Here, deem- John
ing him to be identical with Aedh, Bishop, January, in the First Volume of this i.
ing him to be identical with Aedh, Bishop, January, in the First Volume of this i.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v4
i.
, Diocese of Lis-
more, p. 161.
'"Thus Thomas Dempster writes: "I—n
Argadia Malachi Lismorensis episcopi. " Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 196.
102 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April io.
invention of Thomas Dempster himself. Of this holy man, it is recorded, that being advanced in years, the wisdom of God enlightened his spirit, and that he attained a plenitude of days and virtues.
Article VI. —St. Paternus, Recluse and Martyr, at Paderborn, IN Lower Saxony. SJLlevenih Century? ^ In the remarkable self-imolation of this faithful servant of Christ, we must admire his observance of what he deemed to be a duty, and adore the inscrutable ways, whereby Divine Provi- dence regulates the life of man. At the loth of April, Colgan's list discloses the present saint's name. ' It would seem, our national hagiologist had his Acts ready for publication, because being an Irish Scot, and celebrated by his countryman, the Blessed Marianus ScOtus,^ the Chronographer, his glori- ous death caused him to be greatly reverenced in Germany. This St. Paternus
'is called a Scot, and he is noticed in the Bollandists' colIection,3 where the circumstances related of him are set forth, in seven paragraphs. From all
we may reasonably infer, this celebrated recluse was born in Ireland, and pro- bably, about the commencement of the eleventh century. Whether he became a recluse in his own country, or not, is hardly known ; however, he seems to have left it, for the Continent, in order to adopt a course of life, attended with perfect self-denial, and practices of the greatest austerity. He travelled to Paderborn, in Germany, where a bishopric had been estabUshed, by the Emperor Charlemagne, about the close of the eighth century j-t while its cathedral was consecrated by Pope Leo III. ,s in person, during the year 796. Here, too, Charlemagne and other Emperors sometimes resided, and helddietsoftheEmpire. * ItsBishopbecamesuffragantotheArchbishopof Mentz, a sovereign of the country, and a Prince of the Empire, while he ruled with extensive privileges. ? The name of this city is said to have been derived, {xovxpader, "a rivulet," which rises just under the high altar of the
cathedral, and from born, "a spring. "^ century, walls were built about this city.
" " Theologus Lovaniensis. "
^° A Magno Macullone excriptum. Articlevl—' See"CatalogusActuum
Sanctorum quK MS. habentur, ordine Men- slum et Dierum. "
= See account of him, in our First Volume of this work, and at the 30th of January, Article xi.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Aprilis X. De B. Paterno Recluso, Paderbornte in Saxonia Inferior! . , pp. 896, 897.
« Near this city, Quintilius Varus, with the Roman army under his command, was totally routed by the Germans, under Arminius.
5 He ruled from a. d. 795 to 816. Sec Sir Harris Nicolas' " Chronology of History," p. 210.
'At Paderborn, Charlemagne held his first court, after the defeat of the Saxons. See Elisee Reclus' " Nouvelle Geographie Uni- verselle la Terre et les Hommes," tome iii. ,
•
chao. iii. , sect, vii. , p. 74' ? 'Seethe"EncyclopediaBritannica, vol.
xiii. , pp. 581, 582. Moore's Dublin Edition. * To this and other incidents connected
with it, Ferdinand, Bishop of Paderborn, Co-
In the beginning of the eleventh At the time of our saint's arrival.
Comes Pyrmontanus, alludes, in the following Latin Epigram : —
," Hie, ubi fons Paderse, media surgentis in urbe,
Ducovetus magni^nomen ab amne Padi ;
Marte diu ancipiti Carolus certare coactus,
Delegit castris consiliisque locum : Jussit et, his undis lustratam, subdere
gentem
Saxonicam vero colla superl)a Deo.
Hie Leo, Romana deductus ab urbe sacellum
Sacravit, primum Relligionis opus. Hie Sedes, longo, fuit, ordine deinde
secutis
Terrarum Dominis, inclyta, C:esa- ribus.
Virginis hie conjux, virgo Cunigunda, mariti,
Accepitmeritisregiasertacomis, Vastum aliussubeat septena per ostia
pontum,
Nobilius nuUus me caput amnis
adjutor
Monasteriensis, S. R. L, Princeps and
habet. "
April io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 103
there were two distinct monasteries in it ; one belonging to the bishop
of the place, and, probably, it was occupied, by a community of Cathe- dral Canons, while the other was in possession of a congregation of monks, to which Paternus belonged. In this very solitary place of abode, the Blessed Patemus lived for many years, quite retired from any commerce with the world. A year before his death, in a spirit of prophecy, he foretold a great fire, which should consume the city, where he dwelt, because of the sins of its
people. This occurred in the year 1058. In it, he also perished'; for, with the spirit of a martyr, Patemus refused safety, by a strict observance of his rule of life. 9 As a demonstration of his sanctity, the mat on which he slept escaped the flames ;'° and, it was afterwards held in great veneration, by the citizens of Paderbom. After his death, his sepulchre was illustrated by mira- cles," as Marianus Scotus relates. The latter pious Irishman had set out from Cologne, on Monday after the Octave of Easter, a. d. 1059, with a view of becoming an iiiclusus, at Fulda. He resolved to visit Paderbom, on the way ; and, he tells us, that then, in the very cell, where Blessed Patem lived, he prayed on that same mat, which had escaped the flames. By the constant tradition and piety of the people of Paderbom, St. Paternus had been re- garded from times remote, as one of the tutelary patrons of their city. His name is recorded, by many ^vrite^s and calendarists ; such as, by Trithemius, VVion, Dorgan, Menard, Bucelin, Ferarius, Wilson, Camerarius, Dempster, andSimonMartin. Yet,theknowledgeofPatem'splaceofsepulchrehad passed away from the menwry of the people, nor were his miracles distinctly remembered, in the latter times. Citing Arnold Wion, Dempster notices " the present saint, in his Calendar, at this date, and as belonging to Scotland. '3 In terms of high commendation, St. Peter Damien,''* a contemporary, men- tions this saint, in that apologetical Epistle he wrote, and (which referred toresigningtheEpiscopaloffice. Hisreflectionsarechieflyonthesubjectof Patem's devotion to duty, and on his leaving to the disposition of Divine Providencehisownlife,whileagreatpubliccalamitywasimpending. The result of his trust, as the holy Cardinal observes, should cause us to fear, rather than question, the judgments of God. While it can scarcely be doubt- ful, that a prophet, who had a knowledge of the approaching destruction of a burning city, should have no revelation regarding his own death; the human mind may well cease to wonder, at the depths and mystery of the Almighty's terrible punishments inflicted on men, and in which so holy a ser- vantpaidtheforfeitofhislife, whilesomanywereguiltyofcrimes,notex- piated by a tme change of heart.
Article VII. —St. Waldetrude's Coxjntess, and Wife of St. Vincent, of Castrilocus. \Snenth Century^ The feast ofSt. Waldetmde, Patroness of Mons, has been placed by Convxus, and in a Manuscript Bene- dictine Martyrology,' at tiic 10th of April. Notices of this holy woman will be found, on the day previous.
» Allusion is made to this occurrence, in Sigebert's Chronicle, as also in the "Specu- lum Historiale" of Viiicentius Bellovacensis, lib. XXV. , cap. xxxv.
functL"—Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scoitish Saints, p. 196.
'* His festival is kept, on the 23rd of Feb-
ruary. For the particulars of his Life, the
'"See Bishop Challoner's "Britannia reader may study "Storia di S. Pier Da-
Sancta," part i. , p. 217. miano e del suo Tempo," per Alfonso
"
work,"DeVirisIllustribusOrdinisS. Bene- Firenze,1862,l2m—o.
This IS stated, by Trithemius, in his Capecelatro, Prete dell" Oratorio di Napoli.
dicti," lib. iii. , cap. 324.
" In " Menologium Scotorum. "
•
Article vii. See the Bollandists'
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Aprilis x. Among the pretermitted Saints, p. 856.
"
nomento Inclusi, miraculoso exitu per-
'' Thus,
Fuldae Paterni monachi cog-
ip4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April ii. Article VIII. —Feast of St. Apollonius, Martyr, at Alexandria,
of St.
suffering
at the loth of April. This holy priest, with other courageous companions in martyrdom, suffered for the faith of Christ, and an account of them will be
found, in the Bollandists' great work,= at the same date.
Article IX. —Feast of St. Maidoc, Abbot of Fiddown, County OF Kilkenny. \Sixth Century. '] The festival of St. Maidoc, Abbot of Fid- down,iscelebratedonthisday,accordingtotheCalendarofCashel. Allu- sionhasbeenmadetohimalready,atthe23rdofMarch. HisActswillbe found, at the i8th of May ; while the 13th of August is stated, to have been another of his festivals.
(01ei)tnt() ©ap of apn'I.
ARTICLE I. —ST. MAEDHOG AEDHAN, OR MOGUE, ABBOT OF CLUAIN- MOR-MAEDHOG, NOW CLONMORE, COUNTY OF CARLOW.
{SIXTH CENTURY. ] CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—ENQUIRY ABOUT THE RACE AND BIRTH OF ST. MAEDHOG—HE ESTABLISHES A RELIGIOUS HOUSE AT CLONMORE—DESCRIPTION OF THIS PLACE— CAUSES LEADING TO THE BATTLE OF DUNBOLG.
the present holy Abbot's memory had been revered and cele-
The Feilire of St. ' records the cross or . ^ngns
Apollonius,
THAT at an
in the Irish
circumstances. His recorded name of Maidoc, or Moedoc," was originally
Aedhan ;= in Latin, itjwas JEdxavLS, and it has been Anglicised into . ^dan. TheIrishdiminutivewasAedh-og; and,byprefixingMo,ormy,wehaveMo- Aedh-og, or my young Aedh, hence comes Moedhog, or Mogue. Again, Momoedoc, Mionn Gaoidhel, or " my Maidoc, sacred pledge of the Irish," were words of endearment, applied to saints bearing this name. But, when
Article
vm. — • In the "Leabhar
Article i. —Chapter i. —' So is he
brated, early period,
is
Church, evident from various
Breac " Stokes :—
ClAOcll ApoLloin q\tiiitic1iii\ ^X^pciMfc coetnchAn foUiich Oi\on' eo <sinm fubaich Cuinna i«5t>A pomAich.
we find the
with the English translation of Whitley
the
Marianus O'Gorman, and of Maguire.
topy,
following entry,
called, by
Martyrologies of Tallagh, of
' Priest
sures are bartered. From Ross E6, delight- ful name, Cuanna royal, excellent. "
Apollonius'
cross for Christ's trea-
'See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Ap-
rilis X. De Sanctis Martyribus Alexandrinis votional prefix occurs in connexion with Apollonio Presb. Grano, Hilario, Donate, Aedh-og, I have not met it in connexion Concesso, Saturnino, pp, 862, 863. with Aedhan. I caimot tell the reason, but
' It is said to " signify
fire," by Mr. John M'Call. The distinguished Irish scholar, William M. Hennessy, M. R. I. A. , has in- formed the writer, that the patron of Clon- more was called Aedan, the diminutive of
or "
Aedh-og
appears in the compound form Maedhog,
Mo- " little the " mo " Aedh-og, my Aedh,"
forming the devotional prefix "my. " In a letter, he remarks : "Though Aedh-og and Aedhan are equivalent, and though the de-
Aedh and that ;
young Aedh,"
April ii. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 105
treating about another very distinguished saint, so called,^ we have already morefullydweltontheforegoingvariedetymons; and,wehavedrawnatten- tion to certain narratives, which may have a more direct reference to the personal history of the present holy man. However, as there were three saints,* bearing the name of Aedhan, or Maedoc, and who were very nearly contemporaries, in the absence of more ancient records, there can be no more embarrassing task for a student of Irish hagiology, than to fix their respective actions. 5 Colgan apparently had a Life of Abbot St. Maidoc, of Clonmore, ready for publication, at this day;* and, he promised, that at the nth of
The received opinion is, that St. Aedhan, or Moedoc, of Clonmore," was descended from Dunlang, who was King of Leinster, at the close of the third century. " In the old Book of the Borumha Laighean, the present holy man is called Aidus, son to Eugenius :" in the Life of St. Comgall,'3 he is named . iEdinus, i. e. , Aidanus, or . ^danus : by the' Martyrologies of Tallagh, Marianus O'Gorman and Maguire, he is called Maidoc. '* The Menologic
Genealogy of the Irish Saints enters his pedigree, in the foregoing sense;''
muchshouldbediscussed
notice his festival, as occurring at this date, in the Martyrology of Tallagh j but, they have evidently misprinted his name,' which was to be met with in the original.
April,
concerning
merely
I assnme that it was not so used, because it should fonn a word such as Maedhan or Maothan, the meaning of which could not be characteristic of the qualities of a saint in
ix. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 2.
' These are the words " Mardocus Hua Dnnlange in Cluain-Mor. "
" This is expressly stated, in Whitley Stokes' " Calendar of Oengus," by the Com- mentator remarking, at the name Cluain-Mor
the olden time. "
planations given "
He then refers to the ex- in Edward O'Reilly's
Maedoc, "
at the word : At the same time, I to admit, that I have found the
;
Moedoc hua
7 nihe moedoc fema," thus translated,
Irish-English Dictionary," maotan. Headds "
i.
Dunlaing dolaignib "
i. e. not "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy. " Irish Manuscript
series, part i. , p. xlix.
" Thus do I find his pedigree traced, in
No. 7, The Genealogy of the Ui Dunlaing,
the Ui Brian Cualann, and the Ui Mail, &c. ,
by Rev. Francis Shearman.
Here, deem- John
ing him to be identical with Aedh, Bishop, January, in the First Volume of this i. e. Aedan mac ua Dunlaing of Glendalach,
think it
name written Aedh, but it is in a Poem and names are sometimes written in Poems, in a mutilated way, owing to the necessities of metre. "—Letter, dated 71 Pembroke- road, 24th September, 1882.
Maedoc hua — of Leinster, and Dunlaing
right
' See the Lrfe of St. Aedan or Maidoc,
Patron and of Ferns, of • Bishop County
Wexford, chap, i. , and notes, at the 31st of
work.
* These are distinguished, as the Abbot
Maedhoc Mac Mame, the reputed founder of Clonmore, and firit Bishop of Ferns ; the second, Aedhan Mac Setna of Ferns, the so- called second bishop of this See ; and the third, Bishop Aedhan Ua Dulaing, son to Eoghan, and a new candidate for the honour of having been the founder of Clonmore.
5 Such are the observations of Mr. John
M'Caul, Patrick-street, Dublin, who has kindly furnished me with the result of his in-
venerated at the 7th of April, and living a. d. 598, he is reckoned to have been the sixty- seventh in descent from Mileadh, and to have been son of Eoghan, son to Bruighde, son of Nadboidhb, son of loUain, King of Leinster («><-« 460), son to Dunlang, King of Leinster [circa 450), son to Faelan, son of Oiiill, son to Dunlang, King of Leinster. Re- ference is made to the " Book of Leinster," fol. 245 ; but, it is remarked, that one or two generations are wanting, in the foregoing
which are the present Memoir.
largely
availed of in
"He "
is noted as, S. MaidocusdeClauin-
mor Moedhoc, filius Eugenii, filii Brudge, de
Acta Sanctonmi Hiberniae," xxxi. Januarii, Vita S. Maidoci. , Appendix, cap. i. , p, 221, and, also, n. 12, p. 277.
"3 At cap. liii. , in the Irish Life, His feast occurs, at the loth of May.
'< See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernis," viii. Februarii. , De S. Onchuone, n. II. , p. 277.
vestigations,
' See "
quae MS. habentur, ordine Mensium et Dierum. "
' See "Acta Sanctorum Hiliemiae," Feb- niriiviii. , De S. Onchuone Confessore, ex variis. , cap. viii. , and n. 11, p. 277. There, Colgan remarks, that he descended from the royal race of l. einster.
" See "Acta Sanctorum,"tomns ii. , Aprilis
Catalogus
Actuum Sanctorum
Bressalii Belach, II. de April. , quo
him. ' TheBollandists'
Maedoc of Ferns. "
enumeration. See
'"
Loca Patriciana," p. 138.
stirpe
Menolog. Geneal. , cap. 20. " See Colgan's
"
:
io6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April ii.
and, his family descent is to be found, likewise, in Dudley MacFirbis' Ge- nealogies. '* His genealogy as given here varies a little, from that found in the Martyrology of Tallagh,'? which makes Moedoc of Clonmore belong to the race of Dunlaing,'^ who was the son of Enna Nia; but, the difference is not great, as Bressail Belacli and Enna Nia were brothers, and both were the sons of Fiacha Baiceadha, son to Cathair Mor. 's The Martyrology of Donegalconfirmsthisaccount. Brig,daughterofCobthach,sontoCrim- thand, son of Enna Cendselach, is said to have been mother of Segine,^° of
Bishop Aedhan,^' and of Aedh, son to Ainmire, King of Ireland. ^" Maed- hog, and Aedh, son of Ainmire, monarch of Erin, had the same mother,'^ as the Borumha ^t states. Likewise, it is said, that St. Etchen, orjEcian,'^5 -was a
son of Briga,=' the mother of Aedh, son of Ainmire, monarch of Ireland, by Maine Eiges,'? her former husband,''^ and consequently that monarch was halfb—rothertoSt. Etchen. 's Wefind,3°both—MaineEigesandBrigatraced
3'
back but with some discrepancies detected eleven generations to Cucorb,
King of Leinster, the sixteenth in descent from Ugaine Mor. s^ Thus, the present St. Maedhog is said to have been half brother to Aid, son of Ain-
's In the "Naomshancus," at p. 727, is '' Mr. John M'Call has kindly made out written mAO'oos itiac eogAin of Clonmore for me the following pedigree from Dr.
(nth April).
'' See Eugene O'Curry's copy, belonging
to the Royal Irish Academy.
'' The Bdlandists add : As Irish Saints
are recorded, in the Martyrology of Tal- lagh.
'* He was King of Leinster, a. d. 241.
' He was Monarch of Ireland, A. D. 174. °° Venerated, it is thought, atjanuary 21st,
where a notice will be found, but where a difference of conjecture has been hazarded.
' The present saint, it is presumed.
" Letter of William M. Hennessy, to the
writer, and dated 71 Pembroke-road, 24th of September, 1882.
°3 " b|M5 injen chobc^ig, inic Cnitn-
chAinw, inic ent)A Cinj-eAlAig, tnAcliAip Tegine, epf. -AeOAiTi Agujx A. eo&. tnic <Jin-
Book of Lecan, fol.
a. i. , MS. note of William M. Hennessy, at this passage, in his copy of the Donegal
Martyrology.
"< In a note to the Donegal Martyrology,
" The tract so-called, which is a history of the Boromean Tribute. "
'5 The nth of February has been usually assigned for his feast.
'" The pedigree of this noble matron is
thus traced, by Mr. John M'Call, correcting some differences observed by Rev. Dr. Todd, in his "St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," Introduction, Appendix A, Table v. , pp.
Todd's Table, with some added notes of his own. The figures represent the generations
inij\e6, i\i5 ej\enn. "
103,
^* See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
Dr. Todd
says
:
254,255. Thefiguresrepresent—
—
calculated line from Mileadh
:
He was father to 86 Cobtach crom, Oilill, second son, Cobtach, ofArdlatrin, the father of 87 Briga mother of 88 Maidoc or Edan, 88 Bishop of Cluanmor Maedoc, of 88 Etchen, of Cluainfad, A. D. 577, and of 88 Seighan, of
Kilseighan.
the Rev. J. F. Shearman's list, than in Dr.
Todd's, thus occasioning seven missing links in the genealogy of Maidoc mac Maine, on the paternal side, and two more still as com- pared with the different calculations.
Dr. Todd's
84 Enna
the saints were evi- there are two more ICinsellach was father of 85 Crinthann, who generations in Aedan mac ua Dunlaing's, was baptized by St. Patrick, A. D. 448, and than in Briga's line. This latter nobly whose wife was Mell. He was killed 484. born lady was Maedoc's mother. Again, there are two more in Briga's line, in
as removed from Mileadh
:
—60 Mor, Ugaine
King of Ireland, father of 61 Laoghaire Lore,
king from 3649, A. M. to 3665. Here 2$
generations are wanting : O'Flaherty re-
duces them to 15. 76 Cucorb, King of
Leinsier from n3 A. D. to 119, and Ethna
his wife. Their son was 77 Messincorb father
to 78 Eochaid Lamderg, father of 79 Fothad,
father to 80 Eochaid Lamdoit. Some gene-
rations are wanting here, between Garchon, about A. D. 209 and Fincad, slain at the first battle of Graine, A. D. 484. 81 Fothad was father to 82 F'ergus Lamderg, father of 83 Maine Mac Eiges the poet. His sons were 84 Maedoc of Clonmore, 84 Etchen of Cluainlota, and 84 Seighan of Killseighan.
nis," Februarii xi. De S. Etchaenio Epis- copo Cluainfodensi, ex variis, cap. i. , and nn. Ito8,pp. 304to306.
°9 Are Maine Eiges, and Eugene, St. Miadoc of Clonmore 's fatlier, one and the same person, and were the two saints, bro- thers? or was their mother Briga married the third time, and were they only uterine brothers ? is a query proposed by Mr. M'Call.
3° In Rev. Dr. Todd's "Life of St.
Patrick," Appendix A to Introduction, Table
v. , and pp. 253 to 255.
3'
At the best, these genealogies are very
thus, dently contemporaries,
imperfect
though
April ii. ] LIVES QF THE IRISH SAINTS. 107
mire, monarch of Ireland. 33 From this instance, and from otherfcases re- corded, it would seem, that brothers bearing a similar name were to be found
frequently in the same family.
The birth of our saint took place, probably before the middle of the sixth
century,buttheyearisnotknown. Somedifficultieshavearisen,toascer-
Uin, if a St. Aedh,3-» Oengen, or Oilean, called also Maedoc Ua Dunlaing of theIsland,35couldnothavebeenidenticalwiththepresentSt. Maedoc. If resolved in the affirmative, this latter may be considered to have had a spe- cial connexion with Glendalough, and to have had distinct festivals, one at April 7th, the other, at the present date.
11>
Clonmore Cemetery, County of Carlow.
This holy . Abbot's chief house was situated, it is thought, at
the present Clonmore, in the Barony of Rathvilly, and County of Carlow,3* The exact year when it was founded has not been ascer- tained ; and now, there are no vestiges left of the ancient building.
^ He was King of Ireland from A. M. 3619
to 3649.
^^ See Dr. O'Donovan's summarized state-
ment from the Boromha Laighean, in note (h) to "Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland," by the Four Masters, vol. i. , p. 218.
^ His feast has been entered already, at
the 7th of April. According to Rev. John Francis Shearman's "Loca Pairiciana,' No.
7. Cathaoir Mor, King of Lcinster, from A. D. 173 to 177, and the 55th in descent from Mileadh, was his ancestor ; thus is the line
:
the Boromha Tribute to be exacted from the Leinstermen. Me was father of 60 Oilill, father to 61 Faelan, father of 62 Dunlaing K. L. ,whodiedbeforeA. D. 460. Hiswife was Cuach from the Hy-Bairclie. Their son was 63 lollam, baptized at Naas. by St. Patrick. loliam was father to 64 Nadboid, father of 65 Bruighde, father of 66 Eoghan (third son), father to 67 Aedan mac Ua Dun- laing of Glendalough ,vwtns A. D. 598, at the timeoftheBattleofDunbolg. See"The Genealogy of the Ui Dunlaing, the Ui
traced —55
Briuin
138- 35
and
the Ui
of Fiacha Baicheda, father to 57 Bresal Belach,
father of Enna 5S
father to Dun- 59
to have been the Island of Our Saviour, at Glendalough.
Cathaoir Mor, father
56
Cualann,
Mail," &c. , p.
Nia,
laing K. L.
more, p. 161.
'"Thus Thomas Dempster writes: "I—n
Argadia Malachi Lismorensis episcopi. " Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 196.
102 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April io.
invention of Thomas Dempster himself. Of this holy man, it is recorded, that being advanced in years, the wisdom of God enlightened his spirit, and that he attained a plenitude of days and virtues.
Article VI. —St. Paternus, Recluse and Martyr, at Paderborn, IN Lower Saxony. SJLlevenih Century? ^ In the remarkable self-imolation of this faithful servant of Christ, we must admire his observance of what he deemed to be a duty, and adore the inscrutable ways, whereby Divine Provi- dence regulates the life of man. At the loth of April, Colgan's list discloses the present saint's name. ' It would seem, our national hagiologist had his Acts ready for publication, because being an Irish Scot, and celebrated by his countryman, the Blessed Marianus ScOtus,^ the Chronographer, his glori- ous death caused him to be greatly reverenced in Germany. This St. Paternus
'is called a Scot, and he is noticed in the Bollandists' colIection,3 where the circumstances related of him are set forth, in seven paragraphs. From all
we may reasonably infer, this celebrated recluse was born in Ireland, and pro- bably, about the commencement of the eleventh century. Whether he became a recluse in his own country, or not, is hardly known ; however, he seems to have left it, for the Continent, in order to adopt a course of life, attended with perfect self-denial, and practices of the greatest austerity. He travelled to Paderborn, in Germany, where a bishopric had been estabUshed, by the Emperor Charlemagne, about the close of the eighth century j-t while its cathedral was consecrated by Pope Leo III. ,s in person, during the year 796. Here, too, Charlemagne and other Emperors sometimes resided, and helddietsoftheEmpire. * ItsBishopbecamesuffragantotheArchbishopof Mentz, a sovereign of the country, and a Prince of the Empire, while he ruled with extensive privileges. ? The name of this city is said to have been derived, {xovxpader, "a rivulet," which rises just under the high altar of the
cathedral, and from born, "a spring. "^ century, walls were built about this city.
" " Theologus Lovaniensis. "
^° A Magno Macullone excriptum. Articlevl—' See"CatalogusActuum
Sanctorum quK MS. habentur, ordine Men- slum et Dierum. "
= See account of him, in our First Volume of this work, and at the 30th of January, Article xi.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Aprilis X. De B. Paterno Recluso, Paderbornte in Saxonia Inferior! . , pp. 896, 897.
« Near this city, Quintilius Varus, with the Roman army under his command, was totally routed by the Germans, under Arminius.
5 He ruled from a. d. 795 to 816. Sec Sir Harris Nicolas' " Chronology of History," p. 210.
'At Paderborn, Charlemagne held his first court, after the defeat of the Saxons. See Elisee Reclus' " Nouvelle Geographie Uni- verselle la Terre et les Hommes," tome iii. ,
•
chao. iii. , sect, vii. , p. 74' ? 'Seethe"EncyclopediaBritannica, vol.
xiii. , pp. 581, 582. Moore's Dublin Edition. * To this and other incidents connected
with it, Ferdinand, Bishop of Paderborn, Co-
In the beginning of the eleventh At the time of our saint's arrival.
Comes Pyrmontanus, alludes, in the following Latin Epigram : —
," Hie, ubi fons Paderse, media surgentis in urbe,
Ducovetus magni^nomen ab amne Padi ;
Marte diu ancipiti Carolus certare coactus,
Delegit castris consiliisque locum : Jussit et, his undis lustratam, subdere
gentem
Saxonicam vero colla superl)a Deo.
Hie Leo, Romana deductus ab urbe sacellum
Sacravit, primum Relligionis opus. Hie Sedes, longo, fuit, ordine deinde
secutis
Terrarum Dominis, inclyta, C:esa- ribus.
Virginis hie conjux, virgo Cunigunda, mariti,
Accepitmeritisregiasertacomis, Vastum aliussubeat septena per ostia
pontum,
Nobilius nuUus me caput amnis
adjutor
Monasteriensis, S. R. L, Princeps and
habet. "
April io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 103
there were two distinct monasteries in it ; one belonging to the bishop
of the place, and, probably, it was occupied, by a community of Cathe- dral Canons, while the other was in possession of a congregation of monks, to which Paternus belonged. In this very solitary place of abode, the Blessed Patemus lived for many years, quite retired from any commerce with the world. A year before his death, in a spirit of prophecy, he foretold a great fire, which should consume the city, where he dwelt, because of the sins of its
people. This occurred in the year 1058. In it, he also perished'; for, with the spirit of a martyr, Patemus refused safety, by a strict observance of his rule of life. 9 As a demonstration of his sanctity, the mat on which he slept escaped the flames ;'° and, it was afterwards held in great veneration, by the citizens of Paderbom. After his death, his sepulchre was illustrated by mira- cles," as Marianus Scotus relates. The latter pious Irishman had set out from Cologne, on Monday after the Octave of Easter, a. d. 1059, with a view of becoming an iiiclusus, at Fulda. He resolved to visit Paderbom, on the way ; and, he tells us, that then, in the very cell, where Blessed Patem lived, he prayed on that same mat, which had escaped the flames. By the constant tradition and piety of the people of Paderbom, St. Paternus had been re- garded from times remote, as one of the tutelary patrons of their city. His name is recorded, by many ^vrite^s and calendarists ; such as, by Trithemius, VVion, Dorgan, Menard, Bucelin, Ferarius, Wilson, Camerarius, Dempster, andSimonMartin. Yet,theknowledgeofPatem'splaceofsepulchrehad passed away from the menwry of the people, nor were his miracles distinctly remembered, in the latter times. Citing Arnold Wion, Dempster notices " the present saint, in his Calendar, at this date, and as belonging to Scotland. '3 In terms of high commendation, St. Peter Damien,''* a contemporary, men- tions this saint, in that apologetical Epistle he wrote, and (which referred toresigningtheEpiscopaloffice. Hisreflectionsarechieflyonthesubjectof Patem's devotion to duty, and on his leaving to the disposition of Divine Providencehisownlife,whileagreatpubliccalamitywasimpending. The result of his trust, as the holy Cardinal observes, should cause us to fear, rather than question, the judgments of God. While it can scarcely be doubt- ful, that a prophet, who had a knowledge of the approaching destruction of a burning city, should have no revelation regarding his own death; the human mind may well cease to wonder, at the depths and mystery of the Almighty's terrible punishments inflicted on men, and in which so holy a ser- vantpaidtheforfeitofhislife, whilesomanywereguiltyofcrimes,notex- piated by a tme change of heart.
Article VII. —St. Waldetrude's Coxjntess, and Wife of St. Vincent, of Castrilocus. \Snenth Century^ The feast ofSt. Waldetmde, Patroness of Mons, has been placed by Convxus, and in a Manuscript Bene- dictine Martyrology,' at tiic 10th of April. Notices of this holy woman will be found, on the day previous.
» Allusion is made to this occurrence, in Sigebert's Chronicle, as also in the "Specu- lum Historiale" of Viiicentius Bellovacensis, lib. XXV. , cap. xxxv.
functL"—Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scoitish Saints, p. 196.
'* His festival is kept, on the 23rd of Feb-
ruary. For the particulars of his Life, the
'"See Bishop Challoner's "Britannia reader may study "Storia di S. Pier Da-
Sancta," part i. , p. 217. miano e del suo Tempo," per Alfonso
"
work,"DeVirisIllustribusOrdinisS. Bene- Firenze,1862,l2m—o.
This IS stated, by Trithemius, in his Capecelatro, Prete dell" Oratorio di Napoli.
dicti," lib. iii. , cap. 324.
" In " Menologium Scotorum. "
•
Article vii. See the Bollandists'
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Aprilis x. Among the pretermitted Saints, p. 856.
"
nomento Inclusi, miraculoso exitu per-
'' Thus,
Fuldae Paterni monachi cog-
ip4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April ii. Article VIII. —Feast of St. Apollonius, Martyr, at Alexandria,
of St.
suffering
at the loth of April. This holy priest, with other courageous companions in martyrdom, suffered for the faith of Christ, and an account of them will be
found, in the Bollandists' great work,= at the same date.
Article IX. —Feast of St. Maidoc, Abbot of Fiddown, County OF Kilkenny. \Sixth Century. '] The festival of St. Maidoc, Abbot of Fid- down,iscelebratedonthisday,accordingtotheCalendarofCashel. Allu- sionhasbeenmadetohimalready,atthe23rdofMarch. HisActswillbe found, at the i8th of May ; while the 13th of August is stated, to have been another of his festivals.
(01ei)tnt() ©ap of apn'I.
ARTICLE I. —ST. MAEDHOG AEDHAN, OR MOGUE, ABBOT OF CLUAIN- MOR-MAEDHOG, NOW CLONMORE, COUNTY OF CARLOW.
{SIXTH CENTURY. ] CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—ENQUIRY ABOUT THE RACE AND BIRTH OF ST. MAEDHOG—HE ESTABLISHES A RELIGIOUS HOUSE AT CLONMORE—DESCRIPTION OF THIS PLACE— CAUSES LEADING TO THE BATTLE OF DUNBOLG.
the present holy Abbot's memory had been revered and cele-
The Feilire of St. ' records the cross or . ^ngns
Apollonius,
THAT at an
in the Irish
circumstances. His recorded name of Maidoc, or Moedoc," was originally
Aedhan ;= in Latin, itjwas JEdxavLS, and it has been Anglicised into . ^dan. TheIrishdiminutivewasAedh-og; and,byprefixingMo,ormy,wehaveMo- Aedh-og, or my young Aedh, hence comes Moedhog, or Mogue. Again, Momoedoc, Mionn Gaoidhel, or " my Maidoc, sacred pledge of the Irish," were words of endearment, applied to saints bearing this name. But, when
Article
vm. — • In the "Leabhar
Article i. —Chapter i. —' So is he
brated, early period,
is
Church, evident from various
Breac " Stokes :—
ClAOcll ApoLloin q\tiiitic1iii\ ^X^pciMfc coetnchAn foUiich Oi\on' eo <sinm fubaich Cuinna i«5t>A pomAich.
we find the
with the English translation of Whitley
the
Marianus O'Gorman, and of Maguire.
topy,
following entry,
called, by
Martyrologies of Tallagh, of
' Priest
sures are bartered. From Ross E6, delight- ful name, Cuanna royal, excellent. "
Apollonius'
cross for Christ's trea-
'See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Ap-
rilis X. De Sanctis Martyribus Alexandrinis votional prefix occurs in connexion with Apollonio Presb. Grano, Hilario, Donate, Aedh-og, I have not met it in connexion Concesso, Saturnino, pp, 862, 863. with Aedhan. I caimot tell the reason, but
' It is said to " signify
fire," by Mr. John M'Call. The distinguished Irish scholar, William M. Hennessy, M. R. I. A. , has in- formed the writer, that the patron of Clon- more was called Aedan, the diminutive of
or "
Aedh-og
appears in the compound form Maedhog,
Mo- " little the " mo " Aedh-og, my Aedh,"
forming the devotional prefix "my. " In a letter, he remarks : "Though Aedh-og and Aedhan are equivalent, and though the de-
Aedh and that ;
young Aedh,"
April ii. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 105
treating about another very distinguished saint, so called,^ we have already morefullydweltontheforegoingvariedetymons; and,wehavedrawnatten- tion to certain narratives, which may have a more direct reference to the personal history of the present holy man. However, as there were three saints,* bearing the name of Aedhan, or Maedoc, and who were very nearly contemporaries, in the absence of more ancient records, there can be no more embarrassing task for a student of Irish hagiology, than to fix their respective actions. 5 Colgan apparently had a Life of Abbot St. Maidoc, of Clonmore, ready for publication, at this day;* and, he promised, that at the nth of
The received opinion is, that St. Aedhan, or Moedoc, of Clonmore," was descended from Dunlang, who was King of Leinster, at the close of the third century. " In the old Book of the Borumha Laighean, the present holy man is called Aidus, son to Eugenius :" in the Life of St. Comgall,'3 he is named . iEdinus, i. e. , Aidanus, or . ^danus : by the' Martyrologies of Tallagh, Marianus O'Gorman and Maguire, he is called Maidoc. '* The Menologic
Genealogy of the Irish Saints enters his pedigree, in the foregoing sense;''
muchshouldbediscussed
notice his festival, as occurring at this date, in the Martyrology of Tallagh j but, they have evidently misprinted his name,' which was to be met with in the original.
April,
concerning
merely
I assnme that it was not so used, because it should fonn a word such as Maedhan or Maothan, the meaning of which could not be characteristic of the qualities of a saint in
ix. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 2.
' These are the words " Mardocus Hua Dnnlange in Cluain-Mor. "
" This is expressly stated, in Whitley Stokes' " Calendar of Oengus," by the Com- mentator remarking, at the name Cluain-Mor
the olden time. "
planations given "
He then refers to the ex- in Edward O'Reilly's
Maedoc, "
at the word : At the same time, I to admit, that I have found the
;
Moedoc hua
7 nihe moedoc fema," thus translated,
Irish-English Dictionary," maotan. Headds "
i.
Dunlaing dolaignib "
i. e. not "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy. " Irish Manuscript
series, part i. , p. xlix.
" Thus do I find his pedigree traced, in
No. 7, The Genealogy of the Ui Dunlaing,
the Ui Brian Cualann, and the Ui Mail, &c. ,
by Rev. Francis Shearman.
Here, deem- John
ing him to be identical with Aedh, Bishop, January, in the First Volume of this i. e. Aedan mac ua Dunlaing of Glendalach,
think it
name written Aedh, but it is in a Poem and names are sometimes written in Poems, in a mutilated way, owing to the necessities of metre. "—Letter, dated 71 Pembroke- road, 24th September, 1882.
Maedoc hua — of Leinster, and Dunlaing
right
' See the Lrfe of St. Aedan or Maidoc,
Patron and of Ferns, of • Bishop County
Wexford, chap, i. , and notes, at the 31st of
work.
* These are distinguished, as the Abbot
Maedhoc Mac Mame, the reputed founder of Clonmore, and firit Bishop of Ferns ; the second, Aedhan Mac Setna of Ferns, the so- called second bishop of this See ; and the third, Bishop Aedhan Ua Dulaing, son to Eoghan, and a new candidate for the honour of having been the founder of Clonmore.
5 Such are the observations of Mr. John
M'Caul, Patrick-street, Dublin, who has kindly furnished me with the result of his in-
venerated at the 7th of April, and living a. d. 598, he is reckoned to have been the sixty- seventh in descent from Mileadh, and to have been son of Eoghan, son to Bruighde, son of Nadboidhb, son of loUain, King of Leinster («><-« 460), son to Dunlang, King of Leinster [circa 450), son to Faelan, son of Oiiill, son to Dunlang, King of Leinster. Re- ference is made to the " Book of Leinster," fol. 245 ; but, it is remarked, that one or two generations are wanting, in the foregoing
which are the present Memoir.
largely
availed of in
"He "
is noted as, S. MaidocusdeClauin-
mor Moedhoc, filius Eugenii, filii Brudge, de
Acta Sanctonmi Hiberniae," xxxi. Januarii, Vita S. Maidoci. , Appendix, cap. i. , p, 221, and, also, n. 12, p. 277.
"3 At cap. liii. , in the Irish Life, His feast occurs, at the loth of May.
'< See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernis," viii. Februarii. , De S. Onchuone, n. II. , p. 277.
vestigations,
' See "
quae MS. habentur, ordine Mensium et Dierum. "
' See "Acta Sanctorum Hiliemiae," Feb- niriiviii. , De S. Onchuone Confessore, ex variis. , cap. viii. , and n. 11, p. 277. There, Colgan remarks, that he descended from the royal race of l. einster.
" See "Acta Sanctorum,"tomns ii. , Aprilis
Catalogus
Actuum Sanctorum
Bressalii Belach, II. de April. , quo
him. ' TheBollandists'
Maedoc of Ferns. "
enumeration. See
'"
Loca Patriciana," p. 138.
stirpe
Menolog. Geneal. , cap. 20. " See Colgan's
"
:
io6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [April ii.
and, his family descent is to be found, likewise, in Dudley MacFirbis' Ge- nealogies. '* His genealogy as given here varies a little, from that found in the Martyrology of Tallagh,'? which makes Moedoc of Clonmore belong to the race of Dunlaing,'^ who was the son of Enna Nia; but, the difference is not great, as Bressail Belacli and Enna Nia were brothers, and both were the sons of Fiacha Baiceadha, son to Cathair Mor. 's The Martyrology of Donegalconfirmsthisaccount. Brig,daughterofCobthach,sontoCrim- thand, son of Enna Cendselach, is said to have been mother of Segine,^° of
Bishop Aedhan,^' and of Aedh, son to Ainmire, King of Ireland. ^" Maed- hog, and Aedh, son of Ainmire, monarch of Erin, had the same mother,'^ as the Borumha ^t states. Likewise, it is said, that St. Etchen, orjEcian,'^5 -was a
son of Briga,=' the mother of Aedh, son of Ainmire, monarch of Ireland, by Maine Eiges,'? her former husband,''^ and consequently that monarch was halfb—rothertoSt. Etchen. 's Wefind,3°both—MaineEigesandBrigatraced
3'
back but with some discrepancies detected eleven generations to Cucorb,
King of Leinster, the sixteenth in descent from Ugaine Mor. s^ Thus, the present St. Maedhog is said to have been half brother to Aid, son of Ain-
's In the "Naomshancus," at p. 727, is '' Mr. John M'Call has kindly made out written mAO'oos itiac eogAin of Clonmore for me the following pedigree from Dr.
(nth April).
'' See Eugene O'Curry's copy, belonging
to the Royal Irish Academy.
'' The Bdlandists add : As Irish Saints
are recorded, in the Martyrology of Tal- lagh.
'* He was King of Leinster, a. d. 241.
' He was Monarch of Ireland, A. D. 174. °° Venerated, it is thought, atjanuary 21st,
where a notice will be found, but where a difference of conjecture has been hazarded.
' The present saint, it is presumed.
" Letter of William M. Hennessy, to the
writer, and dated 71 Pembroke-road, 24th of September, 1882.
°3 " b|M5 injen chobc^ig, inic Cnitn-
chAinw, inic ent)A Cinj-eAlAig, tnAcliAip Tegine, epf. -AeOAiTi Agujx A. eo&. tnic <Jin-
Book of Lecan, fol.
a. i. , MS. note of William M. Hennessy, at this passage, in his copy of the Donegal
Martyrology.
"< In a note to the Donegal Martyrology,
" The tract so-called, which is a history of the Boromean Tribute. "
'5 The nth of February has been usually assigned for his feast.
'" The pedigree of this noble matron is
thus traced, by Mr. John M'Call, correcting some differences observed by Rev. Dr. Todd, in his "St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland," Introduction, Appendix A, Table v. , pp.
Todd's Table, with some added notes of his own. The figures represent the generations
inij\e6, i\i5 ej\enn. "
103,
^* See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
Dr. Todd
says
:
254,255. Thefiguresrepresent—
—
calculated line from Mileadh
:
He was father to 86 Cobtach crom, Oilill, second son, Cobtach, ofArdlatrin, the father of 87 Briga mother of 88 Maidoc or Edan, 88 Bishop of Cluanmor Maedoc, of 88 Etchen, of Cluainfad, A. D. 577, and of 88 Seighan, of
Kilseighan.
the Rev. J. F. Shearman's list, than in Dr.
Todd's, thus occasioning seven missing links in the genealogy of Maidoc mac Maine, on the paternal side, and two more still as com- pared with the different calculations.
Dr. Todd's
84 Enna
the saints were evi- there are two more ICinsellach was father of 85 Crinthann, who generations in Aedan mac ua Dunlaing's, was baptized by St. Patrick, A. D. 448, and than in Briga's line. This latter nobly whose wife was Mell. He was killed 484. born lady was Maedoc's mother. Again, there are two more in Briga's line, in
as removed from Mileadh
:
—60 Mor, Ugaine
King of Ireland, father of 61 Laoghaire Lore,
king from 3649, A. M. to 3665. Here 2$
generations are wanting : O'Flaherty re-
duces them to 15. 76 Cucorb, King of
Leinsier from n3 A. D. to 119, and Ethna
his wife. Their son was 77 Messincorb father
to 78 Eochaid Lamderg, father of 79 Fothad,
father to 80 Eochaid Lamdoit. Some gene-
rations are wanting here, between Garchon, about A. D. 209 and Fincad, slain at the first battle of Graine, A. D. 484. 81 Fothad was father to 82 F'ergus Lamderg, father of 83 Maine Mac Eiges the poet. His sons were 84 Maedoc of Clonmore, 84 Etchen of Cluainlota, and 84 Seighan of Killseighan.
nis," Februarii xi. De S. Etchaenio Epis- copo Cluainfodensi, ex variis, cap. i. , and nn. Ito8,pp. 304to306.
°9 Are Maine Eiges, and Eugene, St. Miadoc of Clonmore 's fatlier, one and the same person, and were the two saints, bro- thers? or was their mother Briga married the third time, and were they only uterine brothers ? is a query proposed by Mr. M'Call.
3° In Rev. Dr. Todd's "Life of St.
Patrick," Appendix A to Introduction, Table
v. , and pp. 253 to 255.
3'
At the best, these genealogies are very
thus, dently contemporaries,
imperfect
though
April ii. ] LIVES QF THE IRISH SAINTS. 107
mire, monarch of Ireland. 33 From this instance, and from otherfcases re- corded, it would seem, that brothers bearing a similar name were to be found
frequently in the same family.
The birth of our saint took place, probably before the middle of the sixth
century,buttheyearisnotknown. Somedifficultieshavearisen,toascer-
Uin, if a St. Aedh,3-» Oengen, or Oilean, called also Maedoc Ua Dunlaing of theIsland,35couldnothavebeenidenticalwiththepresentSt. Maedoc. If resolved in the affirmative, this latter may be considered to have had a spe- cial connexion with Glendalough, and to have had distinct festivals, one at April 7th, the other, at the present date.
11>
Clonmore Cemetery, County of Carlow.
This holy . Abbot's chief house was situated, it is thought, at
the present Clonmore, in the Barony of Rathvilly, and County of Carlow,3* The exact year when it was founded has not been ascer- tained ; and now, there are no vestiges left of the ancient building.
^ He was King of Ireland from A. M. 3619
to 3649.
^^ See Dr. O'Donovan's summarized state-
ment from the Boromha Laighean, in note (h) to "Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland," by the Four Masters, vol. i. , p. 218.
^ His feast has been entered already, at
the 7th of April. According to Rev. John Francis Shearman's "Loca Pairiciana,' No.
7. Cathaoir Mor, King of Lcinster, from A. D. 173 to 177, and the 55th in descent from Mileadh, was his ancestor ; thus is the line
:
the Boromha Tribute to be exacted from the Leinstermen. Me was father of 60 Oilill, father to 61 Faelan, father of 62 Dunlaing K. L. ,whodiedbeforeA. D. 460. Hiswife was Cuach from the Hy-Bairclie. Their son was 63 lollam, baptized at Naas. by St. Patrick. loliam was father to 64 Nadboid, father of 65 Bruighde, father of 66 Eoghan (third son), father to 67 Aedan mac Ua Dun- laing of Glendalough ,vwtns A. D. 598, at the timeoftheBattleofDunbolg. See"The Genealogy of the Ui Dunlaing, the Ui
traced —55
Briuin
138- 35
and
the Ui
of Fiacha Baicheda, father to 57 Bresal Belach,
father of Enna 5S
father to Dun- 59
to have been the Island of Our Saviour, at Glendalough.
Cathaoir Mor, father
56
Cualann,
Mail," &c. , p.
Nia,
laing K. L.
