History of Irish Names of Places," part iv. , chap, vii. , p. 473.
"See "Ordnance Survey Townland
Maps for the County of Dublin. " Sheet
IS-
'3 See ibid. Sheets 17, 18, 22.
'* About three miles south-west from
Dublin. The parish and the castle in it took name from those little sand-ridges, now known as the Green Hills. See Dr. P. W. Joyce's ' ' Origin and History of Irish Names of Places, part iv. , chap, ix,, p. 507.
'S See "Ordnance Survey Townland
for the of Roscommon. " Maps County
Sheet 22.
'^ See " Ordnance Survey Townland
** InCormac's
theoldIrishform
Glossary,
\snet; in "Welsh, nyth ; in Cornish, neid ;
in Breton, neiz ; in Manx, edd. Yxova some
one or other of these originals, it is probable,
the Latin nidus^ "a nest," has been 99, 100.
^
the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Leitrim. *'
Maps for the County of Kerry. " Sheets
probably
the
Ord-
February 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 519
countyofGalway. ^7 Likewise,thereisaDrimna,intheparishofKilrush, barony of Moyarta, and county of Clare. ^^ There is a Drumna, in the parish of Cloon, barony of Mohill, and county of Leitrim/9 There is a Drumnee, in the parish of Cashel, barony of Kathclinc, and county of Longford. ^'^ Besides the foregoing, we find a Drumny in the parish of Donaghmoyne, baronyofFarney,andcountyofMonaghan. ^^ Thereisasaintofthissame name, Finanus, who is stated to have been connected with a place, called Dromhabrad. Yet, this denomination of Dromhabrad does not appear to be recognisable under any existing form of name, shown on the Ordnance Survey Maps of Ireland. He is called the son of Garuan, son to Amalgad, son of Endeus,^^ son to Olild, son of Nadfraich. 23 His feast has been
assigned by Colgan^** to this day.
Article IX. —Feast of St. Kilian, Martyr, and Patron of Wurtz-
BURGH. \Sei'enthCentury^ Atthisdate,Colganhasalengthyaccountof St. Kilian, and his martyr companions, Colman and Totnan. ^ Yet, it seems not to have been their chief festival, which occurs on the 8th of July, wheretheirconsecutiveActswillbefound. TheBoUandistsnotethisfeast,^ but they assert, that in the various breviaries of the diocese of Wurtzburgh
they possessed, no notice had been taken of it. Still, Galesinus,3 Dempster^ and Wions have their respective entries. The latter supposes it, to have been the feast for a Translation of the Martyrs' ReHcs \ and John Wilson, in his English Martyrology, coincides with such an opinion.
Article X.
—Feast of the Translation of the Relics of St.
LiviNUS, Bishop and Martyr, at Ghent. \Seventh Century. '] The BoUandists have observed, in a Carthusian record, at Bruxelles, the notice of a translation of the relics of this holy martyr, at Ghent, assigned to this date. ^ The Life of St. Livinus will be found, at the 12th of November,
jfourtenttft JBag of jf^Jjruarg*
ARTICLE L—ST. MANCHAN, ABBOT OF MOHILL, COUNTY LEITRIM.
[PROBABLY IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY. ^
AS we must feel assured, that the lives of saintly men are studded over
with wondrous a direct of manifestations, indicating interposition
*7 See "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Monaghan. " Sheet
Maps for the County of Galway. " Sheet 28.
126. ^' From him the territory, Hibh-Endeus,
^^ See ** Ordnance Survey Townland derived its name.
Maps for the County of Clare. " Sheet 67. =3 The «'Menologic Genealogy," cap.
*9 See " Ordnance Survey Townland xxxv. , and Seluacius are cited as authorities Maps for the County of Leitrim. " Sheet for this pedigree.
=4 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," ix. =° See " Ordnance Survey Townland Januarii. Appendix ad Acta S. Finani,
Maps for the County of Leitrim. 'V Sheets cap. i. , p. 46. —^
22,26. Article ix. See "Acta Sanctorum
29.
"See "Ordnance Survey Townland Hibernise," xiv. —a mistake for xiii. —Feb-
520 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS [February14.
Providence, while acts of devotion, at which the worldly may well stand amazed, are comprised in their noble courses of being ; so have we propor- tionately to regret the loss of materials, which might place their actions more
prominently before our view. Colgan'' has some very confusing entries, re- garding St. Manchan, Abbot of Mohill, at this date ; while the Bollandists^ have even briefer notices. It is said, that Archbishop Ussher had in his possession the Life of St. Manchan,^ written by Richard, Archbishop of Armagh. * Yet,thisdoesnotappeartohavebeenawell-foundedstatements In a sort of conjectural way—but with little probability—this saint has been classed with Menath (? Monach), said to have been one of St. Patrick's disciples. ^ Following Archbishop Richard's Life of our saint, he is said to have had seven churches subject to his jurisdiction, or to have been patron over that number of religious estabHshments,and to have beenaCanon Regular of St. Augustine. By his sanctified example, he converted many, living in various parts of Ireland, to the faith of Christ. In this life, it is stated, likewise, that the monastery of Canons Regular, at Mohill, in MonteroHs,7 had been first founded by him, and that, on this house, divers grants of glebe-lands, feudal privileges, vassals, tithes, first fruits, rents, dues, returns, oblations, &c. , were conferred. At present, a townland and town,^ in a parish? and barony, so named, are in the county of Leitrim ; and; here, it seems to be allowed, his religious establishment formerly existed. With consent of the clergy and people, all those donations were ratified and acknowledged, during every age, from a. d. 608, in which, it is said, St. Manchan flourished, to the time when this Life had been written. It is also stated, that grants were spontaneously, liberally, and piously conferred, on
of Mohill monastery. ^° A learned Irish historian observes, how- ever, that there were no Canons Regular in Ireland, so early as the year 608; while,fiefsandtitheswerenotknownthere,atsucharemoteepoch.
He then concludes, that the account, given by Richard Fitz-Ralph, Archbishop ofArmagh,savoursofamuchlaterperiod. " Bythiswearetounderstand,
the
prior
ruarii. De S. Kiliani Martyris et Sociorum ejus Translaiione, pp. 328 to 330.
= See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xiii. Februarii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 644.
*3lnhisMartyrology.
* In his " Menologium Scoticum. "
**
Trinity College, June 23rd, 1836, Dr. Todd
"
I have not been able to find the Life of St. Manchan in Ussher's Library, and I much doubt, whether Colgan was not too hasty in inferring from Ussher's
Primord,, p, 969, that it ever was there. There is no question, that Ussher had seen
the Life ; but, he does not
S In his — Martyrologium.
in his own
say
Colgan represents him
^
" " Acta
that it was
See
tomus ii. , xiii. Februarii. Among the pre- to do. " See the Breifny(Cavan and Leitrim)
Article X. termitted saints, p. 644.
Sanctorum,"
library,
as
i. Article —
Letters of the Irish Ordnance Survey, now
* *' Acta Sanctorum Hi- See
in the Irish lodged Royal
Academy's Library,
bernise," xiv. Februarii. De S. Mancheno sive Manchano Abbate Moethalensi, pp.
at p. 202.
^See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxii. , p. 268.
7ThisterritorywasinthecountyofLei- trim. It is frequently mentioned in Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters. " See vol. vii. . Index Locorum, p. 93.
''Both are shown, on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Leitrim. " Sheet32.
9 Its bounds are defined, ibid. Sheets 28,
29, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38. A portion, of this very extensive parish, lies in the barony of Leitrim.
'° See Ussher's " Britannicarum Ecclesi- arum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 502.
332, 333-
=» Among the pretermitted saints, in
**
Acta Sanctorum,"tomusii. , xiv. Februarii,p.
741.
3
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
See Colgan's
ni«," xiv. Februarii, n. 7, p. 333-
* The latter prelate flourished, in the four- teenth century. See a fuller account of him atthei6thofNovember.
s While Mr. O'Donovan had been engaged on the Irish Ordnance Survey, he wrote to Dr. Todd of Trinity College, Dublin, to ascertain if such a treatise existed, among the Ussher collection of MSS. , preserved in the University Library. In a letter, dated
replies to him.
February 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 521
perhaps, that materials for St. Manchan's Life had been collected from documents of no very remote date. The learned Ussher seems to have been of opinion, that our saint was identical with Manchan of Menodroichit, who died in the year 651," or 652, according to the Ulster Annals. ^3 In giving an account of the religious houses, and their founders, at Leitrim, Ware says, in like manner, that those Manchans were the same persons. ^* Following Ussher, Archdall appears to agree with Ware, in assigning the death of St. Manchan of Mohill, to a. d. 652. ^5 Yet, Colgan says, he would not willingly admit such identity ; the more so, since he had not been able to discover, that Manchan, Abbot of Moethel or Mohill, in Leitrim county, had been also Abbot of Menadroichit, in Leix. ^^ However, he declares, that his judgment should be suspended on such matters, until he had seen those Acts of our saint, and which, he tells us, were extant in his time, or until he had an elucidation, on this point, from other sources. '7 That our saint had been distinct from St. Manchan of Meno-drochit is likewise the opinion of Dr. Lanigan ; and, he adduces, in confirmation of it, this circum- stance, that while the feast of St. Manchan of Mohill has been referred to the 14th of February, that of St. Mancha—n of Meno-drochit—probably identical
with St. Manchan of Dysart Gallen'^ is recorded at the 2nd of January.
There are even grounds for suspecting, that the present St. Manchan, of Mohill, may have been identical, with St. Manchan, of Lemanaghan. It is
a curious and an interesting subject for investigation, to find, if the sacred object, alluded to by the Four Masters,^° as connected with St. Manchan of
Mohill, could have really applied to the shrine, now preserved^ and said to have been that of St. Manchan of Lemanaghan, the ornamental portions of which were for the most part gilt, and exhibit a degree of artistic skill, both in design and execution, fully deserving the encomiums pronounced regard- ing it. If such were the case, a very strong inference might be drawn, that the St. Manchan of Mohill—having so many churches subject to him—was probablyidenticalwiththeSt. ManchanofLemanagan; even,although,the places were somewhat apart, and although the festivals fell on different days. Should, however, this question be decisively negatived, we have no means for determining the age of this remarkable monument of Irish art, except by the consideration of its style. This must leave us to include a very long period, within which we might hesitate. We have not, on this object, as on some similar works, the assistance of any inscription, nor of any record, un- doubtedly applying to it. Should it be therefore finally distinguished from the shrine, the ornamentation of which is recorded by the Irish annalists, we might probably refer it to a period, somewhat earlier than the cross of Cong, to which in style it approaches, and, perhaps, to about that time, when the kingdom of Ireland was recovering from its long and harrassing contest with thepirateNorsemen. ^^ Whenorwhereoursaintcommencedhisreligious
"
*'
Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xvii. , sect.
See Dr. Lanigan's vi,, n. 82, p. 31.
Februarii, p. 332.
^**
See notices of him, already given, at the 2nd of January.
"
See Sir James Ware,
**
De Hibernia et
^^ See "Ecclesiastical of History
Antiquitatibus ejus," cap. xxvi. , p. 231.
^3 See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xvii. , sect, vi. , pp. 29, 30,
quitates," cap. xvii,, pp. 502, 503.
'4 See "De Hibernia et Antiquitatibus Annals, at vol. ii. , pp. 1156, 1157. The
ejus," cap. xxvi. , pp. 230, 231.
^s See " Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 410. ^^ Now forming part of the Queen's
County.
^^ See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," xiv.
country people near Lemanaghan pronounce —their patron's name, as if written Monaghan
Irish
a well-known family name.
^^ "
See the Exhibition Expositor," No.
xii. , p. 5. A later account of this remark-
and n. 83, pp. 31, 32.
=° See Dr. O'Donovan's version of these
^9
522 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS, [February14.
coursenowseemstobeunknown. ReferringtotheauthorityofUssher,'' and to Archdallj's Dr. O'Donovan says, that St. Manchan erected his monastery, about a.
=In a note Todd Dr.
— Hiberniae," xi. Februarii.
" Videtur esse nengildam voca—t. "
n. 29, p. 314.
=*
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
*
quam
Edited by See
says,
Marianus hoc die Er-
See notices of this saint, already given, at the nth of this month.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 48, 49.
*
Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
Vita S. Canoci,
Article v. p. xv.
Article vi Kelly, p. xv.
*
—
not to be
distinguished
February 13. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 517
atthat13thofFebruary. CroshereisprobablyamistakeforRos. Yet,
we find, in Irish local topography, the nearest approach to this denomination,
in Crossrah,^ parish of Kilbride, barony of Clonmahon, county of Cavan ; in
Crossreagh,3 parish of Ballywillan, barony of Lower Dunluce, county of
Antrim; inCrossreagh,4parishofMullagh,andbaronyofCastlerahan,also
in Crossreagh,5 parish of Castleterra, and barony of Upper Loughtee—both
oftheseinthecountyofCavan; inCrossreagh,^parishofBallyvvillin,barony
North- East Liberties of Coleraine, county of Londonderry ; in Crossreagh,
parish of Killeevan, barony of Dartree, county of Monaghan ;7 in Cross-
reagh,^ or Doohat, in the parish of Derrynoose, barony of Tiranny, county
of . Armagh ; in Crossreagh^ East, parish of Ballyaghran, barony North East
Liberties of Coleraine, county of Londonderry, as also in Crossreagh'° West,
in the same parish, barony and county. Besides the foregoing notice in our
earliest Calendar, we find, that Cuachnat, virgin, of Ros-raithe," is mentioned,
in the of ^^ on this We meet with a townland Martyrology Donegal, day.
denomination of Rossreagh,^3 in the parish of Tullyfern, barony of Kilma- crenan, and county of Donegal.
Article VII. —St. Columbanus, or Columban, Abbot and Recluse, AT Ghent, in Belgium. [Tenth Century. '] At the 13th of February,
^^ It is described on the "Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the County of Cavan. " Sheet42.
Mart, of Tallaght reads, 'of Ros-Fachtna. ' The gloss over the name Cuachnat in the BrusselsMS. oftheMart,ofO'Gormanis
3 It is described on the Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the County of Antrim. " Sheet 6.
"
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Cavan. "
Sheet 40.
s See ibid. . Sheets 20, 21.
^ See "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the County of Londonderry. " Sheet 3.
65, oc lloff flAiche, virgin of Ross Raithe ;' and the Mart. Taml. , in the sam—e
MS. , has Cruachnat, oc Ros Fachtna ''
4 It is defined on the
Cruachnat, at Ros Fachtna, there is there- fore some confusion. "
7
See
Townland Survey Maps
of — Sheets County Donegal. " 45, 46.
"Ordnance
48, 49.
'3 its bounds are marked, on the " Ord-
nance Survey Townland Maps for the
for the County of Monaghan. " Sheet 17.
^ See its limits on the " Ordnance Survey
TownlandMapsfortheCountyofArmagh. "
'
Sheets 19, 23.
9 Its lands are shown on the
"
tholicse Iberniae Compendium," tomus i. , lib.
iv,, cap. xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii. , p. 53.
"
3 in SeehisActs,atthei8thofJanuary.
s See the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus ii. , Februarii xiii. Prsetermissi et in
alios dies rejecti, p. 664. Also, xv. Feb- ruarii. De S. Columbano Abbate, sect. 2,
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of
Menologium Scoticum. "
Londonderry. " Sheet3.
" See ibid.
" In a note, Dr. Todd says at this word,
" The later hand adds here, '6 Uof IT^ccnA, M. T. ,' meaning that the
Ros-raithe,
"
'^
Catalogus aliquorum Sanctorum Ibernise Columbanus, abbot and recluse. Reference is made to Molanus. ^ In the
""
anonymous catalogue of Irish Saints, Columbanus Recluses is entered at
this day,=' and there is every reason to suppose it has reference to the holy recluse at Ghent, in Belgium, about whom we have already treated, at the
seconddayofthismonth. TheBollandists,amongthepretermittedsaints, have allusion to this recorded festival, at the present date, where they take
occasion to reprove the Scotchman, Dempster, for the error he commits, by citing Molanus, in reference to the Columban, as understood by the Irish Calendarists. At the 13th of February, Dempster has a notice of St. Columban, Abbot of Sutri, and styled a recluse. 3 This holy man is men- tionedintheActsofSt. Deicolus. * DempsterconfoundshereSt. Columban, AbbotofLure,withSt. Columban,RecluseofGhent. s Wesuspect,how-
Henry Fitzsimon in his
enters
** '
"
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
"
Article vii. In NataUbus Sancto-
rum Belgii. " ^"
SeeO'SullevanBeare's Historiae Ca-
5i8 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February13.
ever, that the 13th of February is a mistake, fallen into by writers, for the 15th of this month—said to have been the date for his death.
Article VIII. —St. Fionan, said to have been of Druim-Neoid, OR Dromhabrad. The Martyrology of Tallagh' has the single name of S. Finan entered, at the 13th of February. Among the saints related by family to the great St. Brigid, we find a St. Finan, son of Fergna, son to
Cobthach, son of Muredach, son to Laisre, son of Daire, son to Denius, son ofConla,sonofArturusCorb,&c. ' Wearetoldthathewaseithervenerated on this day, or on the 4th of October. 3 So it seems difficult to identify him. It is mentioned, in the Martyrology of Donegal,'^ that veneration was paid to Fionan, of Druim-neoid, on this day. The writers state, that he descended from the race of Brian, son of Eoachaid Muighmhedhoin. However, the Finan of Drumneods is called the son of Aldus, son to Ectach, son of -^ngus, son to Muredach, surnamed the Bald, son of Eogan Sreibh. The place to which allusion is made cannot be ascertained, with certainty ; however, it may be well to state, that it seems to be derived from the Iris—h words, Drum,
or— which means " a
Drom, Drim, Druim,^ ridge,"
and Neod
same as Nead^ which signifies "a nest. " The latter is traceable under the forms of Net, Nad, Neth, Nid, or Ned. ^ Thus, Drumnid, also Drimna, a
townland near Mohill, in the parish and barony of this name, county of Leitrim,9 and Drumneth,^° in the parish of Magherally or Magheravally, barony of Lower Iveagh, county of Down, means " the ridge of the nests ;"
"
while, Derrynaned, in Mayo, has the signification of
the oak-wood of the
birds' nests. " " There is a Drumnigh,^"* in the parish of Kinsaley, and barony
of Coolock,—as also a Drimnagh,'3 townland and parish, ^+ in the barony of
Uppercross these are to be found in the county of Dublin. We find a
Drimnagh, in the parish of Ogulla, in the barony and county of Koscommon. 's There is a Drimna Beg and a Drimna More, in the parish of Kilcrohane,
of ^^ We also find a Drimna Kerry.
of Dunkerron
East and a Drimna West, in the parish of Tynagh, barony of Leitrim, and
barony
South, county
p. 84. 7.
Article viii.
derived.
Kelly, p. XV. " •*
—*
Santilogium Genealogicum, chap. Sheets 28, 32.
Edited by Rev. Dr. "
» on It is shown,
xiv. or XV. This latter was son to Carbre, "
'°
**
Its limits are to be seen, on the sumamcd Niadh. See Colgan's Acta nance Survey Townland Maps for the
Sanctorum Hibernise. " Appendix ad Acta S. Finani, cap, I, p. 46.
3 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Appendix Quarta ad Acta S. Brigidae, cap. 3, p. 613.
* Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
48, 49-
s See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
niae," ix. Januarii. Appendix ad Acta S. Finani, cap. i. There, the Menologic Ge- nealogies are cited (cap. viii. ) as authority.
* This form is multiple, in its combina-
tions, with Irish places.
' Under its varieties of spelling, this word
has a variety of compounds, in Irish topo- graphy.
County of Down. " Sheet 27.
" See Dr. P. W. Joyce's "Origin and
History of Irish Names of Places," part iv. , chap, vii. , p. 473.
"See "Ordnance Survey Townland
Maps for the County of Dublin. " Sheet
IS-
'3 See ibid. Sheets 17, 18, 22.
'* About three miles south-west from
Dublin. The parish and the castle in it took name from those little sand-ridges, now known as the Green Hills. See Dr. P. W. Joyce's ' ' Origin and History of Irish Names of Places, part iv. , chap, ix,, p. 507.
'S See "Ordnance Survey Townland
for the of Roscommon. " Maps County
Sheet 22.
'^ See " Ordnance Survey Townland
** InCormac's
theoldIrishform
Glossary,
\snet; in "Welsh, nyth ; in Cornish, neid ;
in Breton, neiz ; in Manx, edd. Yxova some
one or other of these originals, it is probable,
the Latin nidus^ "a nest," has been 99, 100.
^
the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Leitrim. *'
Maps for the County of Kerry. " Sheets
probably
the
Ord-
February 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 519
countyofGalway. ^7 Likewise,thereisaDrimna,intheparishofKilrush, barony of Moyarta, and county of Clare. ^^ There is a Drumna, in the parish of Cloon, barony of Mohill, and county of Leitrim/9 There is a Drumnee, in the parish of Cashel, barony of Kathclinc, and county of Longford. ^'^ Besides the foregoing, we find a Drumny in the parish of Donaghmoyne, baronyofFarney,andcountyofMonaghan. ^^ Thereisasaintofthissame name, Finanus, who is stated to have been connected with a place, called Dromhabrad. Yet, this denomination of Dromhabrad does not appear to be recognisable under any existing form of name, shown on the Ordnance Survey Maps of Ireland. He is called the son of Garuan, son to Amalgad, son of Endeus,^^ son to Olild, son of Nadfraich. 23 His feast has been
assigned by Colgan^** to this day.
Article IX. —Feast of St. Kilian, Martyr, and Patron of Wurtz-
BURGH. \Sei'enthCentury^ Atthisdate,Colganhasalengthyaccountof St. Kilian, and his martyr companions, Colman and Totnan. ^ Yet, it seems not to have been their chief festival, which occurs on the 8th of July, wheretheirconsecutiveActswillbefound. TheBoUandistsnotethisfeast,^ but they assert, that in the various breviaries of the diocese of Wurtzburgh
they possessed, no notice had been taken of it. Still, Galesinus,3 Dempster^ and Wions have their respective entries. The latter supposes it, to have been the feast for a Translation of the Martyrs' ReHcs \ and John Wilson, in his English Martyrology, coincides with such an opinion.
Article X.
—Feast of the Translation of the Relics of St.
LiviNUS, Bishop and Martyr, at Ghent. \Seventh Century. '] The BoUandists have observed, in a Carthusian record, at Bruxelles, the notice of a translation of the relics of this holy martyr, at Ghent, assigned to this date. ^ The Life of St. Livinus will be found, at the 12th of November,
jfourtenttft JBag of jf^Jjruarg*
ARTICLE L—ST. MANCHAN, ABBOT OF MOHILL, COUNTY LEITRIM.
[PROBABLY IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY. ^
AS we must feel assured, that the lives of saintly men are studded over
with wondrous a direct of manifestations, indicating interposition
*7 See "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Monaghan. " Sheet
Maps for the County of Galway. " Sheet 28.
126. ^' From him the territory, Hibh-Endeus,
^^ See ** Ordnance Survey Townland derived its name.
Maps for the County of Clare. " Sheet 67. =3 The «'Menologic Genealogy," cap.
*9 See " Ordnance Survey Townland xxxv. , and Seluacius are cited as authorities Maps for the County of Leitrim. " Sheet for this pedigree.
=4 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," ix. =° See " Ordnance Survey Townland Januarii. Appendix ad Acta S. Finani,
Maps for the County of Leitrim. 'V Sheets cap. i. , p. 46. —^
22,26. Article ix. See "Acta Sanctorum
29.
"See "Ordnance Survey Townland Hibernise," xiv. —a mistake for xiii. —Feb-
520 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS [February14.
Providence, while acts of devotion, at which the worldly may well stand amazed, are comprised in their noble courses of being ; so have we propor- tionately to regret the loss of materials, which might place their actions more
prominently before our view. Colgan'' has some very confusing entries, re- garding St. Manchan, Abbot of Mohill, at this date ; while the Bollandists^ have even briefer notices. It is said, that Archbishop Ussher had in his possession the Life of St. Manchan,^ written by Richard, Archbishop of Armagh. * Yet,thisdoesnotappeartohavebeenawell-foundedstatements In a sort of conjectural way—but with little probability—this saint has been classed with Menath (? Monach), said to have been one of St. Patrick's disciples. ^ Following Archbishop Richard's Life of our saint, he is said to have had seven churches subject to his jurisdiction, or to have been patron over that number of religious estabHshments,and to have beenaCanon Regular of St. Augustine. By his sanctified example, he converted many, living in various parts of Ireland, to the faith of Christ. In this life, it is stated, likewise, that the monastery of Canons Regular, at Mohill, in MonteroHs,7 had been first founded by him, and that, on this house, divers grants of glebe-lands, feudal privileges, vassals, tithes, first fruits, rents, dues, returns, oblations, &c. , were conferred. At present, a townland and town,^ in a parish? and barony, so named, are in the county of Leitrim ; and; here, it seems to be allowed, his religious establishment formerly existed. With consent of the clergy and people, all those donations were ratified and acknowledged, during every age, from a. d. 608, in which, it is said, St. Manchan flourished, to the time when this Life had been written. It is also stated, that grants were spontaneously, liberally, and piously conferred, on
of Mohill monastery. ^° A learned Irish historian observes, how- ever, that there were no Canons Regular in Ireland, so early as the year 608; while,fiefsandtitheswerenotknownthere,atsucharemoteepoch.
He then concludes, that the account, given by Richard Fitz-Ralph, Archbishop ofArmagh,savoursofamuchlaterperiod. " Bythiswearetounderstand,
the
prior
ruarii. De S. Kiliani Martyris et Sociorum ejus Translaiione, pp. 328 to 330.
= See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xiii. Februarii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 644.
*3lnhisMartyrology.
* In his " Menologium Scoticum. "
**
Trinity College, June 23rd, 1836, Dr. Todd
"
I have not been able to find the Life of St. Manchan in Ussher's Library, and I much doubt, whether Colgan was not too hasty in inferring from Ussher's
Primord,, p, 969, that it ever was there. There is no question, that Ussher had seen
the Life ; but, he does not
S In his — Martyrologium.
in his own
say
Colgan represents him
^
" " Acta
that it was
See
tomus ii. , xiii. Februarii. Among the pre- to do. " See the Breifny(Cavan and Leitrim)
Article X. termitted saints, p. 644.
Sanctorum,"
library,
as
i. Article —
Letters of the Irish Ordnance Survey, now
* *' Acta Sanctorum Hi- See
in the Irish lodged Royal
Academy's Library,
bernise," xiv. Februarii. De S. Mancheno sive Manchano Abbate Moethalensi, pp.
at p. 202.
^See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxii. , p. 268.
7ThisterritorywasinthecountyofLei- trim. It is frequently mentioned in Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters. " See vol. vii. . Index Locorum, p. 93.
''Both are shown, on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Leitrim. " Sheet32.
9 Its bounds are defined, ibid. Sheets 28,
29, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38. A portion, of this very extensive parish, lies in the barony of Leitrim.
'° See Ussher's " Britannicarum Ecclesi- arum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 502.
332, 333-
=» Among the pretermitted saints, in
**
Acta Sanctorum,"tomusii. , xiv. Februarii,p.
741.
3
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
See Colgan's
ni«," xiv. Februarii, n. 7, p. 333-
* The latter prelate flourished, in the four- teenth century. See a fuller account of him atthei6thofNovember.
s While Mr. O'Donovan had been engaged on the Irish Ordnance Survey, he wrote to Dr. Todd of Trinity College, Dublin, to ascertain if such a treatise existed, among the Ussher collection of MSS. , preserved in the University Library. In a letter, dated
replies to him.
February 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 521
perhaps, that materials for St. Manchan's Life had been collected from documents of no very remote date. The learned Ussher seems to have been of opinion, that our saint was identical with Manchan of Menodroichit, who died in the year 651," or 652, according to the Ulster Annals. ^3 In giving an account of the religious houses, and their founders, at Leitrim, Ware says, in like manner, that those Manchans were the same persons. ^* Following Ussher, Archdall appears to agree with Ware, in assigning the death of St. Manchan of Mohill, to a. d. 652. ^5 Yet, Colgan says, he would not willingly admit such identity ; the more so, since he had not been able to discover, that Manchan, Abbot of Moethel or Mohill, in Leitrim county, had been also Abbot of Menadroichit, in Leix. ^^ However, he declares, that his judgment should be suspended on such matters, until he had seen those Acts of our saint, and which, he tells us, were extant in his time, or until he had an elucidation, on this point, from other sources. '7 That our saint had been distinct from St. Manchan of Meno-drochit is likewise the opinion of Dr. Lanigan ; and, he adduces, in confirmation of it, this circum- stance, that while the feast of St. Manchan of Mohill has been referred to the 14th of February, that of St. Mancha—n of Meno-drochit—probably identical
with St. Manchan of Dysart Gallen'^ is recorded at the 2nd of January.
There are even grounds for suspecting, that the present St. Manchan, of Mohill, may have been identical, with St. Manchan, of Lemanaghan. It is
a curious and an interesting subject for investigation, to find, if the sacred object, alluded to by the Four Masters,^° as connected with St. Manchan of
Mohill, could have really applied to the shrine, now preserved^ and said to have been that of St. Manchan of Lemanaghan, the ornamental portions of which were for the most part gilt, and exhibit a degree of artistic skill, both in design and execution, fully deserving the encomiums pronounced regard- ing it. If such were the case, a very strong inference might be drawn, that the St. Manchan of Mohill—having so many churches subject to him—was probablyidenticalwiththeSt. ManchanofLemanagan; even,although,the places were somewhat apart, and although the festivals fell on different days. Should, however, this question be decisively negatived, we have no means for determining the age of this remarkable monument of Irish art, except by the consideration of its style. This must leave us to include a very long period, within which we might hesitate. We have not, on this object, as on some similar works, the assistance of any inscription, nor of any record, un- doubtedly applying to it. Should it be therefore finally distinguished from the shrine, the ornamentation of which is recorded by the Irish annalists, we might probably refer it to a period, somewhat earlier than the cross of Cong, to which in style it approaches, and, perhaps, to about that time, when the kingdom of Ireland was recovering from its long and harrassing contest with thepirateNorsemen. ^^ Whenorwhereoursaintcommencedhisreligious
"
*'
Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xvii. , sect.
See Dr. Lanigan's vi,, n. 82, p. 31.
Februarii, p. 332.
^**
See notices of him, already given, at the 2nd of January.
"
See Sir James Ware,
**
De Hibernia et
^^ See "Ecclesiastical of History
Antiquitatibus ejus," cap. xxvi. , p. 231.
^3 See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti-
Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xvii. , sect, vi. , pp. 29, 30,
quitates," cap. xvii,, pp. 502, 503.
'4 See "De Hibernia et Antiquitatibus Annals, at vol. ii. , pp. 1156, 1157. The
ejus," cap. xxvi. , pp. 230, 231.
^s See " Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 410. ^^ Now forming part of the Queen's
County.
^^ See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," xiv.
country people near Lemanaghan pronounce —their patron's name, as if written Monaghan
Irish
a well-known family name.
^^ "
See the Exhibition Expositor," No.
xii. , p. 5. A later account of this remark-
and n. 83, pp. 31, 32.
=° See Dr. O'Donovan's version of these
^9
522 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS, [February14.
coursenowseemstobeunknown. ReferringtotheauthorityofUssher,'' and to Archdallj's Dr. O'Donovan says, that St. Manchan erected his monastery, about a.
