Todd has vainly
attempted
to discover what St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
^ All of these are said to have been venerated at Rath- na-Nespoc,7 and they are ranked among St.
Patrick's disciples.
^ These are
thought to have possibly lived, in the time of St. Kieran of Saigir f since, a Bishop Aldus, is mentioned in his Acts. ^° Under the head of Rath-na-
Nepscor—rightly, however, Rath-na nEpscop—Duald Mac Firbis enters, Aodh Glas, and Aongus, at February the i6th. Mr. Hennessy appends a
note stating, that the place is unknown ;" and, such is undoubtedly the case, under the misreading. There is a parish and a townland, denominated
Rathaspick,''^ in the county of Wexford. Here, there is a holy well, which was called after the episcopal patron of the parish, but whose name is now
forgotten. '3 There is a parish and a townland, called Rathaspick,'-* in the baronyofMoygoish,andcountyofWestmeath. Thereislikewiseaparish,
known as Rathaspick, situated, partly in the barony of Fassadinin, county ot Kilkenny,'^ and partly in the baronies of Ballyadams and Slievemargy,'^ in theQueen'sCounty. Icannotdetermine,towhichoftheforegoingplaces,
the present holy bishop and his brothers belonged.
Article III. —St. ^nghas, or CEngus, Bishop, of Rath na
n-Epscop, or Rathnaspick. [Probably in the Sixth Century. '\ Colgan seems to think the present saint was a monk of Durrow,^ and surnamed Laimhiodhan, who was the son of Flann, son of Bairrind, the son of Fin- chad, son to Degad, son to Drona, son of Buan. ^ He was an Ossoronian by
Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 268, col. 2. As also, in "Acta vSancto-
rum Hiberniae," V. Martii. Vita S. Kierani, n. 20, p. 464,
3 Among the pretermitted saints in the "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii
XV. , p. 854.
4 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
50, 51.
5 According to the "SanctilogiumGenea-
logicum," cap. 16.
" See his Life, at the 24th of July. The
genealogies of St. Aedh's brothers arc alike.
relative to the Antiquities of the County of
Wexford, collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840," vol. i. , p. 368, I. O. S. Records.
^^ The bounds of this parish are shown on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Westmeath. " Sheets 5, 6, 10, 1 1. The townland proper is noted on Sheets 5, 6.
's This position is shown on the **Ord-
nance Survey Townland Maps for the
CountyofKilkenny. " Sheet2. —
*" This—by far the larger part is defined
"
on the
7 According to Marianus O'Gorman and for the Queen's County. " Sheets 25, 31.
other Calendarists. The townland proper is noted, on Sheet
^ See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " 25.
Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 268.
9 See his Life, at the 6th of March.
Article III. — 'This large parish extends
through the King's and Westmeath counties.
" See
niae," v. Martii.
p. 459, n. 20.
One part lies in the barony of Moyca. shel,
Colgan's
*' Acta Sanctorum Iliber- Vita S. Kierani, cap. xii. ,
and this is defined on the " Ordnance Sur-
" See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSS. series, vol. i. , part i. , pp. 124, 125.
'-This parish, and townland, in the barony of Forth, are represented on the "Ordnance
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Wexford. " Sheet 42.
vey Townland Maps for the County of West-
mcath. " Sheets 37, 38, 40. The other
part is in the barony of Ballycowan, aud
this is shown on the "Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the King's County. "
Sheets 8, 9, ib, 17. Within Durrow Dc-
mesne, in the latter division, the old ceme-
tery may be found. See ibiJ. , Sheets 8, 9.
»3 See "Letters
Information
"
21.
containing
Sanctilogic Genealogy," cap.
=
Such is his pedigree, according to the
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
February i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 571
descent. Were we to admit the foregoing genealogical account, as refer- rable to him, he was one of St. Columkille's disciples. 3 According to this conjecture, St. ^^^ngus must have flourished, in the sixth century. Oengus or Aenghas,-^ bishop, is registered in the Martyrologies of Tallaghs and of Donegal,*^ on this day. No locality is given in the latter Kalendar, in con-
nexionwithhisname. IntheMartyrologyofTallagh,however,heisstyled BishopofRathanaeEspuc. Therewasaplace,bearingsuchaname,now abbreviated to Rathaspick, where, according to tradition, ancient religious buildings stood. It is at present a parish, partly in the barony of Fassadining, county of Kilkenny, and partly in the barony of Ballyadams, but chiefly in thatofSlievemargue,intheQueen'sCounty. Heremanycuriousrelicsof antiquity have been found. I'he place is so called, from a remarkable rath,
near the ancient burial ground, and known as
''
the Bishop's Fort. " The
old religious foundation here, as also one not far distant, on the townland of
Clonpierce, is, by popular tradition, ascribed to the O'Moores. The present
Protestant church, within the graveyard, was erected out of the ruins of the
ancient religious buildings. 7 Under the site of these, it is said, there were
formerly three vaulted chambers, in one of which there was a well of the
purest water. ^ It seems to me, the present St. ^ngus may possibly be the
one, who wrote the verses, on his more celebrated namesake, St. ^ngus the
Culdee. Nor may it be unlikely, he was identical with another of the name,
who died a. d. 858, Abbot of Clonfert Molua,9 conjectured by Colgan to
havebeentheauthorofthateulogisticpoem. Thefactofhisnameoccur-
"
ring in the
Martyrology of Tallagh" is not an objection, since many saints
there entered had been inserted after the time of its original writers, nor
could it be deemed inappropriate to include one, probably contemporaneous,
if not actually intimate with the celebrated St. ^^ngus, the hagiographer. There was also an ^ngus Mac Tiprait, who died a. d. 745. Yet, we do not pretendtoassert,thathewasidenticalwiththepresentholyman. Again, it must be observed, that the feast of St. -^ngus, bishop, was observed in the village of Clough,^° county of Kilkenny," on the i6th of February. " Tiiis place, too, lies not far from Rathaspick, in the Queen's County.
ArticleIV. —St. RoibneorRobni,Abbot. Onthisday,according
to the Martyrologies of Tallagh^ and of Donegal,'^ Roibne, or Robni, abbot, was venerated. We obtain no clue to his locality.
3 See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Quarta beautiful scenery in its neighbourhood.
Appendix ad Acta S. Columbce, cap. x. , p. 487. Also Quinta Appendix, cap. iv. , sec. ii> P- 507-
^ In a note, Dr. Todd says, at this word,
^
See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 487.
^ See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 492, 493.
^° A Catholic church is situated here, and
it serves the purposes of a congregation, be- longing to portions of Rathaspick and Castle- comer parishes. See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol, i. , p. 380.
" See its in the of Castle- situation, parish
comer, and barony of Fassadinin, marked on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Kilkenny. " Sheets 2, 6.
'- See " Statuta Dioecesis Ossoriensis,"
Aenghas,
"The later hand adds, ' Sed se-
cuuduni M. Taml. hie fuit episcopus IIaca
tiA nefpoc, jomAT! ) e -Aongti-p bAimhio-oAti
efpoc 6 IIAIC riA nef]30c, Acuf aca a^a
pLiocc "b^xej'AiL bpic 6 bpuilit) 0]^]AAi5e. '
the Osraighe. "
s Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xv.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
50, 51.
"'Iw June, 1870, the writer had an oppor-
tunity tor examining the local features of the
' to the Mart, of But, according
Tallaght, this was the Bishop of Rath-na-nespoc. Perhaps he was Aengus Laimhiodhan, Bishop of Rath-na-nespoc, and he was of the race of Bresal Brec from whom descend
.
p
sect. 8, p. 25. —^ Edited Rev. Dr. ARTICLE IV. by
p. xv.
Kelly,
^ Edited Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, by
pp. 50, 51.
572 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [Februaryi6.
Article V. —St. Berotius, or Berasius, Bishop. St. Berotius is
entered at the i6th of February, in an anonymous Catalogue of Irish Saints, published by O'Sullevan Beare. He receives the name Berasius, bishop, at the same date, in Henry Fitzsimon's Catalogue. ^ He also quotes the Car- thusian Martyrology, and Floratius, as authorities. By referring to the Acts of St. Berach, at the 15th of February, it will be seen, that one name given to him was Berasius. ^^ There is probably a mistake here, in assigning this holy man's feast, to the present date.
ArticleVI. —St. Berchan,Confessor. ThefestivalofaSt. Berchan, confessor, is entered in the ancient Martyrology of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, Dublin, at the xiv. of the Kalends of March, correspond-
ing with the 1 6th of February. ^ The feast, however, is omitted in the pre- ceding Calendar. Dr.
Todd has vainly attempted to discover what St. Berchan^ is here intended ; for, this saint and his festival do not recur, in any other authority. It may be asked, if he could be identified with the St. Berotius or Berasius recorded, at this same date.
Article VII. —Reputed Feast of St. Fechin, of Lemmaigh. The
festival of a St. Fechin," son to VacaicchCj^* is said to have been observed, at
aplace,calledLemmaigh,onthei6thofFebruary. 3 Adoubtisexpressed, by Colgan, as to whether or not, he was the saint left by St. Senan, at
Inniscarra,'^ on the River Lee, or if he be St. Fechin Valughba, whose festival occurs, on the 28th of December. In connexion with this latter saint, some notices will be found, at the same day, in subsequent pages.
ArticleVIII. —ReputedFestivalofSt. Finan,Bishop. \Sevejith Century? ^ At this day, some writers on British hagiology have placed the festival of a St. Finan, bishop, without any very clear notions apparently as to his true identity. So far as we can glean, he seems to have been taken for the first Bishop of Lindisfarne, and Apostle of Northumbria, whose Life has been already given, at the 9th day of January. In Anglia, Dempster has the festival of a St. Finan, a bishop, and an apostle of that nation. ^ By reason of his adhesion, to the Scottish mode of observing Easter, the Venerable Bede is less favourable to him f however, he gives a very high idea of his virtues, his love of poverty and disinterestedness ; his contempt for the world ; and his great diligence in preaching the word of life, to a people, who respected their pastors, and who heard from them, and who practised, the lessons of salvation. Bishop Challoners has inserted some short notices of St. Finan, bishop, at this day. He is said to have departed, on the loth of September, a. d. 661. It is difficult to discover, how Challoner
Article v. —"See O'Sullevan Beare's "Historiae Catholicse Ibemiae Compen- dium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49, and
cap. xii. , p. 52.
^ See article i—. , chap. i.
'Most probably intended for UaChainche.
3 This is clearly a typographical error, for the 19th of February,
* The of Inishcarra is situated in parish
the barony of East Muskerry, in the East
Article VI.
' edition of
See the John
It is defined on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Cork. " Sheets 6—1, 62, 72, 73.
' **
Article viii. See Menologium Sco-
ticum," at the i6th of February. In
Clarke Crosthwaite and Dr. Todd.
Intro-
duction, p. Iv. , and p. 89.
"" See notices of saints bearing this name
at April loth, May 23rd, June 5th, October
December — and
2th, 4th 24th.
"Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," viii. Martii. Vita S. Senani, Episcopi et Confessoris, n. 14, p.
539, recte 535.
Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish
1
Bishop Saints," p. 192.
'
Article vii. See Colgan's
Riding.
' See * ' Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis An-
glorum," lib. iii. , cap. 17, 21, 25. 3 **
See Britannia Sancta," part i. , p. 119.
February i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 573
could have considered him, in the latter case, identical with the Finan, who
evangelized Northumbria ; as he should rather be thought identical with St.
Finian, Abbot of Moville, whose Life is given, at the loth of September. The Bollandists-^ quote Dempster and Ferrarius, for notices of St. Finnanus, at the 1 6th of February.
Article IX. —St. Babolen, Abbot of Fossey, Belgium. \Sei'enth
Century. '] Among the pretermitted saints, at the i6th of February, the Bollandists notice St. Babolenus, Abbot of Fossey, in Belgium. ' His feast
is assigned, to this day, by a manuscript Calendar, relating to the Order St. Benedict. Others place his festival, at the 26th of June. ^
ArticleX. —FestivalofSt. Julian. Thefollowingstanza,extracted
"""
from the Feilire," i—n the Leabhar Breac copy, is thus translated by
Professor O'Looney
:
e. ociin. kl. X)on 015 1tiliAni,
-AriAinm nel. co li-itnbeL ;
La -pceich fceoiL a AnriAicli,
Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii xvi. , p. 855.
^
See his Acts, ibid. , tomus v. , Junii
xxvi. , pp. 195,—196.
Sanctorum" of the
xvi. Februarii, pp. 868 to 884.
=
See ibid. , p. 885. 3 See ibid. , p. 886.
tomus
^ See the Bollandists' " Acta
tomus ii. , Februarii xvi. , pp. 863, 864.
'
referable to those of St.
feast occurs at the 21st of October.
whose
An account of this
Article x.
virgin and martyr will be found in the "Acta
Bollandists,
ii. ,
Sanctonxm,"
"Oemon -oo
iriAi^
itToel.
To the virgin Julian,
The name [honoured] to the borders of the clouds ;
By the relation of the tidings of his adventures, The demon he completely extirpated (or fettered).
holy
Ursula,
venerated as and — saints, virgins martyrs,
There are no less than four female
in the ancient Church Kalendars, at the i6th of February. These are Juliana, a virgin, of Nicomedia, and a martyr, venerated at Bruxelles, in Belgium •,'^ Juliana, virgin and martyr, at Verona, in Italy f Juliana, a
Roman virgin and martyr, at Bononia, in Italy ;3 as also, a Jtiliana,^ one of the companions of St. Ursula, a virgin and martyr, whose name is inscribed on the Kalendar, and whose relics are preserved in the Cathedral Church of Osnaburgh, in Westphalia,s But, in addition to the foregoing, and at this same date, there was a St. Julian, a bishop, and a martyr, with a vast number of companions, martyrs, in Egypt f as also, a St. Julian, a martyr, with many other martyr companions, at Caesarea, in Palestine. 7 To the former of these latter saints, we beHeve the stanza in the " Feilire " has special reference, especially, as this holy man and his festival have been noticed in the ancient Martyrology, attributed to St. Jerome. It is said, that no less than five thousand shared his passion in Asia, while their memories are celebrated, both in the Eastern and Western Churches.
4 See among the pretermitted saints, in * See ibid. , p. 855. In Adam King's Ka- *'Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii lendar at the i6th of February, we read,
xvi. , p. 855.
Article ix. —^ See "Acta
" S. Juliana —virgine et mart, at cunis vnder
Maximinus. " Forbes' "Kalendars Bishop
of Scottish Saints," p. 144.
s There she has a proper office, but the
Acts of her martyrdom are more properly
7 See ibid,, p. 855.
:
574 LIVES OP THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 17.
^ebenteentl) Baj) of jfrtruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. FINTAN, ABBOT AND PATRON OF CLONENAGH, QUEEN'S COUNTY.
[SIXTff CENTURY. I
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—ACTS OF ST. FINTAN—HIS PARENTAGE-MIRACLE PRECEDING HIS BIRTH—PERIOD WHEN THIS OCCURRED—CLONKEEN—ST. FINTAN's BAPTISM AND EARLY EDUCATION—HE LIVES FOR SOME TIME UNDER ST. COLUMBA MAC CKIM- THAINN AT TIRDAGLAS—ACCOMPANIED BY THE LATTER HOLY MAN, AND WITH TWO DISCIPLES, ST, FINTAN VISITS THE SITE OF CLONENAGH AND SELECTS IT FOR HIS PLACE OF HABITATION.
THE
adoptation of monastic life usually happens at an age, when the mind is firm and and from the the cenobite shows
clear, very outset, holy
a passion for spiritual exercises. He seems to live only in and for prayer. Direct communion with heaven becomes the occupation of his existence. Thus, the great master of a spiritual life guides his subjects in this practice, and those who come to him were given to prayer, since they adopted it as a panacea, for all ills. This sacred fire consumed their very souls, and yet did
not prevent our early monks from the laborious occupations of agricultural and mechanical pursuits. The brain was evolving lessons from its well-
stored chambers, and the mind was enlightened by those lessons, which the daily course of life served to consecrate. No one can follow the lucid rea-
soning, which fixes man's obligations to his Creator, without deriving untold benefit. The great saint of our present consideration led the life of an exemplar ; he has left sufficient for record, to teach mankind, how to strive for the possession of virtue ; and no religious mind ought to be without the aid, which such a holy contemplative's and worker's career is calculated to inspire or direct.
An ancient Life of this saint, extracted from the Codex-Kilkenniensis,^
is published by Colgan, at this day. '' He supposed it to have been written, shortly after Fintan's death. It cannot, with certainty, be allowed such an
early date of composition ; and the i)assage cited, to prove this position, does not at all establish it. 3 That the Life, however, is a very ancient one cannot be disputed. Several old copies of St. Fintan's Life are yet pre- served. 4 His Acts, in four chapters, and in twenty-six sections, with a previous commentary, will be found, likewise, in the great Bollandist coUec-
Article I. —Chapter i. —^ The manu-
'•
Codex Kilkenniensis," con- tained in Marsh's Library, Dublin, gives a
3 " Videntes proeterita completa secundum vaticinium viri Dei," does not indicate, that the author of this Life was an eye-witness
script, called
Lile of St. Fintanus, fol. 74 to 77. This of events he records; and, "quod est in-
probably does not differ from a Vita S. Fin- tani, in a large folio manuscript, vol. xxii. , belonging to the Burgundiau Library, Bruxelles, fol. loi to 106.
It has an appendix in five chapters, pp. 355 to 357.
futuro," manifestly refers to tho day of judgment, of whicfi he speaks, or perhaps, to his belief, in the fullilment of St. Fintan's prophecy, in the other Life. See iOid. ,
"Acta Sanctonim Iliber-
'' See
nia:," xvii. Februarii. Vita S. P'intani, Abbatis de Cluain-Ednech, pp. 349 to 355.
cap. xiii. ,
* Among these are the following : MS.
Bodl. Rawl. B. 505, pp. 214-217, veil. folio, xiv. cent. Also, MS. Bodl.
thought to have possibly lived, in the time of St. Kieran of Saigir f since, a Bishop Aldus, is mentioned in his Acts. ^° Under the head of Rath-na-
Nepscor—rightly, however, Rath-na nEpscop—Duald Mac Firbis enters, Aodh Glas, and Aongus, at February the i6th. Mr. Hennessy appends a
note stating, that the place is unknown ;" and, such is undoubtedly the case, under the misreading. There is a parish and a townland, denominated
Rathaspick,''^ in the county of Wexford. Here, there is a holy well, which was called after the episcopal patron of the parish, but whose name is now
forgotten. '3 There is a parish and a townland, called Rathaspick,'-* in the baronyofMoygoish,andcountyofWestmeath. Thereislikewiseaparish,
known as Rathaspick, situated, partly in the barony of Fassadinin, county ot Kilkenny,'^ and partly in the baronies of Ballyadams and Slievemargy,'^ in theQueen'sCounty. Icannotdetermine,towhichoftheforegoingplaces,
the present holy bishop and his brothers belonged.
Article III. —St. ^nghas, or CEngus, Bishop, of Rath na
n-Epscop, or Rathnaspick. [Probably in the Sixth Century. '\ Colgan seems to think the present saint was a monk of Durrow,^ and surnamed Laimhiodhan, who was the son of Flann, son of Bairrind, the son of Fin- chad, son to Degad, son to Drona, son of Buan. ^ He was an Ossoronian by
Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 268, col. 2. As also, in "Acta vSancto-
rum Hiberniae," V. Martii. Vita S. Kierani, n. 20, p. 464,
3 Among the pretermitted saints in the "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii
XV. , p. 854.
4 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
50, 51.
5 According to the "SanctilogiumGenea-
logicum," cap. 16.
" See his Life, at the 24th of July. The
genealogies of St. Aedh's brothers arc alike.
relative to the Antiquities of the County of
Wexford, collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840," vol. i. , p. 368, I. O. S. Records.
^^ The bounds of this parish are shown on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Westmeath. " Sheets 5, 6, 10, 1 1. The townland proper is noted on Sheets 5, 6.
's This position is shown on the **Ord-
nance Survey Townland Maps for the
CountyofKilkenny. " Sheet2. —
*" This—by far the larger part is defined
"
on the
7 According to Marianus O'Gorman and for the Queen's County. " Sheets 25, 31.
other Calendarists. The townland proper is noted, on Sheet
^ See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. " 25.
Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap. xxiii. , p. 268.
9 See his Life, at the 6th of March.
Article III. — 'This large parish extends
through the King's and Westmeath counties.
" See
niae," v. Martii.
p. 459, n. 20.
One part lies in the barony of Moyca. shel,
Colgan's
*' Acta Sanctorum Iliber- Vita S. Kierani, cap. xii. ,
and this is defined on the " Ordnance Sur-
" See "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish MSS. series, vol. i. , part i. , pp. 124, 125.
'-This parish, and townland, in the barony of Forth, are represented on the "Ordnance
Survey Townland Maps for the County of Wexford. " Sheet 42.
vey Townland Maps for the County of West-
mcath. " Sheets 37, 38, 40. The other
part is in the barony of Ballycowan, aud
this is shown on the "Ordnance Survey
Townland Maps for the King's County. "
Sheets 8, 9, ib, 17. Within Durrow Dc-
mesne, in the latter division, the old ceme-
tery may be found. See ibiJ. , Sheets 8, 9.
»3 See "Letters
Information
"
21.
containing
Sanctilogic Genealogy," cap.
=
Such is his pedigree, according to the
Ordnance Survey Townland Maps
February i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 571
descent. Were we to admit the foregoing genealogical account, as refer- rable to him, he was one of St. Columkille's disciples. 3 According to this conjecture, St. ^^^ngus must have flourished, in the sixth century. Oengus or Aenghas,-^ bishop, is registered in the Martyrologies of Tallaghs and of Donegal,*^ on this day. No locality is given in the latter Kalendar, in con-
nexionwithhisname. IntheMartyrologyofTallagh,however,heisstyled BishopofRathanaeEspuc. Therewasaplace,bearingsuchaname,now abbreviated to Rathaspick, where, according to tradition, ancient religious buildings stood. It is at present a parish, partly in the barony of Fassadining, county of Kilkenny, and partly in the barony of Ballyadams, but chiefly in thatofSlievemargue,intheQueen'sCounty. Heremanycuriousrelicsof antiquity have been found. I'he place is so called, from a remarkable rath,
near the ancient burial ground, and known as
''
the Bishop's Fort. " The
old religious foundation here, as also one not far distant, on the townland of
Clonpierce, is, by popular tradition, ascribed to the O'Moores. The present
Protestant church, within the graveyard, was erected out of the ruins of the
ancient religious buildings. 7 Under the site of these, it is said, there were
formerly three vaulted chambers, in one of which there was a well of the
purest water. ^ It seems to me, the present St. ^ngus may possibly be the
one, who wrote the verses, on his more celebrated namesake, St. ^ngus the
Culdee. Nor may it be unlikely, he was identical with another of the name,
who died a. d. 858, Abbot of Clonfert Molua,9 conjectured by Colgan to
havebeentheauthorofthateulogisticpoem. Thefactofhisnameoccur-
"
ring in the
Martyrology of Tallagh" is not an objection, since many saints
there entered had been inserted after the time of its original writers, nor
could it be deemed inappropriate to include one, probably contemporaneous,
if not actually intimate with the celebrated St. ^^ngus, the hagiographer. There was also an ^ngus Mac Tiprait, who died a. d. 745. Yet, we do not pretendtoassert,thathewasidenticalwiththepresentholyman. Again, it must be observed, that the feast of St. -^ngus, bishop, was observed in the village of Clough,^° county of Kilkenny," on the i6th of February. " Tiiis place, too, lies not far from Rathaspick, in the Queen's County.
ArticleIV. —St. RoibneorRobni,Abbot. Onthisday,according
to the Martyrologies of Tallagh^ and of Donegal,'^ Roibne, or Robni, abbot, was venerated. We obtain no clue to his locality.
3 See "Trias Thaumaturga. " Quarta beautiful scenery in its neighbourhood.
Appendix ad Acta S. Columbce, cap. x. , p. 487. Also Quinta Appendix, cap. iv. , sec. ii> P- 507-
^ In a note, Dr. Todd says, at this word,
^
See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 487.
^ See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 492, 493.
^° A Catholic church is situated here, and
it serves the purposes of a congregation, be- longing to portions of Rathaspick and Castle- comer parishes. See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol, i. , p. 380.
" See its in the of Castle- situation, parish
comer, and barony of Fassadinin, marked on the " Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Kilkenny. " Sheets 2, 6.
'- See " Statuta Dioecesis Ossoriensis,"
Aenghas,
"The later hand adds, ' Sed se-
cuuduni M. Taml. hie fuit episcopus IIaca
tiA nefpoc, jomAT! ) e -Aongti-p bAimhio-oAti
efpoc 6 IIAIC riA nef]30c, Acuf aca a^a
pLiocc "b^xej'AiL bpic 6 bpuilit) 0]^]AAi5e. '
the Osraighe. "
s Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xv.
^ Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
50, 51.
"'Iw June, 1870, the writer had an oppor-
tunity tor examining the local features of the
' to the Mart, of But, according
Tallaght, this was the Bishop of Rath-na-nespoc. Perhaps he was Aengus Laimhiodhan, Bishop of Rath-na-nespoc, and he was of the race of Bresal Brec from whom descend
.
p
sect. 8, p. 25. —^ Edited Rev. Dr. ARTICLE IV. by
p. xv.
Kelly,
^ Edited Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, by
pp. 50, 51.
572 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [Februaryi6.
Article V. —St. Berotius, or Berasius, Bishop. St. Berotius is
entered at the i6th of February, in an anonymous Catalogue of Irish Saints, published by O'Sullevan Beare. He receives the name Berasius, bishop, at the same date, in Henry Fitzsimon's Catalogue. ^ He also quotes the Car- thusian Martyrology, and Floratius, as authorities. By referring to the Acts of St. Berach, at the 15th of February, it will be seen, that one name given to him was Berasius. ^^ There is probably a mistake here, in assigning this holy man's feast, to the present date.
ArticleVI. —St. Berchan,Confessor. ThefestivalofaSt. Berchan, confessor, is entered in the ancient Martyrology of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, Dublin, at the xiv. of the Kalends of March, correspond-
ing with the 1 6th of February. ^ The feast, however, is omitted in the pre- ceding Calendar. Dr.
Todd has vainly attempted to discover what St. Berchan^ is here intended ; for, this saint and his festival do not recur, in any other authority. It may be asked, if he could be identified with the St. Berotius or Berasius recorded, at this same date.
Article VII. —Reputed Feast of St. Fechin, of Lemmaigh. The
festival of a St. Fechin," son to VacaicchCj^* is said to have been observed, at
aplace,calledLemmaigh,onthei6thofFebruary. 3 Adoubtisexpressed, by Colgan, as to whether or not, he was the saint left by St. Senan, at
Inniscarra,'^ on the River Lee, or if he be St. Fechin Valughba, whose festival occurs, on the 28th of December. In connexion with this latter saint, some notices will be found, at the same day, in subsequent pages.
ArticleVIII. —ReputedFestivalofSt. Finan,Bishop. \Sevejith Century? ^ At this day, some writers on British hagiology have placed the festival of a St. Finan, bishop, without any very clear notions apparently as to his true identity. So far as we can glean, he seems to have been taken for the first Bishop of Lindisfarne, and Apostle of Northumbria, whose Life has been already given, at the 9th day of January. In Anglia, Dempster has the festival of a St. Finan, a bishop, and an apostle of that nation. ^ By reason of his adhesion, to the Scottish mode of observing Easter, the Venerable Bede is less favourable to him f however, he gives a very high idea of his virtues, his love of poverty and disinterestedness ; his contempt for the world ; and his great diligence in preaching the word of life, to a people, who respected their pastors, and who heard from them, and who practised, the lessons of salvation. Bishop Challoners has inserted some short notices of St. Finan, bishop, at this day. He is said to have departed, on the loth of September, a. d. 661. It is difficult to discover, how Challoner
Article v. —"See O'Sullevan Beare's "Historiae Catholicse Ibemiae Compen- dium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49, and
cap. xii. , p. 52.
^ See article i—. , chap. i.
'Most probably intended for UaChainche.
3 This is clearly a typographical error, for the 19th of February,
* The of Inishcarra is situated in parish
the barony of East Muskerry, in the East
Article VI.
' edition of
See the John
It is defined on the "Ordnance Survey Townland Maps for the County of Cork. " Sheets 6—1, 62, 72, 73.
' **
Article viii. See Menologium Sco-
ticum," at the i6th of February. In
Clarke Crosthwaite and Dr. Todd.
Intro-
duction, p. Iv. , and p. 89.
"" See notices of saints bearing this name
at April loth, May 23rd, June 5th, October
December — and
2th, 4th 24th.
"Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," viii. Martii. Vita S. Senani, Episcopi et Confessoris, n. 14, p.
539, recte 535.
Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish
1
Bishop Saints," p. 192.
'
Article vii. See Colgan's
Riding.
' See * ' Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis An-
glorum," lib. iii. , cap. 17, 21, 25. 3 **
See Britannia Sancta," part i. , p. 119.
February i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 573
could have considered him, in the latter case, identical with the Finan, who
evangelized Northumbria ; as he should rather be thought identical with St.
Finian, Abbot of Moville, whose Life is given, at the loth of September. The Bollandists-^ quote Dempster and Ferrarius, for notices of St. Finnanus, at the 1 6th of February.
Article IX. —St. Babolen, Abbot of Fossey, Belgium. \Sei'enth
Century. '] Among the pretermitted saints, at the i6th of February, the Bollandists notice St. Babolenus, Abbot of Fossey, in Belgium. ' His feast
is assigned, to this day, by a manuscript Calendar, relating to the Order St. Benedict. Others place his festival, at the 26th of June. ^
ArticleX. —FestivalofSt. Julian. Thefollowingstanza,extracted
"""
from the Feilire," i—n the Leabhar Breac copy, is thus translated by
Professor O'Looney
:
e. ociin. kl. X)on 015 1tiliAni,
-AriAinm nel. co li-itnbeL ;
La -pceich fceoiL a AnriAicli,
Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii xvi. , p. 855.
^
See his Acts, ibid. , tomus v. , Junii
xxvi. , pp. 195,—196.
Sanctorum" of the
xvi. Februarii, pp. 868 to 884.
=
See ibid. , p. 885. 3 See ibid. , p. 886.
tomus
^ See the Bollandists' " Acta
tomus ii. , Februarii xvi. , pp. 863, 864.
'
referable to those of St.
feast occurs at the 21st of October.
whose
An account of this
Article x.
virgin and martyr will be found in the "Acta
Bollandists,
ii. ,
Sanctonxm,"
"Oemon -oo
iriAi^
itToel.
To the virgin Julian,
The name [honoured] to the borders of the clouds ;
By the relation of the tidings of his adventures, The demon he completely extirpated (or fettered).
holy
Ursula,
venerated as and — saints, virgins martyrs,
There are no less than four female
in the ancient Church Kalendars, at the i6th of February. These are Juliana, a virgin, of Nicomedia, and a martyr, venerated at Bruxelles, in Belgium •,'^ Juliana, virgin and martyr, at Verona, in Italy f Juliana, a
Roman virgin and martyr, at Bononia, in Italy ;3 as also, a Jtiliana,^ one of the companions of St. Ursula, a virgin and martyr, whose name is inscribed on the Kalendar, and whose relics are preserved in the Cathedral Church of Osnaburgh, in Westphalia,s But, in addition to the foregoing, and at this same date, there was a St. Julian, a bishop, and a martyr, with a vast number of companions, martyrs, in Egypt f as also, a St. Julian, a martyr, with many other martyr companions, at Caesarea, in Palestine. 7 To the former of these latter saints, we beHeve the stanza in the " Feilire " has special reference, especially, as this holy man and his festival have been noticed in the ancient Martyrology, attributed to St. Jerome. It is said, that no less than five thousand shared his passion in Asia, while their memories are celebrated, both in the Eastern and Western Churches.
4 See among the pretermitted saints, in * See ibid. , p. 855. In Adam King's Ka- *'Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Februarii lendar at the i6th of February, we read,
xvi. , p. 855.
Article ix. —^ See "Acta
" S. Juliana —virgine et mart, at cunis vnder
Maximinus. " Forbes' "Kalendars Bishop
of Scottish Saints," p. 144.
s There she has a proper office, but the
Acts of her martyrdom are more properly
7 See ibid,, p. 855.
:
574 LIVES OP THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 17.
^ebenteentl) Baj) of jfrtruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. FINTAN, ABBOT AND PATRON OF CLONENAGH, QUEEN'S COUNTY.
[SIXTff CENTURY. I
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION—ACTS OF ST. FINTAN—HIS PARENTAGE-MIRACLE PRECEDING HIS BIRTH—PERIOD WHEN THIS OCCURRED—CLONKEEN—ST. FINTAN's BAPTISM AND EARLY EDUCATION—HE LIVES FOR SOME TIME UNDER ST. COLUMBA MAC CKIM- THAINN AT TIRDAGLAS—ACCOMPANIED BY THE LATTER HOLY MAN, AND WITH TWO DISCIPLES, ST, FINTAN VISITS THE SITE OF CLONENAGH AND SELECTS IT FOR HIS PLACE OF HABITATION.
THE
adoptation of monastic life usually happens at an age, when the mind is firm and and from the the cenobite shows
clear, very outset, holy
a passion for spiritual exercises. He seems to live only in and for prayer. Direct communion with heaven becomes the occupation of his existence. Thus, the great master of a spiritual life guides his subjects in this practice, and those who come to him were given to prayer, since they adopted it as a panacea, for all ills. This sacred fire consumed their very souls, and yet did
not prevent our early monks from the laborious occupations of agricultural and mechanical pursuits. The brain was evolving lessons from its well-
stored chambers, and the mind was enlightened by those lessons, which the daily course of life served to consecrate. No one can follow the lucid rea-
soning, which fixes man's obligations to his Creator, without deriving untold benefit. The great saint of our present consideration led the life of an exemplar ; he has left sufficient for record, to teach mankind, how to strive for the possession of virtue ; and no religious mind ought to be without the aid, which such a holy contemplative's and worker's career is calculated to inspire or direct.
An ancient Life of this saint, extracted from the Codex-Kilkenniensis,^
is published by Colgan, at this day. '' He supposed it to have been written, shortly after Fintan's death. It cannot, with certainty, be allowed such an
early date of composition ; and the i)assage cited, to prove this position, does not at all establish it. 3 That the Life, however, is a very ancient one cannot be disputed. Several old copies of St. Fintan's Life are yet pre- served. 4 His Acts, in four chapters, and in twenty-six sections, with a previous commentary, will be found, likewise, in the great Bollandist coUec-
Article I. —Chapter i. —^ The manu-
'•
Codex Kilkenniensis," con- tained in Marsh's Library, Dublin, gives a
3 " Videntes proeterita completa secundum vaticinium viri Dei," does not indicate, that the author of this Life was an eye-witness
script, called
Lile of St. Fintanus, fol. 74 to 77. This of events he records; and, "quod est in-
probably does not differ from a Vita S. Fin- tani, in a large folio manuscript, vol. xxii. , belonging to the Burgundiau Library, Bruxelles, fol. loi to 106.
It has an appendix in five chapters, pp. 355 to 357.
futuro," manifestly refers to tho day of judgment, of whicfi he speaks, or perhaps, to his belief, in the fullilment of St. Fintan's prophecy, in the other Life. See iOid. ,
"Acta Sanctonim Iliber-
'' See
nia:," xvii. Februarii. Vita S. P'intani, Abbatis de Cluain-Ednech, pp. 349 to 355.
cap. xiii. ,
* Among these are the following : MS.
Bodl. Rawl. B. 505, pp. 214-217, veil. folio, xiv. cent. Also, MS. Bodl.
