See "Ballads, Poems, and Lyrics,"
Original
and Trans- lated.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
, chap, xxv.
, sect, ix.
, p.
25.
" "As this letter was written after Anselm
had settled his disputes with Henry L, and
'*
In Gerberon's edition of "Opera" S.
Anselmi, this ranks as epist. Ixxxvi. , lib.
iv. The Rev. R. W. an
Church, Anglican
clergjrman, has published a very interesting
"
biography, intituled,
appeared in crown 8vo, London, 1870.
'7 He himself in " Gillebertus styles it,
Dei quoque misericordia Lunicensis Epis-
copus. " Lunicensis, Lunnicensis, or Lum- nicensis, comes from Lumneach, the Irish
Saint Anselm. " It
name for Limerick. Ussher dates theletter,
incorrectly at A. d. 1094. ^8 "
See Fleury's Histoire Ecclesiastique,"
3^4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 4.
Lanigan considers this Gillebert to have been Abbot of Bangor,''* at one time ;'5 yet, in another passage, he says, if this be true, that Gillebert had been Abbot of Bangor,^^ before he became bishop of Limerick, he must have been one of those persons, who held th'e lands of the abbey, and who used to be called abbots* being elected to that sinecure situation, and correspond- ing to the dignitary, called by the French, Abbe Co7nmhidataire. ''7 Still, we think it very improbable, that Gille occupied such a status, and almost equally uncertain, that he ever governed the community at Bangor. The present Gille seems to be the man, whom Pitts mentions^^ under the names of Gilbert, Gissebert and Gislebert,=9 Bishop of Limerick. He is said incorrectly to have become a Benedictine monk,3° at Westminster, and to have been an abbot over that house. 3^ It is stated, likewise, that he studied Divinity, under St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury. s^* Afterwards, it is told, he visited the academies of France and Italy. He travelled as far as Rome. Besides the epistles, written by him to Anselm, he is said to have composed a book, intituled " De Usu Ecclesiastico. " 33 It alludes to different forms of liturgies, and various ways, for celebrating Divine Service, in the Irish Church : these, however, he seeks to render conformable to the koman customs. In a letter, addressed to the bishops and clergy of Ireland, Gillibert or Gille3* says, that at the request, and even by the advice of many amongst them, he undertook to write without presumption, being desirous of obeying their
returned to England late in 1 106, it follows, or mission, and these writers too are ranked that he had not heard of Gillebert's promo- among her saints. This work was printed lion until about that time. Hence it is Parisiis, M. DC. xix. , in 4to.
clear, that it did not take place until after
Anselm's second departure from England in 1 103 ; for, if it had, Anselm would certainly have been ap^jrized of it before his return. It is probable that Gilleber—t became Bishop of Limerick about 1 105. " Ibid. ,
61, p.
=9 It is thought, that Gille's other form of name Gillebert, Latinized into Gillebertus, had been received from the Danes, among whom he lived.
3° Thus, some shallow or fabulous writers
26.
=3 This letter is to be found in Ussher's
"Walsh's "
n.
have confounded Gille or Gillebert,
of Limerick, with a Gillebert or Gislebert,
who had been a monk with Anselm in the monastery of Bee, in Normandy. But, Gislebert never became a bishop, having died Abbot of West- minster, where he was buried. Ussher ^* For such statement, Archdall cites gives his Latin epitaph. See "Veterum
Prospect," p. 246. asticon Hibernicum," p. 108.
"Veterum Epistolarum Hibemicarum
Sylloge," epist. xxxii. , pp. 88, 89. In the edition of St. Anselm's works, it stands
epist. cxliii. , lib. iii.
surnamed
loge" before his eyes, and followed his mis- takes, in the dates of the epistles there con-
tained
; yet,
same as Gislebert, merely for the purpose of insinuating that he was an Ostman. He even quotes Ware, to show, that Gillebert
See "Mon-
" **
=5 See Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
censio, pp. 139, 140.
3' Although Ledwich had Ussher's Syl-
vol. iv. , chap, xxv. , sec. ix. , and n. 57, pp.
23, 25.
''^
This seems to be inferred from a state- ment, attributed to Keating, that he was successor of Congell, as quoted by Gratianus
he makes this Gillebert the
Lucius, or L)mch, in
"
Cambrensis Eversus,"
p. 83. Yet, in many copies of Keating, no such statement is to be found.
"
Antiquities of Ireland," p. 433. Yet, Ware says nothing more, than that he did not know whether Gillebert was tory of Ireland," chap, xxvi. , sec. ix. , and an Irishman or an Ostman. See Dr. Lani- gan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
=7 See Dr. Lanigan's n. 63, pp. 77 to 79.
**
Ecclesiastical His-
^
Doctoris, Liverduni in Lotharingia, Decani,
'*
Relationum Historicarum de —Rebus An-
See Joannis Pitsei Angli S. Theologiaj
2ist, A. D. H09. See Bishop Challoner's glici—s," p. 844. The first tome all have account of him in "Britannia Sancta," part
I
seen contains four parts, in which are in- troduced lives of the distinguished writers of Britain. Among these, however, Ireland can fairly claim some that were closely identified with her either by birth, education
i. ,pp. 240 to 253.
33 See Ussher's " Primordia," cap. xvii. ,
p. 917.
3« In the prefix, he styles himself Gille,
the Irish form of his name.
Crispinus,
Hibemicarum Re- Epistolarum Sylloge,"
was one. See
vol. iv. , chap, xxv. , sect, ix. , n. 61, p. 26. 3' St. Anselm departed this life, Apri
Bishop
February 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 325
pious requirements, in giving an explanation of the canonical custom, for re- citing the hours, and for the performance of the Divine Office, by the whole ecclesiastical order. 35 He desires, that the various and conflicting rites on this subject, which prevailed throughout almost the whole of Ireland, should yield to the ritual of the Catholic and Roman office. 3^ For, he asks, what can be considered more unbecoming or schismatical, than that a most learned ecclesiastic, acquainted with one particular rite, should find himself a fool and a laic, in a strange Church ? Wherefore, since all the members of the Catholic Church are united in the one faith, hope, and charity ; they are
ordered by the Apostle to praise God with united voice and rite, according "
tothemandate, Thatwithonemind,andwithonemouth,youmayglorify
God. " 37 Wherefore, as the dispersion of tongues took place through pride,
and was brought to unity by Apostolic humility ; so, likewise, a confusion of
rites having arisen, through negligence and presumption, they should be re-
duced to the established rules of the Roman Church, through the zeal and
humility of the Irish clergy. How much, therefore, the unity of observances
should be observed, by the faithful, is evident from many passages of the
Sacred Scriptures ; and, the writer adds, that an image or a picture of the
Church,3S attached to his letter, should render his observations sufficiently
plain to their comprehension. 39 All the members of the Church must be
governed by, and be subject to, one bishop, who is Christ, to his holy vicar,
the Apostle Peter, and to the Apostolic President, in the see of the latter
saint. He " In I ask these rewards from all of concludes, by saying, fine,
you,forthismysmallshareoflabour; that,asweoughttopraiseGodhere,
with one heart and one mouth, so being assisted by your prayers, I may de-
serve the privilege of singing together with you, in the kingdom of heaven. " 4°
This seems to have been the epistle
to his book or " De treatise,
prologue
Usu Ecclesiastico ;" and, this latter appears to have been little else than
a copy of the Roman liturgy and office. The tract, in question, is not known at present to be in existence. ^^ Harris thinks,-*^ that Pitts must have had this Gille in mind, when ascribing the authorship of a book, " De Statu Ec- clesise," identical, he says, with the book, " De Usu Ecclesise," to a supposed Gille, Bishop of Lincoln. 43 How long Gille of Limerick remained abroad
3S Ussher very incorrectly marks the date
niae," lib. i. , cap. viii. , p. 53.
3* Ussher, who, strangely enough, was quite mistaken, as to the time when Gille-
bert had been Bishop of Limerick, again in- verts the order of his compositions, by plac- ing this epistle, in point of date and posi- tion, before the previously written epistles to Anselm, with his reply to it.
37 Romans, xv. , 6.
3^ This is an instance of the habit, acquired
by our early writers, of illustrating or of
ornamenting their manuscripts, by drawings and illuminations,
39 Ussher remarks, that in the copies of the MSS. from which the present epistle was taken, he found subjoined an image of the church, to which allusion is here made,
with the following explanation of this dia-
of this letter, at A. D. in all 1090. Yet,
'' ARCA Mundi habuit: Jiguram
pro- bability, Gillebert was not Bishop of Li- merick, for fourteen or fifteen years, after that time. Ware, although not noting the time of his accession, says he flourished, A. D. mo. See " De Scriptoribus Hiber-
gram:
fuit enim tricamerata. In superiori parte
erant aves, tanquam Angeli in Caio. In medio erant IIo? nines (scilicet Noe, et familia ejus) tanquam in hoc Mundo. In inio Ani- malia et tepiilia, tanquam Animce in In-
ferno. " Ussher then says, that not being able to find a copperplate engraver, he was obliged to omit these figures Irom his work, According to Ussher, this epistle was written, in the year 1090. This epistle is thought to have been prefixed to the treatise, entitled, De Usu Ecclesiastico.
"
40 gee Ussher's
Hibernicarum Sylloge," epist. xxx. De Usu Ecclesiastico, pp. 77, 78.
'*
Ecclesiastical Ilis- tory of Ireland," vol. iv. , chap, xxv. , sect.
XI. , p. 29.
^2 See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of
Limerick," p. 504.
^3 See Ussher's " Veterum Epistolanim
Hibernicarum Sylloge. " Recensio, p. 139.
4i gee Dr. Lanigan's
Veterum Epistolanim
326
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, [February 4.
does not appear but, while presiding over this see, the old church of St. ;
Munchin—nov/ a parochial one—seems to have been the site for his cathe-
dral. After his death, and about the time, when the English arrived in Ire-
land, A. D. 1 172, Donald O'Brien, King of Thomond, founded and richly
endowed a new cathedral, in Limerick city. This was solemnly dedicated
to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 44 The same Donald granted a charter, about
the year 11 94, to Brictius, the Bishop of Limerick, and to his successors,
confirming certain lands and appurtenances, in free and perpetual alms. 45
Bishop Donat O'Brien, of the Thomond family, succeeded, and he set about enlarging this cathedral, while he filled it with secular canons, to whom he
assignedprebends. ^^ Henominatedadean,topresideoverthechapter,he defined the privileges of the canons, and he made some constitutions, con- cerning the liturgy to be used in his church. St. Mary's Cathedral was re- paired,atvarioustimes; but,abouttheyear1490,thenavehavingfallen into decay, the citizens restored it, at a great cost, under Bishop John Folan, previously a canon of Ferns. 47 After the Reformation, this cathedral was transferred to its followers, and since then, it has undergone various altera- tions—which can hardly be considered improvements—while repairs have left it, at present, in a comparative state of preservation. A fine chime of bells hangs in the tower. ^^ The outlines and details of the cathedral are
44 The most interesting, detailed and exact account, we find, regarding the origin, foun- dation, architectural peculiarities, restora- tions, and history of St. Mary's Cathedral, is that contained in the truly valuable work of Maurice Lenihan, "Limerick ; its History and Antiquities, Ecclesiastical, Civil and Military," &c. , chap. Iv. , pp. 546 to 554, with the subsequent chapters.
45 A large and beautifully wrought metal bell was found in a branch of the Shannon,
near Limerick, on Friday, the 25th August, 1871. It weighed \yi cwt. , and bore the date of 1 181. It is supposed, that this bell
belonged to St. Mary's Cathedral, and that it was thrown into the river, during the memorable siege of 1 69 1. From the Irish . S/<? r of Sept. 1 6th, 1 87 1.
*-^- See " The History, Topography and
the triumphs of peace or of strife,
But a quick joyous outburst of jubilee full of their newly felt life ;
Rapid, more rapid, the clapper rebounds from the round of the bells—
Far and more far through the valley the intertwined melody swells—
Quivering and broken the atmosphere trembles and twinkles around.
Like the eyes and the hearts of the hearers that glisten and beat to the sound. "
—Part ii. , stanza vi. , p. 14.
See "Ballads, Poems, and Lyrics," Original and Trans- lated. At the present time, the banks of the Shannon frequently re-echo to the music of the Limerick bells ; and, the writer had
and
rick," &c. By the Rev. P. Fitzgerald and
once an opportunity of hearing, and with no ordinary feeling of delight, "the deep cadence" of their — tone. "
"
—the Bell-Founder"
many— he of voyages, thought sailing
of the Antiquities County
of Lime-
"magical Paolo,
City by J. J. M'Gregor, vol. i. , p. 393.
to continue the story set out in quest of his bells, and after
''' See Harris' Ware, vol. i. ,
*'
of
for Ire-
Limerick," pp. 501 to 517.
4^ A beautiful legend is current, that the
silver bells of St. Mary's were originally cast in Italy, by a celebrated Italian artist ;
while, owing to the rapine of war, they were removed from fair Florence, and brought thence to Limerick. In a very charming poem, called, "The Bell Founder," by Denis Florence McCarthy, the tones of these
land
:
bells are —
admirably described,
as
vibrating
As it the
over the Amo *'
:
mountains of Clare
;
with a rapid vibration, with a melody silv'ry and strong,
The bells from the sound-shaken belfry are singing their first maiden song ;
Not now for the dead or the living, or
Toll, toll !
Bishops
A bark bound for Erin lay waiting, he entered like one in a dream ;
Fair winds in the full purple sails led him soon to the Shannon's broad stream. 'Twas an evening that Florence might
envy, so rich was the lemon-hued air.
on lone or lit lay Scattery's Island,
green
The wide-spreading old giant river rolled
his waters as smooth and as still
As if Oonagh, with all her bright nymphs, had come down from the far fairy hill.
To fling her enchantments around on the mountains, the air and the tide,
February 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 327
massive and solemn-looking. 49 It seems probable, Gillebert's fame for learning and sanctity mused him to be selected at Rome, to fill the office of first Apostolic Legate, in Ireland. 5° It is said, he went from Rome to
t^^^HsVN^^
The Ancient Cathedral of St. Mary, Limerick.
Maintz, on his return ; and, in the latter city, that he held a learned dispu-
'
One note is
XIV. — enough
s° See John Ferrar's "History of the City Limerick," part ii. , p. 15.
And to soothe the worn heart of the old man, who looked from the dark vessel's side,
XIII.
Borne on the current, the vessel glides
smoothly but swiftly away,
By Carrigaholt, and by many a green
sloping headland and bay,
'Twixt Cratloe's blue hills and green
woods, and the soft sunny shores of
Tervoe,
And now the fair city of Limerick spreads
out on the broad bank below ;
Still nearer and nearer approaching, the
mariners look o'er the town,
The old man sees nought but St. Mary's
square tower, with its battlements
brown. —
He listens as yet all is silent, but now,
with a sudden surprise,
A rich peal of melody rings from that towerthroughthecleareveningskies!
his heart, long so wither'd, outswells. He has found them—the sons of his la-
his
eye moistens,
of
bours—his musical, magical
bells !
At each stroke all the bright past re- tumeth, around him the sweet Arno
shines,
His children—his darling Francesca—his
Leaning forward, he listens—he gazes— he hears in that wonderful strain
purple-clad trellis of vines !
The long-silent voices that murmur, ' Oh ! leave us not, father, again ! '
Tis granted—he smiles—his eye closes— the breath from his white lips hath fled—
The father has gone to his children—the old Campanaro is dead ! "
— Part iii. , pp. 26, 27, ibid.
49 The accompanying illustration, drawn
on the spot, and afterwards transferred to
the wood, \>y William F. Wakeman, has beenengravedbyMrs. Millard. Itistaken from a point of view beyond the river.
328 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 4. tation with :i Jew, well skilled in the Hebrew language and in the Old Law.
"
De Usu Ecclesiastico," seems to have been prefixed to the tract " De Statu Ecclesiae," 53 which has been pubHshed by Ussher. s4 This latter should be more intelligible, could we only see the pictorial illustration, to which the 'WTiter so frequently refers. Under the representation of an allegory, an image of the church is presented, with letters serving for reference, to indicate plans occupied in it, by various classes
of persons, lay and ecclesiastical. Yet, we glean, that the illustration was of apyramidicalform. ss Thelowerbasewaswide,toindicatethecarnaland
married, while it tapered upwards to a point, indicating the higher and stricter life of ordained and religious persons. Following the mere descrip- tion, this whole diagram must have been most ingeniously arranged. A sub-pyramid, on the left side of the figure, represented the parochial order, having the priest at the apex, and under him the deacon, while beneath, in the third place, was the sub-deacon. Fourthly, comes the acolyte ; fifthly, the exorcist ; sixthly, the lector ; seventhly, the ostiarius, while, the amelarius, the psalmist and the bishop are distinguished. ^^ The second or monastic pyramid has the abbot at the top, and under him are six grades. 57 The gradations of bishops, archbishops, primates and popes, are placed over all the others. Parochial, diocesan, and monastic sub-ordination is exhibited, with the relative order, rights and precedence. In short, it is a summary of the general Canon Law of the time, with those rites, ceremonies and usages then established. Duties of the several ministers of the Church are pointed out : the ecclesiastical dresses, utensils and ornaments, in use, are mentioned. The priest's duty to pray is chiefly fufiUcd, in celebrating the hours and the Mass. s^ Gillibertwindsupthistract,byobserving,thattheposition,which
5* See Rev. P. Fitzgerald's and J. J. ss Yet, this again seems to have included
M'Gregor's "History, Topography and two smaller pyramids: one, representing
" Ecclesise contra Judseos," He dedicated it to Archbishop Anselm. s^ The
This he afterwards reduced, to the form of a dialogue,s* intituled,
De Fide
lost, or undiscovered, treatise,
Antiquities of the County and City of Lime- rick," vol. i. , pp. 388, 389.
s^ Eadmer wrote two interesting works,
the parochial or secular order, and the other, the monastic or religious order.
s^ jhe tract adds: "Sed tamen Episco-
pus, Archiepiscopus, Patriarcha et Frophetw, generalis Ecclesise gradus sunt. "
one "Vita Anselmi," and the other,
"
His-
toria Novorum. " These supply materials
"
See Dr. Walter Farquhar Hook's "Lives dos est, atque sub hijs Oratores tantiim :
for all the subsequent biographies of Anselm.
S7 The tract continues :
qui ipse Sacer-
of the Archbishops of Canterbury," vol. ii. , chap, iii. , n. , p. 169.
quoniam non est Monachorum baptizare, communicare, aut aliquod Ecclesiasticum laicis ministiare, nisi forte, cogente necessi- tate,imperantiEpiscopoobediant. Quorum propositum est soli Deo, relictis secularibus,
53 See
"
Veterum Epistolarum Hiberni- '
carumSylloge, pp. 78to87.
5* To notices of both the foregoing treatises,
Ussher the note: ^^ Ex in oratione vacare. " subjoins following
MS. codke BibliotheccB publico Cantabri- ss ^j^ t^jg could not be treated about in a
giensis Academic descripsi, collato Prologo brief manner, Gillebert promised to refer to De Usu Ecclesiastico cum alio Benedictini it, in the sequel. This, however, he ne- Cflllegii, et libello De Statu Ecclesise cum glected to do, in the tract, which has been altera monachorum Dundinensmm exemplar! y
a D. Augustino Linsello Decano Lichfeldiensi cucepto. ^j/ flw/^w ^zV Gillebertus ///r, quern
functum
published ; which shows, either, that it is incomplete, as we find it, or what is more probably the case, that he alludes to the
aiunt
sedis per universam Hiberniam, ut in vita
Malachia: 7etulit Bemardus: non Gilla Lin-
colniensis Episcopus {cujnsmodi nunquam teach the manner of celebrating Mass, ac-
prima
legatione Apostolicse
treatise,
in rerum natura quis extitit) quemadmodum in Appendicis illustrium Anglice Scriptorum Centur. /. , cap. 93, so? nniavit Johannes Pit- seus. ''
cording to the Roman Ritual, Harris states : "This is the same book as that de Statu Ecclesioe under another title. " See Harris'
Ibid. , p. 139.
Ware,
vol.
iii. ,
" The Writers of
Ireland,"
" De Usu Ecclesiastico," which was to contain the whole series of the Divine Oflfice. Alluding to a book Gille wrote, to
February 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 329
the patriarchs hold in the East, seems to be occupied by primates, in the West; while, both arc placed under the Roman Pontiff, who takes foremost rank.
But, because the patriarchs preside over the Apostolic sees, such as are Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, therefore, do they consecrate archbishops, and in a certain sense, they rank with the Roman Pontiff. But, to Peter
" Thou art
Church. " 59 Wherefore, the Pope alone presides over the Universal Church,
and he rules and judges all, while placed in his position by all ; for, with con- sent of the whole Church, the Romans exalt him, who daily assumes the purplerobe,thatalwayshemaybereadyformartyrdom. WhileMuirchear- tach Mor O'Brian,^^ great grandson to the celebrated Bryan Boroimhe, was
monarch over Ireland, a great synod was convened, a. d. iiii, at Fidh mic- Aenghusa. ^' Thisissaidtohavebeenthenameofaplace,neartheHillof Uisneach,inthecountyofWestmeath. ^^ Greatnumbersofbishops,abbots, priors, priests and students, with the Ard Righ himself and several represen- tative laymen, were present. At this synod, laws, regulations and customs were enacted, for guidance both of the clergy and of the laity. During that same monarch's reign, it is thought, and soon after the former, another generalcouncilorsynodwasconvened,atRathBresail. ^3 Thisissupposed, by some, to have been only a prorogation of the synod, held at Fiadh mic- Aenghusa. The principal affairs, transacted in the synod at Rath Bresail, were contained in the ancient " Book of Clonenagh. " It states, that Gilla- Esbog, Bishop of Luimnech or Limerick, who, at that time, was the Pope's
Apostolic Legate in Ireland, presided. Be? ides the many good statutes, decreed at this holy synod, those defining the number and boundaries of the respectiveIrishdiocesesarenottheleastdeservingofnotice. Thecomplete freedom of sees and churches, from the authority or rent of any temporal lord, was decreed. Churches were given up, in full possession, to the Irish prelates. The ancient divisions of Leth Cuinn and of Leth Mogha seem to have regulated, in a great measure, if not altogether, the ecclesiastical boun- daries of Armagh and of Cashel, when grouping the subordinate sees under their respective jurisdictions. Including the Primate of Armagh, six bishops were appointed to rule the Ulster Province : these were, the bishops over the sees of Armagh,^* of Clogher,^5 of Ardstra,^^ of Derry,^7 of Connor/^ of
alone was it said,
Peter,
and
upon
this rock will I build
my
book i. ,chap. ix. , p. 68. Here he is in error, and still more so, where Gille is made "the author of a book de Statu Ecclesioc, which is the same with the book de Usii Ecclesice. " This, too, he says, "contains the different forms of liturgies, and the various ways of celebrating Divine Service in the Church of Ireland. "
'''
See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 990, 991.
^^
The Rev. Robert King takes some pains to prove, that the synod of Fiadh-mic- ^ngusa was not distinct from that of Rath- Breasail. See " Memoir Introductory to the Early History of the Primacy of Ar- magh," p. 81.
^3 Xhis council is said to have been as- sembled, a. d. 1118. See Rev. Dr. Reeves'
Ware, vol. of i. , "Bishops
See Harris' Limerick," p.
"
which he thought the same as the other,
504. Now the tract,
De Statu Ecclesice,"
"
contains no such matter, nor any liturgy, whatsoever. "And as to what was con- tained in the book De usu Ecclesiastico, we may be sure, that they were not Irish litur- gies, but —what Gillebert styles the canonical custom" Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iv. , chap, xxv,, sect, xi. , n. 70, p. 30.
and Dromore. " Appendix A, p. 139.
^'» The extent and boundaries of these
mediaeval Irish dioceses are given, from the
"
ancient
Dr. Keating, as follows : Armagh extended from Siiabh Breagh or Slieve Bregh, in the county of Louth, to Cualli Kiannacta, or Coolkenagh, in the townland of Foremass, not far distant from the junction of Errigal Keerogue parish with Termonmaguirk and Clogherny ; and from Birra to the Amhaiu Mor, or River Blackwater. See Rev. Dr.
55 See Matt, xvi. , 18.
^ See Maurice Lenihan's "Limerick ;
its
History and Antiquities, Ecclesiastical, Civil and Military," &c. , chap, liv. , p. 545.
Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor
Book of Clonenagh," quoted by
3ZO LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 4.
Down*9—five were to nile over the Connaught Province, viz. , the Bishops of Tuam,7° o—f Clonfert,7i' of Cong,72 ^f Killala,73 and of Ardcarne, also called Ard-acadh74 twoweretopresideintheMeathProvince,viz. ,theBishops of Duleek7s and of Clonard -J^ all the foregoing acknowledged the Primate, as their Metropolitan. The Archbishop of Cashel, besides his own see,77 had for his suffragans, in the Munster Province, the Bishops of Lismore, or of Waterford,7^ of Cork,79 of Rath-maighe-deskirt,^^ of Emly,^' and of
Reeves' " Acts of Archbishop Colton m his an-termainn in quite a different position.
"
Metropolitan Visitation of the Diocese of See
Derry, A. D. Mcccxcvii. ," &c. , pp. 136, n. (f), p. 982.
137-
°s Clogher diocese extended from the Am-
hain Mor, or Blackwater River, to Gabail-
liuin, or Galloon, county Fermanagh, and from Sliabh Betha or Slieve Beagh to Sliabh Larga, a denomination now known as Slieve Largy, in the county of Tyrone. See ibid.
7* The Bishopric of Clonfert extended from the Sinainn or River Shannon to Boi- renn, now Burren, in the northern part of Clare county ; and from Sliabh Echtighe, or Slieve Aughty, on the confines of the counties of Galway and Clare, to the Suca, or River Suck.
72 The diocese of Cong extended from Amhain O-m-Broin in the north to Neim- thin or Mount Nephin, and from Ath-an-
^^
Ardstraw diocese extended from Sliabh
Larga, or Slieve Largy, to Carn-glas, near
Raphoe ; and from Lough Craei to Benn termainn westwards to the sea.
Foibni, now Benyevenagh Mountain, east
73 The diocese of Killala extended from Neimthinn or Mount Nephin to Esruadh, or Assai-oe, near Ballyshannon, and from Kill-Ard-bili to Srathan Ferainn.
74 The diocese of Ardagh, which is also called Ard-acadh, extended from Ardcarne, to Siabh-an-iarainn, a mountain in the county of Leitrim, and from Keiscorainn, or Kish- corran, to Ur-coillti. See Eugene O'Curry's "Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History," lect. v. , pp. loi, 102.
75 The diocese of Dukek extended from Sliabh }keagha, or Slieve Bregh, to the Carn of Dun Cuair, or Rath Core, on the borders of Meath and Leinster, and from Lochan na-h-Imirki to the sea. See " On the Manners and Customs of the Ancient
of Lough Foyle, in the county of London- "
derry. See Dr. Reeves' Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," n. (v), pp.
" "As this letter was written after Anselm
had settled his disputes with Henry L, and
'*
In Gerberon's edition of "Opera" S.
Anselmi, this ranks as epist. Ixxxvi. , lib.
iv. The Rev. R. W. an
Church, Anglican
clergjrman, has published a very interesting
"
biography, intituled,
appeared in crown 8vo, London, 1870.
'7 He himself in " Gillebertus styles it,
Dei quoque misericordia Lunicensis Epis-
copus. " Lunicensis, Lunnicensis, or Lum- nicensis, comes from Lumneach, the Irish
Saint Anselm. " It
name for Limerick. Ussher dates theletter,
incorrectly at A. d. 1094. ^8 "
See Fleury's Histoire Ecclesiastique,"
3^4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 4.
Lanigan considers this Gillebert to have been Abbot of Bangor,''* at one time ;'5 yet, in another passage, he says, if this be true, that Gillebert had been Abbot of Bangor,^^ before he became bishop of Limerick, he must have been one of those persons, who held th'e lands of the abbey, and who used to be called abbots* being elected to that sinecure situation, and correspond- ing to the dignitary, called by the French, Abbe Co7nmhidataire. ''7 Still, we think it very improbable, that Gille occupied such a status, and almost equally uncertain, that he ever governed the community at Bangor. The present Gille seems to be the man, whom Pitts mentions^^ under the names of Gilbert, Gissebert and Gislebert,=9 Bishop of Limerick. He is said incorrectly to have become a Benedictine monk,3° at Westminster, and to have been an abbot over that house. 3^ It is stated, likewise, that he studied Divinity, under St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury. s^* Afterwards, it is told, he visited the academies of France and Italy. He travelled as far as Rome. Besides the epistles, written by him to Anselm, he is said to have composed a book, intituled " De Usu Ecclesiastico. " 33 It alludes to different forms of liturgies, and various ways, for celebrating Divine Service, in the Irish Church : these, however, he seeks to render conformable to the koman customs. In a letter, addressed to the bishops and clergy of Ireland, Gillibert or Gille3* says, that at the request, and even by the advice of many amongst them, he undertook to write without presumption, being desirous of obeying their
returned to England late in 1 106, it follows, or mission, and these writers too are ranked that he had not heard of Gillebert's promo- among her saints. This work was printed lion until about that time. Hence it is Parisiis, M. DC. xix. , in 4to.
clear, that it did not take place until after
Anselm's second departure from England in 1 103 ; for, if it had, Anselm would certainly have been ap^jrized of it before his return. It is probable that Gilleber—t became Bishop of Limerick about 1 105. " Ibid. ,
61, p.
=9 It is thought, that Gille's other form of name Gillebert, Latinized into Gillebertus, had been received from the Danes, among whom he lived.
3° Thus, some shallow or fabulous writers
26.
=3 This letter is to be found in Ussher's
"Walsh's "
n.
have confounded Gille or Gillebert,
of Limerick, with a Gillebert or Gislebert,
who had been a monk with Anselm in the monastery of Bee, in Normandy. But, Gislebert never became a bishop, having died Abbot of West- minster, where he was buried. Ussher ^* For such statement, Archdall cites gives his Latin epitaph. See "Veterum
Prospect," p. 246. asticon Hibernicum," p. 108.
"Veterum Epistolarum Hibemicarum
Sylloge," epist. xxxii. , pp. 88, 89. In the edition of St. Anselm's works, it stands
epist. cxliii. , lib. iii.
surnamed
loge" before his eyes, and followed his mis- takes, in the dates of the epistles there con-
tained
; yet,
same as Gislebert, merely for the purpose of insinuating that he was an Ostman. He even quotes Ware, to show, that Gillebert
See "Mon-
" **
=5 See Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
censio, pp. 139, 140.
3' Although Ledwich had Ussher's Syl-
vol. iv. , chap, xxv. , sec. ix. , and n. 57, pp.
23, 25.
''^
This seems to be inferred from a state- ment, attributed to Keating, that he was successor of Congell, as quoted by Gratianus
he makes this Gillebert the
Lucius, or L)mch, in
"
Cambrensis Eversus,"
p. 83. Yet, in many copies of Keating, no such statement is to be found.
"
Antiquities of Ireland," p. 433. Yet, Ware says nothing more, than that he did not know whether Gillebert was tory of Ireland," chap, xxvi. , sec. ix. , and an Irishman or an Ostman. See Dr. Lani- gan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
=7 See Dr. Lanigan's n. 63, pp. 77 to 79.
**
Ecclesiastical His-
^
Doctoris, Liverduni in Lotharingia, Decani,
'*
Relationum Historicarum de —Rebus An-
See Joannis Pitsei Angli S. Theologiaj
2ist, A. D. H09. See Bishop Challoner's glici—s," p. 844. The first tome all have account of him in "Britannia Sancta," part
I
seen contains four parts, in which are in- troduced lives of the distinguished writers of Britain. Among these, however, Ireland can fairly claim some that were closely identified with her either by birth, education
i. ,pp. 240 to 253.
33 See Ussher's " Primordia," cap. xvii. ,
p. 917.
3« In the prefix, he styles himself Gille,
the Irish form of his name.
Crispinus,
Hibemicarum Re- Epistolarum Sylloge,"
was one. See
vol. iv. , chap, xxv. , sect, ix. , n. 61, p. 26. 3' St. Anselm departed this life, Apri
Bishop
February 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 325
pious requirements, in giving an explanation of the canonical custom, for re- citing the hours, and for the performance of the Divine Office, by the whole ecclesiastical order. 35 He desires, that the various and conflicting rites on this subject, which prevailed throughout almost the whole of Ireland, should yield to the ritual of the Catholic and Roman office. 3^ For, he asks, what can be considered more unbecoming or schismatical, than that a most learned ecclesiastic, acquainted with one particular rite, should find himself a fool and a laic, in a strange Church ? Wherefore, since all the members of the Catholic Church are united in the one faith, hope, and charity ; they are
ordered by the Apostle to praise God with united voice and rite, according "
tothemandate, Thatwithonemind,andwithonemouth,youmayglorify
God. " 37 Wherefore, as the dispersion of tongues took place through pride,
and was brought to unity by Apostolic humility ; so, likewise, a confusion of
rites having arisen, through negligence and presumption, they should be re-
duced to the established rules of the Roman Church, through the zeal and
humility of the Irish clergy. How much, therefore, the unity of observances
should be observed, by the faithful, is evident from many passages of the
Sacred Scriptures ; and, the writer adds, that an image or a picture of the
Church,3S attached to his letter, should render his observations sufficiently
plain to their comprehension. 39 All the members of the Church must be
governed by, and be subject to, one bishop, who is Christ, to his holy vicar,
the Apostle Peter, and to the Apostolic President, in the see of the latter
saint. He " In I ask these rewards from all of concludes, by saying, fine,
you,forthismysmallshareoflabour; that,asweoughttopraiseGodhere,
with one heart and one mouth, so being assisted by your prayers, I may de-
serve the privilege of singing together with you, in the kingdom of heaven. " 4°
This seems to have been the epistle
to his book or " De treatise,
prologue
Usu Ecclesiastico ;" and, this latter appears to have been little else than
a copy of the Roman liturgy and office. The tract, in question, is not known at present to be in existence. ^^ Harris thinks,-*^ that Pitts must have had this Gille in mind, when ascribing the authorship of a book, " De Statu Ec- clesise," identical, he says, with the book, " De Usu Ecclesise," to a supposed Gille, Bishop of Lincoln. 43 How long Gille of Limerick remained abroad
3S Ussher very incorrectly marks the date
niae," lib. i. , cap. viii. , p. 53.
3* Ussher, who, strangely enough, was quite mistaken, as to the time when Gille-
bert had been Bishop of Limerick, again in- verts the order of his compositions, by plac- ing this epistle, in point of date and posi- tion, before the previously written epistles to Anselm, with his reply to it.
37 Romans, xv. , 6.
3^ This is an instance of the habit, acquired
by our early writers, of illustrating or of
ornamenting their manuscripts, by drawings and illuminations,
39 Ussher remarks, that in the copies of the MSS. from which the present epistle was taken, he found subjoined an image of the church, to which allusion is here made,
with the following explanation of this dia-
of this letter, at A. D. in all 1090. Yet,
'' ARCA Mundi habuit: Jiguram
pro- bability, Gillebert was not Bishop of Li- merick, for fourteen or fifteen years, after that time. Ware, although not noting the time of his accession, says he flourished, A. D. mo. See " De Scriptoribus Hiber-
gram:
fuit enim tricamerata. In superiori parte
erant aves, tanquam Angeli in Caio. In medio erant IIo? nines (scilicet Noe, et familia ejus) tanquam in hoc Mundo. In inio Ani- malia et tepiilia, tanquam Animce in In-
ferno. " Ussher then says, that not being able to find a copperplate engraver, he was obliged to omit these figures Irom his work, According to Ussher, this epistle was written, in the year 1090. This epistle is thought to have been prefixed to the treatise, entitled, De Usu Ecclesiastico.
"
40 gee Ussher's
Hibernicarum Sylloge," epist. xxx. De Usu Ecclesiastico, pp. 77, 78.
'*
Ecclesiastical Ilis- tory of Ireland," vol. iv. , chap, xxv. , sect.
XI. , p. 29.
^2 See Harris' Ware, vol. i. , "Bishops of
Limerick," p. 504.
^3 See Ussher's " Veterum Epistolanim
Hibernicarum Sylloge. " Recensio, p. 139.
4i gee Dr. Lanigan's
Veterum Epistolanim
326
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, [February 4.
does not appear but, while presiding over this see, the old church of St. ;
Munchin—nov/ a parochial one—seems to have been the site for his cathe-
dral. After his death, and about the time, when the English arrived in Ire-
land, A. D. 1 172, Donald O'Brien, King of Thomond, founded and richly
endowed a new cathedral, in Limerick city. This was solemnly dedicated
to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 44 The same Donald granted a charter, about
the year 11 94, to Brictius, the Bishop of Limerick, and to his successors,
confirming certain lands and appurtenances, in free and perpetual alms. 45
Bishop Donat O'Brien, of the Thomond family, succeeded, and he set about enlarging this cathedral, while he filled it with secular canons, to whom he
assignedprebends. ^^ Henominatedadean,topresideoverthechapter,he defined the privileges of the canons, and he made some constitutions, con- cerning the liturgy to be used in his church. St. Mary's Cathedral was re- paired,atvarioustimes; but,abouttheyear1490,thenavehavingfallen into decay, the citizens restored it, at a great cost, under Bishop John Folan, previously a canon of Ferns. 47 After the Reformation, this cathedral was transferred to its followers, and since then, it has undergone various altera- tions—which can hardly be considered improvements—while repairs have left it, at present, in a comparative state of preservation. A fine chime of bells hangs in the tower. ^^ The outlines and details of the cathedral are
44 The most interesting, detailed and exact account, we find, regarding the origin, foun- dation, architectural peculiarities, restora- tions, and history of St. Mary's Cathedral, is that contained in the truly valuable work of Maurice Lenihan, "Limerick ; its History and Antiquities, Ecclesiastical, Civil and Military," &c. , chap. Iv. , pp. 546 to 554, with the subsequent chapters.
45 A large and beautifully wrought metal bell was found in a branch of the Shannon,
near Limerick, on Friday, the 25th August, 1871. It weighed \yi cwt. , and bore the date of 1 181. It is supposed, that this bell
belonged to St. Mary's Cathedral, and that it was thrown into the river, during the memorable siege of 1 69 1. From the Irish . S/<? r of Sept. 1 6th, 1 87 1.
*-^- See " The History, Topography and
the triumphs of peace or of strife,
But a quick joyous outburst of jubilee full of their newly felt life ;
Rapid, more rapid, the clapper rebounds from the round of the bells—
Far and more far through the valley the intertwined melody swells—
Quivering and broken the atmosphere trembles and twinkles around.
Like the eyes and the hearts of the hearers that glisten and beat to the sound. "
—Part ii. , stanza vi. , p. 14.
See "Ballads, Poems, and Lyrics," Original and Trans- lated. At the present time, the banks of the Shannon frequently re-echo to the music of the Limerick bells ; and, the writer had
and
rick," &c. By the Rev. P. Fitzgerald and
once an opportunity of hearing, and with no ordinary feeling of delight, "the deep cadence" of their — tone. "
"
—the Bell-Founder"
many— he of voyages, thought sailing
of the Antiquities County
of Lime-
"magical Paolo,
City by J. J. M'Gregor, vol. i. , p. 393.
to continue the story set out in quest of his bells, and after
''' See Harris' Ware, vol. i. ,
*'
of
for Ire-
Limerick," pp. 501 to 517.
4^ A beautiful legend is current, that the
silver bells of St. Mary's were originally cast in Italy, by a celebrated Italian artist ;
while, owing to the rapine of war, they were removed from fair Florence, and brought thence to Limerick. In a very charming poem, called, "The Bell Founder," by Denis Florence McCarthy, the tones of these
land
:
bells are —
admirably described,
as
vibrating
As it the
over the Amo *'
:
mountains of Clare
;
with a rapid vibration, with a melody silv'ry and strong,
The bells from the sound-shaken belfry are singing their first maiden song ;
Not now for the dead or the living, or
Toll, toll !
Bishops
A bark bound for Erin lay waiting, he entered like one in a dream ;
Fair winds in the full purple sails led him soon to the Shannon's broad stream. 'Twas an evening that Florence might
envy, so rich was the lemon-hued air.
on lone or lit lay Scattery's Island,
green
The wide-spreading old giant river rolled
his waters as smooth and as still
As if Oonagh, with all her bright nymphs, had come down from the far fairy hill.
To fling her enchantments around on the mountains, the air and the tide,
February 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS, 327
massive and solemn-looking. 49 It seems probable, Gillebert's fame for learning and sanctity mused him to be selected at Rome, to fill the office of first Apostolic Legate, in Ireland. 5° It is said, he went from Rome to
t^^^HsVN^^
The Ancient Cathedral of St. Mary, Limerick.
Maintz, on his return ; and, in the latter city, that he held a learned dispu-
'
One note is
XIV. — enough
s° See John Ferrar's "History of the City Limerick," part ii. , p. 15.
And to soothe the worn heart of the old man, who looked from the dark vessel's side,
XIII.
Borne on the current, the vessel glides
smoothly but swiftly away,
By Carrigaholt, and by many a green
sloping headland and bay,
'Twixt Cratloe's blue hills and green
woods, and the soft sunny shores of
Tervoe,
And now the fair city of Limerick spreads
out on the broad bank below ;
Still nearer and nearer approaching, the
mariners look o'er the town,
The old man sees nought but St. Mary's
square tower, with its battlements
brown. —
He listens as yet all is silent, but now,
with a sudden surprise,
A rich peal of melody rings from that towerthroughthecleareveningskies!
his heart, long so wither'd, outswells. He has found them—the sons of his la-
his
eye moistens,
of
bours—his musical, magical
bells !
At each stroke all the bright past re- tumeth, around him the sweet Arno
shines,
His children—his darling Francesca—his
Leaning forward, he listens—he gazes— he hears in that wonderful strain
purple-clad trellis of vines !
The long-silent voices that murmur, ' Oh ! leave us not, father, again ! '
Tis granted—he smiles—his eye closes— the breath from his white lips hath fled—
The father has gone to his children—the old Campanaro is dead ! "
— Part iii. , pp. 26, 27, ibid.
49 The accompanying illustration, drawn
on the spot, and afterwards transferred to
the wood, \>y William F. Wakeman, has beenengravedbyMrs. Millard. Itistaken from a point of view beyond the river.
328 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 4. tation with :i Jew, well skilled in the Hebrew language and in the Old Law.
"
De Usu Ecclesiastico," seems to have been prefixed to the tract " De Statu Ecclesiae," 53 which has been pubHshed by Ussher. s4 This latter should be more intelligible, could we only see the pictorial illustration, to which the 'WTiter so frequently refers. Under the representation of an allegory, an image of the church is presented, with letters serving for reference, to indicate plans occupied in it, by various classes
of persons, lay and ecclesiastical. Yet, we glean, that the illustration was of apyramidicalform. ss Thelowerbasewaswide,toindicatethecarnaland
married, while it tapered upwards to a point, indicating the higher and stricter life of ordained and religious persons. Following the mere descrip- tion, this whole diagram must have been most ingeniously arranged. A sub-pyramid, on the left side of the figure, represented the parochial order, having the priest at the apex, and under him the deacon, while beneath, in the third place, was the sub-deacon. Fourthly, comes the acolyte ; fifthly, the exorcist ; sixthly, the lector ; seventhly, the ostiarius, while, the amelarius, the psalmist and the bishop are distinguished. ^^ The second or monastic pyramid has the abbot at the top, and under him are six grades. 57 The gradations of bishops, archbishops, primates and popes, are placed over all the others. Parochial, diocesan, and monastic sub-ordination is exhibited, with the relative order, rights and precedence. In short, it is a summary of the general Canon Law of the time, with those rites, ceremonies and usages then established. Duties of the several ministers of the Church are pointed out : the ecclesiastical dresses, utensils and ornaments, in use, are mentioned. The priest's duty to pray is chiefly fufiUcd, in celebrating the hours and the Mass. s^ Gillibertwindsupthistract,byobserving,thattheposition,which
5* See Rev. P. Fitzgerald's and J. J. ss Yet, this again seems to have included
M'Gregor's "History, Topography and two smaller pyramids: one, representing
" Ecclesise contra Judseos," He dedicated it to Archbishop Anselm. s^ The
This he afterwards reduced, to the form of a dialogue,s* intituled,
De Fide
lost, or undiscovered, treatise,
Antiquities of the County and City of Lime- rick," vol. i. , pp. 388, 389.
s^ Eadmer wrote two interesting works,
the parochial or secular order, and the other, the monastic or religious order.
s^ jhe tract adds: "Sed tamen Episco-
pus, Archiepiscopus, Patriarcha et Frophetw, generalis Ecclesise gradus sunt. "
one "Vita Anselmi," and the other,
"
His-
toria Novorum. " These supply materials
"
See Dr. Walter Farquhar Hook's "Lives dos est, atque sub hijs Oratores tantiim :
for all the subsequent biographies of Anselm.
S7 The tract continues :
qui ipse Sacer-
of the Archbishops of Canterbury," vol. ii. , chap, iii. , n. , p. 169.
quoniam non est Monachorum baptizare, communicare, aut aliquod Ecclesiasticum laicis ministiare, nisi forte, cogente necessi- tate,imperantiEpiscopoobediant. Quorum propositum est soli Deo, relictis secularibus,
53 See
"
Veterum Epistolarum Hiberni- '
carumSylloge, pp. 78to87.
5* To notices of both the foregoing treatises,
Ussher the note: ^^ Ex in oratione vacare. " subjoins following
MS. codke BibliotheccB publico Cantabri- ss ^j^ t^jg could not be treated about in a
giensis Academic descripsi, collato Prologo brief manner, Gillebert promised to refer to De Usu Ecclesiastico cum alio Benedictini it, in the sequel. This, however, he ne- Cflllegii, et libello De Statu Ecclesise cum glected to do, in the tract, which has been altera monachorum Dundinensmm exemplar! y
a D. Augustino Linsello Decano Lichfeldiensi cucepto. ^j/ flw/^w ^zV Gillebertus ///r, quern
functum
published ; which shows, either, that it is incomplete, as we find it, or what is more probably the case, that he alludes to the
aiunt
sedis per universam Hiberniam, ut in vita
Malachia: 7etulit Bemardus: non Gilla Lin-
colniensis Episcopus {cujnsmodi nunquam teach the manner of celebrating Mass, ac-
prima
legatione Apostolicse
treatise,
in rerum natura quis extitit) quemadmodum in Appendicis illustrium Anglice Scriptorum Centur. /. , cap. 93, so? nniavit Johannes Pit- seus. ''
cording to the Roman Ritual, Harris states : "This is the same book as that de Statu Ecclesioe under another title. " See Harris'
Ibid. , p. 139.
Ware,
vol.
iii. ,
" The Writers of
Ireland,"
" De Usu Ecclesiastico," which was to contain the whole series of the Divine Oflfice. Alluding to a book Gille wrote, to
February 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 329
the patriarchs hold in the East, seems to be occupied by primates, in the West; while, both arc placed under the Roman Pontiff, who takes foremost rank.
But, because the patriarchs preside over the Apostolic sees, such as are Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, therefore, do they consecrate archbishops, and in a certain sense, they rank with the Roman Pontiff. But, to Peter
" Thou art
Church. " 59 Wherefore, the Pope alone presides over the Universal Church,
and he rules and judges all, while placed in his position by all ; for, with con- sent of the whole Church, the Romans exalt him, who daily assumes the purplerobe,thatalwayshemaybereadyformartyrdom. WhileMuirchear- tach Mor O'Brian,^^ great grandson to the celebrated Bryan Boroimhe, was
monarch over Ireland, a great synod was convened, a. d. iiii, at Fidh mic- Aenghusa. ^' Thisissaidtohavebeenthenameofaplace,neartheHillof Uisneach,inthecountyofWestmeath. ^^ Greatnumbersofbishops,abbots, priors, priests and students, with the Ard Righ himself and several represen- tative laymen, were present. At this synod, laws, regulations and customs were enacted, for guidance both of the clergy and of the laity. During that same monarch's reign, it is thought, and soon after the former, another generalcouncilorsynodwasconvened,atRathBresail. ^3 Thisissupposed, by some, to have been only a prorogation of the synod, held at Fiadh mic- Aenghusa. The principal affairs, transacted in the synod at Rath Bresail, were contained in the ancient " Book of Clonenagh. " It states, that Gilla- Esbog, Bishop of Luimnech or Limerick, who, at that time, was the Pope's
Apostolic Legate in Ireland, presided. Be? ides the many good statutes, decreed at this holy synod, those defining the number and boundaries of the respectiveIrishdiocesesarenottheleastdeservingofnotice. Thecomplete freedom of sees and churches, from the authority or rent of any temporal lord, was decreed. Churches were given up, in full possession, to the Irish prelates. The ancient divisions of Leth Cuinn and of Leth Mogha seem to have regulated, in a great measure, if not altogether, the ecclesiastical boun- daries of Armagh and of Cashel, when grouping the subordinate sees under their respective jurisdictions. Including the Primate of Armagh, six bishops were appointed to rule the Ulster Province : these were, the bishops over the sees of Armagh,^* of Clogher,^5 of Ardstra,^^ of Derry,^7 of Connor/^ of
alone was it said,
Peter,
and
upon
this rock will I build
my
book i. ,chap. ix. , p. 68. Here he is in error, and still more so, where Gille is made "the author of a book de Statu Ecclesioc, which is the same with the book de Usii Ecclesice. " This, too, he says, "contains the different forms of liturgies, and the various ways of celebrating Divine Service in the Church of Ireland. "
'''
See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 990, 991.
^^
The Rev. Robert King takes some pains to prove, that the synod of Fiadh-mic- ^ngusa was not distinct from that of Rath- Breasail. See " Memoir Introductory to the Early History of the Primacy of Ar- magh," p. 81.
^3 Xhis council is said to have been as- sembled, a. d. 1118. See Rev. Dr. Reeves'
Ware, vol. of i. , "Bishops
See Harris' Limerick," p.
"
which he thought the same as the other,
504. Now the tract,
De Statu Ecclesice,"
"
contains no such matter, nor any liturgy, whatsoever. "And as to what was con- tained in the book De usu Ecclesiastico, we may be sure, that they were not Irish litur- gies, but —what Gillebert styles the canonical custom" Dr. Lanigan's "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iv. , chap, xxv,, sect, xi. , n. 70, p. 30.
and Dromore. " Appendix A, p. 139.
^'» The extent and boundaries of these
mediaeval Irish dioceses are given, from the
"
ancient
Dr. Keating, as follows : Armagh extended from Siiabh Breagh or Slieve Bregh, in the county of Louth, to Cualli Kiannacta, or Coolkenagh, in the townland of Foremass, not far distant from the junction of Errigal Keerogue parish with Termonmaguirk and Clogherny ; and from Birra to the Amhaiu Mor, or River Blackwater. See Rev. Dr.
55 See Matt, xvi. , 18.
^ See Maurice Lenihan's "Limerick ;
its
History and Antiquities, Ecclesiastical, Civil and Military," &c. , chap, liv. , p. 545.
Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor
Book of Clonenagh," quoted by
3ZO LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 4.
Down*9—five were to nile over the Connaught Province, viz. , the Bishops of Tuam,7° o—f Clonfert,7i' of Cong,72 ^f Killala,73 and of Ardcarne, also called Ard-acadh74 twoweretopresideintheMeathProvince,viz. ,theBishops of Duleek7s and of Clonard -J^ all the foregoing acknowledged the Primate, as their Metropolitan. The Archbishop of Cashel, besides his own see,77 had for his suffragans, in the Munster Province, the Bishops of Lismore, or of Waterford,7^ of Cork,79 of Rath-maighe-deskirt,^^ of Emly,^' and of
Reeves' " Acts of Archbishop Colton m his an-termainn in quite a different position.
"
Metropolitan Visitation of the Diocese of See
Derry, A. D. Mcccxcvii. ," &c. , pp. 136, n. (f), p. 982.
137-
°s Clogher diocese extended from the Am-
hain Mor, or Blackwater River, to Gabail-
liuin, or Galloon, county Fermanagh, and from Sliabh Betha or Slieve Beagh to Sliabh Larga, a denomination now known as Slieve Largy, in the county of Tyrone. See ibid.
7* The Bishopric of Clonfert extended from the Sinainn or River Shannon to Boi- renn, now Burren, in the northern part of Clare county ; and from Sliabh Echtighe, or Slieve Aughty, on the confines of the counties of Galway and Clare, to the Suca, or River Suck.
72 The diocese of Cong extended from Amhain O-m-Broin in the north to Neim- thin or Mount Nephin, and from Ath-an-
^^
Ardstraw diocese extended from Sliabh
Larga, or Slieve Largy, to Carn-glas, near
Raphoe ; and from Lough Craei to Benn termainn westwards to the sea.
Foibni, now Benyevenagh Mountain, east
73 The diocese of Killala extended from Neimthinn or Mount Nephin to Esruadh, or Assai-oe, near Ballyshannon, and from Kill-Ard-bili to Srathan Ferainn.
74 The diocese of Ardagh, which is also called Ard-acadh, extended from Ardcarne, to Siabh-an-iarainn, a mountain in the county of Leitrim, and from Keiscorainn, or Kish- corran, to Ur-coillti. See Eugene O'Curry's "Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History," lect. v. , pp. loi, 102.
75 The diocese of Dukek extended from Sliabh }keagha, or Slieve Bregh, to the Carn of Dun Cuair, or Rath Core, on the borders of Meath and Leinster, and from Lochan na-h-Imirki to the sea. See " On the Manners and Customs of the Ancient
of Lough Foyle, in the county of London- "
derry. See Dr. Reeves' Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," n. (v), pp.
