Menou been established, but
throughout
the whole diocese
of Bourges.
of Bourges.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v7
"
p. 75.
Article xi. —
"
Fei- Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu- script Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calen- dar of Oengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. ,
p. ex.
2
See ibid. , p. cxviii.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Julii xi. Among the pretermitted feasts,
p. 177.
4 It is thus entered : "Chalcedone natalis
1
According to the ""
1 In the 2 commentary annexed,
"Maityrologium Romanum Gregorii XIII. editum," pp. 137, 138. Editio novissima, Romae, 1878, fol.
Article xu. — tomus iii. , Julii xi. saints, p. 178.
*
gee " Acta Sanctorum," Among the pretermitted
July 12. ]
LIVES OP THE IRISH SAINTS. 211
the Almighty hath prepared for them that love him, and which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive. The perfect detachment from created things is a sacrifice most pleasing and most perfect in the estimation of the Creator, and to it, the most faithful and favoured of his servants continually aspire.
The Acts of this venerable man whose name has been Latinized Menulfus,
or Menulphus—and by the French called Menou—were formerly preserved
in Manuscript, at the church of St. Autrille-du-Chateau, near Bourges. They were first published by le Pere Labbe. The Breviary of the church at Bourges, printed a. d. 1512, has his office of three Lessons included. Like- wise, his office has been printed, at Paris, in 1686. It is now celebrated under a simple rite. The Acts of St. Menou, who probably flourished in the
seventh century, and who became bishop of Quimper, in Bretagne, have been 1
publishedbyLobineau. Theyhavebeenpublished,likewise,bytheBollan- 2
dists, at the 12th of July. There is a previous commentary,3 by Father
John Baptist Soller, S. J. , the editor. Then follow the proper Acts. * The ""
Petits Bollandistes have an account of this saint, and also at the same date. s
It is agreed, by the various writers of his Acts, that Menou was a native
6
of Ireland; but, regarding the particular place where he was born, or his
parentage, we find no record. There, too, it seems his first years were spent ; yet, for the sake of greater perfection, he was induced to leave his family and nativecountrywhilestillveryyoung. Atfirst,hewenttoGreatBritain,and thence, he travelled to Armorica, until he came to Quimper, also known as Quimper-Corentin, the present capital of the Department of Finistere in France. It is situated on the declivity of a hill, at the confluence of the Odet and Steir, about thirty-two miles south-east from Brest. ? At that time, this city formed part of the country, belonging to the Ossimiens. 8 It is now divided into an old and a new town, but the houses are poorly built. It is surrounded with a wall, and guarded by towers. Its present cathedral is a fine structure of the fifteenth century, and it is situated near the port. 9 The bishopofQuimperisnowasuffragantotheArchbishopofTours. Accord-
10 about the same when he arrivad in Little period
to the Acts of our
Britain, Dagobert," King of the Franks, reigned, and had established peace
ing
saint,
Article i. —' See " Les Vies des Saints de Bretagne," tome ii. , pp. 125 to 129. Ed. Paris, 1836.
2 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Julii xii. De S. Menulfo Episcopo in Finibus Bituricensium in Gallia, pp. 305 to 308.
3 In seven paragraphs.
4 The first, Acta ex codice Ms. eccl. S.
Austregisili de Castro, apud Labbeum in Bibliotheca Mss. ; the second, Ex vetustis- simo Breviario eccl. Bituric. ad diem XII. Julii.
5 See "Vies des Saints," tome viii. , xii e Jour de Juillet, pp. 259, 260.
partie le departement du Finistere, etaient
un des peuples puissants de la confederation
Armorique, a l'epoque de la conquete des Gaules par Cesar. Us resisterent long-temps aux Romains ; mais enfin ilsfurent vaincus. " —A. Hugo's "France Pittoresque, ou De- scription Pittoresque, Topographique et Sta- tistique des Departements et Colonies de la France," &c, tome ii. Departement du Finistere, p. 25. A. Paris, 1835, sm. fol.
9 The accompanying illustration of the
place, copied from an approved engraving, and drawn on the wood by William F.
Wakeman, has been engraved by Mrs. Mil- lard.
6
The Acts state : "In insula maris oceani
quae barbara lingua Yrilanda nuncupatur, id est, ferrea terra, vir sanctus et venerabilis
Menulfus procreatus est," &c.
7 See " Gazetteer of the World," vol. xi. ,
p. 215.
8 " Les Occismiens, allies des Venetes et
dont le territoire forme aujourd'hui en grand
10
Those contained in the Manuscript be-
longing to the church of St. Autrille-du-
Chateau, at Bourges.
"Supposed to have been Dagobert I. , who was born about A. D. 600, and who de-
parted this life at Epinay, the 19th of (
January, 63S. See Michelet's "Hisloire de
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 12.
throughout his dominions, while many holy persons flourished in the world, beautiful as the vernal flowers. This statement, however, is not reconcilable
with the respective dates assigned for St. Corentin's epoclv—supposed to have been the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth century—and for that of King Dagobert, who flourished in the seventh century. We must infer, that the Legend of St. Menulph's Acts had been framed by some writer ignorant of chronology, and perhaps little careful to discriminate fictions from facts, in those accounts transmitted through popular traditions. At that period of St.
I2
Menulph's arrival at Quimper, St. Corentin
is said to have ruled over it as
he had been the second that name,14 bearing
1 ^ It is
but we cannot find any distinct traces of the latter in the history of Quimper- CorentW.
bishop.
possible,
The Town, Cathedral and Port of Quimper-Corentin, Fiance.
That pious bishop of his acquaintance saw the youthful stranger, and asked about the country from which he came, as also the motives that induced him to travel. In the Breton language, Menou answered, that he was a native of Ireland, and that his sole desire was to serve God in the country to which he hadcome. Theprelatefound,thathehadbeenwelleducated,andmoved by his pious desire, the young man was admitted to the ranks of the clergy, and also ordained a priest. Having been invested with this sacred character, Menou was not alone satisfied with offering the Adorable Victim; but even, he became a living sacrifice to God, owing to his practice of corporal mortifi- cation. His great Faith and devotion rendered him an object of respect and
affection among the people.
Wherefore, when St. Corentin died, the united called St. Menou to succeed him. T 5 Notwith-
voices of the
clergy
and
laity
France," tome i. , p. 250.
12 His chief feast is on the 12th of Decem- " Histoire de Bretagne," tome i. ,
ber. But, he is also commemorated on the sect, clxxxvi. , p. 74.
1st cf and at the of May, 5th
13
"Saint Corentin fut le
que de Quimper, et c'est tout ce que Ton en
14 " See Les Petits Bollandistes,
Vies des Juillet,
September.
premier
Eves-
Saints," tome viii. , p. 259.
xiie
Jour
de
fait d'assureV'—Dom. Gui Alexis Lobineau's liv. ii. ,
July 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 213
standing the positive statement contained in the Legend of his Life, it is said, that the name of St. Menulfus or Menou is not to be found in the Lists of
Bishops,belongingtoQuimper-Corentin. TheBollandistsdonotdeny,that our saint had been a bishop; but, whether he had been a regionary
prelate, or had belonged to some See unknown, they think cannot be
16
determined.
Having now become a pastor of souls, the saint was careful, not alone to
instruct his people diligently in the truths of salvation, and to distribute the sacred bread of God's word, but likewise to edify them by his regular and
exemplarylife. Hischaritywasoccupiedincessantly,inwatchingwithsolici-
tude over the spiritual concerns of his flock, and in healing the temporal ills to
which they were subject. Hearing of his holiness and good works, a certain
noble, that had been thrown into prison by the chief of that country, mani-
fested a great desire to become converted through his preaching, and to
receive his benediction. The zealous pastor, being informed regarding the
the pious dispositions of the prisoner, sent his ring and a message, that he should not despair of God's bounty, and that he should soon have reasons
forthanksgivingbecauseofHisinfinitemercies. Theringwasreceivedwith
great pleasure by the prisoner. Touching his chains with it, these broke asunder, in the presence of all the keepers, so that the noble was set at liberty. At once, he went to visit St. Menou. Prostrate at his feet, the liberated man showed his lively sense of gratitude. He received also the Christian instruc- tion necessary for his reception of Baptism. Afterwards, full of joy, he returned to live among his own people.
A vow had been made by St. Menou, to visit the tombs of the Apostles.
With some of his priests in company, he accordingly parted for the city of Rome. When he had arrived there, the fame of his virtues could not long
be concealed. A remarkable miracle was wrought by him, in favour of a paralytic, who asked an alms from him, and who in return received even a
greater bounty, viz. :
to the
that of being healed from his infirmity. This was duly
Prelate. The
'Pope,
saintly
in the old Acts of our saint, as published by Labbe. Castellan, in his Universal Martyr- ology states it, however, in a positive man- ner.
16 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Julii xii. De S. Menulfo Episcopo in Finibus Bituricensium in Gallia, Commentarius Pra> vius, sect. 6, p. 306.
should be useless vaguely to enquire about
his identity.
l8 This is an arrondissement, canton and
town, the capital of that Department, and pleasantly situated on the right bank of the River Allier. It is divided into an old and a
"
new town, having two suburbs. See Gazet-
teer of the World," vol. ix. , p. 401.
*7 As in the
Legend
of St. Menulfs
Life,
x»
According
to the old
Breviary
of the
1 ? who much desired to see the
reported
Sovereign Pontiff earnestly pressed our saint to remain longer in Rome. Nevertheless, the servant of God, having fully satisfied his devotion, resolved on returning to his own flock. Accompanied by his priests, St. Menou left Rome, and returned to France. He came to Mouilly, a small town in the
Department of l'Allier, formerly known as that of Bourbonnais, and at present
18
it is in the diocese of Moulins.
When he arrived there, the holy man forewarned his disciples, that death
was approaching, and he even announced to them the very day and hour. They were overwhelmed with sorrow, to hear this sad news. They assembled around their beloved pastor and master, praying him to become their inter- cessor in Heaven, as he had been their model and protector in that school of peifection where he had trained them while on earth. Their pious bishop then exhorted them to persevere in virtuous pursuits for the rest of their days.
*S Thisis indicated—ratherthanasserted— thenameof this Pontiffis concealed, so it
2i4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July
Then receiving the Holy Viaticum, and reclining as if he were about to pass into a calm slumber, Menulph gave forth his last breath in prayer. Being free from contagion of sin during his life, so he was exempt from painful sufferings at the hour of death. In his old Acts, it is stated, that he departed this life, on the fourth day of the July Ides, corresponding with the 12th day ofthismonth. Hisgreathumilityurgedhimtoselectanalmostunknown spot in the cemetery of St. Germain, and his wishes in the matter were faith- fully regarded. The village of Maliacum, where he had been interred, has since been called from him St. Menouil, in Bourbonnais.
A miracle wrought at his tomb caused a local magnate named Arcade to
cause a church to be erected there, in honour of the holy bishop ;*9 while a
nunnery of religious women was also established, in that place. The third Abbess, named Adalgise, caused St. Menou's body to be raised from the
earth in the ninth 20 That century.
religious
saint's relics are still preserved in the ancient church, which has since become
parochial. Not only in the place, which now preserves his name, has the veneration of St.
Menou been established, but throughout the whole diocese
of Bourges. A reason assigned for his memory not being so well preserved in Bretagne is owing probably to the circumstance of his death occurring without that province. However, there are still places there, such as Pont- Menou, le Val-Meno, and Ker-Meno, evidently associated with his name. It is thought, likewise, that St. Nolf, the name of a parish in the diocese of
Vannes, has reference to St. Menou, who is called Menulphus in Latin. 21 The feast of this holy bishop is kept on the 12th of July, and on that day he is venerated in the ancient French Calendars. In the Additions to Usuard, Greven seems to have been the first to introduce the feast of St. Menulplus
22
intohisMartyrology, andfromthisentry,othercalendaristswhosucceeded
derive their data, such as 23 2* 2* and Ferra- Molanus, Canisius, Maurolycus,
rius. 20 The latter adds, that in the lists of the Bishops of Bourges his name
2
is not to be found, ? and most probably because St. Menulphus had been
bishopinsomeothercity. AccordingtotheBollandists,Castellanhadbeen the first to assign him a proper See,28 on the faith of a mere popular tradi-
20
tion.
Assiduous at his work, and engaged in pious exercises, the present holy man was still able to disengage himself for the spiritual interests of others.
HeonlyfounddelightindoingthewillofhisMaker. Thedeeplyreligious and moral example of his life and actions in his intercourse with men had a potent influence over their souls, and when the shadows of death fell upon him, the labours he had so unostentatiously wrought at home and abroad were well rewarded by that Divine Master, for whose sake he had sacrificed earth and its pleasures to obtain the happiness of Heaven.
church of Bourges, in the Lessons of our
former one.
2s Thus: "In
Menulphi prsesulis. "
saint's office, at the 1 2th of
20
July.
It is said, that Dagobert, the fifty-sixth
argo Biturico, sancti
of — to the Sam- bishop Bourges—according
marthanns the fifty-third assisted at this Menulphi episcopi. "
translation.
21 "
See Les Petits Bollandistes' Vies des
Saints," tome viii. , xiie Jour de Juillet, P- 260.
:
23 Thus " In territorio Bituricensi, beati
:
Meinulphi prresulis. "
24 His entry nearly corresponds with the
27 Neither in those of Demochares, of
Chenu, of Claude Robert or of the Sammar-
thann, as the Bollandists remark.
22 Thus "
Namely that of Corisopitan after St. a» See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus Hi. ,
In territorio
sancti Menulphi episcopi et Confessoris. "
Bituricensi,
house is now but the destroyed,
°6 Thus "In
: territorio Bituricensi, sancti
28 Corentinus.
Tulii xii. De S. Menulfo
bus Bituricensium in Gallia. Commentarius Pravius, sect. 2, pp. 305, 306.
Episcopo
in Fini-
July 12. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
215
Article II. —St. Nazarus, Nazair, or Nasan, Bishop of Lieth-
more, County of Tipperary. The festival of Nazarius is found in the
1
"Feilire" of St. ^ngus, at the 12th of July, and with the commendation
thathewasthestoryofeverysynod. Acommentaryonitstates,likewise, that he was bishop of Liath in Eblind, or bishop of Liath M6r Mochoemoic. 2
In the published edition of the Tallagh Martyrology, we find this entry :
"
editor of this Martyrology has also correctly identified Leith-mor with Leama-
kevoge, near Thurles, county of Tipperary. 3 Both names are also referable
to the Liath mentioned in the Martyrology of Tallagh. Besides, Marianus
O'Gorman has also given us the name of this samt, called also Nasan, with an
eulogy,atthissamedate/ AccordingtotheMartyrologiesofCashelandof
Maguire, the Natal day of St. Nazarus, Bishop, was celebrated at Liethmore,
on the 12th of July. 5 There appears to have been a diversity of opinion, on
thepartofmostIrishwriters,regardingtheexactlocationofLeithmore. By
some 6 it has been four miles distant from the monas- writers, placed exactly
tery of Bishop Colman at Doire mor ; and both of those places are thought
tohavebeeninthepresentKing'sCounty. ColganplacedLiathmorinthe
vicinity of Kinnetty, the very ancient Life of Pulcherius stating, that it was
onlyfourmilesdistantfromSt. Colman'schurchofDoire-mor,thought7 to
have been identical with Kilcolman, near Birr, and which, it is curious to
observe, lies exactly four miles north-east from that place called Leagh on the
engraved Map of the Down Survey. However, in the Life of St. Mochcem
8
hog orMochcemoc,alsocalledSt. Pulcherius,itissaid,St. Colman'smonas-
tery of Doire mor was situated on the confines of Munster and of Leinster, but within the boundary of the former province, and in the territory of Ely. 9
now found to be identical with the townknd of Leigh, within the parish of
Nazair o Liath," occurring at the iv. of the Ides, or 12th of July. The
This was supposed to have been Ely O'Carroll IQ
; but,
there was a southern Ely, lying near Thurles, and while this was within Munster, it was also on the borders of ancient Leinster. However, the precise locality of Liathmore is
Two Mile
Borris,
11 situated south-east in
Elyogarty barony,
and in the of county
Articleii. —r Inthe"LeabharBreac" copy, we find the following lines translated into English by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. : —
ConjuiAlAiT) coAm^tiu
r-celcech pebioc bAtnACului'o
ConAr-UtAS moj\ meUai-o.
"Unto [the angels departed Nazarius the story of every synod. Felix, it was well he went, with his great host, he was ground. " —"Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca- demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
8SeeitintheThirdVolumeofthiswork, at the 13th day of March, Art. i.
9 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nioe," xiii. Martii, Vita S. Mochoemoci, cap.
xvi. , p. 591.
I0 When Mr. John O'Donovan had been
engaged on the King's County Survey, he noticed on the Down Survey engraved Map a church of Leagh on the northern boundary
of the townlaud of Derrykeil, in Kinnitty
parish, about five miles to the east of Birr,
and midway between Skirkyran and Kin-
nitty. He walked to that very spot, where
the Down Survey showed the church of
Leagh, where he found nothing but a flat
square mound of earth, resembling the site
of the nunnery of Kinard, near Street, in the
county of Westmeath ; however, he thought
this had been the site of an old churchyard,
from the appearance it presented. But he
did not positively, wishing to pronounce
have the matter further investigated. See " Letters containing Information relative to
the Antiquities of the King's County, during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1837, 1838," vol. ii. , pp. 94 to 97. Mr. O' Donovan's Letter, dated Birr, February
5 See
Colgan's
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
tlAzAip
fetiAiT)
part i. On the Calendar of Oengus. by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. ex.
2
Edited
See ibid,, p. cxviii.
3 See Rev. Dr. Kelly's "Calendar of Irish
Saints," &c, pp. xxix. , 44.
4Thus "Nasanalienusacrimine. "
:
nioe," xiii. Martii, Appendix, cap. iv. ,
p. 598.
6
in his "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xvii. , sect, v. , n. 61, p. 29.
Among these was the Rev. Dr. Lanigan, 7 By the Rev. Dr. Lanigan.
2i6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 'Tuly 12
11 Theancientnameissaidtohavebeen
was denominated, Borris Leigh,*3 from the celebrated old church of Liath
1 * It is
1 * at the 12th of
Liathmor,inEbhlinn. TheBollandists,16whoderivedtheirinformationfrom Father O'Sheerin, also record Nazarius de Lieth, at this date.
MartyrologyofTallagh, atthe12thofJuly,wefindthesimpleentry,Colman, Bruicisi. It is stated by O'Clery, that this saint was Colman, sonofLughaidh, son to Aenghus, son of Nadfraech. This Aenghus was King of Minister and of Caiseal. The same authority states, that the present saint was vene- rated at Cluain Bruchais, but we are not informed where it had been situated. There is a townland Clonbrick,2 in the parish of Clonlea, barony of Tulla LowerandcountyofClare; asalsoClonbrick,3intheparishofSolloghod- more, barony of Clanwilliam, and county of Tipperary. There is a Clon- brock « (Upper and Lower), in the parish of Clonsast, barony of Coolestown,
Tipperary.
Buirgheis Leith,
situated in that
we must the place
Mochoemog,
present holy man subsequent to the time of St. Mochoemhog or Mochcemoc, who was first Abbot and founder of Liath-more. In the Martyrology of
Donegal,
July,
is entered the feast of St. Nazair, of Bishop
parish.
probable,
Article III. —St. Colman, Priest, of Cluain Bruchais. In the 1
and King's County; there is a Clonbrock,s in the parish of Killabban, 6
barony of Slievmargy and Queen's County ; there are two Clonbrocks, in the barony of Kilconnell, and county of Galway. One of the latter is in
Ahascragh, and the other in Fohanagh parish. ? These are the only deno- minations discoverable on the Maps of Ireland, as likely to correspond with Cluain Bruchais. The of 8 records this saint at the
Martyrology Donegal
same date, but somewhat differently from that of Tallagh, by calling him
3rd, 1838.
" It is bounded on the north, by the
parishes of Rehelty and Thurles ; on the north-west, by the parish of Galvolaor Boby;
on the north-east, by the parish of Moyne ; on thesouth-east, by the parishes of Kilcooley
Further enquiries induced Mr. O'Donovan to change an opinion he then entertained ; and the reasons for the change are given in a subsequent letter written at Roscrea.
and Buolick on the south, ;
of Fennor and Kilcooley ;
east, by the parish of Killinaule, and on the west, by the parish of Ballymurreen. The name of this parish in Irish is Buirgheis a da Mile, of which Two-mile-Borris is the
English translation.
pp. 192, 193.
l6 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Julii xii. Among the pretermitted saints,
12
This is the form of name Beaufort adopts
It is marked, on the Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the County of
Clare," sheet 43.
3 It is noted, on the " Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the County of Tippe- rary," sheets 50, 58.
« It is set down, on the "Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the King's County,"
Townland Maps for the Queen's County, sheet 31.
6
These are marked, on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Galway," sheets 60, 61, 73, 74.
7 See "General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland," sub loco.
8 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 192, 193.
on his Ecclesiastical Map. The name Buir-
gheis or Borris, occurring so frequently in the same part of Ireland, is not of Irish, but of Anglo-Noiman. origin, and it signifies a Bur- gage.
13 It is said to have been called Two Mile Borris, from its being two Irish milesorover from the town of Thurles.
l * Having sought for Liathmore in the southern part of the King's County, Mr. O'Donovan found, however, no trace of a church bearing such a name, or any tradition regarding it, in that part of the country. He thought subsequently, that notwithstanding the disappearance of the name and object of his search, the locality of this church could be pointed out with considerable accuracy.
sheets
the
by parishes
on the south-
j s Edited Rev. Drs. Todd and by
Reeves,
pp. 246, 247. — Article III.
Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxix. 2"
28.
5 It is noted, on the "Ordnance Survey
27,
13andit
July 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 217
Colman, Priest, of Cluain Bruchais. The Bollandists,9 likewise, enter Colman, with the addition of Brucais, at the 12th day of July.
Article IV. —St. Ultan, of Cork, County of Cork. The Martyr-
of J mentions,thatvenerationwas toUltanof 2 ology Donegal given Corcach,
at the 1 2th of July. The city of Cork derives its name from the Irish word Corca, " marsh f sometimes called Corca-mor, " the great marsh. "? It was a tract of low ground, often flooded, near the debouchment of the River Lee. This celebrated district has a pre-Christian history ;4 but its Christian origin dates back to the earlier part of the seventh century. 5 Oilier accounts, at an earlier period, make St. . Finbarr first founder of a religious house at this place. The present city of Cork—the main part of it south of the river— stands over a concealed network of — veins from the
and
Article V. —Reputed Festival of St. Luanus, Monk. At the 12th
of July, we find the feast of St. Luanus, a monk, set down in Henry Fitz-
simon's Catalogue, with references to St. Bernard, Jocelyn, and the English
running waters, Lee, abovethecityisthepublicwalkcalledMardyke interpretedMarshes-dyke. At the 1 2th of July, likewise, the Bollandists 6 record a festival for Ultanus
mundus de Corca^ia.
1
man to have been no other than the cele- appears
This
brated St. Molua, Abbot of Clonfert Molua, whose proper feast belongs to
Martyrology.
holy 2
the of 4th day
August.
Arnold Wion for the of St. Luanus, entry
Citing
Abbas, at the 12th July, at this same date the Bollandists 3 refer for further
notices to the festival of St. Malachy, Archbishop of Armagh, which is held on the 3rd of November.
Article VI. —Reputed Feast of St. Levanus. We have a St. Levanus entered at the 12th of July, in the anonymous Calendar published
by saint
he had been confounded with St.
p. 75.
Article xi. —
"
Fei- Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu- script Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calen- dar of Oengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. ,
p. ex.
2
See ibid. , p. cxviii.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Julii xi. Among the pretermitted feasts,
p. 177.
4 It is thus entered : "Chalcedone natalis
1
According to the ""
1 In the 2 commentary annexed,
"Maityrologium Romanum Gregorii XIII. editum," pp. 137, 138. Editio novissima, Romae, 1878, fol.
Article xu. — tomus iii. , Julii xi. saints, p. 178.
*
gee " Acta Sanctorum," Among the pretermitted
July 12. ]
LIVES OP THE IRISH SAINTS. 211
the Almighty hath prepared for them that love him, and which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive. The perfect detachment from created things is a sacrifice most pleasing and most perfect in the estimation of the Creator, and to it, the most faithful and favoured of his servants continually aspire.
The Acts of this venerable man whose name has been Latinized Menulfus,
or Menulphus—and by the French called Menou—were formerly preserved
in Manuscript, at the church of St. Autrille-du-Chateau, near Bourges. They were first published by le Pere Labbe. The Breviary of the church at Bourges, printed a. d. 1512, has his office of three Lessons included. Like- wise, his office has been printed, at Paris, in 1686. It is now celebrated under a simple rite. The Acts of St. Menou, who probably flourished in the
seventh century, and who became bishop of Quimper, in Bretagne, have been 1
publishedbyLobineau. Theyhavebeenpublished,likewise,bytheBollan- 2
dists, at the 12th of July. There is a previous commentary,3 by Father
John Baptist Soller, S. J. , the editor. Then follow the proper Acts. * The ""
Petits Bollandistes have an account of this saint, and also at the same date. s
It is agreed, by the various writers of his Acts, that Menou was a native
6
of Ireland; but, regarding the particular place where he was born, or his
parentage, we find no record. There, too, it seems his first years were spent ; yet, for the sake of greater perfection, he was induced to leave his family and nativecountrywhilestillveryyoung. Atfirst,hewenttoGreatBritain,and thence, he travelled to Armorica, until he came to Quimper, also known as Quimper-Corentin, the present capital of the Department of Finistere in France. It is situated on the declivity of a hill, at the confluence of the Odet and Steir, about thirty-two miles south-east from Brest. ? At that time, this city formed part of the country, belonging to the Ossimiens. 8 It is now divided into an old and a new town, but the houses are poorly built. It is surrounded with a wall, and guarded by towers. Its present cathedral is a fine structure of the fifteenth century, and it is situated near the port. 9 The bishopofQuimperisnowasuffragantotheArchbishopofTours. Accord-
10 about the same when he arrivad in Little period
to the Acts of our
Britain, Dagobert," King of the Franks, reigned, and had established peace
ing
saint,
Article i. —' See " Les Vies des Saints de Bretagne," tome ii. , pp. 125 to 129. Ed. Paris, 1836.
2 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Julii xii. De S. Menulfo Episcopo in Finibus Bituricensium in Gallia, pp. 305 to 308.
3 In seven paragraphs.
4 The first, Acta ex codice Ms. eccl. S.
Austregisili de Castro, apud Labbeum in Bibliotheca Mss. ; the second, Ex vetustis- simo Breviario eccl. Bituric. ad diem XII. Julii.
5 See "Vies des Saints," tome viii. , xii e Jour de Juillet, pp. 259, 260.
partie le departement du Finistere, etaient
un des peuples puissants de la confederation
Armorique, a l'epoque de la conquete des Gaules par Cesar. Us resisterent long-temps aux Romains ; mais enfin ilsfurent vaincus. " —A. Hugo's "France Pittoresque, ou De- scription Pittoresque, Topographique et Sta- tistique des Departements et Colonies de la France," &c, tome ii. Departement du Finistere, p. 25. A. Paris, 1835, sm. fol.
9 The accompanying illustration of the
place, copied from an approved engraving, and drawn on the wood by William F.
Wakeman, has been engraved by Mrs. Mil- lard.
6
The Acts state : "In insula maris oceani
quae barbara lingua Yrilanda nuncupatur, id est, ferrea terra, vir sanctus et venerabilis
Menulfus procreatus est," &c.
7 See " Gazetteer of the World," vol. xi. ,
p. 215.
8 " Les Occismiens, allies des Venetes et
dont le territoire forme aujourd'hui en grand
10
Those contained in the Manuscript be-
longing to the church of St. Autrille-du-
Chateau, at Bourges.
"Supposed to have been Dagobert I. , who was born about A. D. 600, and who de-
parted this life at Epinay, the 19th of (
January, 63S. See Michelet's "Hisloire de
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 12.
throughout his dominions, while many holy persons flourished in the world, beautiful as the vernal flowers. This statement, however, is not reconcilable
with the respective dates assigned for St. Corentin's epoclv—supposed to have been the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth century—and for that of King Dagobert, who flourished in the seventh century. We must infer, that the Legend of St. Menulph's Acts had been framed by some writer ignorant of chronology, and perhaps little careful to discriminate fictions from facts, in those accounts transmitted through popular traditions. At that period of St.
I2
Menulph's arrival at Quimper, St. Corentin
is said to have ruled over it as
he had been the second that name,14 bearing
1 ^ It is
but we cannot find any distinct traces of the latter in the history of Quimper- CorentW.
bishop.
possible,
The Town, Cathedral and Port of Quimper-Corentin, Fiance.
That pious bishop of his acquaintance saw the youthful stranger, and asked about the country from which he came, as also the motives that induced him to travel. In the Breton language, Menou answered, that he was a native of Ireland, and that his sole desire was to serve God in the country to which he hadcome. Theprelatefound,thathehadbeenwelleducated,andmoved by his pious desire, the young man was admitted to the ranks of the clergy, and also ordained a priest. Having been invested with this sacred character, Menou was not alone satisfied with offering the Adorable Victim; but even, he became a living sacrifice to God, owing to his practice of corporal mortifi- cation. His great Faith and devotion rendered him an object of respect and
affection among the people.
Wherefore, when St. Corentin died, the united called St. Menou to succeed him. T 5 Notwith-
voices of the
clergy
and
laity
France," tome i. , p. 250.
12 His chief feast is on the 12th of Decem- " Histoire de Bretagne," tome i. ,
ber. But, he is also commemorated on the sect, clxxxvi. , p. 74.
1st cf and at the of May, 5th
13
"Saint Corentin fut le
que de Quimper, et c'est tout ce que Ton en
14 " See Les Petits Bollandistes,
Vies des Juillet,
September.
premier
Eves-
Saints," tome viii. , p. 259.
xiie
Jour
de
fait d'assureV'—Dom. Gui Alexis Lobineau's liv. ii. ,
July 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 213
standing the positive statement contained in the Legend of his Life, it is said, that the name of St. Menulfus or Menou is not to be found in the Lists of
Bishops,belongingtoQuimper-Corentin. TheBollandistsdonotdeny,that our saint had been a bishop; but, whether he had been a regionary
prelate, or had belonged to some See unknown, they think cannot be
16
determined.
Having now become a pastor of souls, the saint was careful, not alone to
instruct his people diligently in the truths of salvation, and to distribute the sacred bread of God's word, but likewise to edify them by his regular and
exemplarylife. Hischaritywasoccupiedincessantly,inwatchingwithsolici-
tude over the spiritual concerns of his flock, and in healing the temporal ills to
which they were subject. Hearing of his holiness and good works, a certain
noble, that had been thrown into prison by the chief of that country, mani-
fested a great desire to become converted through his preaching, and to
receive his benediction. The zealous pastor, being informed regarding the
the pious dispositions of the prisoner, sent his ring and a message, that he should not despair of God's bounty, and that he should soon have reasons
forthanksgivingbecauseofHisinfinitemercies. Theringwasreceivedwith
great pleasure by the prisoner. Touching his chains with it, these broke asunder, in the presence of all the keepers, so that the noble was set at liberty. At once, he went to visit St. Menou. Prostrate at his feet, the liberated man showed his lively sense of gratitude. He received also the Christian instruc- tion necessary for his reception of Baptism. Afterwards, full of joy, he returned to live among his own people.
A vow had been made by St. Menou, to visit the tombs of the Apostles.
With some of his priests in company, he accordingly parted for the city of Rome. When he had arrived there, the fame of his virtues could not long
be concealed. A remarkable miracle was wrought by him, in favour of a paralytic, who asked an alms from him, and who in return received even a
greater bounty, viz. :
to the
that of being healed from his infirmity. This was duly
Prelate. The
'Pope,
saintly
in the old Acts of our saint, as published by Labbe. Castellan, in his Universal Martyr- ology states it, however, in a positive man- ner.
16 See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Julii xii. De S. Menulfo Episcopo in Finibus Bituricensium in Gallia, Commentarius Pra> vius, sect. 6, p. 306.
should be useless vaguely to enquire about
his identity.
l8 This is an arrondissement, canton and
town, the capital of that Department, and pleasantly situated on the right bank of the River Allier. It is divided into an old and a
"
new town, having two suburbs. See Gazet-
teer of the World," vol. ix. , p. 401.
*7 As in the
Legend
of St. Menulfs
Life,
x»
According
to the old
Breviary
of the
1 ? who much desired to see the
reported
Sovereign Pontiff earnestly pressed our saint to remain longer in Rome. Nevertheless, the servant of God, having fully satisfied his devotion, resolved on returning to his own flock. Accompanied by his priests, St. Menou left Rome, and returned to France. He came to Mouilly, a small town in the
Department of l'Allier, formerly known as that of Bourbonnais, and at present
18
it is in the diocese of Moulins.
When he arrived there, the holy man forewarned his disciples, that death
was approaching, and he even announced to them the very day and hour. They were overwhelmed with sorrow, to hear this sad news. They assembled around their beloved pastor and master, praying him to become their inter- cessor in Heaven, as he had been their model and protector in that school of peifection where he had trained them while on earth. Their pious bishop then exhorted them to persevere in virtuous pursuits for the rest of their days.
*S Thisis indicated—ratherthanasserted— thenameof this Pontiffis concealed, so it
2i4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July
Then receiving the Holy Viaticum, and reclining as if he were about to pass into a calm slumber, Menulph gave forth his last breath in prayer. Being free from contagion of sin during his life, so he was exempt from painful sufferings at the hour of death. In his old Acts, it is stated, that he departed this life, on the fourth day of the July Ides, corresponding with the 12th day ofthismonth. Hisgreathumilityurgedhimtoselectanalmostunknown spot in the cemetery of St. Germain, and his wishes in the matter were faith- fully regarded. The village of Maliacum, where he had been interred, has since been called from him St. Menouil, in Bourbonnais.
A miracle wrought at his tomb caused a local magnate named Arcade to
cause a church to be erected there, in honour of the holy bishop ;*9 while a
nunnery of religious women was also established, in that place. The third Abbess, named Adalgise, caused St. Menou's body to be raised from the
earth in the ninth 20 That century.
religious
saint's relics are still preserved in the ancient church, which has since become
parochial. Not only in the place, which now preserves his name, has the veneration of St.
Menou been established, but throughout the whole diocese
of Bourges. A reason assigned for his memory not being so well preserved in Bretagne is owing probably to the circumstance of his death occurring without that province. However, there are still places there, such as Pont- Menou, le Val-Meno, and Ker-Meno, evidently associated with his name. It is thought, likewise, that St. Nolf, the name of a parish in the diocese of
Vannes, has reference to St. Menou, who is called Menulphus in Latin. 21 The feast of this holy bishop is kept on the 12th of July, and on that day he is venerated in the ancient French Calendars. In the Additions to Usuard, Greven seems to have been the first to introduce the feast of St. Menulplus
22
intohisMartyrology, andfromthisentry,othercalendaristswhosucceeded
derive their data, such as 23 2* 2* and Ferra- Molanus, Canisius, Maurolycus,
rius. 20 The latter adds, that in the lists of the Bishops of Bourges his name
2
is not to be found, ? and most probably because St. Menulphus had been
bishopinsomeothercity. AccordingtotheBollandists,Castellanhadbeen the first to assign him a proper See,28 on the faith of a mere popular tradi-
20
tion.
Assiduous at his work, and engaged in pious exercises, the present holy man was still able to disengage himself for the spiritual interests of others.
HeonlyfounddelightindoingthewillofhisMaker. Thedeeplyreligious and moral example of his life and actions in his intercourse with men had a potent influence over their souls, and when the shadows of death fell upon him, the labours he had so unostentatiously wrought at home and abroad were well rewarded by that Divine Master, for whose sake he had sacrificed earth and its pleasures to obtain the happiness of Heaven.
church of Bourges, in the Lessons of our
former one.
2s Thus: "In
Menulphi prsesulis. "
saint's office, at the 1 2th of
20
July.
It is said, that Dagobert, the fifty-sixth
argo Biturico, sancti
of — to the Sam- bishop Bourges—according
marthanns the fifty-third assisted at this Menulphi episcopi. "
translation.
21 "
See Les Petits Bollandistes' Vies des
Saints," tome viii. , xiie Jour de Juillet, P- 260.
:
23 Thus " In territorio Bituricensi, beati
:
Meinulphi prresulis. "
24 His entry nearly corresponds with the
27 Neither in those of Demochares, of
Chenu, of Claude Robert or of the Sammar-
thann, as the Bollandists remark.
22 Thus "
Namely that of Corisopitan after St. a» See " Acta Sanctorum," tomus Hi. ,
In territorio
sancti Menulphi episcopi et Confessoris. "
Bituricensi,
house is now but the destroyed,
°6 Thus "In
: territorio Bituricensi, sancti
28 Corentinus.
Tulii xii. De S. Menulfo
bus Bituricensium in Gallia. Commentarius Pravius, sect. 2, pp. 305, 306.
Episcopo
in Fini-
July 12. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
215
Article II. —St. Nazarus, Nazair, or Nasan, Bishop of Lieth-
more, County of Tipperary. The festival of Nazarius is found in the
1
"Feilire" of St. ^ngus, at the 12th of July, and with the commendation
thathewasthestoryofeverysynod. Acommentaryonitstates,likewise, that he was bishop of Liath in Eblind, or bishop of Liath M6r Mochoemoic. 2
In the published edition of the Tallagh Martyrology, we find this entry :
"
editor of this Martyrology has also correctly identified Leith-mor with Leama-
kevoge, near Thurles, county of Tipperary. 3 Both names are also referable
to the Liath mentioned in the Martyrology of Tallagh. Besides, Marianus
O'Gorman has also given us the name of this samt, called also Nasan, with an
eulogy,atthissamedate/ AccordingtotheMartyrologiesofCashelandof
Maguire, the Natal day of St. Nazarus, Bishop, was celebrated at Liethmore,
on the 12th of July. 5 There appears to have been a diversity of opinion, on
thepartofmostIrishwriters,regardingtheexactlocationofLeithmore. By
some 6 it has been four miles distant from the monas- writers, placed exactly
tery of Bishop Colman at Doire mor ; and both of those places are thought
tohavebeeninthepresentKing'sCounty. ColganplacedLiathmorinthe
vicinity of Kinnetty, the very ancient Life of Pulcherius stating, that it was
onlyfourmilesdistantfromSt. Colman'schurchofDoire-mor,thought7 to
have been identical with Kilcolman, near Birr, and which, it is curious to
observe, lies exactly four miles north-east from that place called Leagh on the
engraved Map of the Down Survey. However, in the Life of St. Mochcem
8
hog orMochcemoc,alsocalledSt. Pulcherius,itissaid,St. Colman'smonas-
tery of Doire mor was situated on the confines of Munster and of Leinster, but within the boundary of the former province, and in the territory of Ely. 9
now found to be identical with the townknd of Leigh, within the parish of
Nazair o Liath," occurring at the iv. of the Ides, or 12th of July. The
This was supposed to have been Ely O'Carroll IQ
; but,
there was a southern Ely, lying near Thurles, and while this was within Munster, it was also on the borders of ancient Leinster. However, the precise locality of Liathmore is
Two Mile
Borris,
11 situated south-east in
Elyogarty barony,
and in the of county
Articleii. —r Inthe"LeabharBreac" copy, we find the following lines translated into English by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. : —
ConjuiAlAiT) coAm^tiu
r-celcech pebioc bAtnACului'o
ConAr-UtAS moj\ meUai-o.
"Unto [the angels departed Nazarius the story of every synod. Felix, it was well he went, with his great host, he was ground. " —"Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca- demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
8SeeitintheThirdVolumeofthiswork, at the 13th day of March, Art. i.
9 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nioe," xiii. Martii, Vita S. Mochoemoci, cap.
xvi. , p. 591.
I0 When Mr. John O'Donovan had been
engaged on the King's County Survey, he noticed on the Down Survey engraved Map a church of Leagh on the northern boundary
of the townlaud of Derrykeil, in Kinnitty
parish, about five miles to the east of Birr,
and midway between Skirkyran and Kin-
nitty. He walked to that very spot, where
the Down Survey showed the church of
Leagh, where he found nothing but a flat
square mound of earth, resembling the site
of the nunnery of Kinard, near Street, in the
county of Westmeath ; however, he thought
this had been the site of an old churchyard,
from the appearance it presented. But he
did not positively, wishing to pronounce
have the matter further investigated. See " Letters containing Information relative to
the Antiquities of the King's County, during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1837, 1838," vol. ii. , pp. 94 to 97. Mr. O' Donovan's Letter, dated Birr, February
5 See
Colgan's
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
tlAzAip
fetiAiT)
part i. On the Calendar of Oengus. by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. ex.
2
Edited
See ibid,, p. cxviii.
3 See Rev. Dr. Kelly's "Calendar of Irish
Saints," &c, pp. xxix. , 44.
4Thus "Nasanalienusacrimine. "
:
nioe," xiii. Martii, Appendix, cap. iv. ,
p. 598.
6
in his "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xvii. , sect, v. , n. 61, p. 29.
Among these was the Rev. Dr. Lanigan, 7 By the Rev. Dr. Lanigan.
2i6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 'Tuly 12
11 Theancientnameissaidtohavebeen
was denominated, Borris Leigh,*3 from the celebrated old church of Liath
1 * It is
1 * at the 12th of
Liathmor,inEbhlinn. TheBollandists,16whoderivedtheirinformationfrom Father O'Sheerin, also record Nazarius de Lieth, at this date.
MartyrologyofTallagh, atthe12thofJuly,wefindthesimpleentry,Colman, Bruicisi. It is stated by O'Clery, that this saint was Colman, sonofLughaidh, son to Aenghus, son of Nadfraech. This Aenghus was King of Minister and of Caiseal. The same authority states, that the present saint was vene- rated at Cluain Bruchais, but we are not informed where it had been situated. There is a townland Clonbrick,2 in the parish of Clonlea, barony of Tulla LowerandcountyofClare; asalsoClonbrick,3intheparishofSolloghod- more, barony of Clanwilliam, and county of Tipperary. There is a Clon- brock « (Upper and Lower), in the parish of Clonsast, barony of Coolestown,
Tipperary.
Buirgheis Leith,
situated in that
we must the place
Mochoemog,
present holy man subsequent to the time of St. Mochoemhog or Mochcemoc, who was first Abbot and founder of Liath-more. In the Martyrology of
Donegal,
July,
is entered the feast of St. Nazair, of Bishop
parish.
probable,
Article III. —St. Colman, Priest, of Cluain Bruchais. In the 1
and King's County; there is a Clonbrock,s in the parish of Killabban, 6
barony of Slievmargy and Queen's County ; there are two Clonbrocks, in the barony of Kilconnell, and county of Galway. One of the latter is in
Ahascragh, and the other in Fohanagh parish. ? These are the only deno- minations discoverable on the Maps of Ireland, as likely to correspond with Cluain Bruchais. The of 8 records this saint at the
Martyrology Donegal
same date, but somewhat differently from that of Tallagh, by calling him
3rd, 1838.
" It is bounded on the north, by the
parishes of Rehelty and Thurles ; on the north-west, by the parish of Galvolaor Boby;
on the north-east, by the parish of Moyne ; on thesouth-east, by the parishes of Kilcooley
Further enquiries induced Mr. O'Donovan to change an opinion he then entertained ; and the reasons for the change are given in a subsequent letter written at Roscrea.
and Buolick on the south, ;
of Fennor and Kilcooley ;
east, by the parish of Killinaule, and on the west, by the parish of Ballymurreen. The name of this parish in Irish is Buirgheis a da Mile, of which Two-mile-Borris is the
English translation.
pp. 192, 193.
l6 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Julii xii. Among the pretermitted saints,
12
This is the form of name Beaufort adopts
It is marked, on the Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the County of
Clare," sheet 43.
3 It is noted, on the " Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the County of Tippe- rary," sheets 50, 58.
« It is set down, on the "Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the King's County,"
Townland Maps for the Queen's County, sheet 31.
6
These are marked, on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Galway," sheets 60, 61, 73, 74.
7 See "General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns, Parishes and Baronies of Ireland," sub loco.
8 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 192, 193.
on his Ecclesiastical Map. The name Buir-
gheis or Borris, occurring so frequently in the same part of Ireland, is not of Irish, but of Anglo-Noiman. origin, and it signifies a Bur- gage.
13 It is said to have been called Two Mile Borris, from its being two Irish milesorover from the town of Thurles.
l * Having sought for Liathmore in the southern part of the King's County, Mr. O'Donovan found, however, no trace of a church bearing such a name, or any tradition regarding it, in that part of the country. He thought subsequently, that notwithstanding the disappearance of the name and object of his search, the locality of this church could be pointed out with considerable accuracy.
sheets
the
by parishes
on the south-
j s Edited Rev. Drs. Todd and by
Reeves,
pp. 246, 247. — Article III.
Edited by Rev. Dr.
Kelly, p. xxix. 2"
28.
5 It is noted, on the "Ordnance Survey
27,
13andit
July 12. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 217
Colman, Priest, of Cluain Bruchais. The Bollandists,9 likewise, enter Colman, with the addition of Brucais, at the 12th day of July.
Article IV. —St. Ultan, of Cork, County of Cork. The Martyr-
of J mentions,thatvenerationwas toUltanof 2 ology Donegal given Corcach,
at the 1 2th of July. The city of Cork derives its name from the Irish word Corca, " marsh f sometimes called Corca-mor, " the great marsh. "? It was a tract of low ground, often flooded, near the debouchment of the River Lee. This celebrated district has a pre-Christian history ;4 but its Christian origin dates back to the earlier part of the seventh century. 5 Oilier accounts, at an earlier period, make St. . Finbarr first founder of a religious house at this place. The present city of Cork—the main part of it south of the river— stands over a concealed network of — veins from the
and
Article V. —Reputed Festival of St. Luanus, Monk. At the 12th
of July, we find the feast of St. Luanus, a monk, set down in Henry Fitz-
simon's Catalogue, with references to St. Bernard, Jocelyn, and the English
running waters, Lee, abovethecityisthepublicwalkcalledMardyke interpretedMarshes-dyke. At the 1 2th of July, likewise, the Bollandists 6 record a festival for Ultanus
mundus de Corca^ia.
1
man to have been no other than the cele- appears
This
brated St. Molua, Abbot of Clonfert Molua, whose proper feast belongs to
Martyrology.
holy 2
the of 4th day
August.
Arnold Wion for the of St. Luanus, entry
Citing
Abbas, at the 12th July, at this same date the Bollandists 3 refer for further
notices to the festival of St. Malachy, Archbishop of Armagh, which is held on the 3rd of November.
Article VI. —Reputed Feast of St. Levanus. We have a St. Levanus entered at the 12th of July, in the anonymous Calendar published
by saint
he had been confounded with St.
