Patrick, and both are classed among his
disciples
; yet, it would seem, their places, and their ecclesiastical office, had been different.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v7
"
It may be doubted, however, if these
nomen, professionem et patriam, posteritali
reservavit collector Catalogi librorum Bib-
liothecae Cassinensis, his verbis; In Codice
MS. litlera F. num. 232 signato phtteo 8 Prologus ad Sex tarn Vitun S. Brigidre, lecvam Serie Secunda, in ordine 73. Primus p. 582.
39 See Colgan's "Trias Thamnatuiga,"
502 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 29.
three Prologues had not been written at some time, subsequent to the com- position of the metrical Life itself. Perhaps, they had been prefixed by a differentwriter,orbymorethanonecomposer. Ifwesupposetheauthorof St. Brigid's Sixth Life to have been Coelanus of Inishcaltra, Colgan thinks he must have lived, towards the end of the seventh, or about the beginning of
1
the eighth, century. * Thus, from a metrical Life of St. Brigid, attributed to
him, and from his own words, it is supposed, we may discover the age in which this writer flourished. For, in a Prologue to it, he relates, that St. Brigid's Acts had been written before, by Ultan, by Eleran, and by Ammo- sus. * 2 An elegant metrical Prologue 4 ^ precedes those Acts of St. Brigid j but, it has been doubted, if both had been composed, by the same author. St. Donatus, the Irish Bishop of Fiesole, who flourished in the ninth century, is said to have written that Prologue. ** The beautiful opening descriptive lineshavebeenelegantlyrenderedintoEnglishverse,45 andmorethanone
40 See ibid. , p. 596.
41 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Sexta Vita S. Brigidse, nn. 1, 2, 3, pp. 596, 597, 598.
42 It is Colgan s opinion, that this is but
a Latinized form of that writer's name, who
was called' Anmchaidh, or more correctly Ainmire by the Irish. See ibid. , n. 7,
Scala parata viris, pueris excelsa, puellis.
Matribus, et Sanctis ; tendit ad astra poli.
Dubtacus ejus erat genitor cogno- mine d ictus ;
Clarus homo meritis clarus et a proa- vis ;
p. 598.
43 The Latin Lines run as follows
"
— Nobilis atque humilis, mitis pietate
:: repletus
propria conjuge prole pia. Scripserunt multi virtutes virginis
alma? ,
Ultanus doctor, atque Eleranus
ovans
Descripsit multos Animosus nomine
libros
De vita et studiis Virginis ac meri-
tis.
Ordiar a minimis : necnon majora
sequentur ;
Sed prato pleno floribus opta legam, Ordine, si cceli fulgentia sydera cer-
nens,
Altiuago cursu scire quis ilia queat ; Littore quis minimas numero discer-
nat arenas,
Turbida quas lerris sparserat unda
maris ;
Hie numerare potest virtutes rite puelkv,
In qua perpetuus manserat ipse Deus.
Finibus occiduis describitur optima tellus,
Nomine et antiquis Scotia scripta libris.
Insula dives opum, gemmarum vestis et auri :
Commoda corporibus, aere Sole, solo.
Melle fluit, pulchris et lacteis Scotia campis,
Vestibus atque armis frugibus, arte, viris.
;
Ursorum rabies nulla est ibi : leonum
szeva
Semina nee unquam Scotica terra tulit.
Nulla venena nocent, nee serpens
serpit
Nee conquesta canit garrula rana
lacu.
In qua Scotorum gentcs habitare me-
rentux :
Inclyta gens hominum, militc, pace fide.
De qua nata fuit quandam sanctissi-
ma Virgo.
Brigida, Scotorum gloria, nomen,
honor,
Turris ad ignifcri pertingens cul-
minacceli,
Lumen inexhaustum, celsa corona
Dei.
Fons benedictus ovans, Scotorum
corda reformans,
Recreat ipsa ipsos curat, alit, vege- tat.
in herba.
Nobilior
Harris observes: "He seems also to
44
have been the Author of a Description of Ireland, in Hexameter and Pentameter verse ; or rather the Life of St. Brigid, con- taining a Description of Ireland of which Colgan hath given as a Fragment, which is prefixed also as a prologue to the Life of St, Brigid, supposed to be written by St. Choe-
lian. " See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. ,
"
Writers
of Ireland," book i. , chap, vi. , p. 57.
45 Commencing with these lines, which arc
" tory of Irel—and," vol. i. , chap, xiii. , pp. 300,
301, note
introduced by Thomas Moore in his
His-
:
July 29. LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
5o3
5 St. Ultan47 is to have died a. d. s supposed 656,4
version has
and St. Aleran, a. d. 664 or 665. 49 I fence, Coelan must have lived after this latter year. In the Martyrology of Tallagh,s° the feast of St. Coelan of Inis- keltra is commemorated, at the 29th of July, and it must have been inserted after his death. St. Caolan is said to have lived contemporaneously with ^Engus Mac Tiprait, who died a. d. 745. 51 The circumstance of Chilien
2
ArticleIII. —St. Justan,ofLene,Manach. Venerationwasgiven,
appeared. *
the mother of St. " a countess " seems to indicate a Brigid
calling
tively late period for this his assumed composition. s
Donegal, 53 the feast of this saint is to be found, at the 29th of July. It is pro- bable, that he died, about the middle of the eighth century.
at the 29th of July, to Justan, Lene, Manach, according to the Martyrology 1
of Tallagh. Marianus O'Gorman also notes his festival. Among St. Patrick's
2 we find a St. a disciples, Justin,
whose feast has been
Colgan to this date. 3 He is thought to have been the son of Ferguss,* son
priest,
" Far westward lies an Isle of ancient fame,
Bynatureblessed,andScoliais her name.
Enroll'd in books—exhaustless is her store
Of veiny silver and of golden ore. Her fruitful soil for ever teems with
wealth,
With gems her waters and her air
with health ;
Her verdant fields with milk and
honey flow,
Her woolly fleeces vie with virgin
assigned by
snow.
Her waving furrows float with bended the
"
Chronicum Scotorum," his death is
corn,
And arts and arms her envied sons
adorn. '
46 Dr. Sylvester O'Halloran gives an
English metrical translation in his " General
History of Ireland ;" but a later one still is
that found, in a projected work of Patrick
Lynch, Esq. , secretary to the Gaelic Society,
"
Hibernia Sancta ; or, Lives of the Irish
Saints j" illustrated by a complete system of
curious and useful Notes, subjoined to each
Life, for elucidating the History, Antiqui-
ties, and Ecclesiastical State of Ireland, History of Ireland," vol, i. , chap, viii. , both Ancient and Modern, Embellished with
Portraits, Views, Maps, &c. The only por- tion of this work printed was the commence- ment of vol. i. , issued by Thomas Haydock, 17 Lower Ormond-quay, Dublin, 1817, 8vo. It presents a General Introduction of forty pages, with the beginning of a Life of St. Bridget, Abbess of Kildare, foundress of the Order of Bridgetine Nuns, and Patroness of all Ireland, but this portion seems never to have extended beyond eight pages in print.
commencing :
sect, ii. , n. 18, p. 381.
53 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves,
Froma ofthis copy
See the Life of St. Patrick, at the 17th of March, in the Third Volume of this work, Art. i. , chap. xvii.
3 See "Trias Thauniaturga," Quinta
Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p.
267.
4 to the " ofthe According Genealogies
Saints," chap. xx.
s
in
of the writer i—s an English translation, thus
fenilleton
possession
compara- In the Martyrology of
" Far westward lies a Land of ancient fame,
Bynatureblest,FairSCOTIA,known
by name ; — An Island rich,
exhaustless in hei-
st ore
Of veiny silver, and of golden ore," &c.
47 This St. Ultanus Mac Concubar was
Bishop of Ard-bracain in Meath ; he died
A. D. 655, on the 4th day of September, but in a. d. 556, according to other writers. See
Sir James Ware, " De Scriptoribus Hiber- nian," lib. i. , cap. hi. , pp. 22, 23.
43 In William M. Hennessy's version of
placed, at A. D. 653. See pp. 94, 95.
49 St. AleranuSj'who is said to have writ- ten the Life of St. Brigid, and also a Life of St. Patrick, is thought to have departed this life, A. D. 664 or 665. See Sir James Ware, M De Scriptoribus Hibernioe," lib. i. , cap.
iii. , p. 27.
5° It is said to have been compiled by St.
y£ngus and St. Moelruan, before a. d. 800.
st See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , chap, iv. ,
p. 47.
52 See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical
pp. 204, 205. Article iii.
Kelly, p. xxx.
2
—
r
Edited
Rev. Dr.
He was one of the Leinster
Kings.
"
by
504 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 29.
6
of Enda Niadh,s son of Bressal Belacb. St. Patrick is said to have placed
St. Justin over a church at Biletortain. This place was near Ardbraccan,?
and,atafutureperiod,thechurchwascalledDomnach-Tortan. 8 Theplace
denominated Bile Tortan 9 is much celebrated in connexion with the birth IO
of the king, known as Conn of the Hundred Battles, regarding which are
related 11 At first, the is said to have been called many strange legends. place
12
Domnachtortain,andlaterDonoghmore, in the county of Meath.
Yet, it may
be questioned, if the present St. Justin flourished so early as the time of St.
Patrick. There was a Juis or Justus, a Deacon, placed by him over the
church of Fidhart, J 3 now a parish church, in the diocese of Elphin, and in
Priesthood. He is said to have lived to an extreme old age ; for, it is related, 1*
the one hundredth and fortieth 16 In a year.
the old of 1 * The Irish had converted all the
territory Hy-Many. Apostle
people of that region to the faith ; and, he had no priest probably to leave as their pastor. He might have conferred certain powers on that virtuous ecclesiastic, in reference to the administration of sacraments, and in serving the flock as a missionary. St. Patrick also left him certain ritualistic books, which should guide him in the order of his ministrations. It seems not unlikely, St. Justus afterwards advanced beyond the grade of Deacon to the
thathebaptizedSt. Kieran, thecelebratedfounderofClonmacnoise,using the very ritual St. Patrick had given him. At this time, Justus had attained
strange,
tradictory manner, Colgan attributes to St. Justus of Fidhart, the very same
and a con- apparently,
the ofBileTortan. 18 Botharesaid priest
J7 he
to have flourished in the time of St.
Patrick, and both are classed among his disciples ; yet, it would seem, their places, and their ecclesiastical office, had been different. Therefore, it is probable, we must draw a line of personal distinction between them. It has been conjectured, that this holy man may have been identical with an Erlomham, rescued from captivity by St. Feehin. '9 As the celebrated abbey of St. Feichan of Fore or St. Fowre, in
20 thebaronyofDemifore,countyofWestmeath,laynearLoughLene, perhaps
it might not be amiss to conjecture, that the present saint belonged to the
establishment there situated. In the of 21 the name is Martyrology Donegal,
entered simply Justan, Lene, at this same date. 22
parentage
gives
toSt.
Justin,
6 He flourished a short time before St. Patrick's arrival in Ireland. See "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita S. Patricii,
n. 25, p. 184.
7 Here St. Ultan, Bishop and Patron of
the place, was venerated on the 4th of Sep- tember.
Art. i. ,chap. xi.
*3 We are referred by Colgan to " Vita S.
Kierani Cluanensis," cap. iv. , for confirma- tion of this assertion.
l6
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars ii. , cap. xlix. , p. 136, nn. 93, 94, p. 177. Ibid.
''Thus Illand and Ailill, sons to Dunlaing, son of Enda, and converted by St. Patrick at Naas, are ranked as cousins of this St. Justus. Here we can detect many strange and confused statements, which we find it impracticable rightly to solve.
,8 He also seems doubtful, whether to refer the—feast of St. Justus to the 10th of There is an engraving, from a view January thus confounding him with taken by Lieutenant Daniel Grose, a. d. Naoimh Dhiarmuit, also called the Latin
1792, of Donoghmoie round tower and Justus—or to the present date, July 29th.
8
See ibid. , pars iii. , cap. xiv. , p. 151.
9 Colgan calls it in Latin
"
arbor procera
in Media. " See ibid. , nn. 23, 24, p. 184.
10 "
As Colgan relates, c terra mirifice
procreate ortu, et mirificavirtute narrantur," &C. See ibid.
11
See O'Flaherty's "Ogygia," pars iii. ,
cap. lx. , pp. 313, 314. 12
church. See Grose's "Antiquities of Ire-
land," vol. ii. , p. 15.
13 At present known as Fuerty, in the
barony of Athlone, and county of Roscom- mon.
14 See theLife of St. Patrick, in the Third Volume of this work, at the 17th of March,
I9 See Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hibcr- niae," xx. Januarii, Secunda Vita S. Fechini, cap. xxxvii. , and nn. 27, 28, pp. 137, 138, 142.
20
See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary
of Ireland," vol. i. , :i
116.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
p.
July 29 ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 505
Article IV. —Festival of St. Bitus or Bite, of Inis Cumscraigh,
AccordingtotheMartyrologyofTallagh, venerationwasgiven,atthe29th of July, to Bitus or Bite, of Innsi Caumscridh. This holy man is called Bute, or perhaps Byte, by Marianus O'Gorman. That island or rather peninsula is beautifully situated in Strangford Lough, and nearly opposite to Down- patrick, county of Down. Some interesting ruins are yet seen in th—is place.
the erection of one, which had been founded by the Anglo-Norman warrior, John De Courcey. This latter was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, on the 3rd of June, a. d. 1180. 3 When the present saint flourished has not been ascertained. In the Martyrology of Donegal,* we find an entry of Bite of Inis Cumhscraigh, at the 29th of July. We are inclined to think, that the present holy man is not distinct from the Abbot so called, and who is cele- brated on the 22nd day of this month, where an account of him has been already given.
ArticleV. —St. CummineorCuimmein,SonofAride. Thename
of Cumianus, Cummine, or Cuimmein, appears at the 29th of July, in the
of 1 of Marianus O'Gorman and of 2 He is Martyrologies Tallagh, Donegal.
called the son of Aride, Ardi or Aradius. 3
Article VI. —St. Ethelwin, Bishop and Confessor. The foregoing
now Inch, or Inniscumhscray, Strangford Lough, County of Down. 1
2
An abbey or a monastery stood here—as has been already observed before
-204, 205.
22 2
Appended to this entry, in William M. Hennessy's copy of this work, I find this notice, "Leve, Leamhuin. Leven, Scotland. '*'
See
Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. xxvii.
Article iv. — Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxx.
Article v. Kelly, p. xxx.
x
Edited by Rev. Dr.
Reeves, pp.
2
Lupus and Simplicius, bishops without a
Edited
by
with a Prosper virginal
July 29th.
1 He was a who visited Ireland Saxon,
man had a feast, at
for purposes of instruction, and who returned afterwards to his own country,
holy
where he became Bishop of Lindsay. Radulfus de Diceto. s
2
This happened in 682, according to
Article VII. —Festival of St. Lupus and of St. Simplicius, Bishops.
1
In the ancient Irish Church, according to the "Feilire" of St. ^Engus, there
"
*3"
2
See at the 22nd of this month, in the pre- sent Volume, notices of St. Biteus, or Mobiu, Art. i.
3 See a further description and wood en- gravings of the ruins at this place, in the
''
Dublin Penny Journal," vol. i. , No. 50, pp. 396, 397- The letter-press is by the late Dr. Petrie.
4 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 204,205.
See the Bollandists' Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Aprilis xxiv. De Sancto Egberto, Presbytero in Insu—la Hyensi, n. (e), p. 315.
—
Drs. Todd and
ttmibup ^5^r Simplex epfcoip cenchuix) -0151141 ppofpe]\ coclei|\ ua^'oai nolX •pcolainne m^-oxM.
"Transactions nise," xii. Januarii. De S. Cumiano Episcopo script Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar
204, 205.
3 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
Bobii sepulto, n—. 6, p. 59. of Oengus, p. cxii.
x2 Article vi. See Sir Harris Nicolas'
Chronology of History," p. 147.
Article vii.
'
In the "Leabhar
Venerable Bede's "Historia
Breac" copy is the following stanza, ren- dered —into English by Dr. Whitley
Stokes
:
"
whit of
reproach
train, great, kingly stars. "
:
—
of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu-
Thus
1 "Uinibuf ocuf Simplex . 1. hi ii.
506 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. J Clv 30.
was a commemoration of Saints Lupus and Simplicius, Bishops, at the 29th
of To this there are comments 2 in Latin and in Irish. July. subjoined,
Article VIII. —Festival of St. Prosper, and of his Companions. In
"1
the Feilire" of St. ^Engus, at the 29th of July, there is a feast entered for
St. Prosper, and his companions, who are highly eulogized.
Cfttrtietb 23aj> of 3t%
ARTICLE I. —ST. SECHNASACH, ABBOT OF CEANN-LOCHA, OR KINLOUGH.
the THIS
saint belonged to the race of Laeghaire, son of Niall, according to
he was a at in the Colgan, priest Durrow,
seen a of this name, connected with place
Article II. —St. Cobarchair, or Cobuir, Son of Goll, of Gulban
1
gort. IntheMartyrologyofTallagh, wefindthatvenerationwasgivenatthe
30th of July to Cobarchair, Gulbain Guirt mac h. Gairb. 2 The word Cobhair
has the meaning of " aid," or "help j" and, in Latin, it maybe represented by the word Auxilius. 3 Hence, it has been conjectured, that he was St. Patrick's
disciple. The present holy man is entered in the Martyrology of Maiianus O'Gorman. 4 At the same date, in the Martyrology of Donegal,s occurs the
"
1111c. 1i. 5Air\b : Cobarchar, of Gulban
1 King's County.
a St. Siadhal Ua
We have
already 2
O'Clerys. According
to
Commain, conjectured
Kinlough, at the north-western extremity of Lough Melvin, in the barony of Rosclogher, and County of Leitrim. Dr. O'Donovan states, there are several such denominations in Ireland. 3 This day, the Martyrology of Donegal * mentions, that a festival was celebrated in honour of St.
It may be doubted, however, if these
nomen, professionem et patriam, posteritali
reservavit collector Catalogi librorum Bib-
liothecae Cassinensis, his verbis; In Codice
MS. litlera F. num. 232 signato phtteo 8 Prologus ad Sex tarn Vitun S. Brigidre, lecvam Serie Secunda, in ordine 73. Primus p. 582.
39 See Colgan's "Trias Thamnatuiga,"
502 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 29.
three Prologues had not been written at some time, subsequent to the com- position of the metrical Life itself. Perhaps, they had been prefixed by a differentwriter,orbymorethanonecomposer. Ifwesupposetheauthorof St. Brigid's Sixth Life to have been Coelanus of Inishcaltra, Colgan thinks he must have lived, towards the end of the seventh, or about the beginning of
1
the eighth, century. * Thus, from a metrical Life of St. Brigid, attributed to
him, and from his own words, it is supposed, we may discover the age in which this writer flourished. For, in a Prologue to it, he relates, that St. Brigid's Acts had been written before, by Ultan, by Eleran, and by Ammo- sus. * 2 An elegant metrical Prologue 4 ^ precedes those Acts of St. Brigid j but, it has been doubted, if both had been composed, by the same author. St. Donatus, the Irish Bishop of Fiesole, who flourished in the ninth century, is said to have written that Prologue. ** The beautiful opening descriptive lineshavebeenelegantlyrenderedintoEnglishverse,45 andmorethanone
40 See ibid. , p. 596.
41 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Sexta Vita S. Brigidse, nn. 1, 2, 3, pp. 596, 597, 598.
42 It is Colgan s opinion, that this is but
a Latinized form of that writer's name, who
was called' Anmchaidh, or more correctly Ainmire by the Irish. See ibid. , n. 7,
Scala parata viris, pueris excelsa, puellis.
Matribus, et Sanctis ; tendit ad astra poli.
Dubtacus ejus erat genitor cogno- mine d ictus ;
Clarus homo meritis clarus et a proa- vis ;
p. 598.
43 The Latin Lines run as follows
"
— Nobilis atque humilis, mitis pietate
:: repletus
propria conjuge prole pia. Scripserunt multi virtutes virginis
alma? ,
Ultanus doctor, atque Eleranus
ovans
Descripsit multos Animosus nomine
libros
De vita et studiis Virginis ac meri-
tis.
Ordiar a minimis : necnon majora
sequentur ;
Sed prato pleno floribus opta legam, Ordine, si cceli fulgentia sydera cer-
nens,
Altiuago cursu scire quis ilia queat ; Littore quis minimas numero discer-
nat arenas,
Turbida quas lerris sparserat unda
maris ;
Hie numerare potest virtutes rite puelkv,
In qua perpetuus manserat ipse Deus.
Finibus occiduis describitur optima tellus,
Nomine et antiquis Scotia scripta libris.
Insula dives opum, gemmarum vestis et auri :
Commoda corporibus, aere Sole, solo.
Melle fluit, pulchris et lacteis Scotia campis,
Vestibus atque armis frugibus, arte, viris.
;
Ursorum rabies nulla est ibi : leonum
szeva
Semina nee unquam Scotica terra tulit.
Nulla venena nocent, nee serpens
serpit
Nee conquesta canit garrula rana
lacu.
In qua Scotorum gentcs habitare me-
rentux :
Inclyta gens hominum, militc, pace fide.
De qua nata fuit quandam sanctissi-
ma Virgo.
Brigida, Scotorum gloria, nomen,
honor,
Turris ad ignifcri pertingens cul-
minacceli,
Lumen inexhaustum, celsa corona
Dei.
Fons benedictus ovans, Scotorum
corda reformans,
Recreat ipsa ipsos curat, alit, vege- tat.
in herba.
Nobilior
Harris observes: "He seems also to
44
have been the Author of a Description of Ireland, in Hexameter and Pentameter verse ; or rather the Life of St. Brigid, con- taining a Description of Ireland of which Colgan hath given as a Fragment, which is prefixed also as a prologue to the Life of St, Brigid, supposed to be written by St. Choe-
lian. " See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. ,
"
Writers
of Ireland," book i. , chap, vi. , p. 57.
45 Commencing with these lines, which arc
" tory of Irel—and," vol. i. , chap, xiii. , pp. 300,
301, note
introduced by Thomas Moore in his
His-
:
July 29. LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
5o3
5 St. Ultan47 is to have died a. d. s supposed 656,4
version has
and St. Aleran, a. d. 664 or 665. 49 I fence, Coelan must have lived after this latter year. In the Martyrology of Tallagh,s° the feast of St. Coelan of Inis- keltra is commemorated, at the 29th of July, and it must have been inserted after his death. St. Caolan is said to have lived contemporaneously with ^Engus Mac Tiprait, who died a. d. 745. 51 The circumstance of Chilien
2
ArticleIII. —St. Justan,ofLene,Manach. Venerationwasgiven,
appeared. *
the mother of St. " a countess " seems to indicate a Brigid
calling
tively late period for this his assumed composition. s
Donegal, 53 the feast of this saint is to be found, at the 29th of July. It is pro- bable, that he died, about the middle of the eighth century.
at the 29th of July, to Justan, Lene, Manach, according to the Martyrology 1
of Tallagh. Marianus O'Gorman also notes his festival. Among St. Patrick's
2 we find a St. a disciples, Justin,
whose feast has been
Colgan to this date. 3 He is thought to have been the son of Ferguss,* son
priest,
" Far westward lies an Isle of ancient fame,
Bynatureblessed,andScoliais her name.
Enroll'd in books—exhaustless is her store
Of veiny silver and of golden ore. Her fruitful soil for ever teems with
wealth,
With gems her waters and her air
with health ;
Her verdant fields with milk and
honey flow,
Her woolly fleeces vie with virgin
assigned by
snow.
Her waving furrows float with bended the
"
Chronicum Scotorum," his death is
corn,
And arts and arms her envied sons
adorn. '
46 Dr. Sylvester O'Halloran gives an
English metrical translation in his " General
History of Ireland ;" but a later one still is
that found, in a projected work of Patrick
Lynch, Esq. , secretary to the Gaelic Society,
"
Hibernia Sancta ; or, Lives of the Irish
Saints j" illustrated by a complete system of
curious and useful Notes, subjoined to each
Life, for elucidating the History, Antiqui-
ties, and Ecclesiastical State of Ireland, History of Ireland," vol, i. , chap, viii. , both Ancient and Modern, Embellished with
Portraits, Views, Maps, &c. The only por- tion of this work printed was the commence- ment of vol. i. , issued by Thomas Haydock, 17 Lower Ormond-quay, Dublin, 1817, 8vo. It presents a General Introduction of forty pages, with the beginning of a Life of St. Bridget, Abbess of Kildare, foundress of the Order of Bridgetine Nuns, and Patroness of all Ireland, but this portion seems never to have extended beyond eight pages in print.
commencing :
sect, ii. , n. 18, p. 381.
53 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves,
Froma ofthis copy
See the Life of St. Patrick, at the 17th of March, in the Third Volume of this work, Art. i. , chap. xvii.
3 See "Trias Thauniaturga," Quinta
Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p.
267.
4 to the " ofthe According Genealogies
Saints," chap. xx.
s
in
of the writer i—s an English translation, thus
fenilleton
possession
compara- In the Martyrology of
" Far westward lies a Land of ancient fame,
Bynatureblest,FairSCOTIA,known
by name ; — An Island rich,
exhaustless in hei-
st ore
Of veiny silver, and of golden ore," &c.
47 This St. Ultanus Mac Concubar was
Bishop of Ard-bracain in Meath ; he died
A. D. 655, on the 4th day of September, but in a. d. 556, according to other writers. See
Sir James Ware, " De Scriptoribus Hiber- nian," lib. i. , cap. hi. , pp. 22, 23.
43 In William M. Hennessy's version of
placed, at A. D. 653. See pp. 94, 95.
49 St. AleranuSj'who is said to have writ- ten the Life of St. Brigid, and also a Life of St. Patrick, is thought to have departed this life, A. D. 664 or 665. See Sir James Ware, M De Scriptoribus Hibernioe," lib. i. , cap.
iii. , p. 27.
5° It is said to have been compiled by St.
y£ngus and St. Moelruan, before a. d. 800.
st See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , chap, iv. ,
p. 47.
52 See Rev. Dr. Lanigan's Ecclesiastical
pp. 204, 205. Article iii.
Kelly, p. xxx.
2
—
r
Edited
Rev. Dr.
He was one of the Leinster
Kings.
"
by
504 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 29.
6
of Enda Niadh,s son of Bressal Belacb. St. Patrick is said to have placed
St. Justin over a church at Biletortain. This place was near Ardbraccan,?
and,atafutureperiod,thechurchwascalledDomnach-Tortan. 8 Theplace
denominated Bile Tortan 9 is much celebrated in connexion with the birth IO
of the king, known as Conn of the Hundred Battles, regarding which are
related 11 At first, the is said to have been called many strange legends. place
12
Domnachtortain,andlaterDonoghmore, in the county of Meath.
Yet, it may
be questioned, if the present St. Justin flourished so early as the time of St.
Patrick. There was a Juis or Justus, a Deacon, placed by him over the
church of Fidhart, J 3 now a parish church, in the diocese of Elphin, and in
Priesthood. He is said to have lived to an extreme old age ; for, it is related, 1*
the one hundredth and fortieth 16 In a year.
the old of 1 * The Irish had converted all the
territory Hy-Many. Apostle
people of that region to the faith ; and, he had no priest probably to leave as their pastor. He might have conferred certain powers on that virtuous ecclesiastic, in reference to the administration of sacraments, and in serving the flock as a missionary. St. Patrick also left him certain ritualistic books, which should guide him in the order of his ministrations. It seems not unlikely, St. Justus afterwards advanced beyond the grade of Deacon to the
thathebaptizedSt. Kieran, thecelebratedfounderofClonmacnoise,using the very ritual St. Patrick had given him. At this time, Justus had attained
strange,
tradictory manner, Colgan attributes to St. Justus of Fidhart, the very same
and a con- apparently,
the ofBileTortan. 18 Botharesaid priest
J7 he
to have flourished in the time of St.
Patrick, and both are classed among his disciples ; yet, it would seem, their places, and their ecclesiastical office, had been different. Therefore, it is probable, we must draw a line of personal distinction between them. It has been conjectured, that this holy man may have been identical with an Erlomham, rescued from captivity by St. Feehin. '9 As the celebrated abbey of St. Feichan of Fore or St. Fowre, in
20 thebaronyofDemifore,countyofWestmeath,laynearLoughLene, perhaps
it might not be amiss to conjecture, that the present saint belonged to the
establishment there situated. In the of 21 the name is Martyrology Donegal,
entered simply Justan, Lene, at this same date. 22
parentage
gives
toSt.
Justin,
6 He flourished a short time before St. Patrick's arrival in Ireland. See "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita S. Patricii,
n. 25, p. 184.
7 Here St. Ultan, Bishop and Patron of
the place, was venerated on the 4th of Sep- tember.
Art. i. ,chap. xi.
*3 We are referred by Colgan to " Vita S.
Kierani Cluanensis," cap. iv. , for confirma- tion of this assertion.
l6
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Septima Vita S. Patricii, pars ii. , cap. xlix. , p. 136, nn. 93, 94, p. 177. Ibid.
''Thus Illand and Ailill, sons to Dunlaing, son of Enda, and converted by St. Patrick at Naas, are ranked as cousins of this St. Justus. Here we can detect many strange and confused statements, which we find it impracticable rightly to solve.
,8 He also seems doubtful, whether to refer the—feast of St. Justus to the 10th of There is an engraving, from a view January thus confounding him with taken by Lieutenant Daniel Grose, a. d. Naoimh Dhiarmuit, also called the Latin
1792, of Donoghmoie round tower and Justus—or to the present date, July 29th.
8
See ibid. , pars iii. , cap. xiv. , p. 151.
9 Colgan calls it in Latin
"
arbor procera
in Media. " See ibid. , nn. 23, 24, p. 184.
10 "
As Colgan relates, c terra mirifice
procreate ortu, et mirificavirtute narrantur," &C. See ibid.
11
See O'Flaherty's "Ogygia," pars iii. ,
cap. lx. , pp. 313, 314. 12
church. See Grose's "Antiquities of Ire-
land," vol. ii. , p. 15.
13 At present known as Fuerty, in the
barony of Athlone, and county of Roscom- mon.
14 See theLife of St. Patrick, in the Third Volume of this work, at the 17th of March,
I9 See Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hibcr- niae," xx. Januarii, Secunda Vita S. Fechini, cap. xxxvii. , and nn. 27, 28, pp. 137, 138, 142.
20
See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary
of Ireland," vol. i. , :i
116.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
p.
July 29 ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 505
Article IV. —Festival of St. Bitus or Bite, of Inis Cumscraigh,
AccordingtotheMartyrologyofTallagh, venerationwasgiven,atthe29th of July, to Bitus or Bite, of Innsi Caumscridh. This holy man is called Bute, or perhaps Byte, by Marianus O'Gorman. That island or rather peninsula is beautifully situated in Strangford Lough, and nearly opposite to Down- patrick, county of Down. Some interesting ruins are yet seen in th—is place.
the erection of one, which had been founded by the Anglo-Norman warrior, John De Courcey. This latter was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, on the 3rd of June, a. d. 1180. 3 When the present saint flourished has not been ascertained. In the Martyrology of Donegal,* we find an entry of Bite of Inis Cumhscraigh, at the 29th of July. We are inclined to think, that the present holy man is not distinct from the Abbot so called, and who is cele- brated on the 22nd day of this month, where an account of him has been already given.
ArticleV. —St. CummineorCuimmein,SonofAride. Thename
of Cumianus, Cummine, or Cuimmein, appears at the 29th of July, in the
of 1 of Marianus O'Gorman and of 2 He is Martyrologies Tallagh, Donegal.
called the son of Aride, Ardi or Aradius. 3
Article VI. —St. Ethelwin, Bishop and Confessor. The foregoing
now Inch, or Inniscumhscray, Strangford Lough, County of Down. 1
2
An abbey or a monastery stood here—as has been already observed before
-204, 205.
22 2
Appended to this entry, in William M. Hennessy's copy of this work, I find this notice, "Leve, Leamhuin. Leven, Scotland. '*'
See
Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. xxvii.
Article iv. — Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxx.
Article v. Kelly, p. xxx.
x
Edited by Rev. Dr.
Reeves, pp.
2
Lupus and Simplicius, bishops without a
Edited
by
with a Prosper virginal
July 29th.
1 He was a who visited Ireland Saxon,
man had a feast, at
for purposes of instruction, and who returned afterwards to his own country,
holy
where he became Bishop of Lindsay. Radulfus de Diceto. s
2
This happened in 682, according to
Article VII. —Festival of St. Lupus and of St. Simplicius, Bishops.
1
In the ancient Irish Church, according to the "Feilire" of St. ^Engus, there
"
*3"
2
See at the 22nd of this month, in the pre- sent Volume, notices of St. Biteus, or Mobiu, Art. i.
3 See a further description and wood en- gravings of the ruins at this place, in the
''
Dublin Penny Journal," vol. i. , No. 50, pp. 396, 397- The letter-press is by the late Dr. Petrie.
4 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 204,205.
See the Bollandists' Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Aprilis xxiv. De Sancto Egberto, Presbytero in Insu—la Hyensi, n. (e), p. 315.
—
Drs. Todd and
ttmibup ^5^r Simplex epfcoip cenchuix) -0151141 ppofpe]\ coclei|\ ua^'oai nolX •pcolainne m^-oxM.
"Transactions nise," xii. Januarii. De S. Cumiano Episcopo script Series, vol. i. , part i. On the Calendar
204, 205.
3 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
Bobii sepulto, n—. 6, p. 59. of Oengus, p. cxii.
x2 Article vi. See Sir Harris Nicolas'
Chronology of History," p. 147.
Article vii.
'
In the "Leabhar
Venerable Bede's "Historia
Breac" copy is the following stanza, ren- dered —into English by Dr. Whitley
Stokes
:
"
whit of
reproach
train, great, kingly stars. "
:
—
of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu-
Thus
1 "Uinibuf ocuf Simplex . 1. hi ii.
506 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. J Clv 30.
was a commemoration of Saints Lupus and Simplicius, Bishops, at the 29th
of To this there are comments 2 in Latin and in Irish. July. subjoined,
Article VIII. —Festival of St. Prosper, and of his Companions. In
"1
the Feilire" of St. ^Engus, at the 29th of July, there is a feast entered for
St. Prosper, and his companions, who are highly eulogized.
Cfttrtietb 23aj> of 3t%
ARTICLE I. —ST. SECHNASACH, ABBOT OF CEANN-LOCHA, OR KINLOUGH.
the THIS
saint belonged to the race of Laeghaire, son of Niall, according to
he was a at in the Colgan, priest Durrow,
seen a of this name, connected with place
Article II. —St. Cobarchair, or Cobuir, Son of Goll, of Gulban
1
gort. IntheMartyrologyofTallagh, wefindthatvenerationwasgivenatthe
30th of July to Cobarchair, Gulbain Guirt mac h. Gairb. 2 The word Cobhair
has the meaning of " aid," or "help j" and, in Latin, it maybe represented by the word Auxilius. 3 Hence, it has been conjectured, that he was St. Patrick's
disciple. The present holy man is entered in the Martyrology of Maiianus O'Gorman. 4 At the same date, in the Martyrology of Donegal,s occurs the
"
1111c. 1i. 5Air\b : Cobarchar, of Gulban
1 King's County.
a St. Siadhal Ua
We have
already 2
O'Clerys. According
to
Commain, conjectured
Kinlough, at the north-western extremity of Lough Melvin, in the barony of Rosclogher, and County of Leitrim. Dr. O'Donovan states, there are several such denominations in Ireland. 3 This day, the Martyrology of Donegal * mentions, that a festival was celebrated in honour of St.
