The
Martyrology
of Donegal,39 at the same date, records Daigh, son of Cairill, Bishop of Inis-cain-Degha, in Conaill Muirtheimne.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v8
8.
Lassar, of Cluain-mor, at September 15th.
9.
Lassar, daughter of Lochan, at September 30th.
10.
Lassar, of Achadh-beithe, at November 13th.
II.
Lassar, daughter of Fionntan, March 23rd.
12.
Lassar, virgin, at May
2
namesof three holy women, named Cumman.
In our Irish Calendars, we find the
" Ecclesiastical
One is St. Cumman, virgin, of Daire-inghen-
Aillen, whose feast occurs on the 29th of 7tn- 13. Lassar, virgin, at May nth. 14.
May, and of whom some notices maybe found at that date, in the Fifth Volume of this work, Art. ii. Another is Cumman Beg, virgin, of Cill-Cuimne, venerated on the 14th of June, and of whom a notice may be found at that date, in the Sixth Volume of this work, Art. ii. The third is Cumman, or Cumana, venerated at the 6th of July, and of whom some account maybe seen, in the
Seventh Volume of this work, Art. iv.
3 No less than fourteen holy virgins called Lassar, or Lassara, occur in our Calendars. 1. Lassar of Achadh-foda, at January 6th.
Lassar, at May 14th.
4 This relationship to our Saint does not
appear in any other account of his family descent.
s We cannot find this name inscribed on any of our Irish Calendars.
6 He seems to have been St. Oenna
MacUaLaighisi, Abbot of Clonmacnois, who died a. d. 569. See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 206, 207.
» This name we do not find in our Iris Calendars.
of Gleann-Medhoin, at
8 We are not able to the identify
as here given.
2. Lassar,
February 18th. 3. Lassar, virgin, at March
virgin,
locality
virgin,
6. Lassar, of Tioprat-
262 LIVES 01 THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 18.
had been usually taken. Him St. Daigh restored to life. Whereupon, the
chief granted that land and estuary to them and to their successors. After
our saint went to the land of Lugne,9 in Connaught, he visited the monastery
of the sons of 10 and that of the Riteilla. " There he was Flescaig, holy virgin
reverently received. During the time of his repast, a cup was wanting, until a golden vessel came to him from Heaven. This was afterwards sold, on
behalf of the monks there living. Subsequently, Daigh went to the lands, where dwelt the posterity of Ailell. 13 There Cathbot J 3 was chief, and his
son Diarmit had recently departed. However, through a miracle, he was once more restored to life. Having been instructed in the liberal sciences, Diarmit «* lived in a monastery of his foundation. We might pass over some of those miracles attributed to the saint, but for the names of former places, with which they are said to have been connected. While Daigh was at a cer-
tain monastery, called Cruymterntj's the Almighty was pleased to work a miracle, on behalf of the brethren ; for, some thieves having removed the bottom from a milking-pail, still it was brought filled with milk from the byre or cattle-shed to the monastery.
6
Thence going into the territory of Corprorum/ he there founded a
monastery. Not having beer to entertain the guests, at that place, on a cer- tain occasion, water was converted into wine. At one time, St. Daigh preached the word of God with such fruit, that certain thieves who had stolen horses were moved to penitence, and they made restitution of them to the proper owners. Afterwards, they became clerics, receiving the habit from
our saint. He then visited
Sectan 18 was derived. Thence he went to the
who happened to have died that very night. However, Daigh restored him
to life, for which reason, Cayrlan placed himself and his monastery under our saint's rule.
saint and his successors. Coming to a strait, bearing the Latin name,
21
Stagnum Rudi, he passed it with dry feet, not finding a boat in which to
In the of plain
Conall,
dropsical man,
9 The name of this
surate with the limits of the Diocese of
5-Cear\c, or Book of Rights," edited by John O'Donovan, pp. 103, 104, n. (h).
10
Nothing seems to be known regarding them or their place.
11 This name does not appear in our Calendars.
" The special locality does not seem to be
known, but it appears to have been in Hi-
Oilill territory.
13 He does not appear to be otherwise
known.
14 The names of several Diarmits are
inscribed on our Calendars. I. Diarmait, son of Eochaidh, bishop, at January 6th. 2. Diarmait, bishop, of Inis-Clothrann, at January 10th. 3. Diarmait, priest, at Janu- ary, 15th. 4. Diarmait, son of Mechar, bishop, at January 16th. 5. Diarmait, bishop, at April 24th. 6. Diarmait, bishop,
Achonry, in the Counties of Sligo and Mayo,
preserved in the barony of Leyny, in the County of Sligo. See the " teAbhArt na
December 20th.
IS This place has not been i—dentified.
territory,
commen- of Disert Diarmada, at 2ist. 7. June
Sectan,
1 ? from whose name the of Monastery
20 he found a
he healed ; and, in gratitude for such a favour, that man bestowed land on the
Diarmait, of Gleann h-Uissin, bishop, at
July 8th. 8. Diarmait, son of Luchraid, at has been derived from Luigh, son of Cormac September 28th. 9. Diarmait, bishop, at Gaileang. The name of Luighne is still October 12th. 10. Diarmait, bishop, at December 12th. 1 1. Diarmait, bishop, at
monastery
of St.
Cayrlan,
1 ?
named whom Celtcar,
,6
error of some copyist the territory cannot be found.
' 7 His name does not appear in our Calendars.
,8 This place is unknown,
'* Only one bearing this name, St. Caor- Ian, Bishop of Ardmacha, is found in the Irish Calendars at the 24th of March, and he lived contemporaneously with our saint.
His death took place A. D. 587, according to Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. i. , pp. 212, 213. See an account of him, in the Third Volume of this work, at the 24th of March, Art. viii.
*° Known as Magh Muirtheimne, to which
territory allusion has been already made,
2I
Under this form of
—name probablythe
The modern equivalent does not seem
August 18. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 263
cross. Afterwards, journeying through Mydluaca," he found the trunk of a huge tree obstructing the travelled road, and through his prayers, Angels
came to remove it.
A St. Lonocus *3 asked our saint to construct a little
altarforhim. But,nothavingtherequisitematerialsforthatpurpose,Daigh
prophetically announced, that when digging a grave for the first man buried
in his new cemetery, it should" be found. This was a mass of gold, which having been so obtained served for the purpose required. He also wrote a Book of Gospels for St. Lonocus.
7 Afterwards,St. DaighwenttothemonasteryofhisdiscipleSt. Diarmit *
; and that very night, while the Office of Matins was being celebrated, three bright stars were seen ascending towards the sky from a place, called in
25
" Three
heavenlymansions. " Afterwards,goingtotheaforesaidplace,threedaugh-
Latin, Terra Magna.
Then Diarmit asked our saint what that remarkable
vision He portended.
souls have now to the gone
26
27
pure
who lived under the rule of the holy virgin Daretha,
replied :
had been killed by robbers. Those holy virgins St. Daigh restored again to
ters of Erclay,
life.
It is not probable, that St. Daigh lived to the extreme old age of one
hundred and forty years assigned in his Acts; and, it may be supposed, thecom- piler had formed this on some computation of his own, as other Irish accounts, not drawn from his record, hardly seem to warrant that conclusion. It may be
that he lived to a
correctly said to have been called Daghous, of Cluainchaoin, in the Queen's
allowed, however,
good
old
age.
County—a mistake in local identification—by Archdall.
2?
For such a state-
ment he cites Vard or Wards as an authority ;
but, the latter gives no place,
2
At the 19th of February, Colgan has a brief notice regarding a bishop Dagaeus, whose name was generally marked in the Irish Calendars, at that day. He thinks it very probable, that he could have been no other than the Dagaeus named at the 18th of August. It is not unusual to meet with more than one festival, and marked for one and the same saint. As we have already seen, the feast of this saint has been set down, and with eulogy, in the metrical Calendar of St. ^Engus, at this day. At the 18th of August,
he mentions the festival of
year of our Lord, when he resigned his spirit, is said to have been 586. 3 This holy man was the same as Dagaeus or Daygeus, from whom St. Moctheus of Louth received the holy viaticum ;33 and, therefore it must follow, that Daigh lived long after his ordination. According to our Annalists, he did not die until 586. 34
although
Daghseus,
to be known.
" We cannot find an equivalent for this
denomination, unless it be a copyist's mis- spelling—as probably it is—for Midhluachra, somewhere north of Tara, and through whichoneofthefivegreatroadstothenorth of Ireland led. This was known as the
Slighe Midhluachra, although its exact posi-
Calendars.
28 See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, xiv. , p. 76.
29 See " Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 593. 3° Atp. 158.
3I See " Sancti Rumoldi Martyris Inclyti,
&c, Acta," &c. Dissertatio Historica, sect. 9, num. 9.
3" to Dr. O'Donovan's" Annals According
of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 212, 213. 33 See the Life of Moctheus, given by Colgan, at the 24th of March, in "Acta
tion has not been determined.
O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four
See Dr. Masters,"
vol. i. , p. 104, n. (n).
23 We cannot find his name on the Irish
Calendars.
24 Who he was does not
23 The present name is now unknown to us. 26 Their names or the patronymic do not
appear in the Irish Calendars.
27 This name does not occur in the Irish
Sanctorum
34 At A. D. 586, the Four Masters as quoted
by Colgan have " Dagaeus Episcopus, filiur Carelli obiit die 18 Aug. "—Ibid. , n. 20,
p. 732.
appear.
Hibernise," cap. xxi. , p. 731.
28 The saint is in- present
at the 18th of 1 The August. 3
204 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 18.
likewise, the Martyrology of Tallaghss mentions, that veneration was given to
Daigh Mac Cairill, of Innse cain. 36 In the Calendar of Cashel, he is noticed
at this day. 37 Also, Joannes Kirkestede, Martyr, alludes to his veneration, intheTract"DePnecipuisHibernianSanctisPraesulibus. "38 IntheEnglish
edition of Withford's English Martyrology, published at London in 1526, this holy man's feast is set down at the 18th of August, with a eulogy stating, that in his youth he wrought many miracles, afterwards that he raised from the dead thirteen persons, besides performing many other notable actions, and that he died in the one hundredth and fortieth year of his age, being distin- guished for his sanctity and perfection.
The Martyrology of Donegal,39 at the same date, records Daigh, son of Cairill, Bishop of Inis-cain-Degha, in Conaill Muirtheimne. This holy man was venerated, likewise, in Scot- land, and his feast is entered at the 18th of August, in the Calendar of
Drummond. 40
The old writer of this saint's Acts states, that human capacity or memory
could not relate all the miracles he wrought, through the co-operation of
Divine Grace. His great works were the foundation of monasteries in various
parts of Ireland, healing the sick from divers diseases, liberating captives, and even raising the dead to life. Moreover, with his own hands forming
many things for use in the churches, his days passed without reproach, until after a life greatly prolonged, he happily slept in Christ.
Article II. —St. Ernin or Mernog, of Rathnoi, now Rathnew, County of Wicklow, and of Killdreenagh. [Sixth and Seventh Centuries. '] The lesson of this holy man's Acts shows us, that in all times some of the greatest saints have been born with poor surroundings and
prospects in life. Still the Almighty has providentially arranged to bring them to a superior station, and to perform their work well, while serving all the great requirements of religion. At the 18th day of August, St. ^Engus
1
enters the feast of St. Ernoc in his "Feilire," and to this a commentator
2
adds an explanatory scholion.
of August, a festival is also entered in honour of Ernin Mac Creisin, of Raith- nui, in h-Garrchon/ Hence, it would seem that Creisin is to be regarded as his father. At this date, the Bollandists s observe, that their predecessors had found the name of a certain Irish Erenseus. at the 14th of February, according to Thomas Dempster's arrangement ; but, they deferred further notice of him, to the 26th of April, the date for his feast'given by Camerarius,
35 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxii.
36 The Irish in the Book of Leinster copy,
at xv. of the September Kalends, this same
script Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calen-
dar of Oengus, by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. exxiv.
2
in ferro quam in aere, et scriba insignis. "
:
38 In these words " Daigaeus Monachus
et Episcopus Hiberniae, super mare siccis pedibus ambulavit : et Abbatem quendain et sex alios mortuosa morte suscitavit. "
39 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 222, 223.
40 Thus, at xv. of the September Kalends "Eodemquoque die apud Hiberniam Nata—le Sanctorum Confessorum Dega et Ernine. "
Erndc, i. e. , Ernin, i. e. , a pious son (was) he. Or Cresin nomen patris ejus. Or Ernine son of Cresine of RathNoe in Hui Garrchon in Fotharta of Leinster and of Cell Draignech in Hui Drona besides. " On the lower margin is another brief note, thus translated
:
" Kalendars of Scottish
Article ii.
tlie Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu-
:
In the Irish text of the Book of Leinster
Bishop Forbes' Saints," p. 22. —
* of See "Transactions
copy the entry reads thus: ennme mac
Cpepn o Udich nui m h. S^nchon.
s "
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Au-
gusti xviii. , p. 518.
In the Martyrology of Tallagh,3 at the 18th
day, is "OAijmAC CAipilllnpi Cam.
37 There he is said to have been "faber tarn Latin. The English translation is " My
This is partly in Irish, and partly in
"Son of etc. " Ibid. , p. exxxi.
4
into — English
Cressine, my Ernoc, 3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxii.
August 18. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 265
while waiting for some more certain evidences to establish better his vene-
ration. Their notices were further deferred to this day, the 18th of August,
as Colgan indicated his feast ; and, as no better account of him could be
furnished, at the latter date, they place him among those saints whose festi-
vals are pretermitted. We find, that an Ernan, called the son of Degill and
of Cumenia, was also a cousin to St. Columba,6 who, was brother of Cumenia.
However, the patronymic of the present saint sufficiently distinguishes him from St. Columba's relative. The present Ernan must have been born, pro-
bably after the middle of the sixth century,7 judging from the recorded date
8
forthearrivalofSt. Columkille onavisittoClonmacnoise,whileSt. Alither*
was Abbot and while there,
was then a 10 poor boy.
son of
He was little esteemed by the community, although his dejected look and
threadbare dress caused him to be well known to the monks. " However, he eagerly desired to welcome the illustrious visitor, with the rest of those whocameforthtomeethim whilebarriershadbeenerectedtorestrainthe
;
pressure of a crowd collected, as the ecclesiastics moved in procession sing- ing hymns and psalms. But, such was Email's humility, that he sought to avoid the public gaze. Still, he desired much to steal unobserved, and to kiss the hem of St. Columkille's garment. Having approached from behind, the great Abbot had an inspiration which caused him to stop, and to place his handontheneckoftheboy,whomhebroughtbeforehiseyes. Theecclesias-
tics and monks who were present, wondering at the interruption, asked
Columba to send away the miserable and forlorn boy. However, the holy
Abbot checked them, and then, turning to the youth, desired him to extend
his tongue. Having done so, the saint blessed it, and prophesied thus :
"
Although this boy seems ungraceful and miserable, contemn him not ; for he shall please and not displease you, in a time to come ; he shall make daily progress in virtue and holy conversation ; so that henceforward, his wisdom and prudence are destined to improve. He shall become a worthy member in this congregation, while the Almighty shall cause his tongue to speak words of eloquence and of sound doctrine. " 12 This authentic state- ment, Adamnan *3 received from a predecessor in the monastery at Iona,
St. 1 * who heard Ernan himself relate this in the namely, Failbe, prophecy,
presence of St. Seghine,^ Abbot over Iona from 623 to 652. Notwith- standing, the foregoing circumstantial narrative, this saint is said to have been the maternal uncle of St. Columba,16 who is named Ernanus, and who was thecompanionofhismigrationtoScotland. 1? NowthisdepartureforIona
6
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columba;, cap. x. , num. 52, p. 490.
7 Possibly about the year 570.
8
See the Life of this holy Abbot, at the 9th of June, the day for his festival, in the Sixth Volume of this Art.
chap. xv.
9 At the 1 2th of May, in the Fifth Volume
of this work, some account of him may be seen, Art. i.
10
The rule of St. Alither over Clonmac- noise commenced a. d. 585, and continued to-A. D. 599.
p. 340.
13 He ruled over Iona monastery as Abbot
from 679 to 704. His feast occurs on the
23rd of September, where his Life may be found in the Ninth Volume of this work, Art. i.
14 He IonafromA. n. to governed 669 679.
His feast occurs at the 22nd of March, where notices of him may be found, in the Third Volume of this work, Art. i.
j s He has a festival, at August 12th, where
notices of him may be seen in the present
volume, Art. iv.
16 See " Memoir of the City and North-
Western Liberties of Londonderry," part ii. , sect. 2, p. 27.
11
See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Life
of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. iii. , and nn.
(a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,k,1), pp. 23to26.
12
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Vita S. Columbae, lib. i. , cap. iii. ,
T? See "Trias Colgan's
Ernen,
Cressen,
work, i. ,
Thaumaturga. " Quarta Vita S. Columbse, lib. i. , cap. xlv. ,
p. 348, and n. 95, pp. 379, 380.
266 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 18.
must have taken place, probably before the period of the present saint's birth. This identification, and family relationship, however, would appear
tohavebeenamistakeof 18 Weareatalosstoknowthe Colgan.
particulars of our saint's early life, or where he had studied. It may have been at
Clonmacnois, and under the direction of his senior and contemporary, the Abbot St. Alither. However, he appears to have lived afterwards at Rath
Noi, and most likely he built a church there.
he was celebrated. 1 ? The him,isthepresentoldvillageofRathnew, intheCountyofWicklow,while
Ireland,
place
here 20
mentioned,
in connection with
Village and Graveyard of Rathnew, County of Wicklow.
the district of Ui Garrchon, in which it is situated, extended through the barony of Newcastle, and along the sea-shore. It is one of the few ancient
places, that has escaped the chicanery and land-grabbing greed in Ireland, and which have served to confiscate commonage tenures of so many villages
and lands throughout the Island, especially during the last two centuries. The villagers are free of rent, and prize their small huts and gardens to that degree, that they are disinclined to part with them for almost any money consideration. The old church ruins and burial-ground, about two miles north-west of Wicklow town, are situated in the very midst of an irregularly built group of cabins, on the high road leading towards Dublin. Only a frag- ment of the east gable now appears standing; but, the church formerly consisted of a nave and choir. Since their decay those walls, now level with the ground, sufficiently reveal the dimensions and plan. Interiorly, the nave measured
18 See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," n. (a), p. 87.
'» See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
QuartaVita S. Columtxe, lib. i. , cap. iii. ,
p. 340.
ao This is the head of a parish so named,
and the latter is described on the " Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the
County of Wicklow," sheets 19, 24, 25. The town and townland proper are marked on sheet 25.
31 The accompanying illustration was sketched on the spot, by Wm. F. Wakeman, April 24th, 1891 ; it was afterwards trans- ferred by him to the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
Through all the churches of
August 18. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 267
58 feet in length, by 20 feet in widtli ; while the choir was 19 feet in length, by 20 feet in breadth. The cross wall was about two and a-half feet in thick- ness ; but, all the outer walls, on an average, were nearly three feet. The graveyard is enclosed with a modern wall, and the ground-surface is con-
lanes. *1 The is still much burial-ground
elevated over the
usedforinterments. Somepiecesofdressedstones,usedforformerdoorways or windows, lie at the head of certain 23 The of Rathnew
siderably
adjoining
graves. people
village and neighbourhood have no more special or interesting traditions regarding the church, than its being of extreme antiquity, and as they state, almost as old as the time of St. Patricks The scenery around Rathnew is
exquisite, as any to be found in the picturesque and romantic County of Wicklow. ThefinewoodsandbeautifuldemesneofRosanaareverynear
this village. It is said, that a saint named Ethernanus, or more properly
2
Ernan, wrote St. Columba's Life, * and, moreover, that lie was nephew to the
great archimandrite, on the side of his sister. This statement, however, seems to rest solely on the authority of Dempster. The spot known as Cill-
2s in
a place, having some connection with the present saint.
is said to have been It is now called ofCarlow. TheUi Drona, or posterity of Drona, descended from Cathaeir Mar, and besides possessing the territory alluded to, they held part of the diocese of Kildare
and Leighlin, lying near the western side of the River Barrow, and around
the town of 2? Ui-Drona is now the Graiguenamanagh.
2
namesof three holy women, named Cumman.
In our Irish Calendars, we find the
" Ecclesiastical
One is St. Cumman, virgin, of Daire-inghen-
Aillen, whose feast occurs on the 29th of 7tn- 13. Lassar, virgin, at May nth. 14.
May, and of whom some notices maybe found at that date, in the Fifth Volume of this work, Art. ii. Another is Cumman Beg, virgin, of Cill-Cuimne, venerated on the 14th of June, and of whom a notice may be found at that date, in the Sixth Volume of this work, Art. ii. The third is Cumman, or Cumana, venerated at the 6th of July, and of whom some account maybe seen, in the
Seventh Volume of this work, Art. iv.
3 No less than fourteen holy virgins called Lassar, or Lassara, occur in our Calendars. 1. Lassar of Achadh-foda, at January 6th.
Lassar, at May 14th.
4 This relationship to our Saint does not
appear in any other account of his family descent.
s We cannot find this name inscribed on any of our Irish Calendars.
6 He seems to have been St. Oenna
MacUaLaighisi, Abbot of Clonmacnois, who died a. d. 569. See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 206, 207.
» This name we do not find in our Iris Calendars.
of Gleann-Medhoin, at
8 We are not able to the identify
as here given.
2. Lassar,
February 18th. 3. Lassar, virgin, at March
virgin,
locality
virgin,
6. Lassar, of Tioprat-
262 LIVES 01 THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 18.
had been usually taken. Him St. Daigh restored to life. Whereupon, the
chief granted that land and estuary to them and to their successors. After
our saint went to the land of Lugne,9 in Connaught, he visited the monastery
of the sons of 10 and that of the Riteilla. " There he was Flescaig, holy virgin
reverently received. During the time of his repast, a cup was wanting, until a golden vessel came to him from Heaven. This was afterwards sold, on
behalf of the monks there living. Subsequently, Daigh went to the lands, where dwelt the posterity of Ailell. 13 There Cathbot J 3 was chief, and his
son Diarmit had recently departed. However, through a miracle, he was once more restored to life. Having been instructed in the liberal sciences, Diarmit «* lived in a monastery of his foundation. We might pass over some of those miracles attributed to the saint, but for the names of former places, with which they are said to have been connected. While Daigh was at a cer-
tain monastery, called Cruymterntj's the Almighty was pleased to work a miracle, on behalf of the brethren ; for, some thieves having removed the bottom from a milking-pail, still it was brought filled with milk from the byre or cattle-shed to the monastery.
6
Thence going into the territory of Corprorum/ he there founded a
monastery. Not having beer to entertain the guests, at that place, on a cer- tain occasion, water was converted into wine. At one time, St. Daigh preached the word of God with such fruit, that certain thieves who had stolen horses were moved to penitence, and they made restitution of them to the proper owners. Afterwards, they became clerics, receiving the habit from
our saint. He then visited
Sectan 18 was derived. Thence he went to the
who happened to have died that very night. However, Daigh restored him
to life, for which reason, Cayrlan placed himself and his monastery under our saint's rule.
saint and his successors. Coming to a strait, bearing the Latin name,
21
Stagnum Rudi, he passed it with dry feet, not finding a boat in which to
In the of plain
Conall,
dropsical man,
9 The name of this
surate with the limits of the Diocese of
5-Cear\c, or Book of Rights," edited by John O'Donovan, pp. 103, 104, n. (h).
10
Nothing seems to be known regarding them or their place.
11 This name does not appear in our Calendars.
" The special locality does not seem to be
known, but it appears to have been in Hi-
Oilill territory.
13 He does not appear to be otherwise
known.
14 The names of several Diarmits are
inscribed on our Calendars. I. Diarmait, son of Eochaidh, bishop, at January 6th. 2. Diarmait, bishop, of Inis-Clothrann, at January 10th. 3. Diarmait, priest, at Janu- ary, 15th. 4. Diarmait, son of Mechar, bishop, at January 16th. 5. Diarmait, bishop, at April 24th. 6. Diarmait, bishop,
Achonry, in the Counties of Sligo and Mayo,
preserved in the barony of Leyny, in the County of Sligo. See the " teAbhArt na
December 20th.
IS This place has not been i—dentified.
territory,
commen- of Disert Diarmada, at 2ist. 7. June
Sectan,
1 ? from whose name the of Monastery
20 he found a
he healed ; and, in gratitude for such a favour, that man bestowed land on the
Diarmait, of Gleann h-Uissin, bishop, at
July 8th. 8. Diarmait, son of Luchraid, at has been derived from Luigh, son of Cormac September 28th. 9. Diarmait, bishop, at Gaileang. The name of Luighne is still October 12th. 10. Diarmait, bishop, at December 12th. 1 1. Diarmait, bishop, at
monastery
of St.
Cayrlan,
1 ?
named whom Celtcar,
,6
error of some copyist the territory cannot be found.
' 7 His name does not appear in our Calendars.
,8 This place is unknown,
'* Only one bearing this name, St. Caor- Ian, Bishop of Ardmacha, is found in the Irish Calendars at the 24th of March, and he lived contemporaneously with our saint.
His death took place A. D. 587, according to Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four
Masters," vol. i. , pp. 212, 213. See an account of him, in the Third Volume of this work, at the 24th of March, Art. viii.
*° Known as Magh Muirtheimne, to which
territory allusion has been already made,
2I
Under this form of
—name probablythe
The modern equivalent does not seem
August 18. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 263
cross. Afterwards, journeying through Mydluaca," he found the trunk of a huge tree obstructing the travelled road, and through his prayers, Angels
came to remove it.
A St. Lonocus *3 asked our saint to construct a little
altarforhim. But,nothavingtherequisitematerialsforthatpurpose,Daigh
prophetically announced, that when digging a grave for the first man buried
in his new cemetery, it should" be found. This was a mass of gold, which having been so obtained served for the purpose required. He also wrote a Book of Gospels for St. Lonocus.
7 Afterwards,St. DaighwenttothemonasteryofhisdiscipleSt. Diarmit *
; and that very night, while the Office of Matins was being celebrated, three bright stars were seen ascending towards the sky from a place, called in
25
" Three
heavenlymansions. " Afterwards,goingtotheaforesaidplace,threedaugh-
Latin, Terra Magna.
Then Diarmit asked our saint what that remarkable
vision He portended.
souls have now to the gone
26
27
pure
who lived under the rule of the holy virgin Daretha,
replied :
had been killed by robbers. Those holy virgins St. Daigh restored again to
ters of Erclay,
life.
It is not probable, that St. Daigh lived to the extreme old age of one
hundred and forty years assigned in his Acts; and, it may be supposed, thecom- piler had formed this on some computation of his own, as other Irish accounts, not drawn from his record, hardly seem to warrant that conclusion. It may be
that he lived to a
correctly said to have been called Daghous, of Cluainchaoin, in the Queen's
allowed, however,
good
old
age.
County—a mistake in local identification—by Archdall.
2?
For such a state-
ment he cites Vard or Wards as an authority ;
but, the latter gives no place,
2
At the 19th of February, Colgan has a brief notice regarding a bishop Dagaeus, whose name was generally marked in the Irish Calendars, at that day. He thinks it very probable, that he could have been no other than the Dagaeus named at the 18th of August. It is not unusual to meet with more than one festival, and marked for one and the same saint. As we have already seen, the feast of this saint has been set down, and with eulogy, in the metrical Calendar of St. ^Engus, at this day. At the 18th of August,
he mentions the festival of
year of our Lord, when he resigned his spirit, is said to have been 586. 3 This holy man was the same as Dagaeus or Daygeus, from whom St. Moctheus of Louth received the holy viaticum ;33 and, therefore it must follow, that Daigh lived long after his ordination. According to our Annalists, he did not die until 586. 34
although
Daghseus,
to be known.
" We cannot find an equivalent for this
denomination, unless it be a copyist's mis- spelling—as probably it is—for Midhluachra, somewhere north of Tara, and through whichoneofthefivegreatroadstothenorth of Ireland led. This was known as the
Slighe Midhluachra, although its exact posi-
Calendars.
28 See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, x. , sect, xiv. , p. 76.
29 See " Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 593. 3° Atp. 158.
3I See " Sancti Rumoldi Martyris Inclyti,
&c, Acta," &c. Dissertatio Historica, sect. 9, num. 9.
3" to Dr. O'Donovan's" Annals According
of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 212, 213. 33 See the Life of Moctheus, given by Colgan, at the 24th of March, in "Acta
tion has not been determined.
O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four
See Dr. Masters,"
vol. i. , p. 104, n. (n).
23 We cannot find his name on the Irish
Calendars.
24 Who he was does not
23 The present name is now unknown to us. 26 Their names or the patronymic do not
appear in the Irish Calendars.
27 This name does not occur in the Irish
Sanctorum
34 At A. D. 586, the Four Masters as quoted
by Colgan have " Dagaeus Episcopus, filiur Carelli obiit die 18 Aug. "—Ibid. , n. 20,
p. 732.
appear.
Hibernise," cap. xxi. , p. 731.
28 The saint is in- present
at the 18th of 1 The August. 3
204 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 18.
likewise, the Martyrology of Tallaghss mentions, that veneration was given to
Daigh Mac Cairill, of Innse cain. 36 In the Calendar of Cashel, he is noticed
at this day. 37 Also, Joannes Kirkestede, Martyr, alludes to his veneration, intheTract"DePnecipuisHibernianSanctisPraesulibus. "38 IntheEnglish
edition of Withford's English Martyrology, published at London in 1526, this holy man's feast is set down at the 18th of August, with a eulogy stating, that in his youth he wrought many miracles, afterwards that he raised from the dead thirteen persons, besides performing many other notable actions, and that he died in the one hundredth and fortieth year of his age, being distin- guished for his sanctity and perfection.
The Martyrology of Donegal,39 at the same date, records Daigh, son of Cairill, Bishop of Inis-cain-Degha, in Conaill Muirtheimne. This holy man was venerated, likewise, in Scot- land, and his feast is entered at the 18th of August, in the Calendar of
Drummond. 40
The old writer of this saint's Acts states, that human capacity or memory
could not relate all the miracles he wrought, through the co-operation of
Divine Grace. His great works were the foundation of monasteries in various
parts of Ireland, healing the sick from divers diseases, liberating captives, and even raising the dead to life. Moreover, with his own hands forming
many things for use in the churches, his days passed without reproach, until after a life greatly prolonged, he happily slept in Christ.
Article II. —St. Ernin or Mernog, of Rathnoi, now Rathnew, County of Wicklow, and of Killdreenagh. [Sixth and Seventh Centuries. '] The lesson of this holy man's Acts shows us, that in all times some of the greatest saints have been born with poor surroundings and
prospects in life. Still the Almighty has providentially arranged to bring them to a superior station, and to perform their work well, while serving all the great requirements of religion. At the 18th day of August, St. ^Engus
1
enters the feast of St. Ernoc in his "Feilire," and to this a commentator
2
adds an explanatory scholion.
of August, a festival is also entered in honour of Ernin Mac Creisin, of Raith- nui, in h-Garrchon/ Hence, it would seem that Creisin is to be regarded as his father. At this date, the Bollandists s observe, that their predecessors had found the name of a certain Irish Erenseus. at the 14th of February, according to Thomas Dempster's arrangement ; but, they deferred further notice of him, to the 26th of April, the date for his feast'given by Camerarius,
35 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxii.
36 The Irish in the Book of Leinster copy,
at xv. of the September Kalends, this same
script Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calen-
dar of Oengus, by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. exxiv.
2
in ferro quam in aere, et scriba insignis. "
:
38 In these words " Daigaeus Monachus
et Episcopus Hiberniae, super mare siccis pedibus ambulavit : et Abbatem quendain et sex alios mortuosa morte suscitavit. "
39 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 222, 223.
40 Thus, at xv. of the September Kalends "Eodemquoque die apud Hiberniam Nata—le Sanctorum Confessorum Dega et Ernine. "
Erndc, i. e. , Ernin, i. e. , a pious son (was) he. Or Cresin nomen patris ejus. Or Ernine son of Cresine of RathNoe in Hui Garrchon in Fotharta of Leinster and of Cell Draignech in Hui Drona besides. " On the lower margin is another brief note, thus translated
:
" Kalendars of Scottish
Article ii.
tlie Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu-
:
In the Irish text of the Book of Leinster
Bishop Forbes' Saints," p. 22. —
* of See "Transactions
copy the entry reads thus: ennme mac
Cpepn o Udich nui m h. S^nchon.
s "
See Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Au-
gusti xviii. , p. 518.
In the Martyrology of Tallagh,3 at the 18th
day, is "OAijmAC CAipilllnpi Cam.
37 There he is said to have been "faber tarn Latin. The English translation is " My
This is partly in Irish, and partly in
"Son of etc. " Ibid. , p. exxxi.
4
into — English
Cressine, my Ernoc, 3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxii.
August 18. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 265
while waiting for some more certain evidences to establish better his vene-
ration. Their notices were further deferred to this day, the 18th of August,
as Colgan indicated his feast ; and, as no better account of him could be
furnished, at the latter date, they place him among those saints whose festi-
vals are pretermitted. We find, that an Ernan, called the son of Degill and
of Cumenia, was also a cousin to St. Columba,6 who, was brother of Cumenia.
However, the patronymic of the present saint sufficiently distinguishes him from St. Columba's relative. The present Ernan must have been born, pro-
bably after the middle of the sixth century,7 judging from the recorded date
8
forthearrivalofSt. Columkille onavisittoClonmacnoise,whileSt. Alither*
was Abbot and while there,
was then a 10 poor boy.
son of
He was little esteemed by the community, although his dejected look and
threadbare dress caused him to be well known to the monks. " However, he eagerly desired to welcome the illustrious visitor, with the rest of those whocameforthtomeethim whilebarriershadbeenerectedtorestrainthe
;
pressure of a crowd collected, as the ecclesiastics moved in procession sing- ing hymns and psalms. But, such was Email's humility, that he sought to avoid the public gaze. Still, he desired much to steal unobserved, and to kiss the hem of St. Columkille's garment. Having approached from behind, the great Abbot had an inspiration which caused him to stop, and to place his handontheneckoftheboy,whomhebroughtbeforehiseyes. Theecclesias-
tics and monks who were present, wondering at the interruption, asked
Columba to send away the miserable and forlorn boy. However, the holy
Abbot checked them, and then, turning to the youth, desired him to extend
his tongue. Having done so, the saint blessed it, and prophesied thus :
"
Although this boy seems ungraceful and miserable, contemn him not ; for he shall please and not displease you, in a time to come ; he shall make daily progress in virtue and holy conversation ; so that henceforward, his wisdom and prudence are destined to improve. He shall become a worthy member in this congregation, while the Almighty shall cause his tongue to speak words of eloquence and of sound doctrine. " 12 This authentic state- ment, Adamnan *3 received from a predecessor in the monastery at Iona,
St. 1 * who heard Ernan himself relate this in the namely, Failbe, prophecy,
presence of St. Seghine,^ Abbot over Iona from 623 to 652. Notwith- standing, the foregoing circumstantial narrative, this saint is said to have been the maternal uncle of St. Columba,16 who is named Ernanus, and who was thecompanionofhismigrationtoScotland. 1? NowthisdepartureforIona
6
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columba;, cap. x. , num. 52, p. 490.
7 Possibly about the year 570.
8
See the Life of this holy Abbot, at the 9th of June, the day for his festival, in the Sixth Volume of this Art.
chap. xv.
9 At the 1 2th of May, in the Fifth Volume
of this work, some account of him may be seen, Art. i.
10
The rule of St. Alither over Clonmac- noise commenced a. d. 585, and continued to-A. D. 599.
p. 340.
13 He ruled over Iona monastery as Abbot
from 679 to 704. His feast occurs on the
23rd of September, where his Life may be found in the Ninth Volume of this work, Art. i.
14 He IonafromA. n. to governed 669 679.
His feast occurs at the 22nd of March, where notices of him may be found, in the Third Volume of this work, Art. i.
j s He has a festival, at August 12th, where
notices of him may be seen in the present
volume, Art. iv.
16 See " Memoir of the City and North-
Western Liberties of Londonderry," part ii. , sect. 2, p. 27.
11
See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Life
of St. Columba," lib. i. , cap. iii. , and nn.
(a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,k,1), pp. 23to26.
12
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Quarta Vita S. Columbae, lib. i. , cap. iii. ,
T? See "Trias Colgan's
Ernen,
Cressen,
work, i. ,
Thaumaturga. " Quarta Vita S. Columbse, lib. i. , cap. xlv. ,
p. 348, and n. 95, pp. 379, 380.
266 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 18.
must have taken place, probably before the period of the present saint's birth. This identification, and family relationship, however, would appear
tohavebeenamistakeof 18 Weareatalosstoknowthe Colgan.
particulars of our saint's early life, or where he had studied. It may have been at
Clonmacnois, and under the direction of his senior and contemporary, the Abbot St. Alither. However, he appears to have lived afterwards at Rath
Noi, and most likely he built a church there.
he was celebrated. 1 ? The him,isthepresentoldvillageofRathnew, intheCountyofWicklow,while
Ireland,
place
here 20
mentioned,
in connection with
Village and Graveyard of Rathnew, County of Wicklow.
the district of Ui Garrchon, in which it is situated, extended through the barony of Newcastle, and along the sea-shore. It is one of the few ancient
places, that has escaped the chicanery and land-grabbing greed in Ireland, and which have served to confiscate commonage tenures of so many villages
and lands throughout the Island, especially during the last two centuries. The villagers are free of rent, and prize their small huts and gardens to that degree, that they are disinclined to part with them for almost any money consideration. The old church ruins and burial-ground, about two miles north-west of Wicklow town, are situated in the very midst of an irregularly built group of cabins, on the high road leading towards Dublin. Only a frag- ment of the east gable now appears standing; but, the church formerly consisted of a nave and choir. Since their decay those walls, now level with the ground, sufficiently reveal the dimensions and plan. Interiorly, the nave measured
18 See Rev. William Reeves' Adamnan's " Life of St. Columba," n. (a), p. 87.
'» See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga,"
QuartaVita S. Columtxe, lib. i. , cap. iii. ,
p. 340.
ao This is the head of a parish so named,
and the latter is described on the " Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the
County of Wicklow," sheets 19, 24, 25. The town and townland proper are marked on sheet 25.
31 The accompanying illustration was sketched on the spot, by Wm. F. Wakeman, April 24th, 1891 ; it was afterwards trans- ferred by him to the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
Through all the churches of
August 18. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 267
58 feet in length, by 20 feet in widtli ; while the choir was 19 feet in length, by 20 feet in breadth. The cross wall was about two and a-half feet in thick- ness ; but, all the outer walls, on an average, were nearly three feet. The graveyard is enclosed with a modern wall, and the ground-surface is con-
lanes. *1 The is still much burial-ground
elevated over the
usedforinterments. Somepiecesofdressedstones,usedforformerdoorways or windows, lie at the head of certain 23 The of Rathnew
siderably
adjoining
graves. people
village and neighbourhood have no more special or interesting traditions regarding the church, than its being of extreme antiquity, and as they state, almost as old as the time of St. Patricks The scenery around Rathnew is
exquisite, as any to be found in the picturesque and romantic County of Wicklow. ThefinewoodsandbeautifuldemesneofRosanaareverynear
this village. It is said, that a saint named Ethernanus, or more properly
2
Ernan, wrote St. Columba's Life, * and, moreover, that lie was nephew to the
great archimandrite, on the side of his sister. This statement, however, seems to rest solely on the authority of Dempster. The spot known as Cill-
2s in
a place, having some connection with the present saint.
is said to have been It is now called ofCarlow. TheUi Drona, or posterity of Drona, descended from Cathaeir Mar, and besides possessing the territory alluded to, they held part of the diocese of Kildare
and Leighlin, lying near the western side of the River Barrow, and around
the town of 2? Ui-Drona is now the Graiguenamanagh.
