BERACH—ACTS OF THIS HOLY MAN—HIS FAMILY AND BIRTH—BAPTISM AND FOSTERAGE, BY HIS UNCLE, CRUIMHTHER
FROECH—HIS
EARLY EDUCATION—SENT TO ST.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
, pp.
151, 152.
43 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
niae," xiv. Februarii. De S. Convano seu
verius Conano, vel Comano, pp. 335, 336. 4* Here he seems to follow John Lesley's
inexact account, in " De Origine, Moribus . et Rebus Gestis Scotorum," lib. iv. , p. 151.
"-^ " See Colgan's
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
45 See the Bollandists'
"
Acta Sanctorum,"
land," vol. iii. , plates 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47. Another plate 48 is devoted to the Earl's Palace, so admirably described in Sir Walter Scott's "
tomus Februarii xiv. , p. 741. ii. ,
Pirate," chap. xxxi.
—
entry
nise," xiv. Februarii. De S. Convano, seu
verius Conano, vel Comano, p. 336, and n* 2, ibid.
49 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xv.
^o Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp* 48, 49.
si Dr. Todd adds in a note to Caom-haiH^
"The later hand ' Sed M.
Taml.
Commanus.
'"
adds,
5= See ibid. ^ pp. 372, 373.
S3 His festival is held, on the 1 6th of
April.
S4 Those, who have not an opportunity of
visiting Kirkwall, may form a very correct idea of the magnificence of St. Magnus' Ca- thedral, by inspecting those fine steel en- gravings, in Robert William
" Ba- ronial and Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Scot-
Billing's
532 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 14.
and energy of the Norwegians, when they held sway over the north of Scot-
land. It was commenced, by Earl Rogwald IL, in 1137 or 1138, and much oftheoriginalbuildingremainstothepresentday. Hecausedthecathedral
to be erected, in fulfillment of a vow, and for the express purpose of receiving the relics of St. Magnus, his uncle. The earl had inherited his right to a
shareoftheearldomoftheOrkneys,throughSt. Magnus. Averyinteresting history of Orkneymen, the Jarls, and the Odallors of Norwegian origin, who established an earldom in the isles to the north of Scotland, in the ninth century, and whose descendants, for several centuries, had been masters of the Hebrides, and of the north of Scotland proper, will be found in the
" ss xhe Orkneyinga Saga. "
subsequent
Norse Jarls, for three and a half centuries, as given in the pages of the
"
Saga," is the principal authority for the history of northern Scotland. This narrative is chiefly personal, and it embodies the songs of the Skalds. In these were preserved, by oral recitation and tradition, the mighty deeds of the Orcadian heroes. There is historical proof, that the Saga was complete, in its present form, about the thirteenth century, and it is supposed, from internal evidences, that it was finally put together, between the years 1222 and1225. 57 Theintroduction,writtenbyMr. Anderson,occupiesabouta third of the work. It comprises an account of the earliest history of the Orkneys, from the days when the first dawn of Christianity on the isles took place, down to the termination of the Norwegian bishoprics of Orkney and Caithness, in 1469. The most interesting portion of this introduction is that, in which the ancient churches of Orkney, the barrows, cairns, rude stone monuments, and other memorials of the early inhabitants, are described and discussed. That old church on the little isle of Egilsey possesses a chief attraction for the antiquary or lover of ecclesiastical architecture. In it, we find a connexion with the earlier Christianity of these islands, previous to the Norse invasion. It consists of a small chancel and a nave, lighted by a fewround-headedanddeeply-splayedwindows. Aroundtowerstandsat the west end. This tower is now forty-eight feet high, but fifteen feet were recently taken off the height, to prevent its falling. In old engravings, it is represented, as covered by a stone conical roof, the usual termination for the round towers of Ireland. The Celtic Christians that devised the round tower of Ireland have clearly had a hand in the erection of this, and its date can scarcely be assigned to a later period than that of the ninth century. 58 Some churches of the Orkney Isles contain notable traces, that identify them, doubtless, regarding early Celtic worship. Next to these structures, one of the most conclusive proofs, establishing the Christian occupation of the Orkneys before the time of the Norsemen, is to be found
55 A mround plan, as also an architectural
and archaeological description of it will be found in Mackenzie E. C. Walcott's " Scoti-
to
Monasticon," pp. 173
5^ Lately, we have had published, an ex-
cellent edition of this work, " The Orkney- inga Saga," translated from the Icelandic
language, by Jon. A. Hjaltalin and Gilbert Goudie, edited, with notes and an introduc- lion, by Joseph Anderson. Edmonston and Douglas, Edinburgh, 1873.
57 Tradition, even, is silent, as to the author or authors of the "Orkneyinga Saga," or as regards the compilers of the unwritten
materials, upon which it is based.
but when he comes to assign any reason for his belief, his conclusions appear very im-
5^
Sir Henry Dryden ^oubts its antiquity,
178.
at
page xciii. ,
" On the other hand,
account of this under earldom,
Mr. Anderson follows him, and
potent.
states,
the resemblance to the round towered churches of Norfolk suggests that it may have been of Scandinavian origin. " So far, however, as concerns the round towers of Norfolk and Suffolk, from the elaborate specimen at Little Saxham, to the most un-
couth English forms, if photographs and drawings are of any worth, there is no re- semblance between those towers and the one at Egilsey ; nor, can it be determined, moreover, that the former had not been
built on previously.
February 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAIN2S, 533
in the discovery of two ancient square-sided bells, at Saverough and Burrian. Thesehavetheinvertedwedgeshape. Bellsofthisdescriptionwerepeculiar totheearlyagesoftheChurch. Thesebellswerenotcast,butmadefrom plates of metal, riveted, and a large number of similar ones have been dis- entombed in Ireland. 59 It is rather curious, when there are such abundant proofs of early Christian settlement in the existence of these bells, in the preservation of ancient crosses, and of saint-styled place-names, that Mr. Anderson should be so hard to convince, regarding the antiquity traceable in the actual masonry of the Orkney churches.
Article IV. —St. Colman, Bishop. Among the various holy men,
calledColman,inourCalendars,it seemsnoeasymattertodetermine,who the present had been, or the time when he lived. The Kalendar " De Nova
Article V. —St. Sineach, of Srath. The Martyrology of Tallagh^ enters the name, at the 14th of February, of Sinach. His place is called
Stratha Irenn. On this day is recorded, in the . Martyrology of Donegal,^ Sineach, of Srath. There are many names of places in Ireland compounded
""
with Srath or Strath, meaning a river bottom'^ or valley. "
Article VI. —Reputed Festival of St. Gobnat, of Ballyvourney,
County of Cork. In his " \Sixth Century. ']
Farina" has the f—east of
Colma—n Priscus^ so called to distinguish him from St. Colman of Lindis- farne3 is said to have preached among the Picts and Scots, together with St. Medan, St. Modan^ and St. Euchinus. s His period is placed at 800. ^ By Dempster, he is said, to have embraced a religious life under St. Congell •^ but, this writer confounds Colman Priscus, with Colman, Bishop of Lindis- farne. It is not pretended, however, that either must be identified with the Colman, bishop, noted at this date.
Colman, bishop,
History
City of Cork,'' Smith says, that St. Gobnat's patron day was kept in Bally-
vourney,andinMuskerry,onthe14thofFebruary. ^ Yet,herproperfestival falls on the nth of this month, where her Acts will be found. In the parish
of Kilshanick,^ it is also stated, that in a mountainy tract, there is a well, dedicated to St. Gobnate, which is also visited, on the 14th of February.
" the bell of Patrick's
from the year 552, when it is mentioned in the Annals of Ulster, down to the owner- ship of its late possessor, the Rev. Dr. Todd.
" Works," vol. vi. , Britannicarum Ecclesi-
arum Antiquitates, cap, xv. , p. 221.
* See notices of them, at the 4th of Feb-
S9 Of one of
these,
Will," the history can actually be traced,
It is now in the Royal Irish Academy. A rum," lib. viii. , fol. 1 51.
History and Illustrations of this precious
ReHc have been published at Belfast, in 1850, by Marcus Ward and Co. It is a thin
Imperial 4tovolume,intituled, "FiveCromo-
Lithographic Drawings,representing an Irish Ecclesiastical Bell, which is supposed to have belonged to St. Patrick. And the several sides of the jewelled shrine in which
^" See Bishop Forbes'
tish Saints," p. 304.
by a historical
and illustrative — 185.
it is preserved ; accompanied
chap, ii,,
Description. "
^ *'=^
Article iv. See Bishop Forbes' Ka-
lendars of Scottish Saints," p. 68.
This large parish, situated in the barony of Duhallow, is described on the "Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Cork. " Sheets 31, 32, 33, 40, 41, 42, 49, 50.
=^ ** See John Lesley's
Historia Scotorum," 3 See Dr. Elrington's edition of Ussher's
lib. iv. , p. cxliii.
p.
at the xvi. Kalends of March. ^ A
ruary.
s See Hector Boetius'
"
Historise Scoto- Kalendars of Scot-
7 See
*'
Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis See-
of the and County
torum," tomus—i. , lib. iii. , num. 239, p. 139. ^
ARTICLE V. Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xv.
" Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
46, 47. — Article vi.
*
See book ii. ,
534 LIVES01THEIRISHSAINTS. [February15.
Article VII. —Saints Valentine and Marcellus, with Com- panions,Martyrs. The"Feilire"ofSt. ^ngus,'atthe14thofFebruary,
has a commemoration of Saints Valentine and Marcellus, together with eighty I others, martyrs. It is probable, St. ^ngus took the ancient Martyrology of EusebiusorofSt. Jeromeforhisauthority. Althoughwefind,aSt. Valentine,
bishop and martyr, at Baga and Taurus, in Spain ; a St. Valentine, at Ve- launensis, in Gaul ; a St. Valentine, priest and martyr, at Rome ; a St. Va-
lentine I. , bishop and martyr, at Imteramna, in Umbria ; a St. Valentine venerated at Gemmetis, in Gaul ; a St. Valentine, a Roman martyr, at Socuel-
lamus, in Spain ; a St. Valentine, a Roman martyr, at Hamedius and Armen-
teria, in Belgium ; a St. Valentine and xxiv. soldiers, martyrs, in Africa ;
yet, we do not meet with a St. Marcellus, commemorated by the Bollandists,
atthisdate. ^ Neitherdowefind80martyrcompanionsmentioned; although,
more martyrs than treble that number, in the aggregate, are venerated, at the 14th of February. It seems most probable, the allusion in St. Angus' " Feilire " refers to the celebrated St. Valentine, priest and martyr, who was beheaded at Rome, about the year 270. 3 From the facts already stated, and only having relation to one day, we may justly infer, how vast has been the number of those holy persons, who suffered martyrdom, in every age of the Church.
jfitteentft Bap of jfefiruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. BERACH OR BERACHIUS, ABBOT, PATRON OF KILBARRY, COUNTY OF ROSCOMMON.
[SIXTH OR SEVENTH CENTURY. ]
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—PROPHECY OF ST. PATRICK REGARDING ST.
BERACH—ACTS OF THIS HOLY MAN—HIS FAMILY AND BIRTH—BAPTISM AND FOSTERAGE, BY HIS UNCLE, CRUIMHTHER FROECH—HIS EARLY EDUCATION—SENT TO ST. DAGvEUS FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTION—MIRACLES AND MERITS OF ST. BERACH.
incomprehensible wonders revealed, by Divine Providence, are
THE manifested to specially man,
in the
and most excellent
highest
manner, through the samts, who, from all eternity, are predestined and pre-
elected. These are, the creatures of earth, so grandly and greatly created, that exhibit chiefly the supreme wisdom, the infinite power, and the perfect
Article vn. —* The following rann. copied from the " Leabhar Breac," and translated into English, by Professor O'Looney, refers to the combat of these soldiers of Christ :—
;
Cxyi. kl I1-I
mA^celluf ^o pin^Gt) ;
In the field of Valentine,
Marcel his was tortured ;
In the kingdom of Christ were
planted
Eighty comely [martyr] cham-
pions.
=* See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Feb-
|\oi
tlAlencme,
^Uich CiMi-c ^AocUrroAT),
1
Uxxjc. CAin cingex).
Fathers,MartyrsandotherPrincipalSaints," vol. ii. , February xiv.
niarii xiv.
3 See Rev. Alban Butler's
"
Lives of the
February 15. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 535
bounty, of God. In far western Ireland, so long buried in idolatry, the
Lord was pleased to raise up many holy persons, to make his designs miraculous, and to visit his children, lest these might be lost. Thus, within
the bounds of Connaught, he was pleased to light, as it were, a shining star, which should remove darkness, and show the way to those erring, or sitting in the shadows of death. Among such great luminaries, Berach seemed as a person sent by God, to prepare his paths through the desert of this world ; hismeritsweresuper-eminent; hewagedwaragainstthepowersofdarkness, by preaching, by reproof, by exhortation, by his visits to sinners, and, in fine, by his miracles. ^
Colgan has published the Acts of St. Berach, at the 15th of February. ^ They have been derived from two' distinct manuscripts. 3 One of these
belonged to the monastery of the island ;+ while, the other belonged to the church of which he was the patron. s Some manuscript Acts of this holy confessor,also,aretobefoundintheBodleianLibrary,atOxford. ^ Father John Bolland, after prefixing a commentary in six paragraphs, publishes a First Life of St. Berachius, or Berach, in four chapters, and thirty-one para- graphs, and a Second Life, in ten paragraphs. 7 These are merely republica- tions from Colgan. There is an Irish Life of St. Berach, transcribed by
Michael O'Clery, and preserved in the Burgundian Library, at Bruxelles. ^ So far as seen, by the writer, the Acts of this holy man appear to abound in
fables, and to have been drawn, chiefly from popular legends. The First
Life, as published, by Colgan, has a prayer to St. Berach appended, and it was probably composed as a sermon for his festival.
Before the birth of St. Berach, when the great Apostle of Ireland9 visited that part of the country, where he was destined to see the Hght, Gentiles and infidels were in possession of it. In vain, the herald of the Gospel soughttowithdrawthemfromerrorandsuperstition. Hisdiscipleswondered, that his admonitions and teaching should there fail ; but, in the spirit of
"
the man of God cried out
after me shall soon appear a man, to be born in these parts, and of this very race, who will remove error from among them, by his life and doctrine : not alone shall he convert this perverse and fierce clan, you now behold, but even many other people, such as these are, shall he bring as gentle lambs to Christ, through his powerful reasoning. " These words of the missionary jorophet were duly fulfilled.
The parents of St. Berach were of noble origin, and belonging to the
province of Connaught, they seem to have been Christians, at a time when Gentileerrorsstillabounded. BerachdescendedfromtheraceofDobhtha,
prophecy,
:
Brethren,
have a for patience while,
'
Article i. —Chapter i. — See his First
Life, in Colgan, chap. i.
=^ See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," XV.
Februarii. Vita S. Berachi, Abbatis, and Supplementum Vitse S. Berachi, pp. 340 to
348.
—3 this Ishall — Throughout article, designate
s This Life, originally in the Irish Ian- guage, has been translated into Latin, by
to their order of
one as the First or Latin Life, and the other
as the Second or Irish Life, or as the Sup-
plement.
4 In Lough Ree. The writer seems to
have been Augustin Magraidin, Canon Re- gular of the religious establisliment there, and who died, A. D. 1405. This Life is written, in Latin. It has narratives not found in the Second Life,
Vita S. Confessoris, et —Abbatis, MS. Bodl. Rawl.
according
publication
They are thus noticed
:
Berachi,
the former Life is more extended, yet it omits certain matters, con- tained in the Irish Life. The latter, how-
ever, is added, as a supplement to the First Life, inserted by Colgan.
^
Colgan. Although
folio. MS. Bodl. Rawl. B. 485, folio 130, veil. 4to, xiv. cent. 7 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xv.
Februarii, pp. 832 to 839.
^
Fol. 66.
9 See the Life of St. Patrick, at the lyih
of March.
B. 505, pp. 208 214, veil,
536 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February15.
who belonged to the posterity of Brian, son of Eochaidh Muighmhedhoin. ^° According to the Irish Life of our saint, his father's name was Nemnald," sometimes rendered Nemnann and Nemnall. " Less correctly is he called Nendal. ^3 This name is likewise Latinized, Nemnaldus,^* Nemnannus, Nemnallus,andNendalus. ^s TheIrishgenealogies^^makeoursaint'sfather the son of Nemagen, son to Fintan, son of Malius, son to Dobtha, son of ^ngus, son to Ere Deirg, son of Brian, son to Euchad Moimeadhoin. ^7 Fionmaith,^^ or Finmath,'9 sister to Cruimhther Fraech, of Cluain Con- maicne, in Muinter-Eolais, was his mother, and also the parent of his holy sister,thevirginMiodhabhair. =° ThefatherofFinmaithwasCarthage,son to Nathy, son of Onchuo. ^^
Their holy relative, named Froegius, or Froech,^^ lived in a certain district, and there he occupied a cell. After reciting matins and lauds, he went out, about the middle of the night, and looking in the direction of Connaught, he beheld a globular and bright luminous halo surrounding the house of Nemnald, and of his wife, Fionmaith. Wondering what such a
^4
According to the translated Irish Life,
"S Constituting a great part of the subse- quent county of Leitrim, or the O'Roorke's Country. See ibid.
in Colgan.
** See Dr. " Ecclesiastical His- Lanigan's
^s ^^
According
to the First Life.
At chapter viii.
*7 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
niae," xv. Februarii, n. 3, p. 346.
*^
According to the First Life, she is called Finscad.
*9 Thus is she named in the Irish Life.
=°
See an account of her, at the 22nd of February.
tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sect. vi. , nn. 82, 83, pp. 323 to 325.
^^^ See Archdall's "Monasticon Hibemi-
='
According to the tract of St. . ^ngus,
34, 35, 36, 37, 38.
-'> See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , section vi. , and n. 82, pp. 323, 324.
•' On the Mothers of the Irish Saints. "
=="
Also called Cruimhther Froech. See
Froech said to one of his " Go to the house disciples,
spectacle portended,
of my brother-in-law, Nemnald, and inform me, if my sister hath given birth to a boy : if so, bring him to me. " Obeying this order, the messenger at once set out for the house, where, on his arrival, he found a very beautiful infantwithFionmaith. Havinglearnedfromthemessengerthoseinstructions, given by Froech, the child was accordingly sent to him. When the latter saw how highly gifted, by nature, his infant nephew was, he directed that baptism should be administered, in the church, so that the neophyte should be washed with the water of regeneration, and that thus he might be pre- sented to Christ.
ThechildwasbornataplacecalledGortnaluachra. ^3 itissaidtohave been called Cluan, and to have been in the territory of Conmacnie. This comprised several districts. One of the Conmacnies was in Leitrim. 24 It was known as Conmacne-Rein, and afterwards as Muinter-Eolas. ^s The locality is now called Cloon, in the barony of Mohill, and county of Leitrim,='^ as we are informed. It was situated near the River Clone, and, at present it gives name to a parish in the diocese of Ardagh. =^7 This large parish, so called, is partly in the barony of Mohill, and partly in that of Carrigallen. ^^ Here dwelt his uncle, Froech, who was very celebrated among the priests of Ireland. =9
The first name given to the child was Fintan, until he had been brought tothefont,byhisuncle,St. FroechorFrsegius,whobaptizedhim. The
" Thus was he related, by collateral de- scent, to Niall the Great, King of Ireland.
*' Thus is he named in the Irish Life.
*'
*3 In the First or Latin Life.
Ware, ii. , Antiquities of Ireland," chap, vii. , p. 48.
According to the Irish Calendars.
notices of him, at the 20th of December, =3 According to the Irish Life.
^'> See Harris' vol. "
cum," p. 407.
=' **
See it described, on the
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Leitrim. " Sheets 25, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33,
February 15. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 537
parents had been required to know, what name ought to be imposed on their child, when they replied, it must be Berach. This being agreed to,
"
Froech said afterwards,
Rightly has this name been given to him, for he
shallbeasaint,andhisplaceshallbeinHeaven. " Wearefurnishedwith
an interpretation, for the name of Berach ; namely, that it has the significa-
tion of one, who takes a direct and an exact aim, at an object, or as reaching one, so to speak, with the point of a sword. 3° In Latin, this name is formu-
lated Berachius, Berachus, and Beragius, less correctly, also, he is called Berasius. Again, this name is thought to be written Berectus. When baptized, the mother naturally desired her infant to be sent home ; yet,
"
Know you, my dear sister, that no further care of this boy shall belong to you, for with me shall he remain, since God, who created him,isabletocausehisgrowth,withoutbeingsuckledbyamother. " To this strange request Fionmaith assented, and in a truly miraculous manner, Froech became a foster-father to the child. The latter grew up by degrees, and the Almighty seemed to supply every want, incident to his condition. By Froech, also, was Berach taught the rudiments of learning, when a mere infant. As the child grew up, he evinced the most affectionate regard towards his uncle. His piety and his love for learning were very admirable, sothathistimewaswhollyengagedwithprayerandstudy. Hisintellectual and pious disposition, even at this early age, boded his future eminence and great sanctity. He laboured to imitate his holy relative, and in the course of time, no other child of earth seemed to equal him, in the practise of good
works.
St. Berach is unwarrantably said to have become a disciple of the illus-
trious St. Columkille,3'' in lona. s^ It is true, a certain monk, named Berachus, is mentioned in his Acts,33 as having received that holy abbot's benediction ; and, afterwards, as sailing, from Hy, to the Island of Ethica. Colgan thought it very probable, that Berach, the monk, might be identical with the present saint. However, in neither of his lives does any mention of St. Columba occur, nor anything to indicate, that our Berach had ever been a member of the lona community. 34
The child was only seven years, when he was sent to learn, at the school
of a holy man, called Dageus. 35 He lived, at Iniscaoin, in the present county of Louth. 3^ While there, the boy Berach went through an excellent course of studies, in sacred and secular learning. His after career was dis- tinguished,forconsummatewisdom. HisobediencetoSt. Dagaeuswasre- markable, while he became renowned for great virtues and miracles. 37
While St. Berach was the disciple of Bishop Daigh,38 the latter sent him to a certain mill, in Magh Muirtheimhne. 39 Some guests had arrived at Iniscaoin,4°andSt. Berachhadbeenappointedtowaitonthem. But,he
Froech said to her,
3° SeeColgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," XV. Februarii. Prima Vita S. Berachi,
n. 2, p. 346.
3* See his Life, at the 9th of June.
32 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbag, chap. X. , pp. 488, 501.
43 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
niae," xiv. Februarii. De S. Convano seu
verius Conano, vel Comano, pp. 335, 336. 4* Here he seems to follow John Lesley's
inexact account, in " De Origine, Moribus . et Rebus Gestis Scotorum," lib. iv. , p. 151.
"-^ " See Colgan's
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
45 See the Bollandists'
"
Acta Sanctorum,"
land," vol. iii. , plates 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47. Another plate 48 is devoted to the Earl's Palace, so admirably described in Sir Walter Scott's "
tomus Februarii xiv. , p. 741. ii. ,
Pirate," chap. xxxi.
—
entry
nise," xiv. Februarii. De S. Convano, seu
verius Conano, vel Comano, p. 336, and n* 2, ibid.
49 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xv.
^o Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp* 48, 49.
si Dr. Todd adds in a note to Caom-haiH^
"The later hand ' Sed M.
Taml.
Commanus.
'"
adds,
5= See ibid. ^ pp. 372, 373.
S3 His festival is held, on the 1 6th of
April.
S4 Those, who have not an opportunity of
visiting Kirkwall, may form a very correct idea of the magnificence of St. Magnus' Ca- thedral, by inspecting those fine steel en- gravings, in Robert William
" Ba- ronial and Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Scot-
Billing's
532 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 14.
and energy of the Norwegians, when they held sway over the north of Scot-
land. It was commenced, by Earl Rogwald IL, in 1137 or 1138, and much oftheoriginalbuildingremainstothepresentday. Hecausedthecathedral
to be erected, in fulfillment of a vow, and for the express purpose of receiving the relics of St. Magnus, his uncle. The earl had inherited his right to a
shareoftheearldomoftheOrkneys,throughSt. Magnus. Averyinteresting history of Orkneymen, the Jarls, and the Odallors of Norwegian origin, who established an earldom in the isles to the north of Scotland, in the ninth century, and whose descendants, for several centuries, had been masters of the Hebrides, and of the north of Scotland proper, will be found in the
" ss xhe Orkneyinga Saga. "
subsequent
Norse Jarls, for three and a half centuries, as given in the pages of the
"
Saga," is the principal authority for the history of northern Scotland. This narrative is chiefly personal, and it embodies the songs of the Skalds. In these were preserved, by oral recitation and tradition, the mighty deeds of the Orcadian heroes. There is historical proof, that the Saga was complete, in its present form, about the thirteenth century, and it is supposed, from internal evidences, that it was finally put together, between the years 1222 and1225. 57 Theintroduction,writtenbyMr. Anderson,occupiesabouta third of the work. It comprises an account of the earliest history of the Orkneys, from the days when the first dawn of Christianity on the isles took place, down to the termination of the Norwegian bishoprics of Orkney and Caithness, in 1469. The most interesting portion of this introduction is that, in which the ancient churches of Orkney, the barrows, cairns, rude stone monuments, and other memorials of the early inhabitants, are described and discussed. That old church on the little isle of Egilsey possesses a chief attraction for the antiquary or lover of ecclesiastical architecture. In it, we find a connexion with the earlier Christianity of these islands, previous to the Norse invasion. It consists of a small chancel and a nave, lighted by a fewround-headedanddeeply-splayedwindows. Aroundtowerstandsat the west end. This tower is now forty-eight feet high, but fifteen feet were recently taken off the height, to prevent its falling. In old engravings, it is represented, as covered by a stone conical roof, the usual termination for the round towers of Ireland. The Celtic Christians that devised the round tower of Ireland have clearly had a hand in the erection of this, and its date can scarcely be assigned to a later period than that of the ninth century. 58 Some churches of the Orkney Isles contain notable traces, that identify them, doubtless, regarding early Celtic worship. Next to these structures, one of the most conclusive proofs, establishing the Christian occupation of the Orkneys before the time of the Norsemen, is to be found
55 A mround plan, as also an architectural
and archaeological description of it will be found in Mackenzie E. C. Walcott's " Scoti-
to
Monasticon," pp. 173
5^ Lately, we have had published, an ex-
cellent edition of this work, " The Orkney- inga Saga," translated from the Icelandic
language, by Jon. A. Hjaltalin and Gilbert Goudie, edited, with notes and an introduc- lion, by Joseph Anderson. Edmonston and Douglas, Edinburgh, 1873.
57 Tradition, even, is silent, as to the author or authors of the "Orkneyinga Saga," or as regards the compilers of the unwritten
materials, upon which it is based.
but when he comes to assign any reason for his belief, his conclusions appear very im-
5^
Sir Henry Dryden ^oubts its antiquity,
178.
at
page xciii. ,
" On the other hand,
account of this under earldom,
Mr. Anderson follows him, and
potent.
states,
the resemblance to the round towered churches of Norfolk suggests that it may have been of Scandinavian origin. " So far, however, as concerns the round towers of Norfolk and Suffolk, from the elaborate specimen at Little Saxham, to the most un-
couth English forms, if photographs and drawings are of any worth, there is no re- semblance between those towers and the one at Egilsey ; nor, can it be determined, moreover, that the former had not been
built on previously.
February 14. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAIN2S, 533
in the discovery of two ancient square-sided bells, at Saverough and Burrian. Thesehavetheinvertedwedgeshape. Bellsofthisdescriptionwerepeculiar totheearlyagesoftheChurch. Thesebellswerenotcast,butmadefrom plates of metal, riveted, and a large number of similar ones have been dis- entombed in Ireland. 59 It is rather curious, when there are such abundant proofs of early Christian settlement in the existence of these bells, in the preservation of ancient crosses, and of saint-styled place-names, that Mr. Anderson should be so hard to convince, regarding the antiquity traceable in the actual masonry of the Orkney churches.
Article IV. —St. Colman, Bishop. Among the various holy men,
calledColman,inourCalendars,it seemsnoeasymattertodetermine,who the present had been, or the time when he lived. The Kalendar " De Nova
Article V. —St. Sineach, of Srath. The Martyrology of Tallagh^ enters the name, at the 14th of February, of Sinach. His place is called
Stratha Irenn. On this day is recorded, in the . Martyrology of Donegal,^ Sineach, of Srath. There are many names of places in Ireland compounded
""
with Srath or Strath, meaning a river bottom'^ or valley. "
Article VI. —Reputed Festival of St. Gobnat, of Ballyvourney,
County of Cork. In his " \Sixth Century. ']
Farina" has the f—east of
Colma—n Priscus^ so called to distinguish him from St. Colman of Lindis- farne3 is said to have preached among the Picts and Scots, together with St. Medan, St. Modan^ and St. Euchinus. s His period is placed at 800. ^ By Dempster, he is said, to have embraced a religious life under St. Congell •^ but, this writer confounds Colman Priscus, with Colman, Bishop of Lindis- farne. It is not pretended, however, that either must be identified with the Colman, bishop, noted at this date.
Colman, bishop,
History
City of Cork,'' Smith says, that St. Gobnat's patron day was kept in Bally-
vourney,andinMuskerry,onthe14thofFebruary. ^ Yet,herproperfestival falls on the nth of this month, where her Acts will be found. In the parish
of Kilshanick,^ it is also stated, that in a mountainy tract, there is a well, dedicated to St. Gobnate, which is also visited, on the 14th of February.
" the bell of Patrick's
from the year 552, when it is mentioned in the Annals of Ulster, down to the owner- ship of its late possessor, the Rev. Dr. Todd.
" Works," vol. vi. , Britannicarum Ecclesi-
arum Antiquitates, cap, xv. , p. 221.
* See notices of them, at the 4th of Feb-
S9 Of one of
these,
Will," the history can actually be traced,
It is now in the Royal Irish Academy. A rum," lib. viii. , fol. 1 51.
History and Illustrations of this precious
ReHc have been published at Belfast, in 1850, by Marcus Ward and Co. It is a thin
Imperial 4tovolume,intituled, "FiveCromo-
Lithographic Drawings,representing an Irish Ecclesiastical Bell, which is supposed to have belonged to St. Patrick. And the several sides of the jewelled shrine in which
^" See Bishop Forbes'
tish Saints," p. 304.
by a historical
and illustrative — 185.
it is preserved ; accompanied
chap, ii,,
Description. "
^ *'=^
Article iv. See Bishop Forbes' Ka-
lendars of Scottish Saints," p. 68.
This large parish, situated in the barony of Duhallow, is described on the "Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Cork. " Sheets 31, 32, 33, 40, 41, 42, 49, 50.
=^ ** See John Lesley's
Historia Scotorum," 3 See Dr. Elrington's edition of Ussher's
lib. iv. , p. cxliii.
p.
at the xvi. Kalends of March. ^ A
ruary.
s See Hector Boetius'
"
Historise Scoto- Kalendars of Scot-
7 See
*'
Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis See-
of the and County
torum," tomus—i. , lib. iii. , num. 239, p. 139. ^
ARTICLE V. Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xv.
" Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
46, 47. — Article vi.
*
See book ii. ,
534 LIVES01THEIRISHSAINTS. [February15.
Article VII. —Saints Valentine and Marcellus, with Com- panions,Martyrs. The"Feilire"ofSt. ^ngus,'atthe14thofFebruary,
has a commemoration of Saints Valentine and Marcellus, together with eighty I others, martyrs. It is probable, St. ^ngus took the ancient Martyrology of EusebiusorofSt. Jeromeforhisauthority. Althoughwefind,aSt. Valentine,
bishop and martyr, at Baga and Taurus, in Spain ; a St. Valentine, at Ve- launensis, in Gaul ; a St. Valentine, priest and martyr, at Rome ; a St. Va-
lentine I. , bishop and martyr, at Imteramna, in Umbria ; a St. Valentine venerated at Gemmetis, in Gaul ; a St. Valentine, a Roman martyr, at Socuel-
lamus, in Spain ; a St. Valentine, a Roman martyr, at Hamedius and Armen-
teria, in Belgium ; a St. Valentine and xxiv. soldiers, martyrs, in Africa ;
yet, we do not meet with a St. Marcellus, commemorated by the Bollandists,
atthisdate. ^ Neitherdowefind80martyrcompanionsmentioned; although,
more martyrs than treble that number, in the aggregate, are venerated, at the 14th of February. It seems most probable, the allusion in St. Angus' " Feilire " refers to the celebrated St. Valentine, priest and martyr, who was beheaded at Rome, about the year 270. 3 From the facts already stated, and only having relation to one day, we may justly infer, how vast has been the number of those holy persons, who suffered martyrdom, in every age of the Church.
jfitteentft Bap of jfefiruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. BERACH OR BERACHIUS, ABBOT, PATRON OF KILBARRY, COUNTY OF ROSCOMMON.
[SIXTH OR SEVENTH CENTURY. ]
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—PROPHECY OF ST. PATRICK REGARDING ST.
BERACH—ACTS OF THIS HOLY MAN—HIS FAMILY AND BIRTH—BAPTISM AND FOSTERAGE, BY HIS UNCLE, CRUIMHTHER FROECH—HIS EARLY EDUCATION—SENT TO ST. DAGvEUS FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTION—MIRACLES AND MERITS OF ST. BERACH.
incomprehensible wonders revealed, by Divine Providence, are
THE manifested to specially man,
in the
and most excellent
highest
manner, through the samts, who, from all eternity, are predestined and pre-
elected. These are, the creatures of earth, so grandly and greatly created, that exhibit chiefly the supreme wisdom, the infinite power, and the perfect
Article vn. —* The following rann. copied from the " Leabhar Breac," and translated into English, by Professor O'Looney, refers to the combat of these soldiers of Christ :—
;
Cxyi. kl I1-I
mA^celluf ^o pin^Gt) ;
In the field of Valentine,
Marcel his was tortured ;
In the kingdom of Christ were
planted
Eighty comely [martyr] cham-
pions.
=* See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Feb-
|\oi
tlAlencme,
^Uich CiMi-c ^AocUrroAT),
1
Uxxjc. CAin cingex).
Fathers,MartyrsandotherPrincipalSaints," vol. ii. , February xiv.
niarii xiv.
3 See Rev. Alban Butler's
"
Lives of the
February 15. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 535
bounty, of God. In far western Ireland, so long buried in idolatry, the
Lord was pleased to raise up many holy persons, to make his designs miraculous, and to visit his children, lest these might be lost. Thus, within
the bounds of Connaught, he was pleased to light, as it were, a shining star, which should remove darkness, and show the way to those erring, or sitting in the shadows of death. Among such great luminaries, Berach seemed as a person sent by God, to prepare his paths through the desert of this world ; hismeritsweresuper-eminent; hewagedwaragainstthepowersofdarkness, by preaching, by reproof, by exhortation, by his visits to sinners, and, in fine, by his miracles. ^
Colgan has published the Acts of St. Berach, at the 15th of February. ^ They have been derived from two' distinct manuscripts. 3 One of these
belonged to the monastery of the island ;+ while, the other belonged to the church of which he was the patron. s Some manuscript Acts of this holy confessor,also,aretobefoundintheBodleianLibrary,atOxford. ^ Father John Bolland, after prefixing a commentary in six paragraphs, publishes a First Life of St. Berachius, or Berach, in four chapters, and thirty-one para- graphs, and a Second Life, in ten paragraphs. 7 These are merely republica- tions from Colgan. There is an Irish Life of St. Berach, transcribed by
Michael O'Clery, and preserved in the Burgundian Library, at Bruxelles. ^ So far as seen, by the writer, the Acts of this holy man appear to abound in
fables, and to have been drawn, chiefly from popular legends. The First
Life, as published, by Colgan, has a prayer to St. Berach appended, and it was probably composed as a sermon for his festival.
Before the birth of St. Berach, when the great Apostle of Ireland9 visited that part of the country, where he was destined to see the Hght, Gentiles and infidels were in possession of it. In vain, the herald of the Gospel soughttowithdrawthemfromerrorandsuperstition. Hisdiscipleswondered, that his admonitions and teaching should there fail ; but, in the spirit of
"
the man of God cried out
after me shall soon appear a man, to be born in these parts, and of this very race, who will remove error from among them, by his life and doctrine : not alone shall he convert this perverse and fierce clan, you now behold, but even many other people, such as these are, shall he bring as gentle lambs to Christ, through his powerful reasoning. " These words of the missionary jorophet were duly fulfilled.
The parents of St. Berach were of noble origin, and belonging to the
province of Connaught, they seem to have been Christians, at a time when Gentileerrorsstillabounded. BerachdescendedfromtheraceofDobhtha,
prophecy,
:
Brethren,
have a for patience while,
'
Article i. —Chapter i. — See his First
Life, in Colgan, chap. i.
=^ See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," XV.
Februarii. Vita S. Berachi, Abbatis, and Supplementum Vitse S. Berachi, pp. 340 to
348.
—3 this Ishall — Throughout article, designate
s This Life, originally in the Irish Ian- guage, has been translated into Latin, by
to their order of
one as the First or Latin Life, and the other
as the Second or Irish Life, or as the Sup-
plement.
4 In Lough Ree. The writer seems to
have been Augustin Magraidin, Canon Re- gular of the religious establisliment there, and who died, A. D. 1405. This Life is written, in Latin. It has narratives not found in the Second Life,
Vita S. Confessoris, et —Abbatis, MS. Bodl. Rawl.
according
publication
They are thus noticed
:
Berachi,
the former Life is more extended, yet it omits certain matters, con- tained in the Irish Life. The latter, how-
ever, is added, as a supplement to the First Life, inserted by Colgan.
^
Colgan. Although
folio. MS. Bodl. Rawl. B. 485, folio 130, veil. 4to, xiv. cent. 7 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , xv.
Februarii, pp. 832 to 839.
^
Fol. 66.
9 See the Life of St. Patrick, at the lyih
of March.
B. 505, pp. 208 214, veil,
536 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February15.
who belonged to the posterity of Brian, son of Eochaidh Muighmhedhoin. ^° According to the Irish Life of our saint, his father's name was Nemnald," sometimes rendered Nemnann and Nemnall. " Less correctly is he called Nendal. ^3 This name is likewise Latinized, Nemnaldus,^* Nemnannus, Nemnallus,andNendalus. ^s TheIrishgenealogies^^makeoursaint'sfather the son of Nemagen, son to Fintan, son of Malius, son to Dobtha, son of ^ngus, son to Ere Deirg, son of Brian, son to Euchad Moimeadhoin. ^7 Fionmaith,^^ or Finmath,'9 sister to Cruimhther Fraech, of Cluain Con- maicne, in Muinter-Eolais, was his mother, and also the parent of his holy sister,thevirginMiodhabhair. =° ThefatherofFinmaithwasCarthage,son to Nathy, son of Onchuo. ^^
Their holy relative, named Froegius, or Froech,^^ lived in a certain district, and there he occupied a cell. After reciting matins and lauds, he went out, about the middle of the night, and looking in the direction of Connaught, he beheld a globular and bright luminous halo surrounding the house of Nemnald, and of his wife, Fionmaith. Wondering what such a
^4
According to the translated Irish Life,
"S Constituting a great part of the subse- quent county of Leitrim, or the O'Roorke's Country. See ibid.
in Colgan.
** See Dr. " Ecclesiastical His- Lanigan's
^s ^^
According
to the First Life.
At chapter viii.
*7 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
niae," xv. Februarii, n. 3, p. 346.
*^
According to the First Life, she is called Finscad.
*9 Thus is she named in the Irish Life.
=°
See an account of her, at the 22nd of February.
tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , sect. vi. , nn. 82, 83, pp. 323 to 325.
^^^ See Archdall's "Monasticon Hibemi-
='
According to the tract of St. . ^ngus,
34, 35, 36, 37, 38.
-'> See Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical His-
tory of Ireland," vol. ii. , chap, xiv. , section vi. , and n. 82, pp. 323, 324.
•' On the Mothers of the Irish Saints. "
=="
Also called Cruimhther Froech. See
Froech said to one of his " Go to the house disciples,
spectacle portended,
of my brother-in-law, Nemnald, and inform me, if my sister hath given birth to a boy : if so, bring him to me. " Obeying this order, the messenger at once set out for the house, where, on his arrival, he found a very beautiful infantwithFionmaith. Havinglearnedfromthemessengerthoseinstructions, given by Froech, the child was accordingly sent to him. When the latter saw how highly gifted, by nature, his infant nephew was, he directed that baptism should be administered, in the church, so that the neophyte should be washed with the water of regeneration, and that thus he might be pre- sented to Christ.
ThechildwasbornataplacecalledGortnaluachra. ^3 itissaidtohave been called Cluan, and to have been in the territory of Conmacnie. This comprised several districts. One of the Conmacnies was in Leitrim. 24 It was known as Conmacne-Rein, and afterwards as Muinter-Eolas. ^s The locality is now called Cloon, in the barony of Mohill, and county of Leitrim,='^ as we are informed. It was situated near the River Clone, and, at present it gives name to a parish in the diocese of Ardagh. =^7 This large parish, so called, is partly in the barony of Mohill, and partly in that of Carrigallen. ^^ Here dwelt his uncle, Froech, who was very celebrated among the priests of Ireland. =9
The first name given to the child was Fintan, until he had been brought tothefont,byhisuncle,St. FroechorFrsegius,whobaptizedhim. The
" Thus was he related, by collateral de- scent, to Niall the Great, King of Ireland.
*' Thus is he named in the Irish Life.
*'
*3 In the First or Latin Life.
Ware, ii. , Antiquities of Ireland," chap, vii. , p. 48.
According to the Irish Calendars.
notices of him, at the 20th of December, =3 According to the Irish Life.
^'> See Harris' vol. "
cum," p. 407.
=' **
See it described, on the
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Leitrim. " Sheets 25, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33,
February 15. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 537
parents had been required to know, what name ought to be imposed on their child, when they replied, it must be Berach. This being agreed to,
"
Froech said afterwards,
Rightly has this name been given to him, for he
shallbeasaint,andhisplaceshallbeinHeaven. " Wearefurnishedwith
an interpretation, for the name of Berach ; namely, that it has the significa-
tion of one, who takes a direct and an exact aim, at an object, or as reaching one, so to speak, with the point of a sword. 3° In Latin, this name is formu-
lated Berachius, Berachus, and Beragius, less correctly, also, he is called Berasius. Again, this name is thought to be written Berectus. When baptized, the mother naturally desired her infant to be sent home ; yet,
"
Know you, my dear sister, that no further care of this boy shall belong to you, for with me shall he remain, since God, who created him,isabletocausehisgrowth,withoutbeingsuckledbyamother. " To this strange request Fionmaith assented, and in a truly miraculous manner, Froech became a foster-father to the child. The latter grew up by degrees, and the Almighty seemed to supply every want, incident to his condition. By Froech, also, was Berach taught the rudiments of learning, when a mere infant. As the child grew up, he evinced the most affectionate regard towards his uncle. His piety and his love for learning were very admirable, sothathistimewaswhollyengagedwithprayerandstudy. Hisintellectual and pious disposition, even at this early age, boded his future eminence and great sanctity. He laboured to imitate his holy relative, and in the course of time, no other child of earth seemed to equal him, in the practise of good
works.
St. Berach is unwarrantably said to have become a disciple of the illus-
trious St. Columkille,3'' in lona. s^ It is true, a certain monk, named Berachus, is mentioned in his Acts,33 as having received that holy abbot's benediction ; and, afterwards, as sailing, from Hy, to the Island of Ethica. Colgan thought it very probable, that Berach, the monk, might be identical with the present saint. However, in neither of his lives does any mention of St. Columba occur, nor anything to indicate, that our Berach had ever been a member of the lona community. 34
The child was only seven years, when he was sent to learn, at the school
of a holy man, called Dageus. 35 He lived, at Iniscaoin, in the present county of Louth. 3^ While there, the boy Berach went through an excellent course of studies, in sacred and secular learning. His after career was dis- tinguished,forconsummatewisdom. HisobediencetoSt. Dagaeuswasre- markable, while he became renowned for great virtues and miracles. 37
While St. Berach was the disciple of Bishop Daigh,38 the latter sent him to a certain mill, in Magh Muirtheimhne. 39 Some guests had arrived at Iniscaoin,4°andSt. Berachhadbeenappointedtowaitonthem. But,he
Froech said to her,
3° SeeColgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," XV. Februarii. Prima Vita S. Berachi,
n. 2, p. 346.
3* See his Life, at the 9th of June.
32 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " Quarta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbag, chap. X. , pp. 488, 501.
