This event is
supposed
to have
taken place, before or about a.
taken place, before or about a.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v6
xxvii.
2"
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
June 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
769
this day, in the Irish Calendars. Little knowledge of his period or locality has been obtained. In the Martyrology of Donegal,3 the record of Guaire Beg, as having been venerated at the 22nd ofJune, is to be found.
Article VI. —Feast of James, the Son of Alphjeus, Apostle in
Persia. In the early Irish Church, as found in the " Feilire"1 ofSt.
taken from the Martyrology of St. Jerome, and from other ancient authorities, there was a festival for St. James, the son of Alphseus, at this date. How- ever, his chief feast is assigned to the istof May. The Bollandists3 also com- memorate him at that day, although they record him, likewise, at the 22nd of June.
Article VII. —Festival of St. Kilian and his Companions, Martyrs.
At the 22nd day of June, a feast for St. Kilian and his martyred companions
is noted, in a Manuscript belonging to the church of St. Maximinus, at
Treves. The 1 whohavethis deferfurther forthe Bollandists, entry, notice,
day of their chief festival, at the 8th of July.
Cfoentp4&tr& JBap of Suite*
ARTICLE I. —ST. MOCHAOI OR MOCHAY, ABBOT AND PATRON OF NENDRUM, COUNTY OF DOWN.
[FIFTH CENTURY. }
HOW agreeably do we not pass from the recollection of one national
saint to the veneration of another. Beloved the sons of among God,
we take refuge under the shadow of his protection. Sweet are the fruits of
his virtuous life ; although we may not be able to set in order all the for-
gotten particulars of his career. TheLifeofthepresentholymanisthoughttobeyetextant TheActs
of St. Cailan were specially written, and they are cited by Archbishop
to make some which cannot be recon- statements,
Ussher x these ; but,
appear
ciled with chronology, as Dr. Lanigan well remarks. . Among the Bur-
3 Edited Drs. Todd and by
Reeves, pp.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iv. , Junii xxii. Amongthe pretermitted feasts. p. 136.
174,175. Article vi.
—
«
See "Transactions of
Article VII. —* See" Acta Sanctorum," Series, vol. i. , p. i. On the Calendar of tomus iv. , Junii xxii. Among the preter-
the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Oengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. ,
mitted — feasts, p. 138.
'
p.
I.
Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sect, xiv. , and nn. 186 to
190, pp. 422 to 424.
3 In vol. xxii. , at fol. 213.
xcv.
2 The commentator on the copy in the
See William Reeves' " Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor
"Leabhar Breac" endeavours to throw
some conjectural light on the Apostle's bear- See
"
ing the name of James, but in a manner so obscure, as to be nearly unintelligible. See ibid. , p. cvii.
Vol. VI. —No. 13.
2c
Article
and Dromore," Appendix A, p. 143.
2
2
^Engus,
2
77© LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 23.
gundian Library Manuscripts,3 at Bruxelles, there is a Latin Life of a St. Mochaeus, who appears to be identical with the present holy man.
St. Mochaoi is called variously by the names Mochay, Mochai, Mochgeus, and sometimes, it is stated, by those of Caolan, Caylan, Kelanus, or Caila- nus. 4 According to the Calendar of the O'Clerys, the first denomination of our saint was Caylan, and this is said to have been his proper name. 5 This
"
latter etymon is said to have been derived from eaol, meaning narrow," or
"slender;" this epithet being frequently applied, to signify slenderness of
6 we feel inclined to that some modern writers have figure. However, think,
allowed themselves to be deceived by statements of the O'Clerys' Calendar and by Colgan, that confound the names of St. Mochay or Mochoe and St. Caylan or Coelan ; while it seems more probable, that they had been distinct persons. With a very high commendation, St. . dingus in his Metrical Irish Calendar? introduces the festival of St. Mochoe, at the 23rd of June. Tra-
dition has 8 that St. Mochaoi had been the son of Q
it, Bronach, daughter
to Milcon, with whom St. Patrick spent his years of servitude. 10 It is supposed,
that our saint first saw the light in the neighbourhood of Strangford Lough. " He was born sometime subsequent to the beginning of the fifth century.
It is related, in St. Patrick's Tripartite Life, that on the Irish Apostle's depar-
in the fifth 12 he met with St. century,
ture from now Bretan,
Bright, early Mochay,whowasengagedasswine-herd,andthenhewasamereyouth. Moved
by an interior revelation, he knew the boy to be destined for service in the Church ; and, having announced to him the glad tidings of the Gospel, Mochaoiwasconvertedandbaptized. Hewasafterwardsfurtherinstructedin themysteries and duties of religion, by St. Patrick. He is classed, under the name
of Coelan, among the disciples of Ireland's great Apostle. 13 The holy Moc- hoe seems to have attached himself, at an early period of St. Patrick's mission, to the service of him who had now attracted the regards of his new converts, and while the latter was preaching in the immediate neighbourhood of Strang-
4 The Calendar of the O'Clerys, following perhaps some earlier authority, has these words, at the 23rd ofJune : "TttodAoi Abb n
script Series, vol. i . , parti. On the Calen- dar ofOengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. ,
p. xcv.
8 to that Tract attributed to St. According
4onT>f. omA,
" De matribus Sanctorum Hiber-
are thus
/Engus, nioe. "
CAob&n a ce-o "
which Abbot of Nendrum, whose first name was Caylan. "
Amm," translated, Mochay,
To this account
of Colgan: "Mochai sive Mochaius qui et Cailanus, proprio nomine, dicebatur. "
s See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxxvii. , p. 73, and n. 38, p. no.
6
See ibid. , QuartaVita S. Columbre, lib. i. , n. 76, p. 379. Also ibid. , Sexta Vita S.
9 " 111 on rrtibcon co m-bae bportac §1
pAcnaici n-T)Air>i margin mochaen^en-
onomA Lo6a Cuati. " Book of Lecan,
fol. 43.
,0
Colgan translates that passage, cited in the previous note, from the Book of Lecan, as follows : "Bronachia filia Milchonis filii Buanii, apud quern S. Patricius in sei vitute tenebatur, mater fuit S. Mochay jEndromen-
LL. D. — :
See Rev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vii. , sect. vii. , n. 74, p. 349.
may
be added the statement
Brigidoe, n. 1, pp. 596 to 598.
7 That copy of the " Feilire " in the sis de Loch-Cuan. " See " Acta Sanctorum
"LeabharBreac "gives the following stanza, hus translated into English, by Whitley
Stokes,
"
us. the —famous,
capes May champion happy,
of Noendruim, protect us. " "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu-
Hiberni3e,"xvi. Januarii, Appendix ad Vitam
S. Fursaei, cap. iv. , p. 95.
" "
£orvaichmec mochoe tlipnl AjvoonrelA
1 npAb rochta fona
O fleem>ntnm •oonnemA.
The date is usually calculated, at a. d.
Mochoe's commemoration is not what es-
xxiii. , pp. 265, 269.
*4 See Third Volume of this work, at the
17th of March, Art. i. , Life of St. Patrick, chap. viii.
433.
,3 See " Trias Colgan's
Lanigan's
Ecclesiast cr. i
Thaumaturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap.
June 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
in
1
ford Lough. * In due time, Mochaoi received clerical tonsure. 1 * No doubt, he
had been carefully instructed in the Christian doctrine, by the Irish Apostle, and
towards his disciple took place during any single visit, which he made to
this particular locality, where Mochaoi lived. Perhaps, indeed, the holy
youth followed his illustrious master through those places where the latter
beforehisinitiationto Orders. 16 Weare Holy
told, moreover, that St. Patrick presented his youthful disciple with a Book of Gospels, and with other utensils, whichwerenecessaryfortheobservancesoftheChurch. 1? Wearenotobligedto' suppose, however, that all of these attentions directed by the great Irish Apostle
18
It is also said, that St. Patrick taught h—is neophyte the
preached.
—by which we are to understand the Roman one
l 9
alphabet the purpose of induct- for, the old Irish alphabet, called Bethluisnon, was of quite a different construction from the Roman. We may well understand, how necessary it became for the Irish, who wished to learn Latin, to make themselves previously acquainted with its alphabet, and
in a similar manner as those, who wish to know Greek in our own day, or any of the Oriental languages, must first learn the Greek or Oriental letters of that
21 with which
On a certain day, whilst St. Patrick and his disciples were engaged in a
discourse on religious subjects, a miracle is recorded to have taken place, which was supposed to have manifested the will of heaven. For wonderful to relate ! a pastoral staff, falling down from on high, rested with its lower endorpointonthebreastofMachaoi,whilstits headorcrooktouchedthe bosomofSt. Patrick. ^ Machaoiwastoldbyhismaster,thatthissymbolof the pastoral office betokened his election thereto ; he received consecration at the earnest instigation of St. Patrick, although not without most humble protestations of unworthiness on his part.
This event is supposed to have
taken place, before or about a. d. 433, and prior to the journey of St. Patrick towards Tara. Soon after his consecration, our saint was appointed Abbot
ing
him to a
knowledge
of the Latin
language ;
2°
particular language,
they
desire to be 92 conversant.
*s The second Life has it: "
the earlier whowere Bollandists,
with the Irish
nearly so with Irish history, had rashly con- eluded, that alphabetic writing was un-
eum ac — et dedit ei
totondit, Evangelium
et
unacquainted
language,
and
Ministeir. " Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Secunda S. Patricii, cap. xxxii. , p. 14. 16 See the Third Volume of this work, at the 17th of March, Art. i. , Life of St.
Patrick, chap, viii.
17 The Tripartite Life, having mentioned
the and adds " Baptism Tonsure, : Reliquit
discipulo vir Dei sacrum Evangeliarum co- —dicem cum aliis sacri ministerii utensilibus. "
known in Ireland, until the arrival of St. "
Baptizavit pies,
totally
" Trias
Vita S. Patricii, lib. i. , cap. liii. p. 325.
havenolettersoftheirown. " "Ecclesias-
Colgan's
Thaumaturga," Septima
being Europeans
not read Arabic books without being taught
18SeeRev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, v. , sect. iii. ,p. 216, 217.
tical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, v. , sect, hi. , n. 32, p. 220.
19 Not to mention the Ogham inscriptions,
so frequently found on rude stone monu-
ments in Ireland, and regarding which Gene-
ral Vallancey has published some tracts, in
his "Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis,"
vol. vi. , parts i. and ii. ; in Harris Ware, Survey of County Kilkenny," part hi. , there are some observations on the antiquity sect. 19. Antiquities, p. 622. How- of Irish characters and writing which deserve ever, it is now generally known, that the
"
Antiquities of Ire- land," chap, iii. , pp. 18 to 29.
20 From the mention often made of St.
attention. See vol. ii. ,
Patrick
giving Alphabets
to his Irish disci-
for
Patrick. See Acta Sanctorum," tomusii. , Martii xvii. , Vita S. Patricii, Commentarius Praevius, sect, i. , num. 4, 5, 6, pp. 517, 518.
2I onthis theRev.
Treating special topic,
Dr. Lanigan very properly remarks :
"
The
Bollandists' argument is like that of an Arab,
who, on told that the can-
"Ecclesiastical theletters,wouldthenceconcl—ude,that Lanigan's they
" Mr. Tighe has published an inscription which he supposed to have been in alphabe- tic characters, and prior to the period of
"
characters in question are of rather modern production, and apparently chiselled out to exercise the speculations of antiquaries.
23 See the Third Volume of this work, at
Christianity in Ireland, in his
Statistical
772 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 23.
of Eteach Mochai,2* or
Nendrum,
25 now Mahee
26 a of Island, portion Tully-
nakill which lies in parish,
Strangford Lough.
27
In a
gloss
on the
Martyr-
ology of -^Engus, occurring at the mention of our saint's name, we read: "/. <? . , Mochoe of Oendruim in Delbna or Delvin Ethra. Or nine ridges are in the
"one "onehillinthe ridge," i. e. ,
—
Muilinn^ Mill, Daire-Chaechain or Derrykeighan 3 in Dal-Riada, founded his primitive monastic establishment, having been called from his lowly position of swine- herd to govern a religious community. 33 Archdall speaks of two distinct foundations, in the county of Down; one of these he calls Neddrum,34 and the other Noendrum. 35 The same writer states, likewise, that the abbey at Neddrum 36 did not long exist; but, he is unable to assign the cause for its extinction. That it was founded on an island appears to him sufficiently established ; yet, he falls into an error, when he conjectures, that it might have been the largest of the Copeland 37 Islands, at the entrance into Belfast
whereinhischurchis. On whole island, and on Loch Cuan it is. "
place
Oendruim, 28
This place —known as Inis-Mochaoi, or Mahee Island
29
is distant about thirteen miles, N. N. E. from Downpatrick. 3° Here it was that St. Mochay, whoissaidtohavebeenbrotherofSt. Colman 1 orofthe of
17th March, Art. i. Life of St. Patrick, chap. viii.
34 The name now in use is a corruption of Irnr" niocAoi (Inis-Mochee), and it is derived from St. Machaoi, who was the founder and
patron saint of the church.
35 It is the n Oerropuim of the Irish
Annals ; the Nendrum of the "Acta Sancto- rum Hibernise," and the Neddrum of the "Monasticon Hibernicum. "
the Saints of Ireland, attributed to St. /Engus the Culdee. See a further account of him, in the First Volume of this work, at the 1st January, Art. iv.
32 In the county of Antrim.
33 It is stated, that while St. Patrick
journeyed from Saul to Bright, where Ros
lived, he met St. Mochay as a swine-herd on
the way. See Very Rev. James O'Laverty's
"
Historical Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Ancient and Modern,"
36 It is shown, on the '• Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the County of vol. i. , p. 143.
34
27 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "Ecclesasti- county of Down, Archdall says :
Down," sheet 17.
Under the heading Neddrum, in the
cal Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dro-
more," p. 10, n. (e).
88 To this comment, some Irish verses are
found appended, and they are thus tran—slated
"
Sir John De Courcey, in the year 1 1 79, granted to the monks of St. Bega of Copuland the church founded on this island, to serve God
therein, together with a large portion (two
into English, by Dr. Whitley Stokes
A sleep without withering of flesh Mochoe of Noendruim slept.
Of the folk of the congregation
wherein the sage had been Nought remained save their skulls. To Mochoe the beautiful sang The little bird from the heavens Three songs from the tree-top, Fifty years in each song. "
of the issues and and lands of profits
11
—"Transactions of the
part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. cvii. 29 A very complete history of it may be found in Very Rev. James O'Laverty's "His- torical Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Ancient and Modern," vol. i. , pp.
Royal
demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
353to368.
30 See Rev. Dr. Reeves'
"
Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore,"
Appendix A, p. 148.
•* He is stated, to have been also the son
of Bronach, in the Tract on the Mothers of
:
thirds)
theisland; hegrantedtothemalsoseveral other lands in 1 Dunese-
Irish Aca-
2
and 194, Roger de
;
forthe made them a large grant, as did
Brien de Eschallers on the 9th of June, A. D. 1202, in the lifetime of the founder. John, the Cardinal Legate, confirmed these several
— as also those of prior Walrann,
to the
grants
many other persons. " nicum," p. 126.
"
35 The latter is said to have been ruled by St. Coelan, about a. d. 520, and its situation was unknown to Archdall.
36 However, the Rev. Dr. Reeves very
clearly shows, that those two names are only
a variety of the same word, being both in- tended for n Aononuim of the Irish, which from our saint as patron is now called Mahee Island,situatedinStrangfordLough. See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix F, p. 187.
37 Coupland alluded to in Sir John De Courcey's grant was situated in Cumberland. See Dodsworlh's and Dugdale's "Monas-
Monasticon Hiber-
June 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
773
Lough. 38 In company with others, St. Mochaoi undertook hewing planks for the erection of his church, which appears to have been constructed of wood;30 and, he laboured in perfecting the details of this building/ This wooden structure preceded the stone church, the ruins of which yet remain, accord- ingtoamostprobableconjecture. Inthismonasticinstitute,instructionwas combined with a regular discipline; and, among many other famous and holy persons there educated may be mentioned the names of St. Finian,41 founder of Moville, and St. Colman,42 founder of Dromore. 43
The learned Dr. Lanigan thinks it not improbable, that our saint was
Usually, however, the Irish Annalists call him simply "Mochay of Nen- drum. "4? The Rev. Dr. Lanigan seems inclined to doubt, whether Machaoi was consecrated bishop or not, although adducing testimonies in favour of an affirmative supposition.
The following legendary ancedotes relate to St. Mochaoi. 48 He went with seven score young men to cut wattles to make a church. He was engagedhimselfatthework,andcuttingtimberliketherest. Hehadaload ready before the others, and he kept it by his side. While he was resting, says the legend, he heard a bright bird, singing on the blackthorn near him. This bird was more beautiful than any birds of this world. The bird said : "This is diligent work, O cleric. " " This diligence is required of us, in building a church to God," said Mochaoi. " Who is addressing me? " " A man of the people of my Lord is here," said the bird, meaning an angel of God from heaven. " Hail to thee," said Mochaoi, "and wherefore hast thou come hither? " "To address thee from thy Lord and to delight thee for a while. "
" I like this," said Mochaoi. That bird afterwards fixed his beak in the feathers of his wing. The legend then states, that for three 4° hundred years did Mochaoi remain listening to the music of that bird, and having his bundle of sticks by his side, in the middle of the wood ; while the wood was not more withered, nor did the time seem to him longer than one hour of the day. The angel afterwards bade him farewell. At the end of that term, Mochaoi
made as Abbot,
44
abbot that of bishop 4S is affixed to Mochaoi's name in some instances/6
early
at least as the
year 465 ;
but,
besides
the title of
ticon Anglicanum," vol. ii. , Coenobia Hiber-
nica, p. 1023. Editio, Londini, 1655, 1661, fol.
Bishop of Lindisfarne, in the year 652, built " ecclesiam episcopali sedi congruam ; quam
tamen more Scottorum, nondelapide, sedde robore secto totam composuit, atque harun- dine texit. "
40 This is stated, in theO'Clerys' Calendar.
41 His feast was kept, on the 10th of Sep- tember .
42 His festival was held, on the 7th of June, where his Life is already given, in the pre- vious portion of this volume, Art. i.
43 It must be remarked, their ancient Acts state, that they had been educated by St. Caolin, who, as we believe, had been a different personage from St. Mochay, but his successor in the same monastery.
44 See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vii. , sect. vii. .
Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
June 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
769
this day, in the Irish Calendars. Little knowledge of his period or locality has been obtained. In the Martyrology of Donegal,3 the record of Guaire Beg, as having been venerated at the 22nd ofJune, is to be found.
Article VI. —Feast of James, the Son of Alphjeus, Apostle in
Persia. In the early Irish Church, as found in the " Feilire"1 ofSt.
taken from the Martyrology of St. Jerome, and from other ancient authorities, there was a festival for St. James, the son of Alphseus, at this date. How- ever, his chief feast is assigned to the istof May. The Bollandists3 also com- memorate him at that day, although they record him, likewise, at the 22nd of June.
Article VII. —Festival of St. Kilian and his Companions, Martyrs.
At the 22nd day of June, a feast for St. Kilian and his martyred companions
is noted, in a Manuscript belonging to the church of St. Maximinus, at
Treves. The 1 whohavethis deferfurther forthe Bollandists, entry, notice,
day of their chief festival, at the 8th of July.
Cfoentp4&tr& JBap of Suite*
ARTICLE I. —ST. MOCHAOI OR MOCHAY, ABBOT AND PATRON OF NENDRUM, COUNTY OF DOWN.
[FIFTH CENTURY. }
HOW agreeably do we not pass from the recollection of one national
saint to the veneration of another. Beloved the sons of among God,
we take refuge under the shadow of his protection. Sweet are the fruits of
his virtuous life ; although we may not be able to set in order all the for-
gotten particulars of his career. TheLifeofthepresentholymanisthoughttobeyetextant TheActs
of St. Cailan were specially written, and they are cited by Archbishop
to make some which cannot be recon- statements,
Ussher x these ; but,
appear
ciled with chronology, as Dr. Lanigan well remarks. . Among the Bur-
3 Edited Drs. Todd and by
Reeves, pp.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iv. , Junii xxii. Amongthe pretermitted feasts. p. 136.
174,175. Article vi.
—
«
See "Transactions of
Article VII. —* See" Acta Sanctorum," Series, vol. i. , p. i. On the Calendar of tomus iv. , Junii xxii. Among the preter-
the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Oengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. ,
mitted — feasts, p. 138.
'
p.
I.
Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, viii. , sect, xiv. , and nn. 186 to
190, pp. 422 to 424.
3 In vol. xxii. , at fol. 213.
xcv.
2 The commentator on the copy in the
See William Reeves' " Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor
"Leabhar Breac" endeavours to throw
some conjectural light on the Apostle's bear- See
"
ing the name of James, but in a manner so obscure, as to be nearly unintelligible. See ibid. , p. cvii.
Vol. VI. —No. 13.
2c
Article
and Dromore," Appendix A, p. 143.
2
2
^Engus,
2
77© LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 23.
gundian Library Manuscripts,3 at Bruxelles, there is a Latin Life of a St. Mochaeus, who appears to be identical with the present holy man.
St. Mochaoi is called variously by the names Mochay, Mochai, Mochgeus, and sometimes, it is stated, by those of Caolan, Caylan, Kelanus, or Caila- nus. 4 According to the Calendar of the O'Clerys, the first denomination of our saint was Caylan, and this is said to have been his proper name. 5 This
"
latter etymon is said to have been derived from eaol, meaning narrow," or
"slender;" this epithet being frequently applied, to signify slenderness of
6 we feel inclined to that some modern writers have figure. However, think,
allowed themselves to be deceived by statements of the O'Clerys' Calendar and by Colgan, that confound the names of St. Mochay or Mochoe and St. Caylan or Coelan ; while it seems more probable, that they had been distinct persons. With a very high commendation, St. . dingus in his Metrical Irish Calendar? introduces the festival of St. Mochoe, at the 23rd of June. Tra-
dition has 8 that St. Mochaoi had been the son of Q
it, Bronach, daughter
to Milcon, with whom St. Patrick spent his years of servitude. 10 It is supposed,
that our saint first saw the light in the neighbourhood of Strangford Lough. " He was born sometime subsequent to the beginning of the fifth century.
It is related, in St. Patrick's Tripartite Life, that on the Irish Apostle's depar-
in the fifth 12 he met with St. century,
ture from now Bretan,
Bright, early Mochay,whowasengagedasswine-herd,andthenhewasamereyouth. Moved
by an interior revelation, he knew the boy to be destined for service in the Church ; and, having announced to him the glad tidings of the Gospel, Mochaoiwasconvertedandbaptized. Hewasafterwardsfurtherinstructedin themysteries and duties of religion, by St. Patrick. He is classed, under the name
of Coelan, among the disciples of Ireland's great Apostle. 13 The holy Moc- hoe seems to have attached himself, at an early period of St. Patrick's mission, to the service of him who had now attracted the regards of his new converts, and while the latter was preaching in the immediate neighbourhood of Strang-
4 The Calendar of the O'Clerys, following perhaps some earlier authority, has these words, at the 23rd ofJune : "TttodAoi Abb n
script Series, vol. i . , parti. On the Calen- dar ofOengus. By Whitley Stokes, LL. D. ,
p. xcv.
8 to that Tract attributed to St. According
4onT>f. omA,
" De matribus Sanctorum Hiber-
are thus
/Engus, nioe. "
CAob&n a ce-o "
which Abbot of Nendrum, whose first name was Caylan. "
Amm," translated, Mochay,
To this account
of Colgan: "Mochai sive Mochaius qui et Cailanus, proprio nomine, dicebatur. "
s See Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. xxxvii. , p. 73, and n. 38, p. no.
6
See ibid. , QuartaVita S. Columbre, lib. i. , n. 76, p. 379. Also ibid. , Sexta Vita S.
9 " 111 on rrtibcon co m-bae bportac §1
pAcnaici n-T)Air>i margin mochaen^en-
onomA Lo6a Cuati. " Book of Lecan,
fol. 43.
,0
Colgan translates that passage, cited in the previous note, from the Book of Lecan, as follows : "Bronachia filia Milchonis filii Buanii, apud quern S. Patricius in sei vitute tenebatur, mater fuit S. Mochay jEndromen-
LL. D. — :
See Rev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vii. , sect. vii. , n. 74, p. 349.
may
be added the statement
Brigidoe, n. 1, pp. 596 to 598.
7 That copy of the " Feilire " in the sis de Loch-Cuan. " See " Acta Sanctorum
"LeabharBreac "gives the following stanza, hus translated into English, by Whitley
Stokes,
"
us. the —famous,
capes May champion happy,
of Noendruim, protect us. " "Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manu-
Hiberni3e,"xvi. Januarii, Appendix ad Vitam
S. Fursaei, cap. iv. , p. 95.
" "
£orvaichmec mochoe tlipnl AjvoonrelA
1 npAb rochta fona
O fleem>ntnm •oonnemA.
The date is usually calculated, at a. d.
Mochoe's commemoration is not what es-
xxiii. , pp. 265, 269.
*4 See Third Volume of this work, at the
17th of March, Art. i. , Life of St. Patrick, chap. viii.
433.
,3 See " Trias Colgan's
Lanigan's
Ecclesiast cr. i
Thaumaturga," Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Patricii, cap.
June 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
in
1
ford Lough. * In due time, Mochaoi received clerical tonsure. 1 * No doubt, he
had been carefully instructed in the Christian doctrine, by the Irish Apostle, and
towards his disciple took place during any single visit, which he made to
this particular locality, where Mochaoi lived. Perhaps, indeed, the holy
youth followed his illustrious master through those places where the latter
beforehisinitiationto Orders. 16 Weare Holy
told, moreover, that St. Patrick presented his youthful disciple with a Book of Gospels, and with other utensils, whichwerenecessaryfortheobservancesoftheChurch. 1? Wearenotobligedto' suppose, however, that all of these attentions directed by the great Irish Apostle
18
It is also said, that St. Patrick taught h—is neophyte the
preached.
—by which we are to understand the Roman one
l 9
alphabet the purpose of induct- for, the old Irish alphabet, called Bethluisnon, was of quite a different construction from the Roman. We may well understand, how necessary it became for the Irish, who wished to learn Latin, to make themselves previously acquainted with its alphabet, and
in a similar manner as those, who wish to know Greek in our own day, or any of the Oriental languages, must first learn the Greek or Oriental letters of that
21 with which
On a certain day, whilst St. Patrick and his disciples were engaged in a
discourse on religious subjects, a miracle is recorded to have taken place, which was supposed to have manifested the will of heaven. For wonderful to relate ! a pastoral staff, falling down from on high, rested with its lower endorpointonthebreastofMachaoi,whilstits headorcrooktouchedthe bosomofSt. Patrick. ^ Machaoiwastoldbyhismaster,thatthissymbolof the pastoral office betokened his election thereto ; he received consecration at the earnest instigation of St. Patrick, although not without most humble protestations of unworthiness on his part.
This event is supposed to have
taken place, before or about a. d. 433, and prior to the journey of St. Patrick towards Tara. Soon after his consecration, our saint was appointed Abbot
ing
him to a
knowledge
of the Latin
language ;
2°
particular language,
they
desire to be 92 conversant.
*s The second Life has it: "
the earlier whowere Bollandists,
with the Irish
nearly so with Irish history, had rashly con- eluded, that alphabetic writing was un-
eum ac — et dedit ei
totondit, Evangelium
et
unacquainted
language,
and
Ministeir. " Colgan's "Trias Thaumaturga," Vita Secunda S. Patricii, cap. xxxii. , p. 14. 16 See the Third Volume of this work, at the 17th of March, Art. i. , Life of St.
Patrick, chap, viii.
17 The Tripartite Life, having mentioned
the and adds " Baptism Tonsure, : Reliquit
discipulo vir Dei sacrum Evangeliarum co- —dicem cum aliis sacri ministerii utensilibus. "
known in Ireland, until the arrival of St. "
Baptizavit pies,
totally
" Trias
Vita S. Patricii, lib. i. , cap. liii. p. 325.
havenolettersoftheirown. " "Ecclesias-
Colgan's
Thaumaturga," Septima
being Europeans
not read Arabic books without being taught
18SeeRev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, v. , sect. iii. ,p. 216, 217.
tical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, v. , sect, hi. , n. 32, p. 220.
19 Not to mention the Ogham inscriptions,
so frequently found on rude stone monu-
ments in Ireland, and regarding which Gene-
ral Vallancey has published some tracts, in
his "Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis,"
vol. vi. , parts i. and ii. ; in Harris Ware, Survey of County Kilkenny," part hi. , there are some observations on the antiquity sect. 19. Antiquities, p. 622. How- of Irish characters and writing which deserve ever, it is now generally known, that the
"
Antiquities of Ire- land," chap, iii. , pp. 18 to 29.
20 From the mention often made of St.
attention. See vol. ii. ,
Patrick
giving Alphabets
to his Irish disci-
for
Patrick. See Acta Sanctorum," tomusii. , Martii xvii. , Vita S. Patricii, Commentarius Praevius, sect, i. , num. 4, 5, 6, pp. 517, 518.
2I onthis theRev.
Treating special topic,
Dr. Lanigan very properly remarks :
"
The
Bollandists' argument is like that of an Arab,
who, on told that the can-
"Ecclesiastical theletters,wouldthenceconcl—ude,that Lanigan's they
" Mr. Tighe has published an inscription which he supposed to have been in alphabe- tic characters, and prior to the period of
"
characters in question are of rather modern production, and apparently chiselled out to exercise the speculations of antiquaries.
23 See the Third Volume of this work, at
Christianity in Ireland, in his
Statistical
772 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 23.
of Eteach Mochai,2* or
Nendrum,
25 now Mahee
26 a of Island, portion Tully-
nakill which lies in parish,
Strangford Lough.
27
In a
gloss
on the
Martyr-
ology of -^Engus, occurring at the mention of our saint's name, we read: "/. <? . , Mochoe of Oendruim in Delbna or Delvin Ethra. Or nine ridges are in the
"one "onehillinthe ridge," i. e. ,
—
Muilinn^ Mill, Daire-Chaechain or Derrykeighan 3 in Dal-Riada, founded his primitive monastic establishment, having been called from his lowly position of swine- herd to govern a religious community. 33 Archdall speaks of two distinct foundations, in the county of Down; one of these he calls Neddrum,34 and the other Noendrum. 35 The same writer states, likewise, that the abbey at Neddrum 36 did not long exist; but, he is unable to assign the cause for its extinction. That it was founded on an island appears to him sufficiently established ; yet, he falls into an error, when he conjectures, that it might have been the largest of the Copeland 37 Islands, at the entrance into Belfast
whereinhischurchis. On whole island, and on Loch Cuan it is. "
place
Oendruim, 28
This place —known as Inis-Mochaoi, or Mahee Island
29
is distant about thirteen miles, N. N. E. from Downpatrick. 3° Here it was that St. Mochay, whoissaidtohavebeenbrotherofSt. Colman 1 orofthe of
17th March, Art. i. Life of St. Patrick, chap. viii.
34 The name now in use is a corruption of Irnr" niocAoi (Inis-Mochee), and it is derived from St. Machaoi, who was the founder and
patron saint of the church.
35 It is the n Oerropuim of the Irish
Annals ; the Nendrum of the "Acta Sancto- rum Hibernise," and the Neddrum of the "Monasticon Hibernicum. "
the Saints of Ireland, attributed to St. /Engus the Culdee. See a further account of him, in the First Volume of this work, at the 1st January, Art. iv.
32 In the county of Antrim.
33 It is stated, that while St. Patrick
journeyed from Saul to Bright, where Ros
lived, he met St. Mochay as a swine-herd on
the way. See Very Rev. James O'Laverty's
"
Historical Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Ancient and Modern,"
36 It is shown, on the '• Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the County of vol. i. , p. 143.
34
27 See Rev. Dr. Reeves' "Ecclesasti- county of Down, Archdall says :
Down," sheet 17.
Under the heading Neddrum, in the
cal Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dro-
more," p. 10, n. (e).
88 To this comment, some Irish verses are
found appended, and they are thus tran—slated
"
Sir John De Courcey, in the year 1 1 79, granted to the monks of St. Bega of Copuland the church founded on this island, to serve God
therein, together with a large portion (two
into English, by Dr. Whitley Stokes
A sleep without withering of flesh Mochoe of Noendruim slept.
Of the folk of the congregation
wherein the sage had been Nought remained save their skulls. To Mochoe the beautiful sang The little bird from the heavens Three songs from the tree-top, Fifty years in each song. "
of the issues and and lands of profits
11
—"Transactions of the
part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, p. cvii. 29 A very complete history of it may be found in Very Rev. James O'Laverty's "His- torical Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor, Ancient and Modern," vol. i. , pp.
Royal
demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
353to368.
30 See Rev. Dr. Reeves'
"
Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore,"
Appendix A, p. 148.
•* He is stated, to have been also the son
of Bronach, in the Tract on the Mothers of
:
thirds)
theisland; hegrantedtothemalsoseveral other lands in 1 Dunese-
Irish Aca-
2
and 194, Roger de
;
forthe made them a large grant, as did
Brien de Eschallers on the 9th of June, A. D. 1202, in the lifetime of the founder. John, the Cardinal Legate, confirmed these several
— as also those of prior Walrann,
to the
grants
many other persons. " nicum," p. 126.
"
35 The latter is said to have been ruled by St. Coelan, about a. d. 520, and its situation was unknown to Archdall.
36 However, the Rev. Dr. Reeves very
clearly shows, that those two names are only
a variety of the same word, being both in- tended for n Aononuim of the Irish, which from our saint as patron is now called Mahee Island,situatedinStrangfordLough. See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix F, p. 187.
37 Coupland alluded to in Sir John De Courcey's grant was situated in Cumberland. See Dodsworlh's and Dugdale's "Monas-
Monasticon Hiber-
June 23. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
773
Lough. 38 In company with others, St. Mochaoi undertook hewing planks for the erection of his church, which appears to have been constructed of wood;30 and, he laboured in perfecting the details of this building/ This wooden structure preceded the stone church, the ruins of which yet remain, accord- ingtoamostprobableconjecture. Inthismonasticinstitute,instructionwas combined with a regular discipline; and, among many other famous and holy persons there educated may be mentioned the names of St. Finian,41 founder of Moville, and St. Colman,42 founder of Dromore. 43
The learned Dr. Lanigan thinks it not improbable, that our saint was
Usually, however, the Irish Annalists call him simply "Mochay of Nen- drum. "4? The Rev. Dr. Lanigan seems inclined to doubt, whether Machaoi was consecrated bishop or not, although adducing testimonies in favour of an affirmative supposition.
The following legendary ancedotes relate to St. Mochaoi. 48 He went with seven score young men to cut wattles to make a church. He was engagedhimselfatthework,andcuttingtimberliketherest. Hehadaload ready before the others, and he kept it by his side. While he was resting, says the legend, he heard a bright bird, singing on the blackthorn near him. This bird was more beautiful than any birds of this world. The bird said : "This is diligent work, O cleric. " " This diligence is required of us, in building a church to God," said Mochaoi. " Who is addressing me? " " A man of the people of my Lord is here," said the bird, meaning an angel of God from heaven. " Hail to thee," said Mochaoi, "and wherefore hast thou come hither? " "To address thee from thy Lord and to delight thee for a while. "
" I like this," said Mochaoi. That bird afterwards fixed his beak in the feathers of his wing. The legend then states, that for three 4° hundred years did Mochaoi remain listening to the music of that bird, and having his bundle of sticks by his side, in the middle of the wood ; while the wood was not more withered, nor did the time seem to him longer than one hour of the day. The angel afterwards bade him farewell. At the end of that term, Mochaoi
made as Abbot,
44
abbot that of bishop 4S is affixed to Mochaoi's name in some instances/6
early
at least as the
year 465 ;
but,
besides
the title of
ticon Anglicanum," vol. ii. , Coenobia Hiber-
nica, p. 1023. Editio, Londini, 1655, 1661, fol.
Bishop of Lindisfarne, in the year 652, built " ecclesiam episcopali sedi congruam ; quam
tamen more Scottorum, nondelapide, sedde robore secto totam composuit, atque harun- dine texit. "
40 This is stated, in theO'Clerys' Calendar.
41 His feast was kept, on the 10th of Sep- tember .
42 His festival was held, on the 7th of June, where his Life is already given, in the pre- vious portion of this volume, Art. i.
43 It must be remarked, their ancient Acts state, that they had been educated by St. Caolin, who, as we believe, had been a different personage from St. Mochay, but his successor in the same monastery.
44 See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, vii. , sect. vii. .
