No More Learning

About the close of our saint's career, as his Acts narrate, a holy man
namedMocherog 62—who was by birth a Briton—seems to have had intimate spiritualrelationshipwiththeillustriousAbbot. Weareinformed,thathiscell
56 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii iii. Vita S. Coemgeni, cap. vi. , num. 46, 47, pp. 321, 322.
Beheading and hanging appear to have been the most common modes for taking life,
to expiate capital offences.
6l See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Junii
iii. Vita S. Coemgeni, cap. vi. , num. 48, p. 322.
57 The drawing of Glendalough, by Dr. "
Wynne, and published in Grose's
Antiqui- ties of Ireland," p. 96, assumes to present several of the old churches, but without cor-
62
There is a St. — or Mochua- Mochiarog
rect perspective, and probably with inaccu- racies of delineation, which so greatly dis- figure that fine pictorial work. Its antiqui- ties and illustrations are not always reliable.
s8 It had been cut down, by a neighbour- ing landed proprietor ; while some fragments of it had been procured and preserved in the summer of 1855, when the writer first visited
Glendalough.
59 This plain was in the level county of
Kildare ; but, the exact locality is not
specified.
60 Crucifixion was the kind of death,
sought to be inflicted, according to our saint's Acts ; and, in another instance, here, we find allusion to a similar cruel punishment. Yet, it is extremely doubtful, if such revolting executions ever took place, at least after the introduction of Christianity, into our Island.
rogof Doire —Echdroma this locality being undiscovered and his feast occurs at the 7th of May, where some account of him may be found in the Fifth Volume of this work, at that date, Art. ii. There was also a St. Mochorog, son of Brachan, of Deirgne, venerated at the 23rd of December ; and, as he was a Briton, there can hardly be a doubt, that he may be identified with the present holy man. Deirgne has been inter- preted to be identical with Delgany, in the countyofWicklow. TheRev. Dr. Lanigan observes, it can scarcely be doubted, this was St. Mogoroc of Delgany. "And hence we
see, th—at this saint lived in the seventh cen- "
tury. " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, x. , num. 159, p. 49. Yet, Delgany lies, some miles north-east- wards from Glendalough.
June 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 65
lay eastwards from Glendalough. Owing to the position here indicated, an
opinion has been generally entertained, that its locality may be on the site of 6
the present ruined church, called Tempul na Trinoite, 3 or Church of the
Trinity,
6* the most eastern of the
group
of what are known as ** the popularly
SevenChurchesofGlendalough. " Itissituated,inthemoreopenpartofthe
valley, and on a rising bank, at the north side of the Glendasan River. It
had been called the Ivy Church, from being enveloped in the umbrage 6s of
that " decorator. "66 It was built of undressed mica with
glorious green slate, good-sized stones, especially near the bottom of the wall. The chancel quoins
and some blocks of a similar stone are in the walls. 6? It was the most perfect in the valley, but the trees were beginning to destroy the walls,
are
previous to the late restorations.
granite,
wall. ? * chancel
Tempul an Trinoite, Glendalough.
The chancel was 13 feet, 6 inches, long, by 9 feet wide. ? 5 A fine
arch,?
6 with dressed blocks of
granite stone,
divides the nave from
63 There is a description of this old church, with two autotypes, and two woodcut illus- trations, in "Notes on Irish Architecture," by Edwin, third Earl of Dunraven, edited by Miss Stokes, vol. i. , pp. 98 to 101.
64 This is thought to have been a title,
not originally given to it.
65 See Rev. Dr. Ledwich's "Antiquities
it from Trinity Church, pp. 38, 41.
66 See Sir William R. Wilde's " Memoir of Gabriel Beranger, and his Labours in the Cause of Irish Art, Literature, and Antiqui- ties from 1760 to 1780, with Illustrations," in "The Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland,"
vol. ii. , part ii. , Fourth Series, p. 457.
6? One of these, in the south wall of the
of Ireland ;" but, he
Vol. VI. —No. 2.
incorrectly distinguishes
The south nave window was considerably distorted by them, and some of its stones had been forcedout. Thecen- tral voussoir of the fine chancel arch had
considerably. The square building at the west end, which
originally carried a Round Tower,68 was
very ruinous,' and the curious south door- way 6o of the nave had become a shape- less breach. ? Oflate years, some efforts have been made
sank
to arrest
Trinity Church shows a nave and a chan- cel,72 running a little to the south of east. ? 3 In the clear, the nave is 29 feet, 6 inches, by 1 7 feet, 6 inches ; and, in addition to its doors, it was
lighted by a small round-headed win- dow, in the south-east
1 decay. ?
66 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 3.
the choir. Formerly, a Round Tower Belfry surmounted the western end of
the building ; but, as the foundations, which are square,? ? had not been incor- porated with the church, these are supposed to have been laid and built upon, subsequently to the original structure. ? 8 The remains of an arch are to be seen, which formerly supported the Round Tower Belfry ;? ° while an old doorway, with a square head, enters it from the interior. 80 In the
81
first instance, it would seem, that Archdall, with other mistakes, had set
downTrinityChurchandIvyChurch,astwodistinctchurches; whilethismis- take has been copied by Ledwich,82 and by Grose. 83 However, this is a most
egregious blunder, as Trinity Church has been called the Ivy Church, on account of the profuse growth of that creeping plant over its ruins. 8* The original doorway 8 5 is in the west end of the nave, and it has a horizontal lintel with inclined sides, very massive in construction, and formed of well- chiselled granite blocks. There was also a doorway, in the south wall, and a
nave, measures 6 feet long, by I foot, 6 in-
"
ches, in height. See Notes on Irish Archi-
tecture," by Edwin, third Earl of Dun- raven, edited by Miss Stokes, vol. i. , p. 98.
68 The Round Tower, 40 feet in height, fell to the ground, during the winter of 181 8. SeeJ. N. Brewer's "Beauties of Ireland," vol. i. , p. 313.
_
69 It had a triangular head, if we can trust
that drawing, in Rev. Dr. Ledwich's "Anti- quities of Ireland," see p. 305.
book of Irish Antiquities, Pagan and Chris-
tian," part ii. , chap, ii. , p. 73.
77 This square base was built, in an inferior
way to the rest of the church ; and, at pre- sent, its walls are not higher than 10 or 12 feet.
78 The drawing of this old church, as it stood in 1779, by Beranger, has been faith- fully reproduced in the annexed illustration by William F. Wakeman, and drawn on the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
70 See the Report ofJ. A. Purefoy Colles,
Esq. , M. D. , read at a general meeting of the
Association, on Wednesday, July 6th, 1870,
among the Proceedings and Papers, in " The drawn by William F. Wakeman for Sir
Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeo- logical Association of Ireland," vol. i. , part i. , Fourth Series, p. 195.
f In 1873, Sir William R. Wilde, and the Rev. Eugene Clarke, P. P. , of Derrylassey, the parish in which Glendalough is situated,
obtained — from
permission Major Longfield
andCaptainHugoonwhos—ejointproperty
WilliamR. Wilde'sPaperin "TheJournal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland," vol. ii. , part ii. , Fourth Series, p. 458.
80
For a view of this latter, see ibid. , p. 462.
this building was situated
restorations. Soonafterwards,therootsand branches of trees were cut away from the wallsandfoundations, whentheyhadbulged out the largest stones, and some necessary repairs were executed.
72 Its walls are about seven feet high, to the commencement of the gable.
73 The old Irish churches do not always lie due east and west ; hence, some antiqua- ries have started the fanciful theory of their orientation, at that season of the year, when their foundations were laid.
74 Very admirable illustrations and de- scriptions of this window, with the interior of the choir and nave, will be found in Dr.
"
George Petrie's
and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. , sect, iii. , subs. 2, pp. 183, 186.
to effect some
Ecclesiastical Architecture
75 The walls are 2 feet, 6 inches in thick- "
ness. See Notes on Irish Architecture," by Edwin, third Earl of Dunraven, edited by Miss Stokes, vol. i. , p. 98.
76 Said to be the finest of its period in Ire- and. See William F. Wakeman's " Hand-
p. 277.
86 now remains of this Nothing
aperture,
79 The condition of this church, as it stood with the Belfry in October, 1779, is shown in Gabriel Beranger's sketch, which has been
81 See his dalough,in"MonasticonHibernicum,"pp.
to
765 776.
82 See "Antiquities of Ireland," p. 38.
83 See "Antiquities of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 96.
84 For a very accurate description, accom- panied with some diagrams and measure- ments of details, the reader is referred to John O'Donovan's Essay on the Antiquities of Glendalough, in April, 1840, where he devotes a Fifth Section to the Ivy Church or the tChurch of the Blessed Trinity. See " Letters containing Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Wicklow, collected during the Progress of the Ord- nance Survey in 1838," vol. i. , pp. 488 to
495-
85 It is 6 feet, 2 inches in height, by 2
feet, 7 inches wide, at the base ; 2 feet 5 in- ches, at the top, and 2 feet, 6 inches, deep. The granite blocks of which it is formed are the full thickness of the wall. See the "Gentleman's Magazine," New Series, vol. xvi. , Notes on the Architecture of Ireland,
description
and
history
of Glen-
June 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 67
few feet from the west end. 86
This was evidently an insertion of a later date,
the west had been added. 88 The walls door,
when the 8? built belfry,
against
of the nave are about 10 feet high, and the gable is rather of a steep pitch.
The north and west walls of the small quadrangular structure added are still
8 tolerably perfect, and in the former, there is a small circular-headed light. ?
The east window 9° of this church is small and round-headed, both on the inside and on the outside. The arch is cut out of one stone. There is a
1 The nave south window is of chiselled stone, and it splays to a good width. To the right of the east window, in the gable, there is a small recess. 92 The chancel- arch of semicircular form is constructed of well chiselled granite, having two faces, with an arch of rubble stone between the voussoirs. It is without chamfer or moulding, while it springs without imposts from jambs, which slightly incline. 93 The church has outside stones, projecting about one foot,
at both ends of the nave and on the chancel. 94 Over the outside of the east window, a flat table projection of 2 feet in depth extends. This church has
an old character about it, in all respects, except that the granite quoin- blocks are well cut and chiselled.
95 Trinity Church is described by Mr.
O' Donovan, as " the most perfect specimen of an ancient Irish Daimhliag,"
the in the remark,
triangularly-headed window, in the south wall of the chancel. 9
that he had seen 6 its ;9 and,
present appearance justifies characteristics which are preserved.
CHAPTER V.
DECLINING YEARS OF ST. KEVIN—HE SEEMS ONLY TO HAVE BEEN ABBOT AT GLENDA- LOUGH—HIS FIRST SUPPOSED CHURCH, BUILT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT VALLEY —HIS HOUSE OR CELL THERE—ATTENDED IN HIS LAST ILLNESS BY ST. MOCHAROG —HIS DEATH AND BURIAL-PLACE—HIS FESTIVALS, COMMEMORATIONS, AND MEMORIALS—SCENERY, EARLY HISTORY, AND ANTIQUITIES OF GLENDALOUGH— CONCLUSION.
Havingnowattainedamostvenerableage,St. Kevinwishedtopassoutof this life, to be with Christ. From his infancy to his declining years, he
but some of the stones forming the lower part of the jambs.
87 According to Mr. Petrie's Manuscript Notes, it was about 60 feet in height, and 40
feet in circumference, the lower story being square to the height of 15 feet.
top. There is a flat table projection, 2 feet in depth, over the outside arch.
9 * The jambs of the inner arch are upright. It is 8 inches wide, at the bottom, 7^ in- ches at the top ; 1 foot, 5 inches high, and 6 inches, to the springing of the arch. The lower cill-stone is bevelled off".
92 See "Notes on Irish Architecture," by Edwin, third Earl of Dunraven, edited by Miss Stokes, vol. i. , p. 99.
93 Archdall incorrectly places Trinity Church north of the Abbey, at Glendalough. See " Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 772.
94SirWilliamWildesuggests,thatthese may have been early attempts at gargoyls. See "Journal of the Royal Historical and
"
Wilde's Paper, Memoir of Gabriel Archaeological Association of Ireland,"
88
Fortunately, a correct representation of
this doorway has been preserved, by Gabriel
Beranger.
89
measures 3 feet, 10 inches high, and 1 foot, 11 inches, across, at the middle; but, it
It is deeply splayed internally, where it
widens below like the ancient square door- "
ways. See JournaloftheRoyalHistorical and Archaeological Association of Ireland," Fourth Series, vol. ii. , part ii. Sir William
Beranger, and his Labours in the Cause of
Irish Art, Literature and Antiquities, from
1760 to 1780, with Illustrations," p. 461.
Fourth Series, vol. ii. , part ii. , p. 461.
95 See " Notes on Irish Architecture," by Edwin, third Earl of Dunraven, edited by
Miss Stokes, vol. i. , pp. 98 to 100.
^ See " Letters containing Information
90
1 foot wide at the base, and 10 inches, at the
It measures 2 feet, 6 inches, high : it is
68 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [J une 3.
always ran in the Commandments of God without blame, in holiness, and
in justice, adorned with many virtues, and performing various miracles. Now, he called together twelve of his most religious brethren, and he sent them to the place, where the Apostle of Ireland stood, when his hymn had been sung three several times. 1 These monks betook themselves to that in-
holy spot, dicatedbythevenerableAbbot. Here,accordingtohisorders,theyprayed, that the Lord would grant his petition to our saint. However, they received
no intimation, whatever, regarding its object. On ending their prayer, they returned to the venerable superior. Knowing their request had been granted, he told them, that he had asked to be released from the prison of his body, and that the Lord had formerly told him, he should not pass out of life, until hepreferredsucharequestandofhisownaccordtotheAlmighty. Hearing this, the brethren felt very sorrowful. But, our saint consoled them, by saying, that hitherto he had seen God's kingdom, while living in the flesh. He encouraged them, likewise, to observe diligently his Rule, and all God's Com-
mandments. Afterwards, elevating his hands, he blessed them and their 2
place.
It has been stated, by some writers, that St. Kevin attained the episcopal
dignity. 3 It is generally supposed, that he was only an Abbot ; but, that
Glendalough became an episcopal See,* not long after his death. There is
nothing in St. Kevin's Life to induce us to think, that he belonged to the
episcopal order. However, as the See of Glendalough was undoubtedly very
ancient, and as he was the founder of that monastery, which gave rise to it,
somewritersthought,thathehadbeenbishopthere. 5 Moreover,St. Libba,or
6
Molibba, anephewofSt. Coemgen,is calledbishopofGlendalough. ? If
he were so, it seems pretty evident, that the antiquity of its See can be traced
back, to the early part of the seventh century. A city soon grew up there,
and near the site of St. Kevin's
monastery.
8 From the circumstance of two
Lakes being conspicuous objects, Hoveden has Latinized the name of the See,
established at Glendalough, into Episcopatus Bistagniensis. The Cathedral
Church there is said to have been placed under the invocation of St. Peter and
10
St. Paul.
When St. Kevin had been warned by the Angel, to leave the upper part of
the valley at Glendalough, it is supposed, that he commenced the erection of
relative to the Antiquities of the County of siastical historian. Several manuscript notes Wicklow, collected during the Progress of of his in addition are to be found, in his own the Ordnance Survey in 1838," vol. i. , Essay copy of the work, now contained in the of John O'Donovan on the Antiquities of Library of the Royal Irish Academy, and Glendalough, written in April, 1840, p. which was used to prepare a Second Edi-
488. — Chapter v.
tion.
'5 Seethe account already
given, in a former chapter of this Life.
2"
See the Bollandists' Acta Sanctorum,"
See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect. x. , n. 161, pp. 49, 50.
6 See an account of in the First him,
Volume of this work, at January 8th, the day for his feast, Art. viii.
7 Sec Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nia? ," Januarii viii. De S. Molibba, p. 43.
tomus i. ,
vi. , num. 49. p. 322.
Junii
hi. Vita S.
Coemgeni, cap.
3 See Harris Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of Glendalough," pp. 372, 373. Also, Rev.
Mervyn ArchdaH's cum,"p. 766.
"
Monasticon Hiberni-
4 In his "Antiquities of Ireland," the Rev. Dr. Ledwich has a separate Essay, on the
History and Antiquities of Glendalough, in
the county of Wicklow, pp. 31 to 54. It is
not only disfigured by gross inaccuracies, but
loco clara et religosa civitas in honore S.
it evinces a
bined with sectarian rancour and prejudice, unworthy the spirit and feeling of any eccle-
» See Harris' vol. "
contemptible ignorance,
com-
Ware, Glendalough," p. 371.
,0 See ibid. , p. 372.
i. ,
Bishops of
8"
"InCoemgen'sLifeweread
in qua ipsa est Gleandaloch vocatur. " See
"
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Anti- quitates," cap. xvii. , pp. 494, 495.
Coemgeni crevit, quae nomine prasdictsevallis,
Ussher's
:
In
ipso
June 3. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 69 hischurch,"alittletothenorth-westoft—heoldcathedral. Aruinedbuilding—
Church 12 the and it stands out- occupies site,
now called the popularly
Lady
side the line of that great cashel,^ which enclosed the present cemetery. In
its later state, this church consisted of a nave ,4 and a chancel. 15 The latter is lightlybondedintothenave; but,thewallsaregreatlyruined,andtosucha
degree, that it is impossible to say with certainty, whether or not it had pro- jecting stones at the corners. No pilasters or plinths appear to have been in
it. 16 to a According
it was the first church erected l8
respectable authority,^
by the holy Abbot, within the precincts of Glendalough valley, in the middle
part. Nor is such conclusion at all weakened from the fact, that this build- ing had been afterwards dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. ^
the — ancient remains at is St. Kevin's Among undoubtedly Glendalough
" 21
House or Cell 2° commonly called his kitchen. " It was kept in a better
state of preservation, than most of the other churches. 22 Its name is thought to have been derived from some ancient tradition, that during the latest life- time of St. Kevin, it had actually been the house in which he resided. This cell consisted, originally, we are told,23 of nave 24 and choir, with an Erdam or lateralapartment,offthechoir,onthenorthside. Formerly,itwascalledCro- Coemhghin, and this is the name it seems to have borne, before the Anglo-
NormanInvasion. 25 Thewest
gable
11 A woodcut delineation of the western
gable and a portion of the southern side wall
26 containsa a? withan 28 doorway, arch,
that many years before his great work was
written, the old natives of Glendalough had
of this ancient church, with a description, by communicated this as the local tradition,
William F. Wakeman, may be seen, in the while it seems to be fully confirmed in that
"
Irish Literary Gazette," vol. iii. , No. xlvi. , passage, he quotes from the old Life of St.
PP- 54, 57'
*. 18"
Art,
ties from 1760 to 1780, with Illustrations, by
20 The artists who examined
for Colonel Burton Conyngham called it St. Kevin's house or kitchen.
Antiqui-
Glendalough
Sir William R. Wilde, p. 479.
14 It is 32 feet long, and 20 feet, 6 inches
wide, according to Miss Stokes. With some
slight variation of measurement, John but, that it is now extended to the whole
O'Donovan introduces his own, in an Essay structure.
" 22 on the Valley of Glendalough, present Re-
mains and Features mentioned in the Life of
the Patron St. Kevin, written in April, 1840. "
See "Letters containing Information rela-
tive to the Antiquities of the County of See No. xlviii. , p. 186. There is also a pic- Wicklow, collected during the Progress of
the Ordnance Survey in 1838," vol. i. , pp. 480, 481.
ture of it, drawn by him, and engraved by George Hanlon, at p. 185.
23 See "Letters containing Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of 6 inches wide, according to Miss Stokes. A Wicklow, collected during the Progress of
15 It is 21 feet, 4 inches long, and 19 feet,
writer in the " Gentleman's Magazine," New
Series, vol xiv. , thinks that this has been an
addition made to the nave, at a later period ;
its rubble work being more regular, and of
smaller stones, than that in the nave. See
the Ordnance . Survey in 1838," vol. i. John
**
Notes on the Architecture of Ireland," p.
lough, present Remains, and Features, men- tioned in the Life of the Patron St. Kevin,"
sect. 3. St. Kevin's Kitchen, anciently Cro Coemghgin, pp. 471 to 477.
24 The nave measures, on the inside, 32 feet, %y2 inches, in length, by 15 feet, 5 inches, in breadth, and the walls are 3 feet, 6 inches, in thickness.
25 It was burned, A. D. 1163. See O'Dono- van's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. ,
277. But, Miss Stokes holds a different
opinion.
16 "
See Notes on Irish Architecture," by Edwin, third Earl of Dunraven, edited by Miss Stokes, vol. i. , p. 101.
17 That of Dr. George Petrie, who states,
Kevin.
The length of this building externally is Dr.