Colgan
acknowledges
himself unable to decide, if that Mudan were identical, with the saint, celebrated at the 6th of March,
*° See Dr.
*° See Dr.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v3
He succeeded to the Blessed Moeldarius, or Maelodhar, Bishop of this place, who died in the year 886.
^ Cairpre Crom is styled.
Bishop of Cluain-mic Nois, and head of the religion of the greater part of Erinn, in his time.
?
Hence, we may infer the great eminence, as an ecclesiastic, he attained.
The legend of Coirpre Crom, Bishop of Clonmacnoise, who died a.
d.
899, and of Melaghlan or Malachy, Monarch of Ireland, who died a.
d.
860, is contained in the Leabhar Breac,^ which belongs to the Royal Irish Academy.
In the O'Longan Manuscripts,^ R.
I.
A.
, Dublin, there is an ancient prose legend, regarding St.
Ciarain of Cluain Mac Nois and Cairbre Crom.
This is likewise contained in Scholia, affixedtotheFestilogyofSt.
^ngus.
Fromthis,ColganinferstheActsof St.
Carpre were formerly extant, and that this fragment may be deemed an excerpt,whichtheO'Cleryshavethusabridged.
Itisstated,thattoCorpre was shown the spirit of Maelsechlainn,'° son of Maelruanaidh, King of Erinn,"accordingtoanoldlegend.
Totheiraccount,theO'Clerysappend the following observation : a.
d.
1022, on the 4th of the Nones of September, Maelsechlainn died.
^^ On a certain day, when Cairpre was praying alone in his church,^3 after vespers, he saw a coal-black figure, coming towards him,
Article hi. —' See "Acta Sanctorum book and it is said to have ii. ,
Hibernias," Martii vi. De S. Corpreo Epis- copo Cluanensi, pp, 508, 509.
^
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Martii vi. De S. Corpreo seu Carbreo
Episcopo Cluain-Mic-Nosise, in Hibemia, pp. 468, 469.
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvii.
4 See "Britannia Sancta," part i. , p. 159. 5 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
66, 67.
^ See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 538, 539.
7 Thus is he styled, in the Martyrology of
Marianus O'Gorman.
^
* It is marked Vol. vi. , pp. 93, 94.
occurred, while Malachy was only the provincial king ofMeath. Afterwards,bythesuffragesof the nobility of Ireland, he is stated to have reigned as supreme monarch, from A. D. 879 to 897. However, he was dead before this
period.
" In Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," his death is placed, at A. D.
It IS a large vellum folio MS. , classed, at present. No. 40, 6.
'°
A. D. 845 to 860—according to the "Annals of the Four Masters. " Regarding him is told a romantic story, evidently of bardic origin, of his freeing Ireland from the tyranny of Turgesius, through a stratagem, alluded to by Giraldus Cambrensis, in his "Topographia Hiberniae," Dist. iii. , cap.
40. It is related, more at length, in Dr. "
This king reigned sixteen years from oversight, has given the year and day,
Jeoffry Keating's
History of Ireland,"
'3 in a note, Dr. Todd says at this passage, "The word here used to signify church is Regies, ecclesia regularis or abba- tialis ; it generally signifies a church, specially devoted to burials. "
'* The Leabhar Breac narrative stafes,
moreover, that this figure had a bright circle M
had some re- probably
860. See vol. i. , pp. 494, 495. The ""
Annales Uitonienses have it, at A. D. 861. But, the true date is Tuesday, 30th November, A. D. 863. See O'Flaherty's
" Ogygia," pars, iii. , cap. xciii. , p. 434.
'^ -pj^jg letter clause is found within brackets, in a more recent hand, than in the original, but the date is wrong, as Dr. Todd remarks. He says: "The writer, by an — on
the and day on which Maelsechlainn I. died. "
which Maelsechlainn II. died, not
year
178 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 6.
so that it stood in his presence. ^^ The bishop asked who he was/5 when the apparition answered, that it was JMaelsechlainn, son of Maelruanaidh, and he told him every kind of pain which he was suffering in Purgatory, with other particulars, besides the cause why himself and. his spiritual director had been thus punished. Then we are told, that the bishop undertook to make intercession for the king ; and, he ordered certain priests'^ to pray for the priest, to bring him from pains. The bishop announced, that he should himself pray for the king. They did so, respectively, and to the end of the half year. As Cairpre was at prayer, towards the end of that period, he saw the king coming towards him, and half-speckled -^ when, he returned thanks to the bishop, for what had been done for him. ^^ The king then implored
around the neck, and it was clothed only in an under garment, which wanted one sleeve. 'S The Leabhar Breac version adds : "I not. " He answered, ' ' I am a spirit. " "What hath made thee black? "
said the
bishop.
and the greatness of my punisliment," he repHed. ''Were not prayers offered for thee? " asked the bishop, "or had you
ghostly friends among the clergy, while you
It availed me more, that
appearance at present ? " The king an- swered, "When, a short time previously, demons tormented me in the air, driving me hither and thither, we heard the psalms of your choirs, and then terrified the demons
were and fled through space. dispersed
For, in no place, on the earth or in the air, can evil spirits rest, when they hear your
know
you
""
psalmody. " After such colloquy, the king continued: "O woe, woe is me, now I must return to those tortures, but if, for the solace you have so briefly afforded me, you will accept some small compensation, I shall it. " "How"
" The number of sins, my
were living ?
I had been buried at Clonmacnoise," said
"
the spirit, than any aid they afforded me.
the intercession of St. I Through Kieran,
shall be saved on the day of judgment. " " It is unfortunate," the bishop answered, " if you had not some confessor or spiritual director to advise the good works you should do. " " I had a certain priest of Clonmac- noise as a director, nor did I pay much at- tention to "his counsels ; however, I gave him this golden ring. But, how doth it profit me, while I am now so greatly tor- tured ? Woe to that man, who is carnal, and who hath not a spiritual director, or who doth not good works while living. " On
this, the bishop enquired, if he had an
give ? enquired the holy man. "On a certain occasion, when I made an attack on Dublin, and when en- gaging the Northman enemy, I obtained among the spoils one hundred ounces of gold, and one thousand ounces of silver, which I hid under the earth, only one of my servants being present, and whom I ordered to be killed, lest he should reveal this treasure to others, or take it away himself. No one is now living, who knows where it is deposited, and there it remains to the present date ; yet, I will indicate the spot for you, and then dispose of the money as
for and opportunity practising gocd works,
" I
" I cannot receive the greater gift, when the
lesser one bestowed by you, when living, brought such little profit ; and therefore, I
absolutely renounce your present. " Then the spirit vanished, with the exclamation, " Woe, woe, to him, who doth not do good while the time for doing it is afforded. "
'* The Leabhar Breac states, these were twelve in number.
'' In a note. Dr. Todd says at this word,
was answered in the affirmative. " I am Malachy, son of Moelruanac, the grandson
of Dunchad, and the King of Ireland, so that I had power to do good. " " O dread-
ful matter," said the bishop, "what hap- pened to the priest, thy director, did he turn thy gifts to good account? " "He
suffers still greater torments," replied the king, "and the ring, which I gave him, is a fiery circle around his neck ; alas ! he can- not aid me, for he is in a worse state him- self. " "And why have you that bright
"
this to
"
"That is the reward, and a token of the
half-speckled,
that one half of the spectre appeared shining as if in glory, the other half black as before, to intimate that the deliverance of the king
circle about your neck ?
asked the bishop. "But why are
"
enquired the bishop. The king replied, "At one time, certain scholars, belonging to this church, came to me, asking me to provide a gar- ment for a poor and half-naked student. I directed the queen, as I had nothing else, to bestow, a precious undergarment of mine to be given him, and therefore you see me covered with that garment. " The holy man then asked, "What is the reason for your
'
— Rex
ring* I g^ve to the priest. " you clothed in this garment ?
was but half effected
:
apparuit
you please. "
protest,"
cried the
bishop,
mean,
ful- gentem media ex parte, ex altera atram, ut
prius, profercns speciem. '"
'^ The Leabhar Breac relates, that IMa-
lachy stated, how his condition was amelio-
rated, but that his spirit was on the top of
a very high tree, and over a deep abyss ;
again, that it was exposed to the buffeting of winds and great cold, while, no matter
how slight were those punishments in the other life, the king declared, that those who
Colgan explains
March 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 179
him to do the same, until the end of another half-year. The clerics obeyed
this request, while they fasted and prayed fervently, giving frequent alms, to the end of another half-year. Then the king came in a bright form towards Cairpre, and returned thanks to the holy bishop, for what he had done. The monarch told him, that he should go to heaven, on that day, and that the priest should enter it on the next day. Cairpre asked why the king should go before the priest. The king said, it was owing to the excellence of the bishop's prayers, and to the superiority of his over the priests' intercession. This was in allusion to twelve priests, who were at Chiain Mic Nois, at that time. Then, the king, giving thanks to and blessing the bishop, ascended into heaven, in his presence. Among other things related, in the year 894, St. Cairbre Crom, with a Synod of Seniors, assisted at a convocation, held at Inis-Aingin, now Hare Island, in Lough Ree, on the River Shannon. At thistime,theplaceitselfwasinvaded,bythepeopleofConnaught. Aman was mortally Avounded there, and the shrine of Ciaran'9 was profaned. ''" This bishop died a. d. 899, according to the " Annals of the Four Masters. "^^
An eloquent and a distinguished bishop of the Church,^^ alluding to the words of a venerated and learned ecclesiastic,^3 has remarked, when we hear of those marvellous things, concerning miracles and visions, the Catholic does not believe, that he is bound to accept them all, since those reported miracles have to be examined, upon the very same laws of evidence, by whichanyotherfactsareexamined. Thus,inthelegendofthepresentholy prelate, an old tradition is here set down, but solely as a curious illustration of our Irish mediaeval folk-lore.
Article IV. —St. Muadan, Bishop of Carn Furbaidhe. The iden- tity of this saint, his epoch, and locality, are involved in the greatest obscurity. In the Martyrolog'y of Tallagh,^ we find this record, Muadan Cairnfurbaidhe,^ registered at the 6th of March. We are informed, that the church of Kill- Modain, or of Kill-Mhodain, was near this latter place, and that it had been within the county of Longford, in a part, too, which formerly belonged to Connaught. IntheIrishLifeofSt. Columkille,3whosecontemporaryheis stated to have been, Mudan is designated only as Abbot of this latter place. If we regard the statement of Marianus O'Gorman, who styles him, in his Martyrology at this date, Modan, he was Bishop of Carnfurbuidhe. This St. Muadan, or Modan, is entered in the Martyrology of Cathald Maguire. '^ At the 6th of March, the Martyrology of Donegals enters the festival of St
suffered them seemed to think punishments of the damned. Then the spirit disappeared.
'' This was St. Kiaran, Abbot of Clon- macnoise, whose Life may be seen, at the 9th of September, the day for his feast.
Article iv. —' Edited Rev. Dr. by
Kelly, p. xvii.
=
I find the word Furbaidhi written dis- tinctly away from this entry, in Dr. Kelly's published copy, as if it were the proper name of a saint. Probably, however, it is only a second entry for this locality.
3 According to Colgan, the passage is in- dicated, as being in chap. 115. However, in O'Donnell's or Quinta Vita S. Columbae,
lib. ii. , cap. vi. , p. 410, and n. 8, p. 452, a legend is related, about a certain Mudan, wlio inhospitably received St. Columba, at
Kill-Mudain,
Crunnther Fraech.
Colgan acknowledges himself unable to decide, if that Mudan were identical, with the saint, celebrated at the 6th of March,
*° See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 552, 553.
" See Dr. -O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. , PP- 558, 559-
" See a late most interesting tract, by the Rt. Rev. Patrick J. Ryan, Bishop of Trico- mia, and Coadjutor to the Archbishop of St.
Louis: " What Catholics do not
" a Lecture delivered in Mercantile Library Hall, on Sunday evening, December i6th,
after he had taken leave of
1877, p. 35. Second edition, St. Louis,
1878. 8vo.
'3
Very Rev. John Henry Newman, D. D.
• See Colgau's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
they
were
believe,
i8o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 6.
Muadan, Bishop of Cam Furbaidhe. Besides the objection, that what is re- lated in O'DonnelFs Acts of St. Cokimba, by no means estabhshes Modan's claim to be a saint ; if, as conjectured, our ]\Iuadan was a disciple to St. BarrofCork,^hecouldhardlyhavebeenSt. Columba'scontemporary. He flourished about a. d. 561, at the time when the battle of Culadremhne had been fought. ? The legend, relating to the Modan, by whom St. Columba^ hadbeensoinhospitablyreceived,isridiculouslyabsurd; and,inaddition,
it is stated, that the great abbot pronounced a malediction on Kill-Mudain, as a consequence ; so that, it was predicted, not to flourish long as a domicile
Kilmoon Church, County of Clare.
for clerics, but rather it must become a receptacle for wild beasts. Again, on the same day, Columba left it, fire consumed the temporary place of
refuge his diciples occupied, and only St. Columba's Book of Gospels, which had been forgotten there, remained unconsumed. This was recovered, by one of Columba's disciples, who returned to seek it. 9 Among St. Patrick's disciples, we find classed a St. Muadan, Abbot of Cluain-Dionech, and bishop of Carn-futbhuidhe, according to Colgan, and, whose festival has been assigned to this date. ''' He is said to be noted, in the Life of St. Albeus. " However, elsewhere, Colgan acknowledges, that he does not know, but the St. Muadan, Bishop of Carn-Furbhuidhe, had been identical withMudain,mentionedinSt. Columba'sActs. " IntheLifeofSt. Barr,'3 one of his disciples is called Muadan, of Aill Nuaitin. '-* He and many other
nise," iv. Febraarii. De S. Modano Abbate. Quinta Vita S. Columbje, lib. ii. , cap. vi. ,
Also nn. I, 2, 5, p. 253.
s See Drs. Todds' and Reeves' edition,
pp. 64, 65.
* He died, on the 25th of September, and
n. 4, p. 253.
See his Life, at the 9th of June.
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " rather read Aill Muaidin. See "Martyr-
as in the seventh generally thought,
S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 269. " Chapter xxxiii.
" See ibid. Vita S.
8, p. 452.
'^ Chapter xviii.
Columbre,
n.
centuiy. 7 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niK," iv. Febmarii. De S. Modano Abbate,
Quinta
vii. , p. 410.
" See ibid. Quinta Appendix ad Acta
'* So it is, in the O'Clerys' Manuscript, says Dr. Todd, yet he thinks we ought
March 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. iSi
saints were at school, under Barr, at Corcach. These offered themselves and theirchurchestoGodandtoSt. Barre/s WefindaparishofKilmoon,^^ in the barony of Burren and county of Clare, and there is to be found the fragments of an ancient church. ^? A portion has been converted into a
family vault, and the mouldering walls stand within an ancient graveyard, fenced only by a loose stone wall. The old church is not far from the now
celebratedsulphurandironspringsofLisdoonvarna. ^^ Itseemsprobable enough, that place was called after a St. Muadan. Mr. William M. Hennessy seems to intimate, that All Muadain, or more correctly Cill Muadain, may
probably be found, in the county of Monaghan. '9 There is a townland of Kilmoon,^° in the parish of TuUagh, in the eastern division of West Carbery Barony, and in the West Riding of Cork County. We find, that under the head of Carn Furbaidhe,^' Duald Mac Firbis enters, Muadan, bishop of Carn-Furbaidhe, at March the 6th. "
Article V. —St. Cadroe, or Hadroe, Abbot of Wasor, Belgium.
\Tenth Centtiryl\ The celebrated English antiquary, William Camden, acknowledges, that after the conversion of Ireland to the Christian Faith by
St. Patrick, none could be found more holy or more learned than its Scottish monks, and that it sent forth swarms of saintly men, into all parts of Europe, while many cities and monasteries owe their origin to Irish founders. In Glastonbury, and in other 'places, throughout England, our countrymen established seminaries for learning, with several religious houses. '^ And at a time, when learning was at a low ebb, in nearly all other countries, about the tenth century, it flourished in Ireland, whither many holy men resorted, in order to obtain a finished religious and secular education. ^ In the Mon- astery of St. Gall, and in other Irish foundations, on the Continent of Europe, at this period, many eminent Irish teachers and scholars were to be found. 3
ology of Donegal," n. 3, p. 65. Mr. William M. Hennessy remarks, that there is evidently a mistake here for Cill Muadain, and as a
he refers to the Index
proof " Topographicus,
in Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hibernise. "
'S Finding only the present St. Muadan, and another St. Muadan, venerated at the
'° This is marked, on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Cork," Sheets 149, 153.
=' Here William M. adds a Hennessy
note: "It is stated in the Dinnsenchus,
' Book of Lecan,' fol. 231, that this was the
name of a large cam, on Sliabh Cairbre, or the Carn Mountain, in the north of the
countyofLongford; andColgan(AA,SS. p. 253) observes, that Cill Modani was
30th of August, in our Martyrologies, O'Clery says, he is in doubt, as to the iden- tification of St. Barr's disciple, called Mua- dan of Aill Nuaitin. '
Carn furbaidhe. ' "
" See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish
'* Its position is shown, on the " Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Clare," Sheets 4, 5, 8, 9. The townlands of Kilmoon East and West are fouhd on Sheets 4, 8.
'7 The accompanying illustration was drawn on the spot, by the writer, in June,
transferred to the wood, by William
1877,^
F. Wakeman, and engraved, by George A. Hanlon.
^
Jhis townland is within the same parish,
juxta
'^
Academy. " Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part
i. , pp. 92, 93. —'See sive Flo- Article v. "Britannia,"
rentissimorum Regnorum Anglise, Scotise, Hibernise et Insularum adjacentium ex in-
tima antiquitate Chorographica Descriptio. Authore Guilielmo Camdeno, pp. 647, 648. The first edition of this valuable work ap- peared in 1586 ; but, it was much improved and enlarged in subsequent editions.
^ in the case of St. who Thus, Sulgenus,
flourished in Britain, between 900 and 1000,
we read, "exemplo patrum, commotus amore legendi, ivit ad Ibernos sophia mira- bill claros. "— " Vita S. Sulgeni. " Cam- den's "Britannia. "
3 See the account of Hermannus Contrac-
"
and it is noted, on the "Ordnance Townland Maps for the County of Clare," Sheet 8. An interesting account of the springs, hotels, antiquities, and scenery, will be found in the " Hand-Book to Lisdoon- vama and its Vicinity," with a map and woodcuts. Dublin, 1876, i2mo.
ts There is a MS. note
Survey
(with a query) ap-
tus, in Henricus Canisius'
Antiques Lec-
pended, in his copy of the " of Martyrology
tiones,"
tomus i.
Donegal. "
l82 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 6.
The ancient author of Blessed Cadroe's Life has dedicated his performance
to Immonus,4 or, according to Colgan, Immonius Ousmann. s The patron appears to have been Abbot of Wasor/ and a successor to our saint. The writer? of this tract, called Reimann, or Ousmann,^ seems to have been a monk of the same establishment ; but, although he does not claim to have been a Synchronus,^ a Scotus, or an Irishman,^" he indicates, that some of our saint's disciples were alive, when he wrote. " Hence, it has been assumed, that he flourished about a. d. 1040. " His biography has been praised for its good Latinity, notwithstanding the A\Titer's apology for its rudeness to Immonus, who appears to have urged him to a task, not reluc- tantly undertaken. He acknowledges having access to histories, in his Pre- face, and from these, he has epitomized an account of ancient people, and the migrations of Ireland's former colonists, not greatly inconsistent with our present accepted records. '3 Such notices, however, we are obliged to elimi- nate from the present Life, as being extraneous, and yet accessible. Certain piousreflections,whichprecede,arealsoofnecessityomitted. TheoldActs of this saint have been published, by Colgan,'* with notes, and an Appen- dix. 's The BoUandists have given it, likewise, with a previous commentary,*^ Mabillon and D'Achery have an account of St. Cadroe, Abbot, in a Life, con- taining, with prologue, 37 paragraphs, as also six paragraphs of preliminary
* According to the BoUandists.
s The BoUandists suppose, that some error of a copyist has been adopted by Col- gan, when thus confusing the name of the dedicator, with that of the abbot to whom the work had been dedicated. And, in the copy, which they obtained, through the kindness of Dominus Rumold Hancart, Prior of the Monastery (Andainensis) of St. Hubert, in Ardennes, the writer is called Reimann or Ousnian, who is thought to have lived, about twenty years after St. Cadroe's death.
* In the " Chronicon Valciodorense," an interesting history of this religious house will be found, although there are many errors in the narrative.
7 Colgan calls him an anonymous writer, whose biography of our saint, with the Acts of other Irisii saints, had been transmitted, by Dominus Nicolaus Fasonius, Abbot of St. Hubert's Monastery, in Ardennes. The piety and zeal of this superior are extolled, by Colgan ; while tiie abbot transcribed those documents and sealed them with his own hand, as taken from the parchments, be- longing to his Abbey.
^ to the of a
According copy manuscript,
obtained by the BoUandists, from the Mon- astery of St. Hubert.
9 He excuses himself, alluding to the sub- ject of his memoir, that he was not "ita viro illi familiaris," and that beyond what was related to him, he knew nothing of St. Cadroe's Acts. Yet, in this account, the BoUandist editor infers, that dedicating the work to Immonus, Abbot, who flourished about A. D. 990, most likely the writer was a monk of Wasor, and a native of the country near it, and that he certainly did not belong to the Monastery of St. Clement and of St. Symphorian, for, in the latter case, he
should have more intimately known St. Cad- roe. The editor considei's, as our saint pre- sided over Wasor for some years, before the time of Forannan, and as it had an Abbot,
named Immonus, and as the "Chronicon "
Walciodorense alludes to a volume, kept at Wasor, and containing the miracles of Blessed Cadroe, it must be deemed a reason- able inference, that allusion is made to the present Life, of which the monks there should be likely to have preserved a copy, as relating to their former Superior's Acts. Or again, it may be urged, that as there had been an Immonus, Abbot of Gorze, in Lor- raine, about A. D. ic»6, he was contempora- neous with the Wasor Immonus. Kow, there was a Monasteiy of St. Vincent and of St Amulf, in the city of Metz, where sacred literature was encouraged, and where the Acts of various saints had been written. Nothing, however, can be pronounced with certainty, in reference to this matter.
"° The Teutonic name given to him ap-
pears to remove such a suspicion.
" The BoUandists seem to allow, that he
may have been a contemporary of our saint.
'-
Sucla is Colgan's opiuion.
Article hi. —' See "Acta Sanctorum book and it is said to have ii. ,
Hibernias," Martii vi. De S. Corpreo Epis- copo Cluanensi, pp, 508, 509.
^
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus i. , Martii vi. De S. Corpreo seu Carbreo
Episcopo Cluain-Mic-Nosise, in Hibemia, pp. 468, 469.
3 Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvii.
4 See "Britannia Sancta," part i. , p. 159. 5 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
66, 67.
^ See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 538, 539.
7 Thus is he styled, in the Martyrology of
Marianus O'Gorman.
^
* It is marked Vol. vi. , pp. 93, 94.
occurred, while Malachy was only the provincial king ofMeath. Afterwards,bythesuffragesof the nobility of Ireland, he is stated to have reigned as supreme monarch, from A. D. 879 to 897. However, he was dead before this
period.
" In Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," his death is placed, at A. D.
It IS a large vellum folio MS. , classed, at present. No. 40, 6.
'°
A. D. 845 to 860—according to the "Annals of the Four Masters. " Regarding him is told a romantic story, evidently of bardic origin, of his freeing Ireland from the tyranny of Turgesius, through a stratagem, alluded to by Giraldus Cambrensis, in his "Topographia Hiberniae," Dist. iii. , cap.
40. It is related, more at length, in Dr. "
This king reigned sixteen years from oversight, has given the year and day,
Jeoffry Keating's
History of Ireland,"
'3 in a note, Dr. Todd says at this passage, "The word here used to signify church is Regies, ecclesia regularis or abba- tialis ; it generally signifies a church, specially devoted to burials. "
'* The Leabhar Breac narrative stafes,
moreover, that this figure had a bright circle M
had some re- probably
860. See vol. i. , pp. 494, 495. The ""
Annales Uitonienses have it, at A. D. 861. But, the true date is Tuesday, 30th November, A. D. 863. See O'Flaherty's
" Ogygia," pars, iii. , cap. xciii. , p. 434.
'^ -pj^jg letter clause is found within brackets, in a more recent hand, than in the original, but the date is wrong, as Dr. Todd remarks. He says: "The writer, by an — on
the and day on which Maelsechlainn I. died. "
which Maelsechlainn II. died, not
year
178 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 6.
so that it stood in his presence. ^^ The bishop asked who he was/5 when the apparition answered, that it was JMaelsechlainn, son of Maelruanaidh, and he told him every kind of pain which he was suffering in Purgatory, with other particulars, besides the cause why himself and. his spiritual director had been thus punished. Then we are told, that the bishop undertook to make intercession for the king ; and, he ordered certain priests'^ to pray for the priest, to bring him from pains. The bishop announced, that he should himself pray for the king. They did so, respectively, and to the end of the half year. As Cairpre was at prayer, towards the end of that period, he saw the king coming towards him, and half-speckled -^ when, he returned thanks to the bishop, for what had been done for him. ^^ The king then implored
around the neck, and it was clothed only in an under garment, which wanted one sleeve. 'S The Leabhar Breac version adds : "I not. " He answered, ' ' I am a spirit. " "What hath made thee black? "
said the
bishop.
and the greatness of my punisliment," he repHed. ''Were not prayers offered for thee? " asked the bishop, "or had you
ghostly friends among the clergy, while you
It availed me more, that
appearance at present ? " The king an- swered, "When, a short time previously, demons tormented me in the air, driving me hither and thither, we heard the psalms of your choirs, and then terrified the demons
were and fled through space. dispersed
For, in no place, on the earth or in the air, can evil spirits rest, when they hear your
know
you
""
psalmody. " After such colloquy, the king continued: "O woe, woe is me, now I must return to those tortures, but if, for the solace you have so briefly afforded me, you will accept some small compensation, I shall it. " "How"
" The number of sins, my
were living ?
I had been buried at Clonmacnoise," said
"
the spirit, than any aid they afforded me.
the intercession of St. I Through Kieran,
shall be saved on the day of judgment. " " It is unfortunate," the bishop answered, " if you had not some confessor or spiritual director to advise the good works you should do. " " I had a certain priest of Clonmac- noise as a director, nor did I pay much at- tention to "his counsels ; however, I gave him this golden ring. But, how doth it profit me, while I am now so greatly tor- tured ? Woe to that man, who is carnal, and who hath not a spiritual director, or who doth not good works while living. " On
this, the bishop enquired, if he had an
give ? enquired the holy man. "On a certain occasion, when I made an attack on Dublin, and when en- gaging the Northman enemy, I obtained among the spoils one hundred ounces of gold, and one thousand ounces of silver, which I hid under the earth, only one of my servants being present, and whom I ordered to be killed, lest he should reveal this treasure to others, or take it away himself. No one is now living, who knows where it is deposited, and there it remains to the present date ; yet, I will indicate the spot for you, and then dispose of the money as
for and opportunity practising gocd works,
" I
" I cannot receive the greater gift, when the
lesser one bestowed by you, when living, brought such little profit ; and therefore, I
absolutely renounce your present. " Then the spirit vanished, with the exclamation, " Woe, woe, to him, who doth not do good while the time for doing it is afforded. "
'* The Leabhar Breac states, these were twelve in number.
'' In a note. Dr. Todd says at this word,
was answered in the affirmative. " I am Malachy, son of Moelruanac, the grandson
of Dunchad, and the King of Ireland, so that I had power to do good. " " O dread-
ful matter," said the bishop, "what hap- pened to the priest, thy director, did he turn thy gifts to good account? " "He
suffers still greater torments," replied the king, "and the ring, which I gave him, is a fiery circle around his neck ; alas ! he can- not aid me, for he is in a worse state him- self. " "And why have you that bright
"
this to
"
"That is the reward, and a token of the
half-speckled,
that one half of the spectre appeared shining as if in glory, the other half black as before, to intimate that the deliverance of the king
circle about your neck ?
asked the bishop. "But why are
"
enquired the bishop. The king replied, "At one time, certain scholars, belonging to this church, came to me, asking me to provide a gar- ment for a poor and half-naked student. I directed the queen, as I had nothing else, to bestow, a precious undergarment of mine to be given him, and therefore you see me covered with that garment. " The holy man then asked, "What is the reason for your
'
— Rex
ring* I g^ve to the priest. " you clothed in this garment ?
was but half effected
:
apparuit
you please. "
protest,"
cried the
bishop,
mean,
ful- gentem media ex parte, ex altera atram, ut
prius, profercns speciem. '"
'^ The Leabhar Breac relates, that IMa-
lachy stated, how his condition was amelio-
rated, but that his spirit was on the top of
a very high tree, and over a deep abyss ;
again, that it was exposed to the buffeting of winds and great cold, while, no matter
how slight were those punishments in the other life, the king declared, that those who
Colgan explains
March 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 179
him to do the same, until the end of another half-year. The clerics obeyed
this request, while they fasted and prayed fervently, giving frequent alms, to the end of another half-year. Then the king came in a bright form towards Cairpre, and returned thanks to the holy bishop, for what he had done. The monarch told him, that he should go to heaven, on that day, and that the priest should enter it on the next day. Cairpre asked why the king should go before the priest. The king said, it was owing to the excellence of the bishop's prayers, and to the superiority of his over the priests' intercession. This was in allusion to twelve priests, who were at Chiain Mic Nois, at that time. Then, the king, giving thanks to and blessing the bishop, ascended into heaven, in his presence. Among other things related, in the year 894, St. Cairbre Crom, with a Synod of Seniors, assisted at a convocation, held at Inis-Aingin, now Hare Island, in Lough Ree, on the River Shannon. At thistime,theplaceitselfwasinvaded,bythepeopleofConnaught. Aman was mortally Avounded there, and the shrine of Ciaran'9 was profaned. ''" This bishop died a. d. 899, according to the " Annals of the Four Masters. "^^
An eloquent and a distinguished bishop of the Church,^^ alluding to the words of a venerated and learned ecclesiastic,^3 has remarked, when we hear of those marvellous things, concerning miracles and visions, the Catholic does not believe, that he is bound to accept them all, since those reported miracles have to be examined, upon the very same laws of evidence, by whichanyotherfactsareexamined. Thus,inthelegendofthepresentholy prelate, an old tradition is here set down, but solely as a curious illustration of our Irish mediaeval folk-lore.
Article IV. —St. Muadan, Bishop of Carn Furbaidhe. The iden- tity of this saint, his epoch, and locality, are involved in the greatest obscurity. In the Martyrolog'y of Tallagh,^ we find this record, Muadan Cairnfurbaidhe,^ registered at the 6th of March. We are informed, that the church of Kill- Modain, or of Kill-Mhodain, was near this latter place, and that it had been within the county of Longford, in a part, too, which formerly belonged to Connaught. IntheIrishLifeofSt. Columkille,3whosecontemporaryheis stated to have been, Mudan is designated only as Abbot of this latter place. If we regard the statement of Marianus O'Gorman, who styles him, in his Martyrology at this date, Modan, he was Bishop of Carnfurbuidhe. This St. Muadan, or Modan, is entered in the Martyrology of Cathald Maguire. '^ At the 6th of March, the Martyrology of Donegals enters the festival of St
suffered them seemed to think punishments of the damned. Then the spirit disappeared.
'' This was St. Kiaran, Abbot of Clon- macnoise, whose Life may be seen, at the 9th of September, the day for his feast.
Article iv. —' Edited Rev. Dr. by
Kelly, p. xvii.
=
I find the word Furbaidhi written dis- tinctly away from this entry, in Dr. Kelly's published copy, as if it were the proper name of a saint. Probably, however, it is only a second entry for this locality.
3 According to Colgan, the passage is in- dicated, as being in chap. 115. However, in O'Donnell's or Quinta Vita S. Columbae,
lib. ii. , cap. vi. , p. 410, and n. 8, p. 452, a legend is related, about a certain Mudan, wlio inhospitably received St. Columba, at
Kill-Mudain,
Crunnther Fraech.
Colgan acknowledges himself unable to decide, if that Mudan were identical, with the saint, celebrated at the 6th of March,
*° See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 552, 553.
" See Dr. -O'Donovan's edition, vol. i. , PP- 558, 559-
" See a late most interesting tract, by the Rt. Rev. Patrick J. Ryan, Bishop of Trico- mia, and Coadjutor to the Archbishop of St.
Louis: " What Catholics do not
" a Lecture delivered in Mercantile Library Hall, on Sunday evening, December i6th,
after he had taken leave of
1877, p. 35. Second edition, St. Louis,
1878. 8vo.
'3
Very Rev. John Henry Newman, D. D.
• See Colgau's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
they
were
believe,
i8o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 6.
Muadan, Bishop of Cam Furbaidhe. Besides the objection, that what is re- lated in O'DonnelFs Acts of St. Cokimba, by no means estabhshes Modan's claim to be a saint ; if, as conjectured, our ]\Iuadan was a disciple to St. BarrofCork,^hecouldhardlyhavebeenSt. Columba'scontemporary. He flourished about a. d. 561, at the time when the battle of Culadremhne had been fought. ? The legend, relating to the Modan, by whom St. Columba^ hadbeensoinhospitablyreceived,isridiculouslyabsurd; and,inaddition,
it is stated, that the great abbot pronounced a malediction on Kill-Mudain, as a consequence ; so that, it was predicted, not to flourish long as a domicile
Kilmoon Church, County of Clare.
for clerics, but rather it must become a receptacle for wild beasts. Again, on the same day, Columba left it, fire consumed the temporary place of
refuge his diciples occupied, and only St. Columba's Book of Gospels, which had been forgotten there, remained unconsumed. This was recovered, by one of Columba's disciples, who returned to seek it. 9 Among St. Patrick's disciples, we find classed a St. Muadan, Abbot of Cluain-Dionech, and bishop of Carn-futbhuidhe, according to Colgan, and, whose festival has been assigned to this date. ''' He is said to be noted, in the Life of St. Albeus. " However, elsewhere, Colgan acknowledges, that he does not know, but the St. Muadan, Bishop of Carn-Furbhuidhe, had been identical withMudain,mentionedinSt. Columba'sActs. " IntheLifeofSt. Barr,'3 one of his disciples is called Muadan, of Aill Nuaitin. '-* He and many other
nise," iv. Febraarii. De S. Modano Abbate. Quinta Vita S. Columbje, lib. ii. , cap. vi. ,
Also nn. I, 2, 5, p. 253.
s See Drs. Todds' and Reeves' edition,
pp. 64, 65.
* He died, on the 25th of September, and
n. 4, p. 253.
See his Life, at the 9th of June.
See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " rather read Aill Muaidin. See "Martyr-
as in the seventh generally thought,
S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 269. " Chapter xxxiii.
" See ibid. Vita S.
8, p. 452.
'^ Chapter xviii.
Columbre,
n.
centuiy. 7 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- niK," iv. Febmarii. De S. Modano Abbate,
Quinta
vii. , p. 410.
" See ibid. Quinta Appendix ad Acta
'* So it is, in the O'Clerys' Manuscript, says Dr. Todd, yet he thinks we ought
March 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. iSi
saints were at school, under Barr, at Corcach. These offered themselves and theirchurchestoGodandtoSt. Barre/s WefindaparishofKilmoon,^^ in the barony of Burren and county of Clare, and there is to be found the fragments of an ancient church. ^? A portion has been converted into a
family vault, and the mouldering walls stand within an ancient graveyard, fenced only by a loose stone wall. The old church is not far from the now
celebratedsulphurandironspringsofLisdoonvarna. ^^ Itseemsprobable enough, that place was called after a St. Muadan. Mr. William M. Hennessy seems to intimate, that All Muadain, or more correctly Cill Muadain, may
probably be found, in the county of Monaghan. '9 There is a townland of Kilmoon,^° in the parish of TuUagh, in the eastern division of West Carbery Barony, and in the West Riding of Cork County. We find, that under the head of Carn Furbaidhe,^' Duald Mac Firbis enters, Muadan, bishop of Carn-Furbaidhe, at March the 6th. "
Article V. —St. Cadroe, or Hadroe, Abbot of Wasor, Belgium.
\Tenth Centtiryl\ The celebrated English antiquary, William Camden, acknowledges, that after the conversion of Ireland to the Christian Faith by
St. Patrick, none could be found more holy or more learned than its Scottish monks, and that it sent forth swarms of saintly men, into all parts of Europe, while many cities and monasteries owe their origin to Irish founders. In Glastonbury, and in other 'places, throughout England, our countrymen established seminaries for learning, with several religious houses. '^ And at a time, when learning was at a low ebb, in nearly all other countries, about the tenth century, it flourished in Ireland, whither many holy men resorted, in order to obtain a finished religious and secular education. ^ In the Mon- astery of St. Gall, and in other Irish foundations, on the Continent of Europe, at this period, many eminent Irish teachers and scholars were to be found. 3
ology of Donegal," n. 3, p. 65. Mr. William M. Hennessy remarks, that there is evidently a mistake here for Cill Muadain, and as a
he refers to the Index
proof " Topographicus,
in Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hibernise. "
'S Finding only the present St. Muadan, and another St. Muadan, venerated at the
'° This is marked, on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Cork," Sheets 149, 153.
=' Here William M. adds a Hennessy
note: "It is stated in the Dinnsenchus,
' Book of Lecan,' fol. 231, that this was the
name of a large cam, on Sliabh Cairbre, or the Carn Mountain, in the north of the
countyofLongford; andColgan(AA,SS. p. 253) observes, that Cill Modani was
30th of August, in our Martyrologies, O'Clery says, he is in doubt, as to the iden- tification of St. Barr's disciple, called Mua- dan of Aill Nuaitin. '
Carn furbaidhe. ' "
" See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish
'* Its position is shown, on the " Ord- nance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Clare," Sheets 4, 5, 8, 9. The townlands of Kilmoon East and West are fouhd on Sheets 4, 8.
'7 The accompanying illustration was drawn on the spot, by the writer, in June,
transferred to the wood, by William
1877,^
F. Wakeman, and engraved, by George A. Hanlon.
^
Jhis townland is within the same parish,
juxta
'^
Academy. " Irish MSS. Series, vol. i. , part
i. , pp. 92, 93. —'See sive Flo- Article v. "Britannia,"
rentissimorum Regnorum Anglise, Scotise, Hibernise et Insularum adjacentium ex in-
tima antiquitate Chorographica Descriptio. Authore Guilielmo Camdeno, pp. 647, 648. The first edition of this valuable work ap- peared in 1586 ; but, it was much improved and enlarged in subsequent editions.
^ in the case of St. who Thus, Sulgenus,
flourished in Britain, between 900 and 1000,
we read, "exemplo patrum, commotus amore legendi, ivit ad Ibernos sophia mira- bill claros. "— " Vita S. Sulgeni. " Cam- den's "Britannia. "
3 See the account of Hermannus Contrac-
"
and it is noted, on the "Ordnance Townland Maps for the County of Clare," Sheet 8. An interesting account of the springs, hotels, antiquities, and scenery, will be found in the " Hand-Book to Lisdoon- vama and its Vicinity," with a map and woodcuts. Dublin, 1876, i2mo.
ts There is a MS. note
Survey
(with a query) ap-
tus, in Henricus Canisius'
Antiques Lec-
pended, in his copy of the " of Martyrology
tiones,"
tomus i.
Donegal. "
l82 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [March 6.
The ancient author of Blessed Cadroe's Life has dedicated his performance
to Immonus,4 or, according to Colgan, Immonius Ousmann. s The patron appears to have been Abbot of Wasor/ and a successor to our saint. The writer? of this tract, called Reimann, or Ousmann,^ seems to have been a monk of the same establishment ; but, although he does not claim to have been a Synchronus,^ a Scotus, or an Irishman,^" he indicates, that some of our saint's disciples were alive, when he wrote. " Hence, it has been assumed, that he flourished about a. d. 1040. " His biography has been praised for its good Latinity, notwithstanding the A\Titer's apology for its rudeness to Immonus, who appears to have urged him to a task, not reluc- tantly undertaken. He acknowledges having access to histories, in his Pre- face, and from these, he has epitomized an account of ancient people, and the migrations of Ireland's former colonists, not greatly inconsistent with our present accepted records. '3 Such notices, however, we are obliged to elimi- nate from the present Life, as being extraneous, and yet accessible. Certain piousreflections,whichprecede,arealsoofnecessityomitted. TheoldActs of this saint have been published, by Colgan,'* with notes, and an Appen- dix. 's The BoUandists have given it, likewise, with a previous commentary,*^ Mabillon and D'Achery have an account of St. Cadroe, Abbot, in a Life, con- taining, with prologue, 37 paragraphs, as also six paragraphs of preliminary
* According to the BoUandists.
s The BoUandists suppose, that some error of a copyist has been adopted by Col- gan, when thus confusing the name of the dedicator, with that of the abbot to whom the work had been dedicated. And, in the copy, which they obtained, through the kindness of Dominus Rumold Hancart, Prior of the Monastery (Andainensis) of St. Hubert, in Ardennes, the writer is called Reimann or Ousnian, who is thought to have lived, about twenty years after St. Cadroe's death.
* In the " Chronicon Valciodorense," an interesting history of this religious house will be found, although there are many errors in the narrative.
7 Colgan calls him an anonymous writer, whose biography of our saint, with the Acts of other Irisii saints, had been transmitted, by Dominus Nicolaus Fasonius, Abbot of St. Hubert's Monastery, in Ardennes. The piety and zeal of this superior are extolled, by Colgan ; while tiie abbot transcribed those documents and sealed them with his own hand, as taken from the parchments, be- longing to his Abbey.
^ to the of a
According copy manuscript,
obtained by the BoUandists, from the Mon- astery of St. Hubert.
9 He excuses himself, alluding to the sub- ject of his memoir, that he was not "ita viro illi familiaris," and that beyond what was related to him, he knew nothing of St. Cadroe's Acts. Yet, in this account, the BoUandist editor infers, that dedicating the work to Immonus, Abbot, who flourished about A. D. 990, most likely the writer was a monk of Wasor, and a native of the country near it, and that he certainly did not belong to the Monastery of St. Clement and of St. Symphorian, for, in the latter case, he
should have more intimately known St. Cad- roe. The editor considei's, as our saint pre- sided over Wasor for some years, before the time of Forannan, and as it had an Abbot,
named Immonus, and as the "Chronicon "
Walciodorense alludes to a volume, kept at Wasor, and containing the miracles of Blessed Cadroe, it must be deemed a reason- able inference, that allusion is made to the present Life, of which the monks there should be likely to have preserved a copy, as relating to their former Superior's Acts. Or again, it may be urged, that as there had been an Immonus, Abbot of Gorze, in Lor- raine, about A. D. ic»6, he was contempora- neous with the Wasor Immonus. Kow, there was a Monasteiy of St. Vincent and of St Amulf, in the city of Metz, where sacred literature was encouraged, and where the Acts of various saints had been written. Nothing, however, can be pronounced with certainty, in reference to this matter.
"° The Teutonic name given to him ap-
pears to remove such a suspicion.
" The BoUandists seem to allow, that he
may have been a contemporary of our saint.
'-
Sucla is Colgan's opiuion.
