An entry appears in the
published
Martyrology of Tallagh," at tlie 28th of April, concerning Suibne i Sceillic.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
Drs.
Todd "and Reeves'
"Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 112, 113.
* SeeColyan's"ActaSanctorumHiberniae,"
xiii. Martii. Vita S. Mochoemoci, n. 4, p. 597
9 The accompanying illustration of the
.
See
53* LIVES OF THE IRISH SAIMS. [April 2&.
sion of tliese, the waterfalls career '° through a valley, unrivalled for pictures-
que and scenic beauty. " Here the present holy man chose a place for
religious retucment and contemplation. St. Luchtigherna is the reputed founder of Inistymon Abbey, in tlie i)arish of Kilmanaheen, barony of Cor- comroe, and county of Clare. It is Latinized, Inistyniensis, or Inistomensis," and it is almost due-east of the signal towcr,'^ rising over the sea-shore, at Lahincli,onI,iscannor Bay. Over this house, he exercised the duties of Abbot; and, he was held in the highest repute, owing to his great sanctity. He once made a visit to St. Ita,''« and to her establisimient, at Hy-Conaill Gaura, in the county of Limerick ; and, we are told, that on this occasion, he was accompanied thither by St. Lasrean, Abbot of Druimliag. 's Not knowing tliis latter person, the nuns suffered him to puss tlirough their gate, without any marked token of respect. For such omission, they were mildly reproved by their holy Abbess, who told them his name, and the great reputation he bore for sanctity. Those Abbots were accompanied by a young man, who had previously advised them not to visit the old woman—meaning Ita. When the visitors approached St. Ita, to receive her blessing, having a mira-
"
culous knowledge of what had occurred, she said to the young man,
have you come to the old woman, since you have told those holy Abbots, it would profit them little to visit me ? " The young man felt deep regret, on account of his thoughtless expression; and, the visitors, having remained for three days with St. Ita, returned to their respective places of residence, having ])reviously received her blessing. '* As St. Lucinigern was contem- poraneous with . St. Ita, who died a. d. 570, we might perhaps assume, that he departed before tlie close of the sixth century. The 28th of April "' is the festival day of St. Luchtigherna, and probably that of his death. It is entered, in the Martyrology of Donegal,'^ that veneration wasgiven, on this day, to Luightig- hern macUa Trato. It is he that dwelt at Tuaim-fionn-lociia, in Tratraighe, ac- cording to the O'Clerys. This ancient place is now known as Tomfinloe, or Tomfinlough, a parish in the barony of Upper Bunratty, and county of Clare. '^
" the mound or tumulus of the bright lake. "-° Besides this lake are seen the ruins of an old church. Pre- vious to the middle of the tenth century, the death of a Scannlan, Abbot of
Tuaim-Finlocha, is recorded. "' Among the various readings to the Feilire of
The denomination Tuaim Finlocha,
signifies
scene, from a photograph, was drawn on the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and it was engraved by Mrs. Millard.
" Alluding to the great Niagara Falls, the Most Rev. John Lynch has the following
the County of Clare," chap, v. , sect. 25, p. 3J9.
'<
. See her Life, at the 15th of January, the day for her feast.
'= See a notice of him, at the 25th of
October.
'"
See Colgan's Acta S. T. nctorum Hiber-
ni:e," xv. Januarii, Vita S. Itse, cap. xxviii. . p. 70.
' According to Marianus O'Gorman, and the Commentator on St. v^^^ngus.
" The water, as it sweeps over the Falls, sinks deeply by its weight and momentum ; ar. d
after gurgling, seething and foaming, rises again to the surface. One is reminded of
that purilication which takes place after deith, and ihe troubles and agonies of the
beautiful and suggestive passage :
"' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. poor soul in the process of puri6cation 112, 113.
ti> be cleansed before its to the ri>ing enjoy
' See Lewis' '
— and briglitncss glory
Topographical Dictionary ii. , p. 636.
of God's sweet counten- Pastor. il Letter of his Grace the Archbishop of Toronto "On the Catholic
of I'cland," vol.
•'
Sections at Tonifinlongb, among the Irish
Ordnance Survey Records, in the Royal
Irish Academy,
"See Dr. Q'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," at A. D. 944, vol. ii. , pp. 654, 653, . and n. (V), iHd.
" The name in Irish is written Luch- oaigepn, in what may be regarded as a
ance. '
There are two sketches of Cahirs and
Institutions at Niagara Falls," p. 3.
"See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ire-
land. " vol. ii. . pp. 186, 187.
'" See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," XV. Januarii. Vita S. Itije, n. 26,
p. 72.
'^ See Dutton's "Statistical Survey of
Why
April 28,] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 533
""
St. ^ngus, in the Leabhar Breac copy, at this date, we find the name of
Liigtigernintroduced,^^asalreadynoticed. IntheMartyrologyofTal! agh,"J the name is merely recorded, at the 28th of April, as Lucthigern mac Cutrita. '* A Life of Maccreiche states,'' that it was tiiere—at Tiiaim-fionn-
Article III. —St. Cortillus, Kortillus, or Kortill. \, also called
CORTYLA, KORTILLA, AND RORTILA, BiSHOP OF VeRDEN, LoWER SaXONY.
locha—I. uightigern was either ! )\tried
or
venerated. ''
\_NinthCentury. \ Itmayherebepremised,thataboutorsubsequenttotheninth century, several Scots—whether born in Scotland or in Ireland being sometimes doubtful—were missionaries on the Continent. By Albert Crantz, this holy
—— maniscalledRortila' a errorforKortila andheissaid
perhaps printer's
to have been from the English or Scottish nation. " Now, it frequently hap-
pened, that Irish-born ecclesiastics went from Ireland, and exercised their
ministry in either England or Scotland, before they migrated to more distant countries ; so that, as in the present case, where traditions about their origin appear to be lost, and where historic records are sufficiently nebulous, we have taken advantage of doubts, to class some of these holy men, although without clear evidence, among our national sa—ints. It is not an easy matter
3
to discover, if Kortilla—as has been asserted were one of the Scots, belong-
ing to the monastery of Amarbaric. In an ancient Manuscript belonging to the church of Verden, he is called Cortyla, and he is enumerated among six holy bishops,* attached to that See. We are told by Dempster 5 that Kor- tilla, whom he calls, likewise, Rortila, or Cortyla, was the friend and familiar of Tancon and Palto, and that he dwelt a long time in Germany. He became thesixthbishopofVerden. ' Yet,thissameDempster,inhis"Menologium Scotorum," makes him the tentli in order there. ' Besides his becoming
of he was a bishop Verden,
martyr
for the faith. ^ He and admirably pru-
administered the affairs of that church. To such a— he is said dently position,
to have been one of the Scots —
faith and extraordinary merits when the subjugation of the Saxons' had been accomplished. If we are to credit Demjister, St. Cortillus wrote many
elevated to his
"
indeed, that Scottish writer is not only inconsequent, in his accounts of several
tracts, all of which have perished, except
Homilias de Sanctis," lib. i. But,
spurious stanza, ari'l probably an alteration
of the original te. \t was attempted, for the
purpose of perpetuating a knowledge of this saint and of his festival, through the well-
known popularity of ylingus' poem.
"' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxii.
"
The Franciscan copy enters, at this same date Luchchigepn m<ic CncjMcho.
"5 Chapter xii.
'^ So Rev. Dr. Todd interprets the mean-
'
The Bollandist Pape- broke thinks it most likely, that this w,as the true name for our saint. See "Acta Sane- torum," tomus iii. , Aprilis xxx. , I)e S. . Sviberto Ep. Verdensi, in Saxonia Inferiore,
baricensis claustri cuiam vucatos, inle ad regimen episcopale admolus : fortitudinis simul, et pietatis Scoticae in ea gente tro- phaea extare, ex Hruscliioet aliis. "
ing
passag—e.
ofthat ARTlci-E HI.
Vita ad xxx. —
a nobis in ejus Ajirilis, su])-
pressis nomiiiibus sanctos vocat. " "Acta
Sanctorum," tomus iii. , 'Aprilis xxviii.
Among the pretermitted saints, p. 546.
' . See"IlistoriaEcclesiasticaGentisScoto-
Pramium, num. 7, p. 803.
dar-; of Scottish Saints," |). 197. '"""
Albert Krantzius
—says, e gente Anglo-
rum aut Sco'orum. " ". Metropolis," lib. i. ,
cap. 29, p. 21.
' By Dempster, who states, "ex eorum
numero, quos saepe dixi a Scotia ad Amir-
See Father Stei)hen White's Apologia pro Hiberiua,"cap. iv. , p. 44.
'According to Philipp. Belforest, lib. i. , H'stor. Carolor.
'° "
See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentii
byCharlemagne owing
great
* So the BoUandists state, and they super- "
add quos et Officium S. Suiljerti, citatum
rum," tomus
num.
ii. , lib. x. ,
' " Ut Gaspari Bruschio placet. "
'Thus, '"XXIIX. Verdae, Kentillae epis- copi, qui Scotorum decimus earn sedcm mo- deratus, B. "—See Bishop Forbes' " Kalen-
756, p. 411.
S34 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 28.
holypersons,butevencontradictory,asinthepresentinstance. Elsewhere, Dempster '° has an account of this same sixth bishop of Verden, as St. Ror- tila, and he is set down as writer of "Statuta Ecclesise Verdensis," lib. i. With other saints of that church, his relics had been religiously preserved. " From the cruelty of the Saxons, we are told, he suffered martyrdom," although the day for his veneration has not been prescribed by the Ciuirch. In the Scottish Fasti, lie is inscribed as a Bishop and Martyr, by Camerarius. 's Dempster states, that he flourished under Dungal, King of Scotland, in 826 ; but,thathecouldnoteasilyfindwhenhedied; yet,inanotherplace,hegives the date for the death of Kortilla, at 829. '^ Elsewhere, Dem])ster calls '5 him Kentilla, bisiiop of Verden, and he tlien tells us, that he sat there in tiie year 910; for which statements, Dempster refers to tlie Acts of that church, to Krantz, and to otiier writers, but, we fear, without the slightest warrant. In the anonymous Catalogue of our National Saints, as published by O'Suilivan Beare,'' the name of St. Kortillus is given, at the 28th of April. In the English Martyrology, in Arnold Wion,'? in Ferrarius,'' and in other Calendars, the festival of St. Cortillus is placed, also, at the 28th day of April.
Article IV. —St. Suibhne, of Scellic, probably County of Kerry.
An entry appears in the published Martyrology of Tallagh," at tlie 28th of April, concerning Suibne i Sceillic. The same record occurs in the Francis- cancopy. ' 'I'llisholyhermitisreferredtobyColgan,3andalsobytheBol- landists. * It is probable, that Scellic must be sought for among the three SkelligsS Islands, off the south-west coast of Kerry, and belonging to the parish of Killemlagh, in the barony of Iveragh. * On the Great Skellig, a con- siderabledistancefromtheshore,aretheruinsofamonasticinstitute. Several stone cells or oratories remain, and they are built of stone, dove-tailed, and without any mortar. They have conical roofs. ' The old church or oratory
3 gee "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," xi. Januaiii, De S. Suibhneo seu Svinneo Ab- bate Hiensi, 11. 1, p. 57. There, he is men- tioned, as " Subneus Abbas Schelekensis, 28 April. "
< See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Aprilis xxviii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 546.
5 However, they are usually disiinguished as the Great Skellig Rock and the Little
Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xvi. , num. 1043, p. 55^-
" See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,' tomus iii. , Aprilis xxx. De S. Svitbeno Kp. Vertlensi, in Saxoni Inferioie, Piiemium, num. 5, p. 803.
" For this 'account, Dempster quotes Albert Krantzius' "Metropolis," lib. i. , cap. xxix. , who has no such statement there.
'3 See the Bollandists' "Acta Sancto- rum," tomus iii. , Aprilis xxviii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 546.
'• The work of Albert Krantzius' "Metro-
polis," lib. ii. , cap. xxx. , is mendaciously
for his in
quoted death, 829. Dempster
also SufTrid. Petr. , lib. i. , Orig. Saxon. , cap. XV. ; but I have not the latter work to exa- mine, for the truth of his statement.
'5 See " Historice Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. x. , num. 771, p. 419.
'"See Historia Catholicse Iberniie Com- pendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 5°.
Skellig Rock, '"
'' See Lignum Vitae," lib. ii. , cap. Iv. •' "
Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , pp. 556, 557.
' The accompanying illustration has been drawn from Miss Stokes' admirable work, by the writer, and transferred by William K. Wakenian to the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
» See "Notes on Irish Architecture," by Edwin, third Earl of Duuraven, edited by Margaret Stokes, vol. i. , part i. , sect. ii. Early Christian Monasteries, pp. 26, 27.
In — Generalis . S. . nctorum. " Catalogus
Dr. Todd here
Article iv.
Rev. Dr. At this date, we find Suibni i Scelic.
Kelly, p. xxii. '
'. Edited
by
adds
These Islands are shown, on the Ord-
nance
County of Kerry," sheet 104.
Survey
^ See Lewis' •'
Townland for the Maps
'"A note
more recent hand
[Sc;lig Michael, an island off the coa«t of Kerry] ut videtur. "
by
says,
"The ' . 1. SceiLic rmCnl'
April 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 535
of Seilig Mhichel,' or Michael's Rock, with a group of surrounding monastic cells, is built on the northern summit of the Great Skellig. This Island, which rises in the Atlantic Ocean, is about twelve miles distant from the western- most point, and off the coast of Kerry. The lilmd Rock is dedicated to St.
Sceilig Michil Oratory, County of Kerry.
Michael the Archangel, and its steep peak rises over the waves, like the spire of some grand cathedral. ' On this day was venerated, Suibhne, of Scellic,'"" Hcrordins; to the Martyrologies of Marianus O'Gorman and of Dones;il. "
Article V. —St. Coipp, or Copa, Daughter of Diomma. The Bollandists state,' that Copa, the daughter of Dima, is entered in the Martyr- ology ofTallagh, at the 28th of April; but, neither in the Franciscan copy, nor in that one published by Rev. Dr. Kelly, can we meet with such a record. However, a holy woman, who is called Coipp, daughter of Diomma, was venerated, on this day, as the register in the Martyrology of Donegal" indi- cates. A Cipia or Copia, the mother of St. Bite, is said to have been veiled by St. Patrick, and to have been left by him, at the church of F. lphin. J It is not certain, however, that she can be identical with this St. Coipp. '*
"
E'liled by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xxxix. ,
112, 113. Article v. — "
See "Act. i
p. 13 J, and n. 78, p. 176. See also, p. S. nnctorum," 270.
tomus iii. ,
the
' See what has been when already said,
treating about the festivals of saints similarly n. inied. at the iStli of Januar)', and at the
24th of this month—.
Article vi. ' Edited Rev. Dr. by
xxviii. termitted saints, p. 546.
Among
'
Edited by Dri. Todd and Reeves, pp
112, 113. ^ See
Colgan's
" Trias
Thaumaturga,"
Aprilis
pre-
536 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 28.
Article VI. —St. Caurnan, or Caernan, of Cluain-each. In the
Martyrologies of Tallagli,' and of Marianus O'Gorman, at the 28th of April, is recordedSt. CaurnanofCluain-each. However,theBoUandistsassert,"thataSt. Caernaniis de Chiain-eich is entered in those Martyrologies. A monastery ofClumet3 is mentioned, in the Acts of St. Fursey, as having been founded by the holy Abbot. * Tiie reader is referred to his Life, which has been given, in a foregoing vojume. 5 There was a Cairnanus, son to Brandubh, son to Melgi ; and, he was the companion of St. Columkille, when the latter first set out for Britain. ^ The reader is referred, to what has been already stated regarding him, at the 31st 'of January. A saint, who. is called Caernan, of Cluain-each, was venerated on this day, as we find it set down, in the Martyrology of Donegal. '
ArticleVII. —St. ConchindofCill-achaid. Atthe28thofApril,
'
the Martyrology of Tallagh registers Conchind of Cill-achaid. This place
must probably be identical with Kill Achaidh Conchinn, founded first by St. Abban,^ in the district of Corca Duibhne, now Corcaguiney barony, in the
county of Kerry. One Coincheann, a daughter of Ceallach Cualann, died, a. d. 738, according to the " Annals of tlie Four Masters ;"3 but, we cannot feel assured, tliat slie may be identified with St. Conchind of Cill-Achaid. A festival is also recorded to her honour, at the 20th of August. It would seem, the present day, or that already mentioned, must have been her Natalis. This holy woman, called also Conchennia, is said to have been the sister of St. Kentigerna, or Centigerna, who has been already noticed, at the 7th day of Januar). '' Her royal parentage is there mentioned.
Article VIII. —Festival of St. Christopher, Martyr. In the Leabhar Breac copy of St. Angus' Feilire, a festival of St. Christopher is commemorated, at the 28th of April. In a sckolio? i affixed to this account, he is set down as a martyr," who suffered under Decius, with no less than 10,403 martyrs. " In the genuine Martyrology of Bede, as also in the Martyrologies of St. Raban Maur, and in the Manuscripts at Monte Cassino, at St. Maxi- min's and at St. Martin's church of Treves, and in Ado's Manuscript copy belonging to the Queen of Sweden, this feast has been recorded. However,
Kelly, p. xxii. In the Franciscan copy, we read CAUfn«n Ctudin ecli.
'
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. Ap- rilis xxviii. Among ihe pretermitted saints, p. 546.
'
See his Acts, at the 27th of October, 'See Dr.
"Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 112, 113.
* SeeColyan's"ActaSanctorumHiberniae,"
xiii. Martii. Vita S. Mochoemoci, n. 4, p. 597
9 The accompanying illustration of the
.
See
53* LIVES OF THE IRISH SAIMS. [April 2&.
sion of tliese, the waterfalls career '° through a valley, unrivalled for pictures-
que and scenic beauty. " Here the present holy man chose a place for
religious retucment and contemplation. St. Luchtigherna is the reputed founder of Inistymon Abbey, in tlie i)arish of Kilmanaheen, barony of Cor- comroe, and county of Clare. It is Latinized, Inistyniensis, or Inistomensis," and it is almost due-east of the signal towcr,'^ rising over the sea-shore, at Lahincli,onI,iscannor Bay. Over this house, he exercised the duties of Abbot; and, he was held in the highest repute, owing to his great sanctity. He once made a visit to St. Ita,''« and to her establisimient, at Hy-Conaill Gaura, in the county of Limerick ; and, we are told, that on this occasion, he was accompanied thither by St. Lasrean, Abbot of Druimliag. 's Not knowing tliis latter person, the nuns suffered him to puss tlirough their gate, without any marked token of respect. For such omission, they were mildly reproved by their holy Abbess, who told them his name, and the great reputation he bore for sanctity. Those Abbots were accompanied by a young man, who had previously advised them not to visit the old woman—meaning Ita. When the visitors approached St. Ita, to receive her blessing, having a mira-
"
culous knowledge of what had occurred, she said to the young man,
have you come to the old woman, since you have told those holy Abbots, it would profit them little to visit me ? " The young man felt deep regret, on account of his thoughtless expression; and, the visitors, having remained for three days with St. Ita, returned to their respective places of residence, having ])reviously received her blessing. '* As St. Lucinigern was contem- poraneous with . St. Ita, who died a. d. 570, we might perhaps assume, that he departed before tlie close of the sixth century. The 28th of April "' is the festival day of St. Luchtigherna, and probably that of his death. It is entered, in the Martyrology of Donegal,'^ that veneration wasgiven, on this day, to Luightig- hern macUa Trato. It is he that dwelt at Tuaim-fionn-lociia, in Tratraighe, ac- cording to the O'Clerys. This ancient place is now known as Tomfinloe, or Tomfinlough, a parish in the barony of Upper Bunratty, and county of Clare. '^
" the mound or tumulus of the bright lake. "-° Besides this lake are seen the ruins of an old church. Pre- vious to the middle of the tenth century, the death of a Scannlan, Abbot of
Tuaim-Finlocha, is recorded. "' Among the various readings to the Feilire of
The denomination Tuaim Finlocha,
signifies
scene, from a photograph, was drawn on the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and it was engraved by Mrs. Millard.
" Alluding to the great Niagara Falls, the Most Rev. John Lynch has the following
the County of Clare," chap, v. , sect. 25, p. 3J9.
'<
. See her Life, at the 15th of January, the day for her feast.
'= See a notice of him, at the 25th of
October.
'"
See Colgan's Acta S. T. nctorum Hiber-
ni:e," xv. Januarii, Vita S. Itse, cap. xxviii. . p. 70.
' According to Marianus O'Gorman, and the Commentator on St. v^^^ngus.
" The water, as it sweeps over the Falls, sinks deeply by its weight and momentum ; ar. d
after gurgling, seething and foaming, rises again to the surface. One is reminded of
that purilication which takes place after deith, and ihe troubles and agonies of the
beautiful and suggestive passage :
"' Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. poor soul in the process of puri6cation 112, 113.
ti> be cleansed before its to the ri>ing enjoy
' See Lewis' '
— and briglitncss glory
Topographical Dictionary ii. , p. 636.
of God's sweet counten- Pastor. il Letter of his Grace the Archbishop of Toronto "On the Catholic
of I'cland," vol.
•'
Sections at Tonifinlongb, among the Irish
Ordnance Survey Records, in the Royal
Irish Academy,
"See Dr. Q'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," at A. D. 944, vol. ii. , pp. 654, 653, . and n. (V), iHd.
" The name in Irish is written Luch- oaigepn, in what may be regarded as a
ance. '
There are two sketches of Cahirs and
Institutions at Niagara Falls," p. 3.
"See "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ire-
land. " vol. ii. . pp. 186, 187.
'" See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," XV. Januarii. Vita S. Itije, n. 26,
p. 72.
'^ See Dutton's "Statistical Survey of
Why
April 28,] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 533
""
St. ^ngus, in the Leabhar Breac copy, at this date, we find the name of
Liigtigernintroduced,^^asalreadynoticed. IntheMartyrologyofTal! agh,"J the name is merely recorded, at the 28th of April, as Lucthigern mac Cutrita. '* A Life of Maccreiche states,'' that it was tiiere—at Tiiaim-fionn-
Article III. —St. Cortillus, Kortillus, or Kortill. \, also called
CORTYLA, KORTILLA, AND RORTILA, BiSHOP OF VeRDEN, LoWER SaXONY.
locha—I. uightigern was either ! )\tried
or
venerated. ''
\_NinthCentury. \ Itmayherebepremised,thataboutorsubsequenttotheninth century, several Scots—whether born in Scotland or in Ireland being sometimes doubtful—were missionaries on the Continent. By Albert Crantz, this holy
—— maniscalledRortila' a errorforKortila andheissaid
perhaps printer's
to have been from the English or Scottish nation. " Now, it frequently hap-
pened, that Irish-born ecclesiastics went from Ireland, and exercised their
ministry in either England or Scotland, before they migrated to more distant countries ; so that, as in the present case, where traditions about their origin appear to be lost, and where historic records are sufficiently nebulous, we have taken advantage of doubts, to class some of these holy men, although without clear evidence, among our national sa—ints. It is not an easy matter
3
to discover, if Kortilla—as has been asserted were one of the Scots, belong-
ing to the monastery of Amarbaric. In an ancient Manuscript belonging to the church of Verden, he is called Cortyla, and he is enumerated among six holy bishops,* attached to that See. We are told by Dempster 5 that Kor- tilla, whom he calls, likewise, Rortila, or Cortyla, was the friend and familiar of Tancon and Palto, and that he dwelt a long time in Germany. He became thesixthbishopofVerden. ' Yet,thissameDempster,inhis"Menologium Scotorum," makes him the tentli in order there. ' Besides his becoming
of he was a bishop Verden,
martyr
for the faith. ^ He and admirably pru-
administered the affairs of that church. To such a— he is said dently position,
to have been one of the Scots —
faith and extraordinary merits when the subjugation of the Saxons' had been accomplished. If we are to credit Demjister, St. Cortillus wrote many
elevated to his
"
indeed, that Scottish writer is not only inconsequent, in his accounts of several
tracts, all of which have perished, except
Homilias de Sanctis," lib. i. But,
spurious stanza, ari'l probably an alteration
of the original te. \t was attempted, for the
purpose of perpetuating a knowledge of this saint and of his festival, through the well-
known popularity of ylingus' poem.
"' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxii.
"
The Franciscan copy enters, at this same date Luchchigepn m<ic CncjMcho.
"5 Chapter xii.
'^ So Rev. Dr. Todd interprets the mean-
'
The Bollandist Pape- broke thinks it most likely, that this w,as the true name for our saint. See "Acta Sane- torum," tomus iii. , Aprilis xxx. , I)e S. . Sviberto Ep. Verdensi, in Saxonia Inferiore,
baricensis claustri cuiam vucatos, inle ad regimen episcopale admolus : fortitudinis simul, et pietatis Scoticae in ea gente tro- phaea extare, ex Hruscliioet aliis. "
ing
passag—e.
ofthat ARTlci-E HI.
Vita ad xxx. —
a nobis in ejus Ajirilis, su])-
pressis nomiiiibus sanctos vocat. " "Acta
Sanctorum," tomus iii. , 'Aprilis xxviii.
Among the pretermitted saints, p. 546.
' . See"IlistoriaEcclesiasticaGentisScoto-
Pramium, num. 7, p. 803.
dar-; of Scottish Saints," |). 197. '"""
Albert Krantzius
—says, e gente Anglo-
rum aut Sco'orum. " ". Metropolis," lib. i. ,
cap. 29, p. 21.
' By Dempster, who states, "ex eorum
numero, quos saepe dixi a Scotia ad Amir-
See Father Stei)hen White's Apologia pro Hiberiua,"cap. iv. , p. 44.
'According to Philipp. Belforest, lib. i. , H'stor. Carolor.
'° "
See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentii
byCharlemagne owing
great
* So the BoUandists state, and they super- "
add quos et Officium S. Suiljerti, citatum
rum," tomus
num.
ii. , lib. x. ,
' " Ut Gaspari Bruschio placet. "
'Thus, '"XXIIX. Verdae, Kentillae epis- copi, qui Scotorum decimus earn sedcm mo- deratus, B. "—See Bishop Forbes' " Kalen-
756, p. 411.
S34 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 28.
holypersons,butevencontradictory,asinthepresentinstance. Elsewhere, Dempster '° has an account of this same sixth bishop of Verden, as St. Ror- tila, and he is set down as writer of "Statuta Ecclesise Verdensis," lib. i. With other saints of that church, his relics had been religiously preserved. " From the cruelty of the Saxons, we are told, he suffered martyrdom," although the day for his veneration has not been prescribed by the Ciuirch. In the Scottish Fasti, lie is inscribed as a Bishop and Martyr, by Camerarius. 's Dempster states, that he flourished under Dungal, King of Scotland, in 826 ; but,thathecouldnoteasilyfindwhenhedied; yet,inanotherplace,hegives the date for the death of Kortilla, at 829. '^ Elsewhere, Dem])ster calls '5 him Kentilla, bisiiop of Verden, and he tlien tells us, that he sat there in tiie year 910; for which statements, Dempster refers to tlie Acts of that church, to Krantz, and to otiier writers, but, we fear, without the slightest warrant. In the anonymous Catalogue of our National Saints, as published by O'Suilivan Beare,'' the name of St. Kortillus is given, at the 28th of April. In the English Martyrology, in Arnold Wion,'? in Ferrarius,'' and in other Calendars, the festival of St. Cortillus is placed, also, at the 28th day of April.
Article IV. —St. Suibhne, of Scellic, probably County of Kerry.
An entry appears in the published Martyrology of Tallagh," at tlie 28th of April, concerning Suibne i Sceillic. The same record occurs in the Francis- cancopy. ' 'I'llisholyhermitisreferredtobyColgan,3andalsobytheBol- landists. * It is probable, that Scellic must be sought for among the three SkelligsS Islands, off the south-west coast of Kerry, and belonging to the parish of Killemlagh, in the barony of Iveragh. * On the Great Skellig, a con- siderabledistancefromtheshore,aretheruinsofamonasticinstitute. Several stone cells or oratories remain, and they are built of stone, dove-tailed, and without any mortar. They have conical roofs. ' The old church or oratory
3 gee "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," xi. Januaiii, De S. Suibhneo seu Svinneo Ab- bate Hiensi, 11. 1, p. 57. There, he is men- tioned, as " Subneus Abbas Schelekensis, 28 April. "
< See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Aprilis xxviii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 546.
5 However, they are usually disiinguished as the Great Skellig Rock and the Little
Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xvi. , num. 1043, p. 55^-
" See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,' tomus iii. , Aprilis xxx. De S. Svitbeno Kp. Vertlensi, in Saxoni Inferioie, Piiemium, num. 5, p. 803.
" For this 'account, Dempster quotes Albert Krantzius' "Metropolis," lib. i. , cap. xxix. , who has no such statement there.
'3 See the Bollandists' "Acta Sancto- rum," tomus iii. , Aprilis xxviii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 546.
'• The work of Albert Krantzius' "Metro-
polis," lib. ii. , cap. xxx. , is mendaciously
for his in
quoted death, 829. Dempster
also SufTrid. Petr. , lib. i. , Orig. Saxon. , cap. XV. ; but I have not the latter work to exa- mine, for the truth of his statement.
'5 See " Historice Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. x. , num. 771, p. 419.
'"See Historia Catholicse Iberniie Com- pendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 5°.
Skellig Rock, '"
'' See Lignum Vitae," lib. ii. , cap. Iv. •' "
Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , pp. 556, 557.
' The accompanying illustration has been drawn from Miss Stokes' admirable work, by the writer, and transferred by William K. Wakenian to the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
» See "Notes on Irish Architecture," by Edwin, third Earl of Duuraven, edited by Margaret Stokes, vol. i. , part i. , sect. ii. Early Christian Monasteries, pp. 26, 27.
In — Generalis . S. . nctorum. " Catalogus
Dr. Todd here
Article iv.
Rev. Dr. At this date, we find Suibni i Scelic.
Kelly, p. xxii. '
'. Edited
by
adds
These Islands are shown, on the Ord-
nance
County of Kerry," sheet 104.
Survey
^ See Lewis' •'
Townland for the Maps
'"A note
more recent hand
[Sc;lig Michael, an island off the coa«t of Kerry] ut videtur. "
by
says,
"The ' . 1. SceiLic rmCnl'
April 28. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 535
of Seilig Mhichel,' or Michael's Rock, with a group of surrounding monastic cells, is built on the northern summit of the Great Skellig. This Island, which rises in the Atlantic Ocean, is about twelve miles distant from the western- most point, and off the coast of Kerry. The lilmd Rock is dedicated to St.
Sceilig Michil Oratory, County of Kerry.
Michael the Archangel, and its steep peak rises over the waves, like the spire of some grand cathedral. ' On this day was venerated, Suibhne, of Scellic,'"" Hcrordins; to the Martyrologies of Marianus O'Gorman and of Dones;il. "
Article V. —St. Coipp, or Copa, Daughter of Diomma. The Bollandists state,' that Copa, the daughter of Dima, is entered in the Martyr- ology ofTallagh, at the 28th of April; but, neither in the Franciscan copy, nor in that one published by Rev. Dr. Kelly, can we meet with such a record. However, a holy woman, who is called Coipp, daughter of Diomma, was venerated, on this day, as the register in the Martyrology of Donegal" indi- cates. A Cipia or Copia, the mother of St. Bite, is said to have been veiled by St. Patrick, and to have been left by him, at the church of F. lphin. J It is not certain, however, that she can be identical with this St. Coipp. '*
"
E'liled by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. ii. , cap. xxxix. ,
112, 113. Article v. — "
See "Act. i
p. 13 J, and n. 78, p. 176. See also, p. S. nnctorum," 270.
tomus iii. ,
the
' See what has been when already said,
treating about the festivals of saints similarly n. inied. at the iStli of Januar)', and at the
24th of this month—.
Article vi. ' Edited Rev. Dr. by
xxviii. termitted saints, p. 546.
Among
'
Edited by Dri. Todd and Reeves, pp
112, 113. ^ See
Colgan's
" Trias
Thaumaturga,"
Aprilis
pre-
536 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April 28.
Article VI. —St. Caurnan, or Caernan, of Cluain-each. In the
Martyrologies of Tallagli,' and of Marianus O'Gorman, at the 28th of April, is recordedSt. CaurnanofCluain-each. However,theBoUandistsassert,"thataSt. Caernaniis de Chiain-eich is entered in those Martyrologies. A monastery ofClumet3 is mentioned, in the Acts of St. Fursey, as having been founded by the holy Abbot. * Tiie reader is referred to his Life, which has been given, in a foregoing vojume. 5 There was a Cairnanus, son to Brandubh, son to Melgi ; and, he was the companion of St. Columkille, when the latter first set out for Britain. ^ The reader is referred, to what has been already stated regarding him, at the 31st 'of January. A saint, who. is called Caernan, of Cluain-each, was venerated on this day, as we find it set down, in the Martyrology of Donegal. '
ArticleVII. —St. ConchindofCill-achaid. Atthe28thofApril,
'
the Martyrology of Tallagh registers Conchind of Cill-achaid. This place
must probably be identical with Kill Achaidh Conchinn, founded first by St. Abban,^ in the district of Corca Duibhne, now Corcaguiney barony, in the
county of Kerry. One Coincheann, a daughter of Ceallach Cualann, died, a. d. 738, according to the " Annals of tlie Four Masters ;"3 but, we cannot feel assured, tliat slie may be identified with St. Conchind of Cill-Achaid. A festival is also recorded to her honour, at the 20th of August. It would seem, the present day, or that already mentioned, must have been her Natalis. This holy woman, called also Conchennia, is said to have been the sister of St. Kentigerna, or Centigerna, who has been already noticed, at the 7th day of Januar). '' Her royal parentage is there mentioned.
Article VIII. —Festival of St. Christopher, Martyr. In the Leabhar Breac copy of St. Angus' Feilire, a festival of St. Christopher is commemorated, at the 28th of April. In a sckolio? i affixed to this account, he is set down as a martyr," who suffered under Decius, with no less than 10,403 martyrs. " In the genuine Martyrology of Bede, as also in the Martyrologies of St. Raban Maur, and in the Manuscripts at Monte Cassino, at St. Maxi- min's and at St. Martin's church of Treves, and in Ado's Manuscript copy belonging to the Queen of Sweden, this feast has been recorded. However,
Kelly, p. xxii. In the Franciscan copy, we read CAUfn«n Ctudin ecli.
'
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. Ap- rilis xxviii. Among ihe pretermitted saints, p. 546.
'
See his Acts, at the 27th of October, 'See Dr.
