Somewhat more un- couth/° sickly, and lame," than their other children, the parents of Mochua formed a low opinion of his mental attainments, and they
assigned
to him the humble position of a shepherd.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
d.
796, and St.
Swibert
whos—e Acts are already related, at February 16th was the founder. See "Annales
Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xxvi. , sect, liv. , p. 324.
»° See Arnold Wion's " Lignum Vitae,"
lib. ii. , cap. 54.
" See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernix," xxx.
According
Mabillon,
is
March 30. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
1015
period. Thus, St. Patto"* is said to have succeeded St. Suibert, its first bishop, in that See, about a. d. 718. ^5 The Bollandists,'^ however, seem to doubt,whetheroursainthadbeenBishopofVerden; theymaintaining,that Tanco'7wastheimmediatesuccessorofSt. '^ or
Suibert, havebeenanEnglishman. =° HeruledoverVerdenfortwenty-oneyears,
and he died a. d. 807, when he was succeeded by the second bishop, St. Patto Scotus, Abbot of Amarbaric. =' Without citing any authority, or having any foundation for his assertion, Dempster says, that our saint wrote a book on the Pentateuch, and that he lived, in the year 810. Bale ^^ has a similar statement, and Bishop Tanner ^3 follows these accounts. On the authority of the English Martyrology, at the present date, Henry Fitzsimon enters Paton, Bishop, in his Catalogue, as published by O'Sullivan Beare. '* We alsofind,atthe30thofMarch,thesimplerecordofhisname. Onthevery same day, the English Martyrologyj^'S Arnold Wion,^^ Philip Ferrarius,^^ Hugh Menard,^^ Demoraches,29 Molanus,3° Dempster,3i and many others, record his festival. It is supposed to have been the date for his departure. Various accounts are also given, regarding the year of our saint's death ; most writers assign 76032 qj. ^52, 763 ;33 some 810, or even later, as dates for his departure ; while Dr. Lanigan maintains, that all the Amarbaric Abbots and Bishops of Verden, flourished after a. d. 786,3* when this see is thought to have been first founded. 35 Arnold Wion states, that our saint
'* Among the early Bishops of Verden, classed among his ecclesiastical writers
Caspar Bruschius calls Patto solely by the
title of a saint. See " De Germanice Epis-
copis. "
'S According to Arnold Wion. However,
this appears to have been a mistake for St. Swibert, Apostle of the Prisons, whose feast is at the ist of March, and who died
A. D. 713.
'^ At the of when
30th April, treating
about St. Suibert.
'' See his Acts, at the 1 6th of February.
'^
His festival has been assigned, to the 30th of April.
"
in Bibliotheca-Britannica-Hibernica," p.
581.
** See " Historise Catholicse Ibemiae
Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. ,
p. 50, and cap. xii. , p. 56.
^5 It has "Verdas in Territorio Clivensi
deposilio S. Pattonis, ejusdem sedis Epis- copi et Confessoris," &c.
="* He writes " S. Patto Scotus, Mona- chus, et Abbas, Amarbaricanus in Scotia, et Episcopus Verdensis secundus, creatus anno Domini circiter 718, vir in Evangelica veri- tate enuncianda ac haeresis pravitate convel- lenda, studio ac zelo praecipuus, prasfuit annis plus minus 43, et in bona senechute ad patres suos depositus, est circa annu—m Domini 760, die tertio Calendas Aprilis. " Arnold Wion's "Lignum Vitse," lib. ii. , cap. 54.
'9
<«
Erat autem primo Suitberto Verdensi
Episcopo proximus successor, Patto natione Scotus, Abbas pridem Amarbaricensis in
sua provincia, pro Christo peregrinatus, eum audisset Saxoniam tam diu contumacem
Ciiristo, et ejus Evangelio, nunc armis coactam a Carolo, ut ascultaret verse Reli-
gioni, Catholicseque veritati, cumque ver- saretur in provincia, et verbum Dei strenue Gentibus prsedicaret, delectatus ejus zelo Carolus Ecclesiae Verdensi praefici jussit
" Pattonis Episcopi. "
=8
Pontificem. "—Cranzius' "
In the Benedictine Martyrology.
^9 Demoraches, " De Sacrificio Midas in
Catalogo Episcoporum Vuerdensium. "
sive Plistoria Ecclesiastica Saxonias," lib. ii. ,
3° Molanus, in his
Appendix.
cap. 21.
^° He " must not be confounded with St.
Willebrord's companion, t—he Bishop Suit-
bert, who died in 713. " Dr. Lanigan's " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol.
iii. , chap, xx. , sect, iv. , p. 219, and n. 26, p. 220. Ibid.
-^ Or, ai the Chronicle of Verden has it, "Abbas Am. abanarum Ecclesise. "
" See " Scriptorum lUustrium Majoris Brytannias," &c. , tomus ii. , cent, xiv. , sect. xxxiv. , p. 204.
*3 See a notice of the present holy man, as
35
Metropoli,
3' " Gentis See Historia Ecclesi&slica
Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xv. , num. locxs. 3- See Father Stephen White's " Apologia
pro Hibernia," cap. iv. , p. 44.
The English Martyrology.
34 The BoUandists quote a Chronicle of
Verden, which u^signs the foundation of that see to 786, in the nineteenth year of the
Emperor Charlemagne's reign, Adrien I. being Pope. This account was communi- cated, by the Jesuit Father Hermann Crom-
"
="'7 He has,
Vuerdiae
in Saxoriia Sancti
:
Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Martii xxx. , sect. L,
bach, from the local archives. See p. 844.
Suitbert,"? said to
ioi6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[March 30.
attained a good old age, at the time of his death. 36 After his first deposition, the relics were exhumed, in common with those of other saints interred ; and,
it is probable, at Konende, the place where the episcopal see was originally constituted. 37 His remains were formally buried, in the church of Verden. When Francis William, Bishop of that see, made some considerable repairs in his cathedral church, in the year 1630, the body of our saint, and the re- mains of six other holy prelates of the city, were removed 3^ from the places, wherethoselipsanahadbeendeposited. 39 Theserelicswereplaced,incon- spicuous positions, within the church, where they were held in great venera- tion. They became the occasion, afterwards, for many miracles being wrought, in favour of divers persons.
Article IV. —St. Mochua or Cronan, Abbot of Balla, County of Mayo. {Sixth and Seventh Centuries^^ Among the saints of Connaught
———
most venerated by its people especially in Mayo may be ranked the
and
sections the Acts of St. Mochua, or Cronan,^ of Balla, at the ist of January. These were translated into Latin, from an Irish collection, and they were transmitted by Philip O'Sullevan Beare, from Madrid, in 1634. Not knowing the natal day of the present saint, these Acts were published,3 on the first day of the year. There are only a few verbal differences, between this and the version of it, as introduced by Colgan,* in his work, at the present date. s To this legendary Irish Life,^ he has added some additional comments of his own, together with separate notes, illustrating the subject of his text. The father of our saint is called Becan, or Beggan, son of Barr, son to Nathi, son of Lugad,7 son to Dalann, in Ultonia, according to the Sanctilogy of the IrishSaints. ^ —HismotheriscalledComma—oraccordingtoanotherManu- script Cumnea the daughter of Conamal, son of Machtan, or Machadan, and she belonged to the Dalbuanican tribe. Besides two elder brothers, she
to the celebrated of St. belonged community
Comgall, at Bangor.
3 Some particulars, regarding the Mill of
St. Fecliin, were omitted by the Bollandists, as those details were to be inserted, in his Acts, at the 20th of January,
< See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," nis Luneburgensis usque in Marchiam Martii xxx. Vita S. Mochuoe sive Cronani
present
—holy
man. TheBollandists^ have insix
chapters
twenty-one
3S See Abbe
tique," tome i\. , liv. xliv. , sect, xx. , p. 454.
Fleury's
" Histoire Ecclesias-
^ See " Lignum Vitse," lib. ii. , cap. 54. 3' Colgan concludes his account of our
"
Brandeburgensem. Nee plura occurrunt de eo observanda, nisi velimus ea minus exacte
s To Colgan's version was prefixed a text, taken from St. Matthew's Gospel : "Homo Crantzio supra. Tradunt—alii communiter quidam, peregre proficiscens, vocavit servos
Longe enim ea Disc- cesis procurrit in Orientem per terrani ditio-
saint, by observing :
ab aliis tradita, repetere, quam quod ejus natalem hac 30 Martii. Tradunt cum
luartyrologi celebrari. " "Acta Sancto-
rum HiberniK," xxx. Martii. Vita S. Pat- •
tonis, p. 795.
3^ This Translation took place, on the
Sixth o—f the Ides of March—or loth of this month duringtheyearnamedinthetext.
suos, et tradidit illisbonasua," cap. xxv. , v. 14. Thus it appears to have introduced the particulars of the saint's life, as if these were intended to be a sermon, or eulogy, pro- nounced on his festival, before some as- sembly.
* Its differences from the
translation of O'Sullevan Beare are pointed
39 See "Acta tomus Sanctorum,"
Manuscript densiinSaxoni—aInferiore,sect. 4,p. 844. out,inthenotesofColgan. Hethinksthe
iii. , Martii xxx. De S. Pattone Episcopo Ver-
"
tomus i. , Januarii i. De S. Mochua Bal-
•
Article iv. See Acta Sanctorum,"
original to have been written, by some Abbot or monk of Balla.
^ From him descended the celebrated
Irish race of Lugad, and he w. as father to
St. Cannech, Patron of Kilkenny, whose Life will be found, at the II ih of October.
«
Chapter ii.
lensi sive Cronano, pp. 47 to 49.
' He is to be distinguished from another
saint, remarkable for his learning and family "
descent, as noticed in the Patriciance
Decadis
"
of O'SuUevan lib. x. He Beare,
Abb. Ballensis. Ex Hibernicis MSS. inter- prete PH. Osuilleuano, pp. 789 to 792.
March 30. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
1017
had three sisters, Brusecha,9 Luchada, and Tudela.
Somewhat more un- couth/° sickly, and lame," than their other children, the parents of Mochua formed a low opinion of his mental attainments, and they assigned to him the humble position of a shepherd. But, the Almighty, having regard to the virtues and future miraculous gifts of his servant, had other wise designs, which were destined to call him from his despised station, and to enrol him
deserving of his notice, and two girls, while Mochua, then very young, was engaged in tending sheep. The Abbot desired to see him, nevertheless, and
having a Divine intuition regarding his future sanctity, Comgall predicted, that Mochua should be promoted from his humble rank, to become a shepherd of men. Wherefore, the Abbot declared he should be transferred to the religious school of Bangor, and there he was brought up in a knowledge of sacred literature, and in a holy course of discipline. He wrought many miracles,likewise,asstatedintheIrishLife. Amongotherfavoursgranted,he prayed for a childless mother, and, soon afterwards, the conception of a holy son, called Dabius,^3 took place. While at Bangor, St. Mochua was greatly distinguished for his austerities, for his works of charity, and for his vigorous
resistance to all the assaults of Satan. When thus tried sufficiently, Comgall ordered him to seek another place,'* and there to build a church and a monastery. '5 Mochua asked his superior to indicate its proper site. Legen- dary, no doubt, is the statement, that St. Comgall pointed to a well, which was near, and directed that it should move to the spot, where Mochua was to establish his religious house ; and, where it stopped, there it seemed to the holy Abbot, the Almighty should be pleased, if his disciple dwelt. Having selected a colony of monks, and adopting the advice of St. Comgall, Mochua took leave of Bangor. '^ The well seemed to rise in the guise of
vapour, and to accompany the band in upper air, as if threatening to rain, while the atmosphere around was very bright and serene. The pilgrims stopped on their way, until the cloud preceded them. Mochua told his companions, they should follow it, and that they should only stop, wherever it rested. Accordingly, the cloud led them to the town, called Gcelia,'? which was in the territory of Ferros.
men.
and founder of Bangor, one day had entered Beccan's house
when the — Accordingly, justly-renowned Abbot
a
Angels flying over it attracting his attention—St. Comgall " asked how many sons were in the family. The head of it replied, that only two boys were
the
among greatest
9 Colgan remarks, that a holy virgin, bearing this name, is venerated, at the 29th of May; but, as some authorities call her
the daughter of Crimthann, he thinks her to have been a different person, from St. Mochua's sister.
"The Life relates, "Ipse puer, capillis ob arearum morbum caput inficientem fluen-
from his master, St. Comgall,
'5 See Rev. Dr. Todd's and Reeves'
" Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 90, 91.
'*
This must have occurred, before A. D. 600, or 601, when St. Comgall, Abbot of Bangor, died, according to the Irish Annals, See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 224, 225, and n. (c. ) Ibid.
tibus, deformior," &c.
" According to Rev.
and
" '^
Dr. Reeves'
''
Dr. Martyrology of Donegal,
90, 91.
" His Life will be seen, at the loth of
May.
"3 He is said to have been venerated, at
the 22nd of June.
'* It is related, in another Manuscript copy of the Life of our saint, that owing to
the envious disposition of Coman, a chap- lain to the King of Ultonia, who was named Boedan, Mochua was to
Todd's
^^ Its location is not explained.
There are two saints, bearing this name,
in our Irish Calendars : one of these is
venerated, at the 24th of June, and as no account of his race or place is to be found, Colgan deems him to be the person here designated; while the other is called son to Dubtach, and Abbot of Kill-toma, who was venerated, at the 14th of November,
'' One Manuscript has it, that he was of British race,
"" The legend has it, moreover, that while
obliged part
pp.
There Gabrenus,'^ the Bishop,'? and
vision of
ioi8 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[March 30.
the fellow-disciple of St. ]\Iochue, lived. He was a most faithful friend,TM ready to resign his place to the visitor. But, because the cloud did not come down there, Mochua deemed it ineligible. Guided by the aerial sign, our saint next came to Fore, in Westmeath, where the celebrated Abbot Fechin^^thendwelt,withagreatnumberofmonks. Thepositionoftheir monastery was beneath a dry hill, where a mill had been erected, by some workmen, while no water was found to turn it. It had just been finished, when Mochua arrived, and St. Fechin with othqr priests there thought, that through their visitor's merits, water must be supplied. After some consulta- tion, it was resolved, that all should repair to Lough Lene,^'' about two miles distant from the place. The architect, who had constructed that mill, was present, and he remarked, they had undertaken to accomplish a very arduous work. "Tomen,indeed,itseemsdifficult,"saidMochua,"buttoGod,it is very easy. " Then Mochua, with the end of his bacillus^ slightly bored the ground, near the banks of the lake, while Fechin and the priests present acted in like manner. Immediately, the water began to pass through a sub- terranean channel, and under the adjoining hill, until it rushed out, with great force, on the opposite side. Thence, the stream was conveyed to the mill-
wheels, which put in motion, both the upper and the lower grinding-stones. ^3 However, Mochua had an intuition, that he must leave St. Fechin, and he then proceeded towards the Shannon river,^* which he crossed. There he was in the province of Connaught, and in the territory of Omania, or Hy- Many. There, too, he was very hospitably received by the queen, called Ballgela,=5 and by her chiefs. They asked him to take up his residence with them, but he was obliged to visit Kellach,"^ son of Ragallus, or Ragallach,^' who was King over Connaught, and who dwelt near the Lake Raminium. At this time, the king was engaged in the sport of hunting a stag, which driven to extremities bounded from a steep precipice, on the shore of the lake, and swam to a rock, which was surrounded by its waters. A singularly wild legend is then related, regarding a man, who, having heard from the lips of Mochua, that the Almighty could preserve from death, whosoever might swim after the stag f^ he, with the concurrence of the king, plunged into the water, swam towards the rock, and killed the quarry. Afterwards, returning to the king, with his captive, the man was devoured by the lake monster,^?
Mochua continued there, a copious shower of milk fell on the earth, near this place.
died a. d. 703, or 704. See Dr. O'Donovan's
'^
His Life is already to be found, at the
306, 307, and n. (w. ) Ibid. ^^AccordingtoDr. O'Donovan's Annals
of the Four Masters," this king died a. d. 645. See vol. i. , pp. 258 to 261, with nn.
(s, t, u, w. ) But, Coigan is of opinion,
that neither he nor his son ruled over that
province, during the lifetime of our saint,
20th of January.
" The position of this lake, in reference to
Foure, is shown on Rev. Daniel Augustus
*'
Beaufort's Parochial Map of the Diocese
of Meath," published A. D. l8l6.
*3 In the I. ife of St. Fechin, at the 20th
of January, chap, iii. , this wonder is alluded to, and attributed to the merits of that holy iiian.
** In another Manuscript Life of our saint, it is related, that before he crossed this river, he came to the church of Tegh- Telle, situated in the country of Durmagen, and that when he saw the cloud did not settle there, he pursued his course towards Connaught.
"S Otherwise, we do not hear of her place in history.
'^
Having been elevated to the position of King over Connaught, he afterwards retired from the cares of state, became a monk, and
"
"
Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp.
^*
Even to a comparatively late period,
deer were very numerous among the wild
mountain tracts of Connaught, as may be
seen, by reference to Roderick O'Flaherty's
"
H-Iar Connaught," edited with notes and
Chorographical Description of West or
illustrations, by James Hardiman, M. R. I. A. , pp. 121, 122, n. (c. )
'' This is an illustration of the popular
belief yet prevailing, about the Feistha, which is regarded as an immense dragon, floating under the surface of many of the Irish lakes.
^o '^\^^ River Robe anciently formed the southern boundary of the territory of Ceara,
March 30. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
1019
thatwasacauseofdreadtoallswimmers. ThekingreproachedMochua
on account of the prediction he had given ; but, the saint, betaking himself to prayer, the monster vomited forth unhurt that man he had swallowed, and
thenceforth, no other person was ever known to have fallen within his jaws. The king and his attendants, greatly astonished at this miracle, gave thanks to the Almighty ; and, thenceforward, Mochua was held in reverence and love, not alone by that ruler, but also by his successor, Kennfaela, the son of Colgan. After leaving this place, he passed the river Rodba, or Robe,3° and came to the province of Keara. s^ He was now in his thirty-fifth year, and he stopped at a town named Nemus Darbrechum, or Reo-Dairbrech. 3» No longer did he observe the guiding cloud in the air, so that his anxious companions and himself began to look for the premised fountain, in that locality. Wliile tlius engaged, a rustic met them, aud they were informed, that not far off, a well—never before discovered—had lately sprung up
; and, Cinctum Balla, id est, lorica," 33 got as a new name Balla,3+ or Mochua Ballensis. 35 Now it is known as Ballagh, or Ball,36
as the Latin version has it,
"
in Mayo County. Here, the saint and his companions recognised the sub- siding well, which had moved from Bangor, in Ultonia, and giving thanks to God, they resolved on founding their monastery. However, the chieftain of Ofiachra, or Hy-Fiachra, and who is called Eacha Minnechus, was resolved on disputing his right, and with that intention, one hundred of his best men approached. But,whileontheirway,amultitudeofbeautifulAngelswere seen flying over a grove, so that when they beheld the venerable Mochua himself, they were moved by his pious exhortations, and they willingly be- stowed, not only the grove, but the adjacent fields, on God's holy servant, thus confirming the grant of King Kellach. 37 There, Mochua caused a church to be built, and it was consecrated by three bishops. This place is distinguished, for the remains of a round tower, the upper part of which, although wanting, shows a measurement of fifty feet in height. The ruins of a small church ai e near it. The building stone and workmanship appear coeval withthetower. Inoneofthewalls,aninscriptionofgreatantiquityisshown. 3^ AtBalla,ornearit, oursaintwroughtmanymiracles. Oneofthesewasin favourofawoman,whocomplainedthatshewaschildless. Soonafterwards, she conceived and bore two sons : one was called Lukencaria 39 and the other was named Scanlan. Another of his miracles caused four salmon, chased by
although it does not bound the modern Survey Townland Maps for the County of barony of Carra, which retains the old Mayo," Sheets 79, 80, 90, 91. The town
"
name. See Dr. O'Donovan's
Tribes, and Customs of Hy-Fiachrach," &c. , p. 150, n. (d. )
p. 493, and n. (a. )
3^ So stated, in a MS. note to Wm. M.
itself is marked, on Sheet 90.
35 According to the Scholiast on St.
Now
3' represented by
barony of Carragh, in the county of Mayo, according to Archdall's " Monasticon Hibemicum,"
the
regionem Kerani derivata est. " "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Mavtii xxx. Among the preter-
Genealogies,
Hennessy's copy of the Donegal Martyr-
ology. As an authority, he quotes the See a notice of this locality, in Lewis' To-
Book of Lismore, 83 a.
33 Most probably, by this is understood
the well-known mediseval term, the Termon of Balla, to which allusion is made in the
pographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. i,, pp. loi, 102.
37 it would thus seem, the clan had to be
consulted and satisfied, before the provincial
could of lands, within his juns- king dispose
diction.
38 gge Lewis' " Topographical Dictionary
of Ireland," vol. i. , pp. lOl, 102.
39 Colgan thinks, he was identical with
Lunecharia, and a Catalogxie of Elphin
" and Customs of Genealogies, Tribes,
Hy- Fiachrach, commonly called the O'Dowda's Country," edited with a Translation and Notes by John O'Donovan, pp. 196 to 199,
with nn. (k, 1, m. ) Ibid.
3* This parish is shown, on the "Ordnance
iEngus, Balla may be Latinized,
qu^e a Benchor Fontis, — usque
" in
Scaturigo
mitted feasts, p. 795.
36 \^ jg ^ market-town and parish, in the
barony of Clanmorris, and county of Mayo, "
I020 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[March 30.
sea-calves, to approach the nets of fishermen, who laboured in vain at their
calling, before the arrival of our saint. Most of the miracles related are
evidently of a legendary character, and could hardly deserve place in a serious narrative, save for some incidental statements, by which they are accompanied, and which have references to names of places and of persons, as also to old manners and customs. Thus, the use of his staff in drawing a line to separate sheep from their lambs, and his releasing from a ludicrous position the thief, who had stolen a great quantity of his wheat, and who had placed it in a sack on his back, but who could neither move a step, nor throw down his burden, may be instanced. Again, we are told, that Mochua had sent a messenger to one Felan. He was obliged to pass a long and narrowwindingofthesea,havinghighandrockyprecipicesaroundit. Two fierce women, named Beca, daughter to Cuchorag, and Lithbena, daughter to Attreph, had each a basket, suspended by ropes, to intercept travellers passing one way or the other. Those viragos caught the letter-carrier <° of Mochua in their basket, about the middle of the recess, and then, they
hauled it up from the giuund. Being supernaturally admonished, regarding this misadventure of his servant, Mochua went thither to effect his release.
For a time, the saint remonstrated with those women, and at last he redeemed the man from durance, Beca demanding his hood as a reward, while Lith-
bena did not require any price. The saint's exhortations, moreover, had the result of bringing those women and their fathers to a better course of life.
There was an island, called Inis Amalgaidh,-*' Latinized, Insula Amalga, in the principality of Mogia,^* and this the holy man desired to enter, yet no boat was at hand. Praying to God, the land swelled to such a degree, that hewasabletopassoverwithdryfeet. Hehealedmanypersons,andamong the rest, in the name of the Holy Trinity, he expelled a demon from a man
long possessed. From Lathlech, son of Kennfaela, he removed a great and disagreeable tumour, which was transferred to his bell, and the man was
healed. The yellow jaundice, or a great superabundance of bile in the
system, was at that period a sort of plague, among the people of Muregide. ^ The medical skill of all Ireland was tested, but without avail ; wherefore, it
was resolved by them, to implore the Divine aid, through the prayers of
Mochua. Nolessthantwothousandfivehundredinfectedpersonsflocked
to Balla. Their holy intercessor prayed ; health succeeded, and the marked
colour of their faces disappeared, having been transferred to the baculus of
the saint. Thenceforward, it was known as " the pale staff. " * In token of
gratitude, the Muregide and their posterity placed themselves under the pro- tection of Mochua, in memory of their wonderful preservation and cure. A
man paralysed was brought to the saint, who invoking the powerful name of Jesus restored him to the use of his limbs. Even Mochua is said to have
brought to life a } outh, who died, when he had prayed to the Almighty. Having wrought these and other great wonders, in the sixty-fifth year of his age,^s the holy servant of God was called away, to enjoy the eternal reward of all his merits. His death is recorded, at a. d. 637,** according to the Annals of Clonmacnoise. *' Those of the Island and of Senat Magh Nensis
diocese states him, to have been venerated,
on the 7th of June, in a chapel of that see, Kill-Lunechar by name.
*' Perhaps Mayo is meant.
*3 This locality is not otherwise indicated.
^° The Latin word is "
which bears this meaning, but it may be » However, Colgan is of opinion, de- rendered, also, "a scrivener," or "a bating the chronological incidents gleaned
notary. "
*' According to the original Irish Manu-
script,
from the Life of St. Mochua, that perhaps a
mistake here occurs, and that seventy-five should be substituted, which might resolve
tabellarium," Balla,
after our saint's death,
No doubt, this relic was preserved, at
March 30.
whos—e Acts are already related, at February 16th was the founder. See "Annales
Ordinis S. Benedicti," tomus ii. , lib. xxvi. , sect, liv. , p. 324.
»° See Arnold Wion's " Lignum Vitae,"
lib. ii. , cap. 54.
" See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernix," xxx.
According
Mabillon,
is
March 30. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
1015
period. Thus, St. Patto"* is said to have succeeded St. Suibert, its first bishop, in that See, about a. d. 718. ^5 The Bollandists,'^ however, seem to doubt,whetheroursainthadbeenBishopofVerden; theymaintaining,that Tanco'7wastheimmediatesuccessorofSt. '^ or
Suibert, havebeenanEnglishman. =° HeruledoverVerdenfortwenty-oneyears,
and he died a. d. 807, when he was succeeded by the second bishop, St. Patto Scotus, Abbot of Amarbaric. =' Without citing any authority, or having any foundation for his assertion, Dempster says, that our saint wrote a book on the Pentateuch, and that he lived, in the year 810. Bale ^^ has a similar statement, and Bishop Tanner ^3 follows these accounts. On the authority of the English Martyrology, at the present date, Henry Fitzsimon enters Paton, Bishop, in his Catalogue, as published by O'Sullivan Beare. '* We alsofind,atthe30thofMarch,thesimplerecordofhisname. Onthevery same day, the English Martyrologyj^'S Arnold Wion,^^ Philip Ferrarius,^^ Hugh Menard,^^ Demoraches,29 Molanus,3° Dempster,3i and many others, record his festival. It is supposed to have been the date for his departure. Various accounts are also given, regarding the year of our saint's death ; most writers assign 76032 qj. ^52, 763 ;33 some 810, or even later, as dates for his departure ; while Dr. Lanigan maintains, that all the Amarbaric Abbots and Bishops of Verden, flourished after a. d. 786,3* when this see is thought to have been first founded. 35 Arnold Wion states, that our saint
'* Among the early Bishops of Verden, classed among his ecclesiastical writers
Caspar Bruschius calls Patto solely by the
title of a saint. See " De Germanice Epis-
copis. "
'S According to Arnold Wion. However,
this appears to have been a mistake for St. Swibert, Apostle of the Prisons, whose feast is at the ist of March, and who died
A. D. 713.
'^ At the of when
30th April, treating
about St. Suibert.
'' See his Acts, at the 1 6th of February.
'^
His festival has been assigned, to the 30th of April.
"
in Bibliotheca-Britannica-Hibernica," p.
581.
** See " Historise Catholicse Ibemiae
Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. ,
p. 50, and cap. xii. , p. 56.
^5 It has "Verdas in Territorio Clivensi
deposilio S. Pattonis, ejusdem sedis Epis- copi et Confessoris," &c.
="* He writes " S. Patto Scotus, Mona- chus, et Abbas, Amarbaricanus in Scotia, et Episcopus Verdensis secundus, creatus anno Domini circiter 718, vir in Evangelica veri- tate enuncianda ac haeresis pravitate convel- lenda, studio ac zelo praecipuus, prasfuit annis plus minus 43, et in bona senechute ad patres suos depositus, est circa annu—m Domini 760, die tertio Calendas Aprilis. " Arnold Wion's "Lignum Vitse," lib. ii. , cap. 54.
'9
<«
Erat autem primo Suitberto Verdensi
Episcopo proximus successor, Patto natione Scotus, Abbas pridem Amarbaricensis in
sua provincia, pro Christo peregrinatus, eum audisset Saxoniam tam diu contumacem
Ciiristo, et ejus Evangelio, nunc armis coactam a Carolo, ut ascultaret verse Reli-
gioni, Catholicseque veritati, cumque ver- saretur in provincia, et verbum Dei strenue Gentibus prsedicaret, delectatus ejus zelo Carolus Ecclesiae Verdensi praefici jussit
" Pattonis Episcopi. "
=8
Pontificem. "—Cranzius' "
In the Benedictine Martyrology.
^9 Demoraches, " De Sacrificio Midas in
Catalogo Episcoporum Vuerdensium. "
sive Plistoria Ecclesiastica Saxonias," lib. ii. ,
3° Molanus, in his
Appendix.
cap. 21.
^° He " must not be confounded with St.
Willebrord's companion, t—he Bishop Suit-
bert, who died in 713. " Dr. Lanigan's " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol.
iii. , chap, xx. , sect, iv. , p. 219, and n. 26, p. 220. Ibid.
-^ Or, ai the Chronicle of Verden has it, "Abbas Am. abanarum Ecclesise. "
" See " Scriptorum lUustrium Majoris Brytannias," &c. , tomus ii. , cent, xiv. , sect. xxxiv. , p. 204.
*3 See a notice of the present holy man, as
35
Metropoli,
3' " Gentis See Historia Ecclesi&slica
Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xv. , num. locxs. 3- See Father Stephen White's " Apologia
pro Hibernia," cap. iv. , p. 44.
The English Martyrology.
34 The BoUandists quote a Chronicle of
Verden, which u^signs the foundation of that see to 786, in the nineteenth year of the
Emperor Charlemagne's reign, Adrien I. being Pope. This account was communi- cated, by the Jesuit Father Hermann Crom-
"
="'7 He has,
Vuerdiae
in Saxoriia Sancti
:
Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Martii xxx. , sect. L,
bach, from the local archives. See p. 844.
Suitbert,"? said to
ioi6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[March 30.
attained a good old age, at the time of his death. 36 After his first deposition, the relics were exhumed, in common with those of other saints interred ; and,
it is probable, at Konende, the place where the episcopal see was originally constituted. 37 His remains were formally buried, in the church of Verden. When Francis William, Bishop of that see, made some considerable repairs in his cathedral church, in the year 1630, the body of our saint, and the re- mains of six other holy prelates of the city, were removed 3^ from the places, wherethoselipsanahadbeendeposited. 39 Theserelicswereplaced,incon- spicuous positions, within the church, where they were held in great venera- tion. They became the occasion, afterwards, for many miracles being wrought, in favour of divers persons.
Article IV. —St. Mochua or Cronan, Abbot of Balla, County of Mayo. {Sixth and Seventh Centuries^^ Among the saints of Connaught
———
most venerated by its people especially in Mayo may be ranked the
and
sections the Acts of St. Mochua, or Cronan,^ of Balla, at the ist of January. These were translated into Latin, from an Irish collection, and they were transmitted by Philip O'Sullevan Beare, from Madrid, in 1634. Not knowing the natal day of the present saint, these Acts were published,3 on the first day of the year. There are only a few verbal differences, between this and the version of it, as introduced by Colgan,* in his work, at the present date. s To this legendary Irish Life,^ he has added some additional comments of his own, together with separate notes, illustrating the subject of his text. The father of our saint is called Becan, or Beggan, son of Barr, son to Nathi, son of Lugad,7 son to Dalann, in Ultonia, according to the Sanctilogy of the IrishSaints. ^ —HismotheriscalledComma—oraccordingtoanotherManu- script Cumnea the daughter of Conamal, son of Machtan, or Machadan, and she belonged to the Dalbuanican tribe. Besides two elder brothers, she
to the celebrated of St. belonged community
Comgall, at Bangor.
3 Some particulars, regarding the Mill of
St. Fecliin, were omitted by the Bollandists, as those details were to be inserted, in his Acts, at the 20th of January,
< See " Acta Sanctorum Hibemise," nis Luneburgensis usque in Marchiam Martii xxx. Vita S. Mochuoe sive Cronani
present
—holy
man. TheBollandists^ have insix
chapters
twenty-one
3S See Abbe
tique," tome i\. , liv. xliv. , sect, xx. , p. 454.
Fleury's
" Histoire Ecclesias-
^ See " Lignum Vitse," lib. ii. , cap. 54. 3' Colgan concludes his account of our
"
Brandeburgensem. Nee plura occurrunt de eo observanda, nisi velimus ea minus exacte
s To Colgan's version was prefixed a text, taken from St. Matthew's Gospel : "Homo Crantzio supra. Tradunt—alii communiter quidam, peregre proficiscens, vocavit servos
Longe enim ea Disc- cesis procurrit in Orientem per terrani ditio-
saint, by observing :
ab aliis tradita, repetere, quam quod ejus natalem hac 30 Martii. Tradunt cum
luartyrologi celebrari. " "Acta Sancto-
rum HiberniK," xxx. Martii. Vita S. Pat- •
tonis, p. 795.
3^ This Translation took place, on the
Sixth o—f the Ides of March—or loth of this month duringtheyearnamedinthetext.
suos, et tradidit illisbonasua," cap. xxv. , v. 14. Thus it appears to have introduced the particulars of the saint's life, as if these were intended to be a sermon, or eulogy, pro- nounced on his festival, before some as- sembly.
* Its differences from the
translation of O'Sullevan Beare are pointed
39 See "Acta tomus Sanctorum,"
Manuscript densiinSaxoni—aInferiore,sect. 4,p. 844. out,inthenotesofColgan. Hethinksthe
iii. , Martii xxx. De S. Pattone Episcopo Ver-
"
tomus i. , Januarii i. De S. Mochua Bal-
•
Article iv. See Acta Sanctorum,"
original to have been written, by some Abbot or monk of Balla.
^ From him descended the celebrated
Irish race of Lugad, and he w. as father to
St. Cannech, Patron of Kilkenny, whose Life will be found, at the II ih of October.
«
Chapter ii.
lensi sive Cronano, pp. 47 to 49.
' He is to be distinguished from another
saint, remarkable for his learning and family "
descent, as noticed in the Patriciance
Decadis
"
of O'SuUevan lib. x. He Beare,
Abb. Ballensis. Ex Hibernicis MSS. inter- prete PH. Osuilleuano, pp. 789 to 792.
March 30. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
1017
had three sisters, Brusecha,9 Luchada, and Tudela.
Somewhat more un- couth/° sickly, and lame," than their other children, the parents of Mochua formed a low opinion of his mental attainments, and they assigned to him the humble position of a shepherd. But, the Almighty, having regard to the virtues and future miraculous gifts of his servant, had other wise designs, which were destined to call him from his despised station, and to enrol him
deserving of his notice, and two girls, while Mochua, then very young, was engaged in tending sheep. The Abbot desired to see him, nevertheless, and
having a Divine intuition regarding his future sanctity, Comgall predicted, that Mochua should be promoted from his humble rank, to become a shepherd of men. Wherefore, the Abbot declared he should be transferred to the religious school of Bangor, and there he was brought up in a knowledge of sacred literature, and in a holy course of discipline. He wrought many miracles,likewise,asstatedintheIrishLife. Amongotherfavoursgranted,he prayed for a childless mother, and, soon afterwards, the conception of a holy son, called Dabius,^3 took place. While at Bangor, St. Mochua was greatly distinguished for his austerities, for his works of charity, and for his vigorous
resistance to all the assaults of Satan. When thus tried sufficiently, Comgall ordered him to seek another place,'* and there to build a church and a monastery. '5 Mochua asked his superior to indicate its proper site. Legen- dary, no doubt, is the statement, that St. Comgall pointed to a well, which was near, and directed that it should move to the spot, where Mochua was to establish his religious house ; and, where it stopped, there it seemed to the holy Abbot, the Almighty should be pleased, if his disciple dwelt. Having selected a colony of monks, and adopting the advice of St. Comgall, Mochua took leave of Bangor. '^ The well seemed to rise in the guise of
vapour, and to accompany the band in upper air, as if threatening to rain, while the atmosphere around was very bright and serene. The pilgrims stopped on their way, until the cloud preceded them. Mochua told his companions, they should follow it, and that they should only stop, wherever it rested. Accordingly, the cloud led them to the town, called Gcelia,'? which was in the territory of Ferros.
men.
and founder of Bangor, one day had entered Beccan's house
when the — Accordingly, justly-renowned Abbot
a
Angels flying over it attracting his attention—St. Comgall " asked how many sons were in the family. The head of it replied, that only two boys were
the
among greatest
9 Colgan remarks, that a holy virgin, bearing this name, is venerated, at the 29th of May; but, as some authorities call her
the daughter of Crimthann, he thinks her to have been a different person, from St. Mochua's sister.
"The Life relates, "Ipse puer, capillis ob arearum morbum caput inficientem fluen-
from his master, St. Comgall,
'5 See Rev. Dr. Todd's and Reeves'
" Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 90, 91.
'*
This must have occurred, before A. D. 600, or 601, when St. Comgall, Abbot of Bangor, died, according to the Irish Annals, See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 224, 225, and n. (c. ) Ibid.
tibus, deformior," &c.
" According to Rev.
and
" '^
Dr. Reeves'
''
Dr. Martyrology of Donegal,
90, 91.
" His Life will be seen, at the loth of
May.
"3 He is said to have been venerated, at
the 22nd of June.
'* It is related, in another Manuscript copy of the Life of our saint, that owing to
the envious disposition of Coman, a chap- lain to the King of Ultonia, who was named Boedan, Mochua was to
Todd's
^^ Its location is not explained.
There are two saints, bearing this name,
in our Irish Calendars : one of these is
venerated, at the 24th of June, and as no account of his race or place is to be found, Colgan deems him to be the person here designated; while the other is called son to Dubtach, and Abbot of Kill-toma, who was venerated, at the 14th of November,
'' One Manuscript has it, that he was of British race,
"" The legend has it, moreover, that while
obliged part
pp.
There Gabrenus,'^ the Bishop,'? and
vision of
ioi8 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[March 30.
the fellow-disciple of St. ]\Iochue, lived. He was a most faithful friend,TM ready to resign his place to the visitor. But, because the cloud did not come down there, Mochua deemed it ineligible. Guided by the aerial sign, our saint next came to Fore, in Westmeath, where the celebrated Abbot Fechin^^thendwelt,withagreatnumberofmonks. Thepositionoftheir monastery was beneath a dry hill, where a mill had been erected, by some workmen, while no water was found to turn it. It had just been finished, when Mochua arrived, and St. Fechin with othqr priests there thought, that through their visitor's merits, water must be supplied. After some consulta- tion, it was resolved, that all should repair to Lough Lene,^'' about two miles distant from the place. The architect, who had constructed that mill, was present, and he remarked, they had undertaken to accomplish a very arduous work. "Tomen,indeed,itseemsdifficult,"saidMochua,"buttoGod,it is very easy. " Then Mochua, with the end of his bacillus^ slightly bored the ground, near the banks of the lake, while Fechin and the priests present acted in like manner. Immediately, the water began to pass through a sub- terranean channel, and under the adjoining hill, until it rushed out, with great force, on the opposite side. Thence, the stream was conveyed to the mill-
wheels, which put in motion, both the upper and the lower grinding-stones. ^3 However, Mochua had an intuition, that he must leave St. Fechin, and he then proceeded towards the Shannon river,^* which he crossed. There he was in the province of Connaught, and in the territory of Omania, or Hy- Many. There, too, he was very hospitably received by the queen, called Ballgela,=5 and by her chiefs. They asked him to take up his residence with them, but he was obliged to visit Kellach,"^ son of Ragallus, or Ragallach,^' who was King over Connaught, and who dwelt near the Lake Raminium. At this time, the king was engaged in the sport of hunting a stag, which driven to extremities bounded from a steep precipice, on the shore of the lake, and swam to a rock, which was surrounded by its waters. A singularly wild legend is then related, regarding a man, who, having heard from the lips of Mochua, that the Almighty could preserve from death, whosoever might swim after the stag f^ he, with the concurrence of the king, plunged into the water, swam towards the rock, and killed the quarry. Afterwards, returning to the king, with his captive, the man was devoured by the lake monster,^?
Mochua continued there, a copious shower of milk fell on the earth, near this place.
died a. d. 703, or 704. See Dr. O'Donovan's
'^
His Life is already to be found, at the
306, 307, and n. (w. ) Ibid. ^^AccordingtoDr. O'Donovan's Annals
of the Four Masters," this king died a. d. 645. See vol. i. , pp. 258 to 261, with nn.
(s, t, u, w. ) But, Coigan is of opinion,
that neither he nor his son ruled over that
province, during the lifetime of our saint,
20th of January.
" The position of this lake, in reference to
Foure, is shown on Rev. Daniel Augustus
*'
Beaufort's Parochial Map of the Diocese
of Meath," published A. D. l8l6.
*3 In the I. ife of St. Fechin, at the 20th
of January, chap, iii. , this wonder is alluded to, and attributed to the merits of that holy iiian.
** In another Manuscript Life of our saint, it is related, that before he crossed this river, he came to the church of Tegh- Telle, situated in the country of Durmagen, and that when he saw the cloud did not settle there, he pursued his course towards Connaught.
"S Otherwise, we do not hear of her place in history.
'^
Having been elevated to the position of King over Connaught, he afterwards retired from the cares of state, became a monk, and
"
"
Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp.
^*
Even to a comparatively late period,
deer were very numerous among the wild
mountain tracts of Connaught, as may be
seen, by reference to Roderick O'Flaherty's
"
H-Iar Connaught," edited with notes and
Chorographical Description of West or
illustrations, by James Hardiman, M. R. I. A. , pp. 121, 122, n. (c. )
'' This is an illustration of the popular
belief yet prevailing, about the Feistha, which is regarded as an immense dragon, floating under the surface of many of the Irish lakes.
^o '^\^^ River Robe anciently formed the southern boundary of the territory of Ceara,
March 30. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
1019
thatwasacauseofdreadtoallswimmers. ThekingreproachedMochua
on account of the prediction he had given ; but, the saint, betaking himself to prayer, the monster vomited forth unhurt that man he had swallowed, and
thenceforth, no other person was ever known to have fallen within his jaws. The king and his attendants, greatly astonished at this miracle, gave thanks to the Almighty ; and, thenceforward, Mochua was held in reverence and love, not alone by that ruler, but also by his successor, Kennfaela, the son of Colgan. After leaving this place, he passed the river Rodba, or Robe,3° and came to the province of Keara. s^ He was now in his thirty-fifth year, and he stopped at a town named Nemus Darbrechum, or Reo-Dairbrech. 3» No longer did he observe the guiding cloud in the air, so that his anxious companions and himself began to look for the premised fountain, in that locality. Wliile tlius engaged, a rustic met them, aud they were informed, that not far off, a well—never before discovered—had lately sprung up
; and, Cinctum Balla, id est, lorica," 33 got as a new name Balla,3+ or Mochua Ballensis. 35 Now it is known as Ballagh, or Ball,36
as the Latin version has it,
"
in Mayo County. Here, the saint and his companions recognised the sub- siding well, which had moved from Bangor, in Ultonia, and giving thanks to God, they resolved on founding their monastery. However, the chieftain of Ofiachra, or Hy-Fiachra, and who is called Eacha Minnechus, was resolved on disputing his right, and with that intention, one hundred of his best men approached. But,whileontheirway,amultitudeofbeautifulAngelswere seen flying over a grove, so that when they beheld the venerable Mochua himself, they were moved by his pious exhortations, and they willingly be- stowed, not only the grove, but the adjacent fields, on God's holy servant, thus confirming the grant of King Kellach. 37 There, Mochua caused a church to be built, and it was consecrated by three bishops. This place is distinguished, for the remains of a round tower, the upper part of which, although wanting, shows a measurement of fifty feet in height. The ruins of a small church ai e near it. The building stone and workmanship appear coeval withthetower. Inoneofthewalls,aninscriptionofgreatantiquityisshown. 3^ AtBalla,ornearit, oursaintwroughtmanymiracles. Oneofthesewasin favourofawoman,whocomplainedthatshewaschildless. Soonafterwards, she conceived and bore two sons : one was called Lukencaria 39 and the other was named Scanlan. Another of his miracles caused four salmon, chased by
although it does not bound the modern Survey Townland Maps for the County of barony of Carra, which retains the old Mayo," Sheets 79, 80, 90, 91. The town
"
name. See Dr. O'Donovan's
Tribes, and Customs of Hy-Fiachrach," &c. , p. 150, n. (d. )
p. 493, and n. (a. )
3^ So stated, in a MS. note to Wm. M.
itself is marked, on Sheet 90.
35 According to the Scholiast on St.
Now
3' represented by
barony of Carragh, in the county of Mayo, according to Archdall's " Monasticon Hibemicum,"
the
regionem Kerani derivata est. " "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Mavtii xxx. Among the preter-
Genealogies,
Hennessy's copy of the Donegal Martyr-
ology. As an authority, he quotes the See a notice of this locality, in Lewis' To-
Book of Lismore, 83 a.
33 Most probably, by this is understood
the well-known mediseval term, the Termon of Balla, to which allusion is made in the
pographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. i,, pp. loi, 102.
37 it would thus seem, the clan had to be
consulted and satisfied, before the provincial
could of lands, within his juns- king dispose
diction.
38 gge Lewis' " Topographical Dictionary
of Ireland," vol. i. , pp. lOl, 102.
39 Colgan thinks, he was identical with
Lunecharia, and a Catalogxie of Elphin
" and Customs of Genealogies, Tribes,
Hy- Fiachrach, commonly called the O'Dowda's Country," edited with a Translation and Notes by John O'Donovan, pp. 196 to 199,
with nn. (k, 1, m. ) Ibid.
3* This parish is shown, on the "Ordnance
iEngus, Balla may be Latinized,
qu^e a Benchor Fontis, — usque
" in
Scaturigo
mitted feasts, p. 795.
36 \^ jg ^ market-town and parish, in the
barony of Clanmorris, and county of Mayo, "
I020 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[March 30.
sea-calves, to approach the nets of fishermen, who laboured in vain at their
calling, before the arrival of our saint. Most of the miracles related are
evidently of a legendary character, and could hardly deserve place in a serious narrative, save for some incidental statements, by which they are accompanied, and which have references to names of places and of persons, as also to old manners and customs. Thus, the use of his staff in drawing a line to separate sheep from their lambs, and his releasing from a ludicrous position the thief, who had stolen a great quantity of his wheat, and who had placed it in a sack on his back, but who could neither move a step, nor throw down his burden, may be instanced. Again, we are told, that Mochua had sent a messenger to one Felan. He was obliged to pass a long and narrowwindingofthesea,havinghighandrockyprecipicesaroundit. Two fierce women, named Beca, daughter to Cuchorag, and Lithbena, daughter to Attreph, had each a basket, suspended by ropes, to intercept travellers passing one way or the other. Those viragos caught the letter-carrier <° of Mochua in their basket, about the middle of the recess, and then, they
hauled it up from the giuund. Being supernaturally admonished, regarding this misadventure of his servant, Mochua went thither to effect his release.
For a time, the saint remonstrated with those women, and at last he redeemed the man from durance, Beca demanding his hood as a reward, while Lith-
bena did not require any price. The saint's exhortations, moreover, had the result of bringing those women and their fathers to a better course of life.
There was an island, called Inis Amalgaidh,-*' Latinized, Insula Amalga, in the principality of Mogia,^* and this the holy man desired to enter, yet no boat was at hand. Praying to God, the land swelled to such a degree, that hewasabletopassoverwithdryfeet. Hehealedmanypersons,andamong the rest, in the name of the Holy Trinity, he expelled a demon from a man
long possessed. From Lathlech, son of Kennfaela, he removed a great and disagreeable tumour, which was transferred to his bell, and the man was
healed. The yellow jaundice, or a great superabundance of bile in the
system, was at that period a sort of plague, among the people of Muregide. ^ The medical skill of all Ireland was tested, but without avail ; wherefore, it
was resolved by them, to implore the Divine aid, through the prayers of
Mochua. Nolessthantwothousandfivehundredinfectedpersonsflocked
to Balla. Their holy intercessor prayed ; health succeeded, and the marked
colour of their faces disappeared, having been transferred to the baculus of
the saint. Thenceforward, it was known as " the pale staff. " * In token of
gratitude, the Muregide and their posterity placed themselves under the pro- tection of Mochua, in memory of their wonderful preservation and cure. A
man paralysed was brought to the saint, who invoking the powerful name of Jesus restored him to the use of his limbs. Even Mochua is said to have
brought to life a } outh, who died, when he had prayed to the Almighty. Having wrought these and other great wonders, in the sixty-fifth year of his age,^s the holy servant of God was called away, to enjoy the eternal reward of all his merits. His death is recorded, at a. d. 637,** according to the Annals of Clonmacnoise. *' Those of the Island and of Senat Magh Nensis
diocese states him, to have been venerated,
on the 7th of June, in a chapel of that see, Kill-Lunechar by name.
*' Perhaps Mayo is meant.
*3 This locality is not otherwise indicated.
^° The Latin word is "
which bears this meaning, but it may be » However, Colgan is of opinion, de- rendered, also, "a scrivener," or "a bating the chronological incidents gleaned
notary. "
*' According to the original Irish Manu-
script,
from the Life of St. Mochua, that perhaps a
mistake here occurs, and that seventy-five should be substituted, which might resolve
tabellarium," Balla,
after our saint's death,
No doubt, this relic was preserved, at
March 30.
