This romantic Drama has been rendered into elegant Eng- lish verse, by Denis
Florence
M'Carthy, and
of one,
632 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [March 17.
of one,
632 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [March 17.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
"
Rath-amga ibique
mentis Ecclesiam excitavit," &c. Lib. ii. ,
'^^ It is said to have been
as Ard-Foihadh, in the townland of Bally- magrorty, parish of Drumhome, barony of
cunga.
formerly
known
His feast was held, on the 27tli of April. He was also known, by the name of Assan.
Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
"
Life of St.
Columba," lib. i. , cap. 10, n. (e), pp. 37, 38. Archdall has stated, that St. Patrick
founded an abbey here. See
"
Monasticon
Hibernicum," p. 104. The Tripartite only says, however, that he founded a church.
-9 He was lord of the Cinel-Cairbre, who
were seated in the barony of Carbury,
county of Sligo, and he died, according to the "Annals of the Four Masters," in 696. See Dr. John O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. ,
"
pp. 298, 299. See, also, The Genea-
we find: " Patri- Pergens postea
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 629
fixed a pole in Ard-fothaidh,33 Patrick began to build a church, on this height, which is now said to be known as Ardpattan,34 a small town near Bally-
shannon, and contiguous to Ballymagroarty, in which was Rathcunga. 35 This practice seems to have indicated the preparatory intention, and a rite then adopted,beforeahousehadbeendedicatedtoGod. Onthemorrow,how- ever, the pole was found to be bent. It seems probable, that St. Patrick was in the habit of consecrating churches and altars, according to the Roman rite, which Pope Sylvester 1. 3^ had first instituted, when, under the reign of the Emperor Constantine, the Christian Religion enjoyed a respite, from those severe persecutions of previous ages. 37 After what he had seen, as we are told in the Irish Tripartite, Patrick said, that the place should be the seat of a king, as he regarded the sign to be declaratory of his abandonment, in regard to making it serve for ecclesiastical purposes. He foresaw, that Domhnall,3S the grandson of Ainmire,39 and who was subsequently so cele- brated in Irish history, should there establish his residence, at a future period.
Afterwards, Patrick left the place, and he returned to that beautiful hill, called Sith-Aedha, which arose over the margin of the Erne River, and near to Assaroe. Even yet, the place is named Mullaghshee,'t° and it lies a little to the north of Ballyshannon town. There Conall,*^ the son of Niall of the
Nine Hostages, and brother to King Laoighaire, was engaged holding a public assembly. These local conventions seem to have been of frequent
occurrence in Ireland, at this time, as during subsequent periodical occasions. They were held for legislative, judicial and consultative purposes, while they
served to regulate public and private rights and interests, according to that freedom of restricted jurisdiction, among the chieftains and their clans, as recognised by the ancient national constitution and tribal laws, which governed our ancestors. The Apostle bestowed his blessing on Conall, and his son Ferguss-*^ most earnestly desired the like favour. Then Patrick
and his hands on the and " A
solemnly placed
boy's head,^3 said,
slowly
33 This was the royal residence, in the time of St. Columba. Dr. James M'Parlan makesSt. Patrickfoundanabbeyhere. See " Statistical Survey for the County of Donegal," p. 118.
10639. See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of
the Fom- Masters," vol. i. , pp. 246 to 257, 39HewasthefirstcousinofSt. Columkille. ^° It means, the hill of the sidh or fairy-
palace. On it a modern church is now
built. See Dr. P. \V. " and Joyce's Origin
History of Irish Names of Places," part ii. ,
chap, v. , p. 176.
*' Known as Conall Gulban, and he was
^^ It is within the of
parish Kilbarron,
and
barony of Tirhugh. Its extent is shown, on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for
the County of Donegal," Sheets 103, 107.
35 The Latin
in the vicinity of each other. "In coUe territory described in the Book Fenagh, vicino Ard-fothadh appellato, ccepit etiam fol. 47, a. a. —extended from the River
were
jacere fundamenta Ecclesias. Sed die sequenti, inchoata f—abrica ccepit corruere, et
— of all the Cineal Conaill. Their progenitor
of
pene tota corruit. "
Lib.
to the stream of Dobhar, which flows from the rugged mountains. Sliabh Liag was in this territory. The country of the Cineal Conaill was called Tir-Boghaine, and it was included in the present barony of
Tripartite, states, they
144.
3° This saint governed the church over 21
years, and he died at the close of the year 334. See Berti's " Ecclesiasticse Historire
Breviarium," iv. ssec, cap. i. , p. 112. Ac- cording to another account, he died on the
31st of December, the day of his feast, A. D. 335. See Rev. Alban Butler's " Lives of
the Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol, xii. December xxxi.
"
37 See Breviarium Romanum Pars
Autumnalis, Officium Dedicationis Basilicae Salvatoris. " Noct. ii. , lect. iv. , v. , vi.
Banagh, county of Donegal. See John "
38 He was King of Ireland, from A. D, 624
'
^^ Afterwards, he married Erca, the daughter of Loarn Mor, King of Scotland, by whom he became father to Felim, who was the father of St, Columba. Ere had been previously married to Muredach, his cousin, and son of Eoghan, son to Niall of
the Nine Hostages.
ii. , cap. cxii,, p.
Donegal,
Eidhneach or Eany, falling into the harbour of Inbhear Naile, or Inver, the bay of
O'Donovah's Leabhar na g-Ceart, or Book of Rights," n. (w), pp. 130, 131.
630 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
child of benediction shall spring from thee, and who shall be enriched with treasures of science and wisdom. He shall be a Prophet of the Most High, a burning and a shining light, and never shall a deliberate falsehood proceed from his mouth. " '» Then Patrick blessed the Cenel-Conaill, and he left a blessing Hkevvise, on their forts, and rivers, and churches. It has been generally supposed, that St. Patrick,<5 a nephew to the Irish Apostle, gave name to St. Patrick's Purgatory,*^ on an island, at Lough Derg. However, the prevailing popular tradition, in that district, the accounts of some writers, and certain reasons advanced for our holy Patriarch's possible visit to the Lough, after hehadcrossedtheErne,atAssaroe,areworthyofconsideration. 47 It certainly seems not inconsistent with probability, that the Irish Apostle visited this wild region ; for, his recorded journey to the north brought it indirectly on his route, as recorded in the Tripartite Lives. This lake is in the parish of Templecarn, barony of Tirhugh, and county of Donegal. The islands and lake, with the surrounding territories, for many miles, constituted at one time the patrimonyattachedtothisholyplaceofpilgrimage. Ithasbeenstated,thatSt. Patrick entered a cave in the island of the Lough, in order to pray more de- voutly to God, being removed from the abstractions of this world, in the gloomy retreat of Derg. He is related, to have traced the path to the InfinitCj^^ for explorers of the invisible world, and there Dante has followed, with inspiring song. WhilehismindwasearnestlydirectedtotheDivinity,Patrickprayed, that the pains of Purgatory might be shown to him. His request was granted, and lo ! before his heaven-touched fancy, the region of purgatory sprang into existence, and he saw the souls of millions, undergoing the process of purification, each placed in such a crucible, as was fitted to soften
and remove the terrestrial dross, that stained the ethereal essence of the
spirit ; some marked with a deep hue, which much destroyed their heavenly radiance, but which blackened them not wholly ; others half dimmed, half
bright, and in the rapid progress of becoming spirits of light, from the action of the purifying element of fire; some becoming effulgent, by slow and
almost imperceptible degrees, as having no friends to pray for them ; while others glowed in the furnace, and cast off the foul crust, with amazing rapidity, by the force of those prayers and alms, which their friends offered for them on earth. Some he saw escaping from the flames, and winging their
<3 The Irish Tripartite Life avers, that Conal—l wondered at this thing, when Patrick
^s Others say, that it was called St. Patrick's Purgatory, from a prior, nanaed
said
:
" A youth (i. e. Colum Cille) shall be bom of his tribe,
Who will be a sage, a prophet and poet, A glorious, bright, clear light,
Who will not utter falsehood. "
4* The Rev. Dr. Lanigan, however,
questions the accuracy of this Tripartite statement. He thinks, if Adamnan had known, that St. Patrick himself delivered such a prophecy, he would certainly have recoideii it, in his Life ot St. Columba, where there is no mention of such a
Patrick, 850.
who ruled the about monastery
predic- Ecclesiabtical History of Ire-
^7 See this subject clearly treated, in that admirable, interesting, and learned work of Rev. Daniel O'Connor, " Lough Derg and its Pilgiimages," with Map and lUustra- tions, chap, vi. , pp. 32 to 35. Dublin, 1879, cr. 8vo.
*^ "1\ visita, assurait-on, les lieux d'ex-
piation, et, plus justement, qu'a Virgile, le
chantre de I'Enfer, du — et du Pa- Purgatoire
radis aurait pu lui dire I :
'" Tu duca, tu signore, e tu maestro. '
105, 106.
49 Such is the] account we find, in an in-
"
*5 He died and was buried, at Glaston-
—Le Hersart de la Vicomte,
tion. See
land," vol. i. , chap, vi. , sect, ii. , n. 8, p. 263.
Villemarque's "La Legende Celtique et la Poesie des Cloilres en Irlande, en Cambric et en Bre- tagne. " Premiere Partie, sect. XVII. , pp.
" Britannica-Hibernica," pp. 578, 581.
bury. See Bishop Tanner's
Bibliotheca-
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 631
course to heaven ; others were almost bright enough, to attempt the same effort. 49 It has been thought, that St. Patrick, under the influence of such a vision, estabhshed this island as a terrestrial purgatory, for those, who were to succeed him in the place ; and, St. Daveog,5° his reputed disciple, is said to have built a church and monastery here, and besides, to have carried out the details of the penitential retreat, of which he had received the outlines from his great master. The religious establishment, originally known as Patrick's Purgatory, was first fixed on what is now called the " Saint's Island," and from this, there was a bridge to the mainland, which gave easy access to the public. 5' During the early times of the Irish Church, and even during the middle ages, as at the present day, this Purgatory continued in high repute,
bothathomeandabroad. Wefindinourrecords,severalsafeconducts,
granted by the kings of England, to foreigners, who were desirous of visiting it as pilgrims. After the Reformation in England, this very remote spot was deemed to be a safe retreat for priests and people, during the penal days, until in 1632, Sir James Balfour and Sir William Stewart were ordered by the State, to seize upon the religious house, at St. Patrick's Purgatory, and to disperse the community there established. Sir William afterwards informed the Privy Council, that he ordered halls, works, foundations, and vaults, &c. , to be rooted up. He ordered the place, called St. Patrick's bed, and the stoneonwhichheknelt,tobethrownintotheLough. Furthermore,those Commissioners reported, that they found on the island an abbot and forty friars, and that there was a daily resort of 450 pilgrims to it. s^ After this, the station was changed from the Saint's Island, to another island much smaller, and removed about half a mile from the shore. A boat is in waiting, during the station-time, to ferry passengers across to the churches and houses, where the pilgrims resort, on this island. It is separated, far from the thronged haunts of men, and from the bustle of the crowded city, and there are no ex- ternal objects to distract the minds of devout pilgrims, except the screaming of wild fowl, as they fly over the silent waters of this extensive lake. 53
There is a very curious Breton legend extant,54 and, it states, that our Divine Saviour gave the following promise to the glorious St. Patrick, at his
"
grotto on the Lough Dearg island :
Whosoever shall enter this cave,
having confessed and repented of his sins, and well established in faith, he shall
purge away all offences, in one day and one night ; while he shall see, likewise,
the torments of the wicked, and the joys of the blessed. " It is said, that
each year, at the beginning of Lent, St. Patrick was accustomed to take a
boat, which he steered, and he was absent for forty days. During this time,
he had been engaged, making his Purgatory, as the legend goes j and, he always chose a distant and desert island, for the place of his retreat. 55
teresting little book, intituled the " Mirror
of Penance," which was published in London.
50 Three festivals were held yearly in his
honour, on the 1st January, 24th July, and 1 6th December.
s' See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiberni-
cum," p. 102.
^' Sir William Stewart obliged James
Magrath, the owner of this island, to enter
into a recognizance, "not to allow Jesuits, friars, nuns, or any other superstitious order of Popery to enter thereon. "
S3 See a communication to the London-
derry Journal oi June 12th, 1878, and headed, " Historical Notes on the Parishes
of Ardstraw, Umey, and Termonaghan, Diocese of Deny," by Hy-Fiachre. Part xvii. Loughderg.
S'* This is taken from a Manuscript, in the National Library, Paris, fr. 1544, fol. 105, Cf. , according to F. Denis, " Le Monde en- chante," et Marie de France, tome ii. , p. 423.
53 The celebrated Spanish poet, Don
Pedro Calderon de la Barca, among his
numerous dramas, has made this the subject
"
Purgatorio de san Patricio. " The Dramatis fersona are St. Patrick, Angels, a king of Ireland, his daughter, and various other minor characters.
This romantic Drama has been rendered into elegant Eng- lish verse, by Denis Florence M'Carthy, and
of one,
632 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [March 17.
Certain fishermen saw him disembark one day on an islet, which no person durst approach, and there he went to the bottom of a cave, where the Magi celebrated mysterious rites. There were two subterranean routes in it ; one of these led to the abyss of eternal pains, and the other to the land of joy and of youth. Whoever went in there could only issue from it, by the aid of magic words. As St. Patrick did not appear again to their gaze, the fishers supposed he had passed away for ever, and they said, that those evil spirits, he chased away from every other part of Ireland, had taken refuge in this subterranean cavern, and that they kept him there a prisoner, within the
four walls of a dungeon, dark, cold, moist, miry and filled with venemous
reptiles, under a chilling and penetrating rain, which drop by drop fell on his shoulders, and penetrated even to the marrow of his bones. On the eve of
Easter, he reappeared to his monks, thin, pale and attenuated, like to a phantom. The year following, St. Patrick was observed anew to enter the same cave. His monks believed he remained there, so near the abyss of sorrows and the land of joy, that he witnessed whatever passed in both. Thus, by a strange concourse of events, the magic cavern was changed into the penitents' cell, and the old barbaric rites and pagan superstitions yielded to the great Christian truths, and to the sublime meditations of St. Patrick on Hell and Paradise. ^^
5**
Sanctorum Hi- hernias, secundum diversa tempora. " This covers a series of years, from a. d. 433 to
In the year 439, it is stated, that St. Patrick received three assistant bishops,
— ——
St. Secundinus sometimes called Sechnall^^ St. Isserninus sometimes
called Serenuss^ and St. Auxilius,59 or Ussaille, to aid him in his missionary
labours. ^" Bywhomthoseprelatesweresent,however,doesnotappear. By some writers, Auxilius and Secundin are called nephews of St. Patrick, by his sister Darerca, but this is an unreliable account. Our first bishops in Ireland, after St. Patrick, arc said, indeed, to have been Secundinus, Auxilius, and Isser- ninus. These were undoubtedly foreigners, and, it would seem, they came from Gaul. Although little is authentically known regarding him, yet Isserninus is always spoken of as coming from abroad. After his consecration, that bishop lived constantly in Ireland, until his death, which happened, about the year 469. With their assistance, St. Patrick probably consecrated other bishops, during the course of his mission. According to a very ancient document,^^ three hundred and fifty prelates, all illustrious and filled with the graces of the Holy Spirit, as also the founders of churches, lived about this period. ^^ The first order called the most holy, flourished during four distinct reigns of Irish kings, viz. : in the time of Laogarius, of Aila Muilt, of Lugada, son to Laogarius, and of Tuathail. These all followed the early discipline and rites, which seem to
with an interesting introduction, it has been pubHshed in successive Nos. of Duffy's
de Bretagne," p. 76. His festival occurs, at the 6th of March, as likewise, on the 7th of May, and on the 19th of September,
*'
Irish Catholic Magazine," vol. i. , pp. 25
to 27, 45 to 50, 73 to 75, loi to 107, 164 to
170.
s* See Le Vicomte Hersart de la Ville-
59 His feast occurs, at the 27th of August.
" La et la Poesie Legende Celtique
marque's
des Cloitres en Irlande, en Cambrie et en
Bretagne," Premiere Partie, sect, xvii. , pp. 106 to 108.
57 His festival is held, on the 27th of No- vember.
''The text of this, in Latin, has been 1
1
some between that Perceiving affinity
"
headed, Incipit Catalogus
name and Sezinus, Colgan gave himself the
useless trouble of striving to identify two
quite different persons. Lobineau, in his 664. See Britanicarum Lcelesiarum An- work, mentions St. Sezni, while adding,
is known about him, except his name. See " Histoire des Saints
'* The document—
that
scarcely anything
from what source drawn we are not told—says regarding
^ See Ussher's "Index
A. D. ccccxxxix. The Annals of Innis- fallen have: "Secundinus et Auxiliarius (Auxilius) et Esserninus mittunlur in auxi- lium Patricii ; nee tamen tenuerunt aposto- latum, nisi Patricius solus. "
'published, by Archbishop Ussher, and it is
"
tiquitates," cap. xvii. , pp. 473, 474.
Chronologicus,"
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 633
havebeenintroduced,byourgloriousApostle. Inthatorderofholybishops, who were in St. Patrick's time, these first mentioned are Romans, and Franks, thatis,nativesofGaul; whiletheBritonsandScotsarerankedafterthem. ^3
The benign missionary greatly desired the conversion of Eugenius, another son to Niall of the Nine Hostages, and he resolved on visiting the fortress of that dynast, to announce the Faith of Christ. Accordingly, the holy man took his course, through that deep, wild and romantic pass, known as Bearnas-mor of Tir-Aodha,^-* and which still bears the name of Barnes- more,^5 in the northern part of Tirhugh barony. Thence, he emerged into Magh-Itha,^^ or Hithe, which was an extensive plain, in the present barony
them " Unum caput Christum, et unum celebrated the Resurrection, on the four- ;
ducem Patricium habebant : unam Missam, teenth moon, or on the sixteenth, with unam celebrationem, unam tonsuram (ab rigorous intentions. Those lived through aure usque ad auiem) sufferebant. Unum four reigns ; that is, ^da Allain (who
Pascha, XIV. Luna post sequinoctium vemale, celebrabant : et quod excommu- nicatum asset ab una Ecclesia omnes ex- communicabant. Mulierum administrationem et consortia non respuebant : quia super petram Christum fundati, ventum tentation- is non timebant. "
^3 As if it were intended to draw a distinc-
reigned only three years, on account of his evil thought), and Domnail, and the joint rule of the sons, Mailcobus and ^da Slaine, and they continued until the great mortality. These are their names : Bishop Petranus,
Bishop Ultan, Bishop Colman, Bishop Mur- geus, Bishop ^danus. Bishop Loman, Bishop Senach. These are Bishops, and many others. The following, indeed, were Presbyters : Fechin Presbyter, Airendanus, Failanus, Coman, Commianus, Colmanus, Ernanus, Cronan, and many other Presby- ters.
tion, between these contemporaries of St.
Patrick, and saints, who flourished in Ire-
land, at a later period, the ancient document
proceeds to give the following account,
which (with parenthetical explanations) we
thus present in a literal English translation :
"The second Order of Catholic Presbyters.
For in this Order, few were Bishops, and
many were Presbyters, in number three second like the Aloon, the third as the
hundred. They bad one head, our Lord, they celebrated different Masses and different
Rules, one Pasch (they observed) the four- teenth moon after the Equinox, one tonsure
from ear to ear, they rejected female service, separating them (women) from Monasteries. This Order lasted, also, during four reigns ; that is to say, from the
Stars. "
Archbishop Ussher had two copies of this
document, and from these, he gives different
readings, inserted as marginal notes. The
more recent copy was somewhat longer than
the more ancient one, and he distinguishes
it, by the Greek word, dvaKe<pa\aiu(ns,
''
a recapitulation. " Then follow these sentences, as the addition: " Nota quod primus ordo erat Sanctissimus, secun- two grandsons (Donihnall and Fearghus) of cius Sanctus sanctorum, tertius Sanctus. Muredaig, and of yEdus, son to Ainmerech. Primus sicut Sol in fervore claritatis calescit, They received (their) Mass (rites) from secundus sicut Luna pallescit, tertius sicut
last (years) of Tuathail, and through the whole reign of King Diarmata, and of the
Bishop David, and Gilla, and Docus, Aurora splendescit. Hos tres ordines B. Britons : their names are, the two Finians, Patricius superno oraculo edoctus intellexit ; the two Brendans, the Tuam Jairlaithea, cinn in visione ilia prophetica vidit totam Comgall, Coemgen, Ciaran, Columba, Hibernian! flamma ignis repletam, deinde Cainecus, Eogenius mac Laisreus, Lugeus, montes tantiim ardere, postea lucernas
Ludeus, Modiieus, Cormacus, Colmanus, Nesanus, Laisreanus, ]jarrindeus, Coeman, Ceran, Coman [Endeus, . 'Edeus Byrchinus], and many others.
ardere in vallibus conspexit. "
°-* Now commensurate with the
of
"5 At present, the mailcoach load, from Sligo to Derry, runs through it, for about There were holy Presbyters, and a few three miles in length. It is said, that Mon.
" The third Order of Saints was this.
:
Pe Thoyras Rapin
French
* these
—one of the
Bishops, in number one hundred
dwelt in desert places, and lived upon herbs,
water, and alms [of the faitiilul], they III. to Ireland
avoided property, and had different Rules toire d'Angleterre," resided in a small and Masses, and diverse tonsures, [for some castle, at the western end of this gap. It is had the coronal, (Roman), and others the now in ruins. See James Eraser's " Hand caesarien, (old Irish), and they held a Book for Travellers in Ireland," No. 104 differing Paschal solemnity. For some p. 574-
"The first Order was most holy, the second Order was holier, the third Order holy. The first glowed as the Sun, the
meaning
barony Tirhugh, in the county of Donegal.
Huguenots who—accompanied King William
while
composing
his "
His-
634 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
ofRaphoe. There,hefoundedachurch,knownasDonaghmore,^'nearthe town of Castlefinn,^^ where he left one of his disciples, Dudubae^s or Dub- dubanus,7° son to Corcan. It is now a rectory,7* and it is near the River Finn. 7* Eugenius remained at Fidh-more, now said to be Veagh,73 in the parish of Raymochy,74 anciently called Rath-Maiglie-h-Aenaigh. 7S There is an old graveyard, and a ruined church, in the townland and parish of Leck- Patrick,? ^inthecountyofTyrone. ItliesbetweenStrabane? ? andLondon- derry. Unless we suppose an involution78 in the order of narrative, it does notappeartobetheplacealreadyreferredto; yet,itisremarkable,thatthe
«'
denominations of Desert, and a place called Cloghcor,79
the upright stone,"
are near the townland of Leckpatrick. Not far from these localities is
Whitefort,^° a very remarkable and large rath, on a commanding site, and
from which the celebrated Grianan of Ailech may be seen. ^^ This circular caherwasregardedastheregalfortressoftheO'Neills,inUlster. Theword,
GrtanaJi, was generally used to signify a palace, or a distinguished residence, in a beautiful or sunny situation. ^^ The word, Aileach, is stated, to mean a
stone house ; and, the name, Tir-Aileach, was applied to the surrounding country. ^3 Tradition holds, that this remarkable stronghold was occupied
'*
It was so called, from Ith, uncle of
the County of Donegal," p. 118,
7" This parish, in the barony of Lower
"
Milesius, who, according to bardic tradition, was buried there.
Strabane, is shown, on the
the diocese of Derry. See Rev. William land proper is described, on Sheets 2, 5.
Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the County of rule of St. Columba, and it is annexed to Tyrone," Sheets 2, 5, 6, 10. The town-
^7 This church subsequently adopted the
*'
Reeves'
Metropolitan Visitation of the Diocese of Derry, A. D. Mcccxcvil. ," n. (v), p. 60. The Latin form is " Dominica magna. " It
77 The town of Strabane is in the three
distinct parishes of Camus, Leckpatrick and Urney, in the barony of Lower Strabane. It is shown, on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Tyrone,"
Acts of Archbishop Colton in his
need scarcely be observed, says Dr. Lani-
gan, that Domnach-mor or Donaghmore Sheet 5.
means"agreatchurch. " Thisetymology, however, may be questioned,
7^This,however,isfrequentlydetected,in St. Patrick's Tripartite Life, as, also, in his Life by Jocelyn.
'*
This town and townland are in the
parish of Donaghmore, and barony of 79 In the parish of Leckpatrick. See
" Raphoe. They are shown, on the Ord-
nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Donegal," Sheet 79. The ex-
tensive parish of Donaghmore itself, con- taining 46,738 acres, is described, on Sheets 69, 70, 77, 78, 79, 86, 87, 88, 95, ibid.
*^ Thus is he named, in the Irish Tripar- tite Life.
7° According to the Latin Tripartite. Col- gan identifies him, as the Dubanus, who is venerated, at the I Ith of November.
Tyrone Ordnance Maps, Sheet 2.
*°
Seeanaccountofit, andofotherinte- resting objects of antiquity, about its neigh- bourhood, in a paper, read April nth, 1870,
"
Observations on some Sepulchral Urns and Burial Monu- ments in the County of Tyrone, with re- marks on the true site of the Battle of Knockavoe. "—"Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," vol. i. , series 11. , pp. 14 to
19. 8«
7' See Seward's "Topographical Dic- ""
tionary of Ireland, at the name.
"
7* See Colgan's 163, p. 181.
Trias Thaumaturga," n.
73 Such is the statement, found in a note Grianan of Aileach," by Dr. Walter
"
to Miss Cusack's
I know not on what authority. Veagh lies cians in Ireland, &c. , with Plates xvii. and between the church of Donaghmore of xviii. , indicating ground plans and lateral
by Dr. George Sigerson,
See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. i. , series ii. , for a paper, read on the 12th of August, 1878, "Ex- ploration and Restoration of the Ruin of the
Life of St. Patrick," but Bernard, Fellow of the College of Physi-
Magh-Ith, and the royal palace of Ailech.
sections, pp. 415 to 423.
*^ The illustration of its ex- accompanying
terior, as seen at present, was drawn on the spot, by Mr. Joseph P. Addey, Master of
Drawing in the Londonderry School of Art. This drawing has been transferred to the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and it was engraved, by Mrs. Millard.
*3 The most complete topographical and
T- This is in the of
parish barony Raphoe,
and it is shown, on the " Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the County of Donegal," Sheets 46, 53, 54, 61, 62. The townland of Veagh is found on Sheet 54. Ibid.
'5 Here St. Brugach, a bishop| was vene- rated, on the 1st of November. See Dr. James M'Parian's "Statistical Survey for
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
635
from remote pagan times, as the chief residence of the northern kings. No
doubt, too, they had many outlying forts. Formerly a great wood extended
around Whitefort, and along the east banks of the Foyle. This may serve
to throw some light, on a royal residence of Eugene, and on his place, Fidh-
"
mor, or
the great wood," the exact locality for it not having been determined.
The Grianan of Aileach, as lately restored, County of Donegal
The holy missionary was approaching Eoghan,^-* who was ancestor of the Cinel Eoghain, and his territory was near. ^s The families, descended from him, were seated in the present counties of Tyrone and Londonderry, as also in the baronies of Raphoe and Inishowen, in the county of Donegal. ^^ Patrick had said to his " Take care that
you
"""
suade your father to believe. " What reward ? asked he. The sove-
reignty of thy tribe should for ever belong to thy heirs," said Sechnall. To this
people :
lion, Eoghan, the son of Niall. " Resolving to compliment the illustrious stranger on his way, and as a mark of high-bred courtesy, Eoghan sent a guard of honour to meet his' expected guest, and Muiredhach, his son, was appointed to its command. He was in front of the youths, when he met on the way, Sech- nall,orSecundinus,whowasintherere,andamongahostofclerics. Sechnall said to Muiredhach, " You should have a reward from me, if you could per-
historical account of this locality will be found, in the " Memoir of the City and North-Western Liberties of Londonderry," part ii. , sect. 2. pp. 217 to 234. Various engravings of the fort-site, and of parts of the Grianan, accompany this notice.
** According to Roderick O'Flaherty's "Ogygia," at least he had five sons, viz.
Rath-amga ibique
mentis Ecclesiam excitavit," &c. Lib. ii. ,
'^^ It is said to have been
as Ard-Foihadh, in the townland of Bally- magrorty, parish of Drumhome, barony of
cunga.
formerly
known
His feast was held, on the 27tli of April. He was also known, by the name of Assan.
Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
"
Life of St.
Columba," lib. i. , cap. 10, n. (e), pp. 37, 38. Archdall has stated, that St. Patrick
founded an abbey here. See
"
Monasticon
Hibernicum," p. 104. The Tripartite only says, however, that he founded a church.
-9 He was lord of the Cinel-Cairbre, who
were seated in the barony of Carbury,
county of Sligo, and he died, according to the "Annals of the Four Masters," in 696. See Dr. John O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. ,
"
pp. 298, 299. See, also, The Genea-
we find: " Patri- Pergens postea
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 629
fixed a pole in Ard-fothaidh,33 Patrick began to build a church, on this height, which is now said to be known as Ardpattan,34 a small town near Bally-
shannon, and contiguous to Ballymagroarty, in which was Rathcunga. 35 This practice seems to have indicated the preparatory intention, and a rite then adopted,beforeahousehadbeendedicatedtoGod. Onthemorrow,how- ever, the pole was found to be bent. It seems probable, that St. Patrick was in the habit of consecrating churches and altars, according to the Roman rite, which Pope Sylvester 1. 3^ had first instituted, when, under the reign of the Emperor Constantine, the Christian Religion enjoyed a respite, from those severe persecutions of previous ages. 37 After what he had seen, as we are told in the Irish Tripartite, Patrick said, that the place should be the seat of a king, as he regarded the sign to be declaratory of his abandonment, in regard to making it serve for ecclesiastical purposes. He foresaw, that Domhnall,3S the grandson of Ainmire,39 and who was subsequently so cele- brated in Irish history, should there establish his residence, at a future period.
Afterwards, Patrick left the place, and he returned to that beautiful hill, called Sith-Aedha, which arose over the margin of the Erne River, and near to Assaroe. Even yet, the place is named Mullaghshee,'t° and it lies a little to the north of Ballyshannon town. There Conall,*^ the son of Niall of the
Nine Hostages, and brother to King Laoighaire, was engaged holding a public assembly. These local conventions seem to have been of frequent
occurrence in Ireland, at this time, as during subsequent periodical occasions. They were held for legislative, judicial and consultative purposes, while they
served to regulate public and private rights and interests, according to that freedom of restricted jurisdiction, among the chieftains and their clans, as recognised by the ancient national constitution and tribal laws, which governed our ancestors. The Apostle bestowed his blessing on Conall, and his son Ferguss-*^ most earnestly desired the like favour. Then Patrick
and his hands on the and " A
solemnly placed
boy's head,^3 said,
slowly
33 This was the royal residence, in the time of St. Columba. Dr. James M'Parlan makesSt. Patrickfoundanabbeyhere. See " Statistical Survey for the County of Donegal," p. 118.
10639. See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of
the Fom- Masters," vol. i. , pp. 246 to 257, 39HewasthefirstcousinofSt. Columkille. ^° It means, the hill of the sidh or fairy-
palace. On it a modern church is now
built. See Dr. P. \V. " and Joyce's Origin
History of Irish Names of Places," part ii. ,
chap, v. , p. 176.
*' Known as Conall Gulban, and he was
^^ It is within the of
parish Kilbarron,
and
barony of Tirhugh. Its extent is shown, on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for
the County of Donegal," Sheets 103, 107.
35 The Latin
in the vicinity of each other. "In coUe territory described in the Book Fenagh, vicino Ard-fothadh appellato, ccepit etiam fol. 47, a. a. —extended from the River
were
jacere fundamenta Ecclesias. Sed die sequenti, inchoata f—abrica ccepit corruere, et
— of all the Cineal Conaill. Their progenitor
of
pene tota corruit. "
Lib.
to the stream of Dobhar, which flows from the rugged mountains. Sliabh Liag was in this territory. The country of the Cineal Conaill was called Tir-Boghaine, and it was included in the present barony of
Tripartite, states, they
144.
3° This saint governed the church over 21
years, and he died at the close of the year 334. See Berti's " Ecclesiasticse Historire
Breviarium," iv. ssec, cap. i. , p. 112. Ac- cording to another account, he died on the
31st of December, the day of his feast, A. D. 335. See Rev. Alban Butler's " Lives of
the Fathers, Martyrs and other principal Saints," vol, xii. December xxxi.
"
37 See Breviarium Romanum Pars
Autumnalis, Officium Dedicationis Basilicae Salvatoris. " Noct. ii. , lect. iv. , v. , vi.
Banagh, county of Donegal. See John "
38 He was King of Ireland, from A. D, 624
'
^^ Afterwards, he married Erca, the daughter of Loarn Mor, King of Scotland, by whom he became father to Felim, who was the father of St, Columba. Ere had been previously married to Muredach, his cousin, and son of Eoghan, son to Niall of
the Nine Hostages.
ii. , cap. cxii,, p.
Donegal,
Eidhneach or Eany, falling into the harbour of Inbhear Naile, or Inver, the bay of
O'Donovah's Leabhar na g-Ceart, or Book of Rights," n. (w), pp. 130, 131.
630 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
child of benediction shall spring from thee, and who shall be enriched with treasures of science and wisdom. He shall be a Prophet of the Most High, a burning and a shining light, and never shall a deliberate falsehood proceed from his mouth. " '» Then Patrick blessed the Cenel-Conaill, and he left a blessing Hkevvise, on their forts, and rivers, and churches. It has been generally supposed, that St. Patrick,<5 a nephew to the Irish Apostle, gave name to St. Patrick's Purgatory,*^ on an island, at Lough Derg. However, the prevailing popular tradition, in that district, the accounts of some writers, and certain reasons advanced for our holy Patriarch's possible visit to the Lough, after hehadcrossedtheErne,atAssaroe,areworthyofconsideration. 47 It certainly seems not inconsistent with probability, that the Irish Apostle visited this wild region ; for, his recorded journey to the north brought it indirectly on his route, as recorded in the Tripartite Lives. This lake is in the parish of Templecarn, barony of Tirhugh, and county of Donegal. The islands and lake, with the surrounding territories, for many miles, constituted at one time the patrimonyattachedtothisholyplaceofpilgrimage. Ithasbeenstated,thatSt. Patrick entered a cave in the island of the Lough, in order to pray more de- voutly to God, being removed from the abstractions of this world, in the gloomy retreat of Derg. He is related, to have traced the path to the InfinitCj^^ for explorers of the invisible world, and there Dante has followed, with inspiring song. WhilehismindwasearnestlydirectedtotheDivinity,Patrickprayed, that the pains of Purgatory might be shown to him. His request was granted, and lo ! before his heaven-touched fancy, the region of purgatory sprang into existence, and he saw the souls of millions, undergoing the process of purification, each placed in such a crucible, as was fitted to soften
and remove the terrestrial dross, that stained the ethereal essence of the
spirit ; some marked with a deep hue, which much destroyed their heavenly radiance, but which blackened them not wholly ; others half dimmed, half
bright, and in the rapid progress of becoming spirits of light, from the action of the purifying element of fire; some becoming effulgent, by slow and
almost imperceptible degrees, as having no friends to pray for them ; while others glowed in the furnace, and cast off the foul crust, with amazing rapidity, by the force of those prayers and alms, which their friends offered for them on earth. Some he saw escaping from the flames, and winging their
<3 The Irish Tripartite Life avers, that Conal—l wondered at this thing, when Patrick
^s Others say, that it was called St. Patrick's Purgatory, from a prior, nanaed
said
:
" A youth (i. e. Colum Cille) shall be bom of his tribe,
Who will be a sage, a prophet and poet, A glorious, bright, clear light,
Who will not utter falsehood. "
4* The Rev. Dr. Lanigan, however,
questions the accuracy of this Tripartite statement. He thinks, if Adamnan had known, that St. Patrick himself delivered such a prophecy, he would certainly have recoideii it, in his Life ot St. Columba, where there is no mention of such a
Patrick, 850.
who ruled the about monastery
predic- Ecclesiabtical History of Ire-
^7 See this subject clearly treated, in that admirable, interesting, and learned work of Rev. Daniel O'Connor, " Lough Derg and its Pilgiimages," with Map and lUustra- tions, chap, vi. , pp. 32 to 35. Dublin, 1879, cr. 8vo.
*^ "1\ visita, assurait-on, les lieux d'ex-
piation, et, plus justement, qu'a Virgile, le
chantre de I'Enfer, du — et du Pa- Purgatoire
radis aurait pu lui dire I :
'" Tu duca, tu signore, e tu maestro. '
105, 106.
49 Such is the] account we find, in an in-
"
*5 He died and was buried, at Glaston-
—Le Hersart de la Vicomte,
tion. See
land," vol. i. , chap, vi. , sect, ii. , n. 8, p. 263.
Villemarque's "La Legende Celtique et la Poesie des Cloilres en Irlande, en Cambric et en Bre- tagne. " Premiere Partie, sect. XVII. , pp.
" Britannica-Hibernica," pp. 578, 581.
bury. See Bishop Tanner's
Bibliotheca-
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 631
course to heaven ; others were almost bright enough, to attempt the same effort. 49 It has been thought, that St. Patrick, under the influence of such a vision, estabhshed this island as a terrestrial purgatory, for those, who were to succeed him in the place ; and, St. Daveog,5° his reputed disciple, is said to have built a church and monastery here, and besides, to have carried out the details of the penitential retreat, of which he had received the outlines from his great master. The religious establishment, originally known as Patrick's Purgatory, was first fixed on what is now called the " Saint's Island," and from this, there was a bridge to the mainland, which gave easy access to the public. 5' During the early times of the Irish Church, and even during the middle ages, as at the present day, this Purgatory continued in high repute,
bothathomeandabroad. Wefindinourrecords,severalsafeconducts,
granted by the kings of England, to foreigners, who were desirous of visiting it as pilgrims. After the Reformation in England, this very remote spot was deemed to be a safe retreat for priests and people, during the penal days, until in 1632, Sir James Balfour and Sir William Stewart were ordered by the State, to seize upon the religious house, at St. Patrick's Purgatory, and to disperse the community there established. Sir William afterwards informed the Privy Council, that he ordered halls, works, foundations, and vaults, &c. , to be rooted up. He ordered the place, called St. Patrick's bed, and the stoneonwhichheknelt,tobethrownintotheLough. Furthermore,those Commissioners reported, that they found on the island an abbot and forty friars, and that there was a daily resort of 450 pilgrims to it. s^ After this, the station was changed from the Saint's Island, to another island much smaller, and removed about half a mile from the shore. A boat is in waiting, during the station-time, to ferry passengers across to the churches and houses, where the pilgrims resort, on this island. It is separated, far from the thronged haunts of men, and from the bustle of the crowded city, and there are no ex- ternal objects to distract the minds of devout pilgrims, except the screaming of wild fowl, as they fly over the silent waters of this extensive lake. 53
There is a very curious Breton legend extant,54 and, it states, that our Divine Saviour gave the following promise to the glorious St. Patrick, at his
"
grotto on the Lough Dearg island :
Whosoever shall enter this cave,
having confessed and repented of his sins, and well established in faith, he shall
purge away all offences, in one day and one night ; while he shall see, likewise,
the torments of the wicked, and the joys of the blessed. " It is said, that
each year, at the beginning of Lent, St. Patrick was accustomed to take a
boat, which he steered, and he was absent for forty days. During this time,
he had been engaged, making his Purgatory, as the legend goes j and, he always chose a distant and desert island, for the place of his retreat. 55
teresting little book, intituled the " Mirror
of Penance," which was published in London.
50 Three festivals were held yearly in his
honour, on the 1st January, 24th July, and 1 6th December.
s' See Archdall's " Monasticon Hiberni-
cum," p. 102.
^' Sir William Stewart obliged James
Magrath, the owner of this island, to enter
into a recognizance, "not to allow Jesuits, friars, nuns, or any other superstitious order of Popery to enter thereon. "
S3 See a communication to the London-
derry Journal oi June 12th, 1878, and headed, " Historical Notes on the Parishes
of Ardstraw, Umey, and Termonaghan, Diocese of Deny," by Hy-Fiachre. Part xvii. Loughderg.
S'* This is taken from a Manuscript, in the National Library, Paris, fr. 1544, fol. 105, Cf. , according to F. Denis, " Le Monde en- chante," et Marie de France, tome ii. , p. 423.
53 The celebrated Spanish poet, Don
Pedro Calderon de la Barca, among his
numerous dramas, has made this the subject
"
Purgatorio de san Patricio. " The Dramatis fersona are St. Patrick, Angels, a king of Ireland, his daughter, and various other minor characters.
This romantic Drama has been rendered into elegant Eng- lish verse, by Denis Florence M'Carthy, and
of one,
632 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [March 17.
Certain fishermen saw him disembark one day on an islet, which no person durst approach, and there he went to the bottom of a cave, where the Magi celebrated mysterious rites. There were two subterranean routes in it ; one of these led to the abyss of eternal pains, and the other to the land of joy and of youth. Whoever went in there could only issue from it, by the aid of magic words. As St. Patrick did not appear again to their gaze, the fishers supposed he had passed away for ever, and they said, that those evil spirits, he chased away from every other part of Ireland, had taken refuge in this subterranean cavern, and that they kept him there a prisoner, within the
four walls of a dungeon, dark, cold, moist, miry and filled with venemous
reptiles, under a chilling and penetrating rain, which drop by drop fell on his shoulders, and penetrated even to the marrow of his bones. On the eve of
Easter, he reappeared to his monks, thin, pale and attenuated, like to a phantom. The year following, St. Patrick was observed anew to enter the same cave. His monks believed he remained there, so near the abyss of sorrows and the land of joy, that he witnessed whatever passed in both. Thus, by a strange concourse of events, the magic cavern was changed into the penitents' cell, and the old barbaric rites and pagan superstitions yielded to the great Christian truths, and to the sublime meditations of St. Patrick on Hell and Paradise. ^^
5**
Sanctorum Hi- hernias, secundum diversa tempora. " This covers a series of years, from a. d. 433 to
In the year 439, it is stated, that St. Patrick received three assistant bishops,
— ——
St. Secundinus sometimes called Sechnall^^ St. Isserninus sometimes
called Serenuss^ and St. Auxilius,59 or Ussaille, to aid him in his missionary
labours. ^" Bywhomthoseprelatesweresent,however,doesnotappear. By some writers, Auxilius and Secundin are called nephews of St. Patrick, by his sister Darerca, but this is an unreliable account. Our first bishops in Ireland, after St. Patrick, arc said, indeed, to have been Secundinus, Auxilius, and Isser- ninus. These were undoubtedly foreigners, and, it would seem, they came from Gaul. Although little is authentically known regarding him, yet Isserninus is always spoken of as coming from abroad. After his consecration, that bishop lived constantly in Ireland, until his death, which happened, about the year 469. With their assistance, St. Patrick probably consecrated other bishops, during the course of his mission. According to a very ancient document,^^ three hundred and fifty prelates, all illustrious and filled with the graces of the Holy Spirit, as also the founders of churches, lived about this period. ^^ The first order called the most holy, flourished during four distinct reigns of Irish kings, viz. : in the time of Laogarius, of Aila Muilt, of Lugada, son to Laogarius, and of Tuathail. These all followed the early discipline and rites, which seem to
with an interesting introduction, it has been pubHshed in successive Nos. of Duffy's
de Bretagne," p. 76. His festival occurs, at the 6th of March, as likewise, on the 7th of May, and on the 19th of September,
*'
Irish Catholic Magazine," vol. i. , pp. 25
to 27, 45 to 50, 73 to 75, loi to 107, 164 to
170.
s* See Le Vicomte Hersart de la Ville-
59 His feast occurs, at the 27th of August.
" La et la Poesie Legende Celtique
marque's
des Cloitres en Irlande, en Cambrie et en
Bretagne," Premiere Partie, sect, xvii. , pp. 106 to 108.
57 His festival is held, on the 27th of No- vember.
''The text of this, in Latin, has been 1
1
some between that Perceiving affinity
"
headed, Incipit Catalogus
name and Sezinus, Colgan gave himself the
useless trouble of striving to identify two
quite different persons. Lobineau, in his 664. See Britanicarum Lcelesiarum An- work, mentions St. Sezni, while adding,
is known about him, except his name. See " Histoire des Saints
'* The document—
that
scarcely anything
from what source drawn we are not told—says regarding
^ See Ussher's "Index
A. D. ccccxxxix. The Annals of Innis- fallen have: "Secundinus et Auxiliarius (Auxilius) et Esserninus mittunlur in auxi- lium Patricii ; nee tamen tenuerunt aposto- latum, nisi Patricius solus. "
'published, by Archbishop Ussher, and it is
"
tiquitates," cap. xvii. , pp. 473, 474.
Chronologicus,"
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 633
havebeenintroduced,byourgloriousApostle. Inthatorderofholybishops, who were in St. Patrick's time, these first mentioned are Romans, and Franks, thatis,nativesofGaul; whiletheBritonsandScotsarerankedafterthem. ^3
The benign missionary greatly desired the conversion of Eugenius, another son to Niall of the Nine Hostages, and he resolved on visiting the fortress of that dynast, to announce the Faith of Christ. Accordingly, the holy man took his course, through that deep, wild and romantic pass, known as Bearnas-mor of Tir-Aodha,^-* and which still bears the name of Barnes- more,^5 in the northern part of Tirhugh barony. Thence, he emerged into Magh-Itha,^^ or Hithe, which was an extensive plain, in the present barony
them " Unum caput Christum, et unum celebrated the Resurrection, on the four- ;
ducem Patricium habebant : unam Missam, teenth moon, or on the sixteenth, with unam celebrationem, unam tonsuram (ab rigorous intentions. Those lived through aure usque ad auiem) sufferebant. Unum four reigns ; that is, ^da Allain (who
Pascha, XIV. Luna post sequinoctium vemale, celebrabant : et quod excommu- nicatum asset ab una Ecclesia omnes ex- communicabant. Mulierum administrationem et consortia non respuebant : quia super petram Christum fundati, ventum tentation- is non timebant. "
^3 As if it were intended to draw a distinc-
reigned only three years, on account of his evil thought), and Domnail, and the joint rule of the sons, Mailcobus and ^da Slaine, and they continued until the great mortality. These are their names : Bishop Petranus,
Bishop Ultan, Bishop Colman, Bishop Mur- geus, Bishop ^danus. Bishop Loman, Bishop Senach. These are Bishops, and many others. The following, indeed, were Presbyters : Fechin Presbyter, Airendanus, Failanus, Coman, Commianus, Colmanus, Ernanus, Cronan, and many other Presby- ters.
tion, between these contemporaries of St.
Patrick, and saints, who flourished in Ire-
land, at a later period, the ancient document
proceeds to give the following account,
which (with parenthetical explanations) we
thus present in a literal English translation :
"The second Order of Catholic Presbyters.
For in this Order, few were Bishops, and
many were Presbyters, in number three second like the Aloon, the third as the
hundred. They bad one head, our Lord, they celebrated different Masses and different
Rules, one Pasch (they observed) the four- teenth moon after the Equinox, one tonsure
from ear to ear, they rejected female service, separating them (women) from Monasteries. This Order lasted, also, during four reigns ; that is to say, from the
Stars. "
Archbishop Ussher had two copies of this
document, and from these, he gives different
readings, inserted as marginal notes. The
more recent copy was somewhat longer than
the more ancient one, and he distinguishes
it, by the Greek word, dvaKe<pa\aiu(ns,
''
a recapitulation. " Then follow these sentences, as the addition: " Nota quod primus ordo erat Sanctissimus, secun- two grandsons (Donihnall and Fearghus) of cius Sanctus sanctorum, tertius Sanctus. Muredaig, and of yEdus, son to Ainmerech. Primus sicut Sol in fervore claritatis calescit, They received (their) Mass (rites) from secundus sicut Luna pallescit, tertius sicut
last (years) of Tuathail, and through the whole reign of King Diarmata, and of the
Bishop David, and Gilla, and Docus, Aurora splendescit. Hos tres ordines B. Britons : their names are, the two Finians, Patricius superno oraculo edoctus intellexit ; the two Brendans, the Tuam Jairlaithea, cinn in visione ilia prophetica vidit totam Comgall, Coemgen, Ciaran, Columba, Hibernian! flamma ignis repletam, deinde Cainecus, Eogenius mac Laisreus, Lugeus, montes tantiim ardere, postea lucernas
Ludeus, Modiieus, Cormacus, Colmanus, Nesanus, Laisreanus, ]jarrindeus, Coeman, Ceran, Coman [Endeus, . 'Edeus Byrchinus], and many others.
ardere in vallibus conspexit. "
°-* Now commensurate with the
of
"5 At present, the mailcoach load, from Sligo to Derry, runs through it, for about There were holy Presbyters, and a few three miles in length. It is said, that Mon.
" The third Order of Saints was this.
:
Pe Thoyras Rapin
French
* these
—one of the
Bishops, in number one hundred
dwelt in desert places, and lived upon herbs,
water, and alms [of the faitiilul], they III. to Ireland
avoided property, and had different Rules toire d'Angleterre," resided in a small and Masses, and diverse tonsures, [for some castle, at the western end of this gap. It is had the coronal, (Roman), and others the now in ruins. See James Eraser's " Hand caesarien, (old Irish), and they held a Book for Travellers in Ireland," No. 104 differing Paschal solemnity. For some p. 574-
"The first Order was most holy, the second Order was holier, the third Order holy. The first glowed as the Sun, the
meaning
barony Tirhugh, in the county of Donegal.
Huguenots who—accompanied King William
while
composing
his "
His-
634 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 17.
ofRaphoe. There,hefoundedachurch,knownasDonaghmore,^'nearthe town of Castlefinn,^^ where he left one of his disciples, Dudubae^s or Dub- dubanus,7° son to Corcan. It is now a rectory,7* and it is near the River Finn. 7* Eugenius remained at Fidh-more, now said to be Veagh,73 in the parish of Raymochy,74 anciently called Rath-Maiglie-h-Aenaigh. 7S There is an old graveyard, and a ruined church, in the townland and parish of Leck- Patrick,? ^inthecountyofTyrone. ItliesbetweenStrabane? ? andLondon- derry. Unless we suppose an involution78 in the order of narrative, it does notappeartobetheplacealreadyreferredto; yet,itisremarkable,thatthe
«'
denominations of Desert, and a place called Cloghcor,79
the upright stone,"
are near the townland of Leckpatrick. Not far from these localities is
Whitefort,^° a very remarkable and large rath, on a commanding site, and
from which the celebrated Grianan of Ailech may be seen. ^^ This circular caherwasregardedastheregalfortressoftheO'Neills,inUlster. Theword,
GrtanaJi, was generally used to signify a palace, or a distinguished residence, in a beautiful or sunny situation. ^^ The word, Aileach, is stated, to mean a
stone house ; and, the name, Tir-Aileach, was applied to the surrounding country. ^3 Tradition holds, that this remarkable stronghold was occupied
'*
It was so called, from Ith, uncle of
the County of Donegal," p. 118,
7" This parish, in the barony of Lower
"
Milesius, who, according to bardic tradition, was buried there.
Strabane, is shown, on the
the diocese of Derry. See Rev. William land proper is described, on Sheets 2, 5.
Ordnance Sur- vey Townland Maps for the County of rule of St. Columba, and it is annexed to Tyrone," Sheets 2, 5, 6, 10. The town-
^7 This church subsequently adopted the
*'
Reeves'
Metropolitan Visitation of the Diocese of Derry, A. D. Mcccxcvil. ," n. (v), p. 60. The Latin form is " Dominica magna. " It
77 The town of Strabane is in the three
distinct parishes of Camus, Leckpatrick and Urney, in the barony of Lower Strabane. It is shown, on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Tyrone,"
Acts of Archbishop Colton in his
need scarcely be observed, says Dr. Lani-
gan, that Domnach-mor or Donaghmore Sheet 5.
means"agreatchurch. " Thisetymology, however, may be questioned,
7^This,however,isfrequentlydetected,in St. Patrick's Tripartite Life, as, also, in his Life by Jocelyn.
'*
This town and townland are in the
parish of Donaghmore, and barony of 79 In the parish of Leckpatrick. See
" Raphoe. They are shown, on the Ord-
nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Donegal," Sheet 79. The ex-
tensive parish of Donaghmore itself, con- taining 46,738 acres, is described, on Sheets 69, 70, 77, 78, 79, 86, 87, 88, 95, ibid.
*^ Thus is he named, in the Irish Tripar- tite Life.
7° According to the Latin Tripartite. Col- gan identifies him, as the Dubanus, who is venerated, at the I Ith of November.
Tyrone Ordnance Maps, Sheet 2.
*°
Seeanaccountofit, andofotherinte- resting objects of antiquity, about its neigh- bourhood, in a paper, read April nth, 1870,
"
Observations on some Sepulchral Urns and Burial Monu- ments in the County of Tyrone, with re- marks on the true site of the Battle of Knockavoe. "—"Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," vol. i. , series 11. , pp. 14 to
19. 8«
7' See Seward's "Topographical Dic- ""
tionary of Ireland, at the name.
"
7* See Colgan's 163, p. 181.
Trias Thaumaturga," n.
73 Such is the statement, found in a note Grianan of Aileach," by Dr. Walter
"
to Miss Cusack's
I know not on what authority. Veagh lies cians in Ireland, &c. , with Plates xvii. and between the church of Donaghmore of xviii. , indicating ground plans and lateral
by Dr. George Sigerson,
See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. i. , series ii. , for a paper, read on the 12th of August, 1878, "Ex- ploration and Restoration of the Ruin of the
Life of St. Patrick," but Bernard, Fellow of the College of Physi-
Magh-Ith, and the royal palace of Ailech.
sections, pp. 415 to 423.
*^ The illustration of its ex- accompanying
terior, as seen at present, was drawn on the spot, by Mr. Joseph P. Addey, Master of
Drawing in the Londonderry School of Art. This drawing has been transferred to the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and it was engraved, by Mrs. Millard.
*3 The most complete topographical and
T- This is in the of
parish barony Raphoe,
and it is shown, on the " Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the County of Donegal," Sheets 46, 53, 54, 61, 62. The townland of Veagh is found on Sheet 54. Ibid.
'5 Here St. Brugach, a bishop| was vene- rated, on the 1st of November. See Dr. James M'Parian's "Statistical Survey for
March 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
635
from remote pagan times, as the chief residence of the northern kings. No
doubt, too, they had many outlying forts. Formerly a great wood extended
around Whitefort, and along the east banks of the Foyle. This may serve
to throw some light, on a royal residence of Eugene, and on his place, Fidh-
"
mor, or
the great wood," the exact locality for it not having been determined.
The Grianan of Aileach, as lately restored, County of Donegal
The holy missionary was approaching Eoghan,^-* who was ancestor of the Cinel Eoghain, and his territory was near. ^s The families, descended from him, were seated in the present counties of Tyrone and Londonderry, as also in the baronies of Raphoe and Inishowen, in the county of Donegal. ^^ Patrick had said to his " Take care that
you
"""
suade your father to believe. " What reward ? asked he. The sove-
reignty of thy tribe should for ever belong to thy heirs," said Sechnall. To this
people :
lion, Eoghan, the son of Niall. " Resolving to compliment the illustrious stranger on his way, and as a mark of high-bred courtesy, Eoghan sent a guard of honour to meet his' expected guest, and Muiredhach, his son, was appointed to its command. He was in front of the youths, when he met on the way, Sech- nall,orSecundinus,whowasintherere,andamongahostofclerics. Sechnall said to Muiredhach, " You should have a reward from me, if you could per-
historical account of this locality will be found, in the " Memoir of the City and North-Western Liberties of Londonderry," part ii. , sect. 2. pp. 217 to 234. Various engravings of the fort-site, and of parts of the Grianan, accompany this notice.
** According to Roderick O'Flaherty's "Ogygia," at least he had five sons, viz.
