1
His position in the Church, and his place, are not known.
His position in the Church, and his place, are not known.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v8
—St.
Saran.
Venerationwasgivenatthe15thofAugust
to as we find recorded in the of 1 as also in that of Saran, Martyrology Tallagh,
ruain doc (t) or ejus fuit no siur moelruain. "
As the sense is not so very intelligible, we
here present a probable explanation, rather
than a translation, in English. The scholiast states this to have been a festival for the Dormition of Blessed Mary, as some un- known writer has called her ; or, the
—called, because Maelruain was her Doctor
possibly meaning that he was specially devout to her, or inspired by her to teach--
or, perhaps, adds the commentator, she was Maelruain's sister. The other note to ApnAchAn is "i iesu christi bas muire allaasin," and its literal translation given
*
Ax:a AblA bor a']- buToe ah
Ca CAen if miDA cenAoib ah
ca 501111 \\c bo A'r LA015 ah
La peite mui]\e pmiAjx
'The apple is soft and yellow (i. e. ripe),
The berry is black (ripe) on the branch, The cow and the calves are bellowing,
of
or, the Mother of Moelruain she is here
At in Lady Day
Assumption
Holy Mary,
;
Harvest.
by Whitely Stokes is,
"
J. e of Jesus Christ.
< See the Cork Weekly Herald of August 20th, 1887.
S Letter of Denis A. O'Leary, Esq. , Kil- bolane Cottage, Charleville, County Cork, and dated, December 14th, 1887.
Article hi. —• Edited by the Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxii. In that copy contained in the Book of Leinster, we find what seems to us unintelligible, the following entry for him, ec Sei er\Ain ; but, it seems to mean, that his locality was Tisaran.
Mary's death on that day. "—ibid. p. cxxxi.
3 The following Irish norm is in reference
""
to Lady Day in Harvest :—
Mother of God
'
August 15. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 229
Donegal.
2 We find no less than twelve saints the name of Saran in the bearing
Irish Calendars, and of these only six are distinguished by any epithet,
applied to them, viz. : at January 8th, Saran of Cuil-creamha ; at the 13th,
Saran, bishop ; at the 20th, Saran ; at March 1st, Saran, bishop ; at May 15th,
Saran of Inis-mor ; at July 30th, Saran; at August 1st, Saran of Bennchor ;
at the 15th, Saran ; at September 16th, Saran j at 21st, Saran, son of Tigher-
nan ; at 23rd, Saran ; and at October 22nd, Saran. 3 A saint of this name was
venerated, as patron of Tisam parish,* in the barony of Garrycastle, King's
County ; and, as we suppose, this is likely to have been the individual. The
name of this be rendered into " The House of Saran. "5 parish may English,
At present, and west of the River Brosna, Ti-Saran old church lies in the centreofMoystowndemesne,anditisinruins; whileTobarSaran,6FonsS. Sarani, lies 500 links south-west of the stables belonging to Moystown house. At this well, stations were performed some time back j but, St. Saran's festi- val-day is not any longer remembered, in that locality. 7
Article IV. —Feast of Carpre's Daughters. In addition to the
Festival and veneration observed at this date, as we read in the published 1
Martyrology of Tallaght, for Firdacrioch et St. Saran, the Daughters of
Carprearelikewisecommemorated. Inthatcopy,containedintheBookof
2
Leinster, they are also noticed, at the 15th of August. Further light we
cannot obtain, regarding these holy women, who are not mentioned at this date, in the Martyrology of Donegal. 3
Article V. —St. Colman, of Achud. Although not inserted in the 1
published Martyrology of Tallagh, at this date ; yet, in that found in the Book of Leinster, 2 is an entry noting Colman of Achud. The place presents a difficulty of identification. The name of Colman simply is inserted in the
Martyrology of Donegal,3 at the 15th of August.
Article VI. —Reputed Feast of St. Sylvester, Companion of St. Palladius. Dempsterhasoneofhisusuallyinaccuratestatementsabout
Thus, ec ptiA)\um C<Mj\pi\e.
of St.
Bollandists observe, at this date, that Ferrarius in his General Catalogue has
St. the Sylvester,
companion 2
at the
Kelly, p. xxxii.
2
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 220, 221.
2
" Acta Sanctorum xvii. , Februarii. De aliis
3 See also
Hiberniae,"
diversis Sanctis Athtrumke quiescentibus,
3 As edited Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves. by
See pp. 218, t—o 221.
Colgan's
num. 4, p. 367. 42
Palladius,
15th
Thus noted Colmani o -Ac-hut).
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
l
Thus in the Menologium Scotorum : "In Scotia Silvestri presbyteri, In Irish characters written Uobarx qui S. Palladii comes c—ontra Pelagianos SAfwMn. strenuedepugnavit. B. C. " BishopForbes' 7 See "Letters containing Information " Kalendars of the Scottish Saints," p. 208.
2
relative to the antiquities collected during See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus hi. ,
the progress of the Ordnance Survey for the Augusti xv. Among the pretermitted King's County, in 1828," vol. i. T. feasts, p. 199. They add, " unde non magis
Its limits are shown on sheets 13, 14,
21, 22, "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the King's County. "
5 The Irish name should be Ce^ch (C13)
220, 221. — Article VI.
Sauain, i e. y Tectum Sancti Sarani. °
O'Connor's letter, dated Banagher, January
docemur quam ex Camerario die prse- cedenti. "
3 To this statement, the letters B. C. are
loth, 1838, pp 159, 160. Article iv. —' Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
'
Article v. by
Published and edited Rev. Dr. Kelly. See p. xxxii.
of 1 The August.
230 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 16.
a notice of St. Sylvester, a priest of Scotia. According to Dempster's account, St. Sylvester is said to have strenuously contended against the Pelagians. * Yet, Dempster has no special article on this Sylvester, in his Ecclesiastical History of Scotland.
Article VII. —St. Cormachus or Cormacus, Bishop of Murtlach
or Aberdeen. [Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries]. At the 15th of August, David Camerarius has notification of a Feast for St. Cormachus or Cormacus,
of Murtlach or Aberdeen. 1 The Bollandists have a notice of this saint, at this date, and on the same authority ; but, they remark, that neither in Dempster, nor in their Manuscript Copy of the Aberdeen Missal, is there any allusion to him. He is stated to have been Bishop of Murtlach,? and to have died a. d. 1122. 4 This is doubtless the Cormacus, the learned and holy
successor of Saints Beanus and Donortius, regarding whom Dempster avers,s
that he wrote a Book of Pious Sermons, and that he governed the church of
Murthlach, in the year 1041. For these statements, he refers to a work of
Hector Boethius, on the Bishops of Aberdeen, as also to his History of Scot-
Bishop 2
6
land.
DARK
*>fjrtttntf> Bag of august
ARTICLE I. —ST. LUGHAN OR LUGAIN.
and evil are the works of men recruited from the dens of vice,
and much have thousands
the world those who have been trained and schooled in the Church give their talents and virtues to the cause of justice, of charity, and of order. Much could we desire to learn more regarding the personal merits and actions of the latter class, yet such gratification cannot always be attained. A festival in honour
affixed, but the reference we have not been able to ascertain.
tish . Saints," p. 316.
s ln " Ilistoiia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 260, p. 156.
6 Reference is made to "Scotorum His-
Article vii. — Thus, in his Scottish En- tries of the Kalendar:—"15 Die. Sanctus Cormachus vel Cormacus — Murtha-
Episcopus
censis vel Aberdonensis. " Bishop Forbes',
tona? ," page Article
ccxlv.
"Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 239.
I,
—
'Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
2
See "Acta Sanctorum,'' tomus iii. ,
Augusti xv. feasts, p. 199.
Among the pretermitted
to the "Collection for a
Kelly, p. xxxii.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
220, 221.
3
According
s Thus — •Odin. entered, lugdni Ajjuf fcin
History of the Shires of Aberdeen and
. Banff," published by the Spalding Club,
Aberdeen, 1843. View of the Diocese of
Aberdeen,p. 143.
4 See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scot-
Article II.
and Reeves, pp. 220, 221.
Drs. Todd
misery
but,
;
1 andof 2 Donegal,
of is foundsetdowninthe of Lughan Martyrologies Tallagh
at this date. Lugain Si is found written, in the first-mentioned record. 3 In that copy, contained in the Book of Leinster, the entry is somewhat different, at the 1 6th of August. The references to this holy man are so brief and obscure, that we cannot even conjecture his station in the Irish Church, his place, nor his period. The latter, however, seems to have been in the earlier eras of our ecclesiastical history. Almost every country in Europe can point
3
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
brought upon
'
Edited
Augustixvi. Amongthepretermittedsaints, p. 261.
by
August 16. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 231
out the mouldering ruins of church and cloister, overthrown and laid desolate
by the destroying hand of war, or by the no less relentless onslaught of heresy. But in no other country has such destruction befallen the sacred edifices of
religion as in Ireland, and with them have perished most of our precious records, containing memorials of our sainted men. In the first place, much of this loss to religion, civilization and learning dates from the inroads and marauding of the Danish pirates; and lastly, from the law-established religion of England in the sixteenth century, and which visited the holy places of Ire- land with such a spirit of fell destruction, as neither^Goth, Vandal, nor Dane had ever paralleled.
Article II. —Reputed Feast of St. Degha, Bishop. The Martyr-
ology of Donegal mentions, that veneration was given to Degha, a Bishop, 2
at the 1 6th of August Moreover, the Bollandists state, that St. Dega Maccay- rill, an Irish Bishop, has been noticed at this date, but that his festival is more properly referable to the 18th of this month. For the same day, further notices ofhim are reserved in succeeding pages.
ArticleIII. —ReputedFeastofSt. . Ieron. TheBollandistsnotice
an entry of St. Iheron's festival in the Carthusian Matric, Utrecht, on the
1 16thofAugust;buttheystate,thatitproperlybelongstothefollowingday. In
the posthumous list of Colgan's Manuscripts, we find the Life of St. Ieron,
for at this date. 2 ready publication
have been placed at August 17 th.
But,
we incline to the it should opinion,
Article IV. —St. Conan. At the 16th of August, the name Conan, without any further designation, is found entered in the Martyrology of
Donegal.
1
His position in the Church, and his place, are not known.
ArticleV. —SaintsMarinusandAnianus. Atthe16thofAugust,
Colgan intended to have published the Lives of Saints Marinus and Anianus,
as we learn from the posthumous list 1 of his Manuscripts. Elsewhere, I have not been able to find any account, that might serve to explain their connec- tion with Irish hagiology.
Article VI. —Festival of Moelcoisne, of Cill-Moelcoisne, in Hy- Many, Connaught. The commentator on the " Feilire" of St. /Engus, as found in the " Leabhar Breac" copy, at this 16th day of August, remarks : Moelcoisne, moreover, of Cell Moelcoisne in Hy-Many of Connaught on the
1 samedayasMary,theLord'sMother. However,neitherontheIrishMap,
prepared by Dr. O'Donovan, and prefixed to his edition of" The Tribes and
Article hi. —' See " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomusiii. , Augusti xvi. Among thepreter- mitted feasts, p. 261.
2 "
Actuum Sanctorum Mensium et Die—rum. "
MS. habentur,ordine
Article vi. According to Charles MacDonnell's Irish entry :
The following is the
ffloelcoipie x>m. oclull
Actuum Sanctorum
MS.
ARTICLE iv. Edited by Drs. Todd "Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca-
qu? e habentur, ordine—Mensium et Dierum. "
moelicoipieui
AenLa ocuf tYUr\i4 mAcep "Oomini.
Catalogus
x
and Reeves, —220, 221.
pp. demy,"
Irish Manuscript Series, vol.
i. ,
On the Calendar of Charles MacDonnell, Esq. , "Catalogus Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. cxxxi.
'
Article v. See that published by part
i.
dingus, by
quae
nuib rnAnieComiachu — yop
232
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August 17.
2
Customs of Hy-Many, commonly called O'Kelly's Country," nor in the
Treatise itself, is there any mention of Moelcoisne, or of his; place, Cell Moelcoisne. Moreover, on the Irish Ordnance Survey Maps for that district, we cannot discover any parochial or tovvnland denomination, coinciding in spelling or pronunciation, with the latter place. However, as our Irish Ord- nance Survey Maps are as yet exceedingly defective, in giving all the locally preserved and traditional names of places, it is quite probable, such an etymon may still be preserved by the peasantry, in some part of that extensive dis-
trict.
Article VII. —Festival of the Birth of Mary. In the "Feilire"
3
1 at the 16th of August, is entered a feast to commemorate the birthoftheBlessedVirginMary. Elsewhere,thewritercannotfindsucha
of St.
^Engus,
festival, nor allusion to the circumstances there presented.
Article VIII. —Reputed Translation and Festival of St. David, BishopofMenevia. IntheadditionstoGreven'sCarthusianMartyrology, Bruxelles, the Translation of St. David, Bishop of Menevia, is mentioned, at
The Bollandists note this entry, 1 likewise, and as his chief feast is on the 1st of March, the reader is referred to the latter date for
2
£*tmtteentb JBap of anjpisit
ARTICLE I. —ST. IERO OR HIERO, PRIEST AND MARTYR AT EGMOND, HOLLAND.
NINTH CENTURY. CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—NOTICES OF ST. IERO—HIS PARENTAGE AND COUNTRY—HIS EARLY EMBRACING THE ECCLESIASTICAL STATE—ORDAINED ^PRIEST—HE RESOLVES TO ENTER ON A MISSIONARY CAREER IN HOLLAND—HIS LABOURS AND SUCCESS- SCANDINAVIAN INVASION—ST. IERO IS SEIZED BY THE DANES AND BROUGHT TO TRIAL.
public veneration given to St. Iero, Jero, or Hieron, Priest and
the 16th of
August.
particulars of his Life.
THE in Holland, is of Martyr, very
2
Published from the Book of Lecan, for
the Irish Archaeological Society, Dublin, not theft, the birth of Mary, a virginal, 1843, 4to. strong diadem, holy Mother of my Prince. "
Article vii. — ' In the " Leabhar —"Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca-
Breac" copy, we have the following Irish demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , stanza, with its English translation as part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p.
furnished by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. :—
tacrtoich > <Votuonir
Cocleirx n<vocViAr* T)ichuiAincc
5em muipe nun-o nuAjjbailcc noemniAcliAin mor\i5m<vicc.
exxiv. To this stanza a short note is
affixed, on the right margin of the Manu-
at . i.
script 5ew rfluipe comemorationis,
p. exxxi.
ancient
date,
and he is to be found
"At Adrion's cross, with a train that loved
*
16th of August, as found in LesPctits Bollan-
However, the following notice, at the
August 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 23j
recorded in Martyrologies and Calendars, as also in various Manuscripts of remote writing, as in some belonging to Harlaem, to Utrecht, and to other
places. An ancient Manuscript Breviary, the Florarium Sanctorum, and the additions to Usuard, have notices of him. St. Iero, like many other holy men,resolvedonleavinghisnativecountrytogainsoulstoChrist. Hewas also ready to lay down his own life, in the effort to spread the Gospel among the Gentiles.
From the more ancient memoirs of this holy martyr the mediaeval and morerecentnoticeshavebeendrawn. Inthe"NatalesSanctorumBelgii,"
1
This accountMolanushastaken,fromaManuscriptbelongingtoEgmond. Like- wise, Sueder, Bishop of Utrecht, mentions this holy martyr, with great com- mendation, and in a decree, dated November 15th, 1429. In the. " Historia
2
" Opus chronographicum Orbis Universi, aMundi Exordio usque ad Annum ,;
T—he fullest mediaeval account ofSt. Iero
St. Ieron is mentioned, at the 17th of August, in two paragraphs.
Martyrum Batavicorum," appended to Peter van Opmeer's celebrated work,
mdcxi. , 3 we find published, Vita S. Jeronis, and rendered in heroic Latin verse. This latter was composed, by Wi—lliam Hermann Goudan Erasmus. 4
but
is that given by John Gerbrand, who was prior of the Carmelite Convent,
this saint, both in the " Britannia
Sancta,"
1 * and in the " Memorial of British
Piety. "
1* In the latter St. is called a native of Great Britain. 16 work, Jeron
5
at Leyden, in 1495. And this was first published, in his " Chronicon
Belgicum. "6 Molanus has treated about St. Ieron or Hieron, at the 17th of
°8
August. ? Likewise, in Batavia Sacra," there is a brief account relating to
the Life and Passion of this holy Martyr, as also to those circumstances con- nectedwiththediscoveryandpreservationofhisrelics. TheBollandistshave inserted his Acts, at this date. 9 in two 10 have been taken
These, given chapters,
from John of Leyden's Belgic Chronicle," and they are preceded by an introductory commentary. 12 Dean Cressy has an account of St. Ieron, whom
he calls an English Priest. ^ The Right Rev. Dr. Challenor has a record of
The Petits Bollandistes notice also the feast of St. Jeron (Hiero), at this
1 date. ?
distes, may serve to show, that a feast of the but, not being able to procure a copy of Blessed Virgin Mary was thus commemo- Opmeer's great work, he could not pro«
nounce with on the matter. certainty
s He is praised by Trithemius, as being a studious and learned man, in " Catalogus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum. "
6 Lib. v. , cap. 24, 33, and lib. vii. , cap. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.
? See " Indiculus Sanctorum Belgii," p. 44 b.
3
See the Third Volume of this work,
p. 216.
'See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Augusti xvii. De S. Jerone Praesb. Martyre
I0
:
" Ce une tradi> jour, d'apres pieuse
rated
tion, on fit l'ouverture du sepulcre de la tres-saint Vierge j et, comme elle etait montee au ciel au jour precedent, on ne trouva que son suaire qui exhalait une deli- cieuse odeur. "—" Les Vies des Saints," tome ix. , xvie Jour d'Aout, p. 593.
Article viii. — x See " Acta Sancto-
tomus xvi. the rum," iii. , Augusti Among
pretermitted feasts, p. 260.
at that date, Art. i. Article i. —Chapter
— i.
«See
pp.
in to Hollandia, pp. 475
179, 180.
2 The writer was born at Amsterdam, on
the 13th of September, 1525, and he died on
the 9th of November, 1595, at Delft. See
M. Le Dr. Hoefer's " Nouvelle Biographie "
Generate, tome xxxviii. , cols. 708, 709.
3 This was published at Amsterdam, in
161 1, in fol. , with engravings.
4 Father Peter Bosch, S. J. , found among
the papers collected by Rosweyde what seemed to be a copy of this Vita S. Jeronis ;
479. Containing fourteen paragraphs.
probably
8 Sueder's Namely, Bishop
Decree,
at
" At the year 847.
,2
Peter Bosch, S. J. , is the editor.
not the most reliable
Comprised in eight paragraphs. Father
,3 See "Church History of Brittany," book xxvii. , chap, ix. , p. 714.
MSeepartii. , p. 83.
*J See p. 117.
t6 In this statement, Dr. Challenor seems
to have followed the statement of John Gerbrand of Leyden.
234 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 17.
18
found at Egmond, it would seem, that this priest was aScotus or an Irishman by birth/a and that he was of noble
From the ancient Manuscript History,
parentage.
20 He is related, likewise, to have been an only son of his father
and mother ; but, resolving to avoid the snares and illusions of this world,
he joined a society of religious, and zealously endeavoured to emulate the
virtues of his brethren. This happened, as we are informed, while he was very young ; but, when he advanced in years, he also grew in wisdom and in sanctity. Having a vocation for the ecclesiastical state, he went through the various preparatory grades oforders.
In due course, he was ordained a priest. He commenced a missionary
careerasapreacherinHolland,21 andthistookplacetowardsthemiddleof
the ninth 22 When his mission opened, rites and the worship century. pagan
ofidolsprevailedinthosenorthernpartsofEurope. Gradually,hewonover converts to the true Faith, and then very sedulously he began to ground them in those principles which should guide their future course of life.
He converted many souls from darkness and error, especially in Frisia. 23
Notwithstanding the known ferocity of the people living in that region, he gained upon their affections, and rendered many of them most acceptable to God. Aftersometimespent—ontheselabours,St. Ieroseemstohavesettled
in
named Noortwyck at— the of Noordwyk-Binnen place present village
in a
the province of South Holland 24 about six miles N. N. W. Leyden. The place in which he lived lay on the shores of the North Sea.
However, a storm of invasion was about to burst forth, and a host of Scandinavian plunderers descended on the shores of Holland, about the year 856, when many men and women were killed, while others were taken as
captives. The invaders subjected the whole country to robbery and spolia- tion. Especially were the Christians objects of aversion to them.
While Iero laboured on that mission, these Danish and Northmen ravages served to interrupt the good he had accomplished. Moreover, he was speedilyapprehended,andbroughtfortrialbeforetheDanishleader. Rejoicing that he was deemed worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ, Iero prayed while
he was being conducted to the tribunal for examination
:
" O Lord, lead me
in thy justice because of my enemies; conduct my ways in thy sight. " It
: wouldseem,thatmanyinthecrowdwhofollowedhimcriedout '*Remove
this man from life, nor suffer him longer to continue the enemy of our gods. " Others demanded, that he should endure the most exquisite tortures, so that the people of Holland, who loved him, might be deterred by the example made from following him as their Christian leader.
to as we find recorded in the of 1 as also in that of Saran, Martyrology Tallagh,
ruain doc (t) or ejus fuit no siur moelruain. "
As the sense is not so very intelligible, we
here present a probable explanation, rather
than a translation, in English. The scholiast states this to have been a festival for the Dormition of Blessed Mary, as some un- known writer has called her ; or, the
—called, because Maelruain was her Doctor
possibly meaning that he was specially devout to her, or inspired by her to teach--
or, perhaps, adds the commentator, she was Maelruain's sister. The other note to ApnAchAn is "i iesu christi bas muire allaasin," and its literal translation given
*
Ax:a AblA bor a']- buToe ah
Ca CAen if miDA cenAoib ah
ca 501111 \\c bo A'r LA015 ah
La peite mui]\e pmiAjx
'The apple is soft and yellow (i. e. ripe),
The berry is black (ripe) on the branch, The cow and the calves are bellowing,
of
or, the Mother of Moelruain she is here
At in Lady Day
Assumption
Holy Mary,
;
Harvest.
by Whitely Stokes is,
"
J. e of Jesus Christ.
< See the Cork Weekly Herald of August 20th, 1887.
S Letter of Denis A. O'Leary, Esq. , Kil- bolane Cottage, Charleville, County Cork, and dated, December 14th, 1887.
Article hi. —• Edited by the Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxxii. In that copy contained in the Book of Leinster, we find what seems to us unintelligible, the following entry for him, ec Sei er\Ain ; but, it seems to mean, that his locality was Tisaran.
Mary's death on that day. "—ibid. p. cxxxi.
3 The following Irish norm is in reference
""
to Lady Day in Harvest :—
Mother of God
'
August 15. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 229
Donegal.
2 We find no less than twelve saints the name of Saran in the bearing
Irish Calendars, and of these only six are distinguished by any epithet,
applied to them, viz. : at January 8th, Saran of Cuil-creamha ; at the 13th,
Saran, bishop ; at the 20th, Saran ; at March 1st, Saran, bishop ; at May 15th,
Saran of Inis-mor ; at July 30th, Saran; at August 1st, Saran of Bennchor ;
at the 15th, Saran ; at September 16th, Saran j at 21st, Saran, son of Tigher-
nan ; at 23rd, Saran ; and at October 22nd, Saran. 3 A saint of this name was
venerated, as patron of Tisam parish,* in the barony of Garrycastle, King's
County ; and, as we suppose, this is likely to have been the individual. The
name of this be rendered into " The House of Saran. "5 parish may English,
At present, and west of the River Brosna, Ti-Saran old church lies in the centreofMoystowndemesne,anditisinruins; whileTobarSaran,6FonsS. Sarani, lies 500 links south-west of the stables belonging to Moystown house. At this well, stations were performed some time back j but, St. Saran's festi- val-day is not any longer remembered, in that locality. 7
Article IV. —Feast of Carpre's Daughters. In addition to the
Festival and veneration observed at this date, as we read in the published 1
Martyrology of Tallaght, for Firdacrioch et St. Saran, the Daughters of
Carprearelikewisecommemorated. Inthatcopy,containedintheBookof
2
Leinster, they are also noticed, at the 15th of August. Further light we
cannot obtain, regarding these holy women, who are not mentioned at this date, in the Martyrology of Donegal. 3
Article V. —St. Colman, of Achud. Although not inserted in the 1
published Martyrology of Tallagh, at this date ; yet, in that found in the Book of Leinster, 2 is an entry noting Colman of Achud. The place presents a difficulty of identification. The name of Colman simply is inserted in the
Martyrology of Donegal,3 at the 15th of August.
Article VI. —Reputed Feast of St. Sylvester, Companion of St. Palladius. Dempsterhasoneofhisusuallyinaccuratestatementsabout
Thus, ec ptiA)\um C<Mj\pi\e.
of St.
Bollandists observe, at this date, that Ferrarius in his General Catalogue has
St. the Sylvester,
companion 2
at the
Kelly, p. xxxii.
2
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 220, 221.
2
" Acta Sanctorum xvii. , Februarii. De aliis
3 See also
Hiberniae,"
diversis Sanctis Athtrumke quiescentibus,
3 As edited Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves. by
See pp. 218, t—o 221.
Colgan's
num. 4, p. 367. 42
Palladius,
15th
Thus noted Colmani o -Ac-hut).
3 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
l
Thus in the Menologium Scotorum : "In Scotia Silvestri presbyteri, In Irish characters written Uobarx qui S. Palladii comes c—ontra Pelagianos SAfwMn. strenuedepugnavit. B. C. " BishopForbes' 7 See "Letters containing Information " Kalendars of the Scottish Saints," p. 208.
2
relative to the antiquities collected during See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus hi. ,
the progress of the Ordnance Survey for the Augusti xv. Among the pretermitted King's County, in 1828," vol. i. T. feasts, p. 199. They add, " unde non magis
Its limits are shown on sheets 13, 14,
21, 22, "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
for the King's County. "
5 The Irish name should be Ce^ch (C13)
220, 221. — Article VI.
Sauain, i e. y Tectum Sancti Sarani. °
O'Connor's letter, dated Banagher, January
docemur quam ex Camerario die prse- cedenti. "
3 To this statement, the letters B. C. are
loth, 1838, pp 159, 160. Article iv. —' Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
'
Article v. by
Published and edited Rev. Dr. Kelly. See p. xxxii.
of 1 The August.
230 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 16.
a notice of St. Sylvester, a priest of Scotia. According to Dempster's account, St. Sylvester is said to have strenuously contended against the Pelagians. * Yet, Dempster has no special article on this Sylvester, in his Ecclesiastical History of Scotland.
Article VII. —St. Cormachus or Cormacus, Bishop of Murtlach
or Aberdeen. [Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries]. At the 15th of August, David Camerarius has notification of a Feast for St. Cormachus or Cormacus,
of Murtlach or Aberdeen. 1 The Bollandists have a notice of this saint, at this date, and on the same authority ; but, they remark, that neither in Dempster, nor in their Manuscript Copy of the Aberdeen Missal, is there any allusion to him. He is stated to have been Bishop of Murtlach,? and to have died a. d. 1122. 4 This is doubtless the Cormacus, the learned and holy
successor of Saints Beanus and Donortius, regarding whom Dempster avers,s
that he wrote a Book of Pious Sermons, and that he governed the church of
Murthlach, in the year 1041. For these statements, he refers to a work of
Hector Boethius, on the Bishops of Aberdeen, as also to his History of Scot-
Bishop 2
6
land.
DARK
*>fjrtttntf> Bag of august
ARTICLE I. —ST. LUGHAN OR LUGAIN.
and evil are the works of men recruited from the dens of vice,
and much have thousands
the world those who have been trained and schooled in the Church give their talents and virtues to the cause of justice, of charity, and of order. Much could we desire to learn more regarding the personal merits and actions of the latter class, yet such gratification cannot always be attained. A festival in honour
affixed, but the reference we have not been able to ascertain.
tish . Saints," p. 316.
s ln " Ilistoiia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 260, p. 156.
6 Reference is made to "Scotorum His-
Article vii. — Thus, in his Scottish En- tries of the Kalendar:—"15 Die. Sanctus Cormachus vel Cormacus — Murtha-
Episcopus
censis vel Aberdonensis. " Bishop Forbes',
tona? ," page Article
ccxlv.
"Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 239.
I,
—
'Edited
by
Rev. Dr.
2
See "Acta Sanctorum,'' tomus iii. ,
Augusti xv. feasts, p. 199.
Among the pretermitted
to the "Collection for a
Kelly, p. xxxii.
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
220, 221.
3
According
s Thus — •Odin. entered, lugdni Ajjuf fcin
History of the Shires of Aberdeen and
. Banff," published by the Spalding Club,
Aberdeen, 1843. View of the Diocese of
Aberdeen,p. 143.
4 See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of Scot-
Article II.
and Reeves, pp. 220, 221.
Drs. Todd
misery
but,
;
1 andof 2 Donegal,
of is foundsetdowninthe of Lughan Martyrologies Tallagh
at this date. Lugain Si is found written, in the first-mentioned record. 3 In that copy, contained in the Book of Leinster, the entry is somewhat different, at the 1 6th of August. The references to this holy man are so brief and obscure, that we cannot even conjecture his station in the Irish Church, his place, nor his period. The latter, however, seems to have been in the earlier eras of our ecclesiastical history. Almost every country in Europe can point
3
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
brought upon
'
Edited
Augustixvi. Amongthepretermittedsaints, p. 261.
by
August 16. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 231
out the mouldering ruins of church and cloister, overthrown and laid desolate
by the destroying hand of war, or by the no less relentless onslaught of heresy. But in no other country has such destruction befallen the sacred edifices of
religion as in Ireland, and with them have perished most of our precious records, containing memorials of our sainted men. In the first place, much of this loss to religion, civilization and learning dates from the inroads and marauding of the Danish pirates; and lastly, from the law-established religion of England in the sixteenth century, and which visited the holy places of Ire- land with such a spirit of fell destruction, as neither^Goth, Vandal, nor Dane had ever paralleled.
Article II. —Reputed Feast of St. Degha, Bishop. The Martyr-
ology of Donegal mentions, that veneration was given to Degha, a Bishop, 2
at the 1 6th of August Moreover, the Bollandists state, that St. Dega Maccay- rill, an Irish Bishop, has been noticed at this date, but that his festival is more properly referable to the 18th of this month. For the same day, further notices ofhim are reserved in succeeding pages.
ArticleIII. —ReputedFeastofSt. . Ieron. TheBollandistsnotice
an entry of St. Iheron's festival in the Carthusian Matric, Utrecht, on the
1 16thofAugust;buttheystate,thatitproperlybelongstothefollowingday. In
the posthumous list of Colgan's Manuscripts, we find the Life of St. Ieron,
for at this date. 2 ready publication
have been placed at August 17 th.
But,
we incline to the it should opinion,
Article IV. —St. Conan. At the 16th of August, the name Conan, without any further designation, is found entered in the Martyrology of
Donegal.
1
His position in the Church, and his place, are not known.
ArticleV. —SaintsMarinusandAnianus. Atthe16thofAugust,
Colgan intended to have published the Lives of Saints Marinus and Anianus,
as we learn from the posthumous list 1 of his Manuscripts. Elsewhere, I have not been able to find any account, that might serve to explain their connec- tion with Irish hagiology.
Article VI. —Festival of Moelcoisne, of Cill-Moelcoisne, in Hy- Many, Connaught. The commentator on the " Feilire" of St. /Engus, as found in the " Leabhar Breac" copy, at this 16th day of August, remarks : Moelcoisne, moreover, of Cell Moelcoisne in Hy-Many of Connaught on the
1 samedayasMary,theLord'sMother. However,neitherontheIrishMap,
prepared by Dr. O'Donovan, and prefixed to his edition of" The Tribes and
Article hi. —' See " Acta Sanctorum,"
tomusiii. , Augusti xvi. Among thepreter- mitted feasts, p. 261.
2 "
Actuum Sanctorum Mensium et Die—rum. "
MS. habentur,ordine
Article vi. According to Charles MacDonnell's Irish entry :
The following is the
ffloelcoipie x>m. oclull
Actuum Sanctorum
MS.
ARTICLE iv. Edited by Drs. Todd "Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca-
qu? e habentur, ordine—Mensium et Dierum. "
moelicoipieui
AenLa ocuf tYUr\i4 mAcep "Oomini.
Catalogus
x
and Reeves, —220, 221.
pp. demy,"
Irish Manuscript Series, vol.
i. ,
On the Calendar of Charles MacDonnell, Esq. , "Catalogus Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. cxxxi.
'
Article v. See that published by part
i.
dingus, by
quae
nuib rnAnieComiachu — yop
232
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[August 17.
2
Customs of Hy-Many, commonly called O'Kelly's Country," nor in the
Treatise itself, is there any mention of Moelcoisne, or of his; place, Cell Moelcoisne. Moreover, on the Irish Ordnance Survey Maps for that district, we cannot discover any parochial or tovvnland denomination, coinciding in spelling or pronunciation, with the latter place. However, as our Irish Ord- nance Survey Maps are as yet exceedingly defective, in giving all the locally preserved and traditional names of places, it is quite probable, such an etymon may still be preserved by the peasantry, in some part of that extensive dis-
trict.
Article VII. —Festival of the Birth of Mary. In the "Feilire"
3
1 at the 16th of August, is entered a feast to commemorate the birthoftheBlessedVirginMary. Elsewhere,thewritercannotfindsucha
of St.
^Engus,
festival, nor allusion to the circumstances there presented.
Article VIII. —Reputed Translation and Festival of St. David, BishopofMenevia. IntheadditionstoGreven'sCarthusianMartyrology, Bruxelles, the Translation of St. David, Bishop of Menevia, is mentioned, at
The Bollandists note this entry, 1 likewise, and as his chief feast is on the 1st of March, the reader is referred to the latter date for
2
£*tmtteentb JBap of anjpisit
ARTICLE I. —ST. IERO OR HIERO, PRIEST AND MARTYR AT EGMOND, HOLLAND.
NINTH CENTURY. CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—NOTICES OF ST. IERO—HIS PARENTAGE AND COUNTRY—HIS EARLY EMBRACING THE ECCLESIASTICAL STATE—ORDAINED ^PRIEST—HE RESOLVES TO ENTER ON A MISSIONARY CAREER IN HOLLAND—HIS LABOURS AND SUCCESS- SCANDINAVIAN INVASION—ST. IERO IS SEIZED BY THE DANES AND BROUGHT TO TRIAL.
public veneration given to St. Iero, Jero, or Hieron, Priest and
the 16th of
August.
particulars of his Life.
THE in Holland, is of Martyr, very
2
Published from the Book of Lecan, for
the Irish Archaeological Society, Dublin, not theft, the birth of Mary, a virginal, 1843, 4to. strong diadem, holy Mother of my Prince. "
Article vii. — ' In the " Leabhar —"Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca-
Breac" copy, we have the following Irish demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. , stanza, with its English translation as part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p.
furnished by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. :—
tacrtoich > <Votuonir
Cocleirx n<vocViAr* T)ichuiAincc
5em muipe nun-o nuAjjbailcc noemniAcliAin mor\i5m<vicc.
exxiv. To this stanza a short note is
affixed, on the right margin of the Manu-
at . i.
script 5ew rfluipe comemorationis,
p. exxxi.
ancient
date,
and he is to be found
"At Adrion's cross, with a train that loved
*
16th of August, as found in LesPctits Bollan-
However, the following notice, at the
August 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 23j
recorded in Martyrologies and Calendars, as also in various Manuscripts of remote writing, as in some belonging to Harlaem, to Utrecht, and to other
places. An ancient Manuscript Breviary, the Florarium Sanctorum, and the additions to Usuard, have notices of him. St. Iero, like many other holy men,resolvedonleavinghisnativecountrytogainsoulstoChrist. Hewas also ready to lay down his own life, in the effort to spread the Gospel among the Gentiles.
From the more ancient memoirs of this holy martyr the mediaeval and morerecentnoticeshavebeendrawn. Inthe"NatalesSanctorumBelgii,"
1
This accountMolanushastaken,fromaManuscriptbelongingtoEgmond. Like- wise, Sueder, Bishop of Utrecht, mentions this holy martyr, with great com- mendation, and in a decree, dated November 15th, 1429. In the. " Historia
2
" Opus chronographicum Orbis Universi, aMundi Exordio usque ad Annum ,;
T—he fullest mediaeval account ofSt. Iero
St. Ieron is mentioned, at the 17th of August, in two paragraphs.
Martyrum Batavicorum," appended to Peter van Opmeer's celebrated work,
mdcxi. , 3 we find published, Vita S. Jeronis, and rendered in heroic Latin verse. This latter was composed, by Wi—lliam Hermann Goudan Erasmus. 4
but
is that given by John Gerbrand, who was prior of the Carmelite Convent,
this saint, both in the " Britannia
Sancta,"
1 * and in the " Memorial of British
Piety. "
1* In the latter St. is called a native of Great Britain. 16 work, Jeron
5
at Leyden, in 1495. And this was first published, in his " Chronicon
Belgicum. "6 Molanus has treated about St. Ieron or Hieron, at the 17th of
°8
August. ? Likewise, in Batavia Sacra," there is a brief account relating to
the Life and Passion of this holy Martyr, as also to those circumstances con- nectedwiththediscoveryandpreservationofhisrelics. TheBollandistshave inserted his Acts, at this date. 9 in two 10 have been taken
These, given chapters,
from John of Leyden's Belgic Chronicle," and they are preceded by an introductory commentary. 12 Dean Cressy has an account of St. Ieron, whom
he calls an English Priest. ^ The Right Rev. Dr. Challenor has a record of
The Petits Bollandistes notice also the feast of St. Jeron (Hiero), at this
1 date. ?
distes, may serve to show, that a feast of the but, not being able to procure a copy of Blessed Virgin Mary was thus commemo- Opmeer's great work, he could not pro«
nounce with on the matter. certainty
s He is praised by Trithemius, as being a studious and learned man, in " Catalogus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum. "
6 Lib. v. , cap. 24, 33, and lib. vii. , cap. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.
? See " Indiculus Sanctorum Belgii," p. 44 b.
3
See the Third Volume of this work,
p. 216.
'See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Augusti xvii. De S. Jerone Praesb. Martyre
I0
:
" Ce une tradi> jour, d'apres pieuse
rated
tion, on fit l'ouverture du sepulcre de la tres-saint Vierge j et, comme elle etait montee au ciel au jour precedent, on ne trouva que son suaire qui exhalait une deli- cieuse odeur. "—" Les Vies des Saints," tome ix. , xvie Jour d'Aout, p. 593.
Article viii. — x See " Acta Sancto-
tomus xvi. the rum," iii. , Augusti Among
pretermitted feasts, p. 260.
at that date, Art. i. Article i. —Chapter
— i.
«See
pp.
in to Hollandia, pp. 475
179, 180.
2 The writer was born at Amsterdam, on
the 13th of September, 1525, and he died on
the 9th of November, 1595, at Delft. See
M. Le Dr. Hoefer's " Nouvelle Biographie "
Generate, tome xxxviii. , cols. 708, 709.
3 This was published at Amsterdam, in
161 1, in fol. , with engravings.
4 Father Peter Bosch, S. J. , found among
the papers collected by Rosweyde what seemed to be a copy of this Vita S. Jeronis ;
479. Containing fourteen paragraphs.
probably
8 Sueder's Namely, Bishop
Decree,
at
" At the year 847.
,2
Peter Bosch, S. J. , is the editor.
not the most reliable
Comprised in eight paragraphs. Father
,3 See "Church History of Brittany," book xxvii. , chap, ix. , p. 714.
MSeepartii. , p. 83.
*J See p. 117.
t6 In this statement, Dr. Challenor seems
to have followed the statement of John Gerbrand of Leyden.
234 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 17.
18
found at Egmond, it would seem, that this priest was aScotus or an Irishman by birth/a and that he was of noble
From the ancient Manuscript History,
parentage.
20 He is related, likewise, to have been an only son of his father
and mother ; but, resolving to avoid the snares and illusions of this world,
he joined a society of religious, and zealously endeavoured to emulate the
virtues of his brethren. This happened, as we are informed, while he was very young ; but, when he advanced in years, he also grew in wisdom and in sanctity. Having a vocation for the ecclesiastical state, he went through the various preparatory grades oforders.
In due course, he was ordained a priest. He commenced a missionary
careerasapreacherinHolland,21 andthistookplacetowardsthemiddleof
the ninth 22 When his mission opened, rites and the worship century. pagan
ofidolsprevailedinthosenorthernpartsofEurope. Gradually,hewonover converts to the true Faith, and then very sedulously he began to ground them in those principles which should guide their future course of life.
He converted many souls from darkness and error, especially in Frisia. 23
Notwithstanding the known ferocity of the people living in that region, he gained upon their affections, and rendered many of them most acceptable to God. Aftersometimespent—ontheselabours,St. Ieroseemstohavesettled
in
named Noortwyck at— the of Noordwyk-Binnen place present village
in a
the province of South Holland 24 about six miles N. N. W. Leyden. The place in which he lived lay on the shores of the North Sea.
However, a storm of invasion was about to burst forth, and a host of Scandinavian plunderers descended on the shores of Holland, about the year 856, when many men and women were killed, while others were taken as
captives. The invaders subjected the whole country to robbery and spolia- tion. Especially were the Christians objects of aversion to them.
While Iero laboured on that mission, these Danish and Northmen ravages served to interrupt the good he had accomplished. Moreover, he was speedilyapprehended,andbroughtfortrialbeforetheDanishleader. Rejoicing that he was deemed worthy to suffer for the sake of Christ, Iero prayed while
he was being conducted to the tribunal for examination
:
" O Lord, lead me
in thy justice because of my enemies; conduct my ways in thy sight. " It
: wouldseem,thatmanyinthecrowdwhofollowedhimcriedout '*Remove
this man from life, nor suffer him longer to continue the enemy of our gods. " Others demanded, that he should endure the most exquisite tortures, so that the people of Holland, who loved him, might be deterred by the example made from following him as their Christian leader.
