His face and form were worn by fasting and vigils, his figure was
somewhat
bowed, though he was hardly in middle age, and his whole appearance bore traces of feeble health and prolonged austerities.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
Thus, William F.
Wakeman, in his interesting and elegantly
written guide book, thinks St. Bega or Becga may have been connected
with a townland called Killybeg—recte, Caille Bega—in the northern part of
LeitrimCounty. 7 Again,weread,assetdownintheMartyrologyofDone-
gal,^ that Becga, virgin, daughter of Gabhran, had a festival celebrated on
this day. 9 Her name is Latinized Begga, in the table postfixed to this
^°
If the previous part of the narrative have reference to the virgin, who is venerated in our calendars at this date, she was probably one of those holy women, who had been veiled by St. Patrick ;" and, therefore she cannot be identified with another pious follower of Christ, who is com- memorated in the English Calendars, and who is nevertheless regarded as an Irishwoman, called St. Bega, or, by the English known as St, Bees. ^^ The whole history of St. Becga or Bega is, however, involved in great
obscurity.
Article X. —St. Derlugha, or Darluga, Virgin, of Lemmagh, NOW PROBABLY Lawny OR Lavvoy, County OF Cavan. The Martyr-
ology of Tallagh^ has the entry, "Darluga, Vir. o Lemnaigh," at the loth
Martyrology.
of Itis February.
of =^ thatonthis Donegal,
inthe
day was venerated, Derlugha, Virgin, of Lemmagh. 3 There was a Leag-
3 See "Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs land in question may have some reference andotherPrincipalSaints,"vol. ii. ,Feb- toher. TherewasafoundationofSt. Ai—dan ruaryx. orMeog—noticedatthe5thofJanuary at
Martyrology
mhagh, now Legvoy,"* in the parish of Killukin, barony of Boyle and county
p. 377. Article ix.
—
'
Edited
Rev. Dr.
W. F. Wakeman. Third
Kelly, p. XV.
^ He is thought, by Colgan, to have been
a brother to St. Bega, and that he is the same as St. Lugad, son of Gauran, whose feast occurs, at the 17th of April.
3 Lough Aininn was the ancient name of
Lough Ennel, near Mullingar, in the county
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
45.
See Sir Thomas DuiSfus Hardy's "De-
ofWestmeath, Fromthe
context, however,
p. 223.
^'^ See of "Martyrology
Donegal," pp.
It is
See z<5zi^/. , nn. 42, 43, 44, 45, p. 174.
7 Asthis is the
our Irish Calendars, it is possible, the town-
September, Rev. Dr.
Reeves, pp.
3 j find an annotation, in his copy of the
conjectured,
at the "
of = Edited Drs. Todd and January. by
registered,
4 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Feb- this place ; but all
ruary X. Prsetermissi et in alios dies rejecti,
notices,
s See Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima 44,45-
7th
Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xiii. , p. 1 31.
^
Donegal Martyrology, by William M.
only
saint of the namein
" or Hennessy, teAiiioig, Lawny Lavoy,
by
By
90. ^
44, 9
Excursion, p.
the places here named should be sought for
in the county of Louth, or in East Meath,
where so many ancient denominations are lost or disguised, under modern corruptions.
4
identical with St. Dalua of Dun-Tighe-
Bretan, about whom are inserted some Kelly, p. xv.
he must have been
'^^
See her —at the 6th of Life,
Sepulchre of Bega. " In the
of the saint is now lost. See "Lough Erne, Enniskillen, Belleek, Ballyshannon and Bundoran," &c.
memory
scriptive Catalogue of Materials relating to
British and Irish History," vol. i. , part i. ,
364, 365.
" As such, she is enumerated by Colgan,
in "Trias Thaumaturga. " Quinta Appen- dix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 270.
Article x.
^
Edited
by
county of Cavan. "
45S LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS [Februaryio.
of Roscommon. 5 There was also a Leagmhagh in Munster ; but, her place hasnotyetbeenidentified,^accordingtoDr. O'Donovan. Notwithstanding his high authority, it is probable enough, that a conjecture, can be hazarded,
The old church of Lavey—in
inthe of
barony Upper Loughtee,
a few
site, by
of foundatipn walls. It measured 30 feet, in length, by 16 in width, in- teriorly; the walls were about three feet, in thickness. It stood, in an
in the attempt to find out its true situation.
•thetownlandand— ofthesame parish name,
can be traced on its former county of Cavan7 only
fragments
Lavey Graveyard, County Cavan.
angle of the present graveyard, and very close to one of its boundaries,^ in
the memory of many persons, yet living. 9 The present graveyard is very extensive, and much frequented for interments. '° It seems to have been in-
4 See its position, on " Ordnance Survey
yard is marked on Sheet 26.
^ A middle-aged man, who was present, when the writer visited the spot, recollected
seeing the walls uprooted, and taken away to buikl the new Protestant church, near it. The old church here had been used pre- viously, for purposes of Protestant worship.
9 Some fine old oak beams and planks were taken off the church-roof, when it had been left deserted.
'° A few rather old inscriptions]^are to be
found among the tombs there, yet, none in-
dicating a very remote antiquity, although
for the County of Roscom- mon. " Sheet II. It is also called Gardens-
town.
s It is a townland, not far from Carrick-
on-Shannon. See O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. iii. , n. (n), p. 546.
^ See ibid. ^ vol, i. , pp. 10, 11, and n. (p), ibid.
7 See *• Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Cavan. " Sheets 21, 26, 27, 32, 33, describe this extensive parish, while the site of the townland and grave-
Townland
Maps
the name, the virgin's
Indeed, considering
place of her residence, and the parish in which it was situated, with possible corrup- tions of the nomeclature, this is a locality likely enough to have been connected with her.
the place itself looks venerably antiquated.
The scenery in this neighbourhood—a few miles to the east of Cavan town—is exceed-
ingly picturesque, and it well deserves the tourist's visit.
February io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 459
creased in area, at some past time. It is enclosed with a good stone-wall,
and entered off the road, through an iron gate. The Catholics, who live in
this neighbourhood, have a tradition, this is a holy and a venerable place ;"
yet, regarding the patron saint, no memorial appears to have been left.
The present holy virgin's place in history has not been defined ; but, she must have lived before the tenth century.
Article XI. —St. Trumwin or Tumma, Bishop of the Southern
PiCTS. [^Seventh Cenfury. ] The nationality of this holy man does not
appear to have been ascertained ; but, as he was so closely connected with
St. Cuthbert,^ and the monks at Lindisfarne, he may have been of Irish
origin. Nor does the name differ much from Irish forms, although owing to
his Pictish associations, it may have undergone some change of sound or of
spelling. In the English Martyrology, this holy man is commemorated, at
the loth of =^ The Bollandists have inserted notices of in February. him,3
theirgreatcollection,atthissamedate. ^ ChieflyfromtheworkofVenerable
Bedes is derived the imperfect knowledge we are enabled to glean, regarding thisapostolicman. Heisalsomentioned,asamanofhappymemory,in theancientLifeofSt. Cuthbert. ^ AfterthePicts,Maoetae,orCaledonians,
of Scotland, had long contended for their independence with the Romans, these were obliged to restrain their incursions, by the erection of a great
rampart and trench, extending from the Solway frith, on the western, to the mouth of the Tyne, on the eastern, coast, in the time of the Emperor Hadrian, and during the earlier part of the second century. 7 This was in- sufficient, however, to repel the northern barbarians, who at times leagued with the }3ritons, and thus often disturbed the Roman settlements, in Britain. During the time of the Emperor Antoninus, Loliius Urbicus drove back the Caledonians, and then from the frith of Forth, to the River Clyde, he erected another great line of fortifications, known as the Vallum of Antoninus. ^ This again was found an ineffective barrier ; and, yet, another similar work was attempted, during the reign of the Emperor Severu3. 9 In the fourth century, the Picts and Scots were exceedingly troublesome to the Romans ; and, they became still more so towards the native Britons, who, in the fifth century,calledtotheirassistancetheAnglo-Saxons. Theseestablishedthe powerful principality of Northumbria, and brought the Picts into subjection. It was deemed advisable, to try and effect their conversion to Christianity. Trumwin, for the first time, appears on the historic scene, as their apostle ; and he owed this selection to of ^° At
faithhadalreadymadesomeprogressamongthem. St. Trumwinappears to have selected Abercurnig'^ or Ebercurni, as the place for his chief re-
Theodore, Archbishop Canterbury.
that time, the Picts were subject to the Angles," and doubtless the Christian
" The accompanying sketch of the writer, taken on the spot, in June, 1876, has been transferred to the wood by WilHam F.
s See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis An-
glorum," lib. iv. , cap. xxvi. , p. 346.
^ Said to have been written, before A. D.
Article xi. of March.
"^ See his Life, at the 20tli
See Spartian, in Hadrian, p. 290.
^" See
Martyrologium Anglicanum," x.
See Rev. Dr. Lingard's "History of England," vol. i. , chap, i. , p. 37.
9 See ih'd. , p. 41.
^° See Venerable Bede's ** Historia Eccle-
Februarii.
3 In a historical
and— Mrs. Millard. and while Alfred was
Wakeman, engraved by
705, King living.
commentary, containing three sections, and nineteen paragraphs.
4 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Feb- ruarii X. De S. Trumwino, sive Tumma, Pictorum Australium Episcopo, Strenea- shalse in Anglia, pp. 414 to 416.
siastica Geutis Anglorum," lib. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 291.
^
"See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 330.
" Now Abercom, a parish on the north
46o
LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [Februaryio.
sidence. It lay near the frith, which separated the dominions of the Picts and Angles. '3 Its exact position was at the mouth of the Carron River. ^4
Here, he seems to have presided over a rehgious estabHshment, and whether this was modelled on the Scotic rules, or whether it was a Benedictine in- stitute, has been questioned. Trumwin was consecrated bishop, about the year 68i. He assisted, at the synod of Twifford, a. d. 684,^5 near the River Alne, over which Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, presided, and at which Egfrid, King of Northumbria, assisted. Then, St. Cuthbert was electedasbishop,overthevacantseeofLindisfarne. Vainlywasmessenger after messenger despatched to Fame, to require the presence and concurrence of the bishop elect. Never limpet clung more closely to the rocks of Fame, than did this hermit to his solitary cell, endeared to him by the struggles and the victories of nine quiet years. But, the synod of Twyford was by no means discomfited. Scarcely had the last messenger brought Cuthbert's final refusal, when King Egfrid equipped his royal bark, and sailed for Fame, with many of the nobles of his court, Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, an imposing array of mitred prelates, and the Abbot of Lindisfarne, in dark coarse clothing. The hermit, who for some years had scarcely been seen by men, came down to the landing-place to receive the august visitors.
His face and form were worn by fasting and vigils, his figure was somewhat bowed, though he was hardly in middle age, and his whole appearance bore traces of feeble health and prolonged austerities. His coarse garment of
undyedwoolhadnotbeenremovedforsixmonths. Then,therewasKing Egfrid, in his royal robes, embroidered with gold, and with the crown upon his head, the prelates in all their ecclesiastical splendour, and the attendants gorgeous in those richly ornamented and brightly-coloured garments, which the Anglo-Saxons loved. Nothing removes this incident more completely into the sphere of a simple, religious age, than the fact, that this brilliant assemblage fell down, as one man, at the feet of Cuthbert, beseeching him with many words and abundant tears to reconsider his determination. He resisted, with weeping and urgent entreaties, that he might be left to his solitude. But, persuasions so influential, backed as they were by the solici- tations of the community at Lindisfarne, at last prevailed. On Easter Sunday, a. d. 685, he was consecrated Bishop of Hexham, at York, by Theodore, and by six assisting prelates. Soon afterwards, however, he effected an exchange with Eata,^^ Bishop of Lindisfarne, and once more found himself among his beloved monks, in the sea-girt monastery of Holy Island. '7 By advice of Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, and of Trum- win, Bishop of the Picts, Egfrid bestowed on St. Cuthbert and his successors, the village and adjoining lands of Creic, and also the city of Lugubalia, with a still larger ambit, in 685. ^^ To this deed, the signatures of both prelates
of Linlithgowshire. See FuUarton's " Im- '* Round Carun's stream, O classic name !
perial Gazetteer of Scotland," vol. i. , pp. 3> 4'
'3 It was, however, within the dominions of these latter people. See Bede's "His- toria Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iv. , cap. xxvi. , p. 346,
*4 This small stream rises in or near Carron bog, in Sterlingshire, and it falls into the Forth, at Grangemouth, about three miles east of Falkirlc, after a course of fourteen miles. HectorMacneil,anativeofSterling-
shire, has thus alluded to its historic asso- ciations:—
Whar Fnigal fought, and ay ow'rcame ; Whar Ossian wak'd, wi kindling flame,
His heaven-taught lays,
And sang his Oscar's deathless fame
At Duin-na-bais. "
'S See John Leland's *' De Rebus Britan- nicis Collectanea," vol. ii. , p. 327.
'^ tober.
See notices of him, at the 26th of Oc-
'7 Seethe"SundayMagazine,"forApril, 1873.
"* See Ussher's " Britannicarum Ecclesi-
February io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 461
are attached. With what degree of success, the Blessed Trumwin and his
associates carried on the Pictish mission, has not transpired ; but, a storm
was now about to gather, and it ahnost entirely destroyed their future pro-
spects. The Northumbrian king had wantonly despatched an armed force
to Ireland, a. d. 684,^9 ostensibly to retaliate on the Irish, for the aid which
they had rendered to the i3ritons, in their contests with the Anglo-Saxons.
This expedition was led by Berht or Beretus, his general, and in the month
of June, they landed on the eastern shore. Here the Saxons proceeded to
devastate, both the territories and churches of Magh Breagh. From every
part of it, they carried away hostages and many other spoils to their ships. ^°
As a sequence to these outrages, which Venerable Bede so strongly depre- cates, a swift retribution followed. Contrary to the advice of his friends,
and especially of holy Bishop Cuthbert, so lately consecrated. King Egfrid arrayed a considerable army, and resolved to ravage the Pictish territories.
The Picts, pretending flight, led the Anglo-Saxon forces into the inaccessible passes of their mountains. Here, they inflicted a terrible loss on their in-
vaders. ^^ King Egfrid was killed, with the greater part of his army. He fell in the fortieth year of his age, and in the fifteenth of his reign, on the 20th of May, A. D. 685. ^2 'p]^g Picts ^^^^ recovered their former liberty, and elated with victory, they drove all the Angles and Scots out of their country. SomeoftheBritons,likewise,assertedtheirancientindependence. Among others, the worthy Bishop Trumwin was banished from the Pictish territories. ^3 He, and his coadjutor on the mission, were obliged to fly from ^bbercurnig, where a single vestige of his ancient Culdee establishment does not now exist. ^'^ The holy Bishop Trumwin betook himself to Streane- shalch,25 the monastery of St. Elfleda,^^ having tried to procure an asylum for his dispersed companions, in other religious houses. ^7 At Streaneshalch, he lived a great comfort and an assistant to Elfleda, by affording her his counsel,inthegovernmentofhermonastery. ^^ Therehecontinuedfifteen years, with some few companions, living in monastic rigour, both for the goodofhisownsoulandforthebenefitofmanyothers. ^9 Hedepartedthis life, about the year of grace 700,3° and, with due honour he was buried, in the church of St. Peter,3r at Streaneshalch. This holy bishop is comme- morated by Jerome Porters^ and by John Wilson,33 at the loth day of Feb-
arum Antiquitates," cap. xv. and Index It bore a bark along. "
Chronologicus, A. D. DCLXXXV. , pp. 350, — 540.
Canto ii.
'9 According to the " Annals of Ulster. "
,
The " Annals of Clonmacnoise" place this "
Her Acts are given by the Bollandists in event so early as 680 ; while, the Annals nine sections, and sixty-five paragraphs,
of the Four Masters" have it, at 683.
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii
viii. , pp. 178 to 186.
^7 See Venerable Bede's
^°
See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 288 to 291.
^' At a place, known as Dun Nechtain.
Historia Ec-
=^
See the "Annals of Ulster," at a. d.
685.
=3 See Rev. Dean
See Dean Cressy's
Church History of
" Church His- tory of Brittany," book xviii. , chap, xvii. ,
book xviii,,
=9 See Venerable Bede's
xvii. , 459.
p. 459.
="* See Fullarton's
"
Imperial Gazetteer of
"
clesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iv,, cap.
26, p. 346.
wino, sive Tumma, &c. , sect, iii. , num. 18,
Cressy's
Brittany,"
chap,
p. Historia Ec-
Scotland," vol. i. , p. 4.
ns Afterwards known as Whitby. Allu- rum," tomus ii. , Februarii x. De S. Trum-
sion is made to it, in Sir Walter Scott's
"
Marmion,"
" from high Whitby's cloister'd pile, Bound to St. Cuthbert's Holy Isle,
p. 416.
31 See Rev. Dean Cressy's
sect. i.
=^^ Her feast occurs, at the 8th of February.
"
clesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iv. , cap.
26, pp. 346, 347.
-^ "
30 "Acta Sancto- See the Bollandists'
Church His* tory of Brittany," book xx. , chap, xviii. , p.
514.
"
4^2 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS [Februaryii.
riiary. 34 It was probably that on which he died. In succeeding times, the Danish incursions reduced Streaneshalch or Whitby^s to a heap of ruins,
when the tomb of Bishop Trumwin, and the monuments of other holy and distinguished persons, there interred, were desecrated. William of Malmes- bury also writes, at Streneshalck, now called Whitby, that in the choir of the church belonging to religious virgins, which is famous for the monuments of holy bishops and glorious kings, the industry of certain devout men hath, as it were, restored to life the slumbering ashes of several persons : for, not long since,36 there were found and translated to a more eminent place, the bodies of many saints, and particularly the body of S. Trumwin, Bishop of the Picts. 37 What became of the remains, in after times, does not appear to be known; norcanweadoptveryreadilysomeunauthenticatedstatementsof Dempster,38 that would place this saint, on the list of Scottish writers. Other statements of his,39 regarding St. Trumwine, are equally unreliable.
Clebentl) ©aj) of jfefaruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. GOBNATA OR GOBNET, VIRGIN, AND ABBESS OF BURNEACH, OR BALLYVOURNEY, COUNTY OF CORK.
[SIXTH CENTURY. }
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—DESCENT OF ST. GOBNET—ST. ABBAN PLACES HER OVER A COMMUNITY, AT BALLYVOURNEY—LEGEND RELATIVE TO HER SISTER—TRADITIONS REGARDING ST. GOBNET—HER ESTABLISHMENT AT BALLYVOURNEY.
the great celebrity of this holy virgin, especially
in the South of Ireland, but few notices are left regarding her, by NOTWITHSTANDING
Colgan. ^ He tells us, in his day, it was understood, that St. Gobnata's Acts were extant in southern Munster, but not then published. The Bollandists
'' In " Floribus Sanctorum Anglia^,"
tion for English ecclesiastical biography, down to the year 1122. The manuscript which has been followed, in this edition, is supposed by Mr. Hamilton to be the author's autograph, containing his latest additions and amendments,
3^ He asserts, that St. Trumwin wrote
the decrees of that council, over which St.
Theodore of Canterbury presided. See
"
Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xviii. —
39 As for instance, that Tarananus— under- stood to be the present Trumwine was re- called by the Picts to be bishop over them, and that he was the same as St. Tarnanus, Bishop of Lismore in Ireland, who was venerated on the Kalends of July, according to Fcrrarius, and a Scottish Breviary. See Ussher's " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum An- tiquitates," cap. xv. , pp. 350, 351.
33 In edition.
*'
Martyrologio Aiiglicano," second
3* See the Bollandists' "Acta Sancto- rum," tomus ii. , Februarii X. De S. Trum- wino, sive Tumma, &c. , sect, iii. , num. 19, p. 416.
35 This is a seaport town in the North
Riding of Yorkshire, and seated on the River Esk, near the place where it falls into
"
the sea. See
vol. xviii. ,p. 851. Dublinedition.
3*^ William of Malmesbury lived in the
twelfth century.
37 At A. D. 700, the foregoing account is
given in his work, "De Gestis Pontificum
Anglorum Libri Quinque," lib. iii. , p. 272. A new edition of this work, published by the Master of the Rolls, has been edited by
N. E. S. A. Hamilton, Esq. , in 1870. The
*•
Enclyclopoedia Britannica,"
Gesta Pontificum" is the principal founda-
Article
—Chapter i. —-' See
**
Acta
i.
l^EBRUARY II. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 4^3
onlyrefertoher,inabriefparagraph. ^ Thissaintwasadescendantfrom Conaire the Great,3 King of Ireland, according to our Irish Calendars. ^ Thus, she sprung from the Heremonian line. s She was born probably at
Boirenn,^ now Ballyvourney, in the barony of West Muskerry, and county of Cork. Hernativitymaybereferredtothecloseofthefifth,ortothecom- mencement of the sixth, century. Cairbre Muse gave name to the different southernterritories,knownasMuskerry. Theplace,withwhichSt. Gobnat had been connected, by birth and residence, is also called Boirneac, or Bor- neach ;7 and, in one instance—but it is thought by a false spelling—Hus- neach. ^ This place is said to have been visited by St. Abban, when he journeyedthroughtheterritoriesofMuscraigeandEoganacht. 9 There,he must have found St. Gobnat, and he seems to have formed a very exalted opinion of her virtues and good sense.
written guide book, thinks St. Bega or Becga may have been connected
with a townland called Killybeg—recte, Caille Bega—in the northern part of
LeitrimCounty. 7 Again,weread,assetdownintheMartyrologyofDone-
gal,^ that Becga, virgin, daughter of Gabhran, had a festival celebrated on
this day. 9 Her name is Latinized Begga, in the table postfixed to this
^°
If the previous part of the narrative have reference to the virgin, who is venerated in our calendars at this date, she was probably one of those holy women, who had been veiled by St. Patrick ;" and, therefore she cannot be identified with another pious follower of Christ, who is com- memorated in the English Calendars, and who is nevertheless regarded as an Irishwoman, called St. Bega, or, by the English known as St, Bees. ^^ The whole history of St. Becga or Bega is, however, involved in great
obscurity.
Article X. —St. Derlugha, or Darluga, Virgin, of Lemmagh, NOW PROBABLY Lawny OR Lavvoy, County OF Cavan. The Martyr-
ology of Tallagh^ has the entry, "Darluga, Vir. o Lemnaigh," at the loth
Martyrology.
of Itis February.
of =^ thatonthis Donegal,
inthe
day was venerated, Derlugha, Virgin, of Lemmagh. 3 There was a Leag-
3 See "Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs land in question may have some reference andotherPrincipalSaints,"vol. ii. ,Feb- toher. TherewasafoundationofSt. Ai—dan ruaryx. orMeog—noticedatthe5thofJanuary at
Martyrology
mhagh, now Legvoy,"* in the parish of Killukin, barony of Boyle and county
p. 377. Article ix.
—
'
Edited
Rev. Dr.
W. F. Wakeman. Third
Kelly, p. XV.
^ He is thought, by Colgan, to have been
a brother to St. Bega, and that he is the same as St. Lugad, son of Gauran, whose feast occurs, at the 17th of April.
3 Lough Aininn was the ancient name of
Lough Ennel, near Mullingar, in the county
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
45.
See Sir Thomas DuiSfus Hardy's "De-
ofWestmeath, Fromthe
context, however,
p. 223.
^'^ See of "Martyrology
Donegal," pp.
It is
See z<5zi^/. , nn. 42, 43, 44, 45, p. 174.
7 Asthis is the
our Irish Calendars, it is possible, the town-
September, Rev. Dr.
Reeves, pp.
3 j find an annotation, in his copy of the
conjectured,
at the "
of = Edited Drs. Todd and January. by
registered,
4 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Feb- this place ; but all
ruary X. Prsetermissi et in alios dies rejecti,
notices,
s See Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima 44,45-
7th
Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xiii. , p. 1 31.
^
Donegal Martyrology, by William M.
only
saint of the namein
" or Hennessy, teAiiioig, Lawny Lavoy,
by
By
90. ^
44, 9
Excursion, p.
the places here named should be sought for
in the county of Louth, or in East Meath,
where so many ancient denominations are lost or disguised, under modern corruptions.
4
identical with St. Dalua of Dun-Tighe-
Bretan, about whom are inserted some Kelly, p. xv.
he must have been
'^^
See her —at the 6th of Life,
Sepulchre of Bega. " In the
of the saint is now lost. See "Lough Erne, Enniskillen, Belleek, Ballyshannon and Bundoran," &c.
memory
scriptive Catalogue of Materials relating to
British and Irish History," vol. i. , part i. ,
364, 365.
" As such, she is enumerated by Colgan,
in "Trias Thaumaturga. " Quinta Appen- dix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 270.
Article x.
^
Edited
by
county of Cavan. "
45S LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS [Februaryio.
of Roscommon. 5 There was also a Leagmhagh in Munster ; but, her place hasnotyetbeenidentified,^accordingtoDr. O'Donovan. Notwithstanding his high authority, it is probable enough, that a conjecture, can be hazarded,
The old church of Lavey—in
inthe of
barony Upper Loughtee,
a few
site, by
of foundatipn walls. It measured 30 feet, in length, by 16 in width, in- teriorly; the walls were about three feet, in thickness. It stood, in an
in the attempt to find out its true situation.
•thetownlandand— ofthesame parish name,
can be traced on its former county of Cavan7 only
fragments
Lavey Graveyard, County Cavan.
angle of the present graveyard, and very close to one of its boundaries,^ in
the memory of many persons, yet living. 9 The present graveyard is very extensive, and much frequented for interments. '° It seems to have been in-
4 See its position, on " Ordnance Survey
yard is marked on Sheet 26.
^ A middle-aged man, who was present, when the writer visited the spot, recollected
seeing the walls uprooted, and taken away to buikl the new Protestant church, near it. The old church here had been used pre- viously, for purposes of Protestant worship.
9 Some fine old oak beams and planks were taken off the church-roof, when it had been left deserted.
'° A few rather old inscriptions]^are to be
found among the tombs there, yet, none in-
dicating a very remote antiquity, although
for the County of Roscom- mon. " Sheet II. It is also called Gardens-
town.
s It is a townland, not far from Carrick-
on-Shannon. See O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. iii. , n. (n), p. 546.
^ See ibid. ^ vol, i. , pp. 10, 11, and n. (p), ibid.
7 See *• Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Cavan. " Sheets 21, 26, 27, 32, 33, describe this extensive parish, while the site of the townland and grave-
Townland
Maps
the name, the virgin's
Indeed, considering
place of her residence, and the parish in which it was situated, with possible corrup- tions of the nomeclature, this is a locality likely enough to have been connected with her.
the place itself looks venerably antiquated.
The scenery in this neighbourhood—a few miles to the east of Cavan town—is exceed-
ingly picturesque, and it well deserves the tourist's visit.
February io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 459
creased in area, at some past time. It is enclosed with a good stone-wall,
and entered off the road, through an iron gate. The Catholics, who live in
this neighbourhood, have a tradition, this is a holy and a venerable place ;"
yet, regarding the patron saint, no memorial appears to have been left.
The present holy virgin's place in history has not been defined ; but, she must have lived before the tenth century.
Article XI. —St. Trumwin or Tumma, Bishop of the Southern
PiCTS. [^Seventh Cenfury. ] The nationality of this holy man does not
appear to have been ascertained ; but, as he was so closely connected with
St. Cuthbert,^ and the monks at Lindisfarne, he may have been of Irish
origin. Nor does the name differ much from Irish forms, although owing to
his Pictish associations, it may have undergone some change of sound or of
spelling. In the English Martyrology, this holy man is commemorated, at
the loth of =^ The Bollandists have inserted notices of in February. him,3
theirgreatcollection,atthissamedate. ^ ChieflyfromtheworkofVenerable
Bedes is derived the imperfect knowledge we are enabled to glean, regarding thisapostolicman. Heisalsomentioned,asamanofhappymemory,in theancientLifeofSt. Cuthbert. ^ AfterthePicts,Maoetae,orCaledonians,
of Scotland, had long contended for their independence with the Romans, these were obliged to restrain their incursions, by the erection of a great
rampart and trench, extending from the Solway frith, on the western, to the mouth of the Tyne, on the eastern, coast, in the time of the Emperor Hadrian, and during the earlier part of the second century. 7 This was in- sufficient, however, to repel the northern barbarians, who at times leagued with the }3ritons, and thus often disturbed the Roman settlements, in Britain. During the time of the Emperor Antoninus, Loliius Urbicus drove back the Caledonians, and then from the frith of Forth, to the River Clyde, he erected another great line of fortifications, known as the Vallum of Antoninus. ^ This again was found an ineffective barrier ; and, yet, another similar work was attempted, during the reign of the Emperor Severu3. 9 In the fourth century, the Picts and Scots were exceedingly troublesome to the Romans ; and, they became still more so towards the native Britons, who, in the fifth century,calledtotheirassistancetheAnglo-Saxons. Theseestablishedthe powerful principality of Northumbria, and brought the Picts into subjection. It was deemed advisable, to try and effect their conversion to Christianity. Trumwin, for the first time, appears on the historic scene, as their apostle ; and he owed this selection to of ^° At
faithhadalreadymadesomeprogressamongthem. St. Trumwinappears to have selected Abercurnig'^ or Ebercurni, as the place for his chief re-
Theodore, Archbishop Canterbury.
that time, the Picts were subject to the Angles," and doubtless the Christian
" The accompanying sketch of the writer, taken on the spot, in June, 1876, has been transferred to the wood by WilHam F.
s See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis An-
glorum," lib. iv. , cap. xxvi. , p. 346.
^ Said to have been written, before A. D.
Article xi. of March.
"^ See his Life, at the 20tli
See Spartian, in Hadrian, p. 290.
^" See
Martyrologium Anglicanum," x.
See Rev. Dr. Lingard's "History of England," vol. i. , chap, i. , p. 37.
9 See ih'd. , p. 41.
^° See Venerable Bede's ** Historia Eccle-
Februarii.
3 In a historical
and— Mrs. Millard. and while Alfred was
Wakeman, engraved by
705, King living.
commentary, containing three sections, and nineteen paragraphs.
4 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Feb- ruarii X. De S. Trumwino, sive Tumma, Pictorum Australium Episcopo, Strenea- shalse in Anglia, pp. 414 to 416.
siastica Geutis Anglorum," lib. iv. , cap. xii. , p. 291.
^
"See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 330.
" Now Abercom, a parish on the north
46o
LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [Februaryio.
sidence. It lay near the frith, which separated the dominions of the Picts and Angles. '3 Its exact position was at the mouth of the Carron River. ^4
Here, he seems to have presided over a rehgious estabHshment, and whether this was modelled on the Scotic rules, or whether it was a Benedictine in- stitute, has been questioned. Trumwin was consecrated bishop, about the year 68i. He assisted, at the synod of Twifford, a. d. 684,^5 near the River Alne, over which Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, presided, and at which Egfrid, King of Northumbria, assisted. Then, St. Cuthbert was electedasbishop,overthevacantseeofLindisfarne. Vainlywasmessenger after messenger despatched to Fame, to require the presence and concurrence of the bishop elect. Never limpet clung more closely to the rocks of Fame, than did this hermit to his solitary cell, endeared to him by the struggles and the victories of nine quiet years. But, the synod of Twyford was by no means discomfited. Scarcely had the last messenger brought Cuthbert's final refusal, when King Egfrid equipped his royal bark, and sailed for Fame, with many of the nobles of his court, Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, an imposing array of mitred prelates, and the Abbot of Lindisfarne, in dark coarse clothing. The hermit, who for some years had scarcely been seen by men, came down to the landing-place to receive the august visitors.
His face and form were worn by fasting and vigils, his figure was somewhat bowed, though he was hardly in middle age, and his whole appearance bore traces of feeble health and prolonged austerities. His coarse garment of
undyedwoolhadnotbeenremovedforsixmonths. Then,therewasKing Egfrid, in his royal robes, embroidered with gold, and with the crown upon his head, the prelates in all their ecclesiastical splendour, and the attendants gorgeous in those richly ornamented and brightly-coloured garments, which the Anglo-Saxons loved. Nothing removes this incident more completely into the sphere of a simple, religious age, than the fact, that this brilliant assemblage fell down, as one man, at the feet of Cuthbert, beseeching him with many words and abundant tears to reconsider his determination. He resisted, with weeping and urgent entreaties, that he might be left to his solitude. But, persuasions so influential, backed as they were by the solici- tations of the community at Lindisfarne, at last prevailed. On Easter Sunday, a. d. 685, he was consecrated Bishop of Hexham, at York, by Theodore, and by six assisting prelates. Soon afterwards, however, he effected an exchange with Eata,^^ Bishop of Lindisfarne, and once more found himself among his beloved monks, in the sea-girt monastery of Holy Island. '7 By advice of Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, and of Trum- win, Bishop of the Picts, Egfrid bestowed on St. Cuthbert and his successors, the village and adjoining lands of Creic, and also the city of Lugubalia, with a still larger ambit, in 685. ^^ To this deed, the signatures of both prelates
of Linlithgowshire. See FuUarton's " Im- '* Round Carun's stream, O classic name !
perial Gazetteer of Scotland," vol. i. , pp. 3> 4'
'3 It was, however, within the dominions of these latter people. See Bede's "His- toria Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iv. , cap. xxvi. , p. 346,
*4 This small stream rises in or near Carron bog, in Sterlingshire, and it falls into the Forth, at Grangemouth, about three miles east of Falkirlc, after a course of fourteen miles. HectorMacneil,anativeofSterling-
shire, has thus alluded to its historic asso- ciations:—
Whar Fnigal fought, and ay ow'rcame ; Whar Ossian wak'd, wi kindling flame,
His heaven-taught lays,
And sang his Oscar's deathless fame
At Duin-na-bais. "
'S See John Leland's *' De Rebus Britan- nicis Collectanea," vol. ii. , p. 327.
'^ tober.
See notices of him, at the 26th of Oc-
'7 Seethe"SundayMagazine,"forApril, 1873.
"* See Ussher's " Britannicarum Ecclesi-
February io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 461
are attached. With what degree of success, the Blessed Trumwin and his
associates carried on the Pictish mission, has not transpired ; but, a storm
was now about to gather, and it ahnost entirely destroyed their future pro-
spects. The Northumbrian king had wantonly despatched an armed force
to Ireland, a. d. 684,^9 ostensibly to retaliate on the Irish, for the aid which
they had rendered to the i3ritons, in their contests with the Anglo-Saxons.
This expedition was led by Berht or Beretus, his general, and in the month
of June, they landed on the eastern shore. Here the Saxons proceeded to
devastate, both the territories and churches of Magh Breagh. From every
part of it, they carried away hostages and many other spoils to their ships. ^°
As a sequence to these outrages, which Venerable Bede so strongly depre- cates, a swift retribution followed. Contrary to the advice of his friends,
and especially of holy Bishop Cuthbert, so lately consecrated. King Egfrid arrayed a considerable army, and resolved to ravage the Pictish territories.
The Picts, pretending flight, led the Anglo-Saxon forces into the inaccessible passes of their mountains. Here, they inflicted a terrible loss on their in-
vaders. ^^ King Egfrid was killed, with the greater part of his army. He fell in the fortieth year of his age, and in the fifteenth of his reign, on the 20th of May, A. D. 685. ^2 'p]^g Picts ^^^^ recovered their former liberty, and elated with victory, they drove all the Angles and Scots out of their country. SomeoftheBritons,likewise,assertedtheirancientindependence. Among others, the worthy Bishop Trumwin was banished from the Pictish territories. ^3 He, and his coadjutor on the mission, were obliged to fly from ^bbercurnig, where a single vestige of his ancient Culdee establishment does not now exist. ^'^ The holy Bishop Trumwin betook himself to Streane- shalch,25 the monastery of St. Elfleda,^^ having tried to procure an asylum for his dispersed companions, in other religious houses. ^7 At Streaneshalch, he lived a great comfort and an assistant to Elfleda, by affording her his counsel,inthegovernmentofhermonastery. ^^ Therehecontinuedfifteen years, with some few companions, living in monastic rigour, both for the goodofhisownsoulandforthebenefitofmanyothers. ^9 Hedepartedthis life, about the year of grace 700,3° and, with due honour he was buried, in the church of St. Peter,3r at Streaneshalch. This holy bishop is comme- morated by Jerome Porters^ and by John Wilson,33 at the loth day of Feb-
arum Antiquitates," cap. xv. and Index It bore a bark along. "
Chronologicus, A. D. DCLXXXV. , pp. 350, — 540.
Canto ii.
'9 According to the " Annals of Ulster. "
,
The " Annals of Clonmacnoise" place this "
Her Acts are given by the Bollandists in event so early as 680 ; while, the Annals nine sections, and sixty-five paragraphs,
of the Four Masters" have it, at 683.
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii
viii. , pp. 178 to 186.
^7 See Venerable Bede's
^°
See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 288 to 291.
^' At a place, known as Dun Nechtain.
Historia Ec-
=^
See the "Annals of Ulster," at a. d.
685.
=3 See Rev. Dean
See Dean Cressy's
Church History of
" Church His- tory of Brittany," book xviii. , chap, xvii. ,
book xviii,,
=9 See Venerable Bede's
xvii. , 459.
p. 459.
="* See Fullarton's
"
Imperial Gazetteer of
"
clesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iv,, cap.
26, p. 346.
wino, sive Tumma, &c. , sect, iii. , num. 18,
Cressy's
Brittany,"
chap,
p. Historia Ec-
Scotland," vol. i. , p. 4.
ns Afterwards known as Whitby. Allu- rum," tomus ii. , Februarii x. De S. Trum-
sion is made to it, in Sir Walter Scott's
"
Marmion,"
" from high Whitby's cloister'd pile, Bound to St. Cuthbert's Holy Isle,
p. 416.
31 See Rev. Dean Cressy's
sect. i.
=^^ Her feast occurs, at the 8th of February.
"
clesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iv. , cap.
26, pp. 346, 347.
-^ "
30 "Acta Sancto- See the Bollandists'
Church His* tory of Brittany," book xx. , chap, xviii. , p.
514.
"
4^2 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS [Februaryii.
riiary. 34 It was probably that on which he died. In succeeding times, the Danish incursions reduced Streaneshalch or Whitby^s to a heap of ruins,
when the tomb of Bishop Trumwin, and the monuments of other holy and distinguished persons, there interred, were desecrated. William of Malmes- bury also writes, at Streneshalck, now called Whitby, that in the choir of the church belonging to religious virgins, which is famous for the monuments of holy bishops and glorious kings, the industry of certain devout men hath, as it were, restored to life the slumbering ashes of several persons : for, not long since,36 there were found and translated to a more eminent place, the bodies of many saints, and particularly the body of S. Trumwin, Bishop of the Picts. 37 What became of the remains, in after times, does not appear to be known; norcanweadoptveryreadilysomeunauthenticatedstatementsof Dempster,38 that would place this saint, on the list of Scottish writers. Other statements of his,39 regarding St. Trumwine, are equally unreliable.
Clebentl) ©aj) of jfefaruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. GOBNATA OR GOBNET, VIRGIN, AND ABBESS OF BURNEACH, OR BALLYVOURNEY, COUNTY OF CORK.
[SIXTH CENTURY. }
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—DESCENT OF ST. GOBNET—ST. ABBAN PLACES HER OVER A COMMUNITY, AT BALLYVOURNEY—LEGEND RELATIVE TO HER SISTER—TRADITIONS REGARDING ST. GOBNET—HER ESTABLISHMENT AT BALLYVOURNEY.
the great celebrity of this holy virgin, especially
in the South of Ireland, but few notices are left regarding her, by NOTWITHSTANDING
Colgan. ^ He tells us, in his day, it was understood, that St. Gobnata's Acts were extant in southern Munster, but not then published. The Bollandists
'' In " Floribus Sanctorum Anglia^,"
tion for English ecclesiastical biography, down to the year 1122. The manuscript which has been followed, in this edition, is supposed by Mr. Hamilton to be the author's autograph, containing his latest additions and amendments,
3^ He asserts, that St. Trumwin wrote
the decrees of that council, over which St.
Theodore of Canterbury presided. See
"
Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xviii. —
39 As for instance, that Tarananus— under- stood to be the present Trumwine was re- called by the Picts to be bishop over them, and that he was the same as St. Tarnanus, Bishop of Lismore in Ireland, who was venerated on the Kalends of July, according to Fcrrarius, and a Scottish Breviary. See Ussher's " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum An- tiquitates," cap. xv. , pp. 350, 351.
33 In edition.
*'
Martyrologio Aiiglicano," second
3* See the Bollandists' "Acta Sancto- rum," tomus ii. , Februarii X. De S. Trum- wino, sive Tumma, &c. , sect, iii. , num. 19, p. 416.
35 This is a seaport town in the North
Riding of Yorkshire, and seated on the River Esk, near the place where it falls into
"
the sea. See
vol. xviii. ,p. 851. Dublinedition.
3*^ William of Malmesbury lived in the
twelfth century.
37 At A. D. 700, the foregoing account is
given in his work, "De Gestis Pontificum
Anglorum Libri Quinque," lib. iii. , p. 272. A new edition of this work, published by the Master of the Rolls, has been edited by
N. E. S. A. Hamilton, Esq. , in 1870. The
*•
Enclyclopoedia Britannica,"
Gesta Pontificum" is the principal founda-
Article
—Chapter i. —-' See
**
Acta
i.
l^EBRUARY II. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 4^3
onlyrefertoher,inabriefparagraph. ^ Thissaintwasadescendantfrom Conaire the Great,3 King of Ireland, according to our Irish Calendars. ^ Thus, she sprung from the Heremonian line. s She was born probably at
Boirenn,^ now Ballyvourney, in the barony of West Muskerry, and county of Cork. Hernativitymaybereferredtothecloseofthefifth,ortothecom- mencement of the sixth, century. Cairbre Muse gave name to the different southernterritories,knownasMuskerry. Theplace,withwhichSt. Gobnat had been connected, by birth and residence, is also called Boirneac, or Bor- neach ;7 and, in one instance—but it is thought by a false spelling—Hus- neach. ^ This place is said to have been visited by St. Abban, when he journeyedthroughtheterritoriesofMuscraigeandEoganacht. 9 There,he must have found St. Gobnat, and he seems to have formed a very exalted opinion of her virtues and good sense.
