Wherethedeadbodieshadbeenburied,heconstructedafamous
which was called Celcolum 20 The saint dherig.
which was called Celcolum 20 The saint dherig.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v7
Leomc-
Acts of St. Patrick, assumed as an
that the author of our saint's Acts did not write before the twelfth century ; for, it was during the reigns of Lewis VII. , or of Philip Augustus, Kings of France, that the poet Leo flourished. From him, according to the opinion of the best informed writers, the Leonine metre derived its origin and name,
100 This monastic is often practice
to in the Acts of our Irish Saints.
101
argument,
alluded
chap, i. , as follows
" Ailbe umal Padruig Mumhan, mo gach rath :
Declan Padruig Nan-Desii, ag De- clan go brath. "
Ussher gives these lines, also, in the Gaelic characters, with some slight difference. See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 450.
99 The Bollandist editor observes, in an annotatation, on this verse ; that it vras wanting in the copy which he used, but that Father Harold supplied it from the Manu- script copy of St. Isidore in Rome, and just as it had been printed.
:
This statement serves to illustrate the character of Irish popular assemblies under the old clan system, when the people as well
as their chiefs were summoned together, in
order to frame and ratify laws in a public convention.
334
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 24.
with the territorial jurisprudence.
102
Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Fpiscopo Aid-
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. ,
us of the Buidhe Chonnuil, or the Yellow Hague, which occurred in Ireland,A. D. 664, as related in Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 274 to 277. This is also alluded in the First Volume of
moriae in Hibernia, cap. vi. , sects. 47, 48,
49, p. 602. — Chapter III.
This
is de- scribed as "the yellow jaundice," in Dr.
Meredith Hanmer's
p- 7°-
Molagga or Laicin, chap. iii.
3 Rendered into the Latin words Atrium
(Usfidum, "the Hall of Spears
3
The description of this plague reminds
"
pestilence Chronicle of Ireland,"
to,
this work, at January 20th, in the Life of St.
:
101
The former chieftain Lebanus was deposed, as an opposer of Christianity, and with unanimous acclaim of all that people. His political influence became extinct, and he appears to have retired into private life. Thus was accomplished, what had been written theenemiesofGod "Periitmemoriaeorumcumsonitu. " Then
regarding
was it decreed, by St. Declan, by the chieftain Feargall, and by the Decies nobles, that the local chiefs should henceforth be inaugurated in that place, called Hynneon, in which Feargall had been at first elected to the chieftainry, and installed by the saints. The author of our saint's Acts tells us, that those who lived prior to his time related, how the chiefs of the Decies, even in the
102
A PESTILENCE BREAKS OUT IN MUNSTER—ST. DECLAIMS MIRACLE AT CASIIF. L—-HE FOUNDS MONASTIC ESTABLISHMENTS AT TEACH-DERCAN AND AT TARA—HE RETURNS THROUGH OSSORY TO THE SOUTHERN DECIES—HIS MIRACULOUS POWERS—FOUNDA- TIONS AT AND SUBSEQUENT CONDITION OF ARDMORE—ST. DECLAN IS VISITED BY ST. AILBHE—ST. DECLAN MIRACULOUSLY EXTINGUISHES A FIRE—A FLEET OF PAGAN PIRATES DESTROYED.
About this time, a dreadful pestilence ravaged Minister. It proved more
fatal, we are told, in the city of Cashel, than in other places. This plague 1
produced a yellow, colour over the people it attacked, and afterwards it caused their death. 2 At this period, seven nobles, who were detained as hostages by King ^Engus, happened to be confined in a certain castle. Their dungeon was situated in the western quarter of Cashel city, and it had been called in Irish Magh na nearglann. 3 One night, these seven hostages were carried off by the plague ; and, when the king heard of their death, he was very much grieved, for they were the sons of powerful nobles, who resided in remote extremities of his kingdom. He feared, therefore, lest unjust suspicions might fall upon him, because of their sudden death. Wherefore, he desired his people to conceal their knowledge concerning this matter. On the day following their demise, holy Bishop Declan came towards the city of Cashel, and he intended to have a conference with King ^ngus. The latter was rejoiced to hear of our saint's approach. Calling
Declan before him, in the presence of his friends, ^Engus said : "We entreat you, O holy bishop and servant of the living God, as we have believed in the name of Christ through your preaching, that you would raise from the dead our seven hostages, who were deprived of life during the past night ; for, we fear,thatascandalshallcomeonourkingdom. Theirparentsmaysay,per- haps, that their sons were destroyed through our instrumentality, and this indeed should prove a great disgrace to us. " The holy Pontiff Declan said :
days of paganism, had been inaugurated, also, in this very same place.
CHAPTER III.
July 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 335
" O ray dear king, to raise the dead to life exceeds the infirmity of our nature, for such a miracle appertains only to Divine power; but, as you have bene- fited us, in the name of Christ, we shall visit their dead bodies, and pray for them to God, that he may accomplish whatever may be in accordance with his holy will. " Then, accompanied by some select disciples, and full of faith, St. Declan went to where the dead bodies lay. The king's servants preceded them. Thebodiesofthesedeceasednoblespresentedagreenandyellow colour/ The king also followed the bishop, who stood before the dead bodies. On entering the place where these corpses lay, St. Declan sprinkled them with
holy water, and he prayed fervently, but briefly, before those who were pre-
" O Lord Jesus Christ, only begotten Son of the living God,
sent. He said
for the glory of thy name, we pray thee, raise these dead men to life, that they may become neophytes and be confirmed in the faith, through our ministry. " Afterwards, the holy bishop knew in spirit, that their lives had been granted again to the dead men by our Lord. While beginning to move
:
:
he said to them " In the name of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of
their
mankind, arise to us, and give thanks and praise to God. " At these words, they immediately seemed to awake from the dead. They saluted all who were present. Wherefore, St. Declan presented them living and restored in health, to iEngus, son of Nadfraoich, and in presence of his people. 5
eyelids,
When this strange and great miracle had been wrought, Christ's name was
glorified by all, and his servant's sanctity was promulgated, not only through-
out Ireland, but even over the world. Rejoicing at this wonderful event,
6 to St. Declan for ever that castle, called 4 ' Atrium King^Engus presented
cuspidum," with a field immediately near, and surrounding it. Then, the
inhabitants of Cashel city earnestly entreated St. Declan, that he would
bestow his benediction on them, expel the pestilence, and intercede with
Christ, at the same time, in behalf of many infirm persons, who were infected
with the plague. On seeing their faith, the holy man entreated Christ for
them, and he blessed the air, on four different quarters, with the holy sign of
the cross. There was verified, what Declan said to his disciples, when about
toenterheaven " manusimponent,etbenehabebunt. " For, : Super aegros
after those signs made by St. Declan's hand, not only in Cashel, but in every
part of the province, where this plague had prevailed, those prostrated with it recovered, and their friends had the satisfaction of witnessing their perfect
restoration. The pestilence became extinct throughout that whole country, about the same time. This unlooked for event pleased the people, and even more than did that first miracle wrought by St. Declan. On seeing and hearing these things, the king bestowed special favours on our saint, and especially in publishing his decrees, that a large tribute should be paid by all futureKings of Cashel, as well as by himself, to St. Declan and to his successors. He also con- ferred another favour, described as the liberty 7 of his city and parish, in the presenceofmanyoftheMunsternobles. Afterwards,givinghisbenedictionto
King ^Engus, and to his nation, St. Declan returned to his own part of the 8
country.
On a particular occasion, St. Declan was invited to a feast, at a cer-
4 The Acts cadavera mortuorum. "
morise in Hibernia, pp. 602, 603.
6
vi. , sect.
7 P'rom such a remark, we
that this Life of St. Declan cannot claim to be of very ancient date, since it has refer- ence to a mediaeval custom of giving the free* dom of a city to distinguished persons.
say,
chronological
" erant coerulea et flava
the Race of Eibhear. " A
poem, by John O'Dugan with a Transla- tion by Michael Kearney, A. D. 1635, pp.
s See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. ,
Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Episcopo Aid- 14, 15.
cap.
50, 51, 52*
may conclude,
King Aongus, the son of Nadfraoich, is stated to have reigned thirty-six years over Munster. See John O'Daly's "Kings of
336 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 24.
tain rich pagan's house. This was situated, in a southern part of the plain, called Femhyn. The dweller was named Dercan. Desirous of turning the Christians into ridicule and to manifest indignity, this man had ordered his ser- vants to kill a dog, in a secret manner, and to bury its head and feet in the earth. Thefleshofthisanimal,beingcookedathisdesirebytheservants,it was set before St. Declan at the banquet. The master then invited our saint, in an assumedly courteous manner, to partake of this disgusting kind of food, stating it was mutton. When this flesh was placed on the table with bread, and in a conspicuous place among other viands, St. Declan lapsed into a light slumber beside his host. He was then aroused, that he might bless the table.
Regarding it in a silent manner, his disciples at length said to him : "Father, "
bless our meats. " The saint then replied
nearthatmeat. " Declanthenaskedtheattendants,whatkindofmeatit was, and how killed ? They told him a falsehood, in compliance with their master's instructions. Then the holy Bishop said, in the presence of all : "O Christ, my Lord, manifest in what manner I see the servant of the devil at this table, and prevent thy servant* from eating an unclean thing. " By per- mission of God, the holy man beheld a dog's paw through a portion of the flesh. He said therefore: "This is not the foot of a sheep, but of a dog. '' Although they had supposed the animal's paws buried in eartli
the attendants had unconsciously dressed one of these paws, with the rest of the meat. On witnessing such a discover}-, they ran to inform their master, Dercan. Hearing their report, this latter went immediately to St. Declan, and declared that he was a believer. He then presented himself with his family and town, to the holy Bishop for ever ; and, to his great joy, he and his people were baptized. Dercan also asked our saint, that he would bless some place within this territory, and which should afterwards bear his name in perpetuity. Then St. Declan blessed a ceitain stone near that habitation. 9 The saint
" If the chieftain and people of the Desies, going to war with their enemies, or to avenge any injury against another nation, shall pass around that stone, invariably they shall return invincible, and obtain a victory over their enemies. But evil must befall this people, if through pride they shall not pass around this stone, because being unworthy of victory, they ought not
then said
obtain it. " That
disciples.
brought
St. Ultan with him, from his 5 monastery. '
10
sect.
Meaning
Ilibernia, cap. vii. ,
55, 56, 57,
:
was then called Teach Dercain to it was after- ; but,
11* He afterwards Then,theholyBishopwenttohisancestralcountryofBreigh, inwhichThe-
8 I4
See "Acta Sanctorum. " tomus v. , Colgnn remarks, that the ancient writer
Julii xxiv. De S. Peclano Episcopo Aid- of our saint's Acts indicates, that he saw
village 11
to circumstances connected with this miracle. 12
wards named
Thither came the holy men, Conan, Mochoba, Ultan, son of Ere, and the son of Laisre,'3 to St. Declan, presenting themselves to God under his magis- tracy and rule. St. Declan founded a monastery in that village of Dercan, called Coninga, and there he placed those saints, already named, with other
Coninga, owing
morise in Ilibernia, cap. vi. , sects. 53, 54,
Declan's own disciples, from these words
"
ferlur nobis ex antiquis ejus disci- pulis," tbid. , n. 4.
p. 603. used, 9 From that time to the period, when the
author of our sanl's Acts wrote, it was called the Stone of St. Declan.
" the House of Declan. "
" At that time when the Life of St.
Declan had been wiitlen.
12 " Ab ilia ungula canina vocatur. "
n For an account of these different saint*,
Ave mity refer to Colgan's "Acta Sancto-
rum Hibernise," xiv. Martii. ^Vita S. UUani, p. 608.
' 5 Sec "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. ,
:
Truly, do I see Satan's servant
Julii xxiv.
morise in
De S. Declano Episcopo Ard-
pp. 603, 604.
,0 Abo called Dreg and Breach, which
w,as a large and level district in East Meath,
comprising five cantreds, and extending northwards so far as the Cassan, now the
Annagassan stream, near Dundalk.
'7 Jn commenting on these words;
"
Et
16
;
nevertheless,
July 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 337
moria was situated. There, the King of Taraand the nobles of Breagh received him with great honour. For, being a native of that district, its people deemed and loved St. Declan as a countryman, and the ties of con-
sanguinity were acknowledged. It is said, that the holy man constructed a 1
monastery of Canons, ? in a field which was granted to him, and which had
been called after his name. 18 There, he left a celebrated Book of Gospels,
which he brought with him. This book was afterwards preserved in that
locality, with great honour, and miracles are said to have been wrought
through its instrumentality. Having blessed that place, our saint then retired
x into Munster. 9
While on his journey homewards through the Ossorian territory, St.
Declan turned towards a certain castle in which he purposed resting for the
night; but, the evil-disposed inhabitants of that fort, not alone inhospitably refused him admittance, but even drove him away by force, and loaded him
with reproaches.
Our saint, with his disciples, prayed to God, that in their
" Mine is
what is found written in Sacred
case
ment, and I will repay. " Accordingly, the inhabitants in that part of the country, to the number of three score, died on that night; only two men and ten women, who felt indignant at how others had treated our saint, were exemptfromthisfatalpunishment. Theselattercameinanhumblemanner to St. Declan, on the day following, and told him concerning the miserable deaths of their companions. Of this, however, he had a foreknowledge. Doing penance for their sins, the survivors presented the saint with lands and othergifts.
Wherethedeadbodieshadbeenburied,heconstructedafamous
which was called Celcolum 20 The saint dherig.
might happen,
Scripture :
judg-
monastery,
superior a pious and holy man, from amongst his disciples.
appointed
21 which is Latinized Columbus
derived from the eastern part of Leinster. From him, this monastery obtained itsname. Havingblessedthatplace,St. DeclanreturnedtotheDeciester- ritories. On the evening of another day, our saint with his disciples came to that place already mentioned, and which was called Atrium Bressail. But, its inhabitants would not suffer him to enter their castle or fort. They had pre- viously hidden their vessels, so that our saint might not be able to pass over into his island. This dislike, which they bore to God's pious servant, was wholly unprovoked, on his part. But, the Almighty converted the sea into
Columdearg,
construxit ibi sanctus Declanus monasterium in agro sibi dato Canonicorum," &c, the Bollandist editor very correctly states, that there were no Canons in
Ireland,
of St. Declan, judged to be in the fifth or
sixth century, n. (b). Originally the title of
Canons was derived from the Greek word Kavwv, which has the signification of the
Roll or Catalogue of every church, wherein
the names of ecclesiastics were written, and
which meant the Rule for knowing to which
church they belonged. In this sense, it is
often used by the Council of Nice. The
Council of Antioch calls ayios /cavthv, or the Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Episcopo Sacred Roll ; while the Apostolical Canons
have KaraXoyos tepari/cos, or the Catalogue of the Clergy. Even, at an early date, all those whose names were set down in the Books of the Church, to entitle them to re- ceive maintenance from the church, such as
the monks, virgins and widows, &c, were known as Canonici. See Rev. Joseph Bing-
p. 604.
20 In Latin it is written, " Columbi Ruffi
Cella. " It has not been identified.
3I Under the many saints, called Colum, in the Irish Calendars, we do not find any one designated Colum Dearg, which means
Red Colum.
in the time
RurTus,
ties of the Christian Church," vol . i. , book i. ,
chap, v. , sect. 10, pp. 15, 16. London edi-
tion, 1878, 8vo.
l8 Weare thatin informed, by D'Achery,
the ancient Irish Canons, some of which he has edited, although there is frequent men-
tion of monks, clerics, and priests, there is no account of canons. See "Veterum
""
ham's OriginesEcclesiastical,orAntiqui- Inrelatingthiscircumstance,theauthor
as its He was called and whose was
aliquot Scriptorum, qui in Galliae Bibliothe- cis, maxime Benedictinorum latuerant Spici-
legium," &c, tomus i. , p. 492. Parisiis, 1655 to 1677.
I9 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. ,
Ardmoriae in Hibemia, cap. vii. , sect. 58,
origin
338 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [J uly 24.
dry land, according to the prophetic expression, on account of that injustice offered to St. Declan, and because of his servant's holiness, when offering his prayers. The saint remained for that night in a deserted shed on the highway, not being even able to obtain any fire from the neighbouring inhabi- tants. 22 However, the Almighty was justly avenged on them. For, while they felt unwilling charitably to bestow fire for the use of God's servants; fire came on them around the sea, so that the inhabitants and their castle were
entirely consumed, owing to the Omnipotent's avenging wrath. ** We are next told, that on another day, while Bishop Declan had been proceeding on a
journey through the mountains of Gua, in the Decies' territory, ahorse under his chariot became so lame, that he could not walk. Then, seeing a distant herd of deer on the mountain, our saint ordered a servant, named Dor- managh, to bring one from that herd, which should be strong enough to put in harness, and to take the place of his jaded horse. Not doubting that he should find a tame deer, as the man of God had predicted, the servant pro- ceeded on his errand, and the herd quietly awaited his arrival, until he selected therefrom a strong stag. This animal bore the saint in his chariot, without exhibiting any signs of weariness that whole day, until the plain of Femhyn was reached. On arriving at a house of entertainment, St. Declan com- manded that stag to return to the herd ; and, when the holy man had thus spoken, the animal took his prescribed way in presence of all. St. Declan bestowed his blessing on Dormanagh,2* and gave him a town, called Magh-
gubra,25 in a northern part of the Decies' territory, and near the Eoghanaght 26
country.
At another time, and while Declan, with a large crowd, had been
travelling in his usual manner,3? one of his disciples chanced to fall on the
road, and a compound fracture of the thigh ensued. On seeing this, our saint ordered a companion to bind the fractured limb, lest the man to whom the accident had happened might die through loss of blood. But, on account of a shock occasioned to all present when seeing his wound, they severally declined this until one of the named Dualach,28
office, company,
and cheerfully approached. He said
Patron Declan, I will act as surgeon in this case. " This he said, also, in a light
:
and sportive manner; however, he skilfully bound up the wounded man's limb,andinthepresenceofall blessedhim,inthenameofGodandofSt. Declan. Immediately, the brother began to grow better. After a short interval, his wound closing, this disciple was perfectly restored, without suffering the least pain. When the bandage was ordered to be removed, a mark only was found on the limb, where the flesh and skin had been united over the fractured bones. All who were there gave thanks to God and to St.
of our saint's Acts precedes his narrative
with these words, " De hoc quidcm audis-
tis,"&c.
23 After this account, the author of our
"
saint's Acts adds :
desertum sub maledicto sicut scriptum est ; Civitas eorum destruxisti. "— " Acta Sancto-
rum," tomus v. , Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Episcopo Ardnftorise in Ilibernia, cap. vii. , sed. 59, 60, p. 604.
** This man's descendants were considered respectable, at a time when the author of our saint's Acts wrote, and that they dwelt there, in St. Declan's service, we are also in-
formed on his authority. Probably, these peoplelivedastenantsonthemonasticlands.
3= This denomination appears to be in- capable of identification.
it immediatelysurroundingCashel.
cum. "— Ussher's "BrhannicarumEcclesiarumAm
Et illud est usque hodie
confidently " In the name of Christ, and of our
2? Theancientwriterremarks
et turboe cedenlium et Christi pauperes et
peregrini semper sequebantur tiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 450.
*8
This person seems to have no other his- toric or traditional record than the present one, such as it is. There is a saint Duileach of Clochar venerated in our Calendars, at the 1 7th of November, but it is not likely he can be identical with the Dualach mentioned in the text,
8» See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. ,
:
"Discipuli
July 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 339
Declan, together with that clisciple, who thus had been restored to the use of his limb. Our saint then addressed Dualach, who had cured this disciple,
:
inthefollowingwords "Youhavepromisedtobecomeasurgeoninthecase
of this limb, and in the name of Christ and of Declan, the Lord hath willingly bestowed health on your patient by his power, while in obedience you bound the fracture. Wherefore, from this moment, you shall prove a most skilful physician ; and your posterity, until the end of time, shall become approved and respectable physicians. If they shall sign any infirm person with a sign of the cross in my name, and in that of Christ, God's grace shall assist patients, through their healing practices, provided they entertain no hatred to mortal man, nor place their hearts on obtaining an exorbitant fee. " The author of our saint's Acts assures us, that according to the holy bishop's promise, the descendants of that man, whether male or female, were distinguished as skilful medical practitioners, through all subsequent time. Their entire family and kindred, likewise, served the successors of St. Declan. 29
While the saint was journeying in the western part of Femhyn plain, and near the river Suir's course, some persons carrying an infant to be baptized by a certain priest, met him. Filled with the spirit of prophecy, Declan said,
" Wait
persons who bore the child, not having indicated to the holy bishop or to
any of his servants the occasion of their journey, were greatly surprised. St. DeclancalledthatinfantSabe. "3° Hisfriendsremarked,thatneitheravessel31 nor salt could be found, to serve for the child's baptism, at that place in which
sign of the cross over it, while he mentally offered a prayer. Immediately, the earth which he held in his hands assumed a whitish and salt appearance,
before all the spectators present. These admired the Omnipotent's wonders, and those gifts bestowed on his great servant. The holy prelate there
on those seeing
persons :
here,
I shall
baptize
this infant. " Those holy
they were. 32 AVhereupon, the bishop said
vessel, which is the adjoining river, and by the power of Christ, salt shall be given to us. For this infant shall be holy and a wonder-worker before God and man, while through him with God's grace many miracles shall be wrought. " Atthistime,theystoodontheRiverSuir'sbanks,andataplace called Herend. 33 This was far from any village. Weare told, that taking some earth in his hands, St. Declan moistened it with saliva, and made a
baptized that infant, and bestowed on him the name of Kiaran. 3 *
Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Episcopo Ard- at the time when the writer of these Acts
said to those who were
"
the
nourish this spiritual son, and, in due course of time, deliver him to Catholics for instruction, because he shall be a luminous pillar in Christ's Church. " We are then told, that this Kieran, was son to Heodach, and that after a venerable old age, and the performance of many miracles, he departed this life, in a holy place, being buried in his celebrated monastery, called Tibrada, 3 5 now Tubbrid, in the baronies of Ififa and Offa West, in the county of Tipperary.
baptism,
holy bishop
present :
Carefully
morise in Hibernia, cap. viii. , sect. 62, 63, p. 605.
30 We cannot find any saint bearing this
name in our Irish Calendars. The nearest
approach to it seems to be Suibhne, and seven different holy men so called are vene- rated at different days.
31 Probably, by this term is meant a church font.
32 The relations of such incidents as these serve to illustrate our ancient religious rites and the ceremonies accompanying baptism,
lived.
33 if this be the correct form of name for
the locality, it now seems to be obsolete or unknown.
34 See an account of him, and of his place, at the 10th of November.
3S As Anglicised, this place may be deno- minated "the fountains. " The Bollandist editor remarks, that in the course of his read-
ing,
respecting this monastery, or was he able sufficiently to pronounce who was the holy
:
" We have both a long and a wide
he had not hitherto found mention made
After his
34o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 24. T—his place was situated —on the western part of the Decies, and in its diocese
between the mountains ofCua and and now that Crost,
6
of Waterford
the tribe of people there it was called Hayth. 3 The wife of a certain villager
came with an offer of her service to St. Declan's monastery, not far from the
city. She furtively took what is indifferently called in the Latin Life of our
a " Habellum,"37 or " Kabellum," which formed a of that saint, large portion
tribute due to the holy bishop. But, in presence of those who were passing
along the way, the earth swallowed her up, she being thus punished for injuries
inflicted on the monastic revenue, not only in the present instance, but on
former occasions. The legend further adds, that although she was thus
swallowedupwithintheearth,thestolenobjectejectedfromits bosomwas
converted into a stone, and in the view of all who were present. Meantime,
the holy bishop knew in spirit all that had occurred ; and, he related these
events to his brethren, who had being living with him in the monastery.
Those persons, who were present at the time of this miraculous occurrence,
speedily brought the stone to St. Declan, and they gave him an account of
what had been witnessed. Thenceforward, St. Declan's reputation was greatly
magnified by all, and his power when absent was respected, as much as if he
8
were present. 3
According to some accounts, St. Declan founded a seminary, so early as
416, and the light of Christianity proceeded from it to all the contiguous dis- tricts, which lay around Ardmore. 3$ This place was called in the Irish lan- guage, after the name of our saint, Ardmor Daglain,* and had its origin, when he began there to establish a monastery. The exact date for his foundation cannot now be ascertained, with any great degree of accuracy ; but, probably, it was either towards the close of the fifth or the beginning of
the sixth century.
At all events, it seems to have had existence before the
long
but, it
which took
the community in question continued to remain there is unknown ;
death of St.
Ailbe,
place early
seems that its members have 2 It is probable, long ages ago disappeared/
supposed/*3 that the ancient monastery of Ardmore followed St. Declan's
person here named Kieran. There were Handbook for Youghal," containing Notes many saints having the same name, among and Records of the Ancient Religious
the Irish, concerning whom, and various other homonymous saints, we have a refer- ence in the Introduction to the Monastical History of Ireland, edited at Paris, in the year 1690, at p. 6.
36 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , xxiv. Julii. De S. Declano Episcopo Ard- mnrise in Hibernia, cap. viii. , sect. 64, 65,
p. 605.
37 The Bollandist editor observes that he
Foundations, and the Historical Annals of
the Town," p. x. Youghal, John Lindsay, 1858, 8vo.
4° In Irish -djvomori "OedshLain. See
knew not what "habellum" meant, but tember," A. D. 541. Yet, in a note to this*
when in subsequent passages it is constantly
passage, the learned editor observes : "In the Annals of Ulster, and the Bodleian copy of the Annals of Innisfallen, the death of Ailbhe is entered under the year 526, which seems the true year ; but it is repeated in the Annals of Ulster at 541," ibid. , n. (c),
*3 More than likely, the isolated position of Ardmore, and the probability of no parti- cular chronicle having been compiled in its monastery, leave the place without any his- toric record in our Irish Annals,
43 By the Bollandist editor.
"
tribute which was paid to St. Declan, he
written
Kabellum," and as it refers to a
"
thinks the reading should be
which has the meaning of a sum of money or of some tribute which had been taken from the monastery of St. Declan.
38 The author of our saint's Life tells us, that the object, thus converted into a stone, was preserved through future time, and in a conspicuous position. It stood within the cemetery of St. Declan, at his city of Ard- more, as a memorial of that miracle.
gabellam,"
44 According to the Annals of Youghal, » See the Rev. Samuel Hayman's "New understood to have been compiled by the
in the sixth 1 How century. '*
Ussher's
"
Britannicarum Ecclcsiarum Anti-
quitates,"cap. xvii. , p. 450.
41 In Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 182, 183, we find
"
St. Ailbhe, Archbishop of Imleach-Inbhair, died on 12th day of Sep-
it stated, that
among
July 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 34i
peculiar rule or institute ; while a famous school is said to have existed in connexion with it. 44 A small city subsequently sprung up at Ardmore 4S
of its history
6 —after the time of St. Declan— ; yet,
little seems to be
Besides the ecclesiastical remains,*? there were trac—es of a castle there, in the beginning of the last century. At present Ardmore situated to the west of
has dwindled into a small 8
a bay similarly named— fishery town,* containing
however, many good houses. *9 It rises over a cliff-bound coast, and it has a
harbour possessing many natural advantages ; but, no pier or quay is there constructed to shelter vessels. There is not even a slip, which
should be of great service, and which might readily be planned to haul up boats. 50 To the east the bay is open, but on the south and west, there
St. Declan's Catholic Church and Town of Ardmore.
is partial shelter from the ocean currents and storms, owing to the position of Ardmore Head.
Acts of St. Patrick, assumed as an
that the author of our saint's Acts did not write before the twelfth century ; for, it was during the reigns of Lewis VII. , or of Philip Augustus, Kings of France, that the poet Leo flourished. From him, according to the opinion of the best informed writers, the Leonine metre derived its origin and name,
100 This monastic is often practice
to in the Acts of our Irish Saints.
101
argument,
alluded
chap, i. , as follows
" Ailbe umal Padruig Mumhan, mo gach rath :
Declan Padruig Nan-Desii, ag De- clan go brath. "
Ussher gives these lines, also, in the Gaelic characters, with some slight difference. See " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 450.
99 The Bollandist editor observes, in an annotatation, on this verse ; that it vras wanting in the copy which he used, but that Father Harold supplied it from the Manu- script copy of St. Isidore in Rome, and just as it had been printed.
:
This statement serves to illustrate the character of Irish popular assemblies under the old clan system, when the people as well
as their chiefs were summoned together, in
order to frame and ratify laws in a public convention.
334
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 24.
with the territorial jurisprudence.
102
Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Fpiscopo Aid-
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. ,
us of the Buidhe Chonnuil, or the Yellow Hague, which occurred in Ireland,A. D. 664, as related in Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 274 to 277. This is also alluded in the First Volume of
moriae in Hibernia, cap. vi. , sects. 47, 48,
49, p. 602. — Chapter III.
This
is de- scribed as "the yellow jaundice," in Dr.
Meredith Hanmer's
p- 7°-
Molagga or Laicin, chap. iii.
3 Rendered into the Latin words Atrium
(Usfidum, "the Hall of Spears
3
The description of this plague reminds
"
pestilence Chronicle of Ireland,"
to,
this work, at January 20th, in the Life of St.
:
101
The former chieftain Lebanus was deposed, as an opposer of Christianity, and with unanimous acclaim of all that people. His political influence became extinct, and he appears to have retired into private life. Thus was accomplished, what had been written theenemiesofGod "Periitmemoriaeorumcumsonitu. " Then
regarding
was it decreed, by St. Declan, by the chieftain Feargall, and by the Decies nobles, that the local chiefs should henceforth be inaugurated in that place, called Hynneon, in which Feargall had been at first elected to the chieftainry, and installed by the saints. The author of our saint's Acts tells us, that those who lived prior to his time related, how the chiefs of the Decies, even in the
102
A PESTILENCE BREAKS OUT IN MUNSTER—ST. DECLAIMS MIRACLE AT CASIIF. L—-HE FOUNDS MONASTIC ESTABLISHMENTS AT TEACH-DERCAN AND AT TARA—HE RETURNS THROUGH OSSORY TO THE SOUTHERN DECIES—HIS MIRACULOUS POWERS—FOUNDA- TIONS AT AND SUBSEQUENT CONDITION OF ARDMORE—ST. DECLAN IS VISITED BY ST. AILBHE—ST. DECLAN MIRACULOUSLY EXTINGUISHES A FIRE—A FLEET OF PAGAN PIRATES DESTROYED.
About this time, a dreadful pestilence ravaged Minister. It proved more
fatal, we are told, in the city of Cashel, than in other places. This plague 1
produced a yellow, colour over the people it attacked, and afterwards it caused their death. 2 At this period, seven nobles, who were detained as hostages by King ^Engus, happened to be confined in a certain castle. Their dungeon was situated in the western quarter of Cashel city, and it had been called in Irish Magh na nearglann. 3 One night, these seven hostages were carried off by the plague ; and, when the king heard of their death, he was very much grieved, for they were the sons of powerful nobles, who resided in remote extremities of his kingdom. He feared, therefore, lest unjust suspicions might fall upon him, because of their sudden death. Wherefore, he desired his people to conceal their knowledge concerning this matter. On the day following their demise, holy Bishop Declan came towards the city of Cashel, and he intended to have a conference with King ^ngus. The latter was rejoiced to hear of our saint's approach. Calling
Declan before him, in the presence of his friends, ^Engus said : "We entreat you, O holy bishop and servant of the living God, as we have believed in the name of Christ through your preaching, that you would raise from the dead our seven hostages, who were deprived of life during the past night ; for, we fear,thatascandalshallcomeonourkingdom. Theirparentsmaysay,per- haps, that their sons were destroyed through our instrumentality, and this indeed should prove a great disgrace to us. " The holy Pontiff Declan said :
days of paganism, had been inaugurated, also, in this very same place.
CHAPTER III.
July 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 335
" O ray dear king, to raise the dead to life exceeds the infirmity of our nature, for such a miracle appertains only to Divine power; but, as you have bene- fited us, in the name of Christ, we shall visit their dead bodies, and pray for them to God, that he may accomplish whatever may be in accordance with his holy will. " Then, accompanied by some select disciples, and full of faith, St. Declan went to where the dead bodies lay. The king's servants preceded them. Thebodiesofthesedeceasednoblespresentedagreenandyellow colour/ The king also followed the bishop, who stood before the dead bodies. On entering the place where these corpses lay, St. Declan sprinkled them with
holy water, and he prayed fervently, but briefly, before those who were pre-
" O Lord Jesus Christ, only begotten Son of the living God,
sent. He said
for the glory of thy name, we pray thee, raise these dead men to life, that they may become neophytes and be confirmed in the faith, through our ministry. " Afterwards, the holy bishop knew in spirit, that their lives had been granted again to the dead men by our Lord. While beginning to move
:
:
he said to them " In the name of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of
their
mankind, arise to us, and give thanks and praise to God. " At these words, they immediately seemed to awake from the dead. They saluted all who were present. Wherefore, St. Declan presented them living and restored in health, to iEngus, son of Nadfraoich, and in presence of his people. 5
eyelids,
When this strange and great miracle had been wrought, Christ's name was
glorified by all, and his servant's sanctity was promulgated, not only through-
out Ireland, but even over the world. Rejoicing at this wonderful event,
6 to St. Declan for ever that castle, called 4 ' Atrium King^Engus presented
cuspidum," with a field immediately near, and surrounding it. Then, the
inhabitants of Cashel city earnestly entreated St. Declan, that he would
bestow his benediction on them, expel the pestilence, and intercede with
Christ, at the same time, in behalf of many infirm persons, who were infected
with the plague. On seeing their faith, the holy man entreated Christ for
them, and he blessed the air, on four different quarters, with the holy sign of
the cross. There was verified, what Declan said to his disciples, when about
toenterheaven " manusimponent,etbenehabebunt. " For, : Super aegros
after those signs made by St. Declan's hand, not only in Cashel, but in every
part of the province, where this plague had prevailed, those prostrated with it recovered, and their friends had the satisfaction of witnessing their perfect
restoration. The pestilence became extinct throughout that whole country, about the same time. This unlooked for event pleased the people, and even more than did that first miracle wrought by St. Declan. On seeing and hearing these things, the king bestowed special favours on our saint, and especially in publishing his decrees, that a large tribute should be paid by all futureKings of Cashel, as well as by himself, to St. Declan and to his successors. He also con- ferred another favour, described as the liberty 7 of his city and parish, in the presenceofmanyoftheMunsternobles. Afterwards,givinghisbenedictionto
King ^Engus, and to his nation, St. Declan returned to his own part of the 8
country.
On a particular occasion, St. Declan was invited to a feast, at a cer-
4 The Acts cadavera mortuorum. "
morise in Hibernia, pp. 602, 603.
6
vi. , sect.
7 P'rom such a remark, we
that this Life of St. Declan cannot claim to be of very ancient date, since it has refer- ence to a mediaeval custom of giving the free* dom of a city to distinguished persons.
say,
chronological
" erant coerulea et flava
the Race of Eibhear. " A
poem, by John O'Dugan with a Transla- tion by Michael Kearney, A. D. 1635, pp.
s See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. ,
Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Episcopo Aid- 14, 15.
cap.
50, 51, 52*
may conclude,
King Aongus, the son of Nadfraoich, is stated to have reigned thirty-six years over Munster. See John O'Daly's "Kings of
336 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 24.
tain rich pagan's house. This was situated, in a southern part of the plain, called Femhyn. The dweller was named Dercan. Desirous of turning the Christians into ridicule and to manifest indignity, this man had ordered his ser- vants to kill a dog, in a secret manner, and to bury its head and feet in the earth. Thefleshofthisanimal,beingcookedathisdesirebytheservants,it was set before St. Declan at the banquet. The master then invited our saint, in an assumedly courteous manner, to partake of this disgusting kind of food, stating it was mutton. When this flesh was placed on the table with bread, and in a conspicuous place among other viands, St. Declan lapsed into a light slumber beside his host. He was then aroused, that he might bless the table.
Regarding it in a silent manner, his disciples at length said to him : "Father, "
bless our meats. " The saint then replied
nearthatmeat. " Declanthenaskedtheattendants,whatkindofmeatit was, and how killed ? They told him a falsehood, in compliance with their master's instructions. Then the holy Bishop said, in the presence of all : "O Christ, my Lord, manifest in what manner I see the servant of the devil at this table, and prevent thy servant* from eating an unclean thing. " By per- mission of God, the holy man beheld a dog's paw through a portion of the flesh. He said therefore: "This is not the foot of a sheep, but of a dog. '' Although they had supposed the animal's paws buried in eartli
the attendants had unconsciously dressed one of these paws, with the rest of the meat. On witnessing such a discover}-, they ran to inform their master, Dercan. Hearing their report, this latter went immediately to St. Declan, and declared that he was a believer. He then presented himself with his family and town, to the holy Bishop for ever ; and, to his great joy, he and his people were baptized. Dercan also asked our saint, that he would bless some place within this territory, and which should afterwards bear his name in perpetuity. Then St. Declan blessed a ceitain stone near that habitation. 9 The saint
" If the chieftain and people of the Desies, going to war with their enemies, or to avenge any injury against another nation, shall pass around that stone, invariably they shall return invincible, and obtain a victory over their enemies. But evil must befall this people, if through pride they shall not pass around this stone, because being unworthy of victory, they ought not
then said
obtain it. " That
disciples.
brought
St. Ultan with him, from his 5 monastery. '
10
sect.
Meaning
Ilibernia, cap. vii. ,
55, 56, 57,
:
was then called Teach Dercain to it was after- ; but,
11* He afterwards Then,theholyBishopwenttohisancestralcountryofBreigh, inwhichThe-
8 I4
See "Acta Sanctorum. " tomus v. , Colgnn remarks, that the ancient writer
Julii xxiv. De S. Peclano Episcopo Aid- of our saint's Acts indicates, that he saw
village 11
to circumstances connected with this miracle. 12
wards named
Thither came the holy men, Conan, Mochoba, Ultan, son of Ere, and the son of Laisre,'3 to St. Declan, presenting themselves to God under his magis- tracy and rule. St. Declan founded a monastery in that village of Dercan, called Coninga, and there he placed those saints, already named, with other
Coninga, owing
morise in Ilibernia, cap. vi. , sects. 53, 54,
Declan's own disciples, from these words
"
ferlur nobis ex antiquis ejus disci- pulis," tbid. , n. 4.
p. 603. used, 9 From that time to the period, when the
author of our sanl's Acts wrote, it was called the Stone of St. Declan.
" the House of Declan. "
" At that time when the Life of St.
Declan had been wiitlen.
12 " Ab ilia ungula canina vocatur. "
n For an account of these different saint*,
Ave mity refer to Colgan's "Acta Sancto-
rum Hibernise," xiv. Martii. ^Vita S. UUani, p. 608.
' 5 Sec "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. ,
:
Truly, do I see Satan's servant
Julii xxiv.
morise in
De S. Declano Episcopo Ard-
pp. 603, 604.
,0 Abo called Dreg and Breach, which
w,as a large and level district in East Meath,
comprising five cantreds, and extending northwards so far as the Cassan, now the
Annagassan stream, near Dundalk.
'7 Jn commenting on these words;
"
Et
16
;
nevertheless,
July 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 337
moria was situated. There, the King of Taraand the nobles of Breagh received him with great honour. For, being a native of that district, its people deemed and loved St. Declan as a countryman, and the ties of con-
sanguinity were acknowledged. It is said, that the holy man constructed a 1
monastery of Canons, ? in a field which was granted to him, and which had
been called after his name. 18 There, he left a celebrated Book of Gospels,
which he brought with him. This book was afterwards preserved in that
locality, with great honour, and miracles are said to have been wrought
through its instrumentality. Having blessed that place, our saint then retired
x into Munster. 9
While on his journey homewards through the Ossorian territory, St.
Declan turned towards a certain castle in which he purposed resting for the
night; but, the evil-disposed inhabitants of that fort, not alone inhospitably refused him admittance, but even drove him away by force, and loaded him
with reproaches.
Our saint, with his disciples, prayed to God, that in their
" Mine is
what is found written in Sacred
case
ment, and I will repay. " Accordingly, the inhabitants in that part of the country, to the number of three score, died on that night; only two men and ten women, who felt indignant at how others had treated our saint, were exemptfromthisfatalpunishment. Theselattercameinanhumblemanner to St. Declan, on the day following, and told him concerning the miserable deaths of their companions. Of this, however, he had a foreknowledge. Doing penance for their sins, the survivors presented the saint with lands and othergifts.
Wherethedeadbodieshadbeenburied,heconstructedafamous
which was called Celcolum 20 The saint dherig.
might happen,
Scripture :
judg-
monastery,
superior a pious and holy man, from amongst his disciples.
appointed
21 which is Latinized Columbus
derived from the eastern part of Leinster. From him, this monastery obtained itsname. Havingblessedthatplace,St. DeclanreturnedtotheDeciester- ritories. On the evening of another day, our saint with his disciples came to that place already mentioned, and which was called Atrium Bressail. But, its inhabitants would not suffer him to enter their castle or fort. They had pre- viously hidden their vessels, so that our saint might not be able to pass over into his island. This dislike, which they bore to God's pious servant, was wholly unprovoked, on his part. But, the Almighty converted the sea into
Columdearg,
construxit ibi sanctus Declanus monasterium in agro sibi dato Canonicorum," &c, the Bollandist editor very correctly states, that there were no Canons in
Ireland,
of St. Declan, judged to be in the fifth or
sixth century, n. (b). Originally the title of
Canons was derived from the Greek word Kavwv, which has the signification of the
Roll or Catalogue of every church, wherein
the names of ecclesiastics were written, and
which meant the Rule for knowing to which
church they belonged. In this sense, it is
often used by the Council of Nice. The
Council of Antioch calls ayios /cavthv, or the Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Episcopo Sacred Roll ; while the Apostolical Canons
have KaraXoyos tepari/cos, or the Catalogue of the Clergy. Even, at an early date, all those whose names were set down in the Books of the Church, to entitle them to re- ceive maintenance from the church, such as
the monks, virgins and widows, &c, were known as Canonici. See Rev. Joseph Bing-
p. 604.
20 In Latin it is written, " Columbi Ruffi
Cella. " It has not been identified.
3I Under the many saints, called Colum, in the Irish Calendars, we do not find any one designated Colum Dearg, which means
Red Colum.
in the time
RurTus,
ties of the Christian Church," vol . i. , book i. ,
chap, v. , sect. 10, pp. 15, 16. London edi-
tion, 1878, 8vo.
l8 Weare thatin informed, by D'Achery,
the ancient Irish Canons, some of which he has edited, although there is frequent men-
tion of monks, clerics, and priests, there is no account of canons. See "Veterum
""
ham's OriginesEcclesiastical,orAntiqui- Inrelatingthiscircumstance,theauthor
as its He was called and whose was
aliquot Scriptorum, qui in Galliae Bibliothe- cis, maxime Benedictinorum latuerant Spici-
legium," &c, tomus i. , p. 492. Parisiis, 1655 to 1677.
I9 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. ,
Ardmoriae in Hibemia, cap. vii. , sect. 58,
origin
338 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [J uly 24.
dry land, according to the prophetic expression, on account of that injustice offered to St. Declan, and because of his servant's holiness, when offering his prayers. The saint remained for that night in a deserted shed on the highway, not being even able to obtain any fire from the neighbouring inhabi- tants. 22 However, the Almighty was justly avenged on them. For, while they felt unwilling charitably to bestow fire for the use of God's servants; fire came on them around the sea, so that the inhabitants and their castle were
entirely consumed, owing to the Omnipotent's avenging wrath. ** We are next told, that on another day, while Bishop Declan had been proceeding on a
journey through the mountains of Gua, in the Decies' territory, ahorse under his chariot became so lame, that he could not walk. Then, seeing a distant herd of deer on the mountain, our saint ordered a servant, named Dor- managh, to bring one from that herd, which should be strong enough to put in harness, and to take the place of his jaded horse. Not doubting that he should find a tame deer, as the man of God had predicted, the servant pro- ceeded on his errand, and the herd quietly awaited his arrival, until he selected therefrom a strong stag. This animal bore the saint in his chariot, without exhibiting any signs of weariness that whole day, until the plain of Femhyn was reached. On arriving at a house of entertainment, St. Declan com- manded that stag to return to the herd ; and, when the holy man had thus spoken, the animal took his prescribed way in presence of all. St. Declan bestowed his blessing on Dormanagh,2* and gave him a town, called Magh-
gubra,25 in a northern part of the Decies' territory, and near the Eoghanaght 26
country.
At another time, and while Declan, with a large crowd, had been
travelling in his usual manner,3? one of his disciples chanced to fall on the
road, and a compound fracture of the thigh ensued. On seeing this, our saint ordered a companion to bind the fractured limb, lest the man to whom the accident had happened might die through loss of blood. But, on account of a shock occasioned to all present when seeing his wound, they severally declined this until one of the named Dualach,28
office, company,
and cheerfully approached. He said
Patron Declan, I will act as surgeon in this case. " This he said, also, in a light
:
and sportive manner; however, he skilfully bound up the wounded man's limb,andinthepresenceofall blessedhim,inthenameofGodandofSt. Declan. Immediately, the brother began to grow better. After a short interval, his wound closing, this disciple was perfectly restored, without suffering the least pain. When the bandage was ordered to be removed, a mark only was found on the limb, where the flesh and skin had been united over the fractured bones. All who were there gave thanks to God and to St.
of our saint's Acts precedes his narrative
with these words, " De hoc quidcm audis-
tis,"&c.
23 After this account, the author of our
"
saint's Acts adds :
desertum sub maledicto sicut scriptum est ; Civitas eorum destruxisti. "— " Acta Sancto-
rum," tomus v. , Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Episcopo Ardnftorise in Ilibernia, cap. vii. , sed. 59, 60, p. 604.
** This man's descendants were considered respectable, at a time when the author of our saint's Acts wrote, and that they dwelt there, in St. Declan's service, we are also in-
formed on his authority. Probably, these peoplelivedastenantsonthemonasticlands.
3= This denomination appears to be in- capable of identification.
it immediatelysurroundingCashel.
cum. "— Ussher's "BrhannicarumEcclesiarumAm
Et illud est usque hodie
confidently " In the name of Christ, and of our
2? Theancientwriterremarks
et turboe cedenlium et Christi pauperes et
peregrini semper sequebantur tiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 450.
*8
This person seems to have no other his- toric or traditional record than the present one, such as it is. There is a saint Duileach of Clochar venerated in our Calendars, at the 1 7th of November, but it is not likely he can be identical with the Dualach mentioned in the text,
8» See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. ,
:
"Discipuli
July 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 339
Declan, together with that clisciple, who thus had been restored to the use of his limb. Our saint then addressed Dualach, who had cured this disciple,
:
inthefollowingwords "Youhavepromisedtobecomeasurgeoninthecase
of this limb, and in the name of Christ and of Declan, the Lord hath willingly bestowed health on your patient by his power, while in obedience you bound the fracture. Wherefore, from this moment, you shall prove a most skilful physician ; and your posterity, until the end of time, shall become approved and respectable physicians. If they shall sign any infirm person with a sign of the cross in my name, and in that of Christ, God's grace shall assist patients, through their healing practices, provided they entertain no hatred to mortal man, nor place their hearts on obtaining an exorbitant fee. " The author of our saint's Acts assures us, that according to the holy bishop's promise, the descendants of that man, whether male or female, were distinguished as skilful medical practitioners, through all subsequent time. Their entire family and kindred, likewise, served the successors of St. Declan. 29
While the saint was journeying in the western part of Femhyn plain, and near the river Suir's course, some persons carrying an infant to be baptized by a certain priest, met him. Filled with the spirit of prophecy, Declan said,
" Wait
persons who bore the child, not having indicated to the holy bishop or to
any of his servants the occasion of their journey, were greatly surprised. St. DeclancalledthatinfantSabe. "3° Hisfriendsremarked,thatneitheravessel31 nor salt could be found, to serve for the child's baptism, at that place in which
sign of the cross over it, while he mentally offered a prayer. Immediately, the earth which he held in his hands assumed a whitish and salt appearance,
before all the spectators present. These admired the Omnipotent's wonders, and those gifts bestowed on his great servant. The holy prelate there
on those seeing
persons :
here,
I shall
baptize
this infant. " Those holy
they were. 32 AVhereupon, the bishop said
vessel, which is the adjoining river, and by the power of Christ, salt shall be given to us. For this infant shall be holy and a wonder-worker before God and man, while through him with God's grace many miracles shall be wrought. " Atthistime,theystoodontheRiverSuir'sbanks,andataplace called Herend. 33 This was far from any village. Weare told, that taking some earth in his hands, St. Declan moistened it with saliva, and made a
baptized that infant, and bestowed on him the name of Kiaran. 3 *
Julii xxiv. De S. Declano Episcopo Ard- at the time when the writer of these Acts
said to those who were
"
the
nourish this spiritual son, and, in due course of time, deliver him to Catholics for instruction, because he shall be a luminous pillar in Christ's Church. " We are then told, that this Kieran, was son to Heodach, and that after a venerable old age, and the performance of many miracles, he departed this life, in a holy place, being buried in his celebrated monastery, called Tibrada, 3 5 now Tubbrid, in the baronies of Ififa and Offa West, in the county of Tipperary.
baptism,
holy bishop
present :
Carefully
morise in Hibernia, cap. viii. , sect. 62, 63, p. 605.
30 We cannot find any saint bearing this
name in our Irish Calendars. The nearest
approach to it seems to be Suibhne, and seven different holy men so called are vene- rated at different days.
31 Probably, by this term is meant a church font.
32 The relations of such incidents as these serve to illustrate our ancient religious rites and the ceremonies accompanying baptism,
lived.
33 if this be the correct form of name for
the locality, it now seems to be obsolete or unknown.
34 See an account of him, and of his place, at the 10th of November.
3S As Anglicised, this place may be deno- minated "the fountains. " The Bollandist editor remarks, that in the course of his read-
ing,
respecting this monastery, or was he able sufficiently to pronounce who was the holy
:
" We have both a long and a wide
he had not hitherto found mention made
After his
34o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 24. T—his place was situated —on the western part of the Decies, and in its diocese
between the mountains ofCua and and now that Crost,
6
of Waterford
the tribe of people there it was called Hayth. 3 The wife of a certain villager
came with an offer of her service to St. Declan's monastery, not far from the
city. She furtively took what is indifferently called in the Latin Life of our
a " Habellum,"37 or " Kabellum," which formed a of that saint, large portion
tribute due to the holy bishop. But, in presence of those who were passing
along the way, the earth swallowed her up, she being thus punished for injuries
inflicted on the monastic revenue, not only in the present instance, but on
former occasions. The legend further adds, that although she was thus
swallowedupwithintheearth,thestolenobjectejectedfromits bosomwas
converted into a stone, and in the view of all who were present. Meantime,
the holy bishop knew in spirit all that had occurred ; and, he related these
events to his brethren, who had being living with him in the monastery.
Those persons, who were present at the time of this miraculous occurrence,
speedily brought the stone to St. Declan, and they gave him an account of
what had been witnessed. Thenceforward, St. Declan's reputation was greatly
magnified by all, and his power when absent was respected, as much as if he
8
were present. 3
According to some accounts, St. Declan founded a seminary, so early as
416, and the light of Christianity proceeded from it to all the contiguous dis- tricts, which lay around Ardmore. 3$ This place was called in the Irish lan- guage, after the name of our saint, Ardmor Daglain,* and had its origin, when he began there to establish a monastery. The exact date for his foundation cannot now be ascertained, with any great degree of accuracy ; but, probably, it was either towards the close of the fifth or the beginning of
the sixth century.
At all events, it seems to have had existence before the
long
but, it
which took
the community in question continued to remain there is unknown ;
death of St.
Ailbe,
place early
seems that its members have 2 It is probable, long ages ago disappeared/
supposed/*3 that the ancient monastery of Ardmore followed St. Declan's
person here named Kieran. There were Handbook for Youghal," containing Notes many saints having the same name, among and Records of the Ancient Religious
the Irish, concerning whom, and various other homonymous saints, we have a refer- ence in the Introduction to the Monastical History of Ireland, edited at Paris, in the year 1690, at p. 6.
36 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus v. , xxiv. Julii. De S. Declano Episcopo Ard- mnrise in Hibernia, cap. viii. , sect. 64, 65,
p. 605.
37 The Bollandist editor observes that he
Foundations, and the Historical Annals of
the Town," p. x. Youghal, John Lindsay, 1858, 8vo.
4° In Irish -djvomori "OedshLain. See
knew not what "habellum" meant, but tember," A. D. 541. Yet, in a note to this*
when in subsequent passages it is constantly
passage, the learned editor observes : "In the Annals of Ulster, and the Bodleian copy of the Annals of Innisfallen, the death of Ailbhe is entered under the year 526, which seems the true year ; but it is repeated in the Annals of Ulster at 541," ibid. , n. (c),
*3 More than likely, the isolated position of Ardmore, and the probability of no parti- cular chronicle having been compiled in its monastery, leave the place without any his- toric record in our Irish Annals,
43 By the Bollandist editor.
"
tribute which was paid to St. Declan, he
written
Kabellum," and as it refers to a
"
thinks the reading should be
which has the meaning of a sum of money or of some tribute which had been taken from the monastery of St. Declan.
38 The author of our saint's Life tells us, that the object, thus converted into a stone, was preserved through future time, and in a conspicuous position. It stood within the cemetery of St. Declan, at his city of Ard- more, as a memorial of that miracle.
gabellam,"
44 According to the Annals of Youghal, » See the Rev. Samuel Hayman's "New understood to have been compiled by the
in the sixth 1 How century. '*
Ussher's
"
Britannicarum Ecclcsiarum Anti-
quitates,"cap. xvii. , p. 450.
41 In Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 182, 183, we find
"
St. Ailbhe, Archbishop of Imleach-Inbhair, died on 12th day of Sep-
it stated, that
among
July 24. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 34i
peculiar rule or institute ; while a famous school is said to have existed in connexion with it. 44 A small city subsequently sprung up at Ardmore 4S
of its history
6 —after the time of St. Declan— ; yet,
little seems to be
Besides the ecclesiastical remains,*? there were trac—es of a castle there, in the beginning of the last century. At present Ardmore situated to the west of
has dwindled into a small 8
a bay similarly named— fishery town,* containing
however, many good houses. *9 It rises over a cliff-bound coast, and it has a
harbour possessing many natural advantages ; but, no pier or quay is there constructed to shelter vessels. There is not even a slip, which
should be of great service, and which might readily be planned to haul up boats. 50 To the east the bay is open, but on the south and west, there
St. Declan's Catholic Church and Town of Ardmore.
is partial shelter from the ocean currents and storms, owing to the position of Ardmore Head.
