Carnech,
surnamed
Moel,"^ St.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v1
.
No.
254, p. 152. s"SeehisLifeatthe29thofJanuary.
"
5' See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nias," xxix. Januarii. Vita S. Dallani, pp.
203 to 205.
s« See his Life at the 20th of February.
S3 See Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Life of
St. Columba," lib. i. , cap, 17, 35, pp. 45, 46, 65, 66, and accompanying notes.
^9 See Dempster's
Historia Ecclesiastica
"
Gentis Scotonim," tomus i. , lib. vii. , num.
"
578, he is called
55 See his Life at the 9th of June.
5* See O'Donnell's "Vita S. Columbae,"
St. Golgus. "
others are authentic or referable to this period, or to their reputed authors.
bishop, at the 1 7th of September, of a St. Grellan at the 1 8th of September, of a St.
Grellan, of Lann, at the loth of November, and of a St. Grealloc Oeblach, of Tamlacht, at the 13th of July. Among these, it is dif- ficult to find the author.
77 His feast was held on the i8th of August. 78geehisLifeatthe12thofMarch,
79 He is venerated on the 22nd of March. ^o ggg j,js Ljfg ^x. the 24th of February.
^i gee Venerable Bede's " Historia lic- clesiastica Gentis Anglomm," lib. iii. , cap. iv. , pp. 168, 169. Cambridge edition, A. ». 1644, fol.
^2 ggg Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Tertia Appendix ad Acta S. Columbae, pars
i. , p. 470.
83 gee his Life at the 7th of June,
84 gee Harris' Ware, voL iii. " Writers
of Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , p. 26.
85 ggg i^jg Life at the 21st of November,
*°
''
of Ireland," book i. , chap, iii. , p. 21. *3 See his Life at the 3rd of June.
" **SeeDr. Hanmer's ChronicleofIre-
land," pp. 120, 121.
*5 See his Life at the 23rd of December. ** See his Life at the 25th 'of January.
'7 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Tertia Appendix ad Acta S. Columbze,
pars, i. , p. 470.
*8 See his Life at the 4th of August. Also,
Sir James Ware, "De Scriptoribus Hiber- nise," lib. i. , cap. iii. , p. 17.
^ See Dr. Hanmer's " Chronicle of Ire-
land," pp. 121, 122.
7° See his Life at the 22nd of December.
See his Life at the 24th of November. See his Life at the 8th of March.
See Harris' Ware, vol. iii. Writers
** "
7' See Harris' Ware, vol. iii.
"
Writers
of Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , p. 23. 7" See his Life at the 21st of October.
" Collectanea Sacra. " 87 ggg ^jg Life at the i6th of October.
"gee Harris' Ware, vol. iii.
"Writers 88
Henricus " Lec- Canisius, Antiquse
of Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , pp. 23, 24. T- See his Life at the 22nd of May.
75 See his Life at the 2nd of March.
? ' The feast of a St. Grellan, sonof Rotan,
occurs at the 15th of April. of a St. Grellan,
ggg
tiones," tomus v.
INTRODUCTION.
In the sixth, and early in the seventh century, St. Colman,^ Bishop of Cloyne, is said to have written a Life of St. Senan,^' in Metre. ^^ St. Kevin
or Coemgen, Abbot of Glendalough,^3 is thought to have written a Rule for his Monks, while other Tracts have been ascribed "to him. *^* St. Ethernan
or Ernan,^3 and St. Eoglod or Eochod,^^ both disciples of St. Columkille, are stated, likewise, to have written his Acts. ^7 St. Molua, otherwise called Lugid, Abbot of Clonfert Molua,^^ wrote a most admirable Rule for Monks, which is said to have obtained the highest approbation from Pope St. Gregory the Great. ^9
St. Evin,7° Abbot of Ros-Glas, or Monasterevin, is said to have wTitten the Lives of St. Patrick and of St. Congall. 7' St. Fintan Munnu,7=» Abbot of Tagh- mun, is classed, likewise, with the sacred Avriters of the seventh century. 73 St. Baithen, Abbot of Tech-Baithen,74 St. Virgnous,7S St. Gallanus or Grellanus,76 St. Ereneus or Ernenenus of Rathnew,77 St. Murus, Abbot of Fahan,78 g^^ Failbe, Abbot of Iona,79 St. Cumene the Fair,^" and probably many other holy men of this age,^* ^vrote Acts or Panegyrics of the illustrious St. Colum- kille. ^^ Besides these authors, St. Colman, Bishop of Dromore,^3 compiled a Rule for his Monks during this century. ^* But, by far the most distin- guished Irish ecclesiastical writers of this period were St. Columbanus,^^ the renowned Abbot of Luxeuil,^^ and St. Gall,^7 the Apostle of Switzerland. ^^ St. Carthage or Mochudu,^? Abbot, prepared a Rule for Monks, written in theIrishlanguage. 9° Anaccomplishedhagiographist^^wasSt. Jonas,Abbot
8« ggg
Fleming's
*' See his Life at the 14th of May.
9° See Harris' Ware, vol. iii.
"
Writers
of Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , p. 29. «' See Ibid.
Scriptoribus Hibemise," lib. i. , cap. iii. , p. 21.
93 See his Life at the of
17th June.
9* See Wills' " Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , part i. First Period, pp. 109, no.
95 See his Life at the 13th of September. 9* See his Life at the 1 2th of August.
9'' See his Life at the 31st of August.
9** See his Life at the 9th ofJanuary.
99 See his Life at the 25th of March.
'°*
See his Life at the i6th of January.
"' Some doubts are entertained regarding the identity of the holy man thus distin- guished among the many saints called Man-
chen.
"=" See his Life at the 8th of August. "3 See his Life at the 8th of July.
"^ His feast is to the 8th of
July in John Wilson's " Martyrologium Anglica-
INTRODUCTION. XI
of Luxeuil. 52 St. Moling, Archbishop of Ferns,93 is accounted a writer of Prophecies. s-^ St. Dagan, Abbot of Achad-Dagain,95 St. Segene, Abbot of
Iona,96 St. Aidan, Apostle of Northumbria,97 St. Finan, Bishop of Lindis- fame,98 St. Camin, Abbot of Iniscaltra,99 St. Fursey, Abbot of Lagny/°° St. Manchen, supposed to be the Wise,'°' St. Colman, Bishop of Lindisfarne,'°" and St. Disibod,'°3 styled Bishop of Dublin/"* as ecclesiastical writers, also belong to this century. ^°s In addition to the foregoing list, St. Ultan, Bishop of Ardbraccan,'°* St. Tirechan, Bishop'°7 St. Aileran, the Wise,'°^ Mac- cuthen,'°9 and Ainmire or Animosus, are said to have written, in prose or verse. ActsofSt. PatrickandofSt. Brigid. "° St. CuminofConnor'"wrote in Irish verse a Poem, which has been published,"^ on the Singular Virtues of the Principal Irish Saints. "^ St. Livinus, the Martyr,"-* wrote some elegant Latin verses. "5
Withsomefewadditionalnamesmustweclosethissection. St. Braccan, Abbot of Ardbraccan,"^ Colman 0'Cluasaigh,"7 St. Fiacre, the Hermit,"^ Maildulph, the Monk,"9 of Malmsbury,"" St.
Carnech, surnamed Moel,"^ St. Cuthbert,"^ Bishop of Lindisfarne, and St. Kilian,"^ Apostle of Fran-
"° See Harris' Ware, vol. iii. " Writers
of Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , p. 37.
"' He is said to have flourished about the
year 656.
'" He devotes a stanza of four lines to
eulogize some remarkable virtue or heroic
action of each saint. This poem has been
translated into English by Professor Eugene
O'Curry, and published with the original
Irish, by the Rev. Matthew Kelly, D. D. , in
"
his Calendar of Irish Saints," pp. 160 to
171.
"3 See Wills' " Lives of Illustrious and
Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , part i. First Period, p. 142.
"• See his Life at the 12th of November.
"5 See John D'Alton's " Memoirs of the
Archbishops of Dublin," pp. 16 to 18.
"* See his Life at the 6th of December. "7 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
num. " See John D'Alton's "Memoirs of niae," xx. Januarii. Vita S. Molaggse, n. the Archbishops of Dublin," pp. 20, 21. 7, p. 149.
'*See Sir Ware, "De James
assigned
" "* "SSee Harris' Ware, vol. iii. Writers
See his Life at the 30th of August.
of Ireland," book i. , chap. iv. Also Bishop Nicholson's " Irish Historical Library,"
"9 See Bale's " Illustrium Majoris Brytan-
niae Scriptorum Catalogus," Cent, xiv. . No. 26.
chap. iv.
»°* See his Life at the
'°7 See his Life at the
"^ See his Life at the 29th of Decem- cap. ii.
ber.
"^See Wills' "Lives of Illustrious and
Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , part i. First Period, p. 151.
"' "
See Harris' Ware, vol. iii. Writers
of Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , p. 47.
of
4th September.
''° See, also, William of
Malmsbury,
of
3rd July.
" De Gestibus Regum
lib. Angliae," i. ,
"'
"3 See his Life at the 8th of July.
See his Life at the 20th of March.
XI! INTRODUCTION.
conia,^^* are enumerated among the Irish writers who adorned the seventh century. "s Manyotheranonymousauthors,whoseworkshavenotbeen subjected to very critical tests, or whose writings have been lost, lived during this flourishing period of Irish ecclesiastical literature.
Section 11. —Irish Hagiologists of the Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Centuries.
To the eighth century—within which immediately succeeding writers de- parted this life—more properly are ascribed, Sedulius the Younger,^ ^engus Mac Tiprait,^ Colman Vamach or Huamacensis, a scribe of Armagh,3 AlbuinorWitta,*andSt. ColchuoorColga,stheWise. ^ TheillustriousSt. Virgil,? Bishop of Saltzburgh, belonged to this age,^ remarkable for its learned men. St. Adamnan, Abbot of lona, was a very distinguished writer;9 ChoelianorCoelan,aMonkofIniscaltra,'°St. CiaranorKiaranthe Devout," Abbot of Belaigduin," Ermedus, Hermetius, or Airmedach,'3 sup- posed to have been Bishop of Clogher, as also Cruimthir CoUait or CoJlon,'* and especially St. Maelruan, Abbot of Tallagh,'s with various other authors.
'-•*See Wills' " Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , part i. First Period, p. 150.
»*s See Harris' Ware, vol. iii. " Writers
' See his admirable Memoir, written by the Rev. Dr. Reeves, and prefixed to an edition of Adamnan's "Lifeof St Columba. " The biography of St. Adamnan occurs at
of Ireland," booki. , chap. iv. Also Bishop
" '° "
Nicholson's Irish Historical Library,"
the 23rd of September.
See Dr. John Lanigan's Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sec.
ii. , n. 18, p. 381. The feast of this saint is
kept on the 29th of July.
chap. iv. — Section ii.
*'
iii.
pp. 47, 48.
^See Sir Ware, " De
James Scriptoribus
Hibemioe," lib. i. , cap. iii. , p. 35.
3 See Harris' Ware, vol. iii. " Writers of
'
See Harris' Ware, vol. Writers of Ireland," book i. , chap, v. ,
"
Ireland," book i. , chap, v. , p. 48. Also, "
Scriptoribus Hibemiae," lib. i. , cap. iv. , p. 37.
'3 His feast is kept on the 2nd of Feb- ruary, according to Colgan's "Trias Thau- maturga. " Quarta Appendix ad Acta S.
Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.
Septima
Vita S. Patricii, n. 50, p. 172, and Quarta Patricii, pars, iii. , p. 218. Yet, it seems
Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, pars, iii. , p. 218.
* See Trithemius, "DeViris Illustribus
Ordinis Benedictini," lib. iii. , cap. 367, and lib. iv. , cap. 190. The festival of this holy man is observed on the 26th of October, where some notices regarding him will be found.
5 See his Life at the 20th of February.
more likely, his feast should be referred to a different day.
' See ibid. He is said to have been of
Druim-reilgeach.
'5 See his Life at the 7th of July, the
date for his festival. The Frontispiece to this volume represents the chief scene of his
'See
Colgan's
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
labours, and an object associated in popular traditionwithhisname. "St. Maelruan's Tree"—of the walnut —
nise," XX. Februarii. Vita S. Colchonis
sive ColgiE, pp. 378, 379.
' See his Life at the 27th of November.
"See Wills' "Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , part i. Second Period, pp. 233, 234.
species yet grows, and it covers an immense extent of ground, in a garden attached to the modern Domi- nican Convent of Tallagh, eight miles from Dublin city. On this spot most probably
His feast occurs on the 14th of June.
"SeeSir '' De James Ware,
stood the ancient monastic establishment of St. Maelruan. At a later period, appa-
IN7R0DUCTJ0K XI u are said to have compiled Acts of Saints or Treatises, which furnish sources
^^
to illustrate Irish hagiography, during the eighth century.
But by far the most valuable collection of records on Irish biographical
lore, that have come down to our time, is that left us by the celebrated St. ^n- gus, the Culdee, who wrote towards the latter part of the eighth, and the be- ginning of the ninth century. '? It is said, that while this holy and learned man lived in the Monastery of Tallagh, under the Abbot, St. Melruain, both were engaged in compiling from earlier records that very complete Calendar of Irish known and
Saints,
generally quoted
as " Tamlach- Martyrologium
tense,"or"TheMartyrologyofTallagh. "'^ Sometimes,fromthecompilers'
names, it is designated, "The Martyrology of ^ngus, the son of Ua-Oblein,
andofMoelruain. "'9 Veryfewcopiesofthisworkhavecomedowntoour
time, in manuscript ; and these hitherto discovered are found to be imper-
fect, while faultily transcribed or interpolated by scribes, who assume to have copied from the original work.
rently after its dissolution, the place passed
into the hands of the Archbishop of Dublin,
and here, in 1324, Alexander de Bicknor
built a fine mediaeval castle or palace for his
country residence. Here, too, several of his Ireland," book i. , chap. v. Also, Bishop successors dwelt. In 1 771, Gabriel Beran- Nicholson's "Irish Historical Library," ger made a drawing of it, which is extant. chap. iv.
Until 1803, the Protestant Archbishops of '7 See the "Life and Works of St. . ^n- Dublin resided in this palace. In 181 8, W. gussius Hagiographus or St. ^ngus the
Monck Mason had a beautiful copperplate engraving, by S. Lacey, prepared by C. V.
Fielding from a sketch by P. Byrne, and this view he dedicated to His Grace Euseby,
Lord Archbishop of Dublin, &c.
254, p. 152. s"SeehisLifeatthe29thofJanuary.
"
5' See Colgan's Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nias," xxix. Januarii. Vita S. Dallani, pp.
203 to 205.
s« See his Life at the 20th of February.
S3 See Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's "Life of
St. Columba," lib. i. , cap, 17, 35, pp. 45, 46, 65, 66, and accompanying notes.
^9 See Dempster's
Historia Ecclesiastica
"
Gentis Scotonim," tomus i. , lib. vii. , num.
"
578, he is called
55 See his Life at the 9th of June.
5* See O'Donnell's "Vita S. Columbae,"
St. Golgus. "
others are authentic or referable to this period, or to their reputed authors.
bishop, at the 1 7th of September, of a St. Grellan at the 1 8th of September, of a St.
Grellan, of Lann, at the loth of November, and of a St. Grealloc Oeblach, of Tamlacht, at the 13th of July. Among these, it is dif- ficult to find the author.
77 His feast was held on the i8th of August. 78geehisLifeatthe12thofMarch,
79 He is venerated on the 22nd of March. ^o ggg j,js Ljfg ^x. the 24th of February.
^i gee Venerable Bede's " Historia lic- clesiastica Gentis Anglomm," lib. iii. , cap. iv. , pp. 168, 169. Cambridge edition, A. ». 1644, fol.
^2 ggg Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Tertia Appendix ad Acta S. Columbae, pars
i. , p. 470.
83 gee his Life at the 7th of June,
84 gee Harris' Ware, voL iii. " Writers
of Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , p. 26.
85 ggg i^jg Life at the 21st of November,
*°
''
of Ireland," book i. , chap, iii. , p. 21. *3 See his Life at the 3rd of June.
" **SeeDr. Hanmer's ChronicleofIre-
land," pp. 120, 121.
*5 See his Life at the 23rd of December. ** See his Life at the 25th 'of January.
'7 See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga. "
Tertia Appendix ad Acta S. Columbze,
pars, i. , p. 470.
*8 See his Life at the 4th of August. Also,
Sir James Ware, "De Scriptoribus Hiber- nise," lib. i. , cap. iii. , p. 17.
^ See Dr. Hanmer's " Chronicle of Ire-
land," pp. 121, 122.
7° See his Life at the 22nd of December.
See his Life at the 24th of November. See his Life at the 8th of March.
See Harris' Ware, vol. iii. Writers
** "
7' See Harris' Ware, vol. iii.
"
Writers
of Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , p. 23. 7" See his Life at the 21st of October.
" Collectanea Sacra. " 87 ggg ^jg Life at the i6th of October.
"gee Harris' Ware, vol. iii.
"Writers 88
Henricus " Lec- Canisius, Antiquse
of Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , pp. 23, 24. T- See his Life at the 22nd of May.
75 See his Life at the 2nd of March.
? ' The feast of a St. Grellan, sonof Rotan,
occurs at the 15th of April. of a St. Grellan,
ggg
tiones," tomus v.
INTRODUCTION.
In the sixth, and early in the seventh century, St. Colman,^ Bishop of Cloyne, is said to have written a Life of St. Senan,^' in Metre. ^^ St. Kevin
or Coemgen, Abbot of Glendalough,^3 is thought to have written a Rule for his Monks, while other Tracts have been ascribed "to him. *^* St. Ethernan
or Ernan,^3 and St. Eoglod or Eochod,^^ both disciples of St. Columkille, are stated, likewise, to have written his Acts. ^7 St. Molua, otherwise called Lugid, Abbot of Clonfert Molua,^^ wrote a most admirable Rule for Monks, which is said to have obtained the highest approbation from Pope St. Gregory the Great. ^9
St. Evin,7° Abbot of Ros-Glas, or Monasterevin, is said to have wTitten the Lives of St. Patrick and of St. Congall. 7' St. Fintan Munnu,7=» Abbot of Tagh- mun, is classed, likewise, with the sacred Avriters of the seventh century. 73 St. Baithen, Abbot of Tech-Baithen,74 St. Virgnous,7S St. Gallanus or Grellanus,76 St. Ereneus or Ernenenus of Rathnew,77 St. Murus, Abbot of Fahan,78 g^^ Failbe, Abbot of Iona,79 St. Cumene the Fair,^" and probably many other holy men of this age,^* ^vrote Acts or Panegyrics of the illustrious St. Colum- kille. ^^ Besides these authors, St. Colman, Bishop of Dromore,^3 compiled a Rule for his Monks during this century. ^* But, by far the most distin- guished Irish ecclesiastical writers of this period were St. Columbanus,^^ the renowned Abbot of Luxeuil,^^ and St. Gall,^7 the Apostle of Switzerland. ^^ St. Carthage or Mochudu,^? Abbot, prepared a Rule for Monks, written in theIrishlanguage. 9° Anaccomplishedhagiographist^^wasSt. Jonas,Abbot
8« ggg
Fleming's
*' See his Life at the 14th of May.
9° See Harris' Ware, vol. iii.
"
Writers
of Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , p. 29. «' See Ibid.
Scriptoribus Hibemise," lib. i. , cap. iii. , p. 21.
93 See his Life at the of
17th June.
9* See Wills' " Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , part i. First Period, pp. 109, no.
95 See his Life at the 13th of September. 9* See his Life at the 1 2th of August.
9'' See his Life at the 31st of August.
9** See his Life at the 9th ofJanuary.
99 See his Life at the 25th of March.
'°*
See his Life at the i6th of January.
"' Some doubts are entertained regarding the identity of the holy man thus distin- guished among the many saints called Man-
chen.
"=" See his Life at the 8th of August. "3 See his Life at the 8th of July.
"^ His feast is to the 8th of
July in John Wilson's " Martyrologium Anglica-
INTRODUCTION. XI
of Luxeuil. 52 St. Moling, Archbishop of Ferns,93 is accounted a writer of Prophecies. s-^ St. Dagan, Abbot of Achad-Dagain,95 St. Segene, Abbot of
Iona,96 St. Aidan, Apostle of Northumbria,97 St. Finan, Bishop of Lindis- fame,98 St. Camin, Abbot of Iniscaltra,99 St. Fursey, Abbot of Lagny/°° St. Manchen, supposed to be the Wise,'°' St. Colman, Bishop of Lindisfarne,'°" and St. Disibod,'°3 styled Bishop of Dublin/"* as ecclesiastical writers, also belong to this century. ^°s In addition to the foregoing list, St. Ultan, Bishop of Ardbraccan,'°* St. Tirechan, Bishop'°7 St. Aileran, the Wise,'°^ Mac- cuthen,'°9 and Ainmire or Animosus, are said to have written, in prose or verse. ActsofSt. PatrickandofSt. Brigid. "° St. CuminofConnor'"wrote in Irish verse a Poem, which has been published,"^ on the Singular Virtues of the Principal Irish Saints. "^ St. Livinus, the Martyr,"-* wrote some elegant Latin verses. "5
Withsomefewadditionalnamesmustweclosethissection. St. Braccan, Abbot of Ardbraccan,"^ Colman 0'Cluasaigh,"7 St. Fiacre, the Hermit,"^ Maildulph, the Monk,"9 of Malmsbury,"" St.
Carnech, surnamed Moel,"^ St. Cuthbert,"^ Bishop of Lindisfarne, and St. Kilian,"^ Apostle of Fran-
"° See Harris' Ware, vol. iii. " Writers
of Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , p. 37.
"' He is said to have flourished about the
year 656.
'" He devotes a stanza of four lines to
eulogize some remarkable virtue or heroic
action of each saint. This poem has been
translated into English by Professor Eugene
O'Curry, and published with the original
Irish, by the Rev. Matthew Kelly, D. D. , in
"
his Calendar of Irish Saints," pp. 160 to
171.
"3 See Wills' " Lives of Illustrious and
Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , part i. First Period, p. 142.
"• See his Life at the 12th of November.
"5 See John D'Alton's " Memoirs of the
Archbishops of Dublin," pp. 16 to 18.
"* See his Life at the 6th of December. "7 See Colgan's "Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
num. " See John D'Alton's "Memoirs of niae," xx. Januarii. Vita S. Molaggse, n. the Archbishops of Dublin," pp. 20, 21. 7, p. 149.
'*See Sir Ware, "De James
assigned
" "* "SSee Harris' Ware, vol. iii. Writers
See his Life at the 30th of August.
of Ireland," book i. , chap. iv. Also Bishop Nicholson's " Irish Historical Library,"
"9 See Bale's " Illustrium Majoris Brytan-
niae Scriptorum Catalogus," Cent, xiv. . No. 26.
chap. iv.
»°* See his Life at the
'°7 See his Life at the
"^ See his Life at the 29th of Decem- cap. ii.
ber.
"^See Wills' "Lives of Illustrious and
Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , part i. First Period, p. 151.
"' "
See Harris' Ware, vol. iii. Writers
of Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , p. 47.
of
4th September.
''° See, also, William of
Malmsbury,
of
3rd July.
" De Gestibus Regum
lib. Angliae," i. ,
"'
"3 See his Life at the 8th of July.
See his Life at the 20th of March.
XI! INTRODUCTION.
conia,^^* are enumerated among the Irish writers who adorned the seventh century. "s Manyotheranonymousauthors,whoseworkshavenotbeen subjected to very critical tests, or whose writings have been lost, lived during this flourishing period of Irish ecclesiastical literature.
Section 11. —Irish Hagiologists of the Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Centuries.
To the eighth century—within which immediately succeeding writers de- parted this life—more properly are ascribed, Sedulius the Younger,^ ^engus Mac Tiprait,^ Colman Vamach or Huamacensis, a scribe of Armagh,3 AlbuinorWitta,*andSt. ColchuoorColga,stheWise. ^ TheillustriousSt. Virgil,? Bishop of Saltzburgh, belonged to this age,^ remarkable for its learned men. St. Adamnan, Abbot of lona, was a very distinguished writer;9 ChoelianorCoelan,aMonkofIniscaltra,'°St. CiaranorKiaranthe Devout," Abbot of Belaigduin," Ermedus, Hermetius, or Airmedach,'3 sup- posed to have been Bishop of Clogher, as also Cruimthir CoUait or CoJlon,'* and especially St. Maelruan, Abbot of Tallagh,'s with various other authors.
'-•*See Wills' " Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , part i. First Period, p. 150.
»*s See Harris' Ware, vol. iii. " Writers
' See his admirable Memoir, written by the Rev. Dr. Reeves, and prefixed to an edition of Adamnan's "Lifeof St Columba. " The biography of St. Adamnan occurs at
of Ireland," booki. , chap. iv. Also Bishop
" '° "
Nicholson's Irish Historical Library,"
the 23rd of September.
See Dr. John Lanigan's Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sec.
ii. , n. 18, p. 381. The feast of this saint is
kept on the 29th of July.
chap. iv. — Section ii.
*'
iii.
pp. 47, 48.
^See Sir Ware, " De
James Scriptoribus
Hibemioe," lib. i. , cap. iii. , p. 35.
3 See Harris' Ware, vol. iii. " Writers of
'
See Harris' Ware, vol. Writers of Ireland," book i. , chap, v. ,
"
Ireland," book i. , chap, v. , p. 48. Also, "
Scriptoribus Hibemiae," lib. i. , cap. iv. , p. 37.
'3 His feast is kept on the 2nd of Feb- ruary, according to Colgan's "Trias Thau- maturga. " Quarta Appendix ad Acta S.
Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga.
Septima
Vita S. Patricii, n. 50, p. 172, and Quarta Patricii, pars, iii. , p. 218. Yet, it seems
Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, pars, iii. , p. 218.
* See Trithemius, "DeViris Illustribus
Ordinis Benedictini," lib. iii. , cap. 367, and lib. iv. , cap. 190. The festival of this holy man is observed on the 26th of October, where some notices regarding him will be found.
5 See his Life at the 20th of February.
more likely, his feast should be referred to a different day.
' See ibid. He is said to have been of
Druim-reilgeach.
'5 See his Life at the 7th of July, the
date for his festival. The Frontispiece to this volume represents the chief scene of his
'See
Colgan's
" Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
labours, and an object associated in popular traditionwithhisname. "St. Maelruan's Tree"—of the walnut —
nise," XX. Februarii. Vita S. Colchonis
sive ColgiE, pp. 378, 379.
' See his Life at the 27th of November.
"See Wills' "Lives of Illustrious and Distinguished Irishmen," vol. i. , part i. Second Period, pp. 233, 234.
species yet grows, and it covers an immense extent of ground, in a garden attached to the modern Domi- nican Convent of Tallagh, eight miles from Dublin city. On this spot most probably
His feast occurs on the 14th of June.
"SeeSir '' De James Ware,
stood the ancient monastic establishment of St. Maelruan. At a later period, appa-
IN7R0DUCTJ0K XI u are said to have compiled Acts of Saints or Treatises, which furnish sources
^^
to illustrate Irish hagiography, during the eighth century.
But by far the most valuable collection of records on Irish biographical
lore, that have come down to our time, is that left us by the celebrated St. ^n- gus, the Culdee, who wrote towards the latter part of the eighth, and the be- ginning of the ninth century. '? It is said, that while this holy and learned man lived in the Monastery of Tallagh, under the Abbot, St. Melruain, both were engaged in compiling from earlier records that very complete Calendar of Irish known and
Saints,
generally quoted
as " Tamlach- Martyrologium
tense,"or"TheMartyrologyofTallagh. "'^ Sometimes,fromthecompilers'
names, it is designated, "The Martyrology of ^ngus, the son of Ua-Oblein,
andofMoelruain. "'9 Veryfewcopiesofthisworkhavecomedowntoour
time, in manuscript ; and these hitherto discovered are found to be imper-
fect, while faultily transcribed or interpolated by scribes, who assume to have copied from the original work.
rently after its dissolution, the place passed
into the hands of the Archbishop of Dublin,
and here, in 1324, Alexander de Bicknor
built a fine mediaeval castle or palace for his
country residence. Here, too, several of his Ireland," book i. , chap. v. Also, Bishop successors dwelt. In 1 771, Gabriel Beran- Nicholson's "Irish Historical Library," ger made a drawing of it, which is extant. chap. iv.
Until 1803, the Protestant Archbishops of '7 See the "Life and Works of St. . ^n- Dublin resided in this palace. In 181 8, W. gussius Hagiographus or St. ^ngus the
Monck Mason had a beautiful copperplate engraving, by S. Lacey, prepared by C. V.
Fielding from a sketch by P. Byrne, and this view he dedicated to His Grace Euseby,
Lord Archbishop of Dublin, &c.
