1635) trans- lation of John O'Dugan's Irish poem, Hio§A p'l eibi]A, we hav—e the
following
account in
"
vol.
"
vol.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
reigned, from A.
D.
814 to 843,
having immediately succeeded Charlemagne. Louis! I. governed the empire from the latter
year to a. d. 876. Louis IH. reigned only for a brief period, as the successor of Carlo- man, and both were succeeded in the last
February.
Essai de
by GodefridHenschenius, in a historical com- mentary of six —sections—comprising thirty
so At the 2nd of February the following holy martyrs are venerated in the Calendars
at Ebbekesdorp, in Lower Saxony—
in the Boliandists' new edition of "Acta Sanctorum," tomusi. , Feb* ruarii ii. , pp. 312 to 319. The sees, death and cultus of tlie Bishops Erlulph and Gos- bert are treated, chiefly in the Fourth Sec«
tion.
si See '* De Statu Hominis Veteris, simul
ac novte Ecclesiae, et Sanctis Regni Scotioe," lib. i. , pars ii. , cap. lii. , sect. 2, p. 147.
s* See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae," Februarii ii, De S. Erlulpho, Epis« copo Verdensi et Martyre, n. 4, p. 241,
five paragraphs
February 2. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 255
no doubt, tliat this holy servant of God flourished at an early period, in the Church of Ireland ; for, the " Feilire " of St. ^ngus^ enters him, as Finnich Duirn, while almost similar is the simple notice, Finnchi Duiren, at the 2nd of February, in the Martyrology of Tallagh. ^* He was probably one of our early Chorepiscopi, and the place where he dwelt might have been a primi- tive episcopal see. On this day, according to the Martyrology of Donegal,3 was reverenced Findeach Duirnd,'^ Bishop of Cill-Finnche, of Ath Duirn, in Osraighe. Dornd-Buidhe is the name of a hill in Magh Raighne,5 states the notice in this latter calendar. The plain, Magh-Roighne, stretched through the barony of Kells, and county of Kilkenny. In this plain, Cill-Finnche, it is said, was situated, and near a great hill, called Dorn-I3uidhe, in the territory ofOssory. ^ Theplace,"however,hasnotyetbeenidentified,7accordingto
Dr. O'Donovan. ^ Yet,innotesaffixedtohiseditionofDualdMacFirbiss,9 where Finnech-Duirn,'° Bishop of Cill-Finche, from Ath-duirn, in Ossory, is
set down, at the 2nd of February, William M. Hennessy anglicizes, Ath- Duirn, as " the Ford of Dorn,'' and he states, this was probably at or near
Cill-Finche, the church of Finnech, now Killinny," in the parish and barony of Kells, county of Kilkenny. Some interesting remarks, in reference to this subject, have been offered, by Mr. John Hogan," maintaining, that the ancient territory of Raighne or Roighna, had been assigned by Eugaine Mor,'3 who died Monarch of Ireland, a. m. 4606,^4 to his son, known as
Article iv. —^ On the Fourth of the Nones, or on the 2nd of February, in the "Felire" of St. ^ngus the Culdee, the fol-
Academy," Irish MSB. Series, vol. i. , part i. , pp. 88, 89.
'°
According to Mr. John Hogan, in this bishop's name, Findeach, the "d" is as- perated, leaving the pronunciation Finech
;
synonymous with Finnche hence, Bishop
was the patron and
Finnche both titular of
the ancient Cill Finnche. See "Journal of
the Kilkenny and South-East of Ireland
Archaeological Society," vol. v. New
series, part i. , p. 209, "Topographical and Historical Illustrations of the County of
Kilkenny," by Mr. John Hogan.
" It is to be seen, on the " Ordnance
Survey Townland Maps for the County of
Kilkenny. " Sheet27.
"See "Topographical and Historical
Illustrations of the County of Kilkenny. "
"Journal of the Kilkenny and South-East
of Ireland Arch^ological Society," vol. v. , part i. , pp. 208 to 210. New series.
lowing notice of this saint occurs, as ex- ""
tracted from the Leahbar Breac of the
Royal Irish Academy, with an English
: translation, by Professor O'Looney —
e. mi. n. ^i]Mciu mAic lTlui|ve,
1 cempuL'oe]^boimif;
SLuAg rno^ mA^ci)\ puAbAiy, La pnmch Oui|\n x)i5^Aif.
Honour of the Son of Mary, In a temple truly to be judged ;
A great host of martyrs of joyous death, With Finnich Duirn tiie Zealous.
» Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiv.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
36, 37-
* In a note, Dr. Todd
"Duirnd;
^3 After a of twenty years, the mo-
/. <? . , FindeachofDornn. "
5 I find " Ath duoin buidhe in Osraigh-
ibh," affixed as a note to this passage, in
William M. Hennessy's copy of the " Mar-
Reach- taidh of the Red Wrist," who was styled King of Ireland and of Alba, as appears
tyrology of Donegal. After this follows:
"Dombuidhe ainm tulchai Moigh Raighne. "
4566. See Dr. John Lynch's Cambrensis Eversus," vol. i. , chap, viii. , pp. 444, 445.
^
According Aenguis. "
to a
on the "Feilire- Dr. edition. He was killed gloss Kelly's
^ See "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (f), p. 456.
^
Yet, in a note, affixed to the "Tribes and Territories of Ancient Ossory," the place is identified with Killinny. See
" Transactions of the Kilkenny and South-
East of Ireland Archaeological Society,"
by Ugaine Mor, who thus revenged the death of his foster-mother, Queen Macha. The celebrated ruler of Ireland, known as Ugony the Great, is thought to have carried his conquests to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and he is said to have possessed great powerintheWesternIslesofEurope. He divided Ireland into twenty-five districts, which were apportioned among his twenty-
vol. i. , pars ii. 9 ' '
of the
two sons and three
See Proceedings
Royal
Irish
daughters
it and, is
;
says,
reign
narch Reachtaidh Righdhearg, or
"
from the Calendar of Cashel, was slain a. m. ""
256 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [February 2.
Raighne. Thisterritorywaseithercalledafterhim,orhegavenametothe territory. It is said, to h. ive been that great central plain of Ossory, which includes the lower valley of the River Nore, and the valley of the King's River. In the first century, ^ngus founded that petty principality, which formed a nucleus for the future kingdom of Ossory. For some centuries, this territory, denominated Laighin deas Gabhair, is thought to have com- prisedtwoancientprovinces,knownasFeimhinandRaighne. Thesecon- tinued united, until the middle of the fifth century, when ^ngus Mac Nad- frach'5 expelled the Ossoronians from Femhin, and annexed it to Munster. Afterwards, the kingdom of Ossory was confined to the sin[;le province of Raighne ; whence, its kings for many centuries were denominated, Righ
stated, that this division of territory lasted Great exacted an oath of allegiance, from for three hundred years, after his time. his subjects, in behalf of his posterity. He The names of these territories and of ruled over Ireland forty years—others state
Ugaine's children, to whom they were al-
lotted, are given, with some variations, in
our ancient manuscripts. The following
seems a fairly correct enumeration. To his Ptolomaeus Lagides. See Dr. O'Gonor's sons—viz. : i. Breagh or Bregia, in Meath " Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus or Dublin county, to Cobhtach Gael. 2. i. Prolegomina ad Annales, p. xlviii. Ac- Muirtheimhne, in the present county of cording to their different basis for computa- Louth, to Cobhtach Minn. 3. The lands tion—the Four Masters and Lynch, follow- about the River Liffey, in Leinster, to Lae- ing the septuagint, have his death at A. M. ghaire Lore. 4. Magh-Fea, in the present 4606, O'PUaherty at A. M. 3649, and Keating
county of Carlow, to Fuilne. 5. Magh- at A. M. 3616—proportionately
are the
reigns
Nair, to Nar. 6. Magh-Raighne, in Ossory, of our Irish monarchs dated. O'Flaherty
to Raighne. 7. Magh Nairbh, to Narbh. makes Hugony the Great enter upon his
8. Airgeatross, on the River Nore, to Cinga. reign, that very year when Alexander the
9. Magh Tarra, to Tair. lo, Treitherne, Great began to rule over the Persians. He to Triath. 1 1. Luachair-Deaghaidh, in states, that the year of the world 3619 going Kerry, to Sen. 12. Cluain-Corca-Oiche, out, and 3620 coming from the Autumnal in Ui-Fibhgheinte, to Bard. 13. The Equinox, agree with A. M. 4383, according Southern Deisi, to Fergus Gnoi. 14. to the Julian period. See "Ogygia," pars ii. ,
Aidhne, in the diocese of Kilmacduagh, p. 106. This, he states, on the authority of *'
to Orb. 15. Moenmhagh, in Glanrickard, a native Garmen Ghronographicum :" in the present county of Galway, to Moen.
16. Magh-Aei, in the present county of
Roscommon, to Sanbh. 17. Gliu Mail, in
Coshlea, county of Limerick, to Muiread-
hachMai. 18. Seolmhagh,nowthebarony
of Glare, county of Galway, to Eochaidh.
19. Latharna, in the county of Antrim, to
Latham. 20. Midhe, to Marc. 21. Line,
or Magh-Line, county of Antrim, to Laegh.
22. Corann, in the present county of Sligo,
to Gairbre. To his daughters were allot-
ted—viz. : I. Magh Ailbe, in the present
county of Kildare, to Ailbe. 2. Magh- part i. , chap, vii. , pp. 248 to 250.
Aeife, otherwise called Magh-Feimheann, now the baronies of Iffa and Offa East, in the county of Tipperary, to Aeife or Eva. 3. Magh-Muirisce, in the present county of Mayo,toMuirisc. Fromtheforegoingde- nominations, it would seem, that many of our ancient territories derived their names fromthechildrenofHugotheGreat. Of all his sons, however, only two left issue, namely Gobhthach Gael, and Laeghaire Lore, from whom all of Heremon's race that survive are descended. See Dr.
'S In Michael Kearney's (a. u.
1635) trans- lation of John O'Dugan's Irish poem, Hio§A p'l eibi]A, we hav—e the following account in
"
vol. i. , n. (z), pp. 74 to 77. Hugony the
O'Donovan's
Annals of the Four Masters,"
only thirty—when he was slain by Badh- bhchadh.
**
Triginta Hugonius Rex annos transtulit in se
"» Flam sjmchronizes Ugaine Mor, with
Regni Herimoniades jura, suumquc genus.
Gcepit, Alexander Darium quo vicerat, anno :
Vergiviumque ultra protulit arma sa« lum. "
—
Keating's "History of Ireland," book i. ,
Ibid. , p. 449. See, likewise, O'Mahony's
reference to him
:
•'
—"TheKingsoftheRaceofEibhear. " A
Ghronological Poem. Edited by John O'Daly, p. 15.
And Aongus the sonn of Nadfraoich
raigned. Ofyearsfull36;
And confirmed in faith that Warriour to
Death,
Mac Earca and OilioU did fix. "
February 2. ] LIVES OF THE IJ^/SIT SAINTS. 257
Raighne,or"thekingsofRaighne. " This,itisconjectured,wasneithera tribe,district,norasub-denominationofOssory; but,itwasaprimitivepro- vince, long anterior to the establishment of that kingdom, by ^ngus its
founder. It having formed the principal part of Laighin deas Gabhair, at the end of the ninth century, Cormac Mac Cuilleanan, King of South
Munster,claimedjurisdictionoverRaighne. Ceallachwasthenkingover Ossory ; and, a compromise appears to have been effected, the terms of which guaranteed to Cormac possession of that part, south of the King's River,inthepresentcountyofKilkenny. Mr. JohnHoganwillnotallow, however, that the present saint was either the patron or titular of Killinny,^^ where the old local church^? and a well^^ had been dedicated to St. Lrigid. '? Nor will he admit, the identification of Cill-Finche,=^° with the present town- land of KilHnny,^^ since there is no hill there, or in its neighbourhood, nor in the spacious plain between it and the Killamery ridge, except the one great and remarkable eminence, called Knock-ad-Raighne. =^^ This, he states, beyond all doubt, must have been the place, formerly called Dorn- buidhe,''^ Ath-Duirnbuidhe is considered to have been a pass, over one of the streams, which wash the base of that hill. Either the ancient church on the townland of Sheepstown,=^4 in the parish and barony of Knocktopher, or that of Kilree^s—the latter not a very probable conjectured^—is believed by
''^
In the charter of Henry IV. to the
had a former existence.
=^The hill of Roigne stands out very
boldly, commanding the broad plain be- neath. It affords a very exalted position over the valley, which from this narrows itself into the pass of Bealach-Ele.
^3 Mr. John Hogan thinks, a part of this word may still be found in the termination
of a townland title, Baun-a-Volla-Buidhe, rendered for him "the fallow field," or " the bawn of Buidhe," situated on the side of Knock-ad-Raighne. He renders Ath-
Priory of Kells, this church, called Killinthy, is enumerated among the ecclesiastical houses, affihated to that establishment.
^7 Its ruins existed near Mr. Hutchinson's
house, down to the present century.
^^ The sacred character of wells may pro- bably be traced from the Old Testament, to an ancient Jewish veneration for them, as connected with the holy patriarchs, and otherdistinguishedservantsofGod. Thus, Abraham and Isaac dug several wells. The well of Jacob is hkewise mentioned. (Genesis xxvi. , xxix. , St. John iv,, 12. ) Allusion to their sanative properties and use frequently occurs in the Sacred Scriptures. "In that day, there shall be a fountain open to the
house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem : for the washing of the sinner," &c. (Zacharias xiii. , i. )
^9 Her patron used to be annually ob-
served there, on the 1st of February, and
St. Brigid's Well still preserves, for the place, the name of its ancient patroness.
"
=^4 InDr. Petrie'swork,thereisanengrav-
^°
This church was burned by the fo-
ing, which represents the arched door-way of this church—the ancient name of which
is wholly forgotten in the locality, as well as the name of its patron or founder. The door-way is in the centre of the west wall, and it is composed of sandstone, well chi- selled. It measures seven feet, in height, to the vertex of the arch. It has a torus or bead-moulding,alongitsexternaledges; it is over three feet, in width, and the jambs arethreefeet,inthickness. Ithasimposts, immediately under the curvature of the arch. See "The Ecclesiastical Architec- ture and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. , sect, iii. , subs. I, p. 178.
P- 57-
=° Kilree Church, with its Cloighteach
and stone cross, seem to have been under
the patronage of St. Brigid. See "Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County
ofKilkenny. " Sheet27.
reigners,A. D. 836. Incourseofsomeyears, Cearbhall or Carroll, Lord of Ossory, be-
came distinguished as a warrior. He gained a great victory over the Port-Lairge or Wa-
at
pirates, Achadh-mic-Erclaighe, A. D. 858. The year succeeding, he renewed the fair of
Roighne, and probably about this period, if not before, the church of Cill-Finche was rebuilt. See O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 456, 457, 492 to 495-
^'
There is neither trace, nor tradition of a church, existing there ; yet, it seems pro- bable, the name is, derived from one, which
=^5 This however, does not locality,
terford fleet of the northern
appear to be much insisted on as the probable site. An engraving of its round tower and ancient cross is given in Mr. and Mrs. Hall's "Ire- land : its scenery, character," &c. , vol. ii. ,
Vol. II. —No. 5.
S
Duirnbuidhe,
the ford of the yellow fist. "
258 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [February 2. Mr. Hogan to have been identical with Cill-Finnche, from the fact that both
"
of these stand at the foot of the
great hill of Raighne. "^' Not only did such
territory embrace that fine tract of country, spreading out in front of this
hill, and extending thence, through Dunnamaggin and Ballytobin, to the
bordersofTipperary; but,itwasofmuchgreaterextent,goingbeyondthe
bounds of the present Kells barony, to the baronies of Shillalogher, Cran- nagh, and Callan. Even the great plain, surrounding the city of Kilkenny
itself, is thought to have been included, within the ancient territory of Raighne,whichwasco-extensivewiththecountryofLowerOssory. Indeed, it has been asserted, that Raighne was not a sub-denomination of Ossory, but,thatitwastheoriginalnameforthislatterkingdom. ^^ Thechurchof Sheepstown,^9—in Irish called Ballynageragh,—down to a verymodem period, stood in the centre of a public common, supposed to be the site of an ancient town. Fromitmaybetracedtheremainsofoldroads,radiatingfromitin various directions. One of these ran directly under the walls of the old
" Butts. " The remains of another old route, about half-a-mile below Knock- topher, wends its way beyond the old paper-mill. There, it intersects the
priory of Knocktopher, and it forms, to the present day, what is called
the
boldly, over the broad plain beneath, and it affords a commanding position over the valley, which from this narrows itself into the pass of Bealach-Ele.
189 to 214, with accompanying map.
^9 Not far from the ruins of Sheepstown Church may be traced the site of Sheeps-
**
"^
See the ingenious and learned disserta-
Derrynahinch Old Church, County Kilkenny.
present high road to Ballyhale, as it runs towards Derrynahinch church,3° not far from the latter place. Several trees now surround Derrynahinch
'7 This, we are told, stands out very year 1864," vol. v. New series, part i. , pp.
"
and Papers of the Kilkenny and South-East
tion of Mr. John Hogan in
of Ireland Archaeological Society for the
of Kilkenny. " Sheet 31.
3° The site of Derrynahinch church and
Proceedings
Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County
town Castle. Both are shown on the
graveyard will be found on the
**
Ordnance
February 2. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 259
ruins,3^ the walls of which are richly draped with ivy. This church is said to have been dedicated to St. Martin. 32 Here, too, a patron was held on hisday. 33 OneofthefineststretchesoflandinIrelandmaybeviewedfrom this spot. According to the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, the Irish Apostle was the primitive founder of Mar-thor-theach, in Mag-Rigne, after he had left Belach-Gaurain, passing through Ossory,34 on his way to the bounds of Munster. 35 AthirdroadmaybetracedtotheprimitivelocalityofAugha- viller. 3^ Here, there is a round tower. 37 That which more immediately belongs to the object of this enquiry is a road, that led to the pass of Bea- lach-Ele,3^ and thence over Sliabh-Branach39 to the valley of the Suir. The course of this ancient way is marked by a regular line of townland villages, ruined castles, and ancient churches, which now lie far away from the public high-roads, concealed in rude bosheens, only surviving segments of the great thoroughfare, that in early times ran through Knockmoylan, Kilkeasy, and Kilcurl^o to Sheepstown, where it finds the stream, under the church at Ath- Duirn-Buidhe. Thence, it runs into the fields, and it is still open, as a neglected by-path, to Danganbeg Castle,^^ through the townland of Tinvaun. Thisroad,atpresent,isnotopenthroughSheepstown; but,fromthecastle of Kilcurl, it is turned out of the old track, and, by a modern line, it con- ductstothevillageofKnocktopher. Asimilarchangewaseffected,inthis road, at the north side of Sheepstown ; for, here, too, the ancient path is turned off by a modern line, to the town of Knocktopher, which proves, that in remote times, the great high-road ran direct through the centre of Sheeps-
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Kilkenny," on Sheet 32, between Derryna- hinch House and grounds, and Kiltorcan House and grounds, beside an old road-
way.
3' The accompanying engraving, by Mrs.
Millard, is from a drawing, taken on the spot, by the writer, in March, 1873. Notes,
descriptive of the ruins, he regrets having lost or mislaid ; but, as recollection serves,
titular St. Martin. That pastor abolished some nonsensical ceremonies of the former patron, but, very properly, he had the festi- val restored to its primitive simplicity and
dignity, by inaugurating its observance as a day for solemn and annual worship.
34 St. Patrick founded many other churches in ancient Ossory.
35 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita S. Patricii," pars iii. , cap.
within the ancient church, and under a xxvii,, xxviii. , p. 153.
ruinous east window, were the remains of an old stone-work altar. The view, in the illustration, represents a north or north-
westernaspect.
3^ Until of late years, his "patron" was
observed there, on the nth of November. —Mr. Hogan identifies this with Marthorteach
thinks
which he to be formed from Mar-
3^ Where there is an old church, round tower, graveyard and ruined castle, shown
*'
theen-teach, z>. , Martin's house. " This 639-
also stood within the ancient plain of Magh
Roighne. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals
of the Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (t), p. 494, at A. D. 859.
33 This was done, towards the close of the
last century, in the churchyard of Derryna- hinch. The patron was afterwards trans-
ferred to the chapel-yard of Ballyhale, where it continued to be kept on the Sunday next
after the I ith of November, f—or many years.
3^ This ancient denomination is said to be preserved, at the present day, in the rather modern village of Ballyhale, midway be- tween Kilkenny and Waterford. It is now a station, on the railroad connecting both cities. This town is within the old parish of Derrynahinch, represented on the " Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Kilkenny. " Sheets 31, 32, 35, 36.
39 Now the Walsh Mountains.
grotesque-looking figure possibly A —
4°
and a graveyard, as also a castle. See " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the
"
around the graveyard. This was intended
to represent the patron saint. Archdeacon
O'Shea, P. P. , on completion of his new Townland Maps for the County of Kil- church at Ballyhale had it dedicated to the kenny. " Sheet 31.
ancient one and carved as a bishop in pon-
tificals, used to be carried in procession
an
Here there is an old church in ruins
''
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
on the
fortheCountyofKilkenny. " Sheet31.
37 A rude engraving of it is presented in Tighe's "Statistical Observations relative to the County of Kilkenny, made in the years 1 800 and 1 801," part iii. , sect. 19, p.
Sheet 3 1 .
4* Shown on the " Ordnance Survey
County of Kilkenny.
26o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS
[February 2.
town. 42 Yet, when in later times, Knocktopher43 had grown up as its suc- cessful rival, the road was curved from the ancient and made to pass through the modem to\vn. Within a few hundred yards of Sheepstown church, the present road curves round to cross a stream, and over a stone bridge, at which place the rivulet spreads over a greater width, and forms a shallow. The old road, forming part of the great highway, that led from Bealach Ele through the plain of Magh Roighna, sank down to the water. Its banks accommodate themselves to the old track, which is yet visible through the fields, from Danganbeg direction. This is thought to have been the exact site of that ford, known as Ath-Duirnbuidhe. About a-quarter of a mile,
beyond this stream, rises the magnificent elevation of Knock-ad-Raighne. 44 Its eastern and southern slopes are covered by the spacious plantations of Flood Hall,4s once the seat of the celebrated Henry Flood ;46 but, its south- western declivities are bare and precipitous. Its proximity to Sheepstown church, and to the ford already mentioned, renders it pretty certain^r that venerable ruin occupies the site of the ancient historical church of Cill- Finnche. Itstandsonaneminence,overthevalley,throughwhichmeanders the mountain stream, which flows thence, through the town of Knocktopher. ^^ The church had no chancel ; it is a rude oblong building. It has a single and rather rude stunted lancet window, in the east gable. The head is rounded out of two single stones, and the jambs are widely splayed internally, in the Hiberno-Romanesque style. Within the present townland of Killinny, every vestige of an old church, or even of a graveyard, appears to have been effaced, as examined on the Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County ofKilkenny. 49 ItliespleasinglysituatednearthetownofKells,butonthe northern bank of King's River, across which possibly was the ancient ford.
42 The old church, at this place, is fast crumbling to decay, while it is both obscure
andneglected.
43 See this parish shown on the "Ordnance
magne in Magh Raighne. Or, it is in Hy Scellain of Sliabh Mairge that Findech DuimBuidheis,utaliiputant. Or,nomen viri a quo nominatur the place. Or, with
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Nindid Duirn Digrais, i. e. , of undefiled
Kilkenny. " Sheets 27, 28, 31, 32, 35.
having immediately succeeded Charlemagne. Louis! I. governed the empire from the latter
year to a. d. 876. Louis IH. reigned only for a brief period, as the successor of Carlo- man, and both were succeeded in the last
February.
Essai de
by GodefridHenschenius, in a historical com- mentary of six —sections—comprising thirty
so At the 2nd of February the following holy martyrs are venerated in the Calendars
at Ebbekesdorp, in Lower Saxony—
in the Boliandists' new edition of "Acta Sanctorum," tomusi. , Feb* ruarii ii. , pp. 312 to 319. The sees, death and cultus of tlie Bishops Erlulph and Gos- bert are treated, chiefly in the Fourth Sec«
tion.
si See '* De Statu Hominis Veteris, simul
ac novte Ecclesiae, et Sanctis Regni Scotioe," lib. i. , pars ii. , cap. lii. , sect. 2, p. 147.
s* See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niae," Februarii ii, De S. Erlulpho, Epis« copo Verdensi et Martyre, n. 4, p. 241,
five paragraphs
February 2. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 255
no doubt, tliat this holy servant of God flourished at an early period, in the Church of Ireland ; for, the " Feilire " of St. ^ngus^ enters him, as Finnich Duirn, while almost similar is the simple notice, Finnchi Duiren, at the 2nd of February, in the Martyrology of Tallagh. ^* He was probably one of our early Chorepiscopi, and the place where he dwelt might have been a primi- tive episcopal see. On this day, according to the Martyrology of Donegal,3 was reverenced Findeach Duirnd,'^ Bishop of Cill-Finnche, of Ath Duirn, in Osraighe. Dornd-Buidhe is the name of a hill in Magh Raighne,5 states the notice in this latter calendar. The plain, Magh-Roighne, stretched through the barony of Kells, and county of Kilkenny. In this plain, Cill-Finnche, it is said, was situated, and near a great hill, called Dorn-I3uidhe, in the territory ofOssory. ^ Theplace,"however,hasnotyetbeenidentified,7accordingto
Dr. O'Donovan. ^ Yet,innotesaffixedtohiseditionofDualdMacFirbiss,9 where Finnech-Duirn,'° Bishop of Cill-Finche, from Ath-duirn, in Ossory, is
set down, at the 2nd of February, William M. Hennessy anglicizes, Ath- Duirn, as " the Ford of Dorn,'' and he states, this was probably at or near
Cill-Finche, the church of Finnech, now Killinny," in the parish and barony of Kells, county of Kilkenny. Some interesting remarks, in reference to this subject, have been offered, by Mr. John Hogan," maintaining, that the ancient territory of Raighne or Roighna, had been assigned by Eugaine Mor,'3 who died Monarch of Ireland, a. m. 4606,^4 to his son, known as
Article iv. —^ On the Fourth of the Nones, or on the 2nd of February, in the "Felire" of St. ^ngus the Culdee, the fol-
Academy," Irish MSB. Series, vol. i. , part i. , pp. 88, 89.
'°
According to Mr. John Hogan, in this bishop's name, Findeach, the "d" is as- perated, leaving the pronunciation Finech
;
synonymous with Finnche hence, Bishop
was the patron and
Finnche both titular of
the ancient Cill Finnche. See "Journal of
the Kilkenny and South-East of Ireland
Archaeological Society," vol. v. New
series, part i. , p. 209, "Topographical and Historical Illustrations of the County of
Kilkenny," by Mr. John Hogan.
" It is to be seen, on the " Ordnance
Survey Townland Maps for the County of
Kilkenny. " Sheet27.
"See "Topographical and Historical
Illustrations of the County of Kilkenny. "
"Journal of the Kilkenny and South-East
of Ireland Arch^ological Society," vol. v. , part i. , pp. 208 to 210. New series.
lowing notice of this saint occurs, as ex- ""
tracted from the Leahbar Breac of the
Royal Irish Academy, with an English
: translation, by Professor O'Looney —
e. mi. n. ^i]Mciu mAic lTlui|ve,
1 cempuL'oe]^boimif;
SLuAg rno^ mA^ci)\ puAbAiy, La pnmch Oui|\n x)i5^Aif.
Honour of the Son of Mary, In a temple truly to be judged ;
A great host of martyrs of joyous death, With Finnich Duirn tiie Zealous.
» Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xiv.
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
36, 37-
* In a note, Dr. Todd
"Duirnd;
^3 After a of twenty years, the mo-
/. <? . , FindeachofDornn. "
5 I find " Ath duoin buidhe in Osraigh-
ibh," affixed as a note to this passage, in
William M. Hennessy's copy of the " Mar-
Reach- taidh of the Red Wrist," who was styled King of Ireland and of Alba, as appears
tyrology of Donegal. After this follows:
"Dombuidhe ainm tulchai Moigh Raighne. "
4566. See Dr. John Lynch's Cambrensis Eversus," vol. i. , chap, viii. , pp. 444, 445.
^
According Aenguis. "
to a
on the "Feilire- Dr. edition. He was killed gloss Kelly's
^ See "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (f), p. 456.
^
Yet, in a note, affixed to the "Tribes and Territories of Ancient Ossory," the place is identified with Killinny. See
" Transactions of the Kilkenny and South-
East of Ireland Archaeological Society,"
by Ugaine Mor, who thus revenged the death of his foster-mother, Queen Macha. The celebrated ruler of Ireland, known as Ugony the Great, is thought to have carried his conquests to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and he is said to have possessed great powerintheWesternIslesofEurope. He divided Ireland into twenty-five districts, which were apportioned among his twenty-
vol. i. , pars ii. 9 ' '
of the
two sons and three
See Proceedings
Royal
Irish
daughters
it and, is
;
says,
reign
narch Reachtaidh Righdhearg, or
"
from the Calendar of Cashel, was slain a. m. ""
256 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [February 2.
Raighne. Thisterritorywaseithercalledafterhim,orhegavenametothe territory. It is said, to h. ive been that great central plain of Ossory, which includes the lower valley of the River Nore, and the valley of the King's River. In the first century, ^ngus founded that petty principality, which formed a nucleus for the future kingdom of Ossory. For some centuries, this territory, denominated Laighin deas Gabhair, is thought to have com- prisedtwoancientprovinces,knownasFeimhinandRaighne. Thesecon- tinued united, until the middle of the fifth century, when ^ngus Mac Nad- frach'5 expelled the Ossoronians from Femhin, and annexed it to Munster. Afterwards, the kingdom of Ossory was confined to the sin[;le province of Raighne ; whence, its kings for many centuries were denominated, Righ
stated, that this division of territory lasted Great exacted an oath of allegiance, from for three hundred years, after his time. his subjects, in behalf of his posterity. He The names of these territories and of ruled over Ireland forty years—others state
Ugaine's children, to whom they were al-
lotted, are given, with some variations, in
our ancient manuscripts. The following
seems a fairly correct enumeration. To his Ptolomaeus Lagides. See Dr. O'Gonor's sons—viz. : i. Breagh or Bregia, in Meath " Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus or Dublin county, to Cobhtach Gael. 2. i. Prolegomina ad Annales, p. xlviii. Ac- Muirtheimhne, in the present county of cording to their different basis for computa- Louth, to Cobhtach Minn. 3. The lands tion—the Four Masters and Lynch, follow- about the River Liffey, in Leinster, to Lae- ing the septuagint, have his death at A. M. ghaire Lore. 4. Magh-Fea, in the present 4606, O'PUaherty at A. M. 3649, and Keating
county of Carlow, to Fuilne. 5. Magh- at A. M. 3616—proportionately
are the
reigns
Nair, to Nar. 6. Magh-Raighne, in Ossory, of our Irish monarchs dated. O'Flaherty
to Raighne. 7. Magh Nairbh, to Narbh. makes Hugony the Great enter upon his
8. Airgeatross, on the River Nore, to Cinga. reign, that very year when Alexander the
9. Magh Tarra, to Tair. lo, Treitherne, Great began to rule over the Persians. He to Triath. 1 1. Luachair-Deaghaidh, in states, that the year of the world 3619 going Kerry, to Sen. 12. Cluain-Corca-Oiche, out, and 3620 coming from the Autumnal in Ui-Fibhgheinte, to Bard. 13. The Equinox, agree with A. M. 4383, according Southern Deisi, to Fergus Gnoi. 14. to the Julian period. See "Ogygia," pars ii. ,
Aidhne, in the diocese of Kilmacduagh, p. 106. This, he states, on the authority of *'
to Orb. 15. Moenmhagh, in Glanrickard, a native Garmen Ghronographicum :" in the present county of Galway, to Moen.
16. Magh-Aei, in the present county of
Roscommon, to Sanbh. 17. Gliu Mail, in
Coshlea, county of Limerick, to Muiread-
hachMai. 18. Seolmhagh,nowthebarony
of Glare, county of Galway, to Eochaidh.
19. Latharna, in the county of Antrim, to
Latham. 20. Midhe, to Marc. 21. Line,
or Magh-Line, county of Antrim, to Laegh.
22. Corann, in the present county of Sligo,
to Gairbre. To his daughters were allot-
ted—viz. : I. Magh Ailbe, in the present
county of Kildare, to Ailbe. 2. Magh- part i. , chap, vii. , pp. 248 to 250.
Aeife, otherwise called Magh-Feimheann, now the baronies of Iffa and Offa East, in the county of Tipperary, to Aeife or Eva. 3. Magh-Muirisce, in the present county of Mayo,toMuirisc. Fromtheforegoingde- nominations, it would seem, that many of our ancient territories derived their names fromthechildrenofHugotheGreat. Of all his sons, however, only two left issue, namely Gobhthach Gael, and Laeghaire Lore, from whom all of Heremon's race that survive are descended. See Dr.
'S In Michael Kearney's (a. u.
1635) trans- lation of John O'Dugan's Irish poem, Hio§A p'l eibi]A, we hav—e the following account in
"
vol. i. , n. (z), pp. 74 to 77. Hugony the
O'Donovan's
Annals of the Four Masters,"
only thirty—when he was slain by Badh- bhchadh.
**
Triginta Hugonius Rex annos transtulit in se
"» Flam sjmchronizes Ugaine Mor, with
Regni Herimoniades jura, suumquc genus.
Gcepit, Alexander Darium quo vicerat, anno :
Vergiviumque ultra protulit arma sa« lum. "
—
Keating's "History of Ireland," book i. ,
Ibid. , p. 449. See, likewise, O'Mahony's
reference to him
:
•'
—"TheKingsoftheRaceofEibhear. " A
Ghronological Poem. Edited by John O'Daly, p. 15.
And Aongus the sonn of Nadfraoich
raigned. Ofyearsfull36;
And confirmed in faith that Warriour to
Death,
Mac Earca and OilioU did fix. "
February 2. ] LIVES OF THE IJ^/SIT SAINTS. 257
Raighne,or"thekingsofRaighne. " This,itisconjectured,wasneithera tribe,district,norasub-denominationofOssory; but,itwasaprimitivepro- vince, long anterior to the establishment of that kingdom, by ^ngus its
founder. It having formed the principal part of Laighin deas Gabhair, at the end of the ninth century, Cormac Mac Cuilleanan, King of South
Munster,claimedjurisdictionoverRaighne. Ceallachwasthenkingover Ossory ; and, a compromise appears to have been effected, the terms of which guaranteed to Cormac possession of that part, south of the King's River,inthepresentcountyofKilkenny. Mr. JohnHoganwillnotallow, however, that the present saint was either the patron or titular of Killinny,^^ where the old local church^? and a well^^ had been dedicated to St. Lrigid. '? Nor will he admit, the identification of Cill-Finche,=^° with the present town- land of KilHnny,^^ since there is no hill there, or in its neighbourhood, nor in the spacious plain between it and the Killamery ridge, except the one great and remarkable eminence, called Knock-ad-Raighne. =^^ This, he states, beyond all doubt, must have been the place, formerly called Dorn- buidhe,''^ Ath-Duirnbuidhe is considered to have been a pass, over one of the streams, which wash the base of that hill. Either the ancient church on the townland of Sheepstown,=^4 in the parish and barony of Knocktopher, or that of Kilree^s—the latter not a very probable conjectured^—is believed by
''^
In the charter of Henry IV. to the
had a former existence.
=^The hill of Roigne stands out very
boldly, commanding the broad plain be- neath. It affords a very exalted position over the valley, which from this narrows itself into the pass of Bealach-Ele.
^3 Mr. John Hogan thinks, a part of this word may still be found in the termination
of a townland title, Baun-a-Volla-Buidhe, rendered for him "the fallow field," or " the bawn of Buidhe," situated on the side of Knock-ad-Raighne. He renders Ath-
Priory of Kells, this church, called Killinthy, is enumerated among the ecclesiastical houses, affihated to that establishment.
^7 Its ruins existed near Mr. Hutchinson's
house, down to the present century.
^^ The sacred character of wells may pro- bably be traced from the Old Testament, to an ancient Jewish veneration for them, as connected with the holy patriarchs, and otherdistinguishedservantsofGod. Thus, Abraham and Isaac dug several wells. The well of Jacob is hkewise mentioned. (Genesis xxvi. , xxix. , St. John iv,, 12. ) Allusion to their sanative properties and use frequently occurs in the Sacred Scriptures. "In that day, there shall be a fountain open to the
house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem : for the washing of the sinner," &c. (Zacharias xiii. , i. )
^9 Her patron used to be annually ob-
served there, on the 1st of February, and
St. Brigid's Well still preserves, for the place, the name of its ancient patroness.
"
=^4 InDr. Petrie'swork,thereisanengrav-
^°
This church was burned by the fo-
ing, which represents the arched door-way of this church—the ancient name of which
is wholly forgotten in the locality, as well as the name of its patron or founder. The door-way is in the centre of the west wall, and it is composed of sandstone, well chi- selled. It measures seven feet, in height, to the vertex of the arch. It has a torus or bead-moulding,alongitsexternaledges; it is over three feet, in width, and the jambs arethreefeet,inthickness. Ithasimposts, immediately under the curvature of the arch. See "The Ecclesiastical Architec- ture and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. , sect, iii. , subs. I, p. 178.
P- 57-
=° Kilree Church, with its Cloighteach
and stone cross, seem to have been under
the patronage of St. Brigid. See "Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County
ofKilkenny. " Sheet27.
reigners,A. D. 836. Incourseofsomeyears, Cearbhall or Carroll, Lord of Ossory, be-
came distinguished as a warrior. He gained a great victory over the Port-Lairge or Wa-
at
pirates, Achadh-mic-Erclaighe, A. D. 858. The year succeeding, he renewed the fair of
Roighne, and probably about this period, if not before, the church of Cill-Finche was rebuilt. See O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 456, 457, 492 to 495-
^'
There is neither trace, nor tradition of a church, existing there ; yet, it seems pro- bable, the name is, derived from one, which
=^5 This however, does not locality,
terford fleet of the northern
appear to be much insisted on as the probable site. An engraving of its round tower and ancient cross is given in Mr. and Mrs. Hall's "Ire- land : its scenery, character," &c. , vol. ii. ,
Vol. II. —No. 5.
S
Duirnbuidhe,
the ford of the yellow fist. "
258 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS [February 2. Mr. Hogan to have been identical with Cill-Finnche, from the fact that both
"
of these stand at the foot of the
great hill of Raighne. "^' Not only did such
territory embrace that fine tract of country, spreading out in front of this
hill, and extending thence, through Dunnamaggin and Ballytobin, to the
bordersofTipperary; but,itwasofmuchgreaterextent,goingbeyondthe
bounds of the present Kells barony, to the baronies of Shillalogher, Cran- nagh, and Callan. Even the great plain, surrounding the city of Kilkenny
itself, is thought to have been included, within the ancient territory of Raighne,whichwasco-extensivewiththecountryofLowerOssory. Indeed, it has been asserted, that Raighne was not a sub-denomination of Ossory, but,thatitwastheoriginalnameforthislatterkingdom. ^^ Thechurchof Sheepstown,^9—in Irish called Ballynageragh,—down to a verymodem period, stood in the centre of a public common, supposed to be the site of an ancient town. Fromitmaybetracedtheremainsofoldroads,radiatingfromitin various directions. One of these ran directly under the walls of the old
" Butts. " The remains of another old route, about half-a-mile below Knock- topher, wends its way beyond the old paper-mill. There, it intersects the
priory of Knocktopher, and it forms, to the present day, what is called
the
boldly, over the broad plain beneath, and it affords a commanding position over the valley, which from this narrows itself into the pass of Bealach-Ele.
189 to 214, with accompanying map.
^9 Not far from the ruins of Sheepstown Church may be traced the site of Sheeps-
**
"^
See the ingenious and learned disserta-
Derrynahinch Old Church, County Kilkenny.
present high road to Ballyhale, as it runs towards Derrynahinch church,3° not far from the latter place. Several trees now surround Derrynahinch
'7 This, we are told, stands out very year 1864," vol. v. New series, part i. , pp.
"
and Papers of the Kilkenny and South-East
tion of Mr. John Hogan in
of Ireland Archaeological Society for the
of Kilkenny. " Sheet 31.
3° The site of Derrynahinch church and
Proceedings
Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County
town Castle. Both are shown on the
graveyard will be found on the
**
Ordnance
February 2. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS 259
ruins,3^ the walls of which are richly draped with ivy. This church is said to have been dedicated to St. Martin. 32 Here, too, a patron was held on hisday. 33 OneofthefineststretchesoflandinIrelandmaybeviewedfrom this spot. According to the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, the Irish Apostle was the primitive founder of Mar-thor-theach, in Mag-Rigne, after he had left Belach-Gaurain, passing through Ossory,34 on his way to the bounds of Munster. 35 AthirdroadmaybetracedtotheprimitivelocalityofAugha- viller. 3^ Here, there is a round tower. 37 That which more immediately belongs to the object of this enquiry is a road, that led to the pass of Bea- lach-Ele,3^ and thence over Sliabh-Branach39 to the valley of the Suir. The course of this ancient way is marked by a regular line of townland villages, ruined castles, and ancient churches, which now lie far away from the public high-roads, concealed in rude bosheens, only surviving segments of the great thoroughfare, that in early times ran through Knockmoylan, Kilkeasy, and Kilcurl^o to Sheepstown, where it finds the stream, under the church at Ath- Duirn-Buidhe. Thence, it runs into the fields, and it is still open, as a neglected by-path, to Danganbeg Castle,^^ through the townland of Tinvaun. Thisroad,atpresent,isnotopenthroughSheepstown; but,fromthecastle of Kilcurl, it is turned out of the old track, and, by a modern line, it con- ductstothevillageofKnocktopher. Asimilarchangewaseffected,inthis road, at the north side of Sheepstown ; for, here, too, the ancient path is turned off by a modern line, to the town of Knocktopher, which proves, that in remote times, the great high-road ran direct through the centre of Sheeps-
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Kilkenny," on Sheet 32, between Derryna- hinch House and grounds, and Kiltorcan House and grounds, beside an old road-
way.
3' The accompanying engraving, by Mrs.
Millard, is from a drawing, taken on the spot, by the writer, in March, 1873. Notes,
descriptive of the ruins, he regrets having lost or mislaid ; but, as recollection serves,
titular St. Martin. That pastor abolished some nonsensical ceremonies of the former patron, but, very properly, he had the festi- val restored to its primitive simplicity and
dignity, by inaugurating its observance as a day for solemn and annual worship.
34 St. Patrick founded many other churches in ancient Ossory.
35 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Septima Vita S. Patricii," pars iii. , cap.
within the ancient church, and under a xxvii,, xxviii. , p. 153.
ruinous east window, were the remains of an old stone-work altar. The view, in the illustration, represents a north or north-
westernaspect.
3^ Until of late years, his "patron" was
observed there, on the nth of November. —Mr. Hogan identifies this with Marthorteach
thinks
which he to be formed from Mar-
3^ Where there is an old church, round tower, graveyard and ruined castle, shown
*'
theen-teach, z>. , Martin's house. " This 639-
also stood within the ancient plain of Magh
Roighne. See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals
of the Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (t), p. 494, at A. D. 859.
33 This was done, towards the close of the
last century, in the churchyard of Derryna- hinch. The patron was afterwards trans-
ferred to the chapel-yard of Ballyhale, where it continued to be kept on the Sunday next
after the I ith of November, f—or many years.
3^ This ancient denomination is said to be preserved, at the present day, in the rather modern village of Ballyhale, midway be- tween Kilkenny and Waterford. It is now a station, on the railroad connecting both cities. This town is within the old parish of Derrynahinch, represented on the " Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Kilkenny. " Sheets 31, 32, 35, 36.
39 Now the Walsh Mountains.
grotesque-looking figure possibly A —
4°
and a graveyard, as also a castle. See " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the
"
around the graveyard. This was intended
to represent the patron saint. Archdeacon
O'Shea, P. P. , on completion of his new Townland Maps for the County of Kil- church at Ballyhale had it dedicated to the kenny. " Sheet 31.
ancient one and carved as a bishop in pon-
tificals, used to be carried in procession
an
Here there is an old church in ruins
''
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
on the
fortheCountyofKilkenny. " Sheet31.
37 A rude engraving of it is presented in Tighe's "Statistical Observations relative to the County of Kilkenny, made in the years 1 800 and 1 801," part iii. , sect. 19, p.
Sheet 3 1 .
4* Shown on the " Ordnance Survey
County of Kilkenny.
26o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS
[February 2.
town. 42 Yet, when in later times, Knocktopher43 had grown up as its suc- cessful rival, the road was curved from the ancient and made to pass through the modem to\vn. Within a few hundred yards of Sheepstown church, the present road curves round to cross a stream, and over a stone bridge, at which place the rivulet spreads over a greater width, and forms a shallow. The old road, forming part of the great highway, that led from Bealach Ele through the plain of Magh Roighna, sank down to the water. Its banks accommodate themselves to the old track, which is yet visible through the fields, from Danganbeg direction. This is thought to have been the exact site of that ford, known as Ath-Duirnbuidhe. About a-quarter of a mile,
beyond this stream, rises the magnificent elevation of Knock-ad-Raighne. 44 Its eastern and southern slopes are covered by the spacious plantations of Flood Hall,4s once the seat of the celebrated Henry Flood ;46 but, its south- western declivities are bare and precipitous. Its proximity to Sheepstown church, and to the ford already mentioned, renders it pretty certain^r that venerable ruin occupies the site of the ancient historical church of Cill- Finnche. Itstandsonaneminence,overthevalley,throughwhichmeanders the mountain stream, which flows thence, through the town of Knocktopher. ^^ The church had no chancel ; it is a rude oblong building. It has a single and rather rude stunted lancet window, in the east gable. The head is rounded out of two single stones, and the jambs are widely splayed internally, in the Hiberno-Romanesque style. Within the present townland of Killinny, every vestige of an old church, or even of a graveyard, appears to have been effaced, as examined on the Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County ofKilkenny. 49 ItliespleasinglysituatednearthetownofKells,butonthe northern bank of King's River, across which possibly was the ancient ford.
42 The old church, at this place, is fast crumbling to decay, while it is both obscure
andneglected.
43 See this parish shown on the "Ordnance
magne in Magh Raighne. Or, it is in Hy Scellain of Sliabh Mairge that Findech DuimBuidheis,utaliiputant. Or,nomen viri a quo nominatur the place. Or, with
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Nindid Duirn Digrais, i. e. , of undefiled
Kilkenny. " Sheets 27, 28, 31, 32, 35.
