Cedd,' and
afterwards
accompanied him, on his mission, to the Midland English.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
xciii.
, p.
429.
40 Xn Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 144, 145, his death is placed at A. D. 458.
41 gee Dv. O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. , pp. 148 to 151. See, likewise, Colgan's
Lanigan's
Thaumaturga. " Quarta
v. , p. 391.
34 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. iii. , n. 85, p.
arum Antiquitates," cap. xv. , p. 320, cap.
" Ecclesiastical His-
logicus," p. 522.
" Ecclesiastical His- "Trias
42 See Ussher's "Britannicarum Ecclesi-
33 See Dr.
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sect. Brigidas, lib. ii. , n. 8, p. 565.
Vita S.
187.
35 "
See "Britannicarum Ecclesiarum An-
tiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 454.
3^ He was the son of Dathy, and conse-
quently, he was nearly related to Leogaire, who was Dathy's first cousin. Sir James Ware instead of Dathy has Nathi. See " De Hibernia et Antiquitatibus ejus," cap. iv. , p. 19.
and O'Flaherty's Ogygia," pars iii. , cap.
xciii. , p. 429.
^3 See " Dissertations on the History of
Ireland," sect, xv. , p. 197. Third Dublin edition, A. D. 1812.
^4 See ibid. , p. 200.
45 See ibid. , pp. 200, 201.
46 See Rev. M. J. Brenan's "Ecclesiastical
37 He succeeded his 38 See i<^? (/.
relative,
Leosraire.
History
of
Ireland," chap,
ii. , 26. p.
xvii. , p. 490, Sir James Ware,'
"
De Hiber-
nia et Antiquitatibus ejus," cap. iv,, p. 19,
484 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [Februaryii.
reconciled with the recorded fact, that his successor, Liigadius, lived and died a pagan. ^7 According to some accounts, the incumbency of Jarlath
lasted,foreighteenyears•,'<^ however,attheutmost,littlemorethanthirteen-^^ orfourteen5°yearscouldhavebeenthetermforhisepiscopacy. Verypru-
dently, Sir James Ware said nothing about St. Jarlath's years, nor did Colgan in his enumeration of the bishops of Armagh. s' Taking Ussher, however, as a sufficient authority, Harris foisted into Ware, that Jarlath died in the
eighteenth year of his Pontificates^ Yet, the reckoning of so many years for Jarlath's administration can scarcely be reconciled with dates, marked in ourAnnals. 53 Nothingparticularhascomedowntous,withregardtohis proceedings. All that we know further about him is, that he was, according to some computations, the fifth, and, according to others, the third Archbishop of Armagh. 54 It is related, that he died, on the nth day of February,55 a. d. 481,56 Qj- 482. 57 Ussher seems to place his death at 483, unless, indeed, he supposed, the see of Armagh remained vacant for an entire year. s^ After the death of our saint, many other holy prelates continued to preside over this ancient see, and to keep alive the faith and good works of its early
founder, St. Patrick.
Menologium Scoticum,"
a festival entered, at this date, by Dempster, and regarding a hermit Dicull, stated to be the founder of Bosanham. For this statement, he cites Fer- rarius. ' The name Dicull is Irish, yet, little seems to be known regarding
his
ArticleVIII. —St. Lappan,SonofCiaran. Lappdn,sonofCiaran, occurs in the Martyrologies of Tallagh^ and of Donegal,^ on this day.
Article IX. —St. Brigid, Virgin. A virgin, called St. Brigid, was venerated in Scotland, at the nth of February. ^
Article X. —St. Luchta, of Ath-ferna or Aghafarnan, County
Article VII. —St. Dicull. In his "
we find
history.
"
Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sect, v. ,
*^ See Dr. Lanigan's
gan acknowledges, that these do not specify, at the nth of February, what St. Jarlath is
meant. It is remarkable, in the published
Martyrology of Donegal, no notice, what- ever, of a St, Jarlath occurs at this date.
ss ggg Rgy. Robert " Memoir In- King's
p. 392.
48 See Ussher's
"
Britannicarum Ecclesi-
arum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 454.
49 This is Dr.
s° According to Rev. M. J. Brenan.
s' See
Lanigan's computation. Trias Thaumaturga," at p. 293.
troductory to the Early History of the Pri- macy of Armagh," p. 68.
"
52 See Harris' Ware, vol.
bishops of Armagh," p. 36.
53 Dr. Lanigan suspects, that the number
XVIII. , on which Ussher built, was owing to the mistake of a transcriber for xiii. See
"
Ecclesiastical Histoiy of Ireland," chap. vi. , sect, xiii. , and n. 141, pp. 312 to 316.
5* See Ussher's "Britannicarum Ecclesi-
niae," xi. Februarii. De S. Jarlatho sive Hierlato, Archiepiscopo Ardmachano, cap. vii. , and n. 16, p. 308.
ss The year last noted is assigned for the
beginning of his successor's episcopacy, Cormac came next, and the fourth in order. See " De Primordiis Britannicarum Eccle- siarum," cap. xvii. , p. 875.
arum
5S See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
ni3e,"xi. Februarii, De S. Jarlatheo sive Hierlatio, Archiepiscopo Ardmachano, cap.
vii,, and n, 15, p. 308. The Martyrologies of Tallagh, of Marianus O' Gorman, of Ma-
guire and of Donegal are quoted ; yet, Col-
Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 454.
—
" Kalendars of Sco—ttish Saints," p. 192.
i. ,
"Arch-
57 See " Acta Sanctoruni Hiber- Colgan's
Article vii.
*
See Bishop Forbes'
'
Article viii. Edited by
Kelly, p. xv.
=
Rev.
Dr.
Edited by Drs, Todd and Reeves, pp. 46, 47.
February ii. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 485
OFMeath. Onthisday,intheMartyrologiesofTallagh''andofDonegal,* is entered, Luchta, of Ath-ferna. Ath-fearna, i. e. , the Ford of the Alder, is mentioned in our Annals, at a. d. 1030. 3 It is now known as Aghafarnan, in
the parish of Enniskeen, barony of Lower Kells, and county of Meath. 4
ArticleXI. —St. Betta,FirstApostleoftheMercians. \Seventh Century^ This saint was probably English, by birth. He studied in Ire- land with St.
Cedd,' and afterwards accompanied him, on his mission, to the Midland English. Camerarius places his Natalis at this date :' Colgan fears, however, without any authority. 3 This holy man is regarded as the firstApostleoftheMercians. -^ HeisclassedbyCamerariusamongthesaints of Scotland. Another day has been assigned for his festival.
Article XII. —St. Conon, of Kilmacumsy, County of Roscommon. According to tradition, a St. Conon was venerated on the nth of February,
in the parish of Kilmacumsy,' in the barony of Frenchpark, and county of Roscommon. It is supposed, he belonged to Ceara, in the diocese of Tuam. It is said, he was brother to Deoredius. Although, he was first at Gallen, he
afterwards settled at Eaderdren, now Drumdaff, in Kilgafin, near Stokestown, diocese of Elphin. ^*
Article XIII. —St. Jarlaithe, Patron of the Archdiocese of Tuam. \Sixth Cenhtry. '] The chief festival day of this holy bishop is held inthearchdioceseofTuam,atthe6thofJune. Forthatday,wereserve the particulars of his life, so far as these are known. However, the Martyr- ology of Tallagh,^ at the nth of February,^ records Jarlaith, without any further distinguishing epithet. He has been classed, aiiiong the disciples of St. Patrick. 3 He is said to have been one of the disciples of St. Benignus,^ whilehewasengaged,intheconversionofJarmonia. s ThisistheLatinized
form for lar Mainne,^ or West Hy-Many,7 including the parishes of Tuam, of Donoughpatrick, of Kilbannan and of Kilconly.
ArticleXIV. —St. MogobocorGoban,ofRathlampaighe. Such
Article ix. —^ See Bishop Forbes' ^ The foregoing information has been Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 287, kindly communicated to the writer, by Very
Rev. Dr. Rev. M'Tucker, P. P. and V. G. , in Joseph
"
Article x. —^ Edited
by
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
a letter headed, Boyle, October i6th, 1873. Article xiii. — ' Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. XV.
Kelly, p. XV.
46, 47.
3 See O'Donovan's Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 820, 821.
See 4—
/(^/fl'. , n. (f), p. 820.
the "Trias printed.
Thaumaturga,"
the i6th is
Article xi.
^
See his Acts, at the 7th
ofJanuary.
^ See "De Duplici Statu Hominis, veteris
simul ac novae Ecclesise, et Infidelium Con-
3 gee Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 268.
^ See his Life, at the 9th of November,
s This is mentioned in the seventh chapter of the Life of St. Benignus.
versione," p. 147.
lib. i. ,
pars
ii,,
cap. iii. ,
sect.
2,
3 See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," vii.
De S. Cedda sive Ceddo Januarii. Epis-
^ So has the w^riter been assured
Rev. Ulick Canon Bourke, President of St.
"^
copo, n. 12, p. 21.
4 —of Tuam.
See Florence Worcester, a. d. 643.
Jarlath's College,
'^ See its boundaries shown
Article XII.
on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Roscommon. " Sheets lo, 15, 16.
See a full account of this large district
in Dr. O'Donovan's "Tribes and Customs
of Hy-Many, commonly called O'Kelly's Country. "
Colgan refers his feast to this date, and to the 26th of December. By an error in
by Very
486 LIVES OF THE IRISH . SAINTS. [February ii
is the entry we find, in the pubHshed Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the nth of February. Mogoboc is said to be identical with the name Goban. The
place seems difficult for identification with any modern etymon.
Article XV. —St. Senach, Priest, of Cealla Ua Maigheach.
The name of Senach, Soc. —meaning priest—occurs in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the nth of February. And again, on this day was celebrated
the festival, according to the Martyrology of Donegal,^ for Senach, priest, of CeallaUaMaigheach. HebelongedtotheraceofCathaoirMor,Monarch ofErinn,andoftheLeinstermen,asisconjectured. Hewasthusdescended fromtheraceLabhraidhLore,sonofUgaineM6r. OrthisisSeanach,per- haps, son to Coireall of Cealla Ua Maghach, and who belongs to the race of Conaire, son to Modh Lamha, and whose festival is celebrated on this day. His place has baffled our efforts to identify it. The late Professor O'Curry, who examined the antiquarian features of Kilshanny parish, 3 in his native county, a. d. 1839. states, that the denomination is of ecclesiastical origin,
"
the church of Seanach" or " of St. Seanach. " Although several of this name had been mentioned in the Irish Calendar, Mr. O'Curry was not able to identify any of them with this locality. The old church lies on the townland of Kil- shanny, in a good state of preservation. The admeasurements are then
and that it had been originally spelled Cill-Sheanaigh, />. ,
given, with the fullest details.
There is a large burial-ground attached, and
a "
August, St. Augustine's day. ^
There a
was on the 28th of held,
holy well,"
south-east of it.
"patron"
Article XVI. —Festival of St. Finan, F'innian, Fennia or Findia, Bishop of Moville, County of Down. \Sixth Cenim-y^ A holy bishop, Finan of Maghbile, is entered, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at
the nth of February. He descended from a highly respectable family; for, as we learn, he belonged to the race of Fiatach Finn, Monarch of Enn,
to the
" Naoimhshencas naomh Inis ^ which Fail,"
poem, Finnen,
according
festivals j-^ but, we prefer treating about the particulars of his life, at the loth of September, which seems to have been his chief feast. Under the head of
Magh-Bile, Duald Mac Firbiss enters, Fennian of Magh-Bile, or Fennia, Bishop of Magh-Bile, at February the nth. Findia, Bishop of Magh-Bile,
thus " [of him,]
offair
Maghbile,"
&c. This
says isnowknownas
place
Moville, or Movilla,3 in the parish of Newtownards, barony of Lower Ards, and county of Down. The present date appears to have been one of his
Article XIV. —* Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. XV.
Cluana Iraird," follow the foregoing entry. It is quite evident, however, this is a case of mistaken identity, on the part of the writer.
= " The Saint History of the Saints of Inis Fail. "
Article XV,
—
'
Edited by
Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. XV.
= Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
3 This place is described on the **Ord- 3 The parish of Kilshanny, in the barony nance Survey Townland Maps for the
46, 47.
"
Survey Townland Maps for the County of
•
Clare. " Sheets 8, 10,
*" Letters containing Information re-
lative to the Antiquities of the County of Clare, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839," vol. i. , pp. 307 to 312.
of Corcomroe, is marked on the
Ordnance
County of Down. " Sheet 6.
* See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nice," xviii. Martii. Appendix ad Acta S. Fridiani, cap. ii. , pp. 642, 643.
s gge "Proceedings of the Royal Irish
Academy," Irish MSS. series, vol. i. , part
i. , pp. 120, 121.
"
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 44, 45.
Article xvl—» Edited
Kelly, p. XV. These words, "no Finnain
by
Rev. Dr.
February 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 487
isrecorded,likewise,intheMartyrologyofDonegal,^onthisday. Wealso find, the name of this bishop entered, in the calendar, compiled by the Rev. Dr. Reeves,7 for that particular north-eastern district of Ireland, about which he wrote. The present holy man was one of the most renowned bishops,
in the early ages of Irish Christianity.
Ctoelftl) JBap of jfetiruarp^
ARTICLE I. —ST. SEDULIUS, OR SIADHAL, OR SHEIL,^ BISHOP OF DUBLIN, WITH OTHER HOLY AND LEARNED IRISHMEN, BEARING A SIMILAR NAME.
[FHOM THE FIFTH TO THE NINTH CENTURY. ^
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—ORIGIN OF THE NAME SIADHAL OR SHIEL—SEDULIUS, BISHOP OF DUBLIN—OPINIONS REGARDING HIM—HIS DEATH.
the very remote period of Irish history, and long before the Christian
IN a. m.
era, 3303,
theTuathaDeDanannscameto
Ireland,
andsucceededin
displacingtheFirbolgmonarchs,whoheldswayfroma. m. 3226. ^ Fromthe
latterpeople,manyfamiliesofConnaught,especially,datetheirorigin. ^ By
all writers, the Tuatha De Dananns are admitted to have been a highly in- tellectual race. Although, it has been stated, that no Irish family claims its descent from the latter remarkable colony ; yet, it has been also asserted, there is, at least, one decided exception to this hypothesis, as proved from our native annals and from other sources. 3 We are informed, that the Clan Siadhal or Shell, settled in the county of Antrim from a remote period, is traceablefromtheancientTuathaDeDananns. Fromearliesttimes,that tribe-name is recorded under various grammatical forms and unsettled ortho- graphies. Yet,itmostlyoccurs,inourannals,connectedwiththeprofession of those intellectual and scientific pursuits, for which that people were cele-
"
brated, long after they seemed to
ing the haze of remote antiquity, and intricacies attending this obscure lingual subject, it is thought, our records must bear to light the name and celebrity oftheClanShiel,undervariousdistinguishedforms. Thusthose,whostudy the Irish language, will be able to trace how the initial letters D, and S, used in the earUer forms of this name, come to be aspirated or almost mute--^ In
7 See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of
Down, Connor and Dromore. " Appendix
LL, p. 376.
ARTICLE I. —Chapter i. —'^ See Dr.
40 Xn Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 144, 145, his death is placed at A. D. 458.
41 gee Dv. O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. , pp. 148 to 151. See, likewise, Colgan's
Lanigan's
Thaumaturga. " Quarta
v. , p. 391.
34 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Septima Vita S. Patricii, lib. iii. , n. 85, p.
arum Antiquitates," cap. xv. , p. 320, cap.
" Ecclesiastical His-
logicus," p. 522.
" Ecclesiastical His- "Trias
42 See Ussher's "Britannicarum Ecclesi-
33 See Dr.
tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sect. Brigidas, lib. ii. , n. 8, p. 565.
Vita S.
187.
35 "
See "Britannicarum Ecclesiarum An-
tiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 454.
3^ He was the son of Dathy, and conse-
quently, he was nearly related to Leogaire, who was Dathy's first cousin. Sir James Ware instead of Dathy has Nathi. See " De Hibernia et Antiquitatibus ejus," cap. iv. , p. 19.
and O'Flaherty's Ogygia," pars iii. , cap.
xciii. , p. 429.
^3 See " Dissertations on the History of
Ireland," sect, xv. , p. 197. Third Dublin edition, A. D. 1812.
^4 See ibid. , p. 200.
45 See ibid. , pp. 200, 201.
46 See Rev. M. J. Brenan's "Ecclesiastical
37 He succeeded his 38 See i<^? (/.
relative,
Leosraire.
History
of
Ireland," chap,
ii. , 26. p.
xvii. , p. 490, Sir James Ware,'
"
De Hiber-
nia et Antiquitatibus ejus," cap. iv,, p. 19,
484 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [Februaryii.
reconciled with the recorded fact, that his successor, Liigadius, lived and died a pagan. ^7 According to some accounts, the incumbency of Jarlath
lasted,foreighteenyears•,'<^ however,attheutmost,littlemorethanthirteen-^^ orfourteen5°yearscouldhavebeenthetermforhisepiscopacy. Verypru-
dently, Sir James Ware said nothing about St. Jarlath's years, nor did Colgan in his enumeration of the bishops of Armagh. s' Taking Ussher, however, as a sufficient authority, Harris foisted into Ware, that Jarlath died in the
eighteenth year of his Pontificates^ Yet, the reckoning of so many years for Jarlath's administration can scarcely be reconciled with dates, marked in ourAnnals. 53 Nothingparticularhascomedowntous,withregardtohis proceedings. All that we know further about him is, that he was, according to some computations, the fifth, and, according to others, the third Archbishop of Armagh. 54 It is related, that he died, on the nth day of February,55 a. d. 481,56 Qj- 482. 57 Ussher seems to place his death at 483, unless, indeed, he supposed, the see of Armagh remained vacant for an entire year. s^ After the death of our saint, many other holy prelates continued to preside over this ancient see, and to keep alive the faith and good works of its early
founder, St. Patrick.
Menologium Scoticum,"
a festival entered, at this date, by Dempster, and regarding a hermit Dicull, stated to be the founder of Bosanham. For this statement, he cites Fer- rarius. ' The name Dicull is Irish, yet, little seems to be known regarding
his
ArticleVIII. —St. Lappan,SonofCiaran. Lappdn,sonofCiaran, occurs in the Martyrologies of Tallagh^ and of Donegal,^ on this day.
Article IX. —St. Brigid, Virgin. A virgin, called St. Brigid, was venerated in Scotland, at the nth of February. ^
Article X. —St. Luchta, of Ath-ferna or Aghafarnan, County
Article VII. —St. Dicull. In his "
we find
history.
"
Ecclesiastical His- tory of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sect, v. ,
*^ See Dr. Lanigan's
gan acknowledges, that these do not specify, at the nth of February, what St. Jarlath is
meant. It is remarkable, in the published
Martyrology of Donegal, no notice, what- ever, of a St, Jarlath occurs at this date.
ss ggg Rgy. Robert " Memoir In- King's
p. 392.
48 See Ussher's
"
Britannicarum Ecclesi-
arum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 454.
49 This is Dr.
s° According to Rev. M. J. Brenan.
s' See
Lanigan's computation. Trias Thaumaturga," at p. 293.
troductory to the Early History of the Pri- macy of Armagh," p. 68.
"
52 See Harris' Ware, vol.
bishops of Armagh," p. 36.
53 Dr. Lanigan suspects, that the number
XVIII. , on which Ussher built, was owing to the mistake of a transcriber for xiii. See
"
Ecclesiastical Histoiy of Ireland," chap. vi. , sect, xiii. , and n. 141, pp. 312 to 316.
5* See Ussher's "Britannicarum Ecclesi-
niae," xi. Februarii. De S. Jarlatho sive Hierlato, Archiepiscopo Ardmachano, cap. vii. , and n. 16, p. 308.
ss The year last noted is assigned for the
beginning of his successor's episcopacy, Cormac came next, and the fourth in order. See " De Primordiis Britannicarum Eccle- siarum," cap. xvii. , p. 875.
arum
5S See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
ni3e,"xi. Februarii, De S. Jarlatheo sive Hierlatio, Archiepiscopo Ardmachano, cap.
vii,, and n, 15, p. 308. The Martyrologies of Tallagh, of Marianus O' Gorman, of Ma-
guire and of Donegal are quoted ; yet, Col-
Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 454.
—
" Kalendars of Sco—ttish Saints," p. 192.
i. ,
"Arch-
57 See " Acta Sanctoruni Hiber- Colgan's
Article vii.
*
See Bishop Forbes'
'
Article viii. Edited by
Kelly, p. xv.
=
Rev.
Dr.
Edited by Drs, Todd and Reeves, pp. 46, 47.
February ii. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 485
OFMeath. Onthisday,intheMartyrologiesofTallagh''andofDonegal,* is entered, Luchta, of Ath-ferna. Ath-fearna, i. e. , the Ford of the Alder, is mentioned in our Annals, at a. d. 1030. 3 It is now known as Aghafarnan, in
the parish of Enniskeen, barony of Lower Kells, and county of Meath. 4
ArticleXI. —St. Betta,FirstApostleoftheMercians. \Seventh Century^ This saint was probably English, by birth. He studied in Ire- land with St.
Cedd,' and afterwards accompanied him, on his mission, to the Midland English. Camerarius places his Natalis at this date :' Colgan fears, however, without any authority. 3 This holy man is regarded as the firstApostleoftheMercians. -^ HeisclassedbyCamerariusamongthesaints of Scotland. Another day has been assigned for his festival.
Article XII. —St. Conon, of Kilmacumsy, County of Roscommon. According to tradition, a St. Conon was venerated on the nth of February,
in the parish of Kilmacumsy,' in the barony of Frenchpark, and county of Roscommon. It is supposed, he belonged to Ceara, in the diocese of Tuam. It is said, he was brother to Deoredius. Although, he was first at Gallen, he
afterwards settled at Eaderdren, now Drumdaff, in Kilgafin, near Stokestown, diocese of Elphin. ^*
Article XIII. —St. Jarlaithe, Patron of the Archdiocese of Tuam. \Sixth Cenhtry. '] The chief festival day of this holy bishop is held inthearchdioceseofTuam,atthe6thofJune. Forthatday,wereserve the particulars of his life, so far as these are known. However, the Martyr- ology of Tallagh,^ at the nth of February,^ records Jarlaith, without any further distinguishing epithet. He has been classed, aiiiong the disciples of St. Patrick. 3 He is said to have been one of the disciples of St. Benignus,^ whilehewasengaged,intheconversionofJarmonia. s ThisistheLatinized
form for lar Mainne,^ or West Hy-Many,7 including the parishes of Tuam, of Donoughpatrick, of Kilbannan and of Kilconly.
ArticleXIV. —St. MogobocorGoban,ofRathlampaighe. Such
Article ix. —^ See Bishop Forbes' ^ The foregoing information has been Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 287, kindly communicated to the writer, by Very
Rev. Dr. Rev. M'Tucker, P. P. and V. G. , in Joseph
"
Article x. —^ Edited
by
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
a letter headed, Boyle, October i6th, 1873. Article xiii. — ' Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. XV.
Kelly, p. XV.
46, 47.
3 See O'Donovan's Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 820, 821.
See 4—
/(^/fl'. , n. (f), p. 820.
the "Trias printed.
Thaumaturga,"
the i6th is
Article xi.
^
See his Acts, at the 7th
ofJanuary.
^ See "De Duplici Statu Hominis, veteris
simul ac novae Ecclesise, et Infidelium Con-
3 gee Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 268.
^ See his Life, at the 9th of November,
s This is mentioned in the seventh chapter of the Life of St. Benignus.
versione," p. 147.
lib. i. ,
pars
ii,,
cap. iii. ,
sect.
2,
3 See "Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," vii.
De S. Cedda sive Ceddo Januarii. Epis-
^ So has the w^riter been assured
Rev. Ulick Canon Bourke, President of St.
"^
copo, n. 12, p. 21.
4 —of Tuam.
See Florence Worcester, a. d. 643.
Jarlath's College,
'^ See its boundaries shown
Article XII.
on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Roscommon. " Sheets lo, 15, 16.
See a full account of this large district
in Dr. O'Donovan's "Tribes and Customs
of Hy-Many, commonly called O'Kelly's Country. "
Colgan refers his feast to this date, and to the 26th of December. By an error in
by Very
486 LIVES OF THE IRISH . SAINTS. [February ii
is the entry we find, in the pubHshed Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the nth of February. Mogoboc is said to be identical with the name Goban. The
place seems difficult for identification with any modern etymon.
Article XV. —St. Senach, Priest, of Cealla Ua Maigheach.
The name of Senach, Soc. —meaning priest—occurs in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the nth of February. And again, on this day was celebrated
the festival, according to the Martyrology of Donegal,^ for Senach, priest, of CeallaUaMaigheach. HebelongedtotheraceofCathaoirMor,Monarch ofErinn,andoftheLeinstermen,asisconjectured. Hewasthusdescended fromtheraceLabhraidhLore,sonofUgaineM6r. OrthisisSeanach,per- haps, son to Coireall of Cealla Ua Maghach, and who belongs to the race of Conaire, son to Modh Lamha, and whose festival is celebrated on this day. His place has baffled our efforts to identify it. The late Professor O'Curry, who examined the antiquarian features of Kilshanny parish, 3 in his native county, a. d. 1839. states, that the denomination is of ecclesiastical origin,
"
the church of Seanach" or " of St. Seanach. " Although several of this name had been mentioned in the Irish Calendar, Mr. O'Curry was not able to identify any of them with this locality. The old church lies on the townland of Kil- shanny, in a good state of preservation. The admeasurements are then
and that it had been originally spelled Cill-Sheanaigh, />. ,
given, with the fullest details.
There is a large burial-ground attached, and
a "
August, St. Augustine's day. ^
There a
was on the 28th of held,
holy well,"
south-east of it.
"patron"
Article XVI. —Festival of St. Finan, F'innian, Fennia or Findia, Bishop of Moville, County of Down. \Sixth Cenim-y^ A holy bishop, Finan of Maghbile, is entered, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at
the nth of February. He descended from a highly respectable family; for, as we learn, he belonged to the race of Fiatach Finn, Monarch of Enn,
to the
" Naoimhshencas naomh Inis ^ which Fail,"
poem, Finnen,
according
festivals j-^ but, we prefer treating about the particulars of his life, at the loth of September, which seems to have been his chief feast. Under the head of
Magh-Bile, Duald Mac Firbiss enters, Fennian of Magh-Bile, or Fennia, Bishop of Magh-Bile, at February the nth. Findia, Bishop of Magh-Bile,
thus " [of him,]
offair
Maghbile,"
&c. This
says isnowknownas
place
Moville, or Movilla,3 in the parish of Newtownards, barony of Lower Ards, and county of Down. The present date appears to have been one of his
Article XIV. —* Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. XV.
Cluana Iraird," follow the foregoing entry. It is quite evident, however, this is a case of mistaken identity, on the part of the writer.
= " The Saint History of the Saints of Inis Fail. "
Article XV,
—
'
Edited by
Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. XV.
= Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
3 This place is described on the **Ord- 3 The parish of Kilshanny, in the barony nance Survey Townland Maps for the
46, 47.
"
Survey Townland Maps for the County of
•
Clare. " Sheets 8, 10,
*" Letters containing Information re-
lative to the Antiquities of the County of Clare, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839," vol. i. , pp. 307 to 312.
of Corcomroe, is marked on the
Ordnance
County of Down. " Sheet 6.
* See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nice," xviii. Martii. Appendix ad Acta S. Fridiani, cap. ii. , pp. 642, 643.
s gge "Proceedings of the Royal Irish
Academy," Irish MSS. series, vol. i. , part
i. , pp. 120, 121.
"
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 44, 45.
Article xvl—» Edited
Kelly, p. XV. These words, "no Finnain
by
Rev. Dr.
February 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 487
isrecorded,likewise,intheMartyrologyofDonegal,^onthisday. Wealso find, the name of this bishop entered, in the calendar, compiled by the Rev. Dr. Reeves,7 for that particular north-eastern district of Ireland, about which he wrote. The present holy man was one of the most renowned bishops,
in the early ages of Irish Christianity.
Ctoelftl) JBap of jfetiruarp^
ARTICLE I. —ST. SEDULIUS, OR SIADHAL, OR SHEIL,^ BISHOP OF DUBLIN, WITH OTHER HOLY AND LEARNED IRISHMEN, BEARING A SIMILAR NAME.
[FHOM THE FIFTH TO THE NINTH CENTURY. ^
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—ORIGIN OF THE NAME SIADHAL OR SHIEL—SEDULIUS, BISHOP OF DUBLIN—OPINIONS REGARDING HIM—HIS DEATH.
the very remote period of Irish history, and long before the Christian
IN a. m.
era, 3303,
theTuathaDeDanannscameto
Ireland,
andsucceededin
displacingtheFirbolgmonarchs,whoheldswayfroma. m. 3226. ^ Fromthe
latterpeople,manyfamiliesofConnaught,especially,datetheirorigin. ^ By
all writers, the Tuatha De Dananns are admitted to have been a highly in- tellectual race. Although, it has been stated, that no Irish family claims its descent from the latter remarkable colony ; yet, it has been also asserted, there is, at least, one decided exception to this hypothesis, as proved from our native annals and from other sources. 3 We are informed, that the Clan Siadhal or Shell, settled in the county of Antrim from a remote period, is traceablefromtheancientTuathaDeDananns. Fromearliesttimes,that tribe-name is recorded under various grammatical forms and unsettled ortho- graphies. Yet,itmostlyoccurs,inourannals,connectedwiththeprofession of those intellectual and scientific pursuits, for which that people were cele-
"
brated, long after they seemed to
ing the haze of remote antiquity, and intricacies attending this obscure lingual subject, it is thought, our records must bear to light the name and celebrity oftheClanShiel,undervariousdistinguishedforms. Thusthose,whostudy the Irish language, will be able to trace how the initial letters D, and S, used in the earUer forms of this name, come to be aspirated or almost mute--^ In
7 See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of
Down, Connor and Dromore. " Appendix
LL, p. 376.
ARTICLE I. —Chapter i. —'^ See Dr.
