^ is recorded, on this day, the
festival
of Cuimmein Fionn, son of Ernan, son to Fiachna, Abbot of la Choluim Chille.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
s^ It must be remarked, however, that the passage quoted is not to be found in Cumineus' Life of Columkille, as published by Colgan, according to the Bollandists.
These authors state, that this biography had been composed by different writers, and from a double Life, relating to the great saint.
^^ Therein, his death is found recorded, in two distinct places.
Other works are attributed to our saint. Thus, Dempster. states, that he
wrote a book in verse, having for its title, "Sanctorum Genealogias. "s^ Besides, this St. Cumine has a factitious renown attaching to his name, for a
letter to Segenius, the Abbot of lona, regarding the Paschal controversy. He employed, it is said, one whole year to deliberate on the view he should take of this case, and at last, he resolved on espousing the Roman computa- tion. This course brought him, it is thought, into collision with his brethren at Hy ; and, to defend his conclusions, he penned that celebrated letter, which treated on this subject. 53 However, the known circumstances of this saint's history forbid the conclusion, that he wrote such an Epistle ; and, we must seek out some other Cumine, to whom its authorship may be fairly attributed.
begins,
4° See ** Trias Thaumaturga," pp. 325 to 331.
words within brackets are in the later hand. " See also Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
'*^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Junii ix. De Sancto Columbte, &c. , pp. ^9 See Canisius' Lectiones AntiquDe,"
p. 325.
Tom. i. , lib. iii. , n. 5, p. 700.
so Mr. Hallam certainly mistakes in assert-
ing, that Cummineus' Life of St. Columba "is chiefly taken from that of Adamnan. " See his " History of the Middle Ages," vol. ii. , p. 350. (London, 1853. )
^i See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ix. ii. ,^
Junii. De Sancto Columba, (S:c. Com- 45 Pinkerton has reprinted Mabillon's mentarius prsevius, sect, ii. , num. 17, p.
"
185 to 189, with notes.
42 See " Trias
" Vita Prima
Thaumaturga.
S. Columbse, &c. , pp. 321 to 325, including
notes.
43 This had been taken from a manuscript
ofMirseus, at Antwerp.
44 See " Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Be-
nedicti," tomus i. , pp. 342 to 349.
Vit» Antiquae Sanctorum," &c. , 185. "
4^ It is possible, we have not yet recovered Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 323,
text, in
pp. 27 to 45. 52 See
Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
the genuine text. 47 See "Acta
.
p, 184.
S3 See it published in Ussher's "Veterum
Epistolarum Hibernicarum Sylloge," Epist. xi. , pp. 24 to 35.
tomus Junii ix. De Sancto Columbse, &c. , p.
185.
4** In a note
here,
Dr. Todd
says,
"The
Sanctorum,"
ii. ,
"
694 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February24.
Not only were tlie religious inmates at lona strongly wedded to the old
observance of Plaster, introduced by St. Columba, and that, too, during the time of this abbot ; but, even their affiliates in Northumbria maintained it
with a great degree of obstinacy, so much so, that St. Colman,54 who had strenuously contended with St. Wilfrid,s5 in the Synod at Streaneshalch, and who had been obliged to yield in that contest, returned to Scotia, a. d.
662. The following year, Gartnait, son to Domhnaill, King of the Picts, died; and,in664,St. Colman,thebishop,whohadretiredtoIreland,again returned to lonajS"^ where he remained, during four years. The great pesti- lence of the yellow plague, in Ireland, and the war of Luthofeirnn,s7 in Fortrinn or Pictinia, are recorded at the year just noticed. In 668, the passage of Gartnait's sons, with the people Scith. into Ireland, as also the
"
the Island of the White Cow," are noted. s^ Nothing more memorable seems to have preceded the departure of St. Cuimine Ailbhe. 5s> Surrounded by his clansmen and kins- men, in lona, this holy abbot was distinguished for his virtues, as likewise for
his learning.
On very doubtful authority, it has been said, that St. Cuimine Ailbe in-
troduced a reform among the monks at Iona. ^° This, however, seems to liave been formed on the unfounded assumption, that he endeavoured to in- troduce the Paschal rite there. St. Cummine presided over this flourishing community, as abbot, during twelve, or, as some writers state, for fourteen, years. It is quite unnecessary to observe, that he did not die so early as A. D. 590,^^ or 592,^^ for he does not seem to have been even born, at that period. Nor can a. d. 600 be admitted, as the date for his death f^ because, that series of events, connected with his career, must defer his demise to an epoch much later. Mirseus^+ and Fleming^s have notices of Cumianus or Cumeanus, Abbot of Hy. According to Cardinal Bellarmin,^^ he flourished A. D. 640. But, he also lived long after this time.
St. Cumine Ailbe departed this life, as is generally thought, on the 24th of February. The Annals of Clonmacnoise, it has been stated, place his death at the year 605, but 665^7 must have been intended, as the true entry. ^^ The Ulster Annals and those of the Four Masters,^;^ assign it to a. d. 668. 7°
According to the Annals of Tighernach, it happened a. d. 669 ;7i while, Ussher and Walsh adhere also to this computation. 7^ AH the Irish Calen-
dars, quoted by Colgan, agree in marking the 24th of February as the day of
return of St. Colman, the bishop, to Inis-bo-find, or
5* See his Life, at the 8th of August.
55 His feast occurs, at the I2th of October.
"
5* See Venerable Bcde's
;;iastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 26, p. 239, and lib, iv,, cap. 4, pp. 270, 271.
s' Tliis place has not been identified, by Chalmers. See "Caledonia," vol. i. , p. 210.
^^ These events are entered, however, at
"
A. D. 664, in the
Edited by William M. Hennessy, p. loi.
^' Accoiding to the English Martyrology.
^* In Auctario, de Scriptoribus Ecclesias. ticis, cap. clxxxviii. , p. 217.
HistoriaEccle-
Chronicon Scotorum,"
toribus Ecclesiasticis, p. 240.
*7 Seethe " ChroniconScotorum," Edited
by William M. Hennessy, p. loi.
^
In the manuscript copy, belonging to the Royal Irish Academy, we read at 665, " Comyn the White, Abbot of Hugh,"
s> See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's died. This is a translation into English by
" Life of St. Columba. " Additional notes,
(O), p. 373.
"'' See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Lliber-
niai," Februarii xxiv. De S. Cumineo sive
Cumeano, Abbate Hiensi, cap. xiii. , p. 410. ^^ Arnold Wion has this as the date, when
Connell M'Geoghagan.
'^ ''5ee Dr. O Donovan's Edition, vol. i. ,
siastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap.
xvii. , sect, viii. , n.
7' See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
"Life of St. Columba. " Additional notes,
Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. (O), p. 376.
323, p. 184. 7=* See "Index Chronologicus," at A. u.
he flourished.
^"^ '*
Sec Dempster's Historia Ecclesiastica
*'
Collectanea Sacra. " See "Operum," tomus vii.
^=> In his
^"
De Scrip-
pp. 278 to 281, and n.
Il>id.
'° See, likewise, Dr. Lanigan's "Eccle-
(i).
108, pp. 37, 38.
February 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 695
his death. The entry, Cuimin find mac Fiachna mic Feradaigh, Abb. lae, is found in the Martyrology of Tallagh,73 at the same date. In the Martyr-
ologies of St. yEngiis,74 of Marianus O'Gorman, of Charles Maguire,75 and of Donegal,?
^ is recorded, on this day, the festival of Cuimmein Fionn, son of Ernan, son to Fiachna, Abbot of la Choluim Chille. Besides these notices, at the vii. of the March Kalends, which is the 24th of February, the Kalen- dar of Drummond states, that the Abbot Cummain, in Ireland, went to Christ. 77 Dempster, however, has his festival placed, at the 4th of April. 7^ In Scotland this holy abbot was highly venerated. 'I'hus, in the Dunkeld Litany, he is invoked as Cumminach. Some places there adopted him as special patron. The Church at Glenelg was called Killchuimin. In the vulgar language, Fort Augustus was called Kilchuiman. 79 There is a hill, called Suidh chuiman,^° and on the tojD there is a cairn,^^ in the parish of Boleskine and Abertarff. ^''
This holy man's ecclesiastical training may be said to have been com- pleted in the great School of lona, where he imbibed knowledge from the teaching of erudite professors, and where he learned sanctity from their holy lives. In this favoured retreat, his idea was to devote himself wholly to a hfe of seclusion and devotion. In the matured designs of God, however, such an apostolic man was not intended to lead a life of mere retirement ; for his administrative abilities and his eminent sanctity pointed him out to the brotherhood, as one eminently qualified, to continue the work of the illustrious Columba, and to edify his community, by perpetuating therein the spirit of the founder. Their holy superior conceived, that in proportion to the nearness, with which any object approached that which is perfect in ex-
cellence and beauty, in the same proportion was he bound to consider it as most excellent in itself, most lovely and most beautiful. This sentiment he applied to his own soul, and to the souls of others, in discipline and rule.
Article II. —St. Heise, or Hassea, Virgin, of Airidh-fota, or Aredfod. The entry of Ciaran h mesa, I. Airdfota, is inserted, in the
Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 24th of February. Probably, however, a
DCLXix. Ussher's " Britannicarum Eccle- torum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxiv. De siarum Antiquitates," p. 539. See James Sanctis Martyribus Nicomediensibus, &c. ,
'*
Walsh's
in Scotland," chap, vii. , p. 109.
pp. 460, 461. These holy persons sufTered at Nicomedia, in Bythinia.
75 See " Acta Sanctonim Hiber- Colgan's
73 Edited
Rev. Dr.
xvi.
Feilire," nise,"
History of the Catholic Church
by date,
ICnglish translation, h—as been furnished by
Professor O'Looney
Kelly, p. we read in the "
74 At this
the following stanza: the Irish, with its
n. 6, Februarii, n. 26, p. 41 1.
Also, xxiv.
):. 111. kt.
:
La iDAij' tuciAni
Cnuimchi^A c|\oc1i'OA •oeinnA -Abb I1-IA A n-eiAgriA
Cumme piro i:et)bA.
With the passion of Lucianus, A demon-persecuting priest : The accomplished abbot of Hi
(lona),
Cumine the fair, the mild.
"'^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
56, 57.
77 See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 6.
78 See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. , 323,
p. 184.
79 See " Old Statistical Account of Scot-
land," vol. xx. , p. 20.
^° See " New Statisticnl Account of Scot-
land," Inverness, pp. 57, 63.
21
ij. ig said, that one of the chiefs of Clan Cummin fell sick, and died at this spot, while on his way to visit some of his depen- dants.
^- See Forbes' "Kalendars of Bishop
Scottish Saints," Appendix to Preface, p.
The Lucianus here mentioned seems to be
the chief of two so holy martyrs
called, whose Acts are in the Bollandists, at th—is
we miss therefrom the
doubtless founded on some legend of him—
lix. , and
ARTICLE II. — Edited by
p. xvi.
;
date yet,
epithet Acta Sane-
p. 317.
recorded by St. /Enguss. See
**
xii.
Januarii,
p. 59. Ibid.
*
Rev. Dr.
Kelly,
696 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February24.
mistake has been admitted in the copy, taken from an original MS. , owing to a transcriber's error. It seems to us evident, that here there is a mingling of
"
h-mesa" should have been written " Hassea. " That she was a virgin, and of Aredfod, is stated by Marianus O'Gorman, as we learn from the Bollandists. "* The place, however, has not been identified. In the Martyrology of Donegal3 Heise, of Airidh-foda, is recorded as being venerated on this day. Where Airidh-fota was situated, we can hardly venture to decide. There was an Ard- Fothadh,4 the name of a royal fort, on a hill near Ballymagrorty,5 in the
parish of Drumhome, barony of Tirhugh,^ and county of Donegal. 7
Article III. —St. Ciaran or Kieranus, of Uamh, or Vameu. To the present saint, we ought doubtless ascribe the misplaced entry Ciaran, in the Martyrology of Tallagh. ^ Ciaran, of Uamh, is registered in the Martyr- ology of Donegal,^ as having a festival at this date. There are many deno- minations of places, in various parts of Ireland, having in composition the
two distinct names, which should have been kept distinct. Thus,
wordUa? nh,^whichmeans,acave,den,grave,coveoroven. * Wearetold, ""
that the cave was a religious building in early Christian Ireland, and that it was built in the earth, as may be learned from several passages in the Lives of the Saints. s It was sometimes hollowed out of a rock, and some- times formed there by nature. In Scotland, likewise, this religious use of the cave was known to its saints. ^
Article IV. —Reputed Festival of St. Berectus, a Monk, in Scot-
land. At the 24th of February, Petrus Galesinus, from some Manuscript Kalendars, has entered a St. Berectus. ^ Arnold Wion states, he was a monk,
and a confessor, in Scotia, who excelled in a saintly life, and as a preacher ;
" See "Acta Sanctorum," tomusiii. , Feb- ruariixxiv. Amongthepretermittedsaints, p. 429,
s it is noted on the " Ordnance Survey
TownlandMapsfortheCountyofDonegal," Sheet 103.
^ This ancient called territory, previously
Sc7'eth, was named from tiie father of Domh- nail, who was the son of Aedli, Tir Acdha, now Tirhugh. It is the extreme barony of
^ gee Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," v—ol. i,, n. (e), pp. 256, 257.
3 Edited
by
Drs. Todd and
Reeves, pp.
56, 57.
* This denomination does not appear
among the Irish townland names. In this
place, there is a conical hill, locally known Donegal on the south-west. See ibid.
by the name A'ar^tf«. Its apex is entrenched like a rath. It contains an ancient cemetery, which is now used only for the interment of
Article hi.
'
Edited
the Rev. Dr.
'^
unbaptized children. This is the Rath- Kelly, p. xvi.
"=
cunga in Campo Sereth mentioned by Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Tirechan, Liber Armachanus, fols. ii. , bb, 56, 57.
15 a b. Here died Domhnall, Monarch of Ireland. His obit, is recorded in Dr.
^ \x^ Irish, UAnn.
•SeeO'Reilly'sIrish-EnglishDictionary, sub voce.
O'Donovan's
"
Annals of the Four Masters,"
" «'
at A. C. 639 [recte 642]. After Domhnall, son of Aedli, son of Ainmire, had been 16
*
5
Thus, in that of St. Brendan, in the Book of Lismore,' Bishop Ere is repre-
in the
years sovereignty
he died
Brendan into a— sending peni-
of
at Ard-Fothadh, in Tir Aedha, after the
victory of penance, for he was a year in his mortal sickness ; and he used to receive the
body of Christ every Sunday," vol. i. , pp.
256, 257. The latter part of this entry vol. i. , part ii. Fourth Series. January,
seems to have been borrowed, from a pass- age in the ancient preface to the Affthra re- lative to St. Columba's conduct at Druim-
ceatt. See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adaftinan's
"
Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 10, n.
(e), p. 38.
Ireland,
"
See
sented as once
tential cave from night till morning. '
a commuuication of Mr. J. O'Beirne Crowe in "The Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland,"
1871, p. 329. ""
See James Walsh's History of the Catholic Church in Scotland," chap, vi. , pp.
93, 94. —' Article iv.
"
See Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 279.
by
February 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 697
but, more he could not find, regarding the holy man. ^ He is said to have flourished, during the reign of Mordac, the fifty-ninth King of the Scots. 3 He
is said to have died, a. d. 720. '^ Menard, Dorgan and Wilson note his festival, at this date. The Bollandistss have a suspicion, that Berectus may be identical witli Berachius, who is venerated on the 15th of this month. ^ At the 2-4th of February, the festival of Berectus, a monk, in Scotia, is entered by Camerarius and by Dempster. 7 The latter acknowledges, that he does not know when the present holy man flourished, although attributing to him a Book of Homilies on the Sacred Scriptures. ^
Article V. —St. Mocadoc or Cadoc. Among the disciples of St.
Patrick,^ Colgan enumerates one Mo-chatoc, Mochadoc or Cadoc, and a festival is ascribed to him, at the 24th of February. ^ Yet, from the reference given, we are led to regard him, rather as one of the seven disciples of St. Fiach,3 Bishop of Sletty. ^ He is said to have been of Inis-fail.
Article VI. —Festival of C^cilius or C^elius Sedulius.
[Eiflk Century. '] In the Spanish Martyrology, written by Tamaius Salazarius,' Caecilius or Cselius Sedulius,^ the distinguished Christian poet and writer, is said to have been Bishop of Oretana,3 in Spain, and to have been a saint.
The Bollandists,^ at this date, have the foregoing statements.
Ctoentp-'jfiftfe ®aj) of jfehruarp^
ARTICLE I. —ST. CIENAN, OR KENAN, ABBOT.
Other works are attributed to our saint. Thus, Dempster. states, that he
wrote a book in verse, having for its title, "Sanctorum Genealogias. "s^ Besides, this St. Cumine has a factitious renown attaching to his name, for a
letter to Segenius, the Abbot of lona, regarding the Paschal controversy. He employed, it is said, one whole year to deliberate on the view he should take of this case, and at last, he resolved on espousing the Roman computa- tion. This course brought him, it is thought, into collision with his brethren at Hy ; and, to defend his conclusions, he penned that celebrated letter, which treated on this subject. 53 However, the known circumstances of this saint's history forbid the conclusion, that he wrote such an Epistle ; and, we must seek out some other Cumine, to whom its authorship may be fairly attributed.
begins,
4° See ** Trias Thaumaturga," pp. 325 to 331.
words within brackets are in the later hand. " See also Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
'*^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. ,
Junii ix. De Sancto Columbte, &c. , pp. ^9 See Canisius' Lectiones AntiquDe,"
p. 325.
Tom. i. , lib. iii. , n. 5, p. 700.
so Mr. Hallam certainly mistakes in assert-
ing, that Cummineus' Life of St. Columba "is chiefly taken from that of Adamnan. " See his " History of the Middle Ages," vol. ii. , p. 350. (London, 1853. )
^i See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ix. ii. ,^
Junii. De Sancto Columba, (S:c. Com- 45 Pinkerton has reprinted Mabillon's mentarius prsevius, sect, ii. , num. 17, p.
"
185 to 189, with notes.
42 See " Trias
" Vita Prima
Thaumaturga.
S. Columbse, &c. , pp. 321 to 325, including
notes.
43 This had been taken from a manuscript
ofMirseus, at Antwerp.
44 See " Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Be-
nedicti," tomus i. , pp. 342 to 349.
Vit» Antiquae Sanctorum," &c. , 185. "
4^ It is possible, we have not yet recovered Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 323,
text, in
pp. 27 to 45. 52 See
Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
the genuine text. 47 See "Acta
.
p, 184.
S3 See it published in Ussher's "Veterum
Epistolarum Hibernicarum Sylloge," Epist. xi. , pp. 24 to 35.
tomus Junii ix. De Sancto Columbse, &c. , p.
185.
4** In a note
here,
Dr. Todd
says,
"The
Sanctorum,"
ii. ,
"
694 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February24.
Not only were tlie religious inmates at lona strongly wedded to the old
observance of Plaster, introduced by St. Columba, and that, too, during the time of this abbot ; but, even their affiliates in Northumbria maintained it
with a great degree of obstinacy, so much so, that St. Colman,54 who had strenuously contended with St. Wilfrid,s5 in the Synod at Streaneshalch, and who had been obliged to yield in that contest, returned to Scotia, a. d.
662. The following year, Gartnait, son to Domhnaill, King of the Picts, died; and,in664,St. Colman,thebishop,whohadretiredtoIreland,again returned to lonajS"^ where he remained, during four years. The great pesti- lence of the yellow plague, in Ireland, and the war of Luthofeirnn,s7 in Fortrinn or Pictinia, are recorded at the year just noticed. In 668, the passage of Gartnait's sons, with the people Scith. into Ireland, as also the
"
the Island of the White Cow," are noted. s^ Nothing more memorable seems to have preceded the departure of St. Cuimine Ailbhe. 5s> Surrounded by his clansmen and kins- men, in lona, this holy abbot was distinguished for his virtues, as likewise for
his learning.
On very doubtful authority, it has been said, that St. Cuimine Ailbe in-
troduced a reform among the monks at Iona. ^° This, however, seems to liave been formed on the unfounded assumption, that he endeavoured to in- troduce the Paschal rite there. St. Cummine presided over this flourishing community, as abbot, during twelve, or, as some writers state, for fourteen, years. It is quite unnecessary to observe, that he did not die so early as A. D. 590,^^ or 592,^^ for he does not seem to have been even born, at that period. Nor can a. d. 600 be admitted, as the date for his death f^ because, that series of events, connected with his career, must defer his demise to an epoch much later. Mirseus^+ and Fleming^s have notices of Cumianus or Cumeanus, Abbot of Hy. According to Cardinal Bellarmin,^^ he flourished A. D. 640. But, he also lived long after this time.
St. Cumine Ailbe departed this life, as is generally thought, on the 24th of February. The Annals of Clonmacnoise, it has been stated, place his death at the year 605, but 665^7 must have been intended, as the true entry. ^^ The Ulster Annals and those of the Four Masters,^;^ assign it to a. d. 668. 7°
According to the Annals of Tighernach, it happened a. d. 669 ;7i while, Ussher and Walsh adhere also to this computation. 7^ AH the Irish Calen-
dars, quoted by Colgan, agree in marking the 24th of February as the day of
return of St. Colman, the bishop, to Inis-bo-find, or
5* See his Life, at the 8th of August.
55 His feast occurs, at the I2th of October.
"
5* See Venerable Bcde's
;;iastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 26, p. 239, and lib, iv,, cap. 4, pp. 270, 271.
s' Tliis place has not been identified, by Chalmers. See "Caledonia," vol. i. , p. 210.
^^ These events are entered, however, at
"
A. D. 664, in the
Edited by William M. Hennessy, p. loi.
^' Accoiding to the English Martyrology.
^* In Auctario, de Scriptoribus Ecclesias. ticis, cap. clxxxviii. , p. 217.
HistoriaEccle-
Chronicon Scotorum,"
toribus Ecclesiasticis, p. 240.
*7 Seethe " ChroniconScotorum," Edited
by William M. Hennessy, p. loi.
^
In the manuscript copy, belonging to the Royal Irish Academy, we read at 665, " Comyn the White, Abbot of Hugh,"
s> See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's died. This is a translation into English by
" Life of St. Columba. " Additional notes,
(O), p. 373.
"'' See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Lliber-
niai," Februarii xxiv. De S. Cumineo sive
Cumeano, Abbate Hiensi, cap. xiii. , p. 410. ^^ Arnold Wion has this as the date, when
Connell M'Geoghagan.
'^ ''5ee Dr. O Donovan's Edition, vol. i. ,
siastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap.
xvii. , sect, viii. , n.
7' See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's
"Life of St. Columba. " Additional notes,
Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. (O), p. 376.
323, p. 184. 7=* See "Index Chronologicus," at A. u.
he flourished.
^"^ '*
Sec Dempster's Historia Ecclesiastica
*'
Collectanea Sacra. " See "Operum," tomus vii.
^=> In his
^"
De Scrip-
pp. 278 to 281, and n.
Il>id.
'° See, likewise, Dr. Lanigan's "Eccle-
(i).
108, pp. 37, 38.
February 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 695
his death. The entry, Cuimin find mac Fiachna mic Feradaigh, Abb. lae, is found in the Martyrology of Tallagh,73 at the same date. In the Martyr-
ologies of St. yEngiis,74 of Marianus O'Gorman, of Charles Maguire,75 and of Donegal,?
^ is recorded, on this day, the festival of Cuimmein Fionn, son of Ernan, son to Fiachna, Abbot of la Choluim Chille. Besides these notices, at the vii. of the March Kalends, which is the 24th of February, the Kalen- dar of Drummond states, that the Abbot Cummain, in Ireland, went to Christ. 77 Dempster, however, has his festival placed, at the 4th of April. 7^ In Scotland this holy abbot was highly venerated. 'I'hus, in the Dunkeld Litany, he is invoked as Cumminach. Some places there adopted him as special patron. The Church at Glenelg was called Killchuimin. In the vulgar language, Fort Augustus was called Kilchuiman. 79 There is a hill, called Suidh chuiman,^° and on the tojD there is a cairn,^^ in the parish of Boleskine and Abertarff. ^''
This holy man's ecclesiastical training may be said to have been com- pleted in the great School of lona, where he imbibed knowledge from the teaching of erudite professors, and where he learned sanctity from their holy lives. In this favoured retreat, his idea was to devote himself wholly to a hfe of seclusion and devotion. In the matured designs of God, however, such an apostolic man was not intended to lead a life of mere retirement ; for his administrative abilities and his eminent sanctity pointed him out to the brotherhood, as one eminently qualified, to continue the work of the illustrious Columba, and to edify his community, by perpetuating therein the spirit of the founder. Their holy superior conceived, that in proportion to the nearness, with which any object approached that which is perfect in ex-
cellence and beauty, in the same proportion was he bound to consider it as most excellent in itself, most lovely and most beautiful. This sentiment he applied to his own soul, and to the souls of others, in discipline and rule.
Article II. —St. Heise, or Hassea, Virgin, of Airidh-fota, or Aredfod. The entry of Ciaran h mesa, I. Airdfota, is inserted, in the
Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 24th of February. Probably, however, a
DCLXix. Ussher's " Britannicarum Eccle- torum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxiv. De siarum Antiquitates," p. 539. See James Sanctis Martyribus Nicomediensibus, &c. ,
'*
Walsh's
in Scotland," chap, vii. , p. 109.
pp. 460, 461. These holy persons sufTered at Nicomedia, in Bythinia.
75 See " Acta Sanctonim Hiber- Colgan's
73 Edited
Rev. Dr.
xvi.
Feilire," nise,"
History of the Catholic Church
by date,
ICnglish translation, h—as been furnished by
Professor O'Looney
Kelly, p. we read in the "
74 At this
the following stanza: the Irish, with its
n. 6, Februarii, n. 26, p. 41 1.
Also, xxiv.
):. 111. kt.
:
La iDAij' tuciAni
Cnuimchi^A c|\oc1i'OA •oeinnA -Abb I1-IA A n-eiAgriA
Cumme piro i:et)bA.
With the passion of Lucianus, A demon-persecuting priest : The accomplished abbot of Hi
(lona),
Cumine the fair, the mild.
"'^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
56, 57.
77 See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 6.
78 See " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. , 323,
p. 184.
79 See " Old Statistical Account of Scot-
land," vol. xx. , p. 20.
^° See " New Statisticnl Account of Scot-
land," Inverness, pp. 57, 63.
21
ij. ig said, that one of the chiefs of Clan Cummin fell sick, and died at this spot, while on his way to visit some of his depen- dants.
^- See Forbes' "Kalendars of Bishop
Scottish Saints," Appendix to Preface, p.
The Lucianus here mentioned seems to be
the chief of two so holy martyrs
called, whose Acts are in the Bollandists, at th—is
we miss therefrom the
doubtless founded on some legend of him—
lix. , and
ARTICLE II. — Edited by
p. xvi.
;
date yet,
epithet Acta Sane-
p. 317.
recorded by St. /Enguss. See
**
xii.
Januarii,
p. 59. Ibid.
*
Rev. Dr.
Kelly,
696 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February24.
mistake has been admitted in the copy, taken from an original MS. , owing to a transcriber's error. It seems to us evident, that here there is a mingling of
"
h-mesa" should have been written " Hassea. " That she was a virgin, and of Aredfod, is stated by Marianus O'Gorman, as we learn from the Bollandists. "* The place, however, has not been identified. In the Martyrology of Donegal3 Heise, of Airidh-foda, is recorded as being venerated on this day. Where Airidh-fota was situated, we can hardly venture to decide. There was an Ard- Fothadh,4 the name of a royal fort, on a hill near Ballymagrorty,5 in the
parish of Drumhome, barony of Tirhugh,^ and county of Donegal. 7
Article III. —St. Ciaran or Kieranus, of Uamh, or Vameu. To the present saint, we ought doubtless ascribe the misplaced entry Ciaran, in the Martyrology of Tallagh. ^ Ciaran, of Uamh, is registered in the Martyr- ology of Donegal,^ as having a festival at this date. There are many deno- minations of places, in various parts of Ireland, having in composition the
two distinct names, which should have been kept distinct. Thus,
wordUa? nh,^whichmeans,acave,den,grave,coveoroven. * Wearetold, ""
that the cave was a religious building in early Christian Ireland, and that it was built in the earth, as may be learned from several passages in the Lives of the Saints. s It was sometimes hollowed out of a rock, and some- times formed there by nature. In Scotland, likewise, this religious use of the cave was known to its saints. ^
Article IV. —Reputed Festival of St. Berectus, a Monk, in Scot-
land. At the 24th of February, Petrus Galesinus, from some Manuscript Kalendars, has entered a St. Berectus. ^ Arnold Wion states, he was a monk,
and a confessor, in Scotia, who excelled in a saintly life, and as a preacher ;
" See "Acta Sanctorum," tomusiii. , Feb- ruariixxiv. Amongthepretermittedsaints, p. 429,
s it is noted on the " Ordnance Survey
TownlandMapsfortheCountyofDonegal," Sheet 103.
^ This ancient called territory, previously
Sc7'eth, was named from tiie father of Domh- nail, who was the son of Aedli, Tir Acdha, now Tirhugh. It is the extreme barony of
^ gee Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," v—ol. i,, n. (e), pp. 256, 257.
3 Edited
by
Drs. Todd and
Reeves, pp.
56, 57.
* This denomination does not appear
among the Irish townland names. In this
place, there is a conical hill, locally known Donegal on the south-west. See ibid.
by the name A'ar^tf«. Its apex is entrenched like a rath. It contains an ancient cemetery, which is now used only for the interment of
Article hi.
'
Edited
the Rev. Dr.
'^
unbaptized children. This is the Rath- Kelly, p. xvi.
"=
cunga in Campo Sereth mentioned by Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Tirechan, Liber Armachanus, fols. ii. , bb, 56, 57.
15 a b. Here died Domhnall, Monarch of Ireland. His obit, is recorded in Dr.
^ \x^ Irish, UAnn.
•SeeO'Reilly'sIrish-EnglishDictionary, sub voce.
O'Donovan's
"
Annals of the Four Masters,"
" «'
at A. C. 639 [recte 642]. After Domhnall, son of Aedli, son of Ainmire, had been 16
*
5
Thus, in that of St. Brendan, in the Book of Lismore,' Bishop Ere is repre-
in the
years sovereignty
he died
Brendan into a— sending peni-
of
at Ard-Fothadh, in Tir Aedha, after the
victory of penance, for he was a year in his mortal sickness ; and he used to receive the
body of Christ every Sunday," vol. i. , pp.
256, 257. The latter part of this entry vol. i. , part ii. Fourth Series. January,
seems to have been borrowed, from a pass- age in the ancient preface to the Affthra re- lative to St. Columba's conduct at Druim-
ceatt. See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adaftinan's
"
Life of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. 10, n.
(e), p. 38.
Ireland,
"
See
sented as once
tential cave from night till morning. '
a commuuication of Mr. J. O'Beirne Crowe in "The Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland,"
1871, p. 329. ""
See James Walsh's History of the Catholic Church in Scotland," chap, vi. , pp.
93, 94. —' Article iv.
"
See Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 279.
by
February 25. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 697
but, more he could not find, regarding the holy man. ^ He is said to have flourished, during the reign of Mordac, the fifty-ninth King of the Scots. 3 He
is said to have died, a. d. 720. '^ Menard, Dorgan and Wilson note his festival, at this date. The Bollandistss have a suspicion, that Berectus may be identical witli Berachius, who is venerated on the 15th of this month. ^ At the 2-4th of February, the festival of Berectus, a monk, in Scotia, is entered by Camerarius and by Dempster. 7 The latter acknowledges, that he does not know when the present holy man flourished, although attributing to him a Book of Homilies on the Sacred Scriptures. ^
Article V. —St. Mocadoc or Cadoc. Among the disciples of St.
Patrick,^ Colgan enumerates one Mo-chatoc, Mochadoc or Cadoc, and a festival is ascribed to him, at the 24th of February. ^ Yet, from the reference given, we are led to regard him, rather as one of the seven disciples of St. Fiach,3 Bishop of Sletty. ^ He is said to have been of Inis-fail.
Article VI. —Festival of C^cilius or C^elius Sedulius.
[Eiflk Century. '] In the Spanish Martyrology, written by Tamaius Salazarius,' Caecilius or Cselius Sedulius,^ the distinguished Christian poet and writer, is said to have been Bishop of Oretana,3 in Spain, and to have been a saint.
The Bollandists,^ at this date, have the foregoing statements.
Ctoentp-'jfiftfe ®aj) of jfehruarp^
ARTICLE I. —ST. CIENAN, OR KENAN, ABBOT.
