The
locality
received, also, the Irish name Kroken, which means the ofthe head.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
Laserian could not have remained in Rome much longer than four years.
It would appear, he did not
visit the Eternal until about the close City,
of the sixth century. Pope Gregory began his pontificate, in the year 590, and he died, soon after the commencement of the seventh
" and History
of the
County Carlow," chap, ii. , p. 25. Yet, no authority is furnished for this statement, although he
probably found it in Harris' Ware.
*' " The stream of the river maketh the
city of God joyful," Psalms xlv. 5.
<3 In the Salamancan Manuscript, these circumstances are somewhat differently re-
lated.
** From the Salamancan Manuscript, it
would appear, these travellers were under
our saint's — protection.
Chapter
Scotise adnumerantur. "
" See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Ap-
Annals of even the most remote of the 3, 4, 5, 6, nn. (d, e, f, g, h, i, k, 1, ni), pp. western nations—the Irish—the lives of their
saints abound in notices of the holy pilgrims who journeyed from that remote corner ofthe earth tothe tombs of the Apostles. One of the first purposes, to which we find a respite from the inroads of the Danes converted in the ninth century, is to send an embassy from the Irish princes, toobtain from Charles the Bald a free and secure passage through
Antiquities
'Tlie Bollandist Editor is at a loss to know, whether this was a sandy island in Dunbrittan Strait, or the Isle of Man. Papebroke says, he preferred adopting the first opinion, and that the name of Bi i- tain must have had a greater extension than England proper could now indicate, adding, "ut ad Clutam usque includat ea qu:e nunc
lib. xxxii. , sect, xliv. ,
ii.
p.
rilis xviii. Vita S. Lasreani, cap. i. , sect. 2,
544, 545-
3 See Ryan s History and Antiquities of
. . ",
the County Carlow," chap, ii. , p. 25.
* The Salamancan Manuscript does not give the exact time of our saint's stay in the Eternal City, and the Bollandist Editor is of " had been either because St.
that " substituted for "
quatuordectm quatuor,"
opinion,
century—viz. ,
604. See the Acts of
in A. n.
this great Pontiff, in Rohrbacher's
"
Histoire
Univeiselle de I'Eglise Catholique," tome ix. , liv, xlvii.
5 For further illustration, in reference to
this Iri. 'h practice of m. iking Roman pil- grimages, the reader is referred to MabiUon's
"
626, for an account of Marcus, a bishop, and Marcellus, his nephew, with other Irish pilgrims, stopping
at St. Gall's monastery on returning from Rome.
'
See Very Rev. Monsignore Moran's "Essays on the Origin. Doctrines, and Dis- cipline of the Early Irish Church," part iii. ,
chap, iii. , p. 141.
' Dr. Miley writes in these terms : "The
. \nnales Ordinis S. Benedicli," tomus ii. ,
April i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 211
Gregory bestowed on this saint the text of Gospels, and dismissed him, with apapalbenediction. * WhilethesaintwasonhiswaytoIreland,anumer- ous band of illustrious men, Angles, Britons, and Scots, joined him. 9 These most earnestly desired, to have the benefit of his example and society.
After our saint had returned to his. native country, he preached the Gospel there, in many places. Through Divine inspiration, he came at length to that spot, where the city of Leighlin afterwards sprung up, and where a monastery then stood. Gobban, a man celebrated for his sanctity, is said to have founded it about this time. '" He was Abbot over this house, and he preached on the banks of the Barrow. " He went to meet St. Laserian, and cordially gave himwelcome,onhisarrival. Accordingtolocaltradition,"onhisapproach to Old Leighlin, St. Laserian rested on Lorum hill, near Bagnalstown, in the county of Carlow. 'J Here, he intended to found an establishment, and a more delightful site, it could have hardly been possible to select. But his path was there crossed, by a red-haired woman; and, the Irish peasantry have ever regarded such an apparition, as indicating reversal or misadventure of every preconceived project. To others, we leave the solution of such a super- stition, or its mystic meaning. St. Laserian happened to be on his knees, engaged in prayer, at this time. Suddenly, he heard an Angel's voice, sweetly proclaiming from heaven, " Go where you shall see the sun first shining, and there shall your religious house be established. " Accordingly, he crossed the River Barrow, and he travelled, in the direction of Old Leighlin. When he arrived at this spot, a glorious burst of sunshine lighted up the whole
his dominions for the Irish pilgrims to
Rome. In an unpublished Irish Manuscript, called the ' Leabhar Breac ' —a collection
The Bollandist Editor thus sums up the chronology of our saint's life. Laserian is thought to have been about twelve or four- teen years of age, when brought to Albania by his grandsire, and therefore it is inferred', he was bom about A. D. 566. In the Island of lona, our saint is supposed to have had St. Fintan Muiinu, as his m. ister. This pre- ceptor is reputed to have set out from Ireland for lona, soon after St. Columba's depar- ture, and about the year 563. We are not informed, how long St. L<iserian remained under this master, nor what length oftime he spent in the desert, l)efore his first visit to Rome, where St. Gregory's esteem was manifested, in sending him to preach the (lospel, after a delay of four years. The Editor incidentally remarks: "annos qua- tuordecim perperam habet MS. " Papebroke asserts, that Laserian had been ordained deacon and priest, about his thirty-third year, and then he was judged worthy to re:eive the Apostolic gifts and a cure of souls. His years, it is supposed, were still more ad- vanced, when St. Goban resigned Leighlin to him, perhaps about A. O. 614, or even at a later period. See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Aprilis xviii. Vita S. Lasreani Commentarius Prsevius, sec. $, p. 544.
» The Bollandist Editor appends the fol- lowing note to this account. It is taken from
of singula! importance and interest in an
per Angliam et Britanniam, adjungunt se ei, historical point of view—there are a great etc. , de An^lis vereor nt sit, ab An^lo auc-
tore : namcumhisnihildumcom- adjtctum
mune habebant Britones Scotique, sed eos ut
many
History
Papal
' ^^
Ryan's History and Antiquities of the County of Carlow," chip, ii. , p. 23. I'his writer, without any authority whatever, sajrs in 616, relying apparently on a date of Archdall, havin^j nothing in common with his statement ; while even in the dale, Arch- dall is incorrect, regarding the matter to which it refers.
" He " saw in vision a host of angels hovering over Leighlin, and announced to his disciples that one day a fervent stranger
would gather together in th. it spot as many servants of God—as there were angels in that heavenly host. " Dr. Moran's "Essays on the Origin, Doctrine, and Discipline of the Early Irish Church," part iii. , chap, iii. , p. 141.
" This account was conveyed to us, by an
inhabitant of Old Leighlin, while kindly dis-
charging the self-imposed office of guide and raconteur, on the occasion of a visit made to the locality in 1869, by the learned and re- spected President of Carlow College, the Editor of its Magazine, and the writer of this article.
' Lorum, called Lowran, by William Wenman Seward, is represented as being but a poor place, with as poor a church. It lies, within a mile of Ballylaughan Castle,
suchnotices. "—"
ofthe States," vol. i. , Book ii. , chap, iv. , pp. 462,
the Salamancan MS.
:
" Cumque tmnsiret
hostes capitalissimos oderant. '° "
"
212 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April i8.
entourage of exquisite scenery. Then, venerable oak trees covered the Idrone upper ridges and mountain tarns, west of the Barrow. Laserian's eyes ranged
with pleasurable admiration, over this charming prospect. He next sought an interview with the chieftain, who ruled that beautiful and fertile district.
St. Gobban'* had already established his monastery or cell, near the corner of an old masonry enclosure, yet pointed out, and called " the Bishop's Gar-
den. " It rises, near the left bank of that rivulet, flowing past Old Leighlin. But, whether it were, that the chief wished to confer a special favour on St. Gobban, already an inhabitant of his territory, or that he conceived one mo- nastic house in the neighbourhood sufficient, St. Laserian's request for a small tract of his land was rather coldly received. However, not choosing to give the holy man a direct refusal, the dynast told him, at last, only one spot was available, and this was a lough, formed immediately above St. Gobban's cell, and resting within a rather deep glen. Gladly receiving the grant, and then courteously thanking the chief, Laserian spread his cloak over the pool, when its waters sank to a lower level, and almost disappeared, in the clefts of their ravine. Afterwards, his monks opened a duct, by quarrying through some rocks, which still impeded the stream's freer course. On the left bank then remained a suitable plateau, for our saint's purposes ; and, here, at the pre- sent time, may be seen the modernized Protestant church, with its old and venerable Catholic square belfry, towering above the circumjacent burial ground. So runs popular tradition ; and, were we desirous of concealing long- remembered lore, culled from the peasant's fire-side, St. Laserian's biography could hardly be considered as complete, or even as properly illustrated.
It appears, that the site of Old Leighlin had been marked out for habitation,
by religious men, long before St. Laserian resolved on taking possession. We are not able to determine the exact time, when St. Gobban "s built his monastery, on that place, where he saw in vision a host of Angels chanting God's praises ;'' but, it was probably early in the seventh century. Laserian's old church there was possibly an addition to the monastic establishment, firsterectedbySt. Gobban. Wecanscarcelydoubt,thattheoriginalbuild- ings were greatly extended, when St. Laserian had been recognised in the doublecapacityofBishopandAbbot. \Vehaveanotherinterestingrecord.
However, we are told, that in 1795, the i8th of April, being the patron day of St. Laze-
rianus, or Laserian, was specially celebrated. The same author states, our saint was here
"
interred. See
sub-voce. But, in 1833, Ryan says, no patron was then held at this spot, nor was there any memorial whatever of St. Laserian in the
"" Indeed," he adds, there
Leighlin. Notices of him may be seen, at that date.
'S Papebroke has observed, that when treatingaboutSt. GobanDairensis,atthe26th of March, Colgan suspects, without any just reason, this latter person was identical with the Abbot of Leighlin. Papebroke himself conjectures, it should be nearer truth to sup- pose, that the Goban, in his text, was iden- tical with that celebrated father of a thou- sandmonks. Thusishealludedto,inthe
Calendar of Cashel, at the 6th of December :
S. Gob. inus de Killamruidhe juxta mon-
tem Sliab-na-mag-fionn elictum, in Ossoria. " The Editor adds: ''quo scilicet mip-averit
Lithglimtcnsem locum relinquens Lasreano, versus Austrum el Muinonia confinia rece- liendo. "
" See the " Irish Ecclesiastcal Record,"
The
Topographia Hibernia,"
chuvchyard.
can be no doubt, that he was not buried here,
but at Old Leighlin.
"
See "History and An-
tiquities of the County of Carlow," ch. ip. ""
xxxi. , p. 348. On the Ordnance Survey
"
Townland Maps for the County of Carlow (sheet 19), Lorum Church, '"in ruins," is marked on an elevated site. A little distance to the west, St. Molappoge's Well is noted. It
is probable, this must have been originally pronounced St. Molaissi's Well.
y Perhaps, this was the St. Gobban, who is venerated in our Irish Calendars, at the 23rd of May, as belonging to Tigh Scuithin,
identified by Mr. John Hogan, of Kilkenny, . with the present Tascofiin, not far from Old
old series, vol. ii. , September, 1866. mediaeval history,
See of Leighlin, at p. 544. This article
contains an interesting account of Leighlin's
.
Ossory.
place
venerated,
April i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 313
in connection with this spot, which it would seem had been purpled with the blood of Blessed Mael Patrick, a priest andan anchorite, Blessed Mongan, ano-
ther anchorite, and his companions, who suffered martyrdom, in a. d. 916. '' Our holy faith had not been fully planted in Ireland, until what Tertullian has denominated "the martyrs' blood, the seed of Christians,'* watered her soil, and cemented the foundations of her growing Church.
Many and great are the privileges acquired and exercised, by God's holy
It is related, that when St. Laserian and Abbot Goban came to the monastery gate, both met a woman, bearing in her arms the head of her son. This young man had been killed by robbers. The afflicted mother earnestly besought Laserian, in God's name, that her son miglit be restored to life. Her faith was rewarded, by the working of a miracle ; for, no sooner had the head been joined to its lifeless body, than the young man was again restored to his mother. This favour he chiefly owed, to the pious interven- tion of our saint We are informed, in St. Laserian's Acts, that a cross was afterwards erected on the spot, where such miraculous occurrence took place.
"
worshippers.
The locality received, also, the Irish name Kroken, which means the ofthe head. ""'
cross
Such was the esteem, in which St. Laserian's virtues were held, that holy
Abbot Goban resigned for ever the government of Leighlin monastery, in favour of its future patron. It has been suggested,"" that St—. Goban was no other, than he who governed a church at KiU-Lamhruidhe "' now Killamery
parish "—
in the west of
A
St. Goban Finn of this
is
at the 6th of December, and he is said to have been buried, in Clonenagh. "^ However this may be, Goban and his brethren, leaving Old Leighlin, founded areligioushabitation,inadifferentpartofthecountry. Thetasknowcom- mitted to St. Laserian was faithfully and zealously discharged. A religious people were greatly edified, by his preaching without the walls of his monas- tery, while the grace of Divine wisdom descended, in a copious shower, on the hearts of his numerous community. '* Then was fulfilled a reputed prophecy of the great Irish apostle, regarding Laserian. For, when the holy prelate, St. Patrick,»5 had been engaged on the work of his mission, he journeyed along a road, which led through that lovely valley, in which Leighlin was
situated. Hethenstoodonaspot,beyondtheRiverBarrow,whilehelooked towards the site of the monastery, afterwards to be erected. '* St Patrick then
' See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the even mention liis name in the page referred Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 592, 593. The to. "—Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
year 616 is incorrectly set down, by Colgan's printer, so that many modem writers have been led astray, regarding the date for this transaction.
'
His words —are :
Christianorum. " "Apologia," sect. 45, sub fin.
'»In the Salamancan MS. , we have no
account, regarding the circumstance of this
cross having been erected. '° "
tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xv. , sec. ix. , n. 62, p. 404.
'* It is related, in the Acts of St. Laserian, that he had no less than fifteen hundred dis-
virtues diffused
such fragrant odour, through all parts of Ireland, that those, it is said, who "in eorum odore unguentorum currentcs inter- nam mererentur hortura introire delicia- rum. "
=5 In his Life, at the 17th of March, it must be observed, we have no notice thereof this record.
See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise. " xxvi. Martii. De S. Gobano, Abbale de Airdne Dairinnsi, p. 750.
" Or Cill Lamhraidlie. " It is situated, in the
of
County JCilkenny.
fers to Colgan and Usher, as if placing the death of Gobban in 639, although Usher
says nothing about him, nor does Colgan
»' The Acts state, however. published
°3When
" Semen est
to his rule at Their Leighlin.
of Barony Kells,
" Stans e trans flumen Barrovo ver- regionc
sanguis
ciples, subject
rigorous lives and remarkable
aciem "Monasticon Hibernicum," Archdall "re- tet. " The city of Leighlin was built, not
treating
Leighlin,
Letghlinense
of
in his
sus coenobium
dirige-
very far from the River Barrow's banks; but, the Salamancan MS. does not allude to this place, when giving an account re-
214 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April i8. beheld a great multitude of angels in that place. He cried out, in a spirit of
prophecy,
to those
religious men,
who
him " accompanied : Fifty years
hence, a certain pilgrim and a faithful servant of God, named Laserian, shall
dwell in yonder place, and the number of his holy disciples shall be large,
as that band of angels you behold. ^' The writer of our saint's Acts breaks
forth, in an ecstasy of delight, at this happy prediction, regarding the future eminenceofLeiglilinandofitsholyCuldeeband. Again,itissaid,when
certain pious virgins proposed, that St. Cainech, or Kenny,'^ should become
:
their this devout man " There shall come one,
spiritual director, replied
named St. Laserian, who will be a spiritual father to you and to many others. "
Many holy men visited our saint, to have the advantage and honour of
his acquaintance, and to hold conferences with him. Among other pilgrims,
St. Barr, Bishop of Cork,=5 before his departure from Rome, was desirous of
havinganinterviewwithSt. Laserian. Bythislatter,hisvisitorwasjoyfully
received. St. Barr remained for three days, and it would seem, Laserian ac-
companied his guest a part of the way, when taking leave. Both these holy
men vowed an abiding friendship, before they separated. At that moment,
" It would afford me
to leave here some memo-
St. Barr said
rial of our agreement. " St. Laserian replied : "Ask, and the Lord will grant
:
grew from the earth, and bore nuts at this unusual season. A cross was
erected near that spot, most probably to commemorate such a remarkable
tradition. In Irish, it received the named Krocuill, which is interpreted to
Laserian, at Old Leighlin. It could scarcely be possible, however, to iden- tify it with the one designated in the text, nor with the other already men-
your request. "
Nay,"
you pray rather,
"
said St.
" let
as I have visited
great pleasure
Barr,
you. " St. Laserian then prayed. It being spring time, a hazel suddenly
" mean,
the Cross of the hazel. "
An old stone cross, five feet in height, runs below a well, dedicated to St
which was called " the cross of the head. " Kroken, Anglicized
tioned,
This latter seems to have been distinct from the former cross. That
cross yet standing is very rudely constructed, and it is greatly weather-worn. According to popular report, St. Molshi's Well, as the peasantry call it, formerly issued from beneath the base of this venerated object. A small
stream oozes through very moist ground, and it runs into the adjoining rivulet, in a deep ravine. Nearly opposite it, but on the other bank of the rivulet, the site of an ancient mill, belonging to St. Laserian's monastery, is yet shown, below the junction of two mountain streams. Within the memory of old persons still living, the steep banks above were shaded, by a fine growth
garJing the incident.
''' From such recorded prophecy of St.
Patrick, Papebroke justly observes, we may
suspect the authenticity of other predictions attributed lo him. For, when St. Laserian settled in Leighlin, the seventh century had been entered upon, and most probably in additionadecadeofyearshadpassed. Yet, according to the editor's calculation, St. Patrick died a. d. 460. Even allowing the Irish Apostle survived fifty additional years, according to a received opinion, still some great error must be admitted as having crept
"
Si annorum numerum ex- pressit Patricius," adds the editor, "credi- derim 150 aut i5o annos definivisse. " It is possible, however, if the apparent statement in the Acts be set down in numerals, the
error may be attributed to a transcriber's omission to insert, what should nearly agree
with Papebroke's conjecture,
^ This saint is the patron of Kilkenny,
He presided over the monastery of Aghaboe, in Ossory. According to Colgan, he died a. d. 598, and his feast is kept, on the nth ofOctober.
'' This is an episcopal city of Munster, whose patron, St. Barr, is venerated on the
25th of September. He was a cotemporary, also, with St. Maidocof Ferns, as would ap-
pear from a Life of St. David, Bishop of Menevia, whose Acts occur, at the 1st of March. According to Colgan, St. Maidoc died, in the year 624. The Acts of St.
Barr may be found, at the 25th of Sep- tember.
into the text.
April i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 213
of old oak, and by other primeval forest trees. The townland is yet called Raheenwood ; and, immediately adjoining it, we find the townland denomina-
tionsofParknakyleandJohnduffswood. Bothoftheselatteretymonsseem referabletolocalities,formerlywellshadedwithtrees. NearthetownofOld Leighlin, and close by the cathedral, to the west, flowed a well, dedicated to St. Laserian. The waters of this spring were believed, by the people, to pro- duce a miraculous effect, like the waters ordained for the trial of jealousy, undertheOldLaw. Whosoeverwouldtakeafalseoath,onanymatter,and drink tiie water of this well, it was supposed, that he must expect some re- markable judgment to befall him. 3° Even in the begining of this century, the peasantrywereaccustomedtoresorttothiswell. Apatronwasannuallyheld here, on the i8th of April. One of the parish priests over Old Leighlin, about 1 81 2, forbid this practice, as scenes of gambling and intoxication became prevalent. Two very old ash trees, and a hawthorn, formerly covered with votiverags,overshadowedthiswell. Thesetreeswerecutdown,byCaptain
Vigors, of Erindale, about the year 1823. At present, the well is nearly choked up with mud, and hardly distinguishable from a marsh, by which it is encompassed. 3' It is related, also, such were the heavenly graces which Laserian enjoyed, that few persons returned from him, without receiving -not only spiritual consolation, but even release from physical suffering. On the contrary, no person, who had dared to malign him in the slightest manner,cou—ld
of poetry rather should they be considered scurrilous verse-mongers had visited St. Laserian,hopingtosecuresomefavourathishands. Theyresolved,incase of his refusal, to bestow some gift on them, to lampoon the holy man, in a " I do not intend to satisfy such persons, or any others like them, but only God and his poor. "3» Being thus disappointed in their expectations, thoselow-bred poetasters began to
revile him. Instantly, we are told, they suffered the fate of Dathan andAbircn. 33
. ^dan,34 King of Albania, the grandfather of our saint, experienced the kindness of Laserian, when he had been banished from his dominions, and had sought refuge in Ireland. We are told, that when he had visited Laserian,35 the king's steed fell dead, owing to the lengthened journey he had travelled,andtothegreatexertionsthisnobleanimalputforth. But,theman of God, having prayed, the king's horse was again restored to life. 3* If such were the case, as in many other instances, his merits were manifested by the supernatural favours accorded. Some confusion seems to exist, in accoimts
demonibus immolare. "
" See Numbers xvi.
" He is said to have reigned, from A. D.
571 to A. u. 605. See Dr. James Taylor's "Pictorial History of Scotland," vol. i. , chap, iii. , p. 28.
^^ The editor of our saint's Acts remarks upon a huge anachronism here manifest. But, he observes, that before the birth of our saint, another Laserian, Abbot of Devenbh, flourished in Ulster. His feast occurs, at the I2lh of September. According to Col- gan, he died m the year 563. Papebroke says, that this saint may have been the worlier of that miracle, recorded in the text.
30 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xviii. Aprilis. Vita S. La^eriani, cap. ii. , sees. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, andnn. (a, b,c, d, e, f, g, h, i, k), pp. 545, 546.
Divineretribution. Itso
escape happened,
thatthree — professors
bitter satire. When they came before the saint, he said
:
'" Such is the statement made, in a letter wriUen by Mr. Domville, and dated January 6th, 1782. It is found among the Trinity College MSS. , and it bclasssd I. i. 3. fol. , p. 322.
" See Mr. and Mrs. Hall's " Ireland : its Scenery, Character," etc. , vol. i. , p. 417 : "About ten yards from the well stands a rude stone cross, five feet in height. The whole is surrounded by a low straggling ditch. " A rude drawing of this cross, with its exact dimensions, will be found, in the "Letters re-
lating to the Antiquities of the County of Carlow, belonging to the Irish Ordnance Sur-
vey,"at pp. 221, 222. There is no inscrip- tion on this cross, which is a monolith of fire-stone, as the material is locally deno- minated.
5* To this can MS. adds
of our saint, the Salaman- " Histrionibus enim dare est
reply :
2l6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April i8.
left us, regarding various acts attributed to Laserian. Those incorrectly state, t'hat°at the request of St. Columba,37 of King ^dan, and also of saintly persons, belonging to the northern parts of Ireland, this holy man set out for Rome, in company with other pious pilgrims. At the Alpine mountains, our saint met a man, apparently in great anxiety and sorrow. When asked the cause of his grief, this rustic told Laserian he had twenty in his family to sup- port by husbandry, while the ploughshare he used was broken ; nor had he anymeansforrepairingit. 3^ Theholymanhereuponorderedhimtofashion a wooden ploughshare. Having done so, the saint blessed it, and then, he told the ploughman, to use it, until he should return. Laserian proceeded on hiswaytoRome,whereheremainedayearandahalf. Thepeasant'splough-
share lasted even long after that time. Moreover, this man had a very abun- dant harvest, and such only as could be produced, from the most fertile soil.
Dublin Bay, from Killiney Hill.
It is related, that the reigning Pontiffat Rome, who is supposed to have been Honorius the First, 3' consecrated Laserian as bishop.
visit the Eternal until about the close City,
of the sixth century. Pope Gregory began his pontificate, in the year 590, and he died, soon after the commencement of the seventh
" and History
of the
County Carlow," chap, ii. , p. 25. Yet, no authority is furnished for this statement, although he
probably found it in Harris' Ware.
*' " The stream of the river maketh the
city of God joyful," Psalms xlv. 5.
<3 In the Salamancan Manuscript, these circumstances are somewhat differently re-
lated.
** From the Salamancan Manuscript, it
would appear, these travellers were under
our saint's — protection.
Chapter
Scotise adnumerantur. "
" See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Ap-
Annals of even the most remote of the 3, 4, 5, 6, nn. (d, e, f, g, h, i, k, 1, ni), pp. western nations—the Irish—the lives of their
saints abound in notices of the holy pilgrims who journeyed from that remote corner ofthe earth tothe tombs of the Apostles. One of the first purposes, to which we find a respite from the inroads of the Danes converted in the ninth century, is to send an embassy from the Irish princes, toobtain from Charles the Bald a free and secure passage through
Antiquities
'Tlie Bollandist Editor is at a loss to know, whether this was a sandy island in Dunbrittan Strait, or the Isle of Man. Papebroke says, he preferred adopting the first opinion, and that the name of Bi i- tain must have had a greater extension than England proper could now indicate, adding, "ut ad Clutam usque includat ea qu:e nunc
lib. xxxii. , sect, xliv. ,
ii.
p.
rilis xviii. Vita S. Lasreani, cap. i. , sect. 2,
544, 545-
3 See Ryan s History and Antiquities of
. . ",
the County Carlow," chap, ii. , p. 25.
* The Salamancan Manuscript does not give the exact time of our saint's stay in the Eternal City, and the Bollandist Editor is of " had been either because St.
that " substituted for "
quatuordectm quatuor,"
opinion,
century—viz. ,
604. See the Acts of
in A. n.
this great Pontiff, in Rohrbacher's
"
Histoire
Univeiselle de I'Eglise Catholique," tome ix. , liv, xlvii.
5 For further illustration, in reference to
this Iri. 'h practice of m. iking Roman pil- grimages, the reader is referred to MabiUon's
"
626, for an account of Marcus, a bishop, and Marcellus, his nephew, with other Irish pilgrims, stopping
at St. Gall's monastery on returning from Rome.
'
See Very Rev. Monsignore Moran's "Essays on the Origin. Doctrines, and Dis- cipline of the Early Irish Church," part iii. ,
chap, iii. , p. 141.
' Dr. Miley writes in these terms : "The
. \nnales Ordinis S. Benedicli," tomus ii. ,
April i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 211
Gregory bestowed on this saint the text of Gospels, and dismissed him, with apapalbenediction. * WhilethesaintwasonhiswaytoIreland,anumer- ous band of illustrious men, Angles, Britons, and Scots, joined him. 9 These most earnestly desired, to have the benefit of his example and society.
After our saint had returned to his. native country, he preached the Gospel there, in many places. Through Divine inspiration, he came at length to that spot, where the city of Leighlin afterwards sprung up, and where a monastery then stood. Gobban, a man celebrated for his sanctity, is said to have founded it about this time. '" He was Abbot over this house, and he preached on the banks of the Barrow. " He went to meet St. Laserian, and cordially gave himwelcome,onhisarrival. Accordingtolocaltradition,"onhisapproach to Old Leighlin, St. Laserian rested on Lorum hill, near Bagnalstown, in the county of Carlow. 'J Here, he intended to found an establishment, and a more delightful site, it could have hardly been possible to select. But his path was there crossed, by a red-haired woman; and, the Irish peasantry have ever regarded such an apparition, as indicating reversal or misadventure of every preconceived project. To others, we leave the solution of such a super- stition, or its mystic meaning. St. Laserian happened to be on his knees, engaged in prayer, at this time. Suddenly, he heard an Angel's voice, sweetly proclaiming from heaven, " Go where you shall see the sun first shining, and there shall your religious house be established. " Accordingly, he crossed the River Barrow, and he travelled, in the direction of Old Leighlin. When he arrived at this spot, a glorious burst of sunshine lighted up the whole
his dominions for the Irish pilgrims to
Rome. In an unpublished Irish Manuscript, called the ' Leabhar Breac ' —a collection
The Bollandist Editor thus sums up the chronology of our saint's life. Laserian is thought to have been about twelve or four- teen years of age, when brought to Albania by his grandsire, and therefore it is inferred', he was bom about A. D. 566. In the Island of lona, our saint is supposed to have had St. Fintan Muiinu, as his m. ister. This pre- ceptor is reputed to have set out from Ireland for lona, soon after St. Columba's depar- ture, and about the year 563. We are not informed, how long St. L<iserian remained under this master, nor what length oftime he spent in the desert, l)efore his first visit to Rome, where St. Gregory's esteem was manifested, in sending him to preach the (lospel, after a delay of four years. The Editor incidentally remarks: "annos qua- tuordecim perperam habet MS. " Papebroke asserts, that Laserian had been ordained deacon and priest, about his thirty-third year, and then he was judged worthy to re:eive the Apostolic gifts and a cure of souls. His years, it is supposed, were still more ad- vanced, when St. Goban resigned Leighlin to him, perhaps about A. O. 614, or even at a later period. See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Aprilis xviii. Vita S. Lasreani Commentarius Prsevius, sec. $, p. 544.
» The Bollandist Editor appends the fol- lowing note to this account. It is taken from
of singula! importance and interest in an
per Angliam et Britanniam, adjungunt se ei, historical point of view—there are a great etc. , de An^lis vereor nt sit, ab An^lo auc-
tore : namcumhisnihildumcom- adjtctum
mune habebant Britones Scotique, sed eos ut
many
History
Papal
' ^^
Ryan's History and Antiquities of the County of Carlow," chip, ii. , p. 23. I'his writer, without any authority whatever, sajrs in 616, relying apparently on a date of Archdall, havin^j nothing in common with his statement ; while even in the dale, Arch- dall is incorrect, regarding the matter to which it refers.
" He " saw in vision a host of angels hovering over Leighlin, and announced to his disciples that one day a fervent stranger
would gather together in th. it spot as many servants of God—as there were angels in that heavenly host. " Dr. Moran's "Essays on the Origin, Doctrine, and Discipline of the Early Irish Church," part iii. , chap, iii. , p. 141.
" This account was conveyed to us, by an
inhabitant of Old Leighlin, while kindly dis-
charging the self-imposed office of guide and raconteur, on the occasion of a visit made to the locality in 1869, by the learned and re- spected President of Carlow College, the Editor of its Magazine, and the writer of this article.
' Lorum, called Lowran, by William Wenman Seward, is represented as being but a poor place, with as poor a church. It lies, within a mile of Ballylaughan Castle,
suchnotices. "—"
ofthe States," vol. i. , Book ii. , chap, iv. , pp. 462,
the Salamancan MS.
:
" Cumque tmnsiret
hostes capitalissimos oderant. '° "
"
212 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April i8.
entourage of exquisite scenery. Then, venerable oak trees covered the Idrone upper ridges and mountain tarns, west of the Barrow. Laserian's eyes ranged
with pleasurable admiration, over this charming prospect. He next sought an interview with the chieftain, who ruled that beautiful and fertile district.
St. Gobban'* had already established his monastery or cell, near the corner of an old masonry enclosure, yet pointed out, and called " the Bishop's Gar-
den. " It rises, near the left bank of that rivulet, flowing past Old Leighlin. But, whether it were, that the chief wished to confer a special favour on St. Gobban, already an inhabitant of his territory, or that he conceived one mo- nastic house in the neighbourhood sufficient, St. Laserian's request for a small tract of his land was rather coldly received. However, not choosing to give the holy man a direct refusal, the dynast told him, at last, only one spot was available, and this was a lough, formed immediately above St. Gobban's cell, and resting within a rather deep glen. Gladly receiving the grant, and then courteously thanking the chief, Laserian spread his cloak over the pool, when its waters sank to a lower level, and almost disappeared, in the clefts of their ravine. Afterwards, his monks opened a duct, by quarrying through some rocks, which still impeded the stream's freer course. On the left bank then remained a suitable plateau, for our saint's purposes ; and, here, at the pre- sent time, may be seen the modernized Protestant church, with its old and venerable Catholic square belfry, towering above the circumjacent burial ground. So runs popular tradition ; and, were we desirous of concealing long- remembered lore, culled from the peasant's fire-side, St. Laserian's biography could hardly be considered as complete, or even as properly illustrated.
It appears, that the site of Old Leighlin had been marked out for habitation,
by religious men, long before St. Laserian resolved on taking possession. We are not able to determine the exact time, when St. Gobban "s built his monastery, on that place, where he saw in vision a host of Angels chanting God's praises ;'' but, it was probably early in the seventh century. Laserian's old church there was possibly an addition to the monastic establishment, firsterectedbySt. Gobban. Wecanscarcelydoubt,thattheoriginalbuild- ings were greatly extended, when St. Laserian had been recognised in the doublecapacityofBishopandAbbot. \Vehaveanotherinterestingrecord.
However, we are told, that in 1795, the i8th of April, being the patron day of St. Laze-
rianus, or Laserian, was specially celebrated. The same author states, our saint was here
"
interred. See
sub-voce. But, in 1833, Ryan says, no patron was then held at this spot, nor was there any memorial whatever of St. Laserian in the
"" Indeed," he adds, there
Leighlin. Notices of him may be seen, at that date.
'S Papebroke has observed, that when treatingaboutSt. GobanDairensis,atthe26th of March, Colgan suspects, without any just reason, this latter person was identical with the Abbot of Leighlin. Papebroke himself conjectures, it should be nearer truth to sup- pose, that the Goban, in his text, was iden- tical with that celebrated father of a thou- sandmonks. Thusishealludedto,inthe
Calendar of Cashel, at the 6th of December :
S. Gob. inus de Killamruidhe juxta mon-
tem Sliab-na-mag-fionn elictum, in Ossoria. " The Editor adds: ''quo scilicet mip-averit
Lithglimtcnsem locum relinquens Lasreano, versus Austrum el Muinonia confinia rece- liendo. "
" See the " Irish Ecclesiastcal Record,"
The
Topographia Hibernia,"
chuvchyard.
can be no doubt, that he was not buried here,
but at Old Leighlin.
"
See "History and An-
tiquities of the County of Carlow," ch. ip. ""
xxxi. , p. 348. On the Ordnance Survey
"
Townland Maps for the County of Carlow (sheet 19), Lorum Church, '"in ruins," is marked on an elevated site. A little distance to the west, St. Molappoge's Well is noted. It
is probable, this must have been originally pronounced St. Molaissi's Well.
y Perhaps, this was the St. Gobban, who is venerated in our Irish Calendars, at the 23rd of May, as belonging to Tigh Scuithin,
identified by Mr. John Hogan, of Kilkenny, . with the present Tascofiin, not far from Old
old series, vol. ii. , September, 1866. mediaeval history,
See of Leighlin, at p. 544. This article
contains an interesting account of Leighlin's
.
Ossory.
place
venerated,
April i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 313
in connection with this spot, which it would seem had been purpled with the blood of Blessed Mael Patrick, a priest andan anchorite, Blessed Mongan, ano-
ther anchorite, and his companions, who suffered martyrdom, in a. d. 916. '' Our holy faith had not been fully planted in Ireland, until what Tertullian has denominated "the martyrs' blood, the seed of Christians,'* watered her soil, and cemented the foundations of her growing Church.
Many and great are the privileges acquired and exercised, by God's holy
It is related, that when St. Laserian and Abbot Goban came to the monastery gate, both met a woman, bearing in her arms the head of her son. This young man had been killed by robbers. The afflicted mother earnestly besought Laserian, in God's name, that her son miglit be restored to life. Her faith was rewarded, by the working of a miracle ; for, no sooner had the head been joined to its lifeless body, than the young man was again restored to his mother. This favour he chiefly owed, to the pious interven- tion of our saint We are informed, in St. Laserian's Acts, that a cross was afterwards erected on the spot, where such miraculous occurrence took place.
"
worshippers.
The locality received, also, the Irish name Kroken, which means the ofthe head. ""'
cross
Such was the esteem, in which St. Laserian's virtues were held, that holy
Abbot Goban resigned for ever the government of Leighlin monastery, in favour of its future patron. It has been suggested,"" that St—. Goban was no other, than he who governed a church at KiU-Lamhruidhe "' now Killamery
parish "—
in the west of
A
St. Goban Finn of this
is
at the 6th of December, and he is said to have been buried, in Clonenagh. "^ However this may be, Goban and his brethren, leaving Old Leighlin, founded areligioushabitation,inadifferentpartofthecountry. Thetasknowcom- mitted to St. Laserian was faithfully and zealously discharged. A religious people were greatly edified, by his preaching without the walls of his monas- tery, while the grace of Divine wisdom descended, in a copious shower, on the hearts of his numerous community. '* Then was fulfilled a reputed prophecy of the great Irish apostle, regarding Laserian. For, when the holy prelate, St. Patrick,»5 had been engaged on the work of his mission, he journeyed along a road, which led through that lovely valley, in which Leighlin was
situated. Hethenstoodonaspot,beyondtheRiverBarrow,whilehelooked towards the site of the monastery, afterwards to be erected. '* St Patrick then
' See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the even mention liis name in the page referred Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 592, 593. The to. "—Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
year 616 is incorrectly set down, by Colgan's printer, so that many modem writers have been led astray, regarding the date for this transaction.
'
His words —are :
Christianorum. " "Apologia," sect. 45, sub fin.
'»In the Salamancan MS. , we have no
account, regarding the circumstance of this
cross having been erected. '° "
tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xv. , sec. ix. , n. 62, p. 404.
'* It is related, in the Acts of St. Laserian, that he had no less than fifteen hundred dis-
virtues diffused
such fragrant odour, through all parts of Ireland, that those, it is said, who "in eorum odore unguentorum currentcs inter- nam mererentur hortura introire delicia- rum. "
=5 In his Life, at the 17th of March, it must be observed, we have no notice thereof this record.
See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nise. " xxvi. Martii. De S. Gobano, Abbale de Airdne Dairinnsi, p. 750.
" Or Cill Lamhraidlie. " It is situated, in the
of
County JCilkenny.
fers to Colgan and Usher, as if placing the death of Gobban in 639, although Usher
says nothing about him, nor does Colgan
»' The Acts state, however. published
°3When
" Semen est
to his rule at Their Leighlin.
of Barony Kells,
" Stans e trans flumen Barrovo ver- regionc
sanguis
ciples, subject
rigorous lives and remarkable
aciem "Monasticon Hibernicum," Archdall "re- tet. " The city of Leighlin was built, not
treating
Leighlin,
Letghlinense
of
in his
sus coenobium
dirige-
very far from the River Barrow's banks; but, the Salamancan MS. does not allude to this place, when giving an account re-
214 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April i8. beheld a great multitude of angels in that place. He cried out, in a spirit of
prophecy,
to those
religious men,
who
him " accompanied : Fifty years
hence, a certain pilgrim and a faithful servant of God, named Laserian, shall
dwell in yonder place, and the number of his holy disciples shall be large,
as that band of angels you behold. ^' The writer of our saint's Acts breaks
forth, in an ecstasy of delight, at this happy prediction, regarding the future eminenceofLeiglilinandofitsholyCuldeeband. Again,itissaid,when
certain pious virgins proposed, that St. Cainech, or Kenny,'^ should become
:
their this devout man " There shall come one,
spiritual director, replied
named St. Laserian, who will be a spiritual father to you and to many others. "
Many holy men visited our saint, to have the advantage and honour of
his acquaintance, and to hold conferences with him. Among other pilgrims,
St. Barr, Bishop of Cork,=5 before his departure from Rome, was desirous of
havinganinterviewwithSt. Laserian. Bythislatter,hisvisitorwasjoyfully
received. St. Barr remained for three days, and it would seem, Laserian ac-
companied his guest a part of the way, when taking leave. Both these holy
men vowed an abiding friendship, before they separated. At that moment,
" It would afford me
to leave here some memo-
St. Barr said
rial of our agreement. " St. Laserian replied : "Ask, and the Lord will grant
:
grew from the earth, and bore nuts at this unusual season. A cross was
erected near that spot, most probably to commemorate such a remarkable
tradition. In Irish, it received the named Krocuill, which is interpreted to
Laserian, at Old Leighlin. It could scarcely be possible, however, to iden- tify it with the one designated in the text, nor with the other already men-
your request. "
Nay,"
you pray rather,
"
said St.
" let
as I have visited
great pleasure
Barr,
you. " St. Laserian then prayed. It being spring time, a hazel suddenly
" mean,
the Cross of the hazel. "
An old stone cross, five feet in height, runs below a well, dedicated to St
which was called " the cross of the head. " Kroken, Anglicized
tioned,
This latter seems to have been distinct from the former cross. That
cross yet standing is very rudely constructed, and it is greatly weather-worn. According to popular report, St. Molshi's Well, as the peasantry call it, formerly issued from beneath the base of this venerated object. A small
stream oozes through very moist ground, and it runs into the adjoining rivulet, in a deep ravine. Nearly opposite it, but on the other bank of the rivulet, the site of an ancient mill, belonging to St. Laserian's monastery, is yet shown, below the junction of two mountain streams. Within the memory of old persons still living, the steep banks above were shaded, by a fine growth
garJing the incident.
''' From such recorded prophecy of St.
Patrick, Papebroke justly observes, we may
suspect the authenticity of other predictions attributed lo him. For, when St. Laserian settled in Leighlin, the seventh century had been entered upon, and most probably in additionadecadeofyearshadpassed. Yet, according to the editor's calculation, St. Patrick died a. d. 460. Even allowing the Irish Apostle survived fifty additional years, according to a received opinion, still some great error must be admitted as having crept
"
Si annorum numerum ex- pressit Patricius," adds the editor, "credi- derim 150 aut i5o annos definivisse. " It is possible, however, if the apparent statement in the Acts be set down in numerals, the
error may be attributed to a transcriber's omission to insert, what should nearly agree
with Papebroke's conjecture,
^ This saint is the patron of Kilkenny,
He presided over the monastery of Aghaboe, in Ossory. According to Colgan, he died a. d. 598, and his feast is kept, on the nth ofOctober.
'' This is an episcopal city of Munster, whose patron, St. Barr, is venerated on the
25th of September. He was a cotemporary, also, with St. Maidocof Ferns, as would ap-
pear from a Life of St. David, Bishop of Menevia, whose Acts occur, at the 1st of March. According to Colgan, St. Maidoc died, in the year 624. The Acts of St.
Barr may be found, at the 25th of Sep- tember.
into the text.
April i8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 213
of old oak, and by other primeval forest trees. The townland is yet called Raheenwood ; and, immediately adjoining it, we find the townland denomina-
tionsofParknakyleandJohnduffswood. Bothoftheselatteretymonsseem referabletolocalities,formerlywellshadedwithtrees. NearthetownofOld Leighlin, and close by the cathedral, to the west, flowed a well, dedicated to St. Laserian. The waters of this spring were believed, by the people, to pro- duce a miraculous effect, like the waters ordained for the trial of jealousy, undertheOldLaw. Whosoeverwouldtakeafalseoath,onanymatter,and drink tiie water of this well, it was supposed, that he must expect some re- markable judgment to befall him. 3° Even in the begining of this century, the peasantrywereaccustomedtoresorttothiswell. Apatronwasannuallyheld here, on the i8th of April. One of the parish priests over Old Leighlin, about 1 81 2, forbid this practice, as scenes of gambling and intoxication became prevalent. Two very old ash trees, and a hawthorn, formerly covered with votiverags,overshadowedthiswell. Thesetreeswerecutdown,byCaptain
Vigors, of Erindale, about the year 1823. At present, the well is nearly choked up with mud, and hardly distinguishable from a marsh, by which it is encompassed. 3' It is related, also, such were the heavenly graces which Laserian enjoyed, that few persons returned from him, without receiving -not only spiritual consolation, but even release from physical suffering. On the contrary, no person, who had dared to malign him in the slightest manner,cou—ld
of poetry rather should they be considered scurrilous verse-mongers had visited St. Laserian,hopingtosecuresomefavourathishands. Theyresolved,incase of his refusal, to bestow some gift on them, to lampoon the holy man, in a " I do not intend to satisfy such persons, or any others like them, but only God and his poor. "3» Being thus disappointed in their expectations, thoselow-bred poetasters began to
revile him. Instantly, we are told, they suffered the fate of Dathan andAbircn. 33
. ^dan,34 King of Albania, the grandfather of our saint, experienced the kindness of Laserian, when he had been banished from his dominions, and had sought refuge in Ireland. We are told, that when he had visited Laserian,35 the king's steed fell dead, owing to the lengthened journey he had travelled,andtothegreatexertionsthisnobleanimalputforth. But,theman of God, having prayed, the king's horse was again restored to life. 3* If such were the case, as in many other instances, his merits were manifested by the supernatural favours accorded. Some confusion seems to exist, in accoimts
demonibus immolare. "
" See Numbers xvi.
" He is said to have reigned, from A. D.
571 to A. u. 605. See Dr. James Taylor's "Pictorial History of Scotland," vol. i. , chap, iii. , p. 28.
^^ The editor of our saint's Acts remarks upon a huge anachronism here manifest. But, he observes, that before the birth of our saint, another Laserian, Abbot of Devenbh, flourished in Ulster. His feast occurs, at the I2lh of September. According to Col- gan, he died m the year 563. Papebroke says, that this saint may have been the worlier of that miracle, recorded in the text.
30 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xviii. Aprilis. Vita S. La^eriani, cap. ii. , sees. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, andnn. (a, b,c, d, e, f, g, h, i, k), pp. 545, 546.
Divineretribution. Itso
escape happened,
thatthree — professors
bitter satire. When they came before the saint, he said
:
'" Such is the statement made, in a letter wriUen by Mr. Domville, and dated January 6th, 1782. It is found among the Trinity College MSS. , and it bclasssd I. i. 3. fol. , p. 322.
" See Mr. and Mrs. Hall's " Ireland : its Scenery, Character," etc. , vol. i. , p. 417 : "About ten yards from the well stands a rude stone cross, five feet in height. The whole is surrounded by a low straggling ditch. " A rude drawing of this cross, with its exact dimensions, will be found, in the "Letters re-
lating to the Antiquities of the County of Carlow, belonging to the Irish Ordnance Sur-
vey,"at pp. 221, 222. There is no inscrip- tion on this cross, which is a monolith of fire-stone, as the material is locally deno- minated.
5* To this can MS. adds
of our saint, the Salaman- " Histrionibus enim dare est
reply :
2l6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April i8.
left us, regarding various acts attributed to Laserian. Those incorrectly state, t'hat°at the request of St. Columba,37 of King ^dan, and also of saintly persons, belonging to the northern parts of Ireland, this holy man set out for Rome, in company with other pious pilgrims. At the Alpine mountains, our saint met a man, apparently in great anxiety and sorrow. When asked the cause of his grief, this rustic told Laserian he had twenty in his family to sup- port by husbandry, while the ploughshare he used was broken ; nor had he anymeansforrepairingit. 3^ Theholymanhereuponorderedhimtofashion a wooden ploughshare. Having done so, the saint blessed it, and then, he told the ploughman, to use it, until he should return. Laserian proceeded on hiswaytoRome,whereheremainedayearandahalf. Thepeasant'splough-
share lasted even long after that time. Moreover, this man had a very abun- dant harvest, and such only as could be produced, from the most fertile soil.
Dublin Bay, from Killiney Hill.
It is related, that the reigning Pontiffat Rome, who is supposed to have been Honorius the First, 3' consecrated Laserian as bishop.
