Mervyn
Archdall
Hand Rev.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
—No.
lo.
"' Taxation, 1306.
°° Register of Prene, 1432, fol. 130a.
^' Register of Dowdall, 1540, p. 20.
^ Ulster Visitation, 1622.
"^ Regal Visitation, 1634.
''• Triennial Visitation, 1661.
=s Triennial Visitation, 1664.
^9 Triennial Visitation, 1679.
^^ Triennial Visitation, 1754.
-^ On the Ordnance Survey Index Map of
the County of Monaghan, this parish of Tehallan appears bounded on the north and west by Donagh parish ; on the west and south, by Monaghan parish; and on the east, by Clontibert parish, and part of Armagh County.
=» See Evelyn Philip Shirley's "History of the County of Monaghan," chap, xi. , pp. 304 to 307.
30 gge iVw/. , chap, xv. , pp. 480 to 483.
^^ Seeiiid. , chap, xvi. , pj). 516, 517.
^2 it is thought to be identical with the
i o
;
May 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
578
1S35, pp. 109, no.
^6 j^ t^^ barony and county ofMonaghan,
shown on the "' Ordnance Survey Towniand Maps for the County Monaghan," sheets 9, 13, 14,18, 19.
33 See the County of Armagh and Mo-
naghan Letters belonging to the Ordnance
Survey C)ffice, and formerly kept in the
Phoenix I'ark, now in the Royal Irish Aca-
demy. Mr. O'Donovan's Letter, dated
Clones, May 29th, 1835, P- I37- Also, Ex-
tracts, bound within this same volume, pre-
sent notices of Teag-talain, taken from Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. iii. , cap. ix. , Colgan's "Tiias Thaumaturga," from " An-
nals of the Four Masters," and from the Irish Calendar. See pp. 162, 189.
34 In Latin, " regio Mugdornorum. "
Ouramlisdonny, mentioned in the Ulster Inquisitions, on the borders of Armagh County, and, probably, it is the present Omra or Oram, in the parish of Muckno, barony of Cremorne, and county of Monaghan.
35 See the " County of Armagh and of
Monaghan Letters of the Ordnance Survey,"
vol. i. Mr. O'Donovnn's Letter, dated
Monaghan, May 4th, 1835, p. 43. Also, Land," vol. i. , chap, vi. , sect, iii. , n. 29, p. 270.
May 8th, 1S35, PP- 63, 64. Also, his Letter, dated Carrickmacross, May 20th, 1835, pp. 99, 100, and one dated Cootehill, Way 25th,
« In chap. xiii. of the " Sanctilogium Gencajogicum. "
44 Rev. Dr. Lanigan thinks, there can be
37 ^n the barony of Cremorne. See ibid. , sheets 10, 14, 15, 19, 20, 24, 25.
38 j^ the parish of Muckno, and barony ot Cremorne, shown on sheet 20. ibid.
39 yge John O'Donovan's " Leabhar-na-g- Ceart, or Book of Rights," p. 148.
•o y^g Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
p. 150.
*^ Several Irish churches were denomin-
ated in like manner, after their founders, as for instance Tegh or Teach Munnu, "the house of Munnu," or Teach-Mochua, " the house of Mochua. "
4^ See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
;
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 27.
St. Patrick converted Eugenius, the son of Brian, and the dynast of that dis- trict. He also resuscitated his father Muredach. He was afterwards interred, ataplacecalledOmnarenne3^—interpretedtheOakofRenne—ontheconfines of Hy-Meth and Mugdorne territory, but belonging to the latter. The fore- going account clearly shows, that the territory of Hy-Meth, in which the church of Tehallan was situated, adjoined the territory of the Mugdorni yet, by some strange and unaccountable mistake, Colgan makes the territory of the Mugdorni the mountainous barony of Mourne in Down, although he should have known, that between Tehallan and IMourne, in Down, several distinctterritorieslay,inthetimeofSt. Patrick. However,heplacesTehal- lan in the territory of Orgeillia, and this shows, how much he had been mis- taken. For, he should have known, that the route of St. Patrick was south- wards, and that he passed from the territory of the Hy-Methii, into the adjoining territory of the Mugdorni. He knew that the church of Tehallan—the situa- tion of which he indicated right well, in Diocoesi Ardmachani—was within
theterritoryoftheHy-Methii. 33 Heknew,also,thattheterritoryofCriochMugh- dhorna 34 was not many miles south from Tehallan. Again, this latter is placed in the region of Hy-Meith, which was a large district in this county, north of the territory called Fearnmhagh, and originally comprising the barony of Monaghan,aswellasofCremourne. 35 Colganshouldhaveknown,likewise, that the church of Domnach Maigen—now Donoughmoyne—was not many milessouthwardsfromTehallan. TheterritoryknownasUi-MeithMachacom- prised the parishes of Tehallan—the Tech-Thalain of our text—Monaghan, Kilmore,3^ TuUycorbet, Clontibret,37 and Muckno, near Castleblaney. 38 These churches are all in the county of Monaghan. 39 This saint is said to have been consecrated by St. Patrick, when visiting the district of Hua- meith-tire. ''° The name Teagh-Talain, the " house of Talan,''*' seems to indi- cate a church, founded by one Talan. We are not bound to believe, how- ever, in the opinion of Dr. Lanigan,^^ that he had been placed there, by St. Patrick. Colgan would not undertake to define, whether this place derived its name from St. Tellan, son to Legan, son to Colgan, dynast of this same part of the country, and who is mentioned 43 in our Menologies, at the 25th of June ;** or from St. Tolan, or Tola, son to Donchad, named 45 at the 30th
—
May 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
of March. 46 However, it is stated, in the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, that he not only endowed Tegh Talain with lands, but that he even bestowed tlie reHcs ofsomesaints,andwhichreUcs,hehadbroughtfrombeyondthesea. TheIrish Apostle selected, from among his disciples, those, who had been the com- panions of his missionary labours, and the faithful imitators of his pious example. These pious men he left withSt. Killian. 47 Thefestival ofthepresent St. Killen was kept, at Tehallan, county of Monaghan, on the 27th of May, according to our Irish Calendars. Besides, as we are told, Stickillin, a small parish in the county of Louth, near Ardee, is called from this saint, its name having been originally Tech-Cillin. ts Thus, the name Cillin, Bishop, of Tegh Talain, in Orighialla, is set down in the Martyrology of Donegal,49 as having been venerated, at this day. His festival is noteil, at the 27th of May, by Father John Colgan. 5° Under the head of Teach-Talain,5^ Duald Mac Firbis enters Gillian, bishop from Tech-Tallian, in Airghill, for May 2 7th. 52 At this same date, also, his festival occurs, in that Irish Calendar,53 kept in the Royal Irish Academy.
Article II. St. Commaigh, Comagia, or Comaigh, Virgin, of Snawlooher, or Slanore, County of Cavan. {^Sixth or Seventh Century? ^ At this date, the Martyrology of Tallagh ' records the name of this holy virgin, under the designation Commaigh, daughter of Eachdach, of Snamha luthair. TheBollandists^ havealsoalikeentry,atthe27thofMay,forComagiaof Snam-Luthir. It appears, that this holy virgin was daughter of Eochaidh, her father, and Aigleann 3 or Ailgend, her mother. She was fifth in descent, by the father's side, from Laeghaire, monarch of Ireland, in the time of St. Patrick. Her father was son to Ailill, son of Guaire, son to Lughaidh, son of King Laeghaire. Her brothers were St. Fintan,4 St. Lughaidh,5 and St. Coluim. ^ Besides these uterine brothers, her father had been married to Ligach Bred- mainech, by whom he had St. Fursey,? St. Nainnidh,^ and St. Muiredach. 9 The monastery at Snam-luthir had been founded, by the brother of St. Comaigh, a holy man named Columbanus, or Golman. ^° It was supposed, by Golgan," that Snam-Luthir had been identical with a monastery, founded at Garbre Gabhra, otherwise Carbre Mor, in the maritime part of northern
little doubt, that from him this church got its name ; if so, it was not founded by St. Patrick. See " Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," chap, vi. , sect, iii. , n. 28, p. 270.
45 In our Calendars, and also in the " Sanctilogium Genealogicum. "
4^ In the Third Volume of this work, Art. i.
47 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, iii. , cap. ix. , and nn. 17, 18, pp. 150, and 184.
4^ See Evelyn Philip Shirley's " History of the County of Monaghan," chap, xi. , p. 305.
"9 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. , IS^j 139-
5° See "Acta Sanctorum HiberniK," xiv.
53 Thus : Cilbn e<ifp 6 C15 C^lAin in Oiy\jiALL, at the vi. of the June Kalends, May 27th. The same entry is in the Ord- nance Survey copy, Common Place Book F, p. 49. A marginal note, in Mr. O'Donovan's handwriting, thus explains CiJ CaLaiii, as being Anglicized into Tehallen.
Februarii, Vita S. Kilianiet Sociorum, n. p. 331.
3,
5' Now Tyhallon, county of Monaghan, according to William M. PIcnnessy's note.
5^ See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , parti. , pp. 130, 131.
"Life of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 43, p. 172, and n. (e), ibid.
" In "Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Quarta
Article il. p. xxv.
—
'
Edited by
Rev. D. Kelly,
= See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Mali xxvii. Among the pretermitted saints,
p.
657.
3 yhe was the daughter of Lenin.
4 Venerated at the ist of January.
^ Venerated at the 31st of January.
* Venerated at the 6th of September.
^ Venerated at the i6th of January,
^ Venerated at the 13th of November.
? Venerated at the 12th of August,
'° See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
579
58o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 27.
Connaught, and by a certain Columbanus," a holy man, who was son to Echad. '3 In like manner, the Rev.
Mervyn Archdall Hand Rev. Dr. Lanigan'5 say, that Snam luthir was a monastery, in the present barony ofCarbury, and county of Sligo. Another name for this territory is said to have been Carbre- mhororCarbreDroma-Cliabh. '^ Thisopinionhasbeenmostgenerallyre- ceived. '^ However, that place has been identified, by other writers—and notably by Rev. Dr. Reeves '^—with Snawlooher, or Slanore,'? a townland in the parish of Kilmore, barony of Upper Loughtee, and county of Cavan. ^° Not a vestige of the old monastery now remains. There, however, various remains of mortality have been discovered,^' and it would seem the ancient religious foundation stood, also, some where about the beginning of the seventh
Trinity Church and Island, Lough Oughter.
century. St. Coluin, the brother of our saint, appears also to have lived—at least for a time—in this place. ^^' The former cemetery has disappeared ; but, for ages, there has not been a burial there. The Premontre foundation of
S. Columba:, lib. ii. , nn. 34, 35, p. T^i,.
'^ See ibid. , lib. ii. , cap. xliii. , p. 362.
'3 In his notes, Colgan stales, that he was
Colman, son of Eochod, and a brother of St. Comagia.
'^ See " Monasticon Ilibernicuni," p. 639.
'5 See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. ii. , cap. xi. , sect, x. , and n. 122, PP- 133. 143-
'* See Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hibcr- niae," Februarii xx. Supplementuni Vita; S. Fechini, cap. xxx. , p. 136, and n. 18, p. 141.
' See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ire- land," vol. iii. , p. 272.
'^ See his Adamnau's " Life of St. Co- lumba," n. (0, pp. 173, 174.
'' It is marked, on the " Ordnance Sun-ey Townland Maps for the County of Cavan," sheets 24, 25.
** So stated, by William M. Hennessey, who quotes the Down Survey, as his autho- rity.
" In the beginning of the present cen- tury, when the field was first broken up, traces of a Christian place for interment came to light.
" See iJr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columbae," nn. (e, f), pp. 172 to 174.
— "
May 27. ] LIVES 01^ THE IRISH SAINTS.
581
1237,^3 on Trinity Island ^'^ opposite, became the place most resorted to
there, the peasantry of the neighbourhood now bury their dead. ^s On Trinity Island are also considerable ruins, which have a most picturesque appear- ance,^^ as seen rising over the embowering trees, and far out on the noble expanseofLoughOughter. Thesurroundingshoresarediversifiedandvery attractive in scenery. An abbey's site is shown in a field, which is called the Abbey-field,-? in the western part of Snawlooher or Slanore townland. This contains about 130 acres, and it is situated a little south from Lough Oughter, on the west side of Kilmore parish. It appears, furthermore,'''^ that Cairbre Gabhra is now represented, by the modern barony of Granard, in the north- eastern part of Longford County ; while, this territory must have proceeded still farther towards the north, so as to include a considerable portion of Upper Loughtee, in the county of Cavan, since Snamh-luthir, Snawlougher,^9 or Slanore, was within it. 3° Veneration was given on this day, to Comaigh, Virgin, of Snamh Luthair,3i as we find entered, in the Martyrology of Donegal. 32
Article III. St. Maelan, of Slanore, County of Cavan. This day, the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ and that of Donegal," register the name of Maelan, of Snamh Luthair, as having been venerated. The Bollandists 3 have a notice of St. Mselanus, at the 27th of May; but, they barely record his name and home at Snam-Luthir. This place is known as Snawlooher,'' at the present time, and it may be identified with the locality, to which allusion has just been made. According to Colgan, the present saint may possiblybeidentifiedwithMoelchuo,nephewofSt. Columkille. s Thishow- ever seems to be a very doubtful—if not a wholly mistaken—conjecture.
Article IV, St. Cuintoc, of Snawlooher, County of Cavan. There is a St. Cuintoc, said to have been connected with Snawlooher, for- merlycalledSnamhaluthair,inthepresentcountyofCavan. Hisnameand
^3 See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiberni- cum," p. 42.
^t In the parish of Kilmore, and barony of
Upper Loughtee. It is shown, on the a. d. 1609. "OrdnanceSurveyTownlandMapsforthe ^See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's County of Cavan," sheets 19, 20. "Life of St. Columba," n. (f), pp. 173,
"'s On February ist, a. d, 1570, Queen 174.
Elizabeth granted this Abbey, with all its appurtenances to Hugh O'Reilly of the Brenie, head of his sept, for the term of 21 years, at the rent of 55s. and 8d. Irish money. See Archdall's Monasticon Hiber- nicum,p. 42.
-* The accompanying sketch of this scene was taken by the writer, in June, 1876. It has been transferred to the wood, by William F. Wakeman, the engraver Mrs. Millard.
3' Jn a note, Dr. Todd says, "The more recent hand adds ' Itijen eAcliAc [daughter of Eochaidh] Mart. Taml. '
3 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , ^7 It is shown, of tiie " Ordnance Survey Mali xxvii. Among the pretermitted saints,
Townland Maps for the County of Cavan," sheet 25.
p. 657.
"* See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's
^^ See Dr. John O'Donovan's "Annals
of the Four Masters," at a. d. 731, vol. i. The
Cairbre-Gabhra were a sept, descended from
Cairbre, son of Niall Naighiallach. Tlie 14, p. 479. — mountainous portion of Granard barony is Article iv. still called Sliabh Cairbre. See pp. 328, Kelly, p. xxv.
329, and n. (vv).
^' Or Snawlugher, as it is also named, in
an Ecclesiastical Inquisition taken at Cavan,
3^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 138, 139.
Article hi. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxv.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 140, 141.
"Life of St. Columba," n. (f), pp. 173, 174. s See " Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Ap- pendix ad Acta S. Columbie, cap. ii. , num.
' Edited by Rev. Dr.
;
and
——
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 27.
place are entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh ;' and, quoting this same record, the BoUandists ^ enter his festival, at the 27th of May, but, call him by the name of Quintus.
ArticleV. St. EthianorEthern,BishopofDonoughmoremic- Laithbhe, IN Mughdorna. In the Martyrology of Tallagh,' this saint's name appears, at the 27th of May, as Ethirn, Bishop of Domhnach mor. On the same authority, the BoUandists ^ enter Ethernus, Episcopus de Domnach- Mor. TherewasaINIughdhorna-BreaghinIreland,butitspositionisnotwell known. From the church of this saint having been here placed within the ter- ritory of Mughdorna, Dr. O'Donovan thinks it highly probable, he must have been connected with Donoughmore, near Slane, and in the county of jMeath. 3 The Martyrology of Donegal-* enters a festival on this day, in honour of Ethern, Bishop, of Domhnach-mor-mic-Laithbhe, in ^lughdorna. Under the head of Domhnach-mic Laithbhe, likewise, Duald Mac Firbis enters Bishop Ethern, for May 2 7th. s
ArticleVI. ReputedFeastofaSt. Echbritan,Ecbriotan,or EcHFRiOTAN, SoN OF Ossu, OR OssA. These names as found respec- tively entered, with a different spelling, in the Martyrologies of Tallagh, of Marianus O'Gorman, and of O'Clery, seem to relate, however, to the same individual. There appears to have prevailed some misconception, regarding
the identity of this saint. However, the name refers to a British or to a Saxon origin. But, little can be gleaned, with any degree of certainty, to throw light on his history. The name of Ecbriotan mac Ossu appears, in the Martyr- ologyofTallagh,'atthe27thofMay. Somev. 'ritersseemtohaveimagined, that he was the same as Egfrid, the eldest son of King Oswy of Northunibria, by Queen Eanfled, and who succeeded his father in that kingdom, a. d. 671. ^ He was married to the virtuous Etheldred, or Edeltrude,3 also called Audry. In 684,* he conducted a hostile invasion against the Irish, who, as Venerable Bede declares,hadbeengreatfriendstotheEnglish. s However,theMartyrologyof Tamlaght is probably in error, also, by making Ecbriotan " son of Ossa," the same as Aldfrid, the Northumbrian prince, and whom tlie Irish knew, as an exile in Ireland, under the name of Flann Fina. ^ His surname Fina was derived from his mother. 7 He was an illegitimate son of Oswy, King of Northunibria. and he retired into Ireland, as well for the purpose of avoiding the anger or
'See John Speed's "History of Great Britaine," book vii. , chap, ix. , p. 317.
^ She is venerated as a saint, at the 23rd of June. . See an account of her, in Les Petits Bollandistes' " Vies dcs . Saints," tome vii. , xxiii'=. Jour de Juin, pp. 237 to 239.
^ This date accords with the chronolog}', in the "Annals of Ulster. " However, at A. n. 683, it is set down, in Dr.
"' Taxation, 1306.
°° Register of Prene, 1432, fol. 130a.
^' Register of Dowdall, 1540, p. 20.
^ Ulster Visitation, 1622.
"^ Regal Visitation, 1634.
''• Triennial Visitation, 1661.
=s Triennial Visitation, 1664.
^9 Triennial Visitation, 1679.
^^ Triennial Visitation, 1754.
-^ On the Ordnance Survey Index Map of
the County of Monaghan, this parish of Tehallan appears bounded on the north and west by Donagh parish ; on the west and south, by Monaghan parish; and on the east, by Clontibert parish, and part of Armagh County.
=» See Evelyn Philip Shirley's "History of the County of Monaghan," chap, xi. , pp. 304 to 307.
30 gge iVw/. , chap, xv. , pp. 480 to 483.
^^ Seeiiid. , chap, xvi. , pj). 516, 517.
^2 it is thought to be identical with the
i o
;
May 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
578
1S35, pp. 109, no.
^6 j^ t^^ barony and county ofMonaghan,
shown on the "' Ordnance Survey Towniand Maps for the County Monaghan," sheets 9, 13, 14,18, 19.
33 See the County of Armagh and Mo-
naghan Letters belonging to the Ordnance
Survey C)ffice, and formerly kept in the
Phoenix I'ark, now in the Royal Irish Aca-
demy. Mr. O'Donovan's Letter, dated
Clones, May 29th, 1835, P- I37- Also, Ex-
tracts, bound within this same volume, pre-
sent notices of Teag-talain, taken from Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. iii. , cap. ix. , Colgan's "Tiias Thaumaturga," from " An-
nals of the Four Masters," and from the Irish Calendar. See pp. 162, 189.
34 In Latin, " regio Mugdornorum. "
Ouramlisdonny, mentioned in the Ulster Inquisitions, on the borders of Armagh County, and, probably, it is the present Omra or Oram, in the parish of Muckno, barony of Cremorne, and county of Monaghan.
35 See the " County of Armagh and of
Monaghan Letters of the Ordnance Survey,"
vol. i. Mr. O'Donovnn's Letter, dated
Monaghan, May 4th, 1835, p. 43. Also, Land," vol. i. , chap, vi. , sect, iii. , n. 29, p. 270.
May 8th, 1S35, PP- 63, 64. Also, his Letter, dated Carrickmacross, May 20th, 1835, pp. 99, 100, and one dated Cootehill, Way 25th,
« In chap. xiii. of the " Sanctilogium Gencajogicum. "
44 Rev. Dr. Lanigan thinks, there can be
37 ^n the barony of Cremorne. See ibid. , sheets 10, 14, 15, 19, 20, 24, 25.
38 j^ the parish of Muckno, and barony ot Cremorne, shown on sheet 20. ibid.
39 yge John O'Donovan's " Leabhar-na-g- Ceart, or Book of Rights," p. 148.
•o y^g Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
p. 150.
*^ Several Irish churches were denomin-
ated in like manner, after their founders, as for instance Tegh or Teach Munnu, "the house of Munnu," or Teach-Mochua, " the house of Mochua. "
4^ See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire-
;
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 27.
St. Patrick converted Eugenius, the son of Brian, and the dynast of that dis- trict. He also resuscitated his father Muredach. He was afterwards interred, ataplacecalledOmnarenne3^—interpretedtheOakofRenne—ontheconfines of Hy-Meth and Mugdorne territory, but belonging to the latter. The fore- going account clearly shows, that the territory of Hy-Meth, in which the church of Tehallan was situated, adjoined the territory of the Mugdorni yet, by some strange and unaccountable mistake, Colgan makes the territory of the Mugdorni the mountainous barony of Mourne in Down, although he should have known, that between Tehallan and IMourne, in Down, several distinctterritorieslay,inthetimeofSt. Patrick. However,heplacesTehal- lan in the territory of Orgeillia, and this shows, how much he had been mis- taken. For, he should have known, that the route of St. Patrick was south- wards, and that he passed from the territory of the Hy-Methii, into the adjoining territory of the Mugdorni. He knew that the church of Tehallan—the situa- tion of which he indicated right well, in Diocoesi Ardmachani—was within
theterritoryoftheHy-Methii. 33 Heknew,also,thattheterritoryofCriochMugh- dhorna 34 was not many miles south from Tehallan. Again, this latter is placed in the region of Hy-Meith, which was a large district in this county, north of the territory called Fearnmhagh, and originally comprising the barony of Monaghan,aswellasofCremourne. 35 Colganshouldhaveknown,likewise, that the church of Domnach Maigen—now Donoughmoyne—was not many milessouthwardsfromTehallan. TheterritoryknownasUi-MeithMachacom- prised the parishes of Tehallan—the Tech-Thalain of our text—Monaghan, Kilmore,3^ TuUycorbet, Clontibret,37 and Muckno, near Castleblaney. 38 These churches are all in the county of Monaghan. 39 This saint is said to have been consecrated by St. Patrick, when visiting the district of Hua- meith-tire. ''° The name Teagh-Talain, the " house of Talan,''*' seems to indi- cate a church, founded by one Talan. We are not bound to believe, how- ever, in the opinion of Dr. Lanigan,^^ that he had been placed there, by St. Patrick. Colgan would not undertake to define, whether this place derived its name from St. Tellan, son to Legan, son to Colgan, dynast of this same part of the country, and who is mentioned 43 in our Menologies, at the 25th of June ;** or from St. Tolan, or Tola, son to Donchad, named 45 at the 30th
—
May 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
of March. 46 However, it is stated, in the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, that he not only endowed Tegh Talain with lands, but that he even bestowed tlie reHcs ofsomesaints,andwhichreUcs,hehadbroughtfrombeyondthesea. TheIrish Apostle selected, from among his disciples, those, who had been the com- panions of his missionary labours, and the faithful imitators of his pious example. These pious men he left withSt. Killian. 47 Thefestival ofthepresent St. Killen was kept, at Tehallan, county of Monaghan, on the 27th of May, according to our Irish Calendars. Besides, as we are told, Stickillin, a small parish in the county of Louth, near Ardee, is called from this saint, its name having been originally Tech-Cillin. ts Thus, the name Cillin, Bishop, of Tegh Talain, in Orighialla, is set down in the Martyrology of Donegal,49 as having been venerated, at this day. His festival is noteil, at the 27th of May, by Father John Colgan. 5° Under the head of Teach-Talain,5^ Duald Mac Firbis enters Gillian, bishop from Tech-Tallian, in Airghill, for May 2 7th. 52 At this same date, also, his festival occurs, in that Irish Calendar,53 kept in the Royal Irish Academy.
Article II. St. Commaigh, Comagia, or Comaigh, Virgin, of Snawlooher, or Slanore, County of Cavan. {^Sixth or Seventh Century? ^ At this date, the Martyrology of Tallagh ' records the name of this holy virgin, under the designation Commaigh, daughter of Eachdach, of Snamha luthair. TheBollandists^ havealsoalikeentry,atthe27thofMay,forComagiaof Snam-Luthir. It appears, that this holy virgin was daughter of Eochaidh, her father, and Aigleann 3 or Ailgend, her mother. She was fifth in descent, by the father's side, from Laeghaire, monarch of Ireland, in the time of St. Patrick. Her father was son to Ailill, son of Guaire, son to Lughaidh, son of King Laeghaire. Her brothers were St. Fintan,4 St. Lughaidh,5 and St. Coluim. ^ Besides these uterine brothers, her father had been married to Ligach Bred- mainech, by whom he had St. Fursey,? St. Nainnidh,^ and St. Muiredach. 9 The monastery at Snam-luthir had been founded, by the brother of St. Comaigh, a holy man named Columbanus, or Golman. ^° It was supposed, by Golgan," that Snam-Luthir had been identical with a monastery, founded at Garbre Gabhra, otherwise Carbre Mor, in the maritime part of northern
little doubt, that from him this church got its name ; if so, it was not founded by St. Patrick. See " Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," chap, vi. , sect, iii. , n. 28, p. 270.
45 In our Calendars, and also in the " Sanctilogium Genealogicum. "
4^ In the Third Volume of this work, Art. i.
47 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars, iii. , cap. ix. , and nn. 17, 18, pp. 150, and 184.
4^ See Evelyn Philip Shirley's " History of the County of Monaghan," chap, xi. , p. 305.
"9 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. , IS^j 139-
5° See "Acta Sanctorum HiberniK," xiv.
53 Thus : Cilbn e<ifp 6 C15 C^lAin in Oiy\jiALL, at the vi. of the June Kalends, May 27th. The same entry is in the Ord- nance Survey copy, Common Place Book F, p. 49. A marginal note, in Mr. O'Donovan's handwriting, thus explains CiJ CaLaiii, as being Anglicized into Tehallen.
Februarii, Vita S. Kilianiet Sociorum, n. p. 331.
3,
5' Now Tyhallon, county of Monaghan, according to William M. PIcnnessy's note.
5^ See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , parti. , pp. 130, 131.
"Life of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 43, p. 172, and n. (e), ibid.
" In "Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Quarta
Article il. p. xxv.
—
'
Edited by
Rev. D. Kelly,
= See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , Mali xxvii. Among the pretermitted saints,
p.
657.
3 yhe was the daughter of Lenin.
4 Venerated at the ist of January.
^ Venerated at the 31st of January.
* Venerated at the 6th of September.
^ Venerated at the i6th of January,
^ Venerated at the 13th of November.
? Venerated at the 12th of August,
'° See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
579
58o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 27.
Connaught, and by a certain Columbanus," a holy man, who was son to Echad. '3 In like manner, the Rev.
Mervyn Archdall Hand Rev. Dr. Lanigan'5 say, that Snam luthir was a monastery, in the present barony ofCarbury, and county of Sligo. Another name for this territory is said to have been Carbre- mhororCarbreDroma-Cliabh. '^ Thisopinionhasbeenmostgenerallyre- ceived. '^ However, that place has been identified, by other writers—and notably by Rev. Dr. Reeves '^—with Snawlooher, or Slanore,'? a townland in the parish of Kilmore, barony of Upper Loughtee, and county of Cavan. ^° Not a vestige of the old monastery now remains. There, however, various remains of mortality have been discovered,^' and it would seem the ancient religious foundation stood, also, some where about the beginning of the seventh
Trinity Church and Island, Lough Oughter.
century. St. Coluin, the brother of our saint, appears also to have lived—at least for a time—in this place. ^^' The former cemetery has disappeared ; but, for ages, there has not been a burial there. The Premontre foundation of
S. Columba:, lib. ii. , nn. 34, 35, p. T^i,.
'^ See ibid. , lib. ii. , cap. xliii. , p. 362.
'3 In his notes, Colgan stales, that he was
Colman, son of Eochod, and a brother of St. Comagia.
'^ See " Monasticon Ilibernicuni," p. 639.
'5 See "Ecclesiastical History of Ire- land," vol. ii. , cap. xi. , sect, x. , and n. 122, PP- 133. 143-
'* See Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hibcr- niae," Februarii xx. Supplementuni Vita; S. Fechini, cap. xxx. , p. 136, and n. 18, p. 141.
' See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ire- land," vol. iii. , p. 272.
'^ See his Adamnau's " Life of St. Co- lumba," n. (0, pp. 173, 174.
'' It is marked, on the " Ordnance Sun-ey Townland Maps for the County of Cavan," sheets 24, 25.
** So stated, by William M. Hennessey, who quotes the Down Survey, as his autho- rity.
" In the beginning of the present cen- tury, when the field was first broken up, traces of a Christian place for interment came to light.
" See iJr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columbae," nn. (e, f), pp. 172 to 174.
— "
May 27. ] LIVES 01^ THE IRISH SAINTS.
581
1237,^3 on Trinity Island ^'^ opposite, became the place most resorted to
there, the peasantry of the neighbourhood now bury their dead. ^s On Trinity Island are also considerable ruins, which have a most picturesque appear- ance,^^ as seen rising over the embowering trees, and far out on the noble expanseofLoughOughter. Thesurroundingshoresarediversifiedandvery attractive in scenery. An abbey's site is shown in a field, which is called the Abbey-field,-? in the western part of Snawlooher or Slanore townland. This contains about 130 acres, and it is situated a little south from Lough Oughter, on the west side of Kilmore parish. It appears, furthermore,'''^ that Cairbre Gabhra is now represented, by the modern barony of Granard, in the north- eastern part of Longford County ; while, this territory must have proceeded still farther towards the north, so as to include a considerable portion of Upper Loughtee, in the county of Cavan, since Snamh-luthir, Snawlougher,^9 or Slanore, was within it. 3° Veneration was given on this day, to Comaigh, Virgin, of Snamh Luthair,3i as we find entered, in the Martyrology of Donegal. 32
Article III. St. Maelan, of Slanore, County of Cavan. This day, the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ and that of Donegal," register the name of Maelan, of Snamh Luthair, as having been venerated. The Bollandists 3 have a notice of St. Mselanus, at the 27th of May; but, they barely record his name and home at Snam-Luthir. This place is known as Snawlooher,'' at the present time, and it may be identified with the locality, to which allusion has just been made. According to Colgan, the present saint may possiblybeidentifiedwithMoelchuo,nephewofSt. Columkille. s Thishow- ever seems to be a very doubtful—if not a wholly mistaken—conjecture.
Article IV, St. Cuintoc, of Snawlooher, County of Cavan. There is a St. Cuintoc, said to have been connected with Snawlooher, for- merlycalledSnamhaluthair,inthepresentcountyofCavan. Hisnameand
^3 See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiberni- cum," p. 42.
^t In the parish of Kilmore, and barony of
Upper Loughtee. It is shown, on the a. d. 1609. "OrdnanceSurveyTownlandMapsforthe ^See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's County of Cavan," sheets 19, 20. "Life of St. Columba," n. (f), pp. 173,
"'s On February ist, a. d, 1570, Queen 174.
Elizabeth granted this Abbey, with all its appurtenances to Hugh O'Reilly of the Brenie, head of his sept, for the term of 21 years, at the rent of 55s. and 8d. Irish money. See Archdall's Monasticon Hiber- nicum,p. 42.
-* The accompanying sketch of this scene was taken by the writer, in June, 1876. It has been transferred to the wood, by William F. Wakeman, the engraver Mrs. Millard.
3' Jn a note, Dr. Todd says, "The more recent hand adds ' Itijen eAcliAc [daughter of Eochaidh] Mart. Taml. '
3 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus vi. , ^7 It is shown, of tiie " Ordnance Survey Mali xxvii. Among the pretermitted saints,
Townland Maps for the County of Cavan," sheet 25.
p. 657.
"* See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's
^^ See Dr. John O'Donovan's "Annals
of the Four Masters," at a. d. 731, vol. i. The
Cairbre-Gabhra were a sept, descended from
Cairbre, son of Niall Naighiallach. Tlie 14, p. 479. — mountainous portion of Granard barony is Article iv. still called Sliabh Cairbre. See pp. 328, Kelly, p. xxv.
329, and n. (vv).
^' Or Snawlugher, as it is also named, in
an Ecclesiastical Inquisition taken at Cavan,
3^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 138, 139.
Article hi. —' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxv.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 140, 141.
"Life of St. Columba," n. (f), pp. 173, 174. s See " Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Ap- pendix ad Acta S. Columbie, cap. ii. , num.
' Edited by Rev. Dr.
;
and
——
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 27.
place are entered in the Martyrology of Tallagh ;' and, quoting this same record, the BoUandists ^ enter his festival, at the 27th of May, but, call him by the name of Quintus.
ArticleV. St. EthianorEthern,BishopofDonoughmoremic- Laithbhe, IN Mughdorna. In the Martyrology of Tallagh,' this saint's name appears, at the 27th of May, as Ethirn, Bishop of Domhnach mor. On the same authority, the BoUandists ^ enter Ethernus, Episcopus de Domnach- Mor. TherewasaINIughdhorna-BreaghinIreland,butitspositionisnotwell known. From the church of this saint having been here placed within the ter- ritory of Mughdorna, Dr. O'Donovan thinks it highly probable, he must have been connected with Donoughmore, near Slane, and in the county of jMeath. 3 The Martyrology of Donegal-* enters a festival on this day, in honour of Ethern, Bishop, of Domhnach-mor-mic-Laithbhe, in ^lughdorna. Under the head of Domhnach-mic Laithbhe, likewise, Duald Mac Firbis enters Bishop Ethern, for May 2 7th. s
ArticleVI. ReputedFeastofaSt. Echbritan,Ecbriotan,or EcHFRiOTAN, SoN OF Ossu, OR OssA. These names as found respec- tively entered, with a different spelling, in the Martyrologies of Tallagh, of Marianus O'Gorman, and of O'Clery, seem to relate, however, to the same individual. There appears to have prevailed some misconception, regarding
the identity of this saint. However, the name refers to a British or to a Saxon origin. But, little can be gleaned, with any degree of certainty, to throw light on his history. The name of Ecbriotan mac Ossu appears, in the Martyr- ologyofTallagh,'atthe27thofMay. Somev. 'ritersseemtohaveimagined, that he was the same as Egfrid, the eldest son of King Oswy of Northunibria, by Queen Eanfled, and who succeeded his father in that kingdom, a. d. 671. ^ He was married to the virtuous Etheldred, or Edeltrude,3 also called Audry. In 684,* he conducted a hostile invasion against the Irish, who, as Venerable Bede declares,hadbeengreatfriendstotheEnglish. s However,theMartyrologyof Tamlaght is probably in error, also, by making Ecbriotan " son of Ossa," the same as Aldfrid, the Northumbrian prince, and whom tlie Irish knew, as an exile in Ireland, under the name of Flann Fina. ^ His surname Fina was derived from his mother. 7 He was an illegitimate son of Oswy, King of Northunibria. and he retired into Ireland, as well for the purpose of avoiding the anger or
'See John Speed's "History of Great Britaine," book vii. , chap, ix. , p. 317.
^ She is venerated as a saint, at the 23rd of June. . See an account of her, in Les Petits Bollandistes' " Vies dcs . Saints," tome vii. , xxiii'=. Jour de Juin, pp. 237 to 239.
^ This date accords with the chronolog}', in the "Annals of Ulster. " However, at A. n. 683, it is set down, in Dr.
