No More Learning

Article XII. St. Barrinn, of Droma Cula. In the published Martyrology of Tallagh,' at this date, is inserted Barrinn of Dronia Cula. In the Franciscan copy, we find it entered, as Barrfind Drom Cullin. ^ The Bol- landists3 enter his name and place, as Bariindus de Druim-Chulim, while they quote the same auiliority. There is a Barrindeus, who was Abbot over the Monastery of Druin-Caillin, on the confines of ancient Munster and Leinster. It lay within the territory of Fearceall, in which the city of Rathin stood. He flourished in the year 590. Whether he was identical or not, with the present holy man, forms a difficulty for the investigator of our ecclesiastical history.
Article XIII. St. Athgen, or Cokbmac, of Baduiny, County of Tyrone. We read in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' that Aithghin Boitlii, or Boith,wasvenerated,atthe3rdofMay. Onthesameauthority,theBoUan- dists ^ notice him at this date, as being called Athgenius, or otherwise Corb- macus—although both names appear to be quite different. To this day. May
3rd,3 Colgan refers the festival of St. Athgenius, or Corbmac, a cook to St. Patrick. '* HewasthesonofDoeliusMassinus,sontoFerguss,sonofDuoch, son to Bressal, son of Coll Menu, son of Eochad Mogmedom. s This place, called Both-Domnaich, now known as Badony, was in the county of Tyrone, and in the diocese of Derry. It lay within a valley called Gleann-arche. ^
Article XIV. St. Juvenalis. For the 3rd of May, Colgan' seems to have prepared the Acts of a St. Juvenalis, with a view to publication. As yet, however, we know not on what grounds he is claimed as an Irishman, for we have not found the evidence. Now there happen to be three distinct and several entries, by the BoUandists, of this date, referring to saints so deno- minated, viz. , St. Juvenalis,^ Bishop and Patrons at Narni,-* in Umbria s
3 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Maii iii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 360. * Edited by Dis. Todd and Reeves, pp.
118, 119.
Article XII. — 'Edited by Rev. Dr.
Keily, p. xxiii.
* In the Irish character t>Ji\i\}:iii-o 'Oixoni
Cullin.
'' See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Maii
iii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 360. Article XIII. — ' Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxiii. In the Franciscan copy is
Aichgm bochi.
" See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Maii
iii. Among the pretermitted saints, \i. 360.
3 Colgan cites the Martyrology ot Tal- Augustus, but now in ruins. " The ancient
lagh.
* See "Trias Thauraaturga," Septima
Vita S. Patricii, lib. iii. , cap. xcviii. , p. 166, and n. 121, p. 188.
5 Sec Mciiclogie Genealogy, cap. xiv.
Roman colony of Narni st. inds on the sum- niit of a very liii;h and steep hill, whose sides are clothed with olives, . nnd whose base is washeii by the Isera. '—Rev. John Chet- wode Eustace's " Classical Tour through
* See the BoUandists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Maii iii. Amonjj the pretermitted
saints, p. 360. — According to the " Ca- talogus Actuum Sanctorum qu. x; . MS. haben- tur, ordine Mcnsium et Dierum. "
= See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Maii iii. De Sancto Juven^iie Episcopo Nar- niensi in Umbria, pp. 386 to 406.
^ 'phe BoUandists present copper-plate en- gravings of his ahar, shrine anti tomb, with descriptions ; as also v;irious notices, record- ing the several translations of his sacred re- mains.
Article xiv. '
* lleie, there is an interesting bridge of
— . —
May 3. LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
St. Juvenalis,^ Confessor,? of Fossano,^ in Piedmont—and anotlier, St. Juvenalis,Martyr. 9 ThislatterfestivalisleftbytheBollandists,amongthe pretermitted, and transferred to the 7th of May.
Article XV. Festival of the Blessed Alexander, a Cistercian Monk, of Foigni, in France. {Thirteenth Century? ^ Already, when treating of St. Mathilde, Virgin, and sister to this holy man, at the ist day of January,' and also, when alluding to him, in a special feast at the 14th day of that month,2 we have only a passing allusion to him, referring the reader to the 6th day of August, for further particulars. It appears, however, that in the Kalendar of the Cistercian Order,3 a festival is set down for him, at the 3rd of May, and accordingly the Bollandists 4 have placed his Acts, at this same date. The Petits Bollandists s have a similar record for this day.
Article XVI. The Festival of Finding the Holy Cross. In the Feilire of St. ^ngus,' at the 3rd of May, the Festival of Finding the Holy Cross,^ with many virtues,3 at Jerusalem, by St. Helena, is noticed. ^ It is also
Italy, An. mdcccii. , vol. i. , chap, ix. , p. serve dans cette ville, a ete pris pendent qua- 334- tre Siecles pour cehii de Saint Juvenal, 5 There is an account of a Miracle, wrought eveque de Narni, fete le meme jour. "
throught the intercession of Juvenalis, the venerable Martyr and Bishop of Narni, on the 8th of June, in the year 1233, and on behalf of an Irishman, called Moriens, who was so lame, that he was obliged to creep over the road he travelled, with his breast almost touching the ground. He was per- suaded to enter the church of St. Juvenalis, and to approach before the altar to that very place, where the Martyr's body was deposed. Blood was observed flowing from the shrine, at that moment ; and while the afflicted man prayed the Almighty for the use of his limbs,
'
' Vies des Saints, " tom. e v. , ii F Jour de Mai, P- 275-
^ While the inhabitants of this place had a tradition, that their patron was not dis- tinguishable from the Bishop and Martyr of Narni ; Father Daniel Papebroke deems it more probable, that he was a different per- son, held there in veneration from an early period.
9 The Barberini Manuscript is quoted, as authority for his feast, on this day, as also the Additions to Greven. See the Bollan- dists' "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Maii
through the holy Martyr's intercession, a" iii. , p. 361.
priest, named James, who served there, took
some of the blood, which he applied to the
cripple's limbs. At the same time, Moriens
in tears cried out, "O most holy father
Juvenalis, heal me ! " Innned lately the ticed, also, in Claude Chalemot's series of Divine power was manifested, in his perfect Saints and Blessed of the Cistercian Order
; restoration. All the clergy and people of this latter work, having been printed in
Narni were in admiration, and they ap- proached the altar of Juvenalis, with public religious ceremonies, and lights, also singing hymns in praise of their holy patron. The foregoing narrative is contained, in an old book, belonging to the Archives of Fos- sano.
* See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Mail iii. De S. Ivvenale Confessore Fossani in Pedemontio, cujus corpus ibidem perquatuor secula creditum esse S. Ivvenalis Episcopi Narniensis, pp. 406 to 422.
Paris, A. D. 1666.
** See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Maii
iii. De Beato Alexandre converso Cister- ciensi Fvsniaci in Gallia, p. 434.
5 See " Vies des Saints," tome v. Troi- sieme Jour de Mai, p. 300.
Article xvi. —' See " Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, p. Ixxviii.
- The Commentator adds, that this hap- pened in the time of Constantine, son of Helena, after having been 235 years con-
^ The Petits Bollandists, at the 3rd of cealed. See ihiJ. , p. Ixxxiii.
May, have the following notice regarding this holy man : " A Fossano, en Piemont, Saint Juvenal, confesseur, dont le corps, con-
3 The meaning probably is, that many miracles accompanied this finding.
* In the lower margin of the Leabhar
Article xv. — ' The date assigned for her feast. See vol. i. of this work. Art. ix.
^ See ibid. , at 14th of January, Art. vii.
3 Printed at Dijon, A. D. 1617. He is no-
—— —
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. May 3.
entered in the Martyrology of Tallagb. s On this Feast, which from an early date has been so universal in the Catholic Church, Father Daniel Papebroke^ has a learned and researchful disquisition.
Article XVII. Feast of the Conception of the Blessed Mary, EVER Virgin. According to the Feilire ' of St. y^ngus. ^" as also to the Martyr- ology of Tallagh,3 a festival of the Blessed Virgin INIary was celebrated in Ireland, on the 3rd of May. The latter record has it Marise Virginis Con- ceptio, as the Bollandists notice; they remark, however, that the Church places it, at the 8th of December.
Article XVIII. Reputed Feast of St. Donnan. Veneration was given to Donnan, at the 3rd of May, as is recorded ' in the published Martyr- ology of Tallagh. We do not find warrant for this entry, in the Franciscan copy.
Article XIX. Reputed Feast of St. Concraid. We read simply the name Concraid, in the published Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 3rd of May. It is not found in the Franciscan copy.
Article XX. Reputed Feast of St. Fergusa. According to the published Martyrology of Tallagh,' veneration was given at the 3rd of May, to Fergusa. There is no corresponding entry, in the Franciscan copy.
Article XXI. St. Fumac, in Scotland. A saint of this name was venerated at Botriffnie, or Botriphnie,' also called Fumac Kirk, in Scotland. His age does not appear to be known ; nor does it transpire, as to whether he was of Irish or of Scottish birth. His well was formerly known at that place, and his fair was kept, on the 3rd of May. In the beginning of the last century, his wooden image was then washed with great solemnity each year in his well, by an old woman.
* That image existed, until the beginning of this century, when it was swept away by a flood of the Isla, and stranded at Banff. There, it was committed to the flames, by the parish minister, who regarded it as a
Breac, having repeated in Irish the substance of the previous comment, the scholiast has in Latin, "post ccxxx. duos annos et non inventa est crux (quando) romani cum tito et uespasiano succenderunt ierusalem et tunc abscondita est crux, et in xl° anno post pas- sionemdomini. Seeibid. ,p. Ixxxiii.
5 In the Franciscan copy, we read at this date: C]\uci]' ch]\ifci muencio.
Kelly, p. xxiii.
Article xxi. — ' This is a parish, in the
centre of B. mffshire, and in the narrow part of the county. The small river Isla runs through it, in a beautiful strath, between two hills lying north and south. See "Im- perial Gazetteer of Scotland," vol. i. , p. 1S9.
^According to the Manuscript Account of Scottish Bishops in the Library at Slains,
. 1726.
* See the Bollandists' " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomus i. , Maii iii. De Inventione Sanctas
Crucis per SS. Helenani et Magarium Article xx. ' Edited by Rev. Dr.
Hierosolymis, in three chapters and thirty- two paragraphs, pp. 361 to 366.
Artici. f, XVII. —' Here it is called Mary the Virgin's great feast. See " Transaciions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu- script Series, p. Ixxviii.
' In the lower margin, the Scholiast has entered the following Latin conmient, on the words of his text; '^ i. e. ha;c inccptio eius ul alii jHitant sed in februo mcnse vel in
martio facta est ilia quia post, uii menses nata
est ut innarratur vel quselibet alia feria eius. '" Hid. , p. Ixxxiv.
3 In the Franciscan copy, we find, at this date mA]\i<\e ui]\ CO)ice|\cio.
• See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Maii iii. Among the pretermitted saints, p.
361. — Article xviii.
' Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxiii. —
Article xix. ' Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxiii. —
with some differences of spelling. s
3 Persons were living in 1847, who saw this statue. See " Illustrations of the Anti- quities of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff," vol. ii , p. 253, note.
'' SeeBishopForbes'"KalendarsofScot- tish Saints," pp. 351, 352.
;
This saint must have lived, at an early
directions to visit the well. All the men he had employed, endeavouring to stop its course, refused working at it. He even ad- vanced their wages, but this did not induce the greater number of them to continue their labour. However, some undertook tlie draining, and the fust day they worked every workman got sore eyes. After this,
—
May 4, LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 103
monument of superstition. 3 One of the old Almanacks gives a St. Fumac's fair, at Dinet, in Caithness, and at Chapel of Dine, in VVatten. 4 This saint seems to have obtained only a local celebrity.
Article XXII. Feast of the Translation of St. Patrick's Arm. On the 3rd of May was held, it appears, a festival to commemorate the Trans- lation of a Relic, called the Arm of St. Patrick,' Primate of Ireland. ^
Jfourti) Bap of ilay*
ARTICLE I. —ST. MOCHUA, OR CRONAN, SON OF CUIMINE, OF SLIABII EIBHLINNE, NOW SLIEVE PHELIM MOUNTAINS, COUNTY OF
LIMERICK.
LIKE objects that appear dimly and undefined in the distance are many
of those brief and scattered records or traditions, regarding our saints while, too frequently, such indications are unsatisfactory and elude all attempts at identification. ' The Martyrology of Tallagh ^ enters the festival ofMochuaMacCummin,inSleibhEibhinn,3atthe3rdofMay. ^ Mochua isonlyanothernameforCronan,aswehavealreadyshown. TheBoUan- dists, quoting the foregoing authority, have entered this holy person's festival,
Article xxii. —
in a work called " Promptuarium S. Scripturi
Anonymi Cujusdem Hiberni," edited by some continued ior a few days, until they
'
This information is
Father Luke Wadding.
^ This notice was communicated to the
got stone blind. Then, the gentleman who owned the land saw his mi^,take, and he got xnen to repair the damage he had done to the
writer, by Rev. Theobald L. Carey, Superior
of St. liidore's College, Rome, and dated well. He got a wall built around it, and
2nd of November, 1884.
Article i. —' Wepresent the following
popular narrative, in illustration of many simi-
lar local traditions. In tlie county of Cork,
barony of Duhallow, and parish uf Boher-
boy, there is a lioly well called Droumharif.
This well is famed for curing all sorts of
diseasesinman,andespeciallytheeyes. It
is attended on the 4th of May, in each year.
There is another well, called the city well,
inthesamecountyandbarony. Tliislatter
well is famed for curing all sorts of diseases,
iu men and cattle. The cattle are brouglit
to it, from all parts on May Eve, each year
also the people bring some of the water lacht, in the Brussels Manuscript, are,
;
^ The words of the Martyrology of Tarn-
hoiTie with them. With regard to the first-
named well, a most remarkable occurrence
is said to have taken place now over twenty
years ago. The man who owned the land, monte Eblina," at this date. See "Acta in whicli this holy well is situated, thought Satictorum," tomus i. , Mali. Among the to stop it by draining, as the people used to pretermitted saints, p. 437.
damage his place, when coming from all
from that date, he kept a man in charge of it. Edward N. Corridon of the Royal Irish Constabulary Barrack, Phoenix Park, Dub- lin, communicated the foregoing particulars, in a letter addressed to the writer, and dated April 9th, 1873.
^ Edited by Rev^ Dr. Kelly, p. xxiii. In the Franciscan copy is read lIloclniA niAc Cunnine1 steibebLnitie.
3 The battle of Eildrlinne, by Muirchear- tach Mac Erca, is noticed at A. D. 526, in Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters,*' vol. i. , pp. 174, 175.
" Mocua mac Cuimmini, 1 Sbeib eibLmm," according to the Rev. Dr. Todd. s Thus : " Mochua, filius Crumminci in
—
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, [May 4.
period, for we find his festival set down on this day, in the Feihre ^ of St. ^ngus. To the stanza, a schoHast has added the comment, that he was Mochua,sonofConn,fromSliabEbUnne,inMunster. ? Itseemsprobable, that his church was connected with this district ; but, the exact locality is not denoted. ^ TheSHevePhelimMountainsarearemarkablerange,withbeau- tiful undulations, extending over a considerable tract of country, towards the northeastern part of Limerick County 39 and, they are regarded, as lymg
chieflywithinthebaronyofOwneybeg. Therangeextendsabouttenmiles eastward, with a mean breadth of about three ; and, by a narrow defile, on the boundary line of both counties, it is separated from the magnificent Keeper IMountains, which run in a north-easterly direction, through the
104
Barnane Ely Mountain, County of Tipperaiy.
county of Tipperary. One of the most remarkable features of this place is tlie celebrated Bnrnane-Ely ;'° better known as the Devil's Bit Mountain," wherethereisacelebrateddefile,notfarfromTeinplemore. '^ Atthatspot, and on the eastern side of the Devil's Bit Mountain, formerly called Sliabh
'' In the " Leabhar Breac " copy is the Series, p. Ixxviii.
' See ibid. , p. Ixxxiv.
^ In the Index to Dr. O'Donovan's "An- nals of the Four Masters," vol. vii. , p. 56, the author has placed Eibhlinne, or the SI ieve- Phelim Mountains, in the county of Tipjierary.
9 They are chiefly within Abbington pnrish ; said to be an Anglicized form of "On AnailieriiH* passion went fair Mochua, 11U\niipre)\ llAirne, or the Monastery of sonoffamousCnmine,ondeaconSilvainis' Uailhno,theformernameoftlu-territory. It feast. " . See " Transactions of the Royal is described, in " Letters containing Infor- Irish Academy," vol. i. , Irish Manuscript mation relative to the Antiquities of the
following entry :
iTipAi)* ^nre^Mm tllOchuA CxMIl TjecllOlT) TTlAC Cuniine clochdig 1feiL SiILaui OeochAin.
It is thus translated by Dr. Whiilev Stokes :
—
May 4. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 105
Ailbuin, is the head of the River Suir. '3 l^ie SHeve PheHrn range is con- nected, witli the Mountains of Kihiamanagli,'4 on the east ; while it pre- serves a finely-featured contour and surface outline, forming a charming back- ground to the rich landscapes of the northern champaign country of Limerick. AnewroadfromThurles'S toTipperary'^ passesalongthebaseoftheeast end by the Slieve Phelim range. '? In Scotland, likewise, as in Ireland, St. Mochua was venerated, at the iv. of the May Nones, according to the Kalen- dar of Drummond,'^ and as a holy confessor. Among the various saints, called Mochua, or Cronan, we are unable to distinguish the present holy man,hisperiod,orhisofficeintheChurch. TheMartyrologyofDonegal'9 records, that this day was venerated Cronan, son of Cummain,='° of Sliabh Ebhlinne, in Munster.
Article II. St. Siollan, the Deacon. A festival was celebrated on this day, as we read in the INIartyrologies of Tallagh ^ and of Donegal,^ in honour of Siollan the deacon. 3 This account is taken from the Felire Aeno-- huis. 4 It has been thought by Colgan,s that the present St. Sillan may be identical with one, mentioned in the Life of St. Berach, of Kilbarry, who is venerated,atthe15thofFebruary. ^ TheBoUandists7 havethefeastofSt. Sillan entered, at this date ; and, they give a similar reference, as if he were identical with that monk of St. Berach, who had been killed by robbers, and
County of Limerick," vol. ii. , pp. 152, and 416 to 446.
" It is rendered, " the small gap of the Territory of Ely," and it gives name to the parish, according to Jolin O'Donovan, who describes it, as near the country of the O'Meaghers, who lived at the foot of it. Th-ere, too, are the remains of an old church. See ''Letters containing Information rela- tive to the Antiquities of the County of Tip- perary, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey, in 1840," vol. ii. Letter, dated l<oscrea,Oct. 24th, 1840, pp. 225, 226.
" Its highest peak is 1,583 feet above the sea. See it marked, on "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Tip- perary," sheet 28.
'^ The accompanying illustration, from an original sketch by William F. Wakeman, was by him drawn on the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
'3 See " The Topograhical Poems of John O'Dubhagain and Giolla na Naomh O'Huidhrain," edited by Dr. O'Donovan, p. Ixi. , n. 513,
"'The Barony of Upper Kilnamanagh, N. R. , is an extensive tract of country, de- scribed on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Tipperary," sheets 27. 28, 33, 34, 38, 39, 40, 44, 45, 46, 50, 51. The barony of Lower Kilnamanagh, . S. R. in the same county is shown, on sheets 39, 40, 45, 46, 51, 52. 59, 60.
'3 The parish of Thurles, in the barony of Eliogarty, county of Tipperary, is shown, on sheets 35, 41, 42, 47, ibid. The town and townparks of Thurles are noted, on sheet 41.
'^ The parish of Tipperary, in the barony of Clanwilliam, is shown, oiv sheets 58, 59, 66, 67. The town itself is marked on sheet 67.