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Harvard College
Library

FROM THE BEQUEST OF

JOHN HARVEY TREAT

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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY

IRELAND,

INTRODUCTION OF CHRISTIANITY

INTO THAT CODNTRY,
TO THE YEAR MDCCCXXIX.

REV. M. J. BRENAN, O.S.F.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

DUBLIN:
JOHN COYNE, 24, COOKE-STREET.

1840.

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PREFACE.

There appears but little necessity for employ-
ing any lengthened preliminary observations in
recommending an Ecclesiastical History of our
National Church to the serious attention of an
Irish public. It matters not at what period or
under what circumstances this Church may be
contemplated; let it be viewed through a dispas-
Bionate medium, either in its origin or in its pro-
gress during the revolution of ages, and it will be
found to contain materials^ of the highest impor-
tance to religion and worthy of being embalmed in
the eternal recollections of Irishmen. The ancient
Fathers, by whom this sacred edifice had been
originally upheld, have an undoubted claim on
the gratitade of posterity. By their apostolic vir-
tues they have won for their country a name which
shall ever be cherished and of which no other
nation can boast, that of an Island of Saints; by
their persevering industry they have caused the
Church of Ireland to spread and to strengthen and

to bid defiance to the wreck of time ; but above
all, they have transmitted it to us, as the deposi-
tory of that faith, which in itself is the most pre-
cious of bequests, and which no ingenuity or power
of man has been ablfe to wrest from us.

It is not, however, in the origin so much as in
the triumphant progress of this Church, that its
history becomes interesting. Centuries in rapid
succession have rolled on; the works of man, after
flourishing for a time, decayed and disappeared,
but this supernatural work has continued as fair
and as vigorous as ever; The Church of Ireland,
it is true, has had seasons of serenity^ but it had
also been doomed to endure the tempest and has
passed through an ordeal of trial and persecution
Unparalleled in the history of mankind. During
these awful periods, the priesthood of Ireland,
like the primitive martyrs, have been tried in the
crucible; numbers of them sealed the faith with
their blood, others confirmed it by exile: and
^hile death stalked in the sanctuary and deso-
lation spread itself around^ they nobly secured the
iancient religion of the country and handed it down
in triumph to succeeding generations. Are the
heroic suflFerings of these apostolic men to be con-
signed to oblivion? are their names and their me-

mory to be for ever blotted out from the recoUec*
tioos of an intelligent posterity? To obviate this
charge of deep and foul ingratittlde has been one
•f the motives which induced the author humbly
to {Hresent the following concise but comprehensive
work to the attention of his fellow-countrymen.

History^ however, in order to be instructive,
must be employed as a medium for illustrating
some interesting truth. Historical facts are, in
reality, so much data» and when accompanied with
suitable deductions, the work becomes, as it ac-
tually should, one of solid and practical informa-
tion. For this reason, the present analysis of
Irish Ecclesiastical History is oflFered to the pub-
lic ; while among the various important truths which
could be deduced therefrom, two principal ones
shall be selected, and which may indeed with pro-
priety be designated "Moral Theorems." The
first is, "that public gratuitous education aided by
a priesthood disengaged from the wealth, pleasures
and dignities of this world, is one of the chief or-
dinary means employed by Providence in the con-
version of a nation," and the second is no less in-
teresting and equally true, "that the superintend-
ing power of the Almighty has been visibly dis-
played in the protection of the Church of Ireland,

from tlie moment of its foundation down to the
present hour." The first of these truths shall be
illustrated by the events connected with the primi-
tive ages of our National Church; while the
whole series of the History shall contribute suc-
cessfully to establish the second.

It may be proper to observe, that in endeavour-
ing to compress such a variety of matter within so
small a compass, the author could not possibly be
as descriptive on each subject as he might have
otherwise wished; his attention was principally
directed to a statement of facts, for the accuracy
of which statement reference shall be made to the
most approved and unquestionable authorities. —
Guided by genuine documents and divested of all
prejudice he has been enabled to complete a faith*-
fill record of the ecclesiastical events of his native
country, and should it, in any degree, tend to ad-
vance the interest of religion, his object is attained*

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY

IRELAND.

CHAPTER L

Character of the ancient Irish previously to the introduction
of the Gospel — T/ie Christian faith most probably hnoum
amongst them before the precuAinf ^f Palladius — Arrival
' of that Missionary — His departure from Ireland — St*
Patrick — The place and period of his birth — Brought as a
captive into Ireland — released from his captivity — Retires
to th0 Monastery of St. Martin of Tours, and afterwards
to Lerins — Repairs to Rome — Is elevated to the Episco-
pacy — Receives his Ecclesiastical jurisdiction from Pope
Celestine — Arrives in Ireland — His Apostolic labours in
Ulster — In Connaught — In Leinster — In Munster — Estab*
lishes his See at Armagh— Synods of St. Patrick — His
writings-^His death and funeral obsequies — The wonderful
mercy of the Almighty displayed in the conversion of the
Irish Nation.

The moral condition of Ireland in the commencement of
the fifth century was in many respects perfectly similar to that
of the other nations of the Gentile world. The ancient Irish
were a brave, warlike, intelligent and an high-minded people ;
heroism and unbounded hospitality were inseparable traits in

their character; and although in the universal wreck which
human nature and the human mind had undergone, they be-
came fellow-sufferers with the rest of mankind, yet their
idolatry and superstition were less gross and more excusable,
in consequence of their apparent proximity to the real notions
of the God-head, and to the laws and principles of rational
worship. It is certain that there was neither an Hierarchy or
a Christian Bishop in Ireland antecedent to the period of
which we are now treating, although it is highly probable
that the natives in many parts of the island were by no
means unacquainted with the Christian Religion. Tacitus,
in his life of Agricola, bestows very high encomiums on the
harbours and commercial advantages of Ireland, and in the
days of that writer, a very considerable trade had been kept
up between the southern parts of Ireland and the principal
maratime towns along the western coast of Gaul. It is
moreover, an historically attested fact, that ever since the
landing of the Milesians, a regular commercial intercourse
subsisted between Spain and Ireland; and from these circum-
stances we may with strong probability conclude, that a
knowledge of the Christian Religion had been communicated
to the Irish, at least in those southern districts which lay
immediately opposite Spain and Gaul, and which had been so
repeatedly visited by Christian merchants and other adven-
turers from the Continent. For a long period previously to
the reign of Nial of the nine hostages, the monarch by
whom St. Patrick had been made a captive, the Irish princes
were in the habit of making occasional predatory incursions
not only on the coasts of Britain, but also on the western
shores of the Continent, and of carrying away with them
vast numbers of the inhabitants, whom they afterwards either
sold or retained as menials in their own domestic employment.
These captives were generally Christians, and considering the
ardent zeal for which the faithful in those primitive times
were distinguished, it is very natural to suppose, that many

of them were the happy instruments in the hands of Provi-
dence for spreading the liglit of the Gospel over the benighted
minds; not only of their associates, but even of their very
masters. That Christianity, therefore, existed at least to a
certain extent in Ireland anterior to the fifth century, rests
upon a presumption amounting almost to a certainty; that
there were some priests dispersed amongst them, who upon
the invitation of the natives, had nobly relinquished their
own country for the advancement of the Gospel, might like-
vnse be admitted; but as to an Hierarchy or the establish*
ment of a Bishop in Ireland before the year 431, the pages of
authentic history are silent, and in such a research we have
no other light to guide us but mere hypothesis, and unsub-
stantial conjecture. Some writers have attempted to main-
tain that Ailbe of £mly, t)eclan of Ardmore, Ibar of Bege-
rin, and Kieran of Saigar, were Bishops in Ireland, and had
regular sees prior to the arrival of St. Patrick, but when we
come to the period in which these eminent men flourished,
which was at the close of the fifth and during the progress of
the sixth century, the misstatements of these biographers will
be clearly -and satisfactorily developed,

Palladius is the first Christian Bishop whom the genuine
annals of the Irish Church have upon record. — He landed in
the year 431.* At that time the Pelagian heresy was making
dreadful ravages all over the greater part of the Western
world, and the heresiarch himself being a native of Britain,
the infection, it appears, spread from the Continent, and was
gradually gaining ground among the faithful in that country.

Having in this place alluded to the land which gave birth
to the heresiarch Pelagius, we shall now take the liberty of
proceeding a little farther, and of instituting a brief inquiry
into the opinions of some who seem anxious to make the
Irish nation a present of this learned but unfortunate dogma*

* Annals of laoisfallen, ad A, 43K— Prosper, Chron. A. 431.

tizer.* According to these writers, Pelagius was not a
Briton — ^he was a native of Ireland. The only ancient
authority, in fact, the only real authority on which this
opinion is made to rest, appears to be a quotation or two
taken from the prologue which St. Jerome has prefixed
to his Commentaries on the Prophet Jeremiah.f The testi-
mony of such an ancient and exalted witness, would, it
is true, be an inyaluable acquisition to the cause which these
writers have undertaken to maintain, provided the language
which that Father has thought proper to employ, had been
clear and unequivocal, and that there could be no doubt

* AmoDg these writen we are reluctantly compelled to notice our learned country-
man, Thomas Moore. The fervent love which that distinguished Irishman is known
to have cherished for the ancient character of his native country, had, it would
appear, been the predominant cause which led him into this literary tranegreasion.
He has been, moreover mistaken in stating that Pelagius was a Monk of Bangor,
near Carrickfergus, although this statement is somewhat modified by the terms,
" little doubt." The Monastery of Bangor, near Carrickfergus, was not founded
until the year 559, while Pelagius commenced his heresy A. D. 405. How could
a man be said to have lived in a place which did not exist 1 See Mr* Moore*s His*
tory of Ireland, vol. 1. p. 206, 208.

t We shall give the quotations at large from St. Jerome : it will be found that in
these extracts the name of Pelagius is not even mentioned. The prologue to the
fint book has these words : — " Nee intelligit nimia stertens vecordia leges Commen-
tariorum in quibus multe diversorum ponuntur opiniones vel tacitis vel expressb
Auctorem nominibus, ut lectoris arbitrium sit quid potisnmum eligere debeat, de-
cemere; quamquam et in primo ejusdem operis libro prefatus sim, me nee propria
vel alienadicturum ; et ipsos Commentarios tarn veterum Scriptorum esse, quam nos-
tros. Quod non videus frmcurtor ejm Grunniut olim nisus est carpere ; cui duobus
libris, ubi qusB iste quasi sua profert, et alio jam calumniante purgata sunt \ ut
prcteream contra Jovinianum volumina, in quibus dolet Virginitatem Nuptias diga-
mis, digamiam polygamix esse praftlatam. Nee recordatur stolidissimus et SeoU)-
rum fultihut pragravatus nos in ipsa dixisse opere, &c."

The secood quotation from St. Jerome, taken from his prologue to the third book
of his Commentaries oq the same Prophet, runs thus : — " Hie tacet, alibi crimina-
tur ; mittit in Universum Orbem epistolas biblioias -, prius aureferas, nunc maledi-
cas. — Ipseque mutus latrat per Alpinum canem grandem et corpulentum, et qui
calcibus magis possit saevire quam dentibus. H&bet enim progenUm Scoticm gffittis,
de Britannorum Vicinia, qui juxta fabulus Sectarum instar Cerberi Spirituali per-
cutiendus est dava, ut eterno cum suo magistro Plutone sUentis conticescat." St*
Hieron. L. 3. Com. &c.

that PelagiuB was the person to whom ha had in reality
alluded. — This, however, is not the case. — ^The name of
Pelagius, or of may of his disciples, is never mentioned in
any part of this quotation taken from St. Jerome; and indeed
a fair and impartial reader, will, by examining the passage,
discern at once the mist, the impenetrable obscurity by which
it is encompassed. Hence it is, that Gamier, Vossius, and
some few others, were of opinion, that St. Jerome alluded to
Pelagius; while on the contrary. Usher, Martianay, Npris,
and a host of others, insist that Celestius (who was most
probably an Irishman) had been the individual against whom
that Father, in such severe but just terms levels his attack.
It is therefore most evident, that the two passages quoted
from the work of St. Jerome are anything but clear and deci-
sive, and that consequently his testimony on this subject only
leaves the question still wrapt up in conjecture and uncer-
tainty. Against this uncertainty and conjecture, let us now
proceed to give a clear, explicit, and an unquestionable
authority. Without recurring to those numerous writers who
have been appealed to by Usher, we shall content ourselves
with the testimony of onie very ancient and learned Father of
the Church; a man who flourished in the days of Pelagius,
and who from the very circumstance of the place in which he
lived, must have been well acquainted with the difference
between a Briton and a Scot, or Irishman. We allude to St.
Prosper of Aquitain. — ^That ancient writer, in his Chran-
ichj a work written for the express purpose of recording
memorable events and notable characters, has these words: —
"At this time (413,) Pelagius a Briton^ aided by Celestius and
Julianus, advanced the doctrine which goes under the sanc-
tion of his name, against the grQ,ce of Christ, and drew many
persons into his error, &c."* Surely there is nothing obscure

* The testimony of St. Prosper, in his Chronicon, ad. A. 413, is contained in
these words : — " Hac tempestate Felagiut Brito, dogma nominis sui contra gratiam
Christi, Coelestio et Juliano adjuvatoribus exeruit, multosque in suam traxit erro-
rem ; prcdicans unnmquemque ad justiam voluntate propria regi, tantumque acci-

in this testimony of our ancient Chronographer^ St. Prosper,
and as has been already remarked, no writer of that age had
a better opportunity of being correctly acquainted with the
subject on which he treats. To this may be added a second
evidence proceeding from the pen of the same venerable
author. In his poem entitled "De Ingratis" — writing of
Pelagius, he again distinctly styles him '^Britannus/' a native
of Britain.* We, therefore, with good reason maintain that
Pelagius was not an Irishman, but that, on the contrary, he
was a native of Britain; and we maintain, moreover, and
glory in the fact, that Ireland never yet produced an heresi-
arch — never gave birth to the father of a heresy or a schism.
To stem the progress of these pernicious doctrines of Pela-
gius, the holy Bishops St. German of Auxerre, Lupus of
Troyes, and others, were despatched by Pope Celestine to
Britain. St. German was invested with legatine powers, and
had directions for securing the ecclesiastical concerns of that
people on a firm and permanent basis. During the course of
their mission, the state of the Irish Christians, it may be
reasonably supposed, came under the observation of these
zealous functionaries; they became acquainted with the spiri*
tual destitution under which the Christian part of the com-
munity were suffering; they saw the moral darkness in which

pere gratie qaantam meruit : quia Ads peccatum ipsum solum lesit, nee poaleros
ejus obstrinzerit; Unde et voleudbus possibile tit omni carere peccato ; omnesque
parvulos tarn insontes nasci, quam primus homo ante prtevaricationem fuit; nee ideo
baptizandos, ut peecato exuantur, sed ut Sacramento adoptionis honorentur."—
Chronieon, ad. A. 413.

* " Dogma quod antiqui satiatum fele draconis
Pestifero vomuit coluber sermone Britannut."

Poem, da Ingratis.

To theie, if necessary, might be superadded, the authority of numberless ancient
and modem Ecclesiastical writers, all of whom mamtain that Pelagius had been a
native of Britain.

an ancient and an high-spirited people were envelopedi and
accordingly on their return to Rome they failed not to submit
to his Holiness an exact statement of what they had learned
respecting Ireland. This it was which most probably induced
Pope Celestine to appoint a Bishop who should preside over
the Irish people, and take upon him the superintendance of
their ecclesiastical affairs.

Palladius, an Archdeacon of the Roman Church, and by
birth a Briton, was the person selected for that important mis-
sion, and having been consecrated Bishop, he set out for Ire-
land, accompanied by four Priests, Sylvester, Solonius, Au-
gustin, and Benedict.— He landed early in the year 431 in the
district of Fohartha,* comprising the present barony of Forth,
and not far from the site on which the town of Wexford now
stands — ^the adjacent territory went at that period under the
denomination of Hy-Garchon, of which Nathi the son of
Garchon, a powerfiil and a wicked man, was the ruling
prince. The short duration of this mission of Palladius,
which continued but one year, leaves very little room for the
notice of any interesting events. He certainly made a con-
siderable number of converts in the territory of Hy-Garchon,
which stretched along the coast from the barony of Forth to
the north of the county of Wexford, comprehending Ukewise a
great portion of the now county of Wicklow. It is also cer-
tain, that he erected three Churches which were daily attended
by the new converts, and in which the holy mysteries were
celebrated — one was called Domnach-Arda, another Teach-
na-Roman, or the house of the Romans, and the third Cell-
fine, in which he deposited the sacred books and some reliques
of SS. Peter and Paul, and of other saints, together with his

* According to Marian Gorman the territory called the Fohartha was likewue
known by the name of Hy-Garchoo, it comprehended seven districts, and 'com-
prized a conaderable part of Leinster. — See also Colgan, A A. SS. p. 143. — The
site on which the town of Wezfonl has been built was in the sontheni part of the
Fohartha.— Archdall.

writing tablets; all of which were preserved in this church,
and held in great veneration for years after the departure of
Palladius,* At length the Pagan priests of this district
alarmed at the success of the missionaries and encouraged by
their friends and followers^ commenced a dreadful persecution
against the Christians, and represented to Nathi that his ter-
ritories were in imminent danger unless Palladius and his
companions were instantly expelled the country. Nathi,
whose superstition still surpassed his cruelty, obliged Palladius
to quit Ireland— Sylvester and Solonius, however, remained
in the country, and to their care he committed the small
congregations he had formed. Palladius sailed from Ireland
towards the end of the year 431. Having been tossed about
by storms, he arrived at length in Britain, and died not long
after at a place called Fordun in the district of Meams in
Scotland.t Thus terminated the mission of Palladius. His
labours in arresting the progress of Pelagianism both on the
Continent and among his own countrymen in Britain, were
truly great, and merit the encomiums of ancient writers;
but in the sublime work of Ireland's conversion he appears
to have laboured under many and considerable disadvan*
tages. The conversion of a nation — ^the erection of the
cross of Christ upon the altar of the Druid — the establish*
ment of an Hierarchy in Ireland, that was to outlive the long
and illustrious line of her monarchs, rolling on like the sun
in the heavens amidst the darkness and tempests of the moral
element, and acquiring a new brilliancy in its progress,
despite of the power of man and the wreck of ages — this
great supernatural work was reserved for another instrument,
and under the protection of the God of heaven, it was splen-

* These churchei were all in the territory now called the county of WicUow.
Teach-na-Roman (Teachromham) is placed near the harbour of Wicklow — and
from Domnach-arda, the village of Donard in the interior of the county, is said to
have derived its name.^Archdall, Monast. Hib.
t Fiech's Scholiast.

didly accomplished by the unwearied labours, preaching and
miracles of the blessed and ever-revered Patrick, the glorious
patron and illustrious apostle of Ireland.

The missionary career of this great Saint, being as it were,
the basis on which the whole weight of our ecclesiastical
superstructure rests, it may not be improper to enter into an
explicit and circumstantial detail of his life; noticing in par-
ticular those leading and prominent transactions by which the
reign of the Gospel had been established and his labours ulti-
mately crowned with success.

There exists a great diversity of opinion among our ancient
as well as modem historians relative to the place of his
birth — some assert that he had been bom in Pembrokeshire
in Wales — others maintain that he was a Scotchman — while
numerous writers of great reputed authority hold, that he
received his birth in Armoric Gaul, and in that part of it
which is now called Boulogne-sur-mer.* The first assertion,
that he was a Welshman, is chimerical and absurd — the
second opinion, that he was from Scotland, is a mere futile
assertion — an empty hypothesis, unsupported by any genuine
historical record, or even by what may be termed the frag-
ments of sound, rational tradition — and the third and best
opinion is, that he was born in Armoric Gaul, and near that
part of it which is known by the name of Boulogne-sur-mer.
This last opinion stands supported by the *' Confession," a
work written by St. Patrick himself, and is further confirmed
by the testimony of Fiech and other cotemporary authorities.
"My Father," says the Saint, "was Calpornius a deacon,
son of Potitus a priest, of the town Bonavem Tabernice; he
had near the town a small villa Enon, where I became a cap-
tive, "f Now that Bonavem Tabernise, or Tarabannae, which
denote the same place, (^Seu Bon-avemX in regione Tarha-

* 'Sullivan, Patriciana Decas, p. 4. t Confess, sub. init.

X So called from its being situated at the mouth of a river ; hon mouth — *' aven,"
a river, in the Celtic language. — Diet. celt.

neniij) is the Boulogne*sur-mer, now a sea-port town in
Picardyy no man versed in ancient geography will deny. —
Tabema or Tarabanna itself was an ancient city within a
few miles of the present Boulogne, the ruins of which are
still remaining under the modem name of Terouanne. —
Gregory of Tours calls the inhabitants Tarabannenses. In
fact, Boulogne and Tabemia were formerly one episcopal
see* — and what flings the question beyond the bounds of
controversy is, that there ia no place either in Wales or
Scotland corresponding with the quotation which has been
already given from the "Confession" of St Patrick.t There
is, however, one portion of the ori^nal document of St
Patrick which deserves particular notice: — "My Father," he
says, "was Calpomius a deacon, son of Potitus a priest." —
Now from his Father being a deacon, and the son of a priest,
it is very natural to suppose, that Christianity was generally
difiused, and well understood in the country where his parents
lived. But this undoubtedly could not be said of Scotland,
which in the fifth century lay still immersed in all the dark-
ness of long proscribed polytheism. The more consistent
opinion therefore, is, that St. Patrick was a native of Armoric
Gaul, and was bom near the place where Boulogne-sur-mer
at present stands. The year of his nativity (though also a
disputed question among our antiquarians,) must be set down at
387.J: About that period, Nial of the nine hostages, who was
an enterprizing and an ambitious monarch, had made several
incursions into Gaul, sometimes to gratify his ambition, and
very often in compliance with the prevailing custom of the
times. On one of these occasions he brought into captivity
a great number of the inhabitants, among whom was Patrick,

* Jonas in Vit. Eustasii.
t Lanigan in his Ecclesiastical history enters into a very critical and learned dis-
sertation on this point, in which the attention and study of the curious, would be
amply gratified.

X Tillcmont— Mem. S. Patr. T. 16.— See Lanigan, c. 4.

and who was then in the sixteenth year of his age. His
master's name was Milcho, an opulent man, residing in that
part of Dalaradia, which is now comprised within the county
of Antrim,* It seems that Patrick when a boy had been
very negligent in the great duties of religion, but the austeri-
ties which he was obliged to undergo in his servitude, soon
brought him to a knowledge of himself and to an ardent
desire of serving and pleasing his God. We find him, there-
fore, during his occupation in tending the flocks of his
master, consecrating his hours of solitude to prayer, and
estranging himself from the intercourse of man, in order the
more effectually to enjoy the converse and love of his maker.
It is stated that he was wont to repeat an hundred prayers
by day, and the same number with additional devotiops du-
ring the solitude of the night. It grieved him to see his
master (who it appears, had been a rigid man,) and the whole
population of the country buried in the gloom of paganism,
ignorant of the God that made them — ignorant of the great
works that surrounded them, and ignorant of themselves. —
After having continued six years in captivity,t he tells us
that one night he heard, while asleep, a voice announcing to
him — ^^ Patrick, thou fastest well and soon shalt thou go to
thine own country — ^behold a ship is ready for thee." Patrick
obeying the summons left Milcho*s residence, although it is
likely he never at the time considered the grand design which
Providence had in view, and for which he was ultimately
destined. "And I came," says the Saint, "in the power of
the Lord who directed my course towards a good end, and I
was under no apprehension, until I arrived where the ship
was. It was then clearing out, and I called for a passage.
But the master of the vessel got angry and said to me; do
not attempt to come with us. On hearing this I retired, for
the purpose of going to the cabin where I had been received

• Confess, p. 6. f Probus, L. I. c. 3

as a guest, and on my way thither I began to pray — but
before I had finished my prayer, I heard one of the men
crying out with a loud voice after me, come quickly for they
are calling you — and immediately I returned: and they said
to me; come we receive thee on faith; be our friend just as it
may be agreeable to you. We then set sail, and after three
days reached land."* The two Breviaries of Rheims, to-
gether with Fiech's hymn and the Scholiast tell us, that the
men with whom our Saint embarked were merchants from Gaul,
and that they landed in a place called Treguier in Britany,
some distance from the town in which he had been bom.

The year in which he reached his native place may be
stated at 410. It was at this time that St. Patrick now in
his* twenty-second year, had formed the resolution of embrac-
ing the ecclesiastical state. For this purpose he retired to
the celebrated monastery or collie of his relative St. Martin
of Tours, which for discipline and literature obtained at the
time an high rank in the Christian world. In this retreat of
piety and learning he continued for four years, advancing in
the knowledge not only of speculative truths, but moreover
in the daily and consta.nt practice of those important and
sublime virtues recommended by the Gospel. Having then
retired for a season to visit his parents. Providence so dis-
posed that he was made a captive a second timcf This
second captivity of St. Patrick was of short continuance, and
immediately after his liberation he was favoured with another
vision, in which the grand event for which he had been destined
(the conversion of Ireland) was fully unfolded to him. — His
own words are: — "I saw in a nocturnal vision, a man coming
as if from Ireland, whose name was VictoriciuSj with imiu-
merable letters, one of which he handed to me; on reading
the beginning of it, I found it contained theee words — * The
voice of the Irish.' And while reading I thought I heard at

♦ Confess, p. 7. t Probus, L. 1. c. 14.

the same moment, the voice of persons from near the wood
Focluty* which is near the western sea. And they cried out
as if with one voice: * We entreat thee holy youth to come and
walk 'Still cunongst us* And I was greatly affected in my
hearty and could read no longer; then I awoke." *t Soon
after this, and at the age of thirty, he put himself under the
direction of St. German of Auxerre. There had been at that
time several religious and learned establishments in the island
of Lerins.J To this island, the reputation of which stands
high in antiquity, Patrick was directed by his friend St.
German, and continuing in it for a period of nine years,^ he
derived that knowledge of sacred literature and of spiritual
discipline, which afterwards enabled him to proceed as an
apostle and to triumph over the darkness in which a great
and a magnanimous people had been for ages involved.
When St. Patrick retired from Lerins, he might have been in
the thirty-ninth year of his age. He remained for a short
time with his director St. German, after which he returned to
Boulogne for the purpose of visiting his parents and friends.
It was at this period that St. German and St. Lupus of
Troyes were deputed by Pope Celestine to visit Britain, and
endeavour to stem the progress of the pelagian heresy in that
country. They travelled through Boulogne, and as the Scho-
liast tells us, invited St. Patrick to accompany them. It was
likewise at the termination of this mission that Palladius was
consecrated. It must be observed, that St. Patrick had at
this period been directed to proceed to Rome, in company
with Segetius a priest, having been furnished at the same
time with letters of recommendation from St. German. He
met with a most favourable reception from Celestine, who

• In Tirawley, county of Mayo ; the ancient Tir Amalgaid. — Scholiast,
t Conf. p. 9.

X Now called St. Honorat, situated between the coasts of Italy and France. —
Bollandists, Com. ad V. S. P.
$ Third Life, c. 22.

then sat in the chair of St. Peter, and was readily chosen to
accompany and assist Palladius on his intended mission to
Ireland."*^ This mission, as has been already noticed, was
but of short continuance. Upon the death of Palladius,
Patrick received the regular missionary powers from the sole
divinely established source of spiritual jurisdiction on earth;
the head of the Churchf — at that time also, Pope Celestine.
He left Rome early in the year 432, and was consecrated by
the venerable Amator,J a prelate of great sanctity, then
residing in the neighbourhood of Eboria.§ The statement of
Jocelin and other writers, respecting the number of his com-
panions, rests on no good authority; it is however certain
that Auxilius and I8erninu8,\\ two priests of great zeal and
piety were selected to accompany him, and had some years
after been promoted to the episcopacy by our Saint himself.

In the year 432 St Patrick landed in Ireland; Celestine
was then dead and was succeeded by Sixtus the third. It is
generally supposed that the harbour in which the Saint
landed was situated in the present county of Wicklow; by
some writers it is called Inbher-de, that is, the mouth of the
river De, at present the river Leitrim.f^ On his landing, he
met with immediate opposition from the inhabitants; a cir-
cumstance which can be well accounted for, in consequence of
its proximity to the territory of the Hy-Garchon, from which
Palladius had been already so lately repulsed. Patrick hav-
ing been well acquainted with the localities of the country,

* Erric, de vita S. Germ. — fourth life.

t That St. Patrick derived his mission from the See of Rome.— Vide Appendix 1 .
p. 2.

X Probos, L. 1. c 25. — Second, third and fourUi lives.

§ A town situated in the north-west of Oaul, and most probably the same as £v-
reux in Normandy.

II They are said to have received holy orders on the same day that St. Patrick was
consecrated. — Second life, c. 26.

IT See Colgan's commentary on the par tut Evolenorum of Probus. — Second life,
e. 25.— Third life, c. 28.— Jocelin, cap. 29,

did not,' it is probablci determine on Wicklow as his favourite
landing place. Accordingly on the resistance of the people,
he set out to sea and directing his course towards the North,
(the scene of his former bondage,) arrived with his compa-
nions at a port in a district now called the barony of Lecale,
in the county of Down. Having advanced some distance into
the country, they met with a body of men who were in the
service of Dicho, the lord and proprietor of that territory. —
These men at first supposed them to be robbers, and having
acquainted their master, Dicho came out with a body of his
armed servants for the purpose of exterminating them. The
Almighty however touched his heart, and Patrick was invited
in^to his house. Here the Saint had an opportunity of unfold-
ing the great truths of the Gospel — Dicho became a Christian
and was baptized,t and thus was he the first convert whom
St. Patrick had made to the religion of Christ in Ireland.
Soon after his conversion, Dicho erected a church on his
estate, known by the denomination of Sabhall Padruic or
PatricVs harnj and all his family and dependants became
Christians. The road was now opened for the Gospel and
every encouragement afforded to our holy missionaries! Ac-
cordingly the Saint after remaining a short time at the house
of Dicho, set out by land to visit his former master Milcho,
in the county of Antrim. This man was, it appears, a most
obstinate pagan, and Patrick foreseeing that his labours would,
at least for the present, be ineffectual, directed his course
through the whole north-west of the county of Down and
the adjacent districts; gaining multitudes of converts in his
progress and laying the proud superstition of the Druids
prostrate at the foot of the cross. Among these converts
were Russ the son of Trichem, and a youth named Mochoe
whom he afterwards educated for the ecclesiastical state, and
who in 496 governed as Bishop a church at Antrim.

t Probus, L. I. c. 28.

The festival of Easter was now approaching and St. Patrick
was determined to hoW its celebration near Tarah where the
Monarch and Princes of the Kingdom were at that time
assembled in convocation.* St. Peter planted the cross of
Christ in the imperial city of Rome, and St. Patrick, another
Apostle, resolved to proclaim the mysteries of the same cross
at the seat of government and before the united assembly of
the nation.

The present county of Meath together with the greater
part of Westmeath was in the fifth century, the residence of
kings, princes and warriors. In the year of the Christian
era seventy-nine, Tuathal, the reigning monarch of Ireland,
after successive victories over the Albanians, and over domes-
tic enemies, summoned a general convocation of his princes
and nobility to Tarah. In this national assembly, Tuathal
took a tract of land from each of the four provinces, and in
each portion a magnificent palace was erected. These four
tracts formed the county of Meath; now divided into Meath
and Westmeath. In the portion taken from Munster, he
built the royal seat of Flachtga. In the tract selected from
the province of Connaught, a second palace was erected," in
which the general convocation of the kingdom was held,
usually called Visneach. The third royal seat was Tailten,
in a territory originally belonging to Ulster. But the palace
of Tarah itself was reserved for the Monarch, and at stated
times, the provincial kings with their warriors, antiquarians,
poets and druids, were bound to assemble there and institute
such laws as the moral and political state of the country
might seem to require.f

St. Patrick and his companions pursuing their journey
from Colp, the mouth of the Boyne, to the plain of
Breg, in which the city of Tarah was situated, went to the
house of a respectable man named Seschnen by whom they
were hospitably entertained. The result of this visit was the

* Trias Thaumatur. p. 20. t Keating, V. 2.

conversion of Seschen and his family, among whom we must
notice his son Benign^s* who accompanied the Saint to
Tarah and became afterwards his favourite disciple and his
successor in the see of Armagh. On Easter eve the Saint
and his companions arrived within view of the hill of Tarah.
Here he pitched his tent and lit up the paschal fire, a cere-
mony in those primitive times prevalent among Christians,
and observed in memory of the resurrection of Christ. Leo-
gaire was then Monarch of Ireland — he was the son of Nial
of the nine hostages, and agreeably to the usage of his pre-
decessors, kept his court in the palace of Tarah. It happened
that the King and his Princes were at this very time celebrat-
ing an annual festival ;t and in compliance with the rites of
the druidical worship, that eve was observed with Superior
religious solemnity. The ancient Irish, as we have observed,
worshipped the sun; that luminary was considered by them
as their principal and supreme deity. Hence fire-worship was
the leading dogma in the system of Irish druidism. By a
standing law, all the fires of the country were on that eve to
be extinguished, and no person was allowed under pain of
death to kindle a fire, until the sacred one should be first
lighted up by the Druids on the hill of Tarah, a ceremony
which was to serve as a signal for the rest of Ireland.J St.
Patrick, however, lit up his paschal fire, and when it was
seen firom the heights of Tarah, Leogaire with his princes and
chieftains was astonished and alarmed. He inquired, who it
might be, who dared to rise up in opposition to the law and
to the religion of the country, and being informed by the
Magi, that it had been done by the new Christian teachers
and if not extinguished would bring destruction on his realms,
the Monarch accompanied by his officers came down from
Tarah and advanced to the place where the Saint and his
companions had been. The King and his followers having

• Third life, c. 36. t Probus, L. l.c.35. t Second life, c. 34.— Probus, L. 1. c. 35.

rested at a certain distance from the paschal fire, messengers
were despatched to convey the Saint into the royal presence,
and orders were given that no respect should be paid him. —
However, on St. Patrick presenting himself before them.
Here, the son of Digo, notwithstanding the command of the
King, rose up and saluted him, and receiving his benediction
became a convert* Some years after he viras consecrated
Bishop of Slane and was noted for zeal, learning and sane*
tity.* The conference, which on this occasion took place
between St. Patrick and Leogaire, is so interwoven with un-
attested and incredible anecdote, that it might perhaps be as
well passed over, in order to come to the following day
(Easter Sunday,) when our Saint made his first and solemn
entrance into the palace of Tarah. On the morning com-
memorative of the resurrection of Christ, we find for the
first time the Gospel and the mysteries of the Redeemer pub-
licly proclaimed through the halls of Tarah. In the presence
of the Monarch and his princes, chieftains and druids the
cross of Christ was raised, and its truths demonstrated and
established. ^'You worship the sun," said St. Patrick, ''and
you adore that light; it is however but a mere creature — that
sun which we see, rises daily, for our use by the command of
"the Almighty, but its splendour shall not always endure — the
day will come when its light will be extinguished, and all
those who worship it shall miserably perish; but we adore the
true Sunt — Christ the Lord and Ruler of all things." On
this occasion, Dubtach, the most eminent of the Poets, arose
and greeting St. Patrick, became a Christian. His example
was followed by numbers and among them may be ranked
Fingar the son of King Clito, who afterwards suffered mar-
tyrdom in Britany. J The bias of education — of rooted pre-
judice and strengthened habits is singularly powerful — St.
Patrick announced his doctrine with such conviction and

• Probus, L. 1. c. 37. t Conf, c. 22. t Colgan, Acta Sanctorum, Feb. 23,

power that neither prince or priest was able to resist him,
and yet Leogaire the Monarch was not converted. That he
became a Christian has been asserted by some writers, but
there appears no sufficient authority for this statement. At
all events, the Saint received permission from the King to
preach the Gospel, on condition that the peace of the king-
dom should not be disturbed.

On the following day, St. Patrick repaired to Tailten where
the public games were celebrated, and which national amuse-
ments were generally honoured by the presence of the whole
court of Tarah. Here, likewise, he multiplied the number of
his converts^ Conall, a brother of the King, heard his doc-
trine, believed and was baptized.* St. Patrick after having
continued during Easter week in the territory of Tarah went
forth oA his mission through other parts of the county of
Meath. Having erected a church at Drumconrath in the now
barony of Slane, and also at Drumshallon near Brogheda,
he directed his course to Delvin, and thence to the celebrated
hill of Usneagh, reducing, as we are informed, the whole
mass of the people in subjection to the cross of Christ, Pur-
suing his route through Longford, he proceeds towards the
North for the purpose p( destroying the idol Cratn^cruachyf
standing in a plain near Feanagh in the county of Leitrim.
By his prayers, the idol was laid prostrate, and on the spot
a celebrated church was erected over which he placed Mauran,
sumamed Bardan.

The next scene of his mission was the province ^of Con-
naught. It would be a difficult and an endless task to accom-
pany our Apostle, step by step, through every distinct quarter
where, his zeal and the advancement of the Gospel had con-
veyed him. The .history of the churches which he erected,

♦ Fourth life, c. 52.

t Tripartite, L. 2.TS. 31.— "Heap of the sim"— Cruach, an beap, and Crom,
an ancient name for the God of fire.

and the list of holy and learned men whom he converted in
Connaught alone^ would supply abundant materials for the
admirer of sacred and biographical subjects.

Having crossed the Shannon near Drumsnare^ he converted
the two daughters of the Monarch Leogaire — Ethnea and
Fethlimia, together with the Druids Mael and Capiat^ under
whose tutelage these ladies had been placed. The history of
their conversion having opened a way to many important
events, and being moreover universally acknowledged by our
ancient writers, may very justly demand a place in this
analysis. When St. Patrick had advanced some distance
into Connaught, he stopped with his fellow-missioners at a
fountain near the royal residence Cruachan, now Croghan, at
Elphin. At the break of day the Saint and his companions
began to chaunt the Matins, and the Princesses coming at
the same hour to bathe in the fountain, were struck with the
singular appearance of persons clothed in white garments,
with books in their hands and singing aloud the praises of
the Most High. "Who are ye," said they — "belong ye to
the air, to the heavens, or to the earth?'* St. Patrick ac-
cordingly explained to them the nature and attributes of the
only one true God: and they asked him, "where does your
God dwell, is it in the sun, or on the earth, on moimtains,
in vallies, in tlie sea or in rivers; is he rich, is he young or
old, has he sons and daughters, and are they handsome?"
The Apostle with feelings of pity for the ignorance and sim-
plicity of these noble females, and knowing^ well that the
hand of Providence had guided them imperceptibly to the
spot, took an opportunity of unfolding at large the whole
grand system of revelation — ^the fall of man and his ultimate
redemption by the sufferings and atonement of Christ. —
Pleased and delighted with his discourse they wished to know
how they could be acceptable to him who at the moment was
invisibly moving their hearts. The Saint gave the required
instruction; they believed, were baptized in the fountain.

and afterwards conBecrating their virginity to God, died holy
virgins — immaculate spouses of Christ.*

From this place^ St. Patrick proceeded towards the terri-
tory of Hua-Nolella, now the county of Sligo, and left there
his disci}de Cethenus. From thence he advanced to Oran in
Roscommon, where he assigned situations for a number of
Gallic priests, who on hearing of the success of St. Patrick,
fled for refuge to Ireland, and spent the remainder of their
days in monastic retirement. We find him next at Mag-
Seola near Elphin, where he held a synod, and among the

, persons present are named Felartus and Sacellus of Baslisk,
in Roscommon. Passing Lough-Gara in Sligo, and the ter-
ritory of Airteach where he established churches, he next
proceeds to the now barony of Costello in the county of
Mayo, and afler bringing over the whole population of that

. district to the faith, he ordained priests to preside over them,
among whom may be mentioned Loarn of Costello, Conan
of Curragh and Senachus of Aghagower. His next mission
was to the extensive district of Tirawley. The King of this
martial territory was just deceased and left behind him seven
sons, whose match in the field of battle it were difficult to
find. It happened that on the arrival of St. Patrick, a
solemn festival had being celebrating. The Saint advanced
in the midst of the people, raised the cross of Christ and
preached its mysteries. The seven Princes were converted,
and, as all our annalists inform us, twelve thousand inhabit-
ants.t The extraordinary progress which St. Patrick had now
made in the work of the Gospel, brought down on him the
hostiUty and persecution of the whole druidical priesthood of
the country. The Saint assures us that at this period his life
was in danger, but Enda one of those converted princes, and
his son Conall protected him, and were the happy instruments

• Triapartite, L. 2. c. 44.
t Triapartitei L. 2. c. 77.— Usher, p. 865,

in saving him whom Providence^ in its nnsearchable decrees,
had destined for the fiuther execution of its own grand
designs.* Our Apostle next crossed the Moy and entered
the territory of Tireragh in Sligo where he baptized seven
brothers, one of whom' Mac-erca he selected for the priest-
hood; when duly qualified and ordained, he placed him over
the church of Kilroe, situated within a mile of Killala. He
next directed his course towards the south-west of the pro-
vince — ^and by his preaching and wonderful signs, the cause of
truth prevails and the Gospel continues triumphant. The
number of churches which St. Patrick erected during the
seven years of his apostolic labours in the province of Con-
naught are variously stated by our antiquarians — some go as
far as one thousand; but although this cannot be easily
credited, yet one thing is certain, that the province of Con-
naught was no longer a land of idolatry: its brave and its
ancient people believed in the Gospel; and to this day that
same belief continues, notwithstanding the grinding, unmer*
cifiil persecutions which the same noble and hospitable pro*
vince has for centuries been destined to endure.

It has been already observed that St. Patrick's mission in
the north of Ireland was but of short continuance. In the
year 442 we find him preaching the Gospel in Tirconnell,
(county of Donegal,) and after having converted Owen, a
dynast of that country, the Apostle proceeded through the
great district of the Dalrieda. Traversing along by Ghsiura,1-
Imclair and the now county of Tyrone, he advances into the
ancient Dalaradia.j: In this powerful territory, multitudes
embraced the faith, and both churches and religious commu--
nities were established. In short, the extraordinary conver-

* Probus, L. 2. c. 23. f South of Lough-neagh.

X The Dalrieda comprehended the north-west and south of the county of Antrim.
The Dalaradia comprized the cast of the same county, together with the county of
Down.— Harris, Antiq. p. 48.

810118 he had made, the obstacles which he overthrew, the easa
with which that overthrow was effected, and the effectual
grand issue of his mission up to this period, presented to the
Saint a demonstrative conviction, that he alone was the per-
son destined by heaven for the moral liberation of the
countiy — for the salvation of a people, whose conversion was
prompt and sincere, and in whose virtues might be recognized
all the lustre and glory of the apostolic times. .

St. Patrick had not as yet proceeded to the great and
powerful province of Munster, which at that time compre-
hended the noble territories of Thomond to the north and of
Desmond to the south. However, before he embarked on
this mission he visited Slane and other favourite quarters in
Meath, to which of course, he had a predilection, and where,
it is said, he established a number of religious houses. On his
departure he left his disciple Secundinus (who by this time had
been ordained Bishop) in care of the church of Dunshaghlin,
with powers also over the new congregations in Meath, and
over a great portion of the North.* Proceeding on his jour-
ney to Munster our Saint deemed it necessary to visit several
districts of Leinster, and even those parts of it where Chris-
tianity had been established by Palladius. He baptized the
Princes lUand and Alind in a fountain near Naa6,t and so
extraordinary was the zeal of the people, that it is said many
of the leading men in that neighbourhood offered their services
and thought it an honour to be employed in the erection of
churches. Having passed through Hy-Grarchon, he entered
the territory of MaghUffe, the present county of Kildare, in
which he placed his companions Auxilius, Bishop at Killossy
near Naas, and Iseminus Bishop at Kilcullen.j: Directing
his course from thence through Leix, now part of the
Queen's county, where multitudes embraced the faith, St.
Patrick next proceeds to visit his friend Dubtach the poet,

* Tripartite, L. 3. c. 98. t Usher, Ind. Chron. t Colgan, Trip. L. 3. c. 18.

who lived in that part of the territory of Hy-Kinsellagh now
called the county of Carlow. * The Saint already acquainted
with the wisdom and religious sentiments of Dubtach, hegged
of him to mention a person, who, he thought, might be
calculated for the ecclesiastical state. On this occasion he
presented his pupil Fiech, of the illustrious house of Hy-
Bairrche in Leinster; St. Patrick finding him duly qualified,
gave him the clerical tonsure and took him under his special
care and protection. He was the first native of Leinster who
had been raised to the episcopacy — his see was in Sletty* in
the Queen's county and on the borders of the county of
Carlow. Fiech was a regular member of the bardic order, a
poet by profession, esteemed as a learned man even before he
had embraced Christianity, and during his episcopacy was
consulted by numbers as an oracle of truth and of heavenly
wisdom. From Hy-Kinsellagh, St. Patrick advanced into
Ossory, where he erected many churches and converted a
vast multitude of the inhabitants. Having now (A. D. 446)
reached the borders of Munster, our Saint proceeds to Cashel,
the royal seat of the kings of that province. On his approach-
ing the city, the celebrated Aengus, then King of Munster,
a young Prince of great piety and knowledge, came forth to
meet him.t He invited St. Patrick into his palace, and on
the following day both Aengus and the nobility of his court
became Christians. A circumstance occurred at the baptism
of this Prince, which gave rise to the well-known anecdote
of the King's foot having been pierced by the staff of St.
Patrick. The Tripartite states, that after the baptism and at
the Saint's giving the blessing, the sharp point of the crozier
pierced through his foot.J The King considering it a part of
the ceremony, patiently submitted to the pain for a consider-
able time, upon which St. Patrick pronounced a becoming

• Scholiast— Tripartite, L. 3. c. 21. t Ibid. c. 29.

t Jocelin, c. 74.— Tripartite, L, 3, c. 30.

eulogittm, and foretold the great progress which the Gospel
would make under the fostering protection of this pious
Prince.

It is hi^Iy probable that a knowledge of the Christian
rdigion had before this period gained some ground in the
eastern and southern parts of Munster. However, the
fSEunous territory of Thomond and the whole w^tem coast
lay still buried in all the darkness of paganism. The name
of the celebrated tribe of the Dalgais, will continue for ever
illustriously recl^rded; but notwithstanding their martial hero-
ism and their many moral virtues, this ancient and spirited
-people knew neither the cause whence they proceeded nor
the important and noble end for which they had been des*
tined. St. Patrick now preaches amongst them, and it is
said, that the whole sept ahnost instantaneously became
Christians: at all events, one fact is certain, that the Gospel
had made a rapid progress in their territory, and that when
once converted to Christ, this powerful tribe became as re-
markable for their attachment to the faith as they had ever
been for their well-known fidelity to their prince, theit pro-
verbial love for the land of their birth, and their matchless
heroism in the field of battle. After having erected and con<»
secrated churches in this great district, we next find our
Apostle preaching the faith of Christ along the extensive
territory of Thomond. When he entered the district of
Ormond, Lonan its chieftain hospitably entertained him, and
embracing Christianity became an instrument for the imme-
diate conversion of that renowned territory.* Vast multi-
tudes crossed the Shannon, from north Munster (Clare,)
anxious to see St. Patrick and hear the words of truth from
his own lips: this countless multitude are said to have been
baptized in the field of Tir-glais (the green field.) All the
neighbouring princes, and persons of influence in the country

• Third life, c. 61.

came to hear his doctrine and witness his power; and on his
departure, having, according to the Tripartite, ascended
mount Fintine near Donaghmore and casting his eyes over
the rich and beautiful country of Thomond, he blessed it
nnd foretold the birth of the celebrated Senan of Inniscatty.*
Afterwards the Saint directed his course to the district of
Luachra near the borders of Kerry; where he prc^hesied,
that '^St. Brendan of the race of Hua-Alta, the great patri*
arch of monks and the star of the Western world, would be
bom, and that his birth would take place several years afker
his own death/^t He next traversed the r^on of Desmond
(Cork,) and the country of the Desii (Waterfbrd,):( establish*-
ing the cross of Christ and bringing the great mass of the
people under its subjection^ The mission of St. Patrick in
Munster continued for seven years. It would be difficult to
form an estimate of the number of converts which he had
made, or even of the churches and religious establishments
which he founded. The annals of Ireland are crowded with
facts setting forth the heroism, the hospitality and natural
intelligence of this fine people; while the bravery which they
exhibited in the field of battle, the gcfnerostty which they
practised in their own homes, and the mental fire, the intelli*
gence and vivacity for which they had been distinguished
were altogether but so many mediums for the more easy con->
version, and unshaken persevering stability of this ancient,
renowned and proverbially spirited people*

St. Patrick departed from Munster in the year 452, and pass*
ing through Brosna, in the King's county, where he erected
several churches, pursued his mission until he arrived at Lecale,
the place in which he made his first convert, and which was ever
after his favourite retreat. Having now spent twenty years
in his arduous and extraordinary mission through the wilds
and desarts of the kingdom, spreading around the light of

t Tripartite^ L. 3. c. 46. t Id. c 47. t Id. c 49.

Christianity, and by his preaching and stupendous miraclesy
patting a period to the long dismal feign of superstition,
SL Patrick determines on erecting a metropolitan see. For
this purpose he proceeds (according to the directions of a
vision,) to the territory of Macha, where stood the royal city
of Emania, then the residence of the Kings of Ulster. Here
he was kindly received by Dair^ an opulent man, who gave
him a grant of a convenient spot of ground on an eminence,
called DruimreaUeek, (the hill of sallows,) and upon this site
the Saint erected his Cathedral.*. This high ground is that
on which the city of Ard-Macha,t or Armagh now stands,
and here the ecclesiastical metropolis of Ireland was estab-
lished A. D. 4564 Suitable edifices were annexed to it for
the accommodation of the clergy, and adjacent to it were
several religious retreats in which numbers of both sexes for-
saking the world, made a sacrifice of all to the great Author
of their existence. The remaining years of our Saint's life
were spent at his see in Aimagh, and occasionally at his
favourite retreat of Sabhul or Saul. The wonderful power of
the Most High was now visibly displayed through the instru-
mentality of this great Apostle — consecrated churches, mo-
nastic foundations, and houses of education covered the
whole face of the country; the infant congregations were
organized and placed under the government of holy prelates
and learned pastors, all sul^ect to the metropolitan see of
Armagh—-in short a regular hierarchy-^a perfectly national
church was established; while the zeal and sanctity of the
people elicited the admiration of distant nations, and the coun-
try which' they inhabited was universally known by the splen-
did appellation' of a holy land and an island of saints. At t}u8
period, (466) St. Patrick held two synods in which many dis-
ciplinary and salutary laws relating to morals and church

* Probus, L. 3. c 7. t The hill of the territory called Madia.

X Colsan, Ind, Cbron. A. A. S.S.-— Ware Bishops.

government were instituted.* The first of these synods is en-
titled, exclusively the synod of St. Patrick; the second bears
the title of the synod of Bishops, that is, of Patrick, Auxi*
lius, and Iseminus. — ^^^Synodus Episcoporum, id esty Potiitii,
Anxilii, et Isemini." It is evident from the Canons of ihe
former, that some of them had been introduced at a perioiA
much later than the fifth century, and had, it is probable^
been arranged at some national councils held in another
country. The Canons of the latter are with a few exceptions
universally received as authentic, and were undoubtedly
passed in the synod to which we have already alluded^i-*

Of the writings of St. Patrick which remain the only
genuine ones are his letter to Coroticus, a British pjiffce,
and the celebrated work entitled his Confession.^ The cruelty
exercised by Coroticus towards the Irish converts, numbers
of whom he put to death or sold as slaves, forms the subject
of the above-mentioned letter: for these crimes the Saint
pronounces him publicly excommunicated. The Confession
\ was written by St. Patrick, when he felt his dissolution
iqiproaching. His object in writing it was, to point out the
extraordinary manner in which the Almighty had assisted
Um from the commencement of his mission until its grand
and successful termination. At length the great design hav-*
ing being accomplished, for which a merciful and an all-ruling
Providence had destined this wonderful Saint, the moment is
approaching, when he is to be summoned to meet his Lord
and receive the reward of his labours. St. Patrick himself
had a foreknowledge of this event; and wishing to breathe^
his last and leave his mortal remains in the ecclesiastical
metropolis of Ireland, he departed from Saul in which place
he then resided. It is related that on his way. he was stepped
by an angel and ordered to return; however, he did return to

• Jocclin, c. 1(>8, — Spelman, Con. T. 1. p. 62.

t TiUemont, Mem. Tom. xvi. p. 786.— Wirkins, Con. T. 1. p. 2.

t Probw, L. 2. c. 36.— Fiecb, s. 27,

Saul and having been attended by TaBsach, bishop of Rath«
colphtha, near Down^ and recemng from him the holy Via-
ticum^ his happy soul retired from this world to enjoy the
glory of hi&. Saviour, on Wednesday the 17th of March, in
the 78th year of his age, and in the year of our Lord 466.*
Some writers have endeavoured to maintain that the number
of his years amounted to one hundred and twenty, and from
this and other principles draw a line of comparison between
St Patrick and Moses; it is however quite clear, that their
calculations cannot stand the test of chronological criticism,
and upon a full and fair inquiry, it will be found that the
order of time already stated is that which alone corresponds
with the whole series of events, and with the testimony of the
best and most approved antiquarians. Equally groundless is
the assertion of those who pretend that St. Patrick was a
Canon Regular of St. Augustine. There was no such order
at that time in the Christian Church; nor was it known in
Ireland until the days of St. Malachy in the twelfth century .+
. The news of the Saint's death having been spread through-
out all Ireland, the prelates and clergy flocked in multitudes
from the most remote quarters of the country, and the
funeral obsequies were celebrated with unusual pomp. As
the bishops and priests arrived at Saul, each clergyman pro-
ceeded according to his dignity to offer up the divine mysteries

* Annals of Innis&llen.
' t The i^ipeUatioii of Canon was originally given to all such clergymen as Lad their
names placed on the canon or roll of a church. It was, in lapse of time, appropri-
ated to those who lived in community — and inasmuch as they were hound to observe
certain canons or rules relative to their institution, tliey were generally called Canon$
lU^tor.— Bingham, 3« 1. c. 6.— Fkury, Inst. Part 1.

In the deventh century some conmuinities of clergymen adopted certain refiTvlf^tkins
which had been drawn up by St. Augustine for a nunnery over which his sister had
presided. These rules titer undergoing some alterations, were adapted to commu*
Bities of men, and the persons who observed them, were known by the name of
'* Canons Regular of St, Augustine" These Canons bound themselves by vows— yet
had the privilege of forming diocesan chapters, and were employed in the cure of
souls : during the twelfth and following centuries they became very numerous in
Ireland.— See Gilbert, Corpus, Jur« Can, tit. xiii. re^* 3.— -Sec also chap. xii. & xiii.

in commemoration of their Apostle, and hence the fmieral
service was kept up for several days. Besides the celebration
of the Masses and other duties of the day; the Psalmody,
the chaunting of hymns and the divine office were continued
during the night, and the profusion of torches and lights was
so great, that, (to use the words of an ancient writer) the
darkness was expelled, and the whole night seemed to be one
day.* In the simple and ancient language of Fiech's hymn,
it is compared to the long day caused by the standing of the
sun for Joshua against Grabaon. The inhabitants of Armagh
and the Ulidians (the people of Down) were severally and
naturally anxious to have his remains deposited amongst
them;< it was however, so arranged that his body was interred
in Down, and a great part of his reliques were. conveyed to
Armagh.t

The wisdom — ^the power and the providence of an all-ruling
God were manifested in the general establishment of Chris-
tianity; and the same wisdom — the same power and provi-
dence were displayed in the conversion of the Irish people,
and in the establishment of their national church. For ages
revolving after ages they were buried like the rest of mankind
in one long and dismal night of mental darkness, but at the
presence of the cross of Christ, the clouds and shadows dis-
appeared. Eighteen centuries have since rolled on, during
which time this brave and faithful people have passed
through an ordeal of trials and persecutions unparalleled in
the history of mankind. — Every effort has been made to
seduce or force them from the old venerable path marked
out by their forefathers; but the same light, the same identi-
cal faith continues to shine in the midst of them, while the
puny and contemptable opposition of man has contributed
only to mark her career with still greater glory, with re-
newed vigour and with additional brilliancy.

* Fi«ch*8 hymn, stroph 29. t Third life, c, 88,->Tr. Th. p. 2^.

CHAPTER II.

Successors of St. Patrick — Episcopal Sees — Religious founr
dations of the fifth century.

The attention of the reader having been hitherto ahnost
exclusively directed to the important labours of the Apostle
himself; our next. object must be, to examine vrith the same
care and impartiality all the other portions of this ancient
and venerable superstructure. On the demise of St. Patrick
BsNiGNUs, his constant missionary companion and favourite
disciple, vras, vtrith the unanimous voice of the prelates,
priests and people, appointed his successor,* and accordingly
<A. D. 465,) he entered on the duties of his office, as Arch-
bishop of Armagh and Metropolitan of Ireland.f While St
Patrick veas employed in Connaught, the missionary labours
of Benignus in several parts of that province are frequently
mentioned and honourably extolled. However, it veas in the
district of West Munster, or Kerry, and in some portions of
the now county of Clare not visited by our Apostle, that
Benignus gave splendid proofs of his zeal for religion, and
of his anxious desire for the conyersion of his countrymen.
St. Patrick entrusted him with the mission of those remote
places, although he had been at the time only a priest, and
so great were his services and such the veneration in which he
was held, that the people of that country always considered

* It may not be amiss to notice a most important mistake into which Colgan and
others had unaccountably fallen, by introducing a Patritnu styled senior, as sue*
cesaor of the Apoade, and immediately preceding Benignus. The hct k, this Patri*
tins senior, or as the Tripartite has it, Sen-Patrick, is no other than St. Patrick him«
self, to whom in his old age, the appellation tenex'tenior had been applied by some
of our annalists.— See Laaigan, chq>. vii. p. 324«— Jooehn, c 116.
t Tr.Th.p.393.

him a second Apostle.* He is said to have two learned
disciples Buadmel and Carellus, the latter of whom accord-
ing to the Tripartite was Bishpp of Tamnach, in the county
of Sligo. The incumbency of Benignus was rery short,
being but three years and some months — our annals supply
us with very few facts connected with his episcopal govern-
ment. He is represented throughout as a very holy man,
and before his death had the happiness of witnessing the tri-
umph of religion in many retired and uncultivated parts of
Ireland. Like his master he foresaw his end approaching,
and having sent for larlath, from whom he received the body
of the Lord, his blessed soul shortly after retired to eternal
rest, A, D. 468.t

Iarlath was his successor, and continued to preside over
the Archdiocese for a period of fourteen years. This Prelate
was descended of an illustrious family and was bom in a
place called Rath-trena in the present county of Down.J
His father, whose name was Trena, had, it appears, been
an uncle of Dicho, St. Patrick's first convert. He was a
man of considerable power in that territory, and from him it
seems to have derived the above appellation. During the in-
cumbency of Iarlath the truths of the Gospel were making
still rapid advances over Ireland. His virtues and the influ-
ence which he possessed among the neighbouring dynasts of
the country had served to open a way for the missionaries,
and enabled them to preach in various districts, which had-
not been hitherto favoured with the light of Christianity.
Nevertheless, we have no sufiicient authority for stating, that
Alild-Molt, the then reigning Monarch of Ireland, and suc-
cessor of Leogaire, had followed the example of his subjects
and embraced the Christian faith. Ha,d such an event taken
place, the relation of it would not have been omitted by the
several hagiologists, who have, in such copious abundance,

• Vita S. Bcnigni, c. 6,— Tr. Th. p. 203. t Ibid, c, 18. t Ibid, L. 3. c. 67.

handed down to us the acts of St. Patrick, and all the
memorable conveiBions that had been effected in those times.
The contrary opinion, however, has been maintained by
some,* while all agree that Murtagh, who reigned during
the incumbency of larlath's successor, was without doubt a
Christian, and employed his authority in placing the interests
of religion on a secure and permanent basis. larlath, adopt-
ing the great example of his predecessor, was particularly
attentive to the cause of education, and laboured incessantly
in advancing the welfare of the rising literary establishment
at Armagh. He supplied it with teachers, and gave high
encouragement to its scholars, many of whom, when duly
qualified, he advanced to the sacred ministry, and afterwards
employed on the arduous duties of the mission. Having
governed the sjee for about fourteen years, larlath died,
abounding in merit, on the eleventh of February, A. D. 482,t
and was succeeded by Cormac, the son of Enda, and nephew
of Leogaire.J Enda, as we have already noticed, was con-
verted by St. Patrick, on which occasion Cormac, who was
then a young man of prepossessing manners and considerable
acquirements, was placed by his father under the peculiar
care and instruction of St. Patrick himself. Having after-
wards distinguished himself by his learning as well as by his
sanctity, he was universally and most deservedly looked up
to as a proper person to fill the metropolitan see, and become
a successor of his master St. Patrick. Leogaire the monarch
of Ireland had, some years before this, been cut off in battle.§
He was an obstinate and a wicked man, and although at
times he seemed inclined to change his heart and embrace
the Gospel, yet it appears he lived and died a pagan. . Alild
Molt, as already stated, succeeded him, but it is probable
had not been a Christian. Lugaid, the son of Leogaire, was

• O'Connor, Dissert. 1. Sec. 15. t A. A. S.S. at 11 Feb.

t Ware, Bishops. $ CFlahcrty, Ogygia, c. 93.

the reigning Monarch in the time of Connac. This Prince
followed the example of his father, and if possible surpassed
him in wickedness and hardness of heart. His end was still
more awful than that of his parent. He was struck dead by
lightning as a just judgment from heaven for his obstinacy
in paganism and his opposition to the Christian Religion.
However, the succeeding Monarch, Murtagh, became a Chris-
tian, and by his excellent and exemplary reign made ample
reparation for the crimes and excesses of his predecessors.*
Connac died A. D. 497, and was succeeded in the see of
Armagh by Dubtach, a native of the district of Dervin in
the county of Louth.f The few scattered fragments that
remain, merely to remind us of the wreck which our an-
cient history sustained during the awful periods of the six-
teenth and seventeenth centuries, give us to understand, that
the primate Dubtach made the life and actions of our holy
Apostle, his favourite and constant model, during the sixteen
years of his administration in the see of Armagh. He took
care that a suitable number of churches should be erected in
those remote quarters on the Northern and Western coast,
which until his time had not been actually converted to
Christianity. He caused many of the churches hitherto
erected to be enlarged and beautified. By his means an
ample supply of active and holy men was in constant readi-.
ness, and these missioners were, by their learning, zeal and
sanctity, prepared on all occasions to go forth and teach the
truths of the Christian Gospel to the remaining portion of
their brave but benighted countrymen. Above all, he took
especial chaise of the education and morals of the people,
and accordingly devoted a great portion of his time to the
establishment and superintendence of schools; particularly to
the celebrated seminary of Armagh. As the incumbency of
Dubtach commenced at the close of the fifth century and in-

• A. A. S.S. p. 677: f Ware, Biahopt.

eluded a portion of the sixth, the regular order of time
jrequires that we should, at least in a brief manner, turn our
attention to the other episcopal establishments, which even
now in their infant, yet well regulated condition, were spring-
ing up numerous and triumphant throughout the land.

Agreeably to a Canon of the Council of Sardica, Bishops
were not to be consecrated unless there was a necessity for
them, and even then they were to be placed in respectable
cities. This decree was, however, evidently dispensed with,
in the peculiar case of the Irish Church at this period, as
appears from the very establishment of the see of Armagh,
which at that time was little more than a soUtary uninhabited
wood. St. Patrick was guided in this respect according to
the exigency of time, place, and other circumstances. When
a district had been converted to Christianity and a church
erected therein, a bishop was then consecrated and placed in
that part where the Christian population was most numerous.
His business it was, to establish the faith in the hearts of the
people, to erect churches, ordain priests and superintend the
ecclesiastical afiairs of the district. Hence it is, that we find
prelates residing in some places without any mention having
been made of their immediate successors, such as Auxilius at
Killossy, near Naas, and Iseminus at Kilcullen. Many of
them presided over districts which after the death of the in-
cumbent became annexed to other sees, as Tassach of Rath-
colphtha, near Down, and others; and some, as Cethecus»
without having any fixed see, were employed by the Apostle
in preaching the Gospel throughout those remote quarters
where the faith had not as yet been fully establislied. Ac-
cording to the Tripartite, St. Patrick consecrated three hun-
dred and seventy bishops— Jocelin reduces the number to
three hundred and fifty; while Nennius and others adapting
their computation to the number of days in the year, swell up
their list to three hundred and sixty-five. But these state-
ments, besides being incredible, cannot, for the want of suffi-

cient authority be admitted as genuine. MoBt undoubtedly a
great number of prelates had been consecrated by St Patrick,
and the catalogue was greatly increased immediately after his
death, so that r^oning an hundred years, the period as-
signed to the fitst class of Irish saints, there might have
been in all, between bishops properly so called and ehorepw^
capi,* three hundred and fifty, or perhaps more in Ireland*
Our object being, to examine the origin of the sees now in
existence, together with the principal early ones which hare
been since united, we shall proceed chronologically and com-'
mence with the see of Ardagh.

Thb see of Ardaqh. — ^This see situated in the county of
Longford, (the ancient Te£Eia,) may be deservedly numbered
amcMig the most ancient churches of Ireland. Its founder
and first bishop was Mel or Mael; he was a native of Britain
and was consecrated by St. Patrick about the year 453.t
The scattered fragments which now remain of the acts of this
holy man, when separated from the inaccuracies with which
they are accompanied, are but very few and unsatisfactory.
During the long and painfiil mission of St. Patrick through-
out the north of Ireland and in Munster, Mel was his con-
stant and beloved companion. When the Apostle, after his
many and successful conversions, had returned from that lat-
ter province, he conceived the noble design of establishing
an episcopal see in the centre of Ireland, and meeting with
great encouragement from the dynasts and people of Tefiia,
he consecrated Mel and appointed Ardagh as the place of his
residence. From this spot, as from a centre, th# fame of his
learning, but especially of his virtues, widely circulated, and
he is said to have been powerfully instrumental in collecting
vast multitudes to the fold of Christ. He is also represented
as having been eminently endowed with the gift of prophecy,
and during his travels through Kildare he foretold, among

* For Chorepiscopi, see cent. 8. cliap. 2. t A. A. S. S. at 6 Feb.

other particulars, the birth and exalted sanctity of the great
St Brigid. His eloquence and sweetness of disposition en-
deared him to ally and elicited the well-merited encomiums of
many ancient writers; ^^Melus," observes the author of the
Tripartite, '^erat homo ver^ melleus." It must be observed,
that the history of this Saint as delivered to us by Colgan^
Ware and others, abounds with improbable and unauthenti«
cated matter, and has not been followed, at least on most
points, by any of our subsequent hagiologists. That the
Founder of the see of Ardagh had been the nephew of St.
Patrick, by his sister Darerca, is an error which by.no means
can be admitted. St. Patrick had neither sisters or nephews
in Ireland; nor do the acts of St. Brigid, from which this
story is taken, seem to warrant any such assumption.* The
veneration in which St. Mel had been held for both learning
and sanctity is well authenticated, and he has been deservedly
ranked in Tirechen's list among the first and most distin*
guished disciples of St. Patrick.t He was both bishop and

* That St. Patrick bad neither sUiers or relatives with him in Ireland is evident
from his own words, contained in his letter to Coroticus so frequently referred to.-—
''NuRiqnid (says the Saint) sine Deo, vel secundum carnem Hiberione venil Quis
me oompulit, alligatus spiritn ut non videam altquedi de cognatione raea?" and in his
'* Confession" be expresses an ardent wish to see bis relatives. ' Non id solum, sed
eram (paratus) usque in Gallias visitare fratres, &c." ' Can it, moreover, be supposed
tihat the Saint, when entering on his arduous mission, would have brought with him
to Ireland four sisters and a numerous train of relations? The story, as taken up by
Colgan and others, is besides interwoven with most incredible circumstances. One
of the sisters Darerca, had, it appears, seventeen sons, who were all bishops, and two
dangbfeers, who became nuns ; (Tr. Th. p. 227.) while another sister, named Tigridia,
had also seventeen sons, who became bishops or priests', and five daughters nana~>a
similar narrative is given of the other two sisters, and among the sons are named
Kieran, Brendan, Columb, Maccarthen and others who were unquestionably des-
cended of Irish parents. Usher appears to have countenanced some of these stories*
for which reason they have been incautiously received by some with a degree of ere,
dibility. In those ancient times it was customary to designate religious persons by the
appellation of brotiien and tittet-i, and hence it is probable the mistake originated re-
lative to Darerca, Trigidia, &c, who were eminent, saintly women, and lived in the
days of St. Patrick. Darerca died A.D. 518, Tigridia at a later period.— Four Mas-
ter8.--A. A. S. S. p. QOl.-^ee Usher, Pr. p. 824.
t Usher, p. 950.

abboty and is said to have written a monastic rule, which,
however, is not extant. St. Mel died on the sixth of Febni-
ary, A. D. 488, and was interred in the Church of Ardagh.
The records of this see must have suffered severely during the
devastations of the Danes. From the date of its foundation
down to the incumbency of Christian O'Heotai in the twelfth
century, we have the names of only four of its prelates on
record. After that period, however, the succession proceeds
regularly and satisfiu^torily.

Thb 8BB OF Cloohsr, in the territory of Tir-Eogain ap-
pears to have been founded about the year 454.* According
to some writers this see was established by St Patrick him-
8elf,t who afterwards resigned it to St. Maccarthen. This,
however, is a groundless, improbable assertion. Its first
bishop was Bt. Maccarthen. He belonged to the noble family
of the Arads of Dalaradia, and was one of the oldest disci-
ples of St. Patrick. The "Acta Patricii," with the Segments
published by Colgan inform us, that he had constantly
attended as a fellow-labourer with our Apostle, and at a very
advanced age was appointed by him bishop of Clogher. To-
gether with his Cathedral, he likewise by the directions of
St. Patrick, laid the foundation of a monastery. It was
situated (as the register of Clogher observes,) in the street
before the royal seat of Ergall. Eochad, the dynast of that
territory, and an obstinate pagan, appears to have given con-
siderable opposition to the preaching of St. Maccarthen; he
was however ultimately converted together with his whole
family and dependants. In the appendix annexed to the
life delivered by Colgan, twenty-one saints are enumerated,
all of whom had belonged to the. family from which St
Maccarthen was descended. We have also the names of
twelve of his successors in the see of Clogher, with the date
of their incumbency, commencing with the death of the

/ Trip. L. 3. c. 3. t Jocelin, c. 143.

fotindery and ending with the year 1138, at i^hich time
Christian O'Morgair, the brother of St. Malachy, had pre-
sided over this diocess.* St Maccarthen died on the 24th of
March| A. D. 606, and was interred in his own Cathedral.f
St. Tigernach, his immediate successor, fixed his residence at
Clones in the county of Monaghan, retaining at the same
time the regular administration of the church of Clogher.
For this reason he has been styled by our annalists, Ferda-
criockf that is, the man of the two districts.X This great
Saint, like his predecessor, was of princely descent, and was
elevated to the episcopacy at the request of St. Brigid. He
received his education at the Monastery of Rosnat in Britain^
was the founder of a religious establishment at Clones, and
during his government of the diocess, was a great admirer of
learned men and a promoter of literature. The events con-
nected with this diocess occupy a considerable portion of the
ecclesiastical history of subsequent times, but which neither
the facts themselves or chronological arrangement will allow
us in this place to anticipate.

Thb sbb of Emit was founded by St. Ailbe, about the
year 464.§ He was a native of Eliachj now called Eliogarty,
in Munster, and became a disciple of St. Patrick about the
year 446. Ailbe is represented by some writers, as having
b^n a bishop and exercising episcopal functions in Ireland,
previously to the arrival of St. Patrick. This statement,*
besides being opposed to the testimony of Prosper, Tirechen,
and other high authorities, becomes altogether incredible,
when the important circumstance of the chronology itself is
taken into account. It is evident from the annals of Ulster,
of Innisfallen and other unquestionable sources, and is laid
down as a truth admitted by all, that Ailbe's death occurred
in the year 627.|| If then he had been a bishop in Ireland

* A. A. 8. S. at 24ch March. t Usher, Ind. Chron. % A. A. S. S. p. 740.
$ BoUftndkts, at 12th Sept. H See alao Ware, ad op. S. Patr.

before the arrival of St. I^atrick, he must of consequence have
been more than ninety-five years an acting prelate, counting
from 432, the year in which St. Patrick landed in the countiy.
The opinion of these virriters, therefore, cannot be received,
and the date already m^itioned, appears to be the most cor*
• rect and consistent. Ailbe lived under the pious King Aengus,
and having erected his Cathedral on a convenient site pre-
sented to him by that Monarch, he soon after laid the foun-
dation of a monastery and college, in which human literature
and heavenly science were gratuitously taught, and which
was in after times frequented by scholars from all parts of
Europe. Among the number of eminent Irishmen who had
received their education under St. Ailbe, we may with pro-
priety mention Colman of Dromore, and Nessan of Mungret.
The monastic rule of this great Saint is extant. Such were
the virtues of Ailbe and so profound the veneration in which
he was held by both Prince and People, that he was looked
upon as another St. Patrick and considered a second patron
of Munster. Desirous to avoid the respect which was shewn
him, Ailbe determined to retire to the island of Tyle, (Ice-
land.) He departed vrith a great number of his monks; the
King, however, unwilling that himself and his subjects should
be deprived of the eminent services of so great a man, pre-
vailed on him to return to Emly. The monks to the number
of twenty-two were allowed to proceed on their journey, and
thus did the Church of Ireland, even at this early periods
send forth and scatter its light among the benighted inhabit-
ants of other and distant lands. During the incumbency of
Ailbe, a Synod was held in Cashel, at which the King to-
gether with the chiefs of the Desii attended. St. Declan of
Ardmore with others were likewise present, and several whole-
some decrees regarding morals and ecclesiastical discipline
were enacted.* St. Ailbe died A. D. 527, and has been de-
servedly numbered among the Fathers of the Irish Church.

• Ware, Antiq. c. 29,

Thb 88B OF Elphin, Situated in a district of Conhaught
called Machaire CanMocht, or the plain of Connaught, and
given to Si. Patrick by Ono, a chieftain of the Hy-BruneSy
had for its first bishop St. Asacus, a man of a most austere
and penitential life.* Asacus as well as the Fathers already
noticed, had been ranked among the earliest disciples of St.
Patrick, and most probably had accompanied our Saint dur^^
mg his travels and laborious mission in the provinee of Ck>n-
nanght. Hence it is that he has obtained a distinguished
rank among the forty disciples of St. Patrick, as recorded in
the ancient list of Tirechen. When St. Patrick had arrived
at the territory of Elphtn (OUfinn) in the plain Machaire^
he appointed Asacus, then a simple priest, to superintend
the missionary concerns of that district.f Here the Saint
continued for some years and by his preaching and powerful
example became an instrument in the ways of Providence
for the conversion of vast numbers of the inhabitants. We
have already stated, that in the year 455, St. Patrick had
laid the foundation of his Cathedral Church at Armagh.
Asacus, who, it appears, had been an excellent artist, ex-
pressed an anxious desire to co-operate in this noble under-
taking, and prayed that he might be allowed to assist in
completing and beautifying the building. Having been ac-
cordingly selected, he superintended the erection of the
Church, and spent a considerable time in making the sacred
vessels and other furniture requisite for the sanctuary.;}^ ^^^
many years after this occurrence he was consecrated and
placed over the see of Elphin. The year of his consecration
has not been ascertained, but it appears to have been, in all
probability, about the year 465. St. Asacus founded a cele-
brated monastery and college at Elphin, which both in his
time and in after ages was frequented by numbers of stu-
dentsi and has been justly ranked among the ancient literary

• Ware, Bishops. t Tripart. L. 3. c. 39. % Id. L. 2. c. 44.

institutions of the kingdom. After a laborious incumbency
of many years^ his great love of retirement induced him to
withdraw from his diocess and to devote the remainder of his
days to prayer and solitude. He accordingly repaired to the
mountain of Slieve^league, in Donegal, and amidst the aw«
ful recesses of this solitary spot he fixed his abode; but was
at length discovered by a number of his affectionate disciples.*
These faithful followers, having in vain, implored him to
abandon the resolution which he had formed, had now deter-
mined on leading an ascetic life, and placed themselves under
hisspiritual direction. On this desolate and solitary mountain,
the Saint, attended by his brethren, ended his mortal career.
The year of his death has not been stated by any of our
annalists, but his natalis is marked at the 27th of ApriLi-
His remains were interred at a place called Rath-cunga, in
the present barony of Tyrhugh and county of Donegal.^: Of
the acts, or even of the names of his successors, we have no
ceilain record, until the twelfth century, at which period
Domnald 0*Dubhai had presided over the see of Elphin.

Th£ see of Connor, in the county of Antrim, had for it»
first bishop St. .£ngus Macnisse, but the precise year of its
foundation remains involved in great obscurity. It appears,
however, to have been founded about the close of the fifth
century. iEngus Macnisse was a member of an ancient
and powerful Sept in Dalrieda, and agreeably to a custom
which then prevailed in many of the Irish districts, he
adopted the name of his mother, Nisa, whence he was gene-
rally denominated Macnisse or Macnise.§ St. Patrick, dur-

♦ Tripart. L. 2. c. 40.

t Colgan was of opinion that St. Asacus of Elphin must hare been the same per*
son as the Assanus mentioned in the Martyrology of Marian Gorman, in which case
tlie natalis stands at the 27th of Apiil. Or should he be the Assinus referred to in
the same Martyrology, the feast must then be commemorated on the 1st of May, or
on the 19th of July.— See A. A. S.S. p. 114.

X Tripart. L. 2. c. 40. $ £x Codice Salaman, M«S. ap. BoUand, 3rd Sep.

ing his mission in Dalrieda, had taken Macnise under his
special care, and after some time placed him under the guid-
ance of St. Olcan, the learned Abbot and Bishop of Rath-
muighe, in the county of Antrim. According to the Salaman-
tine copy, produced by the BoUandists, Macnise was conse-
crated bishop by St. Patrick, after which he proceeded on a
journey to Rome and from thence to Jerusalem. Here he re-
mained for some time, and on his return to Rome was received
by both clergy and people with peculiar marks of veneration.
During his residence in Rome he ordained some bishops, and
many priests and deacons, and on his return to Ireland was
presented with various reliques of St. Thomas and other
Apostles, together with an abundance of gold and silver ves-
sels requisite for the use of the sanctuary. Soon after he had
reached his native country, he laid the foundation of a mon-
astery at Connor, and appears to have about the same period
established his see in that place. St. Macnise is represented as
a man of very exalted sanctity; he is said to have wrought many
miracles and had been endowed with the gift of prophecy.
Our annalists have not agreed as to the year of his death,
but it may, according to the most probable account, be dated
at A. D. 507.* The natalis of the Saint is marked at the
3rd of September. By orders of Clement XII, a proper
Mass, as well for this festival as for those of several other
patron saints of Ireland was edited at Paris, by Nicholas
Anthony O'Kenny, Prothonotary Apostolic in 1734.t The
see of Connor was united to that of Down in the fifteenth
century, under Eugene IV.J

The see op Kildare§ appears to have been indebted for its
foundation to the celebrated nunnery established by St.
Brigid in that place.|| The sanctity of the Saint and the ex-
cellence of her institute attracted vast multitudes to her

• Annals of Innisfallcn f Bolland. { See Cent. xv. c. 2.

§ So called from Kill (cell or chnrcb,) and Daire, which signifies oak, there hav-
ing been a very high oak tree on the site where the church was built.
II Cogitosus. second life. Prolog.

establishment, eo that in the lapse of a few years it became
very extensive, and SLildare formed what in those days might
be called a considerable and populous town. This eircum*
stance it was which induced St. Brigid to make application
for the i^pointment of a bishop. Her request was complied
withy and Conlaith or Conlian, a man of retirement and
sanctity was the person selected. This holy man had, for
years previously, led an ascetic life in a solitary spot on the
south banks of the Liffey;* his virtues were eminently ad-
mired by St Brigid, and agreeably to her desire, he was
removed from his favourite retirement and advanced to the
episcopal dignity. Conlaith was accordingly the first bish<^
of Kildare, and was consecrated about the year 490. It
would appear from Cogitosus, that this ceremony had been
conducted with more than usual magnificence, and was
attended by many of the ancient and sainted Fathers of the
Irish Church.t Fiech, bishop of Sletty, Ibar of Beg-enn,
Ercus of Slane, Maccaleus of Hy-falgia, in the King's county,
Bronus of Cassel-irra, in Sligo, and other prelates alluded to
by that author, had attended on that solemn occasion. The
administration of St. Conlaith was marked with great wisdom,
and during his incumbency the diocess of Kildare obtained
an high rank among the episcopal sees of Ireland. At this
time, however, it was not, as some writers assert, the eccle-
siastical metropolis of the Province, nor had its prelate the
title of archbishop. It certainly enjoyed that dignity at a
later period, and after the title had been transferred to it
from the see of Ferns; but at the time of which we are now
treating, that distinction belonged without doubt to the see
of Sletty .f The Cathedral Church of Kildare, which next
to Armagh, was in those days, the most extensive and beau-
tiful in the kingdom, had, it appears, belonged conjointly
both to the nunnery of St. Brigid and to the diocesan. Be-

• Fourth life, L, 2. c. 19. t Cogitosus, c, 6, t Vide Century vii, c. 2. Sec of Ferns.

yond the sanctuary, the great aiale was divided by a partition;
the bishop and his clergy entered the church by a door on
the north side, while the entrance for the abbess and her
community was situated towards the south. It has been
gratuitously asserted that St Brigid and her successors had,
for many years been invested with jurisdiction over the see,*
but this misstatement has most probably emanated from the
circumstance of the, expenses of the Cathedral having been
usually defrayed out of the funds of the nunnery. On the
other handy it is said that St. Conlaith had authority, not
only over the nunnery of St. Brigid, in Kildare, but also
over all the churches and communities belonging to her insti-
tute throughout Ireland. This statement^ however, proceeds
solely from the unwarranted testimony of Cogitosus; he was
an ecclesiastic of that diocess, and had, it may be presumed,
availed himself of every opportunity to exalt the privileges of
his native see.f Notwithstanding the repeated ravages of
the Danish wars in this part of Ireland, the names of the
successors of St. Conlaith have been carefully handed down
to us. An unbroken series of prelates, amounting to thirty-
five have governed this see from the time of its foundation
down to the year 1100, at which period Aid O'Heremon was
constituted bishop of Kildare.;|: St. Conlaith, after a life of
zeal and apostolical labours, died the 3rd of -May, A. D. 519.
Besides these episcopal sees, which continue to flourish
even to this day, there were various other places over which
bishops had been stationed in this century; towns and districts,
at that period, of great celebrity, but which, through the re-

* See Colgan.— Tr. Th. p. 627.
t During the eighth century, when Cogitosuf floarished, the bishope of KUdtre
enjoyed the title of archbishops of the Province, (a mark of honorary distinctjon
whidi had been transferred from Ferns,) and had at the same time a degree of juris*
diction over the nunneries of St. Brigid situated in Leinster, but we have no authority
whatever for believing that this privilege had extended to any of the other provinces
of the kingdom.

t Ware Bishops.

volution of time are now reduced to comparative insignifi*
cance. Many of them in fact exhibit nothing but the scat-
tered ruins of their former grandeur, or perhaps the soUtary
name of the holy men by whose learning, sanctity and
wonderful labours they had in their day been rendered great
and illustrious.

Among these may be classed the seb of Sletty, in the
Queen's county and on the borders of the county of Carlow.
It was governed by the venerable Fiech.* — Beo-Esik or
little Ireland, an island on the coast of Wexford, over which
St. Ibar presided.f — Louth, which was placed under the di-
rection of the learned and venerable Moctheus.J — Antrim,
where St. Mochay presided.^ — Rath-colphtha, near Down,
committed to St. Tassach, the prelate from whom St. Patrick re-
ceived the last sacraments.^-HY-FALGiA, in the King's county,
placed under the jurisdiction of St. Macaleus, from whom St.
Brigid received the veil. — Oran, in Roscommon, where Cethe-
cus had been stationed after years of wonderful missionary
labour. — West Cashbl, in Sligo, governed by St. Bronus. —
Rath-cunqa, in the county of Donegal, had St. Bitheus for
its bishop. — Rath-muighb, in the county of Antrim, was di-
rected by St. 01can.|| — ^The celebrated see of Duleek, in the
County of Meath, was founded by St. Kienan, who presided
over its administration for a number of years. — Donagh-
Patrick, in the county of Galway, was consigned to the
care of St. Falertus. — ^The see of Slane, in the county of
Meath, venerable for its antiquity, but much more for the
great character of its bishop, was placed under the guidance
of St. Ercus — and the famed see of Ardmore, in the martial
territory of the Desii, (county of Waterford,) was in the
fifth century governed by the learned and holy Declan.1[
The solitary ruins of its once celebrated Cathedral, with

* See c. iii. Fiech. t See c. iii. Ibar. X See Cent. ii. Louth.

§ Tr. Th. p. 265. || See c. iii, Olcan. f See c. iii. Declan.

its round tower hanging upon an eminence over the ocean^
stand in the 19th century, an existing nfonument of the
piety and religious spirit of our forefathers, and afford to
the passing traveller a glimpse of those happy days, when
Ireland in her glory and independence reared up and adorned
her altars at home, and afterwards erected and adorned others
in the land of die distant stranger.

'After this brief classification of the sees of Ireland founded
in the fifth century, the monasteries — ^the religious and literary-
institutions, which constitute the glory and ornament of the
country, next challenge our attention. Some of these had been
erected by the converted princes of the Nation, but most of
them by the zeal and unremitted labour of great and holy
men, whom Providence had raised up as instruments for the
accomplishment of its own grand designs.

The rules by which the ancient monasteries of Ireland had
been governed, were, in all probability, copied after the con-
stitutions of the houses of Tours and the monastic establish-
ment of Lerins, in which places St. Patrick had received his
education. Hence we find that,, similar to Tours and Lerins,
schools of science were attached to each monastery, and be-
sides the usual solemn vows and the observance of a contem-
plative . life, the Irish monks were likewise obliged to pay
particular attention to what may be termed the active and
practical duties. They had in many instances to attend to
the cure of souls — ^to the conversion and instruction of the
people, and to the diflusion of general and useful knowledge.
The following are some of the principal monastic foundations
of the fifth century.

The MOiYASTBRY OP Emly,* once a place of celebrity, but
now a mere village and a scene of desolation, was founded by
St. Ailbe. It was situated on the borders of a beautifiil lake,
and was surrounded by a delightftd and romantic country. —

* County of Tipperary and in the bafooy of ClanwillmiQ.

The lake, consiathig of two hundred acres, has since been
dried vp, while the Abbey, after baring been eleven tames
plundered and demolished by the Danes, was suflfered to fall
into decay soon after the arrival of the English. There were
six hundred students at one time in the schools of Emly; in
which, (says an ancient writer,) the sciences togeth^ with
the knowledge of heavenly truths were gratuitously taught.

Thb monastery of Ardmorb, in the county of Walerford,
and in the barony of Decies vrithin Drum, had St. Declan
for its founder. This Abbey had suffered the same fitte vrith
that of Emly, and the last Abbot Eugene, is marked as a
subscribing witness to the charter granted to the monastery
of St* Finbar in Cork, by Dermot King of Munster, in
1174.*

Thb monastery op Beo-brik, in an island to the north of
the harbour of Wexford, was founded by St Ibar. The
Saint and founder of this Abbey (says Colgan) was versed
in the knowledge not only of the holy word, but moreover in
worldly science. The doctrine of magnitude was taught in his
holy retreat, and made applicable to heavenly purposes; and
scholars in countless numbers came and lived in and near the
Monastery, where they were taught without expense the hid*
den truths regarding God and man-f — ^These three establish-
ments having declined and perished much about the same
period, are here merely noticed in regular succession. We
now come to those, which after surviving the fury of the
Danes, and ccmtinuing to a later period, sunk at length
amidst the general ruin and national wreck of the 16th
century.

The monastery of Armagh, was founded by the great
Apostle of the Nation, and had for many i^es ranked
amongst the most celebrated ecclesiastical establishments of
the Christian world.;]: The great scbool of this Monastery

* King, p.3a6. t A. A. &S. p. «17. t Tu Th. p. 289.

was afterwards conducted by St. Benignus. In process of
tune it became amazingly extensive, and so great was its re-
putation that scholars flocked to Armagh not only from
Britain, but from almost all nations of the Continent. In
consequence of this yast conflux of strangers, the city of
Armagh branched out, in a few centuries, to a great extent.
In the eleventh century it was portioned into four divisions,
one of which, called the Trian-Saxon, was inhabited almost
exclusively by English students, who had resorted tliither
for the purpose of receiving their education. The rule of the
Canons Regular of St. Augustine was introduced by Imar,
the master of St. Malachy, in the commencement of the
twelfth century, at which time its great Church was rebuilt
and dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul.* Its Abbots con-
tinued in regular succession until the time of Elizabeth, when
James O 'Donnelly was Prior and the last superior of this
venerable religious foundation. Its possessions, arising from
bequests and other sources, were immense. By the inquisi-
tion which was taken in 1537, it was found to possess up-
wards of two hundred and forty town-lands in various coun-
ties, together with their tithes and alterages. Of these,
twenty were situated in the parishes of Clonkamey, Clon-
koughrose, and Tueaghy; besides various other property com-
prised within the town of Armagh. This establishment was
remarkable for its attention to the destitute; a considerable
part of the possessions, having been, by order of the
donors, constantly devoted to the sacred and noble pur-
poses of Christian benevolence. In the sixteenth century,
this asylum for the poor was closed for ever. Both the Priory
and its possessions were seized upon by Elizabeth, and after-
wards sold to Sir Toby Caulfield, at a stipulated annual rentf
The monastery op Saul, in the county of Down and
barony of Lecale, was founded by St. Patrick. This Monas-

* See Cent, xii. c. 2. t Lodge, vol. 3. p. 86.

tery was the favourite retreat of our Saint after the unremit-
ted labours of his Apostleship; here also he breathed his last,
on the 17th of March^ A. D. 465. It was governed by emi-
nent and holy men until 1526^ when the last Abbot Glaisney
son of Hugh Macgennis was iiiassacredy and shortly after the
monuments of Saints Patrick^ Brigid and Columbkille were
sacrilegiously profaned, while the Church itself was burned
to the ground by the notorious Grrey, then Lord deputy of
Ireland, The possessions of this Abbey were granted by
Henry VIII, to Gerald, Earl of Kildare *

The mokastery op Downpatrick had St, Patrick for its
founder, and became in succeeding ages universally celebrated.
The names and acts of its abbots have not been carefully re-
corded until about the year 1183, when the Benedictines were
introduced, having been brought by John De Courcey, from
the Abbey of St. Werburgh in Chester.-f- In this enterprising
leader the Monastery of Downpatrick found an attentive and
a powerful benefactor. He endowed it with various and am-
ple possessions, which were afterwards considerably aug-
mented by the influence and benevolent donations of Malachy,
Bishop of Down.J The recollections of its founder and of
its ancient national importance were, however, unable to
rescue it from diose monopolizing enactments which disgraced
the parliaments of the fourteenth century. In 1380, it was
enacted that no mere Irishman should be admitted to make
his profession in this Abbey .§ At this period the Prior of
Downpatrick sat as a baron in parliament. In the sixteenth
century when the work of confiscation commenced, this
Abbey was found to possess, among other property, twenty-
eight parcels of land, each parcel containing a carucate or
ballyboe, all of which was situated in the county of Down.
These possessions, together with other property attached to
the establishments of LismuUin and Ballybogan, in the

* Aud. office. t Ware, Annals.

X Monast. Angl. vol. 2. § King, p. 93.

county of Meath, and to the Abbies of Inch©, Saul, Gi^ay
and Bangor in the county of Down, along with the Francis-
can Convent and Abbies of St. John and St. Thomas, in the
town of Down, were all granted to Gerald, Earl of Kildare.*
The monastery op Duller, (Daimhliag, which signifies
a house of stone,) in the county of Meath, was founded by
St. Kienan (Cennanus,) about the year 470. The Saint him-
self was a native of Meath — ^was descended of a noble family,
and when an infant was baptized by St. Patrick. The estab-
Kshment of his see at Duleek about the year 472 was, in
pursuance of the example set by other prelates, accompanied
by the foundation of this celebrated Monastery. To it, like-
wise, a school was attached, while the zeal of its founder and
the encouragement with which he received the admirers of
literature within its walls had raised it, at this early period,
to the rank of a rival institution with that of Armagh. St*
Kienan has written a life of St. Patrick, which was greatly
admired; he died on the 24th of November, A. D. 489.t
This venerable retreat of sanctity was,, at six different periods,
sacked and plundered by the Danes. In 1171, Myles Cogan^^
at the head of an English party, committed frightful destruc-
tion within its sanctuary, but the Danes of Dublin, whom
Providence had now raised lip as a scourge against the in-
vaders, fell suddenly upon Cogan and his troops, and took
ample satisfaction for the outrages which had been committed.
After the lapse of eleven years, this establishment was rebuilt
at the expense of Hugh de Lacy, at which time the rules of
the Canons Regular of St. Augustine were introduced, and it
was moreover made subject to the Priory of Lanthony, near
Gloucester. Its Priors continued until the period of the
general suppression, when its possessions consisting of eighty-
three town-lands became a sacrifice to the confiscating fury of

• Aud. office. t Four Masters.

the times. These lands were included in the following rte-
lories: the rectory of Stamullen; Ardcath; Marre; Clonal-
waise; Macetown; Dowth; Tymolle; Kilmessan, Rathkenny;
Rathconnelly in the county of Westmeath — Castletown-
Delvin; Killowan; Creganstown; Kilcanran; Duleek; part
of the rectory of Mullingar; Nail; Dumrath; Grallagh
and Cologe. Besides various property situated in Mullingar,
Duleek and other towns. These immense possessions were
granted to Sir Gerald Moore.*

Thb monastery of Louth, which, in after times, became
not only the seat of literature but moreover an open and
friendly asylum for the poor, was indebted to St* Mocteus for
its foundation. This holy man was a Briton, and after hav-
ing spent many years, as a companion with St. Patrick in hia
missionary labours, he was consecrated Bishop and estab-
lished his residence at Louth.f It would appear that the
Monastery of which we are treating had not been foimded
until some short time after the death of our Apostle, and
that the founder, who is generally designated in our annals
by the term longtevusy had lived to the advanced age of one
hundred years. Gratuitous education forms a prominent ob-
ject in those various and sublime plans which Mocteus had
contemplated for the general conversion and happiness of the
Irish nation. The schools of Louth became on that account
celebrated, and it is recorded, that one hundred bishops and
three hundred priests distinguished for learning and sanctity
had received their education within its sacred walls.j: It was
several times pillaged by the Danes, while the native chieftains
themselves, in their unfortunate struggles against each other,
scrupled not to exhaust their vengeance on the literary retreats
and consecrated sanctuaries of this venerable establishment.
In 1148, it was rebuilt by Donchad O^Kervaill, (O 'Carroll,)

• Kbg, p. «08,etfleq.— Harris's tab. t Tripart, L. 3. c. 98. ^ A. A. S. S. p. 190.

Prince of Orgiel, aiad Edan O'Kelly, Bishop of Clogher, and
adopted the rule of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine.*
From this period its Priors continued in unbroken succession
until the year 1540, when John Wile was the last Prior, and
its extensive possessions (the outline of which shall be re-
served for the sixteenth century) became involved in the
general wreck, and were afterwards granted to Sir Oliver
Plunkett

Thb monastbrt 07 Cloohbr was, according to some ac-
counts founded by St. Patrick; it appears, however, much
move probable that it had been established by St Maccarthen
and had been altogether coeval with the see. It was erected
under the invocation of the Blessed Virgin and continued for
many years a celebrated nursery of learned and holy men*
Its principal benefitctors were Christian O'Moigair, the
brother of St. Malachy, and Matthew Mac Catasaid who had
been bishop of the see in 1316, and at his own expense
erected a capella immediately over the sepulchre of St.
Maccarthen. During the two successive conflagrations of
1396 and 1396, this splendid estabUshment was almost laid
waste, but was afterwards rebuilt on a more extensive scale
and in a style of still superior mi^nificence. At the time of
the general suppression, this Monastery shared the same fitte
with the other religious foundations of the kingdom. We
have no precise account of its possessions; it is certain, how-
ever, that in 1610, they had been annexed by James I, to the
see of Clogher-t

Thb mokasteby of Kilbabb, situated in the barony of
Ofialy, and in the heart of a beatiful country, appears to
have been established about the same period with the
see, and to have derived its foundation from the same
influential source. The origin of this religious retreat is
certainly involved in considerable obscurity. The first Ab-

* A. A. S. S. p. 737. t Harris'si tab. t Rolls, 10 Jac

bot of Kildare, whom we find recorded in Colgan's cata-
logue is Aidusy or Aidan, ftumamed Dubh, (the black)
who, after havii^ abdicated the throne of Leinster, became
Abbot, and afterwards Bishop of Kildare, about the year
638. After him are placed Lochin surnamed the Wise, Abbot
of Kildare, in 694; Forannan, in 697; Modimochus, in 743,
and many others to whom the single epithet of abbot has
been exclusively applied. Nor does it appear from this cata-
logue that Natfroich was the first Abbot of this Monastery,
a misstatement which Archdall has advanced, while at the
same time he refers to Colgan's list as his authority. The
hospitality of this religious establishment was proverbial; the
noble example of benevolence bequeathed by St. Brigid,
having been handed down with scrupulous care from one
generation of religious to another. Hence the Monastery
of Kildare was in those happy days designated the '' stranger's
home,'' where attention and comfort were afforded indiscrimi-
nately, to all who had found it necessary to visit its sacred and
hospitable gates. At length, after a lapse of 1000 years,
and during the reign of Henry VIII, it seems that both the
Christian religion and Irish customs wanted to be reformed —
the former was considered too ancient to be good, and the
latter too contemptable to be endured any longer — ^accord-
ingly the old work of spoliation commenced, which in those
days went by the name of reformation. The sacred name of
religion was industriously employed, and under the pretence
of remodelling the Church, that property, which for eleven
centuries went to relieve the destitute, was at that period
torn fit)m them, and sacrificed to the confiscating spirit of
the day. Ever since — for the last 300 years, an unemployed
and impoverished population have been left to starve upon a
wild and bleak commons, without any other comfort save that
patience and fortitude which by habit has become natural to
the heart of an Irishman, or perhaps, occasionally, the casual
pittance of some more fortunate and tender-hearted fellow-

creature. Elizabeth made a grant of this Abbey and its tene-
ments to Anthony Deeringe and Redmond Oge Fitzgerald.
Thus was religion reformed^ and the poor of Ireland brought
to a sense of moral order, social happiness and consequent
civilization!!

The monastery op Lough-Dero, in the county of Don-
egal. The lake in which this Monastery stood, is situated in
the barony of Tirhugh, an4^ contains several islands, the
largest of which is called that of St. Dabeoc, and by some,
the island of all saints. In this island v^as a religious estab-
lishment, founded, according to some writers by St. Patrick,
but most probably by St. Dabeoc,* in whose honour three
festivals are observed yearly — on the 1st of January — on
the 24th of July, and on the 16th of December. St. Patrick's
purgatory, so called, appears to have taken its rise from
a holy man, named Patrick, who governed the Monastery
and lived about the year SSO.f It was a place of great
sanctity and much frequented by penitents and holy persons,
but being situated too near the shore, the station was
closed up, and another opened in a lesser island and at a
more retired distance. Lough-Derg as a place of penance,
was for many centuries in great repute, not only in Ireland,
but even in distant countries. The Kings of England granted
several safe-cenducts to foreigners, who were desirous to visit
it; and particularly in 1638 to Nicholas de Beccario, a
nobleman of Ferraria; and in 1397 to Raymond Viscount de
Perilleux, a Knight of Rhodes, who repaired thither with a
train of twenty men and thirty horses.^ However, through the
licentiousness of after times, great abuses had been committed,
. and accordingly we find that in 1497 this frequented Station
was, upon the authority of Alexander VI, totally demolished
by the Father Guardian of the Franciscans of Donegal, and
some other persons from the deanery of Lough-Em, who

* Aimal, Mojist. t Ware, Moo. * Rhymers, feeders, T. 6.

were deputed for that purpose. After a lapse of time, the
devotions practiced in Lough-Derg had been revived, and new
regulations were made to prevent the recurrence of any im-
propriety. The venerable Priory of Dfebeoc has suffered a simi-
lar fate with that of the other religious establishments of the
kingdom. In the 16th century it fell amidst the general wreck,
and became a prey to the unsparing rapacity of the times.

The number of religious establishments belonging to this
century is so great, that the limits of this analysis oblige us
to compress our narrative within a certain compass. In their
respective constitutions and on points of particular discipline,
they might vary, but as to learning and hospitality, the rules
and customs of all were perfectly similar. The following are
a few of the principal monasteries founded by St. Patrick.
Inisbbo in Hy-Kenselach, county of Wexford — Druimlias
in the county of Sligo — ^Rath-Muiohe in Dalrieda, (iounty of
Antrim — Colerainb, county of Deny — Druim-Inis, Qluin,
county of Armagh — Ikisfsal, county of Wexford — Movill,
county of Donegal-^FiKOLAs, county of DubKn-^MuNGRBT
in the county of Limerick, over which St. Nessan was placed.
The Psalter of Cashel states, that this establishment had at
one period, six churches^ within its walls, and contained exclu-
sively of scholars, 1600 religious — 600 of whom were learned
preachers — 600 psalmists — and the remaining 600 applied
themselves to contemplation, works of charity and other
spiritual exercises.

CHAPTER III.

Seliffiaus and literary characters of the fifth century —
General observations^

The saints who flourished in Ireland during the fifth and
sixth centuries are divided by our ancient hagiologists into
three classes, and in making this classification Usher i*ests upon
the authority of some very old and authentic manuscripts.*
The first class was composed of one hundred and fifty bishops,
who were all filled with the spirit of God, and were the
founders of churches. The second class consisted of priests,
to the number of three hundred, besides many bishops. And
the third class, to the number of one hundred, was composed
of priests and some bishops. "These, (he says,) inhabited
woods and desert places, living upon herbs which they culti-
yated themselves and drinking nothing but water." The
austerity of their lives and the sublime virtues which they
practiced would appear to men of the present age almost in-
credible, but these were some of the means by which the
great saints of Ireland purchased glory for themselves, and
eternal honour for the Church of which they were members.
We are not to expect that the holy men of the fifth century,
who were active and laborious missionaries and who had an
unbounded harvest before them, could find much time for the
production of any deep, elaborate, scieMific works. Many
of them were well versed in science and polite learning; some
of them were gifted with mental powers of the first order —
and all of them were enriched with that knowledge which is
above and far surpasses all human knowledge — the Js:now-

• Primord. Eccl. Brit. c. 17.

ledge of themselves and of God, and the method by which
they could draw their fellow-creatures to happiness here, and
tcf never-ending happiness hereafter.

St. Ibar, Bishop, Abbot and founder of the celebrated
Monastery of Beg-erin, on the coast of the county of Wex-
ford, holds an high rank among the saints of the fifth cen-
tury. • This Saint was a native of Ulster, and became a con-
vert to the Christian faith while St. Patrick had been em-
ployed on his mission in that province. Though descended of
an illustrious family, with all the allurements of honour and
opulence before him, his resolution in obeying the call of
heaven remained unshaken, and in all the subsequent labours
of our Apostle through the several districts of Leinster and of
Munster, Ibar was his constant companion and i-anked in the
number of his most favourite disciples. So high was the (^[un-
ion which St. Patrick had entertained of the zeal and virtues
of Ibar, that aft;er some time he commissioned him to preach
the Gospel through Ireland, and by his instrumentality were
numbers converted to the faith.* On his return from this
mission and on his arriving at the eastern boundaries of
Leinster, he settled at Beg-erin, and here he founded his
great monastery in which human science and the secrets of
heavenly wisdom were taught. This religious and literary re-
treat was opened •gratuitously for all — ^the stranger from the
distant shore was received and welcomed at its gates — and
these foreigners, with crowds of native Alumni, served in
process of time to establish the high reputation of the far-
famed school of Ibar. The date of his promotion to the
episcopacy has not been accurately ascertained, but it must be,
in all probability, about the year 460. However, we are not

* " Ibtras miflsus est ad evaogelium predicandum per Hibeniiam, in qua umumeras
ad fidem Christt convertit — ad fiacs Lageniensiuiii venit et australem ejus partem,
ubi est Utoralis parva insula, Beg-erin,. nbi celebre condidit ccsnobinm, et Sacras
ibidem Uteres, aliasque artes opdmas docuit mazimam multitadinem Hibemorum et
aliorum."— Vita Ibari, Usher, p. 1061.

left in the same uncertainty with respect to the year of his
death, which, according to the Annals of Ulster and Innisfal-
len, took place A. D. 600. This circumstance alone is suffi-
cient to overthrow the opinion of those who have endeavoured
to maintain that Ibar was a bishop, and officiating as such in
this country, previously to the arrival of St, Patrick. Should
the veracity of this statement be admitted, it must follow
from the above annals and other authorities,* that the Saint
had been nearly eighty years an acting bishop in Ireland!
Those who defend- the above opinion rely principally on the au-
thority of some unauthenticated fragments of the Acta Sancti
Abbani; but from these very documents it would appear that
both St. Abban and St. Ibar had flourished in Ireland during
the pontificate of Pope Gregory I, and consequently at the
close of the sixth century, which involves a still greater ab-
surdity .f The date specified in the Annals of Innisfallen and
of Ulster is that which is now generally admitted, while the
natalis of the Saint is marked by all at the 23rd of April.

St. Declan, Bishop and founder of the see of Ardmore,
in the county of Waterford, flourished in the fifth, and be-
came eminently distinguished during a considerable part of
the sixth century. This Saint was descended from Ercus,
Prince of the Desii, and by his exalted virtues soon became
the Tobject of universal respect and veneration. The precise
time in which he fixed his see at Ardmore is not exactly
stated; but it must have been at least some years after the
death of St. Patrick. St. Declan is mentioned as one of the
four prelates who had been employed in preaching the Gospel
in Ireland, prior to the arrival of St. Patrick. The state-
ments regarding the seniority of Ailbe and Ibar were certainly
incorrect, but the introduction of St. Declan among the num-
ber leads to a still more palpable anachronism. The opinion
is founded on a manuscript copy of his life, preserved in the

* Ware, Annot. ad op. &c. t See BoIIandivts at 23rd or April.

Franciscan Convent of St. iBodore, at Rome, and on Bome
anonymous tracts compiled and published at Louvain. Now
if these documents were to be received, the most evident in-
consistency must follow. We are informed by the Isodorean
manuscript and by the Louvanian memoir that, on Declan's
second return from Rome, he repaired to Wales, for the pur-
pose of paying a visit to St. David, then Bishop of Minevia.^
But this event would bring us to the middle of the sixth
century, that being the period at which St. David lived.
Hence, in this hypothesis, St. Declan must have been at least
one himdred and twenty years a bishop! The truth is — St.
Declan did not become a member of the episcopal order un-
til some time after the decease of St. Patrick, and his death
occurred shortly after that of St. Ailbe of Emly, A. D. 627.
The Martyrologies of Dungal and .£ngus supply abundant
evidence of the virtues and sanctity of St. Declan, and of
his wonderful missionary labours in the extensive territory of
the Desii, over which he had presided.

St. Fibch, the learned Bishop of Sletty, in the Queen's
county, is deservedly ranked among the Fathers of the Irish
Church. He was of the distinguished house of Hy-bairrche,
in Leinster, and as has been already noticed, was the first
person from that province who had been raised to the episco-
pacy in Ireland. Having been a member of the Bardic order,
and deeply skilled in the literature of those times, Fiech
established a seminary which soon became celebrated, and he
is said to have a great number of disciples. Sletty became
at this time the ecclesiastical metropolis of the province, and
its Prelate enjoyed the title of Archbishop.t This dignity,
however, did not in a canonical sense imply any sort of
metropolitan jurisdiction; it was simply a mark of pre-emi-
nence — an honorary token of precedency and of superior dis-
tinction. It had been continued in the see of Sletty until the

* £z Arcbiv. S. Isodori. Ann. vi. t Trip. L. 3. c. 21.

deventh century, when it was transferred to Ferns. Fiech
has written a metrical life of St. Patrick which is extant, and
held in high veneration: the Scholia annexed to it in later
times contain some inaccuracies, but these, besides being of
minor import, are abnost overlooked amidst the great quan*
tity of valuable information with which they are embodied.

St. Olcak, sometimes called Bolcan, Bishop and Abbot
of Rathmuighe or Derkan, in Dalrieda, county of Antrim, is
considered the most learned of all those who conducted edu-
cation in the fifth century. He was baptized by St. Patrick,
and after some years repaired to Graul for the purpose of pro-
secuting his studies;* on his return he was advanced to the
episcopal rank and stationed in Dalrieda. The great Mon-
astery of Rathmuighe was founded by Olcan, and its schoolsf
became pre-eminently celebrated for the study of the sciences,
as well as for scriptural and theological instruction. - Among
the number of his scholars was St. Macnise, who afterwards
became the first bishop of Connor. Several valuable works
are said to have proceeded from his pen which have since be-
come a prey either to the wreck of time or to the fiiry of per-
secution. The natalis of St. Olcan is dated at the 20th of
February.

St. Fridolinus, famed for learning as well as for piety,
flourished in this century. He was son of an Irish Prince,
and after embracing the monastic state, retired from his na-
tive country and travelled through Grermany, France and
other parts of the Continent; on which account he is caHed
Fridolinus the traveller, by Coccius, Possevin and others.;):
After preaching in many parts of Graul, he was appointed
superior of the Monastery of St Hilary at Poicteurs. Several
religious establishments were founded by him in Strasburg,
Thuringia, Alsace, and on the frontiers of Switzerland. That
Fridolinus ranked amongst the most learned men of his day,

* JooeliDy c. 8S. t Usher, Ind. Cbron. t Appw. Sac.

may be collected from the testimony of Gastard Braccius,^
Posseyin, and niuneroiis other foreign authorities. He died
about the year 614, and was interred in the Monastery of
Seckingy an island of the Rhone, and of which he himself
was the founder.

SsDVLiuSyf (Sheil,) the Poet, an Irishman, and a disciple
of Hildebert, likewise flourished in the fifth century. He
was deeply read in both sacred and profane literature; and
had a particular taste for poetry. Having distinguished
himself as a scholar in his own country, he went to Gaul and
from thence to Italy, afterwards to Asia, and then returned to
Rome, where he shone by his astonishing erudition. and
beautiful compositions. A council composed of seventy
bishops, in the pontificate of Gelasius, bear honourable tes-
timony to his writings. "We have the highest opinion (say
these Fathers) of the Paschal work, written in verse by the
venerable Sedulius.^'^ He was a great favourite with Hilde-
phonsus. Archbishop of Toledo. This learned Prelate speak-
ing of Sedulius says — "He was an evangelical poet, an elo-
quent orator, and a Catholic writer.'' Finally, the Church
has selected the hymns, "A solis ortus cardine,'' and "Hostis
Herodes," with many others from the writings of Sedulius,
and honoured them with a place in the divine office, together
with the "Salve sancta parens," which forms the Introit of
the Mass of the blessed Virgin — ^According to some writers,
he was a bishop, but it is more probable that he rose no
higher than to the rank of a simple priest.§ Sedulius died
about A. D. 494.11

* Oe Monas. Ger.

t The name written in Irish, is Sisdhuil — n name, as it appears, not to be met
with in any other nation. Colgan has enumerated eight dtstioguished Irishmen of
this name who flourished in ancient times, and he Very justly adduces it as a circum-
stance to prove that Sedulhiswas a native of this country.— Vide, A. A. S.S. p. 315.

X Usher, Pri. Eccl. c. 769.— A. A. 8. S. at 12th Feb.

$ St. laodorc— dc Eccl. Scrip. || Usher, Pr. p. 777.

We shall close this brief biogrftphical series with the history
of the ever-revered and illustrious St. Brigid. This eminent
Saint was of royal extraction; her father, Dubtach having
been descended from Con of ^^the hundred battles/' and her
mother, Brochessa, from the noble house of the O'Connors,
in the territory of the Bregii, near Drogheda.* They were
both Christians, and from them Brigid received not only the
best example but also an excellent education, suited to her
sex and necessary for her high station in life. She was bom
A. D. 453, at Pochard, (Faugher,) about two miles to the
north of Dundalk; but the residence of her parents was in
Kildare and not far from the place where the monastery had
afterwards been established. When arrived at a suitable age,
they seemed desirous that she should embrace the married state;
but Br^d humbly objected, declaring her wish and intention
of remaining a vii^in and of consecrating herself to God. —
For this purpose she applied to the holy bishop Maccailef
who was then at Usneaeh, in West-Meath, and from him she
received the veil and white cloak or habit; that being the
only colour used by consecrated virgins in the ancient Church
of Ireland. At this time she is said to have been in her 16th
year. Eight maidens took the veil with her, and having ac-*
ceded to their request, she fixed her residence in Ballyboy,
in the King's county, at a place called to this day Brigid's-town*
The fame of her sanctity had now reached the most distant
parts of the island, and she was invited to come and form
^tablishments in various districts. Ere, Bishop of Slane,
had a particular respect for the Saint. Him she accompanied
to Munster whither he had gone on business connected with
the general interest of the Irish Church. We next find her
in the plain, of CUach, (Limerick,) and here also she estab-
lished a religious foundation. Brigid next proceeds to Con-
naught where she founded several nunneries which were soon

* Third life— Fifth life. t Usher, p. 1031.— Cogitoeus, c. 30.

filled with holy women, all liying under the constitutions and
government of the Saint. Having sojourned for a time in
this province, she directed her course back to Kildare, and
passing through Hy-Kinsellagh, farmed many communities
in that district In 483, the celebrated nunnery of Kildare
was founded by St. Brigid. The great reputation of the
Saint, and the supernatural gifts with which she was en-
dowed, attracted multitudes of pious females to her establish-
ment, and in a few years it became', perhaps, one of the first
religious houses at that period in the Christian Church.
Next to the attention which her nuns were obliged to pay to
the education of the poor, hospitality has been noticed as a
leading characteristic. At one period the country was visited
by an awful pestilence accompanied with famine, on which
occasion the holy Virgin sold even the sacred ornaments for
the purpose of relieving the poor. This example of charity
and benevolence was ever after remembered; and tenderness
for the poor and the afflicted was the great motto, in which the
succeeding members of her institute were accustomed to glory.
St. Bs%id was gifted with the power of miracles,* and her
respect for the memory of St. Patrick was most profound and
oftentimes enthusiastic. By her means a bishop was ap-
pointed for Kildare, which in a short time became a con-
siderable town; an extensive monastery and school were soon
after attached to this Church. Thus while the poor of Kildare
and of the surrounding country had been blessed with the
advantages of education, the door of hospitality was thrown
open and every comfort afforded them by the generous follow-
ers of this heavenly and justly celebrated institute. St.
Brigid after having received the Viaticum fi-om St. Nennidh,
was called to enjoy the reward of her labours A. D. 623.
This great Saint left behind her a rule or body of constitu-
tions, which was aft;erwards scrupulously observed in all the

• Third life.— Tr. Th. p. 626.

establishmentB Bubjected to her institute, lik^wiee several
tracts on the ascetic life; a letter written in Irish to Bt.
Aidus; and two poems on the merits of St. Patrick.* The
virtues of St Brigid have been honourably recorded by all
our martyrologists; and her memory was revered not only in
Ireland, but likewise in Britain, and by the &ithful all over
the Western Church.t

From the concise review which we have now taken of tho
historical facts of the fifth century, several pertinent anjl
profitable observations must present themselves to the reflect-
ing mind of the reader. In the first place, it may be noticed,
that St. Patrick, although invited by an heavenly call, to
imdertake the ^eat work of preaching the Gospel, and of
converting the Irish nation, yet did not embark on the high
duties of that solemn office without having had recourse to
the fountain-head of authority, from which alone all mission's-
ary powers and ecclesiastical jurisdiction must lawfully and
regularly emanate. Our Apostle was well aware ef the ne-
cessity and existence of a supreme visible head over the
Church of Christ upon earth. Hence he repaired to Celestine,

• Colg«n, Tr. Th. p. 610.

t Colgan has publislied six lives of St. Brigid with learned and copioos appen*
dizes. There ife also foar difiereDt ecclesiastical offices for the iestiyal of the same
Saint. The first is that published at Paris, in 1622, with proper lessons, hymns,
antiphons, &c. The second is taken from the Roman Breviary, edited at Venice,
by Anthony de Ginnta, in 1522. The diird is from the Gienensian Breviary— and
the fourth, from the Canons Regular of St. John Latenuu The first of the above
mentioned is a metrical one, and as appears from its prefoce, was written by St.
Brogan of Rostuirc, in Ossory, about the middle of the seventh century. It was
compooed in the Irish language, and is given by Colgan in the ancient characters,
together with a latin translation. The whole piece consists of fifty*three stanzas, the
last of which runs in the following words : —

« Sunt dua sancta Virgines in Coalis,
Que suscipiant meam protectionem ;
Maria, etsancta Brigida,
Quarum patrocinio innitamur sioguli."

SeeTr.Th.p.618.
I

who at that time sat in the chair of 8t. Peter, and from him
did St. Patrick receive his misBionary and legitimate jurisdic-
tion.

Again, it must be observed, that the Apostle of Ireland,
though he was not about to establish a religion hitherto un-
heard of by mankind, or to effect that, which in the language
of modem times, is inconsistently termed a reformation of
the Church of Christ, yet did he demonstrate the truth of
his doctrine — ^and the grounds of his authority — and. the
validity of his commission, in the presence of the whole na-
tion, by the most powerful and stupendous miracles. This
has been attested by both protestant and catholic antiqua-
rians, and stands incontestably supported by the writings of
Probus, the Scholiast and all our ancient hi^ologists. In
short, the doctrine which St. Patrick received together with
his ordination from the Catholic Church, was of course the
same, which was then believed and practiced by the universal
Christian world; and that the Catholics of Ireland now hold
and believe the same truths which 1400 years ago were
taught and inculcated to our forefathers by the Apostle of the
nation cannot by possibility be denied. Protestant writers
of great literary distinction bear honourable testimony to the
truth of this position; nay more, our ancient liturgies, and
even the fragments that remain of our national records — ^the
very ruins of the country, and the ivy-clad monuments that
lie mouldering on the walls of the cathedral and the con-
vent — all proclaim the venerable Catholic creed of former
days, and serve to remind us of that holy religion in which
our forefathers gloried and for which numbers of them shed
their blood. Besides the dogmas or articles of faith which
the Apostle delivered to our ancestors, and which must be
essentially one and the same through all ages and nations,
there are also disciplinary laws emanating from St. Patrick,
which must challenge our attention. For the sake of brevity,
allusion shall be made merely to those few on which the con-

version of the country and the moral civilization of the people
nudnly depended. St. Patrick was fully aware that two
grand mediums w«re absolutely necessaiy for the conversion
of any country— namely, public gratuitous education; and a
priesthood divested of wealth, estranged from this world,
and having neither the ties of kindred or of earthly affection
to lead them astray from the great work in which they were
engaged. This doctrine he himself learned in the retreats of
Tours and Lerins; and almost as soon as he had entered on
the mission of Ireland, he took particular care to reduce it to
practice. Hence, we find numerous monasteries founded in a
very short time after the conversions made by our Apostle in
the halls of Tarah. These parent establishments in a few
years branched out through the country — every monastery
was essentially a college in which youth was gratuitously in-
structed — the indigent and the desolate found an asylum and
a home within its hallowed walls — while the monks them-
selves, renouncing the world and bound down by solemn ob-
ligations, placed their only happiness in the hope of an eter-
nal revmrd, and their only glory in the extension of the cross
of Christ. Such was the system adopted by St. Patrick;
such has been the system of the Catholic Church from the
earliest ages, and its effects particularly in this country shall
be more clearly developed in the subsequent pages of this
analysis. It now remains for the reader to draw the contrast
between the state of Ireland in those ancient times and its
present impoverished, degraded condition. The former ex-
hibits a nation prosperous and happy, vrith its people abound-
ing in every comfort. The traveller on his way and the
stranger far from home, had a place of welcome and of rest —
the child of genius, though destitute and abandoned by the
world, knew where to find an asylum — the indigent and the
infirm had an home, and a friendly home within the hospi-
table gates of the Christian convent. It is unnecessary to
dwell on the counterpart of this melancholy picture. Instead

of plenty or comfort, or houses of hospitality, we have now
an unemployed population — ^a people literally maddened with
distress and be^ary — a nation overwhelmed with a debt,
such as has not been known since the foundation of society;
together with all its concomitant train of evils, discontent,
pauperism, disease and starvation. When we come to treat
of the sixte^ith century, the clue of this apparent paradox
shall be fairly unravellei.

SIXTH CENTURY.

CHAPTER L

State of the Church of Ireland at the commencement of the
sixth century-^Ecclesiastical seats of literature established
during that period-^The Colleges of Clonard, of Clonfert,
of Clonmacnois and of Bangor — Effects which the religion
of the country had derived from these literary foundations
— Effects which foreign nations had received from the same
establishments — St. Columbkille — History of his Apostoli-
cal labours — St. Columbanus — His acts at Lutzen — At
Eregentz and in Switzerland — Establishes the celebrated
Monastery of BobMo — His writings and death — Character
of the Church of Ireland at the close of the sixth century.

The sixth century forms one of the brightest epochs in the
annals of the Church of Ireland. At this period the monarchs
and princes of the land were Christians; their subjects save
in some few and remote places had generously embraced the
faith; the ancient druidical superstitions^ which had for so
many ages triumphed over reason, truth and morality were
laid prostrate, while genuine religion and the practice of the
most sublime virtues were progressively advancing and formed
the standing character of the nation. It has been already
stated, that education and a priesthood disengaged from
attachments to this world were the principal ordinary means
employed by our great Apostle and his successors for effecting
this grand and wonderful revolution. The same Gospel-like
system had been followed up on a more extensive scale and
with similar results in the century of which we are now treat-
ing. It will; therefore; be necessary in this chapter to turn

our attention, first to the principal schools or collies founded
in the sixth century, together with the history of the gieat
and holy men by whom they had been conducted; and then
to examine the effects which these establishments had pro-
duced not only in Ireland, but likewise in other and distant
regions. From among the numberless retreats of literature
by which our country had in this age been distinguished, four
principal ones shall be selected; namely, Clohard under St.
Finian — Clonfbbt under St. Brendan — Clonmacnois under
St. Kieran, and Bavoor under St. Comgall. — Clokarb is
situated near the banks of the Boyne, in the bar<Miy of
Moysenrath, county of Meath, and its celebrated monastery
and school were founded by St. Finian, A. D. 530. Finian
was a native of Leinster,* and having spent the early part of
his life under the care of the learned Fortkem, he felt a de-
sire to visit foreign countries, for the purpose of acquiring an
additional stock of theological information. Accordingly he
retired to Kilmuire in Britain, and was kindly received by
the holy men David, Gildas and Cadoc, with whom he con-
tinued for some time. Near this place he afterwards erected
three churches and remained there for thirty years. About
the year 520 he returned to his native country, and having
landed at Cam, near Camsore point, in the county of Wex-
ford, he sent messengers to Muiridach, Sovereign of Hy-
Kinsellagh, requesting permission to settle in his territory.
This Prince was overjoyed at the arrival of Finian, and
granted him a site on which he erected a church and estab-
lished a religious community at a place called Achad-abhla.t
His next religious establishment was at Magna, in the terri-
tory of Hy-barche, (county of Carlow) — ^here he taught
theology and gave lectures on the holy Scriptures for seven
years. After having formed retreats of piety and education
in other quarters, he came to Clonard, A. D. 530, which at

* Hymn Off. Finn. t Archddl, Mod.

that time was a dreary and frightful desert. Diermit, the
Monarch, was his particular patron, and under his sanction
he erected the celebrated monastery and school of Clbnard,
which in the sixth century and in after times was the fruitful
nursery of learned men, zealous missionaries and eminent
saints. The Scriptures and the reading of the Fathers were
particularly attended to in this retreat, and among those who
received their education in it, were Columbkille, Kieran of
Clonmacnois, Kieran of Saigar, Brendan of Clonfert, Columb
of Tirdaglass, and numberless others.''^ In the house of
Clonard hospitality kept pace with literature. Its fame soon
spread beyond the shores of Ireland, and scholars in multi-
tudes repaired thither, not only from Britain, but also from
Graul and other parts of the Ck)ntinent. Nor did its reputa-
tion cease after the death of the founder in 562 — Clonard
still continued to send forth an host of learned men, while
these missionaries were not only the ornaments of their own
country, but moreover the luminaries of foreign and distant
lands. In 1170 both the town of Clonard and its ancient
monastery were plundered and laid waste by Mac Morough
and the English under the command of- Strongbow. This
religious establishment continued to flourish until the time of
Edward VI, when its possessions were confiscated, and the
monastery with its appurtenancesf was granted for ever in
fee-farm to Thomas Cusacke and Richard Slayne, at a stipu-
lated annual rent. J

The next celebrated seminary established in the sixth cen-
tury was that of Clonfert, near the Shannon, in the county

• Usher, p. 909.
t At the period of the general suppression of rdigious houses in Ireland, this an-
cient establkhment was fonnd to possess, 160 Messuages with their gardens — nine
hundred and twelve acres of arable land — twelve hundred and eighty acres of pas-
ture—one hundred and ninety-two acres of meadow— one hundred and eighty-four
acres of underwood, and four hundred acres of moor, a great portion of which had
been situated in Kilbreny, Ballynlogh, and other parts of the count]^ of Kildare. —
Auditor General,

t Auditor Generars Office.

of Galway, founded and saperintended by that primitive
Father of the Irish Church, St Brendan. This eminent Saint
was descended from the princely family of Hua-Alta, in
Kerry,*, and his birth, as has been already observed, was
foretold by St Patrick himself. Having received the first
rudiments of his education under Ercus, bishop of Slane, he
repaired to larlath of Tuam, under whom he is supposed to
have read theology. Some few years after Brendan retired to
Britanny, where he erected a monastery and school, and
among those who received their education under him, is men-
tioned the learned Maclovius, bishop of the ancient see of
Ailech or Alectum, now St Malo.f After his return fi-om
Britanny he founded the great monastery and college of
Clonfert,:]: while the rule which he drew up for his monks was
held in such high estimation that it wa§ supposed to have
been dictated by an angel. St. Brendan presided over three
thousand monks, including, besides the community of Clon-
fert, those who belonged to the other houses of his institute
in various parts of Ireland. If we except the schools of
Clonard and of Bangor, this at Clonfert deserves to be
ranked in the first place among the sacred and literary insti-
tutions of Ireland. The number of scholars and particularly
of foreigners who received their education in it, soon rendered
its name celebrated. Besides theological truths; philosophy,
the sciences and the general literature of the day were taught
in the schools df Clonfert; and the aid which it contributed
in diffiising morality at home, and in establishing the reputa-
tion of Ireland in distant countries has been acknowledged
and deservedly eulogized by many of our ancient writers.
Henry 0*Gormacan was the last abbot in 1540, when the
Abbey was plundered and suppressed by Henry VIII, and its
possessions were united to the bishopric of Clonfert.§ We
have no exact account of these possessions, but they must
have been very considerable.
* Tripart. L. 3. c. 47. t UBher, p. 955. t Colgan, p. 192. § Aud. Geo.

Thb monastic school of Clohmackois, on the banks of
the Shannon, and in the barony of Garrycastle, (King's
county,) may be jtwtly ranked among the literary establish-
ments of the sixth century. Its founder St. Kieran, was
bom in the county of Meath, A. D. 607, but his parents
were originally from Ulster. Kieran received his education
at Clonard, after which he retired to the Monastery of St.
Nennidius, in one of the islands of Lough-Eme, in order to
improve himself still more in the knowledge and observance
of monastic discipline. Having the same object in view, he
afterwards repaired to the island of Arran, and placed him*
self under the guidance of St Enda, whose monastery Was
at that time considered the most rigorous in all Ireland. In
548 Kieran removed to the western banks of the Shannon,
where he founded the great Monastery of Clonmacnois,* on
a site granted to him by the Monarch Dermot. The school
attached to this monastery was celebrated particularly for
theological literature, contemplative and ascetic exercises,
but above all for the number of missionaries and holy persona
whom it produced. St. Kieran died in the prime of life, and
shortly after its erection in 649, having been cut off by a
pestilence which in that year raged throughout Ireland.
Although a simple priest, he is universally considered as one
of the Fathers of the Irish Church, and to his Monastery at
Clonmacnois together with its appendant institutions, the
literature and morality of Ireland in the sixth century were
eminently indebted.

The celebrated establishment of Bangor is that to which
the attention of the reader must now be briefly directed. Its
founder St. Comgall was of a distinguished family of Dala-
radia, and was bom about the year 516. Under the austere
rule of St. Fintan at Clonenagh, he became acquainted with
the practice of monastic discipline; after which he repaired

• See c. ii. Century 6.

to the schools of Clonmacnois^ where he finished his edaca-
tion and was ordained Priest. On his return to Ulster, he
preached in several districts of that province, and in 559,
Comgall entered Dalaradia and laid the foundation of Ben-
chor, or as it is now called Bangor, near the bay of Carrick-
fergus, in the county of Down.* In a short time the celeb-
rity of this house was so great, that the original establish-
ment could not contain the multitudes of monks and scholars
who flocked not only from all parts of Ireland but from
various and distant countries on the Continent, to learn
knowledge, discipline and morality within its sacred walls. —
The number was at one time computed at three thousand ;t
all observing the rule which the Saint himself had drawn up,
and acting under his instruction and superintendance. Among
these may be noticed Cormac, King of South Leinster, and
Columbanus,J one of the greatest men whom the Christian
Church could boast of in that age. St. Comgall, besides his
monastic rule, was the author of several valuable tracts on
literature and practical morality, and is most deservedly
ranked in the list of the Fathers of the Irish Church.^ The
fame of the schools of Bangor continued for centuries after
the death of its founder. St. Bernard testifies, that its name
had been spread throughout Europe; and we are assured by
cotemporary annalists, that while numbers repaired to Bangor
as the seat of science and wisdom, still greater multitudes
took shelter within its hallowed walls, and looked up to it as
an* asylum in whose sanctuary they might rest secured from
the angry and perilous scenes of a troublesome and a fluctu-
ating world. William O'Dorman was the last Abbot, A. D.
1541, when the work of national ruin commenced.)] What

* Usher, p. 956. f Second life, c. 13. t Acta MaUc. c. 5. $ Codex Ardmadi.

II The possessions of this religious establishment (according to an Inquisition
taken in the reign of James I,) were thirty-one town-lands, among wliich were
Bangor, Carogh, Ballow, Batlemajor, Caronser, Ballerohan and Ballenbamen,
all situated in the Ards and the upper Claneboy. Likewise the two Copland islands

Henry VI 11 had left undone, Elizabeth and James I com-
pleted; while the ancient Abbey of Bangor and that part of
die possessions situated in Ballyegan and- Corbally were
granted for ever in capite to Gerald Earl of Kildare.*

By the instrumentality of these and similar establishments
did the Christian religion make a rapid and an amazing pro-
gress over Ireland during the sixth century. Along the
northern coast and throughout the province of Connaught
the number of new congregations had so considerably multi-
plied, that the episcopal sees which had been already founded,
were now deemed insufficient for the missionary duties of
those districts. Besides the ancient diocess of Elphin, we
find, in this century, four additional sees established in the
same province; while in the North together with the territory
of Meath, a still greater number derive their origin from the
same period.f The triumph of the Gospel was marked with
similar success in the principalities of Thomond and Des-
mond. At the very extremity of the South; in rural districts
as well as in tovms and villages, suitable edifices had been
raised for the celebration of the divine mysteries, and thus
were the ancient sees of Cloyne and Ross organized and
established during the period of which we are now treating.'
But the morality of the faithiul was that in which the glory
of the rising Church of Ireland chiefly consisted; and many
even of our princes, sacrificing their natural thirst for fame,
and laying down the shield and the sceptre, retired within
the silent walls of the monastic cell and consecrated the
remainder of their days to the service of their God. It
would seem as if the Almighty had, at this time, taken
Ireland under his especial and providential care. Other

in the bay of Carrickfergus, together with three rectories in the county of Antrim,
and the some number in the barony of Lecale — It also possessed a town-land in the
Isle of Man, and the advowson of all the Vicarages of the above mentioned lands.

* Aud. Geo. t See Chap. ii.

countries were distracted either by wars, or by heresy aod
schism. On the Continent of Europe one general scene of
confusion prevailed* The great and ancient Roman Empire,
once the terror of the world, was struck to its centre by
countless hoards of barbarians, who rushed down from the
wilds and deserts of the north and like an inundation swept
all before them. These savage tribes, after havii^ made
themselves masters not only of Gaul and Spain, and other
Roman provinces to the West, but likewise of the rich and
luxuriant plains of Italy and of Rome itself, began to sub-
divide and form dissentions among themselves; so that the
sword for centuries remained unsheathed — society seemed as
it were tottering to its foundation — ^the temple, the sanctuary,
and the altars of the Most High had been polluted, while the
very plains of the country were crimsoned with the blood of
its bravest inhabitants. To complete the climax of this
scene of human desolation, schism and heresy (which are
still greater curses than war, and which in fact are the fore*
runners of war,) were making rapid strides amongst them.
The most ancient and venerable and fundamental truths of
the Christian religion had been blasphemously assailed; and
novelties hitherto unheard of — the wild chimeras of disap-
pointed apostates were about to be set forth and substituted
in their place. Such had been the melancholy picture which
the great Continent of Europe presented. In the mean time
Ireland viras a land of peace, religion and happiness — ^her
monarchs were practical Christians — ^her hierarchy was estab-
lished — her religious institutions were rising up numerous
and magnificent — her schools of learning had their halls and
gates thrown open for the welcome reception of all who had
a desire to come and taste of the fountain of knowledge —
while the board of hospitality was spread out and plentifully
furnished for the traveller and the stranger, for the poor and
the destitute. Hence it was that foreigners in multitudes fled
for refuge and for education to Ireland during the sixth and

succeeding centuries; and to this circumstance must most
prdbably be attributed that anxious desire which our great
saints had of leaving their own country and of going forth to
preach the Gospel through the wilds and deserts of distant
lands. Among the number of these extraordinary men, S.S.
Columbkille and Columbanus eminently deserve to be noticed,
and to their history the remainder of this chapter shall be
devoted.

Columba or Columbkille was of a princely race, having
been descended in a direct line from Niall of the nine
hostages,* and was bom at Gartan, a district in the county of
Donegal, A.D. 621. At an early age he repaired to the
schools of St. Finian of Maghbile, in the county of Down,
and afterwards attended the lectures of St. Finian of Clonard,
where by his intense application to sacred literature and his
extraordinary rigorous mode of life he elicited the admiration
of that master and model of saints. On his return to Tir-
connell, the country of bis birth, Columba founded a sump-
tuous monastery on an eminence near Lough-foyle, called
Daire-Colgaic, whence is derived the name of the present
city of Derry.f This establishment having been committed
to the care of the elder monks, the present barony of Bally-
cowen, in the King's county, became the next scene of his
missionary labours; and here he erected the great Monastery
of Durrogh, A. D. 550. During his residence at Durrogh,
several prelates admiring his sanctity, judged him worthy of
the episcopal order, and sent him with letters of approbation
to St. Etchen then residing at Clain-bile, in the county of
Meath. Columba was received by the Prelate with marks of
great kindness, and shortly after was ordained priest; the
Saint himself having an objection to be raised to an higher
rank in the Church. This event occurred A. D. 651, and in
the 30th year of his age. To this period must be referred the

• Usher, p. 689. t Sampson's Statist. Survey, p. 472.

date of the numerous monastic foundations, particularly in
Ulster, Sligo, Roscommon and Meath, which then and in
after times constituted the glory and ornament of the Colum-
bian institute in Ireland. The light of Christianity had not
yet beamed upon the Northern Picts. That martial and
powerful people had for ages been the scourge and terror of
surrounding nations, but having been weakened by constant
wars and successive revolutions, their dominion became gra-
dually circumscribed, and about the middle of the sixth cen-
tury their possesions were confined to some of the Hebrides,
and to that portion of modem Scotland which branches to
the north of the great and wild range of the Grampian
mountains. Columba, viewing with pity the forlorn state of
this nation and the still more desolate condition of his own
countrymen who were settled in Argyle and the adjacent
tracts,* determined on proceeding amongst them and laying
the basis of a new and extensive mission. For this purpose
he set out from Ireland in 563, accompanied by twelve com-
panions, and having arrived at Hy, a grant of that island
was made to him by his relative, Conall, King of the Alba-
nian Scots.f In the island of Hy he erected a monastery
which afterwards became his favourite establishment, and
having arranged its a£fairs, Columba departed with a few
companions, and directed his course towards the Pictish ter-
ritories. Bride, who was then Monarch of that nation, kept
his court at Inverness. This Prince on being acquainted
with Columba's intentions, sternly refused even the permission
of an audience, and gave directions that the gates of his
castle should be locked. This order was careftilly obeyed,
but as Adamnan writes, the Saint placed his hand on the

* It may be proper to remark that the Scots or Irish had formed an establishment
in North Britain, Albania, A.D. 503. The foundation of this Scottish Kingdom
was laid by Loarn son of £rk and his brother Fei^us, who became his immediate
successor.— -OTlaherty, Ogygia, p. 472.

t Smith, Life, p. 18.

bolt: at the name of Christ, the massy irons gave way
and the gate flew open for the reception of the man of God.*
Bride very soon after embraced the Christian faith, while his
conversion necessarily contributed to prepare the way for the
more successful and triumphant progress of our Columbian
missionaries. The Orkney islands were next visited by our
Saint, and here also the cross of Christ was planted and his
Gospel embraced by multitudes. But the Hebrides or West-
em Islands became the principal scene of his missionary
labours, and to the conversion of these wild and sequestered
tractS'all the zeal of Columba seemed to be chiefly directed.
The inhabitants of Himba were soon gained over to the faith.
Elna was next honoured by the erection of several churches.
In the island of Ethica, he laid the foundation of a splendid
monastery, the government of which was committed to his
disciple Baithen — and finally he visited Skey, where the faith
of Christ made rapid progress, and several religious institu-
tions were soon seen rising from their foundations.i* In the
mean time Columba paid frequent visits to the British Scots,
whose ecclesiastical affairs he superintended, and among
whom he formed several establishments, the most consider-
able of which stood near Lough-awe in Argyle. His princi-
pal missionary labours were, however, devoted to the Western
Isles and to the Pictish territories. These places he supplied
with churches and enriched with monastic foundations, which
having been subjected to his own rule, became at the same
time seminaries of learning and nurseries of saints. Adopt-
ing the system which he had been taught at Clonard, this
apostolic man during his missionary career took care to em-
ploy the two great ordinary mediums ordained by Providence
for the conversion of mankind-7- gratuitous education and a
priesthood disengaged from the world and bound down by
strict and solemn obligations. By means of these and with

♦ L. 2. c. 35. t Cumineus, Vit.

the aid of heaven, did the cross and the Gospel at length
prevail; the long and dismal reign of idolatry was brought to
a close and compelled to give way to the Kingdom of Christy
and our Saint was ever afterwards revered as the patron and
Apostle of these extensive regions.

In the year 490, St Columba paid a visit to Ireland, at
which time an assembly of the Kingdom was held at Drum*
ceat, in the county of Derry.* Aidus was then Monarch of
Ireland, and the Saint was pressingly invited to attend this
national convention. One of the principal objects for which
it had been summoned' was the suppression of the Bardic
order; against which a general outcry was at that time raised
throughout the country. The merits and importance of that
body have been variously recognized by many of our ancient
annalists; its nature and offices are thus described by a
modern writer.f "The Irish Nation^ greedy of praise and
very solicitous about its history, was accustomed from its
origin, to hold in high estimation, professors of antiquity, of
whom there was a great number, and who were called Anti-
quarians or Poets. It was their official duty to describe the
transactions, wars and triumphs of kings, princes and heroes;
to register the genealogies and prerogatives of noble families,
and to mark and distinguish the boundaries of districts and
lands. They wrote in verse preferably to prose, partly for
the purpose of helping the memory, and partly to guard
against the diffiisiveness of prosaic composition." The
charges alleged against them were, that their numbers had
multiplied to such an extent that they became an intolerable
nuisance to the country; and again, that their insufferable
impudence frequently allowed them to extol, in the most
exaggerated strains, such of the nobility as paid them well
and entertained them hospitably; while others who refused
to comply with their exorbitant demands were sure to be

♦ Tr. Th. p. 375. t O'Doonel, L. 3. c. 2.

satirised and vilified. In shorty that they roamed about the
country in groups, were literally billeted on the people, and
required as a right the best of every thing; a demand which
the inhabitantSi overawed by these lampooners had seldom
the fortitude to refuse. On these charges the whole order
would most probably have been suppressed, had not Columba
interfered. Upon his advice it was finally agreed that they
should be reduced to a limited number, and placed under
such regulations that they could no longer be an anoyance to
the public* From Drumceat St. Columbkille repaired to
his favourite Monasteries of Deny and of Durrogh. He
afterwards proceeded to Clonmacnois, where he was received
with great marks of respect and veneration. His next visit
was to St. Comgall of Bangor, and from these he went to
Coleraine; the inhabitants of which assembled in multitudes
to see the Saint and to receive his benediction. This is the
last place in Ireland where we find St. Columba. He returned
to Hy, and notwithstanding his great age he continued to
govern that and his other numerous religious establishments.
Frequently did he pray that the Lord would be pleased to call
him to himself at the expiration of thirty years after his first
anival at Hy; and that period having now elapsed, Columba
looked with hope and joy to his departure from this world,
but was apprized in a vision that his presence on earth was
still necessary for four years longer. T3ie happy day was
at length approaching, and the Saint went accompanied by his
attendant Diermit to bless the bam belonging to the Monas-
tery. Having acquainted Diermit that said day would be his
last in this world, he ascended an eminence and with uplifted
hands gave his blessing to the Monastery. On his return he
sat down in an adjoining hut and copied a part of the
Psalter, but having come to that passage in the 33rd Psalm,
"Inquirentes autem Dominum, non deficient omni bono," he

• O'Donoel, L. 3. c. 7.

stopped and said ''let Baithen write the lemainder/' The
Saint afterwards attended yespers in the choir and then re-
tired to his cell| where he reclined on his bed of stone and
deliTered instructions which were at a future time to be com*
municated to the brethren. When the hour for midnight
prayers had arrived, he hastened to the Church and was the
first to enter it Diermit appeared soon after and found him
hi a reclining posture before the altar and at the point of
death. Instantly the brethren were assembled in grief and
tears around him, but the Saint raising his eyes looked upon
them with a bright and cheerful countenance; and then ¥rith
the assistance of Diermit, raising his right hand, he gave his
last benediction to the community, and resigned his happy
soul into the hands of his Saviour on the morning of Sunday
the 9th of June, A. D. 697, and in the 76th year of his age,*
The memory of this great and extraordinary Saint will be
ever held in the most profound veneration not only in Ireland,
but also in Scotland, the Hebrides and over the western
world. Although but a simple priest, St. Columba possessed
for many years an ecclesiastical jurisdiction even over the
bishops of these countries,^ and this singular privilege was,
as a mark of respect for his memory, enjoyed by his succes-
sors for a considerable time after his death. He drew up a
monastic rule which was scrupulously observed in all the
houses of his institute.^: St. Columbkille composed several
tracts both in prose and verse, abounding with great biblical
research and theological learning. Colgan has published
three of his latin hymns, the first of which after commencing
with the Eternity, Unity and Trinity of God, branches out
into several sacred subjects, and concludes with an awful
description of the day of judgment, the resurrection of man-
kind and the future state of the just and unjust. Besides his
hymns, he has also left a beautiful tract in honour of St.

* Adamnan, L. 3.— Annals of Innisfal. f Bede, L. 3. c. 4. X Tr. Th. p. 471.

Kieran of ClonmacnoiB. His last ivork was a life of St.
Patrick, iinitten in Irish; of which mention is made several
times by the authors of the Tripartite. With respect to those
prophesies which commonly appear under the sanction of his
name, there seems to be no settled opinion among antiqua*
nans. Usher, Colgan and others receive some of them as
genuine and many of them they reject as spurious.* St
Golumbkille was succeeded in the government of Hy by
Baithen, and while his institute contributed to the salvation
of thousands, it stood for centuries after, the glory and
bright ornament of the Western Church.

Hext to the history of St. Columbkille, that of the great
CoLUMBANVS dcservcs to be noticed. Columbanus was a
native of Leinster and was bom about the year 669 — ^when a
youthy he was placed under the care of the venerable Senile;
a man at that time, very eminent for his sanctity and his
knowledge of the holy Scriptures. While under the instruc*
tion of this master, Columbanus formed the determination of
embracing the monastic state, and for that purpose repaired
to Bangor, where he remained for many years under the dis->
cipline of the holy Abbot St. Comgall. During this time
Columbanus gave many and strong proofs not only of a
powerful mind and of superior talents, but likewise of a most
holy disposition and an ardent desire to please his God and
consecrate the remainder of his days to bis sacred service.
With this object in view, he resolved to retire to some foreign
country, and having communicated his intentions to St.
Comgall, twelve of the brethren were selected and adopted
by him as the companions of all his future spiritual labours.
The provinces of Gaul and of the whole south of Europe
presented at this period a most frightful picture. Even as
yet, the breaches occasioned by invasion without and much
more by discontent and rebellion within had by no means

• Tr. Thi p. 474.

been repaired — society appeared unsettled — ^law, subordina-
tion, every material requisite for its frame-work seemed to
have been wanting, while infidelity and licentiousness, the
usual attendants on war, made awful strides and prevailed
almost universally from the throne to the cottage. Columba-
nus and his companions after making a short stay in Britain,
sailed for the coast of Gaul, and about the year 590 arrived
on the frontiers of Bui^ndy. The neighbouring territory of
the Vosges was that which the Saint and his companions had
now selected, and having penetrated into this wild and deso-
late region, they took up their abode in a deserted fort called
Ana^rates, situated in the present Franche-comte. In this
solitude they endured the greatest distress, having lived
merely on a limited supply of wild herbs and a species
of apples which that wilderness had produced. The fame of
their sanctity had soon spread through the surrounding coun-
try, and multitudes of people came to hear the word of life
from the lips of our Saint; while many of them presented
themselves and prayed to be admitted into his community.
It was soon found necessary to erect a monastery; and a site
was fixed upon named Luxovium now Luxen in the heart of
the forest, about eight miles distant from Anagrates.* The
number of postulants increasing daily, and among them not
a few of the nobility, a second establishment was founded at
a place, which, on account of its number of springs, he
called Ad-fontanas, (Fontaines.) For the use of these estab-
lishments Columbanus drew up a rule, which was afterwards
received and observed in France before that of St. Benedict
had been introduced into that country .f The Columbian
constitutions were approved of and highly conmiended by
the Oallican bishops in the Council of Macon, A. D. 627,
and afl;er having been for many years the rule of several
monasteries not only in France, but also in Italy, Grermany

* Fleury, Hist. £ccl. L. 35. f Biblioth. Patr. Tom. 12.

and Switzerland, became at length modified and incorporated
with those of St. Benedict. Columbanus had not been very
long at Luxen, when he had to endure one of those storms
which not unfrequently fall to the lot of zealous and holy
men. This persecution was set on foot by Theodoric King of
Burgundy, or rather by the powerful though secret agency of
the Queen-dowt^er Brunchant.* For some time Theodoric
had treated the Saint with great marks of respect, was wont
frequently to visit him in his solitude, and Ustened with at-
tention to the instructions which he was always sure to receive.
But the good impressions which the Saint's councils had
made on the mind of the King were as ispeedily removed by
the bad example and wicked designs of the Queen-dowager.
This haughty and irreligious woman had long held the reins
of power in her hands — ^the King's marriage was recom-
mended and settled upon — a rival in the court could not be
endured — and to prevent the possibility of such an occurrence
every means were employed to debauch the morals of the
young Prince and to lead him into the most shameful excesses.
By her intrigues the palace was converted into a den of pros-
titutes; decency, order and religion were set at nought, and,
as is generally the case, the example was followed in other
quarters, so that the infection was making its way rapidly
through the different classes of society. Columbanus remon-
strated with Theodoric, but his admonitions were unheeded.
At that time the court had been removed to Spissia. Thither
the Saint repaired, but could not be prevailed upon to stop at
the palace or in any of the mansions belonging to the King.
Theodoric, however, on hearing of his arrival, vras resolved
to receive him with becoming respect; the servants of the
royal household were in attendance, a sumptuous repast was
got ready, and wines of delicious flavour with other liqueurs
were laid before him. But these tokens of respect, however

• Jonasi c, 17.

flattering to others, were not such as Columbanus would ad-
mire, nor had they a single charm by which he could even for
a moment be diverted from the high object which he had in
view. ^* What meaneth this munificence— (observes the Saint)
why those costly presents, which to us must be unacceptable?
It is written — ^'The Most High rejects the gift of the
impious'* — nor is it meet that the servants of God should be
defiled with such viands." ' The King and Brunchant made
most solemn promises of reform; scarcely, however, had the
Saint departed, when the irr^ularities of the court were re-
newed and scenes of vice and profligacy of a still daricer
shade were introduced. As a last resource, Columbanus
addressed a strong letter to the King, denouncing his licen**
tious conduct and refusing to hold communion with him, un-
less he should give, at once, ample signs of repentance and
abandon his wicked career. This remonstrance would most
probably have had effect, were it not for the influence of
Brunchant. That wicked woman at once enraged, and still
anxious to maintain her power even at the expense of the
royal character, had used every means to inflame the pas-
sion of Theodoric, and so far did she succeed that the King
himself attended by his courtiers and guards set out for
Luxen, determined on banishing Columbanus and the com-
munity from his dominions.f Theodoric forced his way into
the cloister — an armed soldiery were now stationed in the
house of prayer, while the Saint himself remaining in the
sanctuary and with the firmness of a martyr boldly addressed
the King. — ^**If (he exclaims) thou, Sire, art come ^hither to
violate the discipline already established, or to destroy the
dwellings of the servants of God, know that in heaven there
is a just and an avenging power; thy kingdom shall be taken
(rom thee, and both thou and thy royal race shall be cut off*
and destroyed on the earth." The denunciation alarmed

* Eccl. c. xxxiv. V. 23. t JonaSi c. 16.

Theodoric; he mtiidrew and retired to his palace; however a
body of armed men were soon after directed to proceed to
Luxen and expel Golnmbanns together with such of the
monks as were from Ireland out of Theodoric's dominions. —
Those members of the community, who had been natives of
France were permitted to remain, and the Saint on his de-
parture, amidst the tears and lamentations of his brethren^
besought them to be of good heart, for that the Lord would
be to them a Father, and reward them with mansions into
which the workers of sacrilege can never expect to enter. St.
Columbanus departed from the Vosges in the year 610, after
having resided about twenty years in that country.* The
Captain of the guard, Ragamund, had orders to escort the
religious to the coast, which commission was executed with
great cruelty. The journey was performed by night as well
as by day, and having at length reached Nevers, they were
compelled to embark on boats then plying on the Loire.
Passing by Tours, they arrived with great difficulty at Nantz,
and here they remained for some days waiting for a passage
to Ireland. At length a vessel was found ready to sail, and
the Saint with his companions was put on board — scarcely
however, had they reached the ocean, when a violent storm
arose, by which the vessel was driven back and cast on the
shore, where it lay stranded during the night. The captain
and his crew conceiving that this misfortune arose in conse-
quence of having the Saint and his brethren on board, refused
to carry them any farther, and accordingly they were left oa
shore, when immediately the storm abated and the ship put
out to sea. Columbanus recogni2ing the will of heaven in
these events, and conscious of the important services which
he might render to the ign(H*ant and unsettled inhabitants of
that region, proceeded with his companions to Nantz, and
without much interruption bent his course to the kingdom of

• Flcury, L. 37. c. 6.

Austrasia, then governed by Theodobert, brother of the
Vosgesian Theodoric. His ulterior object was, to form a
settlement in some part of Italy near the Alps. Thither,
therefore, he proceeded, and during his journey was kindly
received by several bishops and experienced great hospitality
from Clotharius, a relative of Theodoric and King of the
Soissons. When the Saint had entered the dominions of Theo-
dobert, (Austrasia,) he was introduced to the King and was re-
ceived with marked respect and distinction. Having, after a
few days, embarked on the Rhine, he continued his route to
Mentz, where at the request of the bishop he preached to the
people and would have been detained, but his love for the
desert and his glowing zeal for the conversion of its inhabit-
ants beii^ still paramount, he was, at his own request, allowed
to proceed on his journey. At the desire of the good King,
Theodobert, he travelled along the lake Zurich in Switzerland,
and in the Canton of Zug converted a great number of souls
to the faith of Christ. From thence Columbanus departed to
Arizona near the lake of Constance; but this district having
been tolerably supplied with missionaries, our Saint directed
his course to the ancient Brigantium, (Br^entz) then in-
habited by an idolatrous people. The holy Missioner here
met with an immediate repulse — judging it, therefore, more
prudent to commence his labours with the Suevi or ancient
Swiss, who dwelt in the adjoining lands, he removed amoi^t
them; and by numerous miracles and incessant preaching,
aided by the good example of his community, he ultimately
succeeded in converting the entire population of this seques-
tered and hitherto unfrequented territory.* Returning to
Bregentz with his brethren and a number of the Suevi,
Columbanus entered their pagan temple on the day of a
solemn festival — ^he addresed the people and called on the
name of Christ, when as the historian relates, the three great

• Fleury, L. 37.— Jonas, c. 26.

brazeir images which their ancestors worsUpped were npset'
Und the leading men and principal portion of the inhabit-
ants embraced the faith. At their request, the Saint after-
wards erected a monastery in their neighbouirhood, and fol-
lowing the tsustom of Ireland^ bald a seminary annexed to it(
Which in afteir tim^ bet^am^ exfcfeedihgly celebrated. At this
period^ hfe felt a stfong desire to preach the Goispel to the
Venetii or Sblavi, who were Bkewise ignorant of the true
(jod, but in consequence of a vision, hfe perceived' that the
iimie had not yei colne for the bonversibn bf that people;"*

St. Gdlumbanus now proceeds on his journey to Italy ftnd
krHv^ in Milan> about the year 6l!2.f The AHan hertesy;
jalthbtigfa ably refuted by various writers and solehihly bon^
detaaed by the Council of Nil^e, Was still upheld and its
iinpioud tenets advocate by a considerable pbrtibn of the
eastern church* Against theise helretics Columbanus pul>-
lishieid a very learnt tract, ih which he diehibnstrated thti
divinity of J^us Christ both frotn the authority of the sacred
Scripture and the unanimous tradition of ages.;}; At thiii
period^ likewise, the celebrated questi^on of the thre<6 chapter^
had caused an unusual sensatibn all over Italy. These pro-
ductions were condemned in the second general Council of
Constantinople^ yiet the cont^versy connectied with them;
was ev^n now, likfe the waves of a troubled obean, beating
high and festlesM^ and espe^bially in the district of Milan:
This it Was which occasiontsd Sti Coluinbanu^^tb write hii
celebrated epistle td Pope Bonifadei IV.^ tn this very abfe
and learned document, he addresses Boniface as the most
honoured Head of all the churches — as the most exalted
Prelate, and as the I^s^tbr of pastors.|j He then apologizeti

• Jonas, e: 28. \ M^aratoii Annal. Dlt«I. f Joins; c. 29. $ MabMoh Anna!. L. ii;

I The title of the Epistle runs thus : " Pulcherimo Ommiim totins Europe Ec*
clesUuruin Capiti--^Pap8e prsdulsi — pracelso Presali — Pastoram Pastori — Rever-
eodiisiaM) Speculitori^hanitliximis ce]8iiBmio> minimus mazimo, agrestis urbanoj

for having troubled his Holiness, declaring that he had done
60 at the urgent request of the King, (Arnulf) and after humbly
imploring him to employ his authority and put an end to the
6chism> he concludes by saying: ''For we, Irish, are disciples
of St. Peter and St Paul and of all the divinely inspired
canonical writers; adhering constantly to the faith and apos-
tolic doctrine. Among us neither Jew^ heretic or schismatic
can be foundy but the Catholic faith, entire and unshaken,
precise^ as we have received it from you, who are the sttcces-
sors of the holy Apostles. For as I have already said, we are
attached to the chair of St Peter, and although Rome is
great and renowned, yet with us it is great and distinguished
only on account of that Apostolic chair. Through the two
Apostles of Christ ye are almost celestial, and Rome is the
head of the churches of the world."* In the year 613 St.
Columbanus, at the earnest request of the King> founded the
celebrated Monastery of Bobbio, in a magnificently romantic
part of the Apennines«t In the mean tiixie Theodoric was cut
off, just as he had been on the point of waging war against his
relative Clotharius. Two of his sons were slain and the third
was banished the kingdom. The infamous Brunchant was
put to death by Clotharius, who accordingly ascended the
throne and became Monarch of all France A. D. 613.J The
Saint thus tried in the crucible and exhausted with labouo
spent the remainder of his days in the holy retreat of Bobbio,
and died on the 21st of November, A. D. 616, and in the
72nd year of his age.

micrologus elequentissimo, eztremus primo, peregrinus indigent, pauperculiu pne*
potenti- (minim dictuT nova res,) rara avis scribere audit Bonifacio Patri Palum*
bus."-— Vide CoUectanea Sacra— ap Fleming.

* This passage deserves to be noticed. It affords another convincing proof of the
doctrine of the ancient Irish Church relative to the supremacy of the see of Rome
and the source whence its ec'clesiastical jurisdiction had been derived. — £p. ad Bon.
Vide Appendix No. !•

t Mabillon, Annal, Bened. L. 10. X Abreg^ Chronol.

It would be impossible in this review to enlarge specificalty
on the learned, theological and classical writings of this great
and holy man. An analysis of his works is to be had in
Dupin's Bibliotheque; and an accurate and erudite inquiry
into that portion of his works which are lost, may be found
in the " Histoire Litteraire de la France" by the Benedictines.*
The memory of this great Saint will be for ever revered in the
Western Church; and while in Ireland his name shall be
handed down with admiration and love, the pages of Gallicau
history will furnish a splendid and an immortal record of the
many signal services rendered to that nation by the zeal, la-»
hours and writings of the great and ever-blessed Columbanus.f

In this manner did the Church of Ireland send forth hei:
missionaries to distant countries. Meanwhile a bountiful and
an all-ruling Providence supplied her with an abundance of
holy and learned pastors, who both in solitude and in the
bustle of life — ^in the city and in the cell were leading thou-
sands to heaven and shedding new and additional lustre
around the cross of Christ. There wa^ not perhaps a single

* Accordmg to Fleming, (Collect. Sacr.) hii works consUt of seventeen dis«
courses on varioos subjects appertaining to a spiritual life. His treatise on Canon-
ical penances (De Mensura Penitentianim). His Monastic Rule, with the Re«
gula de quot'idtanis Monachorum. Instructions on the Eight principal Vices.-—
And five Epistles, the first of which is addressed to Pope Boniface, the second to
the Fathere of the Gallican Synod on the subject of the Pasch. The third to his
disciples and Monks. 'Ilie fourth to Pope Boniface IV., and the fifth to Pope
Gregory the Great. To these are added a valuable collection of his poetical
writings.

f The Monastic Rule of St. Columbanus (which may properly be said to have
crowned all his labours with success,) consists of ten Chapters, in the following
order : 1. De Obcdientia, (and be it remarked, this forms the grand basis of hia
entire Monastic System.) 2. De Taciturnitate. 3. De Cibo et Potu. 4. De
Copiditate calcanda. 5. De Vanitate calcanda. 6. De Castitate. 7. De Cursu
(sen de Officio divino). 8. De Discretione. 9. De Mortificatione. 10. De Per«
fectione Monachi. To this^Rule is subjoined his Regula Cceoobialis, sou de
Quotidianis poenitentiis Monachorum, in fifteen Chapters. This latter Rule
appears to be an abridgment of his Penitential, and on many points presents an
exact coincidence with the more recent Penitential of Commian.— Collect. Sacr.

national church in the Christian world which could shew forth
8uch an host of literaryi zealous and sanctified men as could
the Church of Ireland at that period. This is a truth well
supported by historical evidence and shall be more fully iUus*
trated in the following chapters.

CHAPTER IL

Successors of St. Patrich^JEpiseopal SeesSeligious fosMf
dations of the sixth century.

The Metropolitan See of Armagh was in this century
governed by eight eminent and learned prelates in regular
succession. It is, indeed^ to be regretted that their acts, to«
gether with other important events connected with the history
of that See have not be^ handed down to us. These invalu-
able documents were^ aks, sacrificed to the fury of those
angiy times, wh^ the name of religion was made use of as
a pretext for plunder^ and when men of another creed and of
another country, after laying prostrate 4iie independence of
the Nation, attempted to bury in its ruins every record of
that venerable religion in which their forefathers gloried and
for which they were willing to shed their blood. Dubtach or
DuACH I, who was Primate of Ireland at the close of the
fifth century, died in 613, and was succeeded by Alild I,
and AxiLD II, the latter of whom, after an incumbency of
ten years, died A. D. 636. Alild was followed by Duace II,
'descended from CoUa-Huas, an ancient King of Ireland.
Buach held the See for twelve years. His successor was
David, of the illustrious house of Hua-Fiachraigh of Ulster,
and called in the Psalter of Cashel, Fiachrius. David
governed the see only three years and upon his demise
FsinuMin Fion was elected Archbishop of Armagh.* This
Prelate was a great encourager of learning imd enlarged the
Metropolitan Seminary to which he was a great benefactor.
He was likewise most active in organizing the new episcopal

* Ware, Bishop» at Arrnsgh.

sees, ^hich in this century began to spring up in every
province throughout the kingdom. Feidlimid died in 578,
and had for his successor, Cairlan, a native of Hy-Nielan,
in the county of Armagh. Cairlan's incumbency continued
for ten years, and that of his successor Eochaid for the same
period; when upon the death of the latter in 698, Sekach
was consecrated Archbishop of Armagh* Several annalists
make mention of Senach as a learned man, and he is said to
have written some valuable tracts on the Scriptures and writ-
ings of the Fathers, none of which are extant. After having
governed the Metropolitan See for twelve years, Senach died
A.D.610.*

The most ancient episcopal establishment of this century
was the Sbb of Drohore, founded about the year 514, by
St. Golman.t This distinguished Prelate was a descendant
of the Dalaradian family, and after having studied the sacred
Scriptures under St. Ailbe of Emly, he returned to his native
province and erected a monastery on the banks of the Locha,
now the Lagan, in Dromore. Several eminent men received
their education under St. Colman, among wl)om may be
mentioned the great Finian of Clonard. We have no account
of the succession in this see until about the close of the
twelfth century, for which reason some writers have been led
to conjecture that Dromore had, during the intermediate
period, been united to Armagh.J This opinion, however,
shall be examined in its proper place. The year of St.
Colman's death has not been ascertained, but his festival is
celebrated on the 7th of June.

The see of Ossort derives its foundation from St. Kieran,
A. D. 538. Kieran was bom in Ossory and after having
spent many years under St. Finian of Clonard, he retired to
a solitary spot, since called Saigar, in the territory of Ely
O'Carrol, where he erected a monastery. The schools at-

• Tr. Th. p. W2. f Usher, p. 1066. t Ware, Bishops,

tached to this establishment were so celebtated that students
resorted here in numbers, and in a very few years Saigar (in
the now King's county) became a city of great distinction.*
The Ossorians being a martial and an ancient people, and
very strongly attached to the institutions of their ancestors,
were not so easily rescued from the errors of paganism as
were the inhabitants of other territories. St. Kieran, hoWever,
preached amongst them and with wonderful success. After
having been consecrated bishop, he fixed his see at Saigan
It was afterwards translated to Aghaboe, in the Queen's
county, and finally to the city of Kilkenny-^^a circumstantial
account of this translation together with the history of this
ancient and celebrated See will be found in our review of the
twelfth and succeeding centuries. St. Kieran died about the
year 550, and his memory is revered on the 5th of March,
the anniversary of his death.f Some English martyrologists
pretend to maintain that St. Kieran died and was interred at
Padstow in Cornwall, but this assertion: is merely a fac*
simile of the Olastonbury fabrications regarding St Patrick,
and is repugnant to the concurrent testimony of all our
ancient writers. Equally groundless is the opinion of those,
who assert that this Saint was an acting prelate in Ireland
previously to the arrival of SU Patrick. The above-mentioned
date relative to his decease, unaided by a single circumstance
is clearly sufficient to overthrow this absurd, unsupported,
chimerical hypothesis. St. Kieran was buried at Saigar,
where his virtues have been recorded and his memory revered
with the most profound gratitude and devotion.

Ths Seb of Tuam was established about the year 550. St
larlath, a descendant of the noble house of Clonmacnie, was
its founder, and was bom about the beginning of the sixth
century. His first establishment was at Cluainfois not far
distant from Tuam; at which place he erected a celebrated

* First life, c 6. f Annals Innisf.

monastery and school. By the advice of St. Brendan of
Clonferty he removed to Tuam, where he was Consecrated
Bishop and established his See.* Besides being master of a
spiritual life, larlath was esteemed a very learned man and
among the number of his scholars is mentioned Colman, son
of Lenine, sumamed Mitine, the sainted foiinder of the See of
Cloyne; and St. Brendan. The day of his death as marked
in several calendars is the 26th of December, but the festival
is observed in the diocess of Tuam on the 6th of June. This
See was raised to the rank of an Archdiocess at the Council
of Kells in 1152; the particular account of which, together
with a catalogue of its suffragans must be reserved for the
history of that period. The remains of St. larlath were pre-
served in a silver shrine, and deposited at Tuam in a capella,
called from thence Tempkne^tcrinf or the chapel of the
shrine.

Ths See qf Clokard, jfamous for the great monastery and
school of St. Finian, was founded about the year 652. In
after times the bishops of this See were called Camorbans or
successors of St. Finian, for which reason Colgan and others
suppose that Finian was the founder of the See: however, in
the list given us by the four Masters, Finian is simply styled
Abbot,t and in the lessons of his office, there is no mention
whatever made of his episcopal rank, St. Senach his successor
was unquestionably Bishop of Clonard;:]; he governed the See
thirty-six years and died on the 21 st of August, A. D. 588.
It may be proper to remark that the county of Meath, in
which Clonard is situated, comprehended in ancient times
several episcopal sees, viz., Clonard, Duleek, Slane,Kells, Dun-
shaghlin. Trim, Skrine Ardbraccan, and Fore; all of which, ex-
cept Duleek and Kells, were united to Clonard before the. year
1152. Kells and Duleek became in like manner united
to it in the 13th century. In the year 1206 and under the in-

• Ware, Bbhope. t See alw A. A. S. S. p. 40«. | rmi«n*s Acts, c. 19.

cmnbency of Simon Rochfort, the See was translated from
Clonard to Newtown near Trim, where a Cathedral Church
was erected, and from this time its Prelates assumed per-
manently the title of Bishops jf Meath.*

The See op Clonpert was founded by St. Moena about
the year 660. Passing over the confused variety of opinion
which prevails among our annalists regarditig the history of
this Saint, the probability is, liiat he was a native of Brit^
anny, and came over with St. Brendan on his return from
that country to Ireland.^ The Calendar of Cashel styles St.
Moena Bishop of Clonfert and Comorban^ or successor of St.
Brendan. Hence, some were of opinion that St. Brendan was
the first Bishop of that See; a conjecture completely at va-
riance with the Annals of Ulster, the authority of the Four
Masters, and other high documents. The fact is, the estab^
lishment at Clonfert became in a few years so extensive, that
a Bishop was considered indispensably necessary for the pur'^
pose of ordaining missionaries and of assisting St. Brendan
in his ecclesiastical government; upon his recommendation,
therefore, St. Moena was consecrated Bishop, and afterwardB
founded the See. The Cathedral of Clonfert was in those
days noted for its Seven Altars, while the death of the
founder is thus marked in the Ulster Annals, '^ Moena,
Bishop of Confart'BreTiain, Slept>'' on the 1st of March,
A. D. 571.

The See of Achokrt had for its founder St. Nathi, a dis-*
ciple of St. Finian *of Clonard, and placed at Achonry by
that Saint about the year 560.% Following the example of
his master, Nathi erected a Monastery and a* celebrated
school, in which St. Fechin of Fore, and other eminent men
received their ecclesiastical education* The Bishops of this
See were called Leinicences, from the district in which it was
situated; but the catalogue of the succession is incomplete

• See Cent. XIII. t Colgan at 2eih Feb. $ Ware's Antiq. c. 29,

until the year 1170. The year in which the founder died has
not been accurately ascertained: his festival is celebrated in
the Diocess of Achonry on the 9th of August.

The See of Killala^ on ^e left bank of the river Moy,
was founded by St. Muredach, of the royal house of Leogaire.
This Saint was not, as some writers have imagined, contem-
porary with St. Patrick; on the contrary, Colgan in tracing
his d^ent from Leogaire, brings him down several years
later.* Colgan's authority acquires additional weight from
the fact that Muredach was one of those persons who waited
on St. Columbkill at Drumceat, for the purpose of paying
their respects to the great Apostle of the Hebrides. The
Bishops of this See were sometimes called Tir-Amalgadenses,
from the district itself, and its ancient possessions were con-
firmed, at the request of the incumbent, Donagh, by Pope
Innocent III., in 1 198.t The year of the foundation, as well
as that of St. Muredach's death, is uncertain; but his Natalis
is marked in all the ancient Calendars on the 12th of August.

The See of Down, in the territory of Dalaradia, was
founded in the sixth century by St. Fergus. The founder was
of a princely family, and before his elevation to the episco-
pacy, erected a Monastery at Killbian, in that county. St.
Cailan has been named by some as the founder of this See,
but the Annals of Ulster make mention of Fergus, as the
first Bishop of Down, and mark his decease at the 30th of
March, 683. From the death of the founder until the time
of St. Malachy, there appears no account of a succession in
this See, for which reason it is generally supposed, that the
Diocess of Down had, during that period, been united to
that of Connor .j:

The ^e of Ross, in the County of Cork, was established
by St. Fachnan about the year 670. Before he settled at
Ross, Fachnan was Abbot of Darinis Moelanfaidh, now

• A. A. S. S. p. 339. t Ware's Anliq. t Ware's Bishops.

Molona, a small island in the river Blackwater^ County of
Waterford. His school was greatly frequented, and at that
time was the most celebrated in the South of Ireland. This
See has been sometimes called Ross-Alithre, on account of
the number of pilgrims who retired there for devotion. The
See of Ross became united to that of Cloyne in the eighteenth
century, the particulars of which may be found in the history
of that period. St. Fachnan died at the close of the sixth cen-
tury, and the day marked as his Natalis is the 14th of August.

The See of Cloyne, in tlie County of Cork, was founded
by St. Colman about the year 680. This Prelate was of
royal extraction, and has been sometimes sumamed Mitine,
having been a native of thQ district called Muscrighe Mitine,
now Muskerry in the County of Cork. From his early years
he evinced great taste for poetry, and was held in high es-
teem by the prince Aodh Caomh, who in this century was
raised to the throne of Cashel. Colman, at an early age,
repaired to the school of larlath of Tuam, and became
eminent not only for his learning, but much more for his
holy and austere manner of living. He was the author of
several valuable treatises, the only one of which that remains
is a metrical life of St. Senan of Inniscatthy, written in the
Irish language. St. Colman died on the 24th of November,
A. D. 604.

Many other Sees had been founded by eminent men
in this century, which were afterwards united either to
some of those already mentioned, or- to others established in
the seventh century. Among these may be noticed the See
of Ardstrath, now Ardstraw, in the Barony of Strabane
and County of Tyrone, founded by St. Eugene.* It was
afterwards translated to Maghera, and finally united to the
See of Derry. The See of Clunes or Clones, in the County
of Monaghan, had St. Tigernach for its first bishop. This

• Usher. Ind. Chron.

100

Saint having succeeded St. Macarthen in Clogher, fixed his
See at Clones, still retaining the government of Qogher. These
Sees were, however, afterwards united. Coleraine was a
bishopric in 640, having St. Corpreus for its first bishop.*
It was In aftertimes united to Deny. Kells, in the County
of Meath, the founder of which is unknown, was united to
Clonard in the 13th century. Dunshaohlin in the same
county, had St. Sechnal for its founder, and was united to
Clonard about the year 1152. The See of KiLLABKinthe
Barony of Achonrath, in the County of Westmeath, had St.
Aidus for its founder.*)- St. I>agaeu» was bishop at Iniscaoin-
Deghadh, in the territory of Oriel, county of Louth. St.
Etehen, by whom St. Columbkill] was ordained, resided in
the County of Meath; besides Sedna, Dalian, Lugidus, Mocu^
Loige, Cronan, and numberless others who w^e stationed
through the provinces according as local circumstances or the
exigency of the Mission required. Thus was the Church of
Ireland organized and governed by great and holy men, while
the doctrine which they preached, and the discipline which
they enforced, acquired new efficacy and lustre fix)m the
many and exalted virtues by which their own lives had been
adorned.

In presenting a general outline of the principal Monaff-
teries founded in this century, we shall commence with the
ancient and celebrated Abbey of Clokuacxois, the schools
attached to which have been already noticed. J Clonmacnois
was one of the most extensive and splendid Monasteries in
the kingdom, having been amazingly- enriched by the Nobi-
lity of the country and by several kings and princes. Ten
stately Churches were annexed to it, erected by varions prin-
ces, and covering a space of seven acres. The first was
built by O'Melaghlin, King of Meath; the second by O'Con-
nor Don, King of Cannaught; the third by M'Carthy-More,

• Id. t A. A. S. S. p. 422. x See c. 1.

101

of Munster; the fourth by O'Kelly; the fifth was called
Temple Hurpan; the sixth Temple Kieran; the seventh Tem-
ple Gauney; the eight Temple Doulin; the ninth Temple
Finian; and the tenth Temple Mac Dermot^ from its foimder
the great Mac Dermot Prince of Connaught. The Danes
committed dreadful ravs^es in this splendid Monastery, de-
stroying the library and plundering the sanctuary of vest-
mentSy chalices, crosses of gold and silver, jewels and other
valuable ornaments with which it was enriched. What the
Danes had left undone the English completed; they came
from Milick in 1201, and pillaged the church, sanctuary,
and town of Clonmacnois; neither the monuments of the
dead or the altars of the Most High could be secured from
the fury of these usurpers, and to finish the devastation,
when glutted with sacrilege they robbed and laid waste the
adjacent domains, together with the crops, gardens, and
houses of the inhabitants.* In the sixteenth century the
ancient Monastery of Clonmacnois, like the other religious
institutions of the country, fell a sacrifice to the rapacity of
the times; and thus was the door of hospitality closed against
the poor and the stranger, while sanctity and learning fled,
leaving nothing behind but mouldering ruins and ivy-clad
towers, the sad memento of bye-gone days — the melancholy
record of a profaned sanctuary and of a fallen degraded
nation.

The Monastery of Imniscattht, situated in a beautiful
island of that name, at the mouth of the Shannon and in the
County of Clare, was erected by St. Senan about the year
520.t St. Kieran of Clonmacnois spent several years in
this Monastery as providore for the poor and the stranger*
In 972, the Danes committed great destruction here; but
Brian, King of Munster, recovered the island after having
defeated lomhar the Norman; in which battle his two sons

• M'Geoghan, t For St SenaD, see c. 111.

102

and eight hundred of the Danes were slain.* In the 20th of
Elizabeth this Abbey with forty-four acres of land, (part of
its possessions,) and a right of toll on certain iSshing boats
coming into the port of Limerick, were granted to the
Mayor ^nd Citizens of Limerick at an annual rent.f The
monument of St. Senan is still preserved, with the remains
of eleven small churches and several cells; and in the centre
of these venerable ruins may be seen one of those round
towers of other days, one hundred and twenty feet high;
rising in majestic grandeur over the waters of the Shannon. J
The ancient library of this Abbey was greatly esteemed for
the number of its rare and valuable manuscripts — these have
been all swept away in the wreck. Neither religion, language,
or nation, has been spared; but the grand and hallowed ruins
are still to be seen, and in silent eloquence present to the
mind of the Irishman an impressive but melancholy outline
of the wrongs^ the woes, and the sufferings of his country.

* Annal. Monst. t And. Gen.

X On the subject of these round towers there appears a variety of opinion. It
is supposed by some that they had been originally intended for belfries ; others con-
jecture that they had been designed as habitations or retreats for anchorites ; while
according to a third hypothesis they might have been places of penance, in which
the penitents after having performed certain stations in the several lofts of the tower,
at length came forth and were publicly absolved. These opinions, however, do not
seem to correspond with the peculiai architectural construction of these towers, the
doors of which are generally ten or twelve feet from the base, while four windows
are placed at the top, facing exactly the four cardinal points. The general, and most
probable opinion is, that these round towers had been originally constructed and
used as temples for fire-worship ; in the lower part of which was the altar with the
hallowed fire ; while the top, with the windows so peculiarly disposed, served as an
observatory for celestial or astronomical purposes. It is weU known that in pagan
times fire-worship had formed a leadiog tenet among the supeistitions of the ancient
Irish, and it is very remarkable that round towers of a similar construction are to be
found in Hindostan, and other parts of the £ast, where fire-worship is still preserved
and generally practised. AAer the introduciton of Christianity into Ireland,
churches were erected on a site convenient to these towers, in order that the new
converts might now repair to, and worship the true God, in those very places where
they had formerly been accustomed to pay divine honour to fire, to the sun, and to
other created objects.

103

The Monaste&t of the Island op All Saints in Lough-
Rie, County of Longford, was established by St. Kieran
about the year 544. The temporal as well as the spiritual
wants of the poor, appear to have been among the first of
those noble objects contemplated by the founder in the erec-
tion of this religious asylum. By his extraordinary influence,
as well as by the united exertions of his community, this
Monastery became within the lapse of a few years possessed
of sufficient means to answer all the purposes which had
been originally contemplated.* It was, therefore, usually
designated the house of the poor, to whose relief its posses-
sions were made. applicable; while their spiritual wants were
at the same time attended to by the benevolent followers of
its truly apostolic founder. About the year 548, St Kieran
having resigned the government of this Monastery to his dis-
ciple St Domnann, repaired towards the south, and laid the
foundation of .his great establishment at Clonmacnois. The
Monastery of the Island of All Saints remained in a flourish-
ing condition for upwards of six hundred years after its
foundation; but about the period of the English invasion it
was suffered to decline, and at length became a complete
ruin. It was, however, rebuilt by one of the Dillon family
about the reign of Henry III., while its abbots continued in
regular succession until the sixteenth century. We should
be guilty of an ungrateful transgression, were we to omit
noticing the learned professor and writer Aogustin Mac Grai-
din, who flourished in this ancient retreat of literature about
the year 1405. That learned man was at this period its abbot,
and compiled a complete history of the acts of the saints of
Ireland, together with a comprehensive outline of the Annals
of this Abbey, down to his own timcf The possessions, of
which we have no exact account, were granted at the sup-
pression to Sir Patri^^k Bamwall.j:

• A. A. S. S. p. 191, t Ware Writers, p. 87. j Harria tab.

104

Thb Monastsrt of Dbrrt was founded by St. Columb-
kill about the year 546. This Abbey became a constant
scene of plunder during the ravages of the Danes^ and par-
ticularly under the government of the Abbot Gilla O'Brenain,
and of his successor Gill Christ O^Keamich, when the noted
Rotsel Pitun was defeated by the O 'Neils, and his troops
routed with dreadful slaughter. By a decree passed at the
Council of Brigh-Mac-thighe, in the County of Meath, in
1158, the Abbot of Derry had supreme jurisdiction over all
the Abbies of the Columbian Order in the kingdom,* and
its superiors continued in regular succession until the sixteenth
century, when its possessions, of which we have no exact
account, became involved in the general confiscation.

The Monastery of Clonenaoh, in the Barony of Marl-
borough, Queen's County, was founded by St. Fintan about
the year 548.t This Saint, anxious to establish a religious
house and place it under that austere discipline for which he
had been remarkable, fixed on a place called Cluain-Ednech,
(now Clonenagh,) or Latibulum Haderosum, the retired spot
covered with ivy. The school attached to this sequestered
Monastery was so celebrated that it ranked after the four dis-
tinguished seminaries already noticed. Among the eminent
men who received their education in it was Comgall of Ban-
gor, j: It was called the Gallican School, from the great num-
ber of foreigners who resorted there, and particularly from
Graul. The hospitality of this house was proverbial, while
the Monks by their rule were obliged to observe the most
rigorous austerity. This religious retreat suffered severely
durbg the Danish Wars, and about the year 1070 became a
complete ruin.

The Abbey of Kells in the County of Meath, was
founded by St. Columbkill about 650, and was dedicated to
the Blessed Virgin.§ This Abbey is remarkable for many

• Tr. Th, p. 205. f For St. Fintan, see c. III.

t Life of Finlan, c. V. § Tr. Th. p. 608.

105

memorable events. In 967 a furious attack had been made
on it by Sitric, the Dane, when he was routed with great
slaughter by O'Neil the Great, King of Ireland. In 1152,
the famous synod was held in the Abbey of Kells, at which
Cardinal Paparo, the Pope's Legate presided, and in which
he distributed palliums to the four Archbishops.* The Abbey
of Kells was six times destroyed by fire, but was afterwards
rebuilt in a style of greater magnificence, partly by the bounty
of the princes of Ireland, but much more out of the immense
revenues attached to it. It had the most splendid library of
any monastery in the kingdom, having been celebrated for
its manuscripts, among which was St. Columbkiirs book of
the Four Gospels, adorned with gold and precious stones. —
Richard Plunket was the last Abbot in 1537, when Henry
VIII. held three inquisitions and took into his own hands the
extensive possessions belonging to this Abbey, an account of
which shall be given in the history of the sixteenth century.
The Monastery op Durrow, in the Barony of Bally-
cowen. King's County, was one of the favourite retreats of
St. Columba, by whom it was founded A.D. 550. This re-
ligious asylum has contributed a large supply of learned and
holy men to our calendar, and during the seventh and eight
centuries became exceedingly celebrated for literature. Cum-
mian, distinguished ahke for his extensive knowledge and for
his advocacy of the Roman paschal computation, may be
ranked among the number of its scholars; while Kineth, Ai-
dan, Blathmac and others, are noticed by our annalists
among its learned professors and abbots.f The English soon
after their arrival in Ireland, committed great destruction in
this ancient establishment, having in 1175 stormed the town,
gutted the Monastery, and reduced the surrounding country
to the condition of a desert. By an indispensable ordinance
of the Columbian Institute, its members were obliged to de-

• Sw 12th Century. t Tr. Th. p. 507.

106

rote a conBiderable portion of each day to the useful employ-
ment of transcribing, on which account it is said that the
library of Durrow was the most select, and perhaps the most
Taluable in the kingdom. Among other curious wprks, there
had been preserved in it a splendid copy of the four Evange-
lists, transcribed by St. Columba, and adorned with engrav-
ings on plates of silver.* In the sixteenth century it became
a wreck, and during the 4th of Elizabeth, a lease of the
Abbey and of its possessions (which cannot be ascertained,)
was granted at an annual rent to Nicholas Herbert-f

The Monastery of Biri^, in the Barony of Fercall,
King's County, had St. Brendan for its founder, about the
year 550.]: During the administration of the Abbot St. Kil--
lian, in the seventh century, the reputati<)K of the school of
Birr had been so high, and the influx of foreigners so great,
that numbers of the native students generously yielded to the
strangers, and proceeded to finish their education in other
seminaries.^ So unbounded was the hospitality of this
Abbey, that 'the m^ks* themselves were not unfrequently
sent out by St. KIqpl through the surrounding country, to
discover if there was any person in distress. The last supe-
rior whom we have on record was Sioda Mac Namara; his
death is marked at 1311, after which time this ancient re-
treat was suffered to fall into decay, nor does it appear that
any effort had been made for its restoration.

The Monastery of Moville, (or Maghbile, the Plain of
Trees,) in the Barony of the Ardes, and County of Down,
was founded most probably by St. Finnian, about the middle
of the sixth century. Several saints and patrons of literature
have flourished in this ancient retreat, among whom are
noticed St. Senell, St. Liberius, and the pious and learned
Abbot Flathbertach, who died on a pilgrimage in 1098. The
Abbey of Moville continued to flourish until the year 1542:

* Ware Mod. t Aud. Geo. t For St. Brendan see c. III. § Usher p. 494.

107

James M^Guilmore was. the last abbot^ when this venerable
foundation, after having for a series of centuries braved the
storms of the Danes and the repeated attacks of both Scot-
tish and Irish depradators, became a prey to the plunderers
of the sixteenth centuryf and among its extensive posses-
sions the following parcels were confiscated to the crown: —
Seven townlands, among which were Drom Kerry and Bally-
hu^an, in Upper Clandeboy; a townland and a half in the
Little Ardes; four townlands of Luggan Droma; three town-
lands in the Ardes; and eight towulands in the country of
South O'Neil, together with the tithes of the whole lands of
the priory of Newton.*

The Monastery of AoHABOE^f in the Barony o^f Upper
Ossory, Queen's County^ derives its foundation from St Ca-
nice, or Kenny, about the year 577.:}; In the eleventh cen-
tury the Cathedral See of Ossory was removed from Saigar to
Aghaboe, when the shrine of the patron saint, Canice, was
deposited therein. This establishment was rebuilt in 1250 by
Fitzpatrick, ancestor of the Lords of Upper Ossory, under
the invocation of St. Canice, and granted to the Dominicans.
The town of Aghaboe was burned to the ground by M'Gille-
patrick in 1346, and the shrine and reliques of St. Canice
were lost in the conflagration. This retreat of learning and
sanctity continued to flourish until the time of Elizabeth^
when its possessions, which were then indeed very limited^
were granted together with the advowson of the rectory of
St. Canice of Aghaboe, at an annual rent of £5 ISs., to
Florence Fitzpatrick.§

The Abbey of 6l£ndalooh,|1 "once the luminary of the
western world," says an eminent writer, "whence savage septs
and roving barbarians derived the benefit of knowledge and the

* King, p. 345. f Anciently called Achadhbbo, or the Field of the Ox.

t For St. Canice see c. III.
i Aud. Gen. || Tht Abbey of the Glio, or Valley of the Two Loaghr,

108

blessings of religion." The Abbey Glendaloch in the Barony of
Ballynacor, County of Wicklow, was founded by St. Coem-
gen, or Kevin^ about the year 549.* The site on which the
^ Abbey stands is bold and romantic: here the mountains cast
a melancholy gloom on the valley beneath, and so awful and
venerable is the scene> that even to a mementary beholder, it
appears as if formed by nature for the study and contempla-
tion of the eremetic life. The Abbey was founded under the
invocation of St. Peter and St. Paul, and in process of time,
owing to the vast number of students and religious persons
who resorted here, Glendaloch became a populous and a
noted city. It was the see of a bishop in the seventh century,
while the succession of its abbots went on in uninterrupted
Older; and the schools of Glendaloch were frequented and
crowded with students even in those frightful times, when the
plains of this country were deluged with the blood of Danes
and Irishmen. In 1162, St. Lawrence O'Toole, who was
descended from the princely patrons of this Abbey, was
unanimously elected its superior, and was shortly afterwards
advanced to the archiepiscopal throne of Dublin. Its repu-
tation at length excited the jealousy of those who ought in
gratitude to have been its benefactors. In 1398, the poster-
ity of the original English adventurers, viewing the glaring
contrast between the flourishing schools of Glendaloch and
the petty, limited, mercenary seminaries in their own country,
came with fire and sword and burned and destroyed the city.f
The Abbey was, however, preserved, and continued to be
governed by its proper superiors until the sixteenth century,
when the universal wreck took place; and what the English
in 1398 forgot or scrupled to have done, was well remembered
and without scruple regularly executed by Henry VIII. and
his inimitable successors. The venerable ruins of Glendaloch^
even at this day, present an awful and an interesting picture

* For St. Kevin see c. III. t Annal Four Masteis*

109

to the mind of the curious and contemplative stranger. Among
these must be noticed the Church of the Trinity, standing on,
a rising ground north of the Abbey. The Seven Churches, ,
which in former days were the pride and glory of Glendaloch,
and for which it will be celebrated, even when the vestiges
now remaining are no more. The Cathedral Church, with its
curious doors, jambs and lintels, and its round tower one
hundred and ten feeet high, rising up in its ancient grandeur
amidst the prostrate ruins which surround it. Our Lady's
Church, the most westward of the Seven, and nearly op-
posite the Cathedral, is in ruins; but these very ruins speak
volumes, and the scattered monuments, crosses, and inscrip-
tions refresh the memory, and fill the mind with new and
painful thoughts. St. Kevin's Kitchen, so called, and un-
doubtedly one of the Seven Churches, is entire; together
with its architraves, fretted arches, and round belfry forty-
five feet high. The finger of time alone and of human
neglect seem to have wrought the work of desolation in this
part of the builduig. The Rhefeart, or the Sepulchre of
Kings, is rendered famous for having seven kings interred
within its walls.* The Ivy Church stands to the westward,
with its unroofed walls overgrown with ivy. The Priory of
St. Saviour is a complete ruin. Teampull-na-Skellig in the
recess of the mountain, was formerly called the Temple of
the Desert, and whither the austere fathers of the Abbey
were wont to retire on vigils, and days of particular
mortification. The celebrated bed of St. Kevin on the
south side of the Lough, and hanging perpendicularly at a
frightful height over jthe surface of the waters, is another
object in which the mind of the antiquary would be much

* The tomb of M'Thuill, or O'Toole, ihe ancient Chieftan of this territory, is
plaoed in thtB Church with the foUowing inscription :

J18U8 Christ.

Mile DEACH FEUCH CORPRE MAC MTHUIL.

Se^ here the resting-place of the body of King M'Thuill, who died is Christ 101 0«

110

gratified; and on the same side of the mountain are to be
seen the remains of a small stone building, called St. Kevin's
ceil. These hallowed ruins stand in the heart of a pictur-
esque and beautiful^ country — the romantic mountains by
which they are encompassed — ^the long-extended valley
beneath, with its intermixture of rivulets, flowers, and ruins,
and the solemn and dead silence of nature throughout the
scene, must render Glendaloch a book of meditation for the
stranger — of instruction for the Irishman — and of dread and
terror for the despoiler and the plunderer.

These few Monasteries selected from the long catalogue
which our Monasticons present, may enable us to form some
idea of the literary and religious spirit of our forefathers. —
The limits of this analysis will allow us to give merely a list
of the remainder, together with the names of their respective
founders.

The Monastery of Clones in the County of Monagban,
had St. Tigernach for its founder: Thomas Biudhe was the
last abbot, when its possessions were granted by Elizabeth to
Sir Henry Duke,* and afterwards became the property of
Lord Thomas Dacre. — Muckamore, County of Antrim,
founded by St. Colman Elo, the possessions were granted to
Sir R. Langford.f — Roscommon founded by St. Coeman, the
possessions were granted to Sir Nicholas Malbye.J — Anna-
trim in the Queen's County, founded by St. Coeman. — Inch-
MACNBRiN, an island in Lough- Kee, County of Roscommon,
founded by St. Columba; the property was given by Eliza^
beth to William Taaffe.§— Kilmorb in the County of Ar-
magh, founded by St. Moctoe. — Rosture, near Slieu-Bloom,
Queen's County, founded by St. Brendan.||— Rosscairbrk in
the County of Cork, founded by St. Fachnan.— Edardruin
in the County of Roscommon, founded by St. Diradius. —
Camross in the County of Wexford, founded by St. Abban. —

• Davis' Collect, t Harris' tab. X Aud.-Gen. $ Id. || ArchdalL Mooast.

Ill

FiONMAGH, (Lady's Island,) in Fothart, County of Wexford,
founded by St. Abban. — Cluain-Finglass in the County of
Cork, founded by St. Sedna. — Kill-na-Marbham, or the
Church of the Dead, in the County of Cork, 'founded by St.
Abban. — Inis-Kealtre in Lough-Dergh, founded by St.
Camin. — ^Tirdaglass in . the • the County of Tipperary,
founded by St. Columba. — Clonpbjit-Molua in the King's
County, founded be St. Molua. — Devenish, in Lough-Erne,
County of Fermanagh, founded by St. Molaisse. — Killa-
BAiN in the County of Meath, founded by St. Abban. — ^Au-
GiKA, in Lough-Ree, County of Longford, founded by St.
Kieran. — Clinish, an island in Lough-Erne, founded by St.
Senell. — Cluain-Conbriun, in the Golden Vale, County of
Tipperary, founded by St. Abban. — ^Ardfinnan in the
County of Tipperary, founded by St. Finian. — Killmoydoo
in the County of. Longford, founded by St. Modan. — Kille-
rea in the County of Cork, founded by St. Chera. — Cluain-
DAiMH in the County of Down, founded by St. Mochommoc.
Enach-Duan in the County of Galway, founded by St. Bren-
dan. — KiLLARAGHT in the County of Sligo, founded by St.
Coeman. — Killchairpre in the County of Sligo, founded by
St. Carpreus. — SEANBHOTnin the County of Wexford, founded
by St. Colman. — Lorrah in the County of Tipperary, founded
by St. Ruadan. — Clonpert-Kerpan in the County of Kil-
kenny, founded by St. Abban. — Fiddown in the County of
Kilkenny, founded by St. Maidoc. — Ireland's-eye, a small
island lying to the north of the Hill of Howth. An abbey
was founded here by St. Nessan, and in it was preserved the
book of the Four Gospels, commonly called the Garland of
Howth.

CHAPTER III.

Religious and Literary Characters of the Sixth Century —
General Observations.

In addition to the eminent men whose biography may be
found in the foregoing chapters^ there yet remain an host of
others, whose learning, virtues, and literary labours have
contributed in this century to shed lustre on the Church of
Ireland.

St. Sbnan, a native of Corco-Daskind, in Thomond, and
of royal descent, has been ranked among the Fathers of the
Irish Church in the sixth century. His birth was foretold by
St. Patrick, when our Apostle had been preaching to the in-
habitants or that territory A.D. 448. Senan, when a young
man, retired from the world and received the religious habit
from the hands of the holy Abbot* Cassidus. Some time
after he repaired to the school of Natalis,"*^ where he soon
distinguished himself; and his superior talents and sanctity
became the subject of universal admiration. About the year
520, and at the age of fifty, he founded the great Monastery
of Inniscatthy.f Here Senan gave constant and public lec-
tures on the Scriptures, fathers, and doctrines of the Church;
while the number of learned priests and bishops whom this
establishment sent forth have justly elicited the eulogy of our

* In the metrical life of St. Senan, by St. Colman, of Cloyne, we read : " In
visione igitur — hoc Abbati praeciptur — Abbati, inquam, Cassido — hoc jubetur a
Domino — ut Senanum novitium — et Abbatem eximium — mittat Natalum nomine*-
nt subejus regimine — disciplinis et artibus — instrueretur plenius — fuit enim tunc
temporia — fama Natali Celebris — cum ingens congregatio— in ejus contubernio—
quinquaginta videlicet — et centum fratrum degeret."

t See c. II.

113

ancient writers. His death occurred ou the 8th of March,
A.D. 546^ and so g^reat was the reverence in which he had
been held; that the prelates, clei^, and principal persons of
the country aksembled in his Church, and his obsequies were
celebrated for- eight days. The fame of St. Senan has not
been confined to Ireland; it was spread over the Continent,
and his acts have been published among those of the saints
•f Britapny, and other countries.*

^ St CoLUMBA, Son of Cbimthan, was of the royal race of
Hy Kinsella, in Leinster, and a disciple of St. Finian of
Clonard.f Having completed his studies, he selected three
diseiples, Fintan, ^ooumen, and Coeman. Viewing Clone-
pagh from an adjacent mountain, and interested for the hap-
piness of its people, he recpmmended Fintan to settle there.
He himself shortly after laid the foundation of the great
Monastery and Seminary of Tirdaglass, in the Barony of
Lower Ormond, County of Tipperary, about the year 648. —
6t Columba is said to have written several tracts abounding
with much biblical research and illustration. He had a
peculiar taste for the sciences, the leading demonstrations of
which he was wont to convert to the most noble and sublime
purposes, and frequently rendered them elucidatory of many
of the fundamental and mysterious dogmas of the Christian
Religion. St. Columba died oathe 13th of December, A.D.
652.

St. MotAissB of Dbvbkish, sometimes called Lasirean,
was a native of Carbury, County of Sligo. Having departed
from the school of Qlonard, to which he had for several years
been attached, he retired to the island of Devenish, in Lough
Erne, about the year 660.J: Here he erected a splendid
abbey, which for lessons in morality and science, ranked
next to Bangor, in the north. While the rule which St. Mo-
laisse had drawn up for the government of his community,

* Lobiocan Hitt. de Brettognt , t Tr. Th. p. 457. t Vit. 8. Maid.

114

evinced bis practical knowledge of the human heart and of
the Gospel counsels; his public discourses on both philosophi-
cal and sacred subjects formed the theme of uniyersal admi-
ration, and attracted multitudes of strangers to the romantic
and literary shores of Lough Erne. We who live in those
days of oppression on the one hand, and of beggary on the
other, can form a very faint idea indeed of the happiness
which at this period reigned along the winding and pictures-
que shores of this lovely lake. The very strangers who came
here for education, were unwilling to remove from it; while
those who did return to their native country were enabled to
become the teachers of their own people; and both in their
discourses and writings never failed to eulogize the sanctity,
the learning, and disinterested hospitality of Ireland. The
name of Molaisse of Devenish, has been noticed with great
respect by foreign writers, while the scenes of his labours,
now in ruins and washed by the waters of Lough Erne, furnish
the mind with an abundance of serious and awful lessons for
meditation. St. Molaisse died on the 12th of September,
A.D. 670.

St. Bbbndan of Birr, was of a noble family, having been
descended from Corb, Prince of the Decies, in M unster.*
Among the disciples of Finian of Ctonard, Brendan holds a
distinguished rank ; and in the Acts of that Saint he is charac*
terized as a. "Prophet and one of the leading men in the
schools of Ireland." This Saint was a great favourite with
Brendan of Clonfert, with the two Kierans, and particularly
with Columbkill, on whose virtues he composed several poems,
both in Irish and Latin.f About the year 550 he founded
the Abbey of Birr, in the present Barony of Fercall, King's
County. Brendan is represented by the Irish Annalists as a
man of great natural endowments; but sacred poetry was
that in which he principally excelled. Being a profound

• Tr. Th. p. 544. t Ware Writers.

115

theologian, and haying made the writings of the Psalmist
and of the Prophets his constant study, he is said to have
written a variety of sacred pieces, which were at that time
used in the churches of Ireland, and were held in extraordi-
nary veneration. Colgan intended to have published his Acts,
but this desideratum has not, it seems, appeared. St. Bren-
dan died on the 29th of November, A.D. 571, and is justly
numbered among the Fathers of the Church of Ireland.*

St FiNNiAN of Maohbile, or Moville, in the County of
Down, was descended from a branch of the princely bouse of
Dalfiatach. When very young be was placed under the care
of Colman of Dromore, and from thence he repaired to the
great school of Nennius in Britain, and finally to Rome,
where he was raised to the priesthood. About the year 530,
he founded the great Monastery of Moville, in the seminary
attached to which St. Columbkill received his education. St.
Finnian was raised to the episcopal digninty,f and in the
Acts of Comgall of Bangor, he is thus spoken of: '^Vir ve-
nerabilis Finnianus Episcopus, qui jacet in multis miraculis
in sua civitate Maghbile." St. Finnian died in the year 576,
and his memory was held in great veneration through the
whole territory of Ulidia. The learning of this Saint together
with his great virtues, entitled him to be ranked with St
Finnian of Clonard. He is said to have been the author of
several works on sacred and scientific subjects, all of which
are now lost in the waves of time, and most likely amid the
storms which blew over the Church of Ireland during the
sixteenth and succeeding centuries.

St FiNTAN of Clonenaoh was a native of Leinster, hav-
ing been bom near Ross, in the County of Wexford, about
the year 520.^ Fintan studied under St. Columba, the son
of Crimthan, aud by his advice formed the great establish-
ment of Clonenagh about the year 548.§ The discipline of

* Usher't Ind. Chron. t A. A. S. S. p. 643. t Colgan life, &e. $ S«e c. II.

116

St. Fintan's rule wag the most rigoroat of any m Ireland;
sereral holy men who bad for years been inured to great
mortification^ having entered Clonenagh, were unable to com-
ply with the observance of its rules. On some occasions the
Saint allowed them a trifling relaxation, while he himself ob-
served to the letter the austerities of the Institute. Clones
liagh was rathet a nursery of saints than of learned men: it
was less distinguished for human literature than ma^y others;
but as a retreat of penance— as a school of sanctity and of
religious knowledge, it stood in those days unrivalled. While
theological instructions were delivered thecM^tically in its
balls, the most sublime counsels of the Gospel, and the moet
interesting truths of divinity were observed in the cloister,
and practically exemplified by its holy and mortified inmates,
fit. Fintan died on the 17th February, A.D. 597.

St. Cakicb, or Kbknt, (Cainech,) from whom the City of
Kilkenny derives its name,* was bom in the territory of Kien-
natta,t in Ulster, A.D. 516. His father was Laidec, a cele^
brated poet, and the name of his mother was Melda. Canice
at an early age repaired to Britain, and placed himself under
the care of the venerable Abbot Cadoc; he afterwards at^
tended for several years at the school of St. Finnian of CIo^
nard, and being duly qualified for the mission, Canice went
forth and preached the Gospel in various districts of the
North of Ireland. This Saint next proceeded to the south,
and having entered the territory now called Upper Ossory,
and meeting with great encouragement, he founded the cele^
brated Monastery of Aghaboe, about the year 577. j:

The seminary attached to Aghaboe was famous for lectures
on the Scriptures and sacred poetry. St. Canice has written
a copy of the four Gospels with a valuable commentary^

* A church had been dedicated there to St. Cainech, or Kenny.

t The present Barony of Kenaght, in the County of Derry, forms a portion of
this territoty,

$ See c. II.

117

whi<ih was pi'eaerV&d for a long time^ and called GlaB»-Cain»-
e€li> or the Chain of Canice.* He was endowed With supers-
natural girts, and greatly esteemed as a biographer and a
poet. St. Canice has written, likewise, a life of St Columb«-
kill, and a collection of hymns, which in those days were et.*
ceedingly admired and gaiemlly used in the churches of Ire*
land. The Saint died on the 1 1th of October, A.D. 599, and
in the 83rd year of his age.

St. MOLtJA of Clokv&et^Molua, was descended of a
noble family in the territory of Hy-Figinti, in Munster* Glo>
nard aiid Bangor were the establishments in which he had
been educated. By the adtice of St. Gomgall> Molua re-
turned with a lew disciples to Munster, and formed a religious
settlement near Mount Luachra in the County of Limerick.-^
From thence he directed his course towards Slteve-Bloom and
erected the celebrated Monastery of Clonfert^Molua, in the
King's County. St. Molua drew up a particular rule for his
monks, which was highly aj^roved of by St. Gregory the
Great, and he is said to have laid the fbundatioa of one
hundred religious houses.f Clonfert-Molua was not only the
seat of learning, but likewise an house of rigid discipline and
superior sanctity. The founder is ranked among the Fathers
of the Irish Church, and his death occurred on the 4th of
August, A.D. 608.

St. CoEMiSEN or Kevin o( Gl£nsaloch was of a dis-
tinguished family in the temtory of Thrtuathal, the country
of tlie OTooles in the County of Wicklow. In his seventh
year he was committed to the care of the venerable Petrocusf,
and afterwards spent several years under the direction of the
holy Anchorites Eogan, Lechan, and Enna. About the year
549, he founded the Celebrated Abbey of Glendaloch, at
which period also he attended the Assembly at Usneach,
together with Sts. Columba, Comgttll and Canice. Shortly
after the foundation of Glendaloch, St. Kevin retired into a

* Usher p. 1065, t S^* Bernard's life of Molu.

118

^ild and lonely part of the mountains of Wicklow, where,
separated from man, and conversing with God alone, he spent
four years in prayer and the contemplation of the holy Scrip-
tures.* Here he practised the greatest austerities, but was
at length prevailed on by his monks to return to Glendaloch
and superintend its discipline. Some writers mention him as
Bishop of that place; this, however, is uncertain, and amounts
to a mere opinion. St. Libba, his nephew, who flourished in
the seventh century, was certainly Bishop of Glendaloch,
and most probably the first Prelate in that See. St Kevin
preached for several years and instructed multitudes, not
only through the medium of human knowledge, but much
more by the wonderful and superior sanctity of his life. —
This Saint died on the 3rd of June, A.D. 618.

To present a regular biography of all the eminent men
whose virtues and learning shed lustre on the Irish Church of
the sixth century, would be a task which the limits of this
analysis will not allow us to encounter. The other leading
characters among them were St. Nessan, Abbot an4 founder
of Mungret, near Limerick — St. Ruadan, Abbot of Lorrah,
County of Tipperary — St. lUand, descended from Leogaire,
and Superior of Rathlibhten in the King's County — St. Der-
mit, of the princely house of Hy-fiachre, and Abbot of Inis-
clothran in the County of Longford — St. Aidus, descended
from Nial of the Nine Hostages — St. Rioch, of Inisbofinde
in Lough Rie — St. Carthagh, Bishop in Kerry — St. Molua-
Lobhur, from whom the See of Killaloe has been named — St.
Cormac, sumamed Nepos Liathani, and disciple of St. Colum-
ba — St. Coeman, Abbot of Airdne-cemhain, near Wexford —
St. Endeus, Abbot of Emlaghfad in the County of Sligo —
St. Conan, of the Tyrconnel line of the Nialls and Abbot of
Cnodain, County of Donegal — St. Sinell, disciple of St. Fin-
nian of Clonard, and Abbot of Cluain-inis in Lough Emef —
St. Evin, founder of the Monastery of Ros-mic-treoin, now

• Hams Writers. t Tr. Tb. p. 460. A, A. S. S. 463,

119

Old Ross, in the County of Wexford; with a countless cata-
logue of others; all men of superior talent,, learning, and
sanctity. This chapter shall close with a brief account of
the holy virgin It a, to which shall be subjoined some appro*
priate observations.

St. It A, whom our annalists style the Brigid of Munster, was
descended from a branch of the princely house of the Desii,
in the County of Waterford, and was bom about the year
480. Having arrived at a proper age she signified her in-
tention of consecrating herself to God, but her parents being
of a worldly disposition were averse to her wishes, and re-
fused to grant their assent. Their reluctance, however, hav-
ing been removed, I ta. proceeded to the Church of St. Dec-
Ian, from whom she received the white veil, and was enrolled
in the list of consecrated virgins."* Some time after she re^
paired to the territory of Hy-Conaill, in the County of Lim-
erick, and at the foot of the mountain Luachra, in a retired
spot called Cluain-Credhuil, she fixed her residence; and was
soon joined by numbers of pious maidens who came from all
parts of Ireland to place themselves under her direction. —
The aust^ty which this holy virgin had practised was ex-
traordinaiy: she performed many miracles and was favoured
with the gift of prophecy. Several holy abbots and high
dignitaries of the Church deemed it an honour to visit St.
Ita; and the learned Brendan, with many others, frequently
consulted her on spiritual subjects and were guided by the
wisdom which her answers conveyed.f Having reached a
great age, and calling her community around her, she sig-
nified to them that her hour was approaching, and soon «fter
departed to her Lord and Spouse on the 15th of January,
A.D. 570. j: St. Ita is considered the patron Saint of Hy-
Conaill, together with St. Senan of Inniscatthy. Alcuin in
one of his poems places her after St Brigid, and Colgan in
the appendix to her life has collected various eulogiums to

•Vit.c. V. tId.c.VII. $A.A.S.S.p.72.

120

the same purpose. The effects of St*. Ita'a labours contmued
for ages after, and contributed in no small degree to exalt the
rising edifice of the Church of Ireland.

Among the many virtues which had shed siich a lustre on
the character of the Irish Saints of the sixth century, their
truly apostolical zeal is not the least conspicuous, and may
justly challenge our admiration. No sooner had these men
been enlightened by the Grospel than they seemed, like the
fathers of the apostolic age, filled with an ardent desire of
communicating its blessings to the rest of mankind; for this
purpose many of them retired fh>m the land of their birth,
and while in the progress of their mission they had brought
multitudes into the fold of Christ, they at the same time pro-
cured for their country a reputation which induced foreigners
to visit its shores and become afterwards its warmest panegy-
rists. On the other hand, the sanctity of the ecclesiastics,
to whose care the government of the Church of Iceland had
been entrusted, contributed in the mean time to complete
this national character; the virtues which they inculcated they
strictly practised, while their good example necessarily pro*
duced its proper effects; the country became a land of saints,
and the distant stranger returned home filled with admiration
at the many and exalted instances of Christian heroism by
which he had been edified. From the historical facts of the
sixth century we are thus enabled to form some estimate of
the high position which our nationid Church had attained at
this early period; while from the events which occurred, and
the characters who flourished during some of the succeeding
ages, it will be seen that its uame had become even still more
celebrated.

This portion of our history may likewise be eniployed in
illustrating a truth which has been already advanced in the
foregoing pages, namely, that public gratuituous education,
aided by a priesthood perfectly disengaged from the plear
sures, wealth, and pomp of this world, is, under Providence,

121

the great ordinary instrument by which the moral regent
ration of a people can be effected. The rule by which such
a priesthood is regulated takes its source from the Gospel it-
self; it was observed by all the ancient fathet^ of the Church,
and without it the Cross of Christ would most probably have
never made such a rapid and triumphant progress. Under
such a priesthood in the sixth century, Ireland was a land of
religion: these men sojourned on the earth but their thoughts
were in heaven, strangers to luxury, unacquainted with the
pomp and riotting of the palace, they never thought to main-
tain that wealth and grandeur were essential to their station.
Many of them had been of noble extraction, and before their
entrance into the sanctuary had great worldly prospects
placed before them. Yet all these prospects were sacrificed,
and the humble counsels of the Gospel were preferably em-
braced and rigorously practised. Hence it was that their re-
ligious retreats became schools of science and of morality;
while the monastery was a home for the way-iSsu'ing man, and
it was an asylum of comfort for the afflicted and the destitute
of the surrounding country. Happy Ireland in the olden
cathcrfic times of our forefathers ! nor shall the picture be at
present reversed or the melancholy counter-part exhibited.—
It is hoped, however, that brighter days are beginning to
open upon us; the darkened cloud cannot always rest on the
splendid surface of the light of heaven: and although an
epoch like that of the sixth century may, in all probability,
never again revolve, yet one thing is certain, the fiiith of that
celebrated age and the Church which is its guardian, are
moving along with a rapid and an irresistable velocity ; and
neither the disguised malice of man nor the open undisguised
efforts of human power have been able to put a sufficient
obex to its progress, or divert it, even for an instant, from
the regular and straight-lined direction in which it has for
eighteen hundred years steadily and triumphantly proceeded
in its course.

SEVENTH CENTURY.

CHAPTER L

State of the Church of Ireland at the commencement of the
seventh century — Its Literature-r-^Sehools of Cork — Of
old Leiffhlin — Of Taghmon and of Lismore — History of
the Paschal controversy in Ireland — Its adjustment in the
Southern diocesses — The andent Cyde supported by the
Columbian Order — Mission and See- of Lindiefame estab*
lished by Irishmen — Sts. Aidan^ Finan and Cormae —
Effects produced by Irish literary ecclesiastical establish^
ments both at home and in foreign nations — History of
SL Oallusy of St. Fursey and of St. KiKan—Acts of
the National Synod under the Primate Flan Febhla.

The Church of Ireland at the close of the sixth c^itury
was unquestionably one of the first national churches in the
Christian world. Its progress during the seventh century was
still more rapid and successful. New and extensive seats of
literature were founded — several ecclesiastical sees were
established — retreats of piety and hospitality were to be
seen swelling the long list of antecedent institutions,
while the number of our exalted ecclesiastics became so
great, that multitudes, not finding sufficient scqse for their
exertions at home and fired with burning zeal, repaired to the
plainslind mountains, to the cities and deserts of the Conti<*
nent, where by labours unparalleled and perseverance almost
incredible, they ultimately succeeded in establishing the
kingdom of Christ, and are to this day looked up to as the
Apostles and patrons of these remote and long since illustri*-
ous districts. The ecclesiastical affairs of this century pre-

128

flentingy in the general outline,. a similar character with that
of the preceding one, the same order shall be observed in our
narrative of the leading facts; and therefore the principal
schools or colleges which had been founded at this period
must in the firs£ place be briefly yet distinctly noticed.
Among these literary establishments four shall be selected,
namely, that of Cork under St. Finbarr — of Old Lbioblik
under SL Laserian— of Taghmon under St. Fintan Munnu, and
of LiBMOBE which was founded by the learned St. Carthagh.

The most ancient literary establishment of the seventh
century is that of Cork, founded by St. Barr or Fmbariv
about the year 606. FinbaiT was a native of Connaught, of
the sept of Hy-Bruin-ratha, a district lying to the north-eaat
of the present town of Gralway and in the barony of Athenry.*
His family name was Lochan, so that Finbarr (white haired)
was merely his surname. This eminent man had been edu*
vated under the learned Mac-Corb, a disciple of Gregory the
Great.t After having travelled through Britain, Gaul,
Italy and several countries in quest of knowledge, Finban*
returned to Ireland and erected bis Monastery and School
near Loch-eire, at the south side of the river Lee, and on a
site granted him by a Chieftain named Edo.:{:

The high name which St. Finbarr had held for sanctity and
knowledge soon spread through Ireland and made its way to
distant parts of the Continent. Multitudes of scholars both
natives and foreigners repaired to Cork, and in a few years
this establishment contained within its walls several hundred
monks, many of whom bad been afterwards professors in
various schools, both in this Nation and in foreign countries*!
St. Finbarr had several eminent disciples, among whom arc
reckoned the celebrated Garvan, from whom the present
town of Dungarvan is named; and the learned Nessan,

• Harris Antiq, c. 7. — Ogygia t Vit. Finbarri, c. 16.

i Hanmer Chron. i Vit. Finb,

124

whose character as a professor of sacred literature had after^
wards brought still greater numbers of studenta from aH
parts to the schools of Cork. The NessAn of whom
mention has been now made, and upon wbom^ next to
Finbarr, the reputation of the seminary of Cork depended^
is by no means to be confounded with Nessan of Mungret, a
mistake into which Smith in his history of Cork, has most
isnaccountably (alien. This would end in an utter confustOA
both of facts and of Chronology f the latter having died in 652y
and the former in the seventh century. The same writer was
equally incorrect in ascribing the foundation of Cork to the
Danes. Cork had been a populous city long before these
?Iorthems had ever set foot on Irish ground. The feet is, the
schools of Finbarr and of his disciple Nessan having been so
distinguished and vast multitudes of scholars pouring in from
all parts of Ireland and from distant regions of the Continent
to this seat of morality and learning, Cork in a very few
years became an extensive city; nor wiU it be denied that it
might have been in after times enlarged and considerably imr
proved by these barbarous yet enterprizing invaders. Philr
^sophy and the study of the sacred Scriptures were strictly
attended to in its Schools. While the truths of heavenly
wisdom had been inculcated, the most sublime virtues were
practised and the sanctity of its members became so greait
that their names obtained insertion in the litanies and other
public prayers of those religious and happy times.

The Abbey was refounded in 1 1 34, by Cormac, King of De*-
mond, at which time the constitutions of the Canons Regular
of St. Augustin were introduced and its Church was solemnly
consecrated under the invocation of St. John the Baptist.''^
The succession of its abbots waR preserved unbroken until the
sixteenth century. In the 33rd of Elizabeth, its possessions
were confiscated, while the venerable Abbey^ which was still

* Ware Mon.

126

hallowed by the virtues of Finbarr wag soon after demolished
and became numbered among the melancholy ruins of the
country.*

Thb Schools of Old Leighlin in the County of Carlow^
deserve an high rank among the literary foundations of
Ireland in the seventh century. St. Laserianf so distinguished
in the Paschal controversy, having returned to his native
country, was invited by St. Gobban to undertake the govern-
ment of the Monastery which that Saint had some time
before erected in the district- of old Leigblin.j:

This establishment was considerably enlarged by Laserian
and in the lapse of a few years contained within its cloisters
fifteen-hundred monks.§ These men supported themselves
by manual labour; and in consequence of their numbers and
the fertile district in which they had been situated, they were
enabled to receive a greater compliment of students than
many of the other institutions. If we may except Lismore,
the Seminary of Old Leighlin was undoubtedly the most dis-
tinguished of those which owe their origin to the period of
which we are now treating. Its lectures embraced the general
literature of those times, and the fame which it had acquired
in Ireland and in foreign countries attracted such multitudes
of students and of religious persons to its halls that Old
Xeighlin soon became a town of great note, and it is said
that the country for miles around was usually denominated
the territory of saints and scholars. This Abbey continued
until about the middle of the eleventh century, when it was
totally destroyed by fire.||

* By an inqutsititm taken in the 33rd of £liiabetli» this Abbey together with 60
acres of land in Ballygagin — 260 acres in Kilnoony in the County of Kerry — 80
acres north-east of Cork, and the Island of Insiquiny, parcel of its possessions
were granted to Sir Richard Greaville, at the annusd rent of £15 8s. 6d. Irish
money.— 'Auditor Gen. Office.

t For Laserian, see chap. 2Qd, Old Leighlin. t A. A. S. S. p* 7dO.

$ Vit. apud Holland. B Tr. Tb. p. 033.

126

The third seat of literature which shall be noticed is that of
Taohmok in the C!oanty of Wexford. This establishment
was founded by St. Fintan Munnu in the commencenaent of
the seventh centuiy, and its celebrity was distinctly foretold
by St. Colnmbkill long before St Fintan presented himself
as a postulant at the great Monastery of Hy.* According
to the directions of Baithen, the successor of Columbkiil,
Fintan repaired to the Province of ]<einster, and in that part
of it called the territory of Hy-Kinsellaghy he erected a
Monastery, to which the celebrated School we are now treat-
ing of was annexed.f St. Fintan Munnu in addition to his
extraordinary piety, was one of the most enlightened men of
his day. He spent several years in the Schools of Kilmore
and of Bangor, after which he continued for eighteen yeans
under the instructions of the learned Sinell at Cluain^inis in
Lough-Erne. The Schools of Taghmon were attended by a
great supply of teachers, and the sciences with the doctrine
of the Scriptures and the Fathers were the principal studies
for which it was remarkable. The Saint himself was deeply
Tersed in scientific knowledge, of which he frequently availed
himself in his public lectures, converting the sublime re-
searches of Mathematics into moral instruments, and by
means of which he shed new radiance around the sacred
truths and impenetrable mysteries of the Christian revelation.
He was the great opponent of Laserian in the famous contro-
versy about the adoption of the Alexandrian cycle. Mean^
while his Schools were frequented by multitudes, and a large
town was soon seen rising up on the borders of an extensive
forest and in the heart of a lovely country, which from the
Saint was called Tbaoh-munnu or the habitation of Munnu,
now Taghmon.J It is unnecessary to dwell on the many
and great advantages which religion and the character of
the Nation had derived from this learned and hospitable

* For St. Blunuu, 3ec chap. III. t Adamnau, L. I, f Tit. Fint. c. 32.

127

establishment. While it stood distinguished for the talents
and exalted sanctity of its masters, it was equally so for the
number of its eminent scholars, many of whom became
afterwards the founders of literary institutions and the teach-
ers of distant and unconverted regions. About the com-
mencement of the eleventh century it was suffered to decline,
and by a charter* of Biennot, King of Leinster, was
granted as a cell to the Abbey of Ferns.
- The celebrated Schools of Lismore must now challenge our
attention. •

LisMORX is situated in the County of Waterford, in the
barony of Coshmore and on the south side of the river
Blackwater. Its natural situation is highly calculated even
to assist the mind of the student in its most lofty and con«*
templative excursions, being seated almost in the centre of a
rich and romantic valley, with the expansive bay of Dun-»
garvan on the one side and a chain of mountains on the
other. Here St. Carthaghi* founded his celebrated Monastery
and School, about the year 633.% He had been, before
this period, consecrated Bishop and became the founder of
that See to which he gave the name of Lias-mare^ that is
great habitation or town. In a> short time this literary
establishment was greatly enlarged. From a wild and soli-
tary spot, Lismore became a considerable city, and the fame
of its Schools soon spread not only over Ireland and Britain,
but alsato the most distant parts of the Continent. Besides
the lectures which were read on Theological subjects; Phil-
osophy, the Sciences, and the general literature of the day
had been studied in its halls. Irishmen were not the only
persons who comprised the list of its students. Numbers
came from Albaiiia and Britain, while multitudes flocked
from Gkul, Germany, Italy, the regions of the Danube,
and from the most distant quarters of Europe.^

* Archdall Mon. t For St. C&rtbagli see c. II. t Usher, Ind. Chron.

$ The learned Bonaventure Motqiu thus describes this great conflux of foreigners

128

The Schools of Lismore became still more celebrated after
the death of St. Carthagh, and particularly under the learned
Cataldus about the middle of the seventh century.* Then>
indeed, Lismore had reached its apex of glory, and while
crowds of foreigners repaired thither for instruction, numbers
returned to their respective countries filled with gratitude
for the hospitable reception which they had experienced*
But the national and physical condition of this picturesque
part of Ireland has, for the last three hundred years, under-
gone a dismal revolution. The Schools of Lismore are
levelled to the ground — tradition alone marks the spot where
the genius of literature had once resided; and instead of the
Lismore of the seventh century crowded with strangers and
men of science from all nations, the passing traveller may
now behold in the heart of a lovely country, a mere village
without anything to recommend it save the recollections of
the days that are past, Und the mouldering remains of its
ancient grandeur.

While literature and morality had been thus advancing, and
the brightest epoch of the Irish Church rolling on in majestic
order, a question arose relative to the celebration of Easter,
which, although in itself a mere matter of discipline, seemed,
at least for a time, to disturb the harmony which had hitherto
prevailed. According to a rule universally received by the

who in those days of Ireland's splendour landed on our shores and repaired in
queat of knowledge to the literary and hospitable halls of Lismore.

" Undique conveniunt proceres, quoe dulce trahebat

Discendi Btadium, major num oognita virtus.

An laudata foret. Celeres vastissimd Rbeni

Jam vada Teutonic!, jam desernere Sicambri ;

Mittit ab extreme gelidos Aquilone Boemos

Albis, et Averni coeunt, Batavique frequentes,

£t quicumque colunt alta sub rupe Gehennas.

Non omnes prospectat Arar Rhodanique fluenta

Helvetips; multos desiderat ultima Thule.

Certatun hi properant diverso tramite ad urbem

Lismoriam, juvenis primes ubi transigit annos." — Us<her, p. 765.

• Tills Saint became afVcrwards Bishop of TarcntUBi.

129

Chrmtian Church> the Feast of Easter could Dot be celebrated
before the 14th day of the first Lunar month of the year;
that being the month in which our Saviour had risen from the
dead. The Churches of Asia Minor observed this Festival^
as the Jews did their Pasch, on the 14th day itself, without
regarding the day of the week on which it fell. On the other
hand, the Church of Rome and the Churches of the West>
together with those of Egypt, Palestine^ Pontus, and others^
did not celebrate it until the Sunday following the 14th day;
in consequence of the Resurrection of the Redeemer having
taken place on the first day of the week, now called Sunday*
To establish uniformity in the observance of this great Feast,
it was decreed by the Council of Nice, that it should be kept
on the Sunday immediately following the 14th day of the
first Lunar month ; and that it should not be held before the
Vernal Equinox, lest the Church might seem to agree with
the Jews, whose Pasch in some years fell before that period *
This decree was accordingly received by the universal Church;
some few, however, adhered to the former system, and by
thus resisting the authority of the Council were cut off from
the body of the faithful, and designated by the name of
Quartadedmans^ Matters having been thus adj usted, another
difficulty arose as to the mode of calculating when the first
day of the Lunar month commenced, and this was the part of
the question which gave rise to such disputation among out
Irish ecclesiastics. The Jewish cycle of 84 years was that
which was adopted by tlie primitive Christians ; it was ob«
served by the Romans and, in short, by the whole Western
Church in the time of St. Patrick. Some few years after the
Council of Nice, the Church of Alexandria substituted in its
plac^ the cycle of 19 years, invented by Anatolius, Bishop of
Laodicea, and afterwards reformed by Eusebius of Ceesarea;*
while the Churches of the West still adhered to the old Jewish

* Smith *s Append, to Bede*

130

method of calculation. This cycle of 84 years was subject
to many inaccuracies, and among other data, it supposed
each lunation to be shorter than it really is by two minutes
and some seconds.* Hence in the year 387 the Festival of
Easter was celebrated at Rome on the 18th of April, and at
Alexandria on the 26th: and in 417 the same feast occurred
at Rome on the 25th of March, and atr Alexandria on the
22nd of April. To obviate these discrepancies it was deemed
advisable to form a new cycle. About the year 457 that of
Victorius of Aquitain was published; and although it ap-
proached very near to the Alexandrine computation, yet in
many respects a very material difference existed.f At length
about the middle of the sixth century, Dionysius Exiguus
framed a new eycle, which in every respect corresponded
with that of Alexandria ; it was accordingly adopted by the
Romans, and afteiwards by the whole western world. The
Church of Ireland received the old cycle of 84 yeai-s from St.
Patrick, and it was in fact the computation which our Apostle
found practised in Gaul, and in Rome also, when he had
been in that city. This cycle was observed m Ireland with
that veneration which our forefathers paid to every thing
handed down to them by their beloved Apostle, and it con-
tinued until the year 610, when St. Dagan having been in
Britain, and meeting with Laurentius, Mellitus, and other
Roman Prelates, a seiious controversy took place on this
question of the Paschal computation. Shortly after a letter
was addressed by these Prelates to the Irish Clergy on the
same subject,}: and this it was which gave rise to various in-
quiries as to the right method of calculating the time of
Easter. It being a matter of discipline, or rather an astrono-
mical question connected with the leading festivals of the
year, some were of opinion that for the sake of uniformity the
Roman method should be adopted ; others were for correcting

• Uther p. 927. t Smith's DiiseiUt. t Bed« L. 2. c. 4.

131

the Irish system by allowiog the earliest Paschal Sunday on
the 16th of the Moon, according to the old Roman custom,
instead of the 14th; while the great body of the clergy held
out and were determined not to give up the calculation which
they had received from their predecessors. Matters thus
stood until the year 630, when an admonitory epistle was re-
ceived from Pope Honorius I.,* and in consequence a synod
was held at Old Leighlin. At this synod, according to Cum-
mian, the Bishop of Emly presided ; and it was attended by
the successors of Kieran of Cloamacnois, of Brendan of Birr,
of Nessan of Mungret, of Molua of CIonfert-Molua, Lase-
rian of Old Leighlin, Fintan Munnu of Taghmon, and the
other heads of the leading religious establishments of Ireland.
Laserian was the principal supporter of the Roman system:
a^uing on the ground of unanimity he maintained that the
former cycle of 84 years should be relinquished, and that the
one which had now been received by the other Churches of
the western world should be substituted in its place.t His
greatest opponent was Fintan Munnu ; and so profound was
the reverence in which this great man held every, even the
smallest particle of that which was delivered by SL Patrick,
that he could not, even in a matter of mere numerical calcu*
lation, be prevailed upon to adopt the opinion of Laserian
and others. He insisted that the cycle of 84 years was that
which the great Apostle of Ireland and the sainted fathers of
the fiilh and sixth centuries had practised and bequeathed to
htm ; that Church discipline did not in itself, essentially re-
quire uniformity of time or place ; that as to locality and time
discipline does and often must vary, and that if other nations
thought proper to alter the former cycle, that was no reason
why the Church of Ireland should give up the old Paschal-
computation, consecrated as it had been by their sainted pre-
decessors — by men who were distinguished for their zeal and

• Bcdc L. 2. c. 19. f Usher p. 936,

132

labours in foreign countries as well as at home, and who
justly ranked among some of the brightest ornaments of the
Christian world. The majority of the prelates and the heads
of the old establishments were, however, for adopting the
computation then practised by the universal Church; de«
daring that they had been directed by their predecessors to
follow that invariably which was held by the successors of
the apostles.''^ To set the matter at rest, one of the canons
drawn up by St. Patrick was cited : this canon states "if any
questions (difficulties) should arise in this island, let them be
Inferred to the Apostolic See/'+ Accordingly it was resolved
that deputies should proceed to Rome and refer the issue of
the question to the ultimate decision of the Pontiff himself
When these deputies had arrived at Rome they saw that
Easter was celebrated at one and the same time by people
from various nations, and on their return declared to the
fathers of the Irish Church that the Roman computation was
the one embraced by the Churches of Gaul, Italy, and of
the whole world. After this period (633,) the Roman cycle
was universally received all over Munster, it was adopted
Kkewise in the greatest part of Leinster, and over a consi-
derable portion of Connaught.J

Although the question of the Paschal computation was
thus disposed of in the south, it was opposed and gave rise
to various discussions in the northern diocesses of Ireland.—
Great numbers of the clergy in these districts were satisfied
to receive the Roman computation, yet the great majority
were strongly prejudiced in favour of the ancient cycle adopted
by their forefathers. The influence which the Columbian Or-

* Cummian Fasch. £p«

i " Si qua qusstiones in hftc insula oriantur, ad Sedem Apostolicain referautur.'*
This canon affords another convincing proof that the Irish Church did, fromitsYOrj
origin, acknowledge the supremacy of the See of Rome. See Appendix No, 1%

t Bcde L. 2. c. 3.

133

der possessed iu the north of Ireland was the principal cause
to which this discrepfioicy of c^inion should be attributed. —
Deriving its origin from St. Coiumbkill, whose name was in
itself a sanction, this distinguished bod j could command in
support of its system, the advocacy of men whose learning
and acknowledged sanctity would be sufficient to establish the
merits of any cause. Owing to these and other reasons, the
ecclesiastics of this Order had powerful influence, both in
Ulster and in other parts of Ireland; and having been stren-
uous advocates of the ancient cycle, their opinion in this re-
spect gained an overwhelming prepondei-ance in the northern
districts of the country. Thomian was then Archbishop of
Annagh: this Prelate witnessing the conflict of opinion
which the Paschal question had created, and anxious like-
wise to put a termination to its discussion, caused a letter to
be directed to Rome in which the arguments on each side
were fairly stated^* Although the letter of Thomian had not
been received at Rome until after the death of Pope Seve*
rinus, the Irish prelates and clergy had, nevertheless, an
epistle addressed to them soon after (in 640,) by John, the
Pope Elect, and the other beads of the Roman Church.f

• Bcde L. 2. c. Id,

t In this letter, (of which we have only a fragment,) there are two iMasagea
which must be noticed. From the first of these it appears that some of tiie Irish
clergy were considered by the writers of the letter as Quartadeeimum : "Reper2«
mus quosdam proviociad vestre, qnartadecima luna cum Hebrsis celebrare nitcn*
tes." This opinion, however, originated in a mistake; the Irish, no doubt, cele-
brated the Festival of Easter on the 14th day of the mooo, if it happened to fall
on a Sunday, but not otherwise ; they couM not, therefore, be called Quartadeei^
manu Again, this letter contains the following passage : *' £t hoc quoque cogno-
vbnus, quod virus Pelagianae bspreseos apud Vos deuuo reviviscit." *' And this
we also know, that the poison of the Pelagian heresy is again revived amongst
you." Hence it is inferred that this heresy had then gained ground in Ireland. Th«
infervBC^, however, cannot be admitted; for, in the first place, the Roman clergy
m^ht have been misinformed ; and, secondly, it does not appear from any one of
our ancient records that a Pelagian sect had ever existed in this country. Had
such been the fact, most certainly our annalists would not have passed it over un-
noticed.^ Sec the Fpistle of St. Columbanus to Pope Boniface IV., Appendix I,

134

Thb epbtle was directed <<To the Most Beloved and holy
Thomian, Archbishop of Armagh — Columbian, Bishop of
Clonard — Cronan, Bishop of Antrim — Dima, Bishop of
Connor, and Baithan, Bishop of Elphin. Cronan, Abbot of
MoTille — Emian, Abbot of Torey Island — Laistran, Abbot
of Ardmacnasca, near Down — Scellan, Abbot of Armagh>
and Segenus, Abbot of Bangor; together with Saran, Master
and Teacher of Theology, and the other Scot Doctors and
Abbots/'* Notwithstanding the tenor of this admonitory
document, the Irish Paschal computation was generally ad*
hered to in the province of Ulster, until about the year
704, at which time the celebrated Adamnan of Hy acknow*
ledged the Roman cycle, and by his influence had it after-
wards received in every diocess throughout the northern
districts of Ireland.f

So stead&st were the members of the Columbian order in
the observance of every thing delivered to them by their
founder and received by him from St. Patrick, that these
men, even in foreign countries, would never consent to relin-
quish a single particle of the mere discipline which had been
bequeathed to them by their ancestors. About the year 636,
this learned body became highly distinguished, and by their '
mortified life in the cloister as well as by their labours on the
mission, were soon recognized as so many moral luminaries
of the Christian Church. When Oswald, King of Northum-
berland, had been compelled to abandon his dominions and
consult his safety by flight, he took refuge in Ireland and
was jsoon after converted to the Christian faith. Owing to a
variety of circumstances, his aflairs began shortly after to
assume a more favourable appearance and Oswald being no
longer an exile vras determined on having the Oospel of
Christ established throughout his dominions. The Prelates of
the Irish Church were the persons to whom this pious Prince

• A. A. S. fi, 6th Jan. f BeUc, L. 5. c. 15.

135

communicated hi$ intentions, while his application was
accompanied with a request, that a bishop should be ap-
pointed, through whose ministry, that part of the British
Nation might be brought to a knowledge of the Christian
religion.* Aidan a Monk of Hy, a man of great meekness,
was the person selected.f He was consecrated in Ireland,
his natire country, and on his arrival in Northumberland, he
received from Oswald the Island of Lindisfarne, since called
''the holy Island," as a place in which his See. might be
erected. In a very short time, Aidan assisted by a number
of missionaries' whom he brought from Ireland, had the hap-
piness of seeing the whole of that wild and extensive district
converted to the faith of Christ. He formed congregations,
erected churches, and ultimately succeeded in establishing a
celebrated Monastery in the Island of Lindisfarne. Paulinns
who had been Archbishop of York, had, some time pre-
viously, retired from his See and fixed his residence in Kent:
for which reason the mission of Aidan took in a great scope
of the Northern district of Britain, comprehending also the
extensive diocess of York4 It is a remarkable fact that, for
thirty years, this diocess, so celebrated in ecclesiastical hisr
tory, was governed by Irishmen;! while the sees of their
own country instead of wanting the aid of a foreigner,
poured out missionaries in numbers, besides many prelates,
whose learning, labours and sufferings reflect honour on the
land of their birth and justly merit insertion on the pages of
our martyrology. Aidan continued to govern this district
until 661. Several writers have passed very high and well-
merited ^icomiums on the virtues of this apostolic man*
Among these the following testimony from the pen of Bede
may be selected. ''His instructions were well received by
every one, because he did not teach otherwise than as he
lived with his companions. He neither sought the things of

«A.A.S.S.p.46. tBede,L.3.c,5« |Bede,L.2.c. 14. jStmonof Durham, Epist.

136

thb world nor cared for them — whatever h^ got itotn kihgs
or wealthy persons he distributed among the poor that came
in his way. In his journeys he travelled not on hors^back^
but on foot, except in some case of great necessity, so that,
as he went along, he might address those whom he happened
to meet, whether rich or poor, and if infidels, exhort them
to embrace the Christian faith; if already believers, confirm
them in it. He made it a rule that all those who accompa*
nied him, whether of the clerical order or not, should be en-
gaged in reading the Scriptures or in getting the Psalms by
heart. Prom his example, religious persons of both sexes^
adopted the practice of fasting until None (three m the after--
noon) on every Wednesday and Friday in the year, except
Easter and Whitsuntide. He never overlookedi either
through respect or fear, the transgressions of the rich and
severely reprimanded them if guilty. He made no presents
to the powerful, although he used to treat them with eccleei-
astical hospitality, but on the contrary, he either gave to
the poor whatever money he obtained from the wealthy, or
laid it out on the redemption of slaves, several of whom he
afterwards instructed and even raised to the priesthood."*
The reverence which this great man paid to every thing de-
livered down by his ancestors, was such, that no arguments
could dissuade him from following the computation which he
had received in his own country. Hence Bede says: ''that
as every one knew he could not celebrate Easter contrary to
the practice of those who sent him, he diligently fulfilled
every Christian duty like all other saints, and accordingly
was beloved by all, even by those who differed from him on
that point, and was held in veneration not only by the
people at large, but likewise by the Bishops Honorius of
Canterbury and Felix of the East Angles.^f According to
Harris, Aidan was the author of several learned commenta-

• Bede, L. 3. c. 5. t W. c. 26,

137

ries dn thift Scriptures, Homilies and other tracts. He died
A.D. 661, and on the Slst of August. Aidan was suc-
ceeded in the See of Lindisfame by Finan, an Irishman and
a membw likewise of the Columbian order.* In the com-
mencement of his episcopacy, Finan converted to the foith
Peada, Prince of the middle Angles, and son of Penda the
pagan King of the Mercians. This event having prepared
the way for the still further progress of the Gospel, he
ordained four Priests^ Gedd, Add, Betti and Diuma for the
mission of that country. These he committed to the care of
the Prince, and after having with great perseverance sur-
mounted many difficulties, they at length succeeded in
bringing over the great body of the Mercians to the Christiaii
iaith. About the same time this holy Prelate converted also
Sigberet) King of the East Saxons^ and consecrated Cedd
Bishop of that Nation. Finan, afte^ a most laborious mia-^
sion^ in which he rendered inestimable service to the British
Nation, died A. D. 660.t Colman, a native of the County
of Mayo and a member of the Columbian order, succeeded
Finan in the government of Lindisfemei This Prelate had
scarcely arrived in Northumberland When the controversy,
relative to the celebration of Easter, was renewed and carried
on with greater warmth than it had been during the incum***
bency of his predecessors. The question was discussed in a
Synod held in the nunnery of Strenaeshalch (Whitby) and at
which the two Kings Oswin and Alchfrid attended. Colman
and the Irish clergy with others, argued strongly in fivour of
the ancient system; while Agilbert Bishop of the West
Saxons with the Priests Agathon and Wilfrid contended for
the new computation. After many principles had been ad«
vanced on both sides, the King declared in favour of the
Roman practice, in which he was joined by the great ma«
jorityof the assembly; Colman, however, would not consent

• Be<U, L. 3. c. 17. t A«a Fin. it 9, JuA.

138

to abandon the Irish systemy and 6oon after reogDcd the
See of landisfamey (A. D. 664,) after it had been governed
by Irish Prelates for upwards of thirty years,* On his de-
parture from Lindisfamey Colman took with him all the
Irish and about thirty of the English monks, and soon after
erected a Monastery at Innisboffin, a small island in the
ocean, off the barony of Morisk, in the County of Majro-t
His next foundation was at Maqh-xo, now Mayo, whither
he removed the English monks, leaving the Irish members
in the Monastery of the island. The establishment of Mayo
was, in the time of Bede, possessed by English monks;
and Usher observes, from the book of Ballymote, that in
Adanmaib's time, about the end of the seventh century, there
were one hundred Saxon ot English saints in this Monastery*
Frotik the En^isfa settlement in that fdace, this town had
been called Maigh-wi'Sasion, or Mayo of the English, and
in course of time it became very considerable and the see of
a bishop. Archdall, Colgan and others most stningely
tosert, that these English monks and even Colman himself
had been of the Benedictine order, and that they were the
first of that body who had settled in Ireland. Had this
been the fttct, these men instead of being opponents, would
have been most strenuous advocates for the Roman Pas6hal
computation; nor would they have adopted a discipline dif«
ferent from that of their brethren in Italy, France, Britain
and other countries. The truth is, wherever the Irish Pas*
ohal system had prevailed, there were no Benedictines ; and
In short) Wilfrid, the Saxon Priest, Colman's principal
'antagonist in Northumberland, assures us, that he was the
person who first introduced the order of St. BenedicI into
that part of Britain.;}^ Viewing this subject on historical
-grounds, it is certain, that the Monks of Mayo w^re not
Benedictines^^they and their patron Ccdman bdonged to the

• Bede, L. 3. c. 96. f VMt, Ind. ChroB. t William of MalMeflbury , L. 3.

139

iaatitaie of &U Golumbkill; idiich at tliat period was the
most leftraed as well aa tlie moat rigoroua order in either
Britain or Ineland. . Colman died on the 8th of August, and
in the year 676*

All our ancient vriteni and many foreign contemporaries
bear testimony to the high character which the Chureh of
lieland had at this period maintained throughoatthe Christian
worid. Such was the reputation in which our Irish establish-
ments had been held, not only for sanctity and learning but,
moneover, for hospitality and attention to strangers, that
Bede assures us, ''Many nobles and others of the English
nation wepe living in Ireland, whither they had r^atred,
either to eultivate the sacred studies or to lead a life of greater
strictness. Some of them soon became nuMiks, others were
better pleased to apply to reading and stqdy, going about
fiom school to school tbrongh the cells of the masters; and
uU of them were most cheerfully received by the Irish, who
supplied .them gratis with good books and instruction/'f

Several qpiscopal sees had been established at this period ;j^
diocesan r^nlationa were formed iot the advancement of dis-
cipline; the labours of the oleigy, living, as they were, on
Ihe gratuitous bounty of the people, excited general admira-
tion; while the morality of their flocks called forth the eulc^
i>f foreign writers, and our forefathers of the seventh century
.were held up by continental teachers as the models of Chris-
.tian perfection. The religious retreats of the kingdom sup-
plied the Irish Church with an abundance of valuable pastors,
nnd sent forth an host of missionaries to the most remote
quarters of Europe. Among these St Gall, St Fursey, and

• Uliter AniiiU.

t L. 3. c. 27.— Hsnce Aldlielm in his letter to Eadfrid, Bishop of Lindisftinie,
writea: " Hibeniia quo catenratim isthinc lactores clainibus advecti cooiiuiiBt."--
Ep. Ilib. Syll.

% Ste c. II.

140

St Kilian may be ielected ; men of apostolical sanctity, whose
memory is to this day annually renemted in foreign countries
and stands recorded with distinguished marks of veneration
on the pages of Church martyrology.

St. GalLi or Gallus was one of the principal disciples who
had accompanied St Columbanus on his mission from Ireland*
It will be recollected that Columbanus had removed from
Bregentz to Milan, in 612, after having entnisted bis favour^
ite companion Gallus with the care of the infant congiegatioQB
which had been formed in that hitherto benighted district —
Animated with zeal for the conversion of this country, Gallus
soon ftfter penetrated through the deserts with which it
abounded, and having reached the banks of the river Stioace,
he erected a monastery on the site where now stands the
Town and Abbey of Gal^.* The fiune of his sanctity soon
spread through the surrounding country, while the Almighty
was pleased to confirm the doctrine of hia servant by number^
less miracles. At that time the See of Constance happened
tp be vacant, and the prelates and clergy having assembled
to elect a bishop, Gallus was invited by the Duke Goonzo to
attend the meeting As soon as the Saint had entered the
assembly, the clergy arose, and casting their eyes on the
missioner, declared with one voice that he was the person best
fitted for that exalted situation^f The Duke himself in the
mean time thus addressed Gallus: ''Do you hear what diey
say of you?" ''I wish," replied the Saint, ''that what they
have said had been the fact; but they do not know that the
Canons will not, unless in some very urgent case, allow per-
sons to be ordained bishops, of districts of which tbey are not
natives. I have a deacon named John, a native of this coun*
try, to whom every thing that has been stated of me may be
justly applied; and as I think him elected by the divine judg-
ment, I propose him to you as your h«shopJ' John^ wl\o

• Walflfrid. Strab. L, 1. t Canui^s T^5:

141

was both a learned and a holy mau, having been made ac-
quainted with the proceedings of the aasemblyi concealed
himself in the Church of St. Stephen, without the town. He
was soon discovered, and being brought into the presence of
the cleigy, was, on the recommendation of Gallusi elected
and consecrated Bishop of Constance. Qn this occasioA
OallttSi in compliance with, the wishes of the meeting, de-?
livered a discourse which has been published by Canisius,
and afterwards by Mesoiogham. It treated particularly oi^
Church govemmentj containing an abridged history of reli-i
gion from the fell of Adapi dowp to the days of the Apostles,
intermixed with moral a^d doctrintftl observations.

The Abbey of Luxeu, of which St. Oolqn^bai^us was th^
founder, had at this time acquired a very distinguished rank
in the religious world. Its Abbot, the learned Eustasius,
was dead, while the members of the community determined
on electing Gallus as hi^. successor. A deputation, accord-
ingly, waited on the Saint, but his answer was: ''That havr
ing abandoned his relatives and his native country, an4
chosen a solitude for his dwelling pHce« he cpuld not thinly
of being raised to any rank which might involve him in th^
cares of this world."* St. Oallns was. an assiduous preacheir
of the Gospel, and has left behind him some sermons and
various tracta^on the Scnpturea and on mystical theojpgy.— r
His Psalter has been much esteemed, and was translated into
German by Notker Balbulus in the i^eign of Amulph. Th^
labours and miracles of this Saint were such, that he is tp
this day styled the Apostle of the Alemanni, or Suevi. St.
CSallus died in the 96tth year of his age, and on the 16th of
October, A.B. 645.t.

About this period St. Fubsby was employed in forming a
new and extensive mission at Lagny, and along the north-
western coast of Gaul. Fursey was descended fro;n tlje

* MftbiUon Anoal, Bened. ad 625, f Vitat Writers^

143

kings of South Mniiflter, and received his education in the
island of Inisqnin, in the county of Oaiiray. Rathmat^
near Lough Corrib, in the now deanery of Annadown, was
his first establishment: conscious that his laboani n&ight be
more necessary elsewhere^ he withdrew to Britain, bringing
with him some religious men, among whom were his brothers
Foiilan and Ultan. The Saint having been kindly received
by -Sigberet, King of the East Angles, erected a monas*
tery near Baigh Castle, in Suflfolk, in the heart of a forest *
and adjoining the oeean,^ He looked upon this retreat
as the most fitted for a contemplative life; and having beeii
surrounded at the time with a population grossly ignorant and
partly unconverted, his labours, it is said, were extraordinary
and most successful. By his counsel Sigberet, after having re*
signed the sceptre to his kinsman Eyrio, retired ftx>m the world
and embraced the monastic state. Pendsi King of the Mer«-
cians, conceiving this a convenient opportunity for enlarge,
ing his dominion, took the field and appeared at the head of
fi considerable army. While the affairs of Eyrie were placed
in this critical posture, Sigberet was prevailed vepoa by his
(brmer subjects to come forth from his favourite solitude and
animate them in the conflict. The pious king complied with
their wishes: he appeared in the midst of the engagement
with only a wand in his hand, when victory declared in
favour of the Mercians, and Sigberet mtk his relative re^
inained amongst the number of the slain. Soon after this
unfavourable event, Fursey wishing to lead a more retired
life, gave up the care of ibe Mon^tery to his brother Foil^
Ian iind withdrew to France. On his way dirough Ponthiett
(tnd at a place called Mazeroeles, he raised the son of iho
Duke Haymon to life; and pursuing bis journey was well
reo^ved by Olovis II. King of Nenstria and fiucgundy.tt*
This Prince admiring the sanctity of our missionaries .and

• Bed^ L. 3. c, 19. t Acts L. S. cj.

143

desirous that Farsey should settle in his dominions, assigned
him some land at Latiniacurii, (Lagny,) near Ae Mamci
about six leagues from Paris, where he erected a monastery
in the year 644, Here the labours of this great man were
required and appreciated; while his establishment at Lagny
continued for centuries an asylum for the oppressed^ and the
fruitful nursery of scholars and saints. St. Fursey died at
Macerias, on the 16th of January, A.D. 660; but his re-
mains were afterwards translated to Peronne, in Picardy,
and interred on the east side of the high altar.. The Ulster
Annals, Mabillon, Desmay, and other authorities state that
St. Fursey was a bishop, although neither Bede or the Acts
give him this title. Among those of his disciples who were
natives of Ireland, and whose services are to this day re-
corded in various parts of the Continent, may be mentioned
Eloquius, Adalgisus, Malguil, Lactan, Mombulus, Frede-
gand, Abbots. Bertuin, Bishop of Maconia, in the territory
of Liege, and Etto, Bishop and Apostle of the Avemes.*
^ The name of St. Ktliak, the ilhistrious Apostle of Fran-
eonia, stands high in the martyrolc^es of those times. This
Saint having been raised to the episcopacy in Ireland, his
native country, withdrew about the year 686 to the Conti-
nent, accompanied by a number of ^missionaries, among
whom were Coloman a Priest and Totnan a Deacon.+
Among the inhabitants of Wurtzburg in Franconia pagan-
ism had still prevailed; thither, therefore, Xilian proceeded,
having first obtained the sanction of Conon who then
presided in the Apostolic See. By the preaching and power-
ful example of this great man, the truths of the Grospel
made an amazing progress throughout the extensive territory
of Franconia. Gozbert the ruHng prince embraced the
Christian faith; while the labours of our missionaries became
every day more successful. The marriage of this Prince

♦ A, A. S. S. p. 96. t MessingKam Floril. p. 324.

144

with Geilana, the wife of his brother, had, after some time,
called forth the admonitioiis of Kilian; he represented to the
Prince the impropriety of such a connexion, and the re-
moval of Geilana was accordingly agreed to by Gozbert. —
This circumstance, however, terminated in the martyrdom
of Kiliaii* Geilana having been made acquainted with the
intentions of the Prince procured two assassins, who entered
the Church at night, while Kilian with his companions Colo-
man and Totnan had been singing the divine Office."*^ They
cheerfully submitted to the will of heaven, and suffered on
the 8th of July, A.D. 689. Their remains were interred in
the Church of Wurtzburg, where St Kilian is revered as its
Apostle and Patron.

The catalogue of our Irish saints, who in the seventh
century became the lights and apostles of distant countries,
is such, that volumes would be required to comprise their
biography. St. Fiachrei after having fixed his residence in the
wilds of Breuil in Gaul, preached the Gospel to the uncultivated
tribesof that vast territory, and converted multitudes. St. Mail-
duf, from whom Malmsbury in England has been named, intro-
duced literature into that place. St. Livin converted the pagan
inhabitants of Flanders and Brabant. St. Vulgarius preached
to the Morini. Sts. Caidoc and Fricon to the people of Pon-
theu. St. Tressan with his companions GKbriam, Uelam, and
Petram announced the Gospel atRheims, and along the dis-
trict of Chalons-sur-Mame. St Cataldus was venerated at Ta-
rentum: St. Donatus at Naples ;t whilst the successors of St
Columbanus and a host of others spread the Gospel through
the trackless recesses of the Alps^ and penetrating to the
north, made the mountains and forests of Germany and
Scandinavia resound with the glad tidings of redemption.

Meanwhile the Church of Ireland shone forth with new
and increased lustre, and the sanctity of her ecclesiastics,

* MtMiogfham FlorU. p. 324 t AcU BolUnd. l;.o.

145

both on the mission and in the cloistier, fully illustrated the
excellence of those instatations, which from the d^ys of her
Apostle she had so ardently cherished. At the close of the
seventh century, and during the intumbency of the Primate
Flan Febhla, a national synod was convened for the purpose
of effecting the final settlemtat of the Paschal question and
of making other ecciesiastkuil arrangements.* Among the
Fatheps who composed this Synod we find St. Aidus or Aedh,
Bishop of Sletty; Colga, Abbot of Lusk; Killen, Abbot of
Saigar; SU Masacra, fc^Onder and Abbot of Tegh-Sacra, now
Saggard in the Gounty of Dublin, and St. Mochonna, who
subscribed the acts of die Synod under the title of AntUtes
JDarensis,

The Acts df this Synod hav6 partly perished amid thd
storms of succeeding ages; however, many of its canons are
extant, and may serve to illustrate the usages as well as the
religious spirit which had so generally prevailed in those
ancient times.t Of these canons there are some which refeir
immediately to the priesthood; others have a reference to the
sanctuaify, and to the respect which by every right must
belong to the material temple of the Most iligh. The man-
ner in which the episcopal election had been conducted in
the ancient Church of Ireland is thus described t ^'The
Bishop is to be ordained with the consent of the clergy, and
of the laity, and of the bidhops of the whole province, but
especially of the Metropolitan, either by his epistle, or by
his authority, or his presence, "j; The next canon prescribes
the age required in Ireland at this early period for the re-
ception of the difierent* orders: ''A person attached to the

♦ Tr. th. p. 21S.

t Juxta M.S. Vardei in Archiv. Isodor, et D'Achery. Specil. Tom. IX.

t Synodns decrevit, cum consensu Clericoriim, etLaicorum, et tolius provinciss
Eptscoponim, maximeqne Metropolitani, vel epistola, yel auctoritate, Tel priesea*
tia ordinctuf Episcopus.

146

sacred ministry from his youth must rwutin a Lector or aa
Exorcist until the twentieth year of his age: a Subdeaooa
four yearsi a Deacon five: at thirty he may be ordained,
a Priest, that being the age at which Christ began to
preach; and at thirty, forty, or fifty a Bishop/^* AgaiOp
'^ Should it be deemed necessary at any time to promote
a layman considerably advanced in years to the episco*
pacy; he must be two years a Lector^ five years a Sub*
deacon^ and after twelve years a Priest, he may receive
Episcopal Ordinatian."t According to the tenth canon, it be^
came unlawful for a Bishq) to appoint his successor: ''No
Bishop shall during his life constitute his successor, but after
his death let a deserving man be elected by the prop^ per-
sons/'j: Before entering on the canons which refer to simple
priests, the Synod by way of preface decreed: "The Church
now ofiers the sacrifice in many manners, (for many reasons^)
first, for herself; secondly for a commemoration of Jesus
Christ, who said ''Do this for a commemoration of me;"
thirdly, for the souls of the faithful departed/'^ To secure
the constant residence of the clergy, the Synod in the next
canon decreed: "That a Priest may be absent but one day
from his church; but should he be absent for two days, he
must do penance for seven on bread and water. In like man-
ner, should he be absent one Sunday from the church, he
must do penance for twenty days on bread and water; but

* '* Puer yero ab infantia Ecclesiasticis Mioisteiiis deditus usque ad vigesimom
Atatissueannnni, Lector, sive Ezorcista stet : Subdiaconus quatuor annis: Diaco-
nnt quiaque : Presbyter trigesimo efiiciatar quia in ea etate Christus prsdicare
onus est : Episcopus vel trigesimo, vel quadrag^sino, Tel quinquagesimo."

t " Si vero grandis elatis sit Laicus et necesse sit ut Episcopus fiat: biennio sit
Lector: quinque Subdiaconus: post duodecim anoos Presbyter, Episcopus sub-
rogetur."

X '* Nutlus Episcopps succossorcm in vita sua faciat, scd post obitum ejus boni
bonum eligant."

$ " Nunc Ecdesia multis modis offert Domino : primo pro Seipsa : secuudo, pro
commcmoratiooe Jesu Christi, qui dixit : Hoc facite in meam commemorationem :
tertio, pro animabus defuuctorum."

147

if absent for two Sandays, he is to be removed from the dig-
nity of hift station/'* By the next oanoa <^ Priests are not
allowed to consider donations which are oflfeied either with the
church or separstely^ as their own property, bat rather .as
grants appertaining to the Chureh/'f By another <^The
Priest cannot receive the oblations of a public sinner/' and
agam, the Synod decrees <'That the Priest shall give to the
Ohnrch whatever sapefflnities he may p06Be8a.^j: According
to a subsequent canon ^ Any ecclesiastic who should be pre-
sent at the public games was liable to degradation; and should
an ecclesiastic be killed in battle or in any quarrelsome en-
gagement, he is not to receive the benefit of the sacrifice, or
the prayers of the Charch/'§ In conclusion, '' Ecclesiastics
are to be reverenced; they being the pastors of the faithful
and the servants of the great Judge/' That due reverence
be in like manner shewn to consecrated places, the Synod
has declared: ''Wherever you shall find the sign of the Cross
of Christ, do no injury there/'|| And by an express canon
"All thieves and robbers are to be cast out of the Church."^]
The consecrated area is finally declared to have been marked
by three distinct boundaries: the first boundary was that by
which laymen entered; the second was allotted for females;
the third for ecclesiastics. The first was called sacred, the
second more sacred, and the third most sacred.

* Sacerdos una tantum die ab Ecclesia defuerit : u duabus, poeniteat septem dci«
bus cum pane et aqua. Item, si una Dominica ab Ecclesia defuerit, agat paeuiten-
tiam XX dierum cum pane et aqua : si yero duabtu, snbmovendus honore gradoa
8ui.

t Sacerdotet quibua ab aliis aliquid siYe cum Ecclesia sive sequestratim donatar,
Bon quasi sunm proprium, sed quasi dimissum Ecclesie computabunU

X Sacerdos, omne quod superfluum habet, det in Ecclesia.

f Quicumque clericus in belle ant in riza mortuus fuerit, noque oblatbne, ae-
quo oratione postuletur pro eo, sed in manus inddat Judieis: sepultura nonpriv-
etur.

I Ubicumque inveneritis signum Crucis Christi, ne laaeritis.
V Fares et lalrones et raptores de Ecclesia ejicieodi sunt.

148

Soon after the Synod of Flan Febhla^ the learned Adam-
nan^ Abbot of Hy, arrived in Ireland, on a Yisttatioii of the
monasteries subject to his jurisdiction.* During ihid yisit-
atioii Adamnan became acquainted with the nature of the
Pasdial system which had been already obsarved in the
south, and having decided in its favour and given it his
sanction, it became in the eighth century the rule universally
received and invariably practised in the several districts of
-the north and west, and ultimately throughout all Irehlid^

* Vil^. Iqd. Cbion. See Ceot. YllJUCh^p. 1^

CHAPTER IL

Buceesters of St Patnck-^JEpiscopal See$-^Jieligiau$
Faumdatkm^ of tie Seventh Century.

Sbnach, Archbishop of Aimagh^ was socceeded in 610 by
Mag Laibrb. According to Colgan this Prelate was moi'e
properly named Tbbbnnan, and he is said to have held a
correspondence with Laurence of Canterbury on the Paschal
question: his successor was Thomiait, AJD. 623. Thonian
'was of noble birth, distinguished for discipline and zeal, and
a great encourager of learning. The active part which he
had taken in th^ Paschal . controversy has been already
noticed, and in the letter written by the Roman clei^ on
that subject, in 640, and addressed to the Irish Prelates,
Priests, and Abbots, the name of Tbomian stands first on
the list: he died A.D, 661, and was succeeded by Sbgen.-^
Of this Prelate we find very little recorded: his incumbency
continued until 688, in which year he died at Armagh, and
had for his successor Flak Fbbhla. Under this Primate
the Synod already mentioned took place; and after having
governed the Metropolitan See for twenty-seven years with
great advantage to religion, he died on the 24th of April^
A.D.71fi*

We now proceed to give a brief historical outline of the
Episcopal Sees established during the seventh century.

The Seb of Fehns was founded by St. Aidan or Maidoc,
about the year 600. Aidan was of an illustrious family in
Connaught; his Father, Letna, having been descended from
Brian, Prince of the Hy-bruin sept in Breffny, and his

*Ware Biahopa.

150

Mother from the high and ancient race of Auli.* When a
youth, Aidan was one of the hostages whom the people of
Breffny had been obliged to give to Anmiracusi King of
Ireland; and some time after his liberation, he withdrew
from his native country and retired to the establishment of
St. David at Menevia in Wales. Here his extra<mlinary
sanctity soon rendered him cdebrated. About the year
689 Aidan departed fiom Menevia, and having landed in the
now County of Wexford^ he erected a Church at a place
called Ardlathran, in the southern part of that county. His
next establishment was at Clonemore in the barony of
Bantry, and having been held in great reverence by Biandubh
King of Leinster, that Prince assigned him a site on which
he erected his celebrated Monastery of Ferns, about the year
600. At the request of Brandubh, a numerous Synod wad
soon after convened, in which it was decreed that Ferns
should become an Episcopal See and be moreover raised to
the dignity of Archbishopric of Leinster. On this occasion
Aidan was consecrated its first Bishop.f Usher remarks
that by this decree, the Archiepiscopate of Leinster had beeii
removed from Sletty but was afterwards transferred from
Ferns to Kildare.;]: It is at all events most ceHain, that
these so called Archbishops, whether of Sletty or of Ferns,
were not, strictly speaking, Metropolitans; nor were they
invested with Archiepisoopal power or that jurisdiction pro^
vided by the Canon law. They enjoyed, by courtesy and
very often through the favour of princes, a degree of honor*
ary pre-eminence; and for this reason we find the title pass-
ing in those days from one see to another* The reputation
of St. Aidan was not confined to Ireland. His memory has
been highly revered both in Wales and in other countries,
and several miracles have been attributed to him. He died
on the Slst of January, A. D. 632, and was buried at

• A. A. S. S. p. 216. t Vita, c. 28. t Usher, p. 965.

151

Feni».* St* Aidan was succeeded in the See of Ferns by
St Moling, a native of the territory of Hy-Kinsellagh.
Between the death of this Prelate and the incumbency of
the learned Alban O'Mulloy in the twelfth century, the
names of fifteen Bishops have been recorded, while their
acts, like most of our other national documents have perished
bemeath the fury of the Danes or the still more unsparing ra-
pacity of the English invaders.

Thb Sbb op Cork derived its foundation from St Barr or
Finbanr, about the year 606. This Saint, as has been already
noticed, was a native of Connanght;t he was a great favour*
ite with St Aidan of Ferns, and accompanied him on his
journey to Britain and from thence to Rome« Finbarr on
Us return to Ireland, and being then a Bishop, founded a
Monastery near Lough-eire, now the south side of the City
pf Cork, and here also he established his See. It has been
asserted by some writers that St Finbarr had erected a
Cathedral in Cork totally distinct from the Church attached
to the Monastery; but this is an opinion altogether unsup-
ported by any authority. During this period of our history,
several abbots were bishops and lived in their monasteries;
hence it is that the catalogue of St. Finbarr's successors is
for a loi^ time after his death very confused. Nessan, his
favourite disciple, is mentioned by Ware as a successor of St
Barr in the See of Cork; however, according to Colgan,
Nessan was only a simple priest j: It must also be noticed
that, in most of our Annals, the epithet Comorban has been
affixed to the names of many of the successors of St» Finbarr,
and this term, being with equal propriety, applicable to
bishops and abbots, creates an uncertainty and in several
cases leaves the rank of the individual undetermined. Of
all the ancient cities in the kingdom, that of Cork suffered
most severely from the fury of the Danes, having been

* Usher, p. 9^. t See c. I. % Colgao at ITth March.

162

eleven times plundered during the lapse of a single century.
In 070, the Cathedral and the great Abbey of St Finbarr
were pillaged and almost levelled to the ground by these in-
vadersy while the records of the See with other- valuable
monuments of those ancient times were swept away and
perished amidst the general wreck that surrounded them.*
For this reason the succession of Prelates is very imperfect
until 1152, when the learned Gilla-.£da-0'Mugin was
Bishop of Cork, and attended with most of the other digni-
taries of Ireland at the Council of Kells. From that period
the chain of succession is unbroken, while the transactions
of this See form an interesting portion of the history of
the twelfth and succeeding centuries. St. Finbarr died at
Cloyne on the 25th of September, A. D. 623, and was in-
terred in Cork.

The Ssfi of Kilmacduaoh had for its founder St. Colman,
about the year 620. This Saint v^as of the high and princely
family of Hua Fiachra of Connaught, and was nearly related
to Guaire, King of that province. His Father's name being
Duach, the Saint has hence been sumamed Mac Duach; by
this appellation he is more generally known than by that of
Colman. In the early part of his life, Colman lived as an
hermit in the forest of Burren, County of Clare; his only
food being wild herbs and water cresses, while deer-skins
served him for clothes. Ghiaire having been made ac-
quainted with the sanctity of this great man ofiered him a
large tract of ground for the establishment of a religious
community; the Saint however accepted of only a small site
on which he erected his Monastery and shortly after became
Bishop.f St. Colman's labours in this part of Ireland con-
tributed greatly to the splendour of the Gospel. The year
of his death has not been ascertained, but his natalis is
marked in the calendars on the 3rd of February. Of his

• M'Curtin, p. 207. t A. A. S. S. p. 219.

153

flttccessora in the See we find yery little recorded until the
time of the Council of Kelts in 1162.

Thb Sbe of Lbighlin had the learned Laserian for its
founder. This Saint was the son of Cairel, a nobleman of
Ulster, and of Gemma/ daughter of Aiden, King of the
British Scots. Laserian studied under the Abbot Murin, and
afterwards spent fourteen years at Romci where he was
ordabed Priest by Pope Gregory the Great. About the year
630, and during the period of the Paschal controversy, Lase*
rian made a second journey to Rome, most probably as head
of the deputation sent by the southern clergy after the Synod
of Old Leighlin. At this time he was consecrated Bishop by
Pope Honorius L* On his return to Ireland in 633, he
established the See of Leighlin and contributed much towards
the settlement of the Paschal computation in the south. St.
Laserian, whose name was greatly revered throughout Ireland,
died on the 18th of April, A. D. 639, and was buried in his
own Cathedral at Old Leighlin^f

This See continued to be governed by a succession of
Prelates until the eighteenth century, when it became united
to Kildare«

Thx Srb of Lismobb was established by the venerable
St. Carthagh, in the year 633. This Saint who is sometimes
called Mochuda, was bom in Kerry about the middle of
the sixth century.:]: Having studied for several years under
St Comgall of Bangor, Carthagh removed to Clonfert-molua,
for the purpose of practising greater austerity and of becom-
ing acquainted with the nature of monastic discipline. His
first establishment was at Rathen, in the now County of
Westmeath. Here he drew up a rule for his monks, and
continuing at Rathen for forty years, was consecrated Bishop.
Notwithstanding the great sanctity of Carthagh and his com-
munityi they were compelled to leave Rathen by the cruelty

* Usber, p. 938. f AnnaU of Inavf. t Keating, B. 2.

154

of Bathmacy Prince of that country, bat having been after*
wards kindly received by Moelochtride, Prince of Nandesi^
and obtaining the tract of land in which Lismore is situated,
Ihey settled there, and CSarthagh founded his celebrated
Monastery.* It soon became an episcopal See and continued
to be governed by its Prelates in succession until the year
1363, when it was united to the diocess of Waterford.f The
founder, St. Carthagh, having retired to a lonely valley at the
east end of the town, spent the last years of his life in con*
templation and prayer. He died on the 14th of May, A. D«
637, and was buried at Lismore.

Tub Sbb of Glekdaloch. There appears a great diversity
of opinion among our annalists regarding the first bishop of
this ancient See. Colgan and Harris assert that St. Kevin
was a Bishop, and of course the founder of the See of Olen--
daloch. However, on the authority of the best records it is
certain that St. Kevin was only an Abbot* The first Bishop we
meet with in this diocess is St. Libba or Molibba. He was a
nephew of St. Kevin and flourished in the early part of the
seventh century.^: St. Libba died on the Sth of January,
but the year has not been ascertained. The See of Glenda«
loch was united in the thirteenth century to that of Dubiin.^

To these Episcopal Sees, founded in the seventh century^
may be added, that of Clonmagnois governed by St. Baitan^
A. D. 633— Trim, in the County of Meath, established by
St. Loman. The memory of this Saint is revered at Trim on
the 17th of February — ^The See of Abdbraccan in Meath
was founded by St. Ultan: he died on the 4th of September^
A. D. 667.— The See of Lusk in the County of Dublin, had
St. Petranus for its Bishop.— ^t. Murgeus presided at Glean*
ussen in the Queen's County. — St. Gobban at Inspict, in the
County of Cork.— ^t. Dagan at Achad«Dagan, in the County

♦ Life, c. 4. t See Centniy 14.

f Colgan at 8ib Jud. j See Century 13.

155

of Waterfordy and several others meationed in the third class
of Irish saints.

Thus at the close of the seventh century, the episcopal
aees established in Ireland, if arranged according to the order
of the present day, were: in Ulster — ^the Metropolitan See of
Armagh — the Sees of Ardagh, Clogher, Dromore, Connor —
Down and Clonard, (Meath.) In Leinster— Kildaie, Ossory,
Ferns, Leighlin and Glendaloch* In Munster^-^Emly, Cloyne^
Ross, Cork and Lismore. In Connaught — ^Tuam, Elphin,
Killala, Clonfert, Ach<»iry and Kilmacduagh. Besides the
Bumerotts minor sees already mentioned, and which in the
.seventh century were governed by their respective bishops,
but have been since united either to the above-mentioned
bishoprics or to others which shall be noticed in succeeding
centuries.

The principal monasteries founded in the seventh century
must now challenge our consideration. Our Monasticons
furnish us with a lengthened catalogue, out of which the fol-
lowing establishments shall be selected.

Thb Monastbby of Clonbmobb, in the barony of Bantry
.and County of Wexford, bad St. Aidan for its founder, and
it appears to have been erected about the same period with the
See of Ferns. It was a place of great celebrity during thi0
and the following age, and is hallowed by the remains of
many eminent and saintly men, among whom may be num-
bered Dichulla, to whom the founder resigned its adminis-
tration, St. Ternoc who flourished about the same period,
and the sainted Finian, sumamed the Leper, who died and
.was interred here, A. D» 680.* During the ninth century,
when the fury of the Danes appeared to have been pointedly
levelled against the religious establishments in this part of
Ireland, the retreat of Clonemore exhibited on many occasions
a frightful scene of desolation. The massacre which had

• A.A.S.S, p. 628,

156

taken place within its hallowed sanctoary in 833, is particu-
larly noticed by most of our ancient annalists. On Christmas
night during that year, while the community had been assist-
ing Jit the divine mysteries, an armed multitude of these
Ostmen forced their way into the Church, and after having
committed various acts of sacrilege, completed their barbarity
by putting the Abbot and his brethren indiscriminately to the
sword.* At the close of the tenth century it began to
decline, and became a complete ruin about the year i041.t

The Abbey of Roscrea in the County of Tipperary, was
established by St Cronan about the year 606,j: and soon
after its foundation, Roscrea became an extensive town.
During the seventh and following centuries a celebrated
School was attached to this Abbey; it became particularly
distinguished for the number of its learned professors, while
its hospitality made it a home and a house of comfort for the
poor and afflicted. In 1174, during the administration of
Failan, its last superior, this Abbey became a ruin.

The Monastery of Cong, situated in the County of Mayo,
between Lough-Corrib and Lough-Mask, was founded in the
year 624, by Donald, a nephew of Amirach, King df Ireland.
St. Fechin of Fore presided for some years over this establish-
ment. The constitutions of this house were remarkably
austere. It had been for many ages celebiuted as a place of
holy retirement and penance; hence we find at different
periods several characters of exalted rank renouncing the
world and taking shelter within its^solitary and hallowed
walls. Among the number of those may be noticed the
Monarch Roderic O'Connor, the last king of Ireland. This
Prince, ttfter witnessing the overthrow of his Kingdom, re-
tired to the Monastery of Cong, where he died with great
resignation, A. D. 1 198, and in the 82nd year of his age.
He was, however, interred at Clonmacnois.§ It was governed

* Four Marten. t Idem. t S«c c. iii. for Cronan. § Ogygia^ 441.

157

by its abbots in regular succession until the sixteenth century.
:£neas McDonnell was the last Abbot, when its possessions
became merged in the general confiscation. According to an
inquisition taken in the 36th of Elizabeth, the property, or
rather parcels of it, consisted of fifteen townlands, situated
in the Counties of Mayo and Roscommon, together with
Tarious rectories and their tithes. A considerable part of the
splendid possessions of this Abbey were granted by Elizabeth^
at an annual rent, to the Provost and Fellows of Trinity Col-
lege, Dublin; while a lease in reversion of the Abbey, for
fifty years, was given to Sir John King, ancestor to the Earl
of Kingston.*

Thb Abbey of Forb, in the County of Westmeath, was
founded by St. Fechin about the year 630.t Fore in a very
short time became a celebrated town, and in this Abbey the
Saint is said at one time to have governed three hundred
monks ;:|: according to some authors thi^ee thousand. Its
Abbots continued in regular succession down to the sixteenth
century. In 736, St. Surlach was Abbot and Bishop of Fore,
and after his time the episcopal dignity was likewise invested
in several of its abbots. The Abbey together with the town
of Fore had been six times destroyed by fire, and in 1209 it
was rebuilt by Walter De Lacy, under the invocation of St.
Taurin and St. Fechin, for Benedictines whom he had brought
firom the Monastery of St. Taurin in Evereux, Normandy.
The last Abbot was William Nugent, and in the 31st of
Henry VIII. an inquisition was held, and the possessions con-
sisting of 1300 acres of pasture and arable land, with twenty-
eight rectories, situated in the Counties of Westmeath and

* Chief Remembrancer. t See c. 3. at Fechin.

^ In a hymn for the office of St. Fechin, we read : —
** Dehioc fait Monachorum
Dux et Pater trecentorum
Quos instruxit lege morum
Murus contra Vitia." Amen. Four Masters.

158

Cavan were coafiscated. Id 1688, a lease of the Abbey and
of its possessions was granted to Christopher, Baron of Del-
vin* Thus, the great Abbey of Fore, which had once been
the seat of literature, the nursery of saints and the asylum of
the poor, became involved in the same common wreck with
the other religious institutions of the country.

The Monastbrt of Swobds, in the County of Dublini
pxkd Barony of Coolock, had St. Finan, sumamed the Leper,
for its founder. St. Finan was a member of the Columbian
Order, and after having erected several monasteries in various
parts of Ireland, died about 680. From the year 1069 ontil
the middle of the twelfth century, the town and Abbey of
Swords were almost one continued scene of desolation; hav-
ing been during that period no less than eight times stormed
and laid waste by fire and sword. At length, in 1166, Swords
had been nearly depopulated, and the Abbey became a niin.t

Thb Abbbt of Innisfallbm in the Lake of Killamey,
was founded by St. Finian Lobhar, about the year 640. j: —
Finian was a native of Ely O'CaiTOl, King's County, and
was lineally descended from the celebrated Oilild Olum,
King of Munster. The Annals of Innisfallen inform ns that
this Abbey was esteemed a paradise, and had been for many
centuries a secure sanctuary in which the wealth and most
valuable e£fects of the whole country were deposited. Among
its learned men should be mentioned the venerable Gilla
Patrick O'Huihair: he was a celebrated poet, a philosopher,
and the founder of several religious houses.^ The Abbots of
Innisfallen continued in regular succession until the sis>
teenth century, when the Abbey was plundered, and its pos^
sessions granted by Elizabeth .to a person named Robert Col-
lan.t|

* Aad. Gen. f Tr. Th . p. 643. t A . A. S. S. p. 628. $ Annal. Munst.

II The Inquisition taken in the 37th of Elizabeth presents us with only a portion
of the possessions of this Abbey ; viz ; 180 acres of arable land and the advowson
of the Churches of Killcrtee, Terlogin, Kenmarfi and Kilcotnao, — Chief Bemem-
bnincer.

169

Thb Abbey op Faham on Loagh Swillyi in Innishowen,
Connty of Donegal, was fonnded by St Mura, about the
middle of the seventh century. This Saint was of the
Columbian Order, and his memory, which is revered on the
12th of March, has been held in great veneration. The
Abbey of Fahan was richly endowed and highly venerated,
not only (says Archdall) 'Mn consequence of the hallowed re*
verence paid to St. Mura, to whom the great Church is dedi-
cated, but also for the many monuments of antiquity which
remained here till they had been destroyed in the sixteenth
century. Among the few reliques that had been preserved
was the Book of the Acts of St Columbkill, written by St.
Mura in Irish verse, some fragments of which yet remain;
also a very large and ancient chronicle, held in great repute;
and the pastoral staff of St. Mura, richly ornamented with
jewels and gilding, and which is still retained by a family of
the O'Neils."*

Owing to the limits of this work the following Monasteries
selected out of the number erected in the seventh century, shall
be merely noticed.

The Abbey of Mayo, founded by St. Colman, suppressed
by Elizabeth, and granted at an annual rent to the bui^esses
and commonality of the town of Gralway.f Clashmobb, iu
the County of Waterford, founded by St. Mochoemoc^ the
possessions were granted to Sir Walter Raleigh.j: Tbim, in
the County of Meath, founded by St. Loman. Camboss, in
the County of Wexford, founded by St. Abban. Cabksobb^
in the Barony of Fort, County of Wexford, founded by St
Domangart Tibbach, in the County of Kilkenny, fonnded
by St Modomnoc. Sagoabd, in the County of Dublin,
founded by St Masacra. Fbeshfobd, in the County of Kil«
kenny, founded by St. Lactan. Killameby in the County
of Kilkenny, founded by St Gobban. Achad-dagain,

• A. A. S. S, p. 587. t King p. 93. t Smith p. 75.

160

in the County of Waterford, founded by St. Dagan. Sbanb-
OTHA, in the County of Wexford, founded by St. Colman. —
TmoHOEy in the Barony of Cullinagh, Queen's County^
founded by St. Mochoemoc. Inniskeltra, an island in the
Shannon, founded by St. Camin. St. Mullins, in the
County of Carlow, founded by St Moling, Bishop of Ferns.
Ballyvourney, in the County of Cork, founded by St
Abban. Cluain-Fikolass, in the County of Cork, founded
by St Abban. Donaghmore, in the BarOny of Muskerry,
County Cork, founded by Fingem. Killeagh, in the
Barony of Imokilly, County Cork, founded by St. Abban. —
Clondalkik, in the County of Dublin, founded by St. Cro-
nan Mochua. Killebn, in the County of Meath, founded
by St Endeus. C)IPB-Clear Island, founded by St. Com-
gal), a disciple of St Finbarr. Inbhsrdaoile, in the
County of Wexford, founded by St Dagan. Clonranb, in
tbe County of Westmeath, founded by St. Mochue. Bally-
KiNB, in the County of Wicklow, founded by St. Dagan. —
Muckamorb, in the County of Antrim, founded by St Col-
man Elo ; this Abbey and its possessions were granted in the
7th of Elizabeth to Sir Roger Langford.*

These foundations of the seventh century, together with
those which had been established in preceding times, formed
altogether a mass of literary and religious institutions, such
as, perhaps, no other nation could in that age produce. The
rules by which they had been governed were extremely r^or-
ous; and while the monks themselves subsisted either by
manual or mental labour, their schools were thrown open for
the gratuitous instruction of all, both natives and foreigners.
The pages of the next chapter shall be devoted to the biograr
phy of some of those distinguished men, who at this period
shed lustre on the religion of their country, and whose names
have been honourably recorded in the writings of all our
ancient annalists,

• Harris lab.

CHAPTER in.

Religious and Literary Characters of the Seventh Century —
General Observations.

Among the eminent characters, who for learning and sanc-
tity stood distinguished during the seventh century, may be
noticed :

St FintAk Munnu, the celebrated Abbot of Taghmon^
This Saint was the son of Tulcan and Feidelmia, both lineally
descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages, and was born in
the north of Ireland.* He commenced his studies under St.
Comgall of Bangor, and afterwards devoted eighteen years to
the practice of a contemplative life at Cluaninis, then
governed by the learned and saintly Sinell. At the termi-
nation of this period, Fintan repaired to the island of Hy,
with an intention of becoming a member of the Columbian
Order. The founder, St. Columbkill, had died some short
time before and was succeeded by Baithen, who received
Fintan Munnu with great tenderness. ''I thank my God,'*
says he, '' that you are come to this place, but this you must
know, that you cannot become a monk of ours." Fintan
sadly afflicted at these words observed, ^'Is it that I am un-^
worthy of being one?" "No," answered Baithen, "but al-
though I should be very glad to keep you with me, I must
obey the orders of my predecessor^ Columba; who not long
since said to me in the spirit of prophecy; 'Baithen, remem-
ber these words of mine: immediately after my departure
from this life, a brother who is now regulating his youthful
^ge by good conduct, and well-versed in sacred studies^

* AdaiDDun L. 1. c. 3

163

named Fintan, of the race of Mocu-Moiei and son t^aikbtn,
will come to you from Ireland, and will supplicate to be re-
ceived among the monks; but it is predetermbed by God,
that he is t6 be an abbot, presiding over monks and a guide
of souls. Do not, therefore, let him remain in these islands,
but direct him to return in peace to Ireland; that he may
there establish a monastery in a part of Leinster not far from
the sea, and labour for the good of souls.' ** Fintan accord-
ingly returned to Ireland^ and proceeded to that part of Hy-
Kinsellagh now called the County of Wexford.* The east-
em limits of that territory were in those days enclosed by a
dreary and desolate forest, on the borders of which the Saint
erected his Monastery, and was soon accompanied by a con-
siderable number of disciples. According to Colgan he pre^
sided over 234 monks, while other writers of equal credit
make the number considerably greater. Fintan having
been well versed in the doctrine of astronomy, as taught in
those days, took a distinguished part in the controversy which
the Paschal computation had then created. He was the prin-
cipal opponent of Laserian in the Synod of Old Leighlin, as
has been already stated; ^evertheless, he soon after yielded
to the general opinion, and followed the Dionysian cycle in
the future celebration of Easter. Archdall, in his catalogue
of the abbots of Clonenagh, in the Queen's County, has
placed St. Fintan Munnu among their number, and ranks
him as a bishop. This, however, is but a mere assertion, and
is directly opposed to the testimony of Tigemach, Adamnan,
and other approved writers. St. Fintan following the direc-
tions which he had received from Baithen, remained during
his life in the Monastery of Taghmon, and died on the 21st
of October, A.D. 635. According to Hanmer, he was the
author of a book on the Paschal controversy, and Dempster
ascribes to him a treatise on the Acts of St. Columbkill, to-
gether with a collection of epistles to St. Baithen.f

* Adamnam L. 1. c. 2. t Tr. Th. p. 470.

163

St Colhan-Elo, of the race of the Nialls^ and a native of
Meathy flourished at the close of the sixth, and in the com*
menoement of the seventh century* With an intention of
leading a retired and penitential life he penetrated into the
most sequestered part of Dalaradia, where he erected the
Monastery of Muckamore, not far distant from Antrim. In
this retreat Oolman continued for some years, and having
qualified himself by the practice of eontinued austerity he
afterwards became a postulant and embraced the institute of
St. Columba. Aidus Flan, King of Ireland, held the virtues
of this Saint in great veneration, and assigned him a tract of
land in the tenitory of Fercall, now pavt of the King's
Oounty, in which he was recommended to establish his
future residence. Colman consented to sojourn in that dis'^
trict, but on condition that he himself should be allowed to
choose the particular place of his abode. The forest of
FidhrElo,- which occupied a considerable part of that terri-
tory, was in those days the most dreary and extensive of any
in the kingdom; from the neighbouring inhabitants it received
the name of the Black Forest^ while many of its gloomy re-
cesses had seldom or perhaps never been visited by the foot-
steps of man. This was the place which Colman had selected,
and in the heart of this frightful wilderness he spent years
shut out from human society and devoted to prayer, contem-
plation, and the rigours of an eremetic life.* Wild fruit and
herbs with water from the rock composed his repast; the
cold earth of the forest was his couch, and a stone served
him for a pillow. Nor was Colman without followers — the
fame of his sanctity soon spread around — many tired and
disgusted with the world repaired to this abode of solitude
and of heavenly peace — numbers embraced it as a sanctuary
of penance; and thus, in lapse of time, the wilderness
abounded with the habitations of holy anchorites, while a

• Life c.

164

•pactous monastery was ereded aud received the name of
Lann^Eloi or the Church of EIo^ now linally, in the King's
County. According to some authors St. Colman was after-*
wards consecrated Bishop;* it is, however, certain that he
continued in his Monastery until the time of his death, which
occurred in the year 610, and in the fii6lh year of his age«

St. Ceonan of Roscrea> was a native of the territory of
Ely O'Carrol, now the King's County .f B^ing deleitnined
on embracing the religious state, he withdrew to a district of
Connaught called Puayd, and ftt>m thence to Ctomnacnois,
where he was soon joined by a number oi disciples^ From
this place Cfonan repaired to LuAmag, in the present Bafony
of Gtoycastle, King's County, where he founded a Monas^
tery and resided for some time. His next establishment waa
Sean-ross, neart];ie marsh called Cree, (now Monda,) and
soon after he erected on a more convenieiit site the celebrated
Ahbey of Roacrea; which io his days and in after times^
was the seat of literature^ an asylum for the poor, and a
nursery of saints. This Saint was held in great veneration
by the people of Ely, whom he often protected hy his pray-t
ers, and among those that came tp receive his instructions
was Fingen, the martial King of Munster, ahd many of the
dynasts of that territory. It is recorded in the Acts of St.
Cronau,! that St Molua, having paid him a visit at the
Monastery of Sean-ross, requested that he would give him
the sacrifice or Holy Eucharist, with permission to take it
with him. To this request Cronan consented, and Molua te^
conmiended his Monastery to his prayers and protection. —
Nor was this a solitary instance of the manner in which thQ

• Tr, Th. p. 374. t Vil. CroD,

X " Venit (Molua) ad S. Cronanmn de Bvis-cree, ie4cntem tunc in oci/a Senruis,
et postulavit ab eo Saerifieium, quod secum portaret ; et dedtt ei Cronanus. Cui
Lugiditts (Molua) ait: tecum reluquo locum mcum, «t cum a pcraectttoribu» dc-
fcndas."— Vit. S. Cron.

165

blessed Eucharist was sometimes given to holy persons in
those early times; numerous similar facts stand recorded in
our ecclesiastical annals, and in the apostolical age it was not
unusual with holy prelates to send the blessed sacrament to
each other as a token of brotherly love, and as a mark of
catholic communion.* * St. Cronan, after a life of labour and
of great sanctity, died on the 28th of April, A.D. 620.

St. AsBAN was of the illustrious house of Hua-Cormac^
in Iieinster, and nephew of St. Kevin of Glendaloch. His
first establishment was at Ros-mic-treoin,t or Old Ross, in
the County of Wexford, where he presided as Abbot about
the close of the sixth century. His ardent zeal for the sal-
vation of soulsj and his anxiety to promote monastic dift-
oiplinCji soon called him fKun his favourite retreat; and he is
said to have visited a considerable part of Ireland, preaching
in the towns and villagesj^ forming religious communities, and
laying the foundations of new establishqaents. Among these
Teligious institutions^ the following are mentioned by the
authors of his life: Camross,^ Fion-*magh| I}ruim-4:hain-ceK
paigh, Maghar-Noidhe, and J>isert-Cheanan, in Hy-Kinse-*
lagh, County of Wexford | Kill-Abban, in Meath; KilU
achaid-conchinn, in Kerry; Kill-cruimthir, in the County of
Cork; Kill-na-marbham, near Michelstown, County Cork|
Cluain*ard-Mobecoc, in Muskerry, County of Cork ; Cluain-«
Finglass, in the same County; Ciuain-con-bruin, in the
pHin of Femin, between Cashel and Clonmel; Kill-Abban,
in the Coiuity of Louth; three monasteries in the plain of
Magh-elle, in the County of Gal way; and two nunnerieSj,
namely, Bomeach, now . Bally vourney, near Macroomp, ii|
the County of Cork; and Kill-ailbhe, in the County of
]VIeath, which he committed to the care of St. Sincha.;^
This great Saint, after years of difficulties almost insur-p

• See Eueebius, Hist. £ccl. L. 6w
t Abban's Life c. 26. Vit. S. Molua, t I4fe c. 26. A. A. S. 9. p. 622.

166

mountabley returned to Hy-Kioseli^h, his native country^
and founded his last establishment at Maghamoidhe, (Maud^
linton) near the site on which the town of Wexford stands.^
Here St. Abban spent the remainder of his days in prayer,
contemplation/ and retirement: he died on the 27th of Octo-*
ber, and about the year 630.

St. PuLOHBRius or MocHOBicoCy was of the Nandesii sept
by his mother Nessa; the name of his father was Beon, a
natiye of Clonmacne^ in Connaught. He was bom in Hy*
Conall-Gaura, in the County of Limericky about the year
560, and when young was placed under the care of St. Com*
gall of Bangor. Being properly qualified, Mochoemoc re-
paired from this austere retreat to his own country, and was
well receired by the Chieflan Ele, (Ely O'Carrol,) who
offered him his own residence for the purpose of converting
it into a monastery. This offer the Saint declined, and being
resolved to shut himself out from the intercourse of men, ,he
fixed upon a lonesome ^pot in the heart of a forest named
Laithmore, in the present King's County. f^ Here Mochoe-
moc spent years of rigorous discipline, and trained up a
numerous body of disciples in the duties and observance of
a spiritual life ; many of these eminent men were afterwards
the founders of other institutions, among whom was the
celebrated St. Dagan. Several miracles are attributed to St.
Mochoemoc, and by his sanctity and labours that which
was once an uninhabited and frightful forest became in the
course of some years populous and celebrated, and the far-
famed residence of scholars and saints. St. Mochoemoc
lived to a gieat age, and died on the 13th of March, A.D.
666,

St. Ailbrav, sumamed the Wise, was distinguished for
his learning and various writings, and is generally supposed
to be the Priest Airendanus, mentioned in the third class of

<» Archdall Addend», &c. f life c. 16.

167

Irish saints. He presided for many years as chief professor
over the School of Clonard, where he composed a life of St.
Patriekj also the acts of St. Fechin of Fore; a treatise on
the virtues of St. Brigid, and an allegorical exposition of the
genealogy of Christ, which has been published among the
Collectanea Sacra of Fleming.* Sedulius in his notes on the
Gospel of St. Matthew has given insertion to this tract, to
which he has prefixed the following complimentary scholium.
''Here begins the typocal and tropological knowledge of
Christ, explained by St. Ailetan, the wisest of the Scottish
nation.'^ When very old he published his three books "cfo
mirabilibus Sacrce Scriptur€B;*^ forming a learned abridge-
ment of the history of the Bible, intermixed with a variety of
theological and philosophical disquisitions, tending to eluci-
date the difficulties that may occur.f The first book contains
that part of Sacred history recorded in the Pentateuch —
the second comprises the remainder of the Bible — and in the
third, the events of the New Testament are substantially
epitomized. The time of St. Aileran's death is not recorded,
but was most probably about the year 640.

St. Munchen or Makchen, surnamed the wise, was a
descendant of Cormac Cas, King of Munster, and for learning
and sanctity was held in great veneration throughout the ter-
ritory of Thomond.j: It is, indeed, a difficult task, to recon-
cile the various opinions which have been advanced relative
to the ecclesiastical rank of this eminent Saint. According
to Ware, he was the first bishop who presided over the See
of Limerick; while others with more probability, rank him
among the abbots of Mene-drochit (now Mundrehid) in the
present barony of Upper Ossory. The former opinion is
grounded on a geneological hagiology in which five ecclesias-
tics of that name are mentioned. Nevertheless in all our
ancient calendars, the title of bishop cannot be found annexed

• Bib. Pat. T. 12. f A. A. S. S. p. 1 40. J Id. p. 332.

168

to them. It may likewise be proper to remark, that the
name of any one of his successors has not been ascertained,
nor is there mention made of any future bishop in the See of
Limerick, until the time of Gillbert, at the commencement
of the twelfth century.* St, Munchen was certainly the
founder of several religious houses, and having been exceed-
ingly venerated for his learning, as well as for his sanctity, it
is highly probable that several churches had been dedicated
to his memory in the district of Thomond; among which the
church in Limerick was particularly distinguished. O'Hal-
laran represents Munchen as Bishop of Limerick, and actu-
ally oflSciating there soon after the arrival of St. Patrick in
Ireland; and asserts, moreover, that he had been the founder
and first Abbot of the Monastery of Muingharid (Mungret)
near Limerick.f This, however, is a mere unauthorized
assertion, repugnant to historical evidence, and ^involving a
downright palpable anachronism. In St. Patrick's time,
there was neither a town or a Monastery in the place where
the City of Limerick now stands, and as to the Abbey of
Mungret, all our ancient annals mention St. Nessan as its first
Abbot, about the middle of the sixth century. St. Munchen
died on the 2nd of January, A. D. 652. j:

CuMMiAN, the author of the celebrated paschal epistle
to Segenius, Abbot of Hy, was a native of Leath-Mogha or
southern half of Ireland, and received his education in the
Monastery of Durrogh. This learned writer was a member of
the Columbian institute, and at the time in which that
Paschal treatise was published, he appears to have been sta-
tioned in the Monastery of Disart-chuimin^ now Kilcummin,
in the King's County .§ The proceedings of the Synod of
Leighlin, in which the Roman cycle had been received, met
with a firm supporter in the person of this eminent man. He

• See Cent. 12. c. 2. t Hist. B. 8. c. 7.

t Annals of Ulster^Usher, Ind. Chron. § A. A. S. S. p. 408.

prevailed on his brethren in Darrogh to enter into Jiig views on
Che subject, and at length succeeded in making it the stand-
ing rule of all the Columbian establishments in that part of
Ireland. This interference called forth various remonstrances
from the Abbot of H}r> and from the heads of other houses;
on which occasion Cummian composed a treatise replete with
learning and deep research, which he addressed in the shape
of an epistle to Segenius and the rest of his brethren both in
Ireland and the Hebrides* He commences this work by de-
claring that he had not given any decisive opiiuon on that sub-
ject, without having previously prepared himself by long and
intense study. He then adduces a copious collection of pas-
sages from Sacred Writ, a variety of facts from ecclesiastical
liistory, and a number of quotations from the Fathers, both
Greek and Latin, and particularly from Origin, St. Cyprian,
St. Augustin, SU Jerome, St. Cyril of Alexandria and St.
Gregory the Great. The inquiry which he has made into the
various cycles of the Jews, Greeks, Latins and Egyptians,
and the precision with which he has analyzed and reviewed
the several systems of this intricate computation, prove him to
have been a man of immense research and a profound scientific
scholar. He sums up. all by an appeal to the authority and
Unity of the Church, and thus concludes** ''Can any thing
be perceived more pernicious to the mother church, more de^
structive to religion, or more unjustifiably absurd than to say,
Rome errs, Jerusalem errs, Alexandria errs, Antioch errs, the
whole world en*s, the Scots and Britons alone are right?"
Notwithstanding the solid erudition and powerful reasoning
embodied in this work, the Columbian Fathers still tena-
ciously adhered to the ancient Paschal system, nor was the
Alexandrine or Dionysian rule allowed to be introduced intp
their establishments in Ulster until .the visitation of the
learned Adamnan in the eighth century. Cammian was like*
wise the author of other valuable works, among which should

• Pwrh. Ep. p. 10.

170

be noticed his inaSt entitled, **D4 Paniieniidrum mensura,''
a learned Epitome of the ancient penitential canons^ Tbia
treatise was afterwards found in the Monastery of St. Gall,
with the name of the Abbot Cummian of Scotia or Ireland
prefixed* It was published by Sirin^ and re-published in the
edition of the BMiotheea Patrum at Lyons in 1677. To this
day it remains a valuable document of antiquity; proying
beyond question^ the divine institution of saeremental Con«
fession with the penances enjoined — the sacrifice of the
Mass — sprayers for the dead — Celibacy of the clergy, and
. many other points of faith and discipline which the Catholic
Church always did and ever will continue to hold. Cummian
died on the 2nd of December, A. D* 662.

St. Fbchik of Pore was lineally descended from the oele*
brated Con of the hundred battles, and was bom in the
barony of Leney in the County of Sligo."*^ Having completed
his studies under St Nathi of Achonry and being raised to
the priesthood Fechin retired to a place called Fobhar now
Fore, in the County of Westmeath. Notwithstanding the
progress which the Oospel had already made over Ireland,
some remnants of pagan immorality had still been suffered to
remain in this sequestered territory. An anxious desire to re-
form these people was the principal motive which induced the
Saint to proceed amongst them. Assisted by a few disciples
he soon founded a religious establishment, and by his preachr
ing and example the inhabitants were speedily reclaimed,
while many of them became strict followers of his institute.
The Saint and his community met at first with much opposi-
tion and were reduced to the greatest distress, but were
relieved by the generosity of Guaire King of Connangfat and
other neighbouring benefactors. Fechin had great influence
with the kings and princes of his time, of which he made
frequent use either in reconciling the disputes of contaKling
parties or in relieving the distressed. When Domtiald II,

* A.A,S.S.p.l43.

171

King of Ireland y had marched at the head of a powerful army
into the country of the Boutfaem Nialld, for the purjiose of
marking the limits of their territoiy> the inhabitants dreading
the probable consequences applied to the Saint, and by hift
mediation Domnald was prevailed upon to desist from hii
undertakmg, and became reconciled to these southern tributary
clans.* Solitude was that in which the Saint felt particular
delight, while his life was one continued seri^ of the most
rigorous penance. He was the founder of several other mon«
asteries, among which were Cong in the County of Mayo and
Immagh on the coast of Oalway. St Fechin died on the
20th of January, A. D. 665, of the pestilence which then
raged all over Ireland. Fore was called Baile»Leabhair,t or
the town of books, and its Schools were held in the highest
reputation. Some of its abbots were bishops, but it does not
appear to have been at any period a regular episcopal see.;]:

Having now presented to the reader a general outline of the
leading historical events of the seventh century, the first fact
which must strike our attention is that of the Paschal contn>-
versy; and although it be in itself a mere question of discip*
line, yet considered in its consequences, it becomes a matter
of high importance and pregnant with the most interesting
results. In the infancy of the Church of Ireland, the time
for celebrating the Paschal solemnity was determined by a
method of calculation introduced by St Patrick and handed
down by our forefathers with great reverence and care from
one generation to another. After the lapse of about two cen-
turies an attempt was made for the first time to alter this
ancient disciplinary usage; a new rule or mode of solution
wad proposed; nothing more than discipline was contemplated,
and yet on its very introduction, both cletgy and laity rose up
and reclaimed against it; nor would they consent to receive
even this Paschal system until they had been convinced that
no infringement on Catholic doctrine was intended, and that

• Life, c. 34. t Usher, p. 966. t See Century ^iii. c. 2.

172

the unity of a public rite absolutely required their unanimous
adhesion. But what, ive may ask^ would have been the eon*
sequence should any doctrinal innovation have been at-
tempted? This indeed would be accompanied by a reclama*
tion and a resistance too loud to be suppressed— too powerful
to be subdued. Again, history has furnished us with an ac*
curate and a complete detail of all the circumstances con*
nected with this ancient controversy of the Paschal compu-
tation. We know that the new or Alexandrian cycle was
introduced mto Ireland in the seventh century — we know the
persons by whom it was introduced — ^the causes of its intro^
dttction — the disputations which it occasioned— the meetings
and the synods in which it was discussed—- *in short, we are
acquainted with its whole history. Such being the undoubted
fact, it is most certam, that had any attempt been made to in*
troduce novel points of belief or to corrupt the ancient faith
of Ireland, the same medium of history would have trans-
mitted to us a full and faithful account of so public and mo*
mentous an event. Now, if this reasoning, this language of
common sense holds good vrith respect to Ireland, most
assuredly it acquires additional weight when applied to the
Universal Church of Christ; and hence it is, that although it
has often been asked, when, where or by whom had any doc-
trinal error been introduced into the Church, the question
though repeated has never yet been answered. But the dis-
cussion of the Paschal cycle has been attended with other
beneficial effects. It has brought forth some able productions
from the great men of those ancient times — ^from the founders
of the Irish Church, and by means of which we become at
once acquainted with the belief of our forefathers in those
days. An abundance of similar evidence could be produced
in every age; while, we repeat it, the great argument of pre-
scription — that test of truth and end of religious controversy —
acquires additional force from the events and discussions of
the Church of Ireland during the seventh century.

173

The high character which in those days our country main-
tained for learning, holiness and hospitality^ is another &ct
well worthy the attention of the reader. Bede and other
ancient writers testify that the literature and religious spirit
of the Irish people became in this age proverbial; and men
from all nations visited our chores in quest of science and
the knowledge of heavenly truth. Among this number we
find crowds of Britons, who being almost destitute of educa-
tion at home were glad to come and receive it gratuitously in
Ireland* The acts of many of these eminent men have been
honourably recorded in our annals; and while we appreciate
the labours of Hewald in Saxony, and of Egbert^ Willibrord,
Vickberet and others in Friesland, let it not be forgotten that
Ireland was the nursery in which these distbguished Britons
had been educated and qualified for the arduous duties of
those interesting missions. In after times> when the sword was
drawn and Ireland had to pass through the crucible — when by
despotic enactments and the terrors of the gibbet, the Irish
fitudent shut out from the chance of education in his own
country was compelled to take refuge in a foreign, land;
France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy — all embraced the
exiled Irish ecclesiastic — ^felt for his wrongs — sheltered him
from his oppressors, and gave him education^ freely and mu*-
nificently, as his forefathers had once done towards strangers
firom the most distant parts of Eurppe.

The inestimable labours of St. Aidan, the Apostle of Nor*
thumberland, and the equally eventful missions of Finan and
Golman, his successors, would supply matter for still more
ample commentary; these missions, however, in conjunction
with others, shall form the heads of a distinct subject and
shall in their proper place be again presented to the reader^
consideration.

EIGHTH CENTURY.

CHAPTER I.

Termination of the Paschal Controversy— Question on the
subject of the Tonsure decided — Religious Spirit of the
Irish in this age — The Monarch Flahertach-Turlough,
Prince of Thomond — The Inhabitants of Iceland and of
the Orkneys converted by Irishmen — Progress of our
Missionaries in various parts of Europe — History of St.
Virgilius — of St. Mumold — of Clemens and AUnnus — the
Ostmen or Danes make their first appearance on the Coast
of Ireland.

From the historical events of the preening centuries the
titate of the Irish Church at this period may be readily col«
lected. Its hierarchy had been organized — ^the episcopal sees
of the present day were, with few eacceptions, founded — while
the ecclesiastical'orders were composed of men, professions-
ally learned, zealous, and abore all,- disengaged from the
wealth and pleasures of this world. Meanwhile the literary
retreats of the sixth and seventh centuries were as usual fre-
quented by foreigners, and were conducted on a scale more
ample and splendid than ever. For this reason it is, that iti
the eighth century very few schools of an extensive description
had been founded; the ancient establishments were consi-
dered sufficient, and hence the arrangement of this chapter
shall, in this respect, vary from that of some of the pre^
ceding ones.

The controversy relative to the Paschal cycle gave rise to
considerable discussion during the last century; principles
had been advanced on both sides of the question, the result

175

of ivhich waa, that in the south of Ireland the Roman Pas-'
chal computation had been adopted, while in the north to^
gether with a great portion of Leinster and Connaught, the
ancient Irish cycle was still retained. This discrepancy, al*
though it could not affect catholic faith, was neyertheless, a
floating spedk upon the bright surface of the Church of Ire*
land. To remove it, was a task undertaken by many but ex-
ecuted by none; one obstacle havmg been put out of the
way, served only to make room for another; it was con-
sidered by some as a work insurmountable, to all it appeared
extremely di£Scult, and it was at length accomplished by
Adamnan, the learned Abbot of Hy, about the year 703. —
It happened that Adamnan had in the year 702 been deputed
by his countrymen to proceed to Alfrid, King of Northum-
berland, during which visit he became acquainted with the
Abbot Ceolfrid and with several other eminent persons, who
felt a desire to see this question amicably decided. Adam**
nan being a man of great experience and lamenting the
conflict of opinion which this controversy had occasioned,
listened with attention to the arguments of these ecclesiastics;
his former views on the subject were soon withdrawn ; all
these he was willing to sacrifice on the common altar of
unity, and he at length consented to adopt the Roman, or
rather the Alexandrian cycle, with the Eusebian revision and
amendments. Adamnan promised, moreover, to use his in-
fluence in having it received as the permanent and exclusive
calculation of the Pasch throughout the north of Ireland; in
which undertaking he finally but with difficulty succeeded. —
In the year afler, about 703, he sailed for Ireland, and hav-
ing reached the north, this great man did all in his power by
authority and argument to bring over his countrymen to the
opinion which he had already formea on this then interesting
subject.* His principal arguments referred to the source

•BeieL. 6. c. 16.

176

from vih\c\k this disciplinary usage had emanated-^io Ob
universality, it being now the universally received rule of dis-*
cipline over the Christian world — and to the important con-
nection which subsisted between it and the other leading
festivals of the year. The influence which Adamnan's learn-
ing and sanctity had gained throughout the north added con^
siderable weight to his arguments; accordingly the prelates^
together with the heads of the leading monasteries almost
instantaneously adopted the Roman method of calculation,
and thus the same rule of discipline appertaining to the Pas-
chal festival was observed in every province and in every
diocess in Ireland. Adamnan remained in this country until
after the Easter of 704, which he celebrated at the time pre-
scribed by the Roman cycle, and then returned to his
Monastery in the island of Hy.

About this period the question of the clerical tonsure was
likewise decided. It is certain, that until some time in the
fifth century, there was no peculiar tonsure in use among
the clergy. The practice of it originated, most probably,
with some monks chiefly of the east, who, as a token of re-
pentance, generally appeared with their heads shaved.* The
Greek monks were accustomed to shave the whole head; and
hence Julian the Apostate, who in the reign of Ck)n8tantine
pretended to be a monk, had his hair shorn according to the
monastic custom of that country. In other parts of the east
they had their heads only half shaved, something similar to
that practised by the first and second class of the Irish saints.
The eastern tonsure gradually passed from the monks to the
secular clergy; but in the western Church there was no cer-
tain or determined form prescribed until after the close of the
fifth century .t The difference between the Irish tonsure and
that used by the Romans, since the time of Gregory the
Great, consisted in this, that with the Romans the crown of

• Biogham Grig. B. 7. f Smith's Appendix to Bede.

177

the head was shorn in form of a circle, while the Irish
shaved only the fore-part of the head, permitting the hair
to fall behind. The surrounding circle of hair in the Roman
tonsure was, strictly speaking, called the coroTia; and in
its mystical signification was supposed to represent the crown
of thorns which had been placed on the sacred head of the
Redeemer. It is also considered as an embtem of the royalty
of the Christian priesthood.* There is no doubt but the
Irish tonsuife was that which the clergy of this country had
in the fifth century received from St. Patrick; nor was it in
reality confined to Ireland; the semicircular tonsure (as it
was called) had at that period been used in several parts of
the east, and generally speaking throughout the west. St.
Paulinus of Nola, who was a native of Gaul and who died
in the commencement of the fifth century^ speaking of the
monks of his time, says, they were half tonsured, having
the fore-parts of their heads shaved : " Semitonsi et destituta
fronte pr€Brasi."f The fact is, St. Patrick had found this
form of tonsure used in CJaul and in other places, and hav-
ing taught it to the Irish, it was afterwards observed with
that scrupulous reverence which our forefathers always paid
to every thing delivered to them by that great Apostle. At
all events the controversy to which it gave rise continued for
a long period; it was conducted with much argumentation
between our Irish missionaries in Northumberland and the
English clergy; but from the time in which the new cycle
had been generally received in Ireland, this question of the
tonsure was no longer discussed, and wherever the Roman
Paschal system had been adopted, that of the tonsure was
received along with it. It affords, however, another con-
vincing proof of the moral impossibility of introducing any
new dogma, or of corrupting the faith which had been
preached and triumphantly planted in Ireland.

* Bellarmin L. 2. de Monachls* f £p. 7,

178

The precepts and maxims of the Gospel produced in this
century a striking effect on the minds and actions not only
of the people in general, but also of the princes and rulers
of the land. Several of our kings and dynasts, disgusted
with the vanities of the world, retired altogether from the
'dangerous scenes of life and embraced the solitude and aus-
terities of the cloister. Flahertach, Monarch of Ireland,
having conquered and slain in battle Kineth, a descendant
of Diermit II., resigned his crown and kingdom in 734 and
spent several years of great mortification in the monastery of
Armagh.* During the incumbency of St. Colman, Abbot
and Bishop of Lismore, Theodoric or Turlough, King of Tho*
mond, after renouncing the splendour of the world, repaired
to that Monastery and received the religious habit from the
hands of that Saint. Theodoric was the son of Cathal and
grandson of Aldus Coemh, King of Munster.f He governed
his kingdom with great glory for many years and had seve-
ral children, among whom was the celebrated St. Flannan of
Killaloe* At the time in^ which Theodoric entered the estab-
lishment of Lismore, he had nearly reached the 75th year of
his age; nevertheless, the austerities which he voluntarily un-
derwent were almost incredible, and it is related that he em-
ployed himself for a considerable time in breaking rocks and
making a convenient road to the monastery. This pious
prince died in Thomond and was buried in the Church of
Killaloe,j: of which his son St. Flannan had been the
founder.

After the death of Adamnan the monks of the Monastery
of Hy continued as attached as ever to the Irish Paschal
system, until about the year 716, when Egbert^ a holy priest
who had received his education in Ireland and was at the
time undertaking a mission to Friesland, had paid a visit to

• OTlahcrty Ogyg. p. 3. t M. c. 83, t Ware's Antiq. c. 29.

179

that establishment. Dunchad, grandson of Conall,* was at
that time superior of Hy and in fact of the whole Colum-
bian Order. He paid great attention to the arguments of
Egbert and was ultimately induced to receive the Roman
Paschal cycle, together with the circular tonsure. On this
subject Prideaux writes: ''In the year 716, a pious and
learned presbyter of the English nation, after having spent
many years completing his studies in Ireland, which at that
period was the prime seat of learning in all Christendom,
coming from thence to the Monastery of Hy, proposed to
that community the Roman Paschal system and having bet-
ter success hereia than Adamnan, be brought them all over
to it."t

This century is marked by our annalists as the period in
which our Irish missionaries established a knowledge of the
Christian religion in Iceland, which island was known to
them by the name of Thule, or Inis-Thyle. Amgrim Jonas,
the Icelandic historian, attempts to maintain that Iceland
was not inhabited until the landing of the Norwegians in 874.
This, however, is a mere assertion, while the same writer is
obliged to admit that the Norwegians had on their arrival in
the island found some sacred utensils which had been left
there by Irish Christians. "These men," lie observes, "the
ancient Icelanders called Pap(zs, a name which, in the minds
of the Northerns, singified Clergymen.*' That Iceland was
inhabited prior to the period mentioned by Jonils and that
Irish missioners had resided there must appear evident from
the testimony of Ara Multiseius, and other Icelandic writers.
These state that when Ingolf the Norwegian had landed in
Iceland, the country was in a great part covered with forests,

* For about 200 yean after the foundation of the great Monastery of Hy, almost
all its abbots were descendants of Conall Gulbanius, a branch of the northern
Nialls, and consequently claimed relationship to St« Columbiull.

t Connect, p. 2.

180

and Multiseius adds^ 'Hhat there were Christians in it, whom
the Norwegians called Papas, and that they afterwards
quitted the country because they did not wish to live with
heathens; that they, moreover, had left behind them Irish
books, bells, and staffs : thence it is easy to conclude that
they had been Irishmen/' The same circumstances are men-
tioned in the book called Laud-Nama-boc, in which we read,
^' Before Iceland was inhabited by the Norwegians, there had
been men there whom these Northerns called Papas, who
professed the Christian religion and are considered to have
come by sea from the west ; for there were left by them Irish
books, bells, and crooked staffs; several other things were
discovered which seemed to indicate that they had beoi west^
men. These articles were found in Papeya towards the east
of the island, and in Papyli."* The probability, therefore,
is that on the arrival of the Norwegians, who besides being
invaders were, moreover, infidels, a most violent persecution
had been raised against the Christians, and this may account
for the books, staffs, and sacred utensils, which had been
found in the island after their departure. In these Northern
islands, and particularly in the Orkneys, are to be found a
great number of remarkable ruins, which serve to point out
the ancient state of religion in those places and bear strong
marks of having been clerical or monastic property. It is,
therefore, an undoubted fact, that Irishmen had extended
their missions as far northward as Iceland, and this very pro-
bably anterior even to the eighth century ,+ There is still
stronger authority for maintaining that the Orkneys and the
Shetland Isles were indebted to our forefathers for the first
knowledge of the Gospel. In truth, our Irish missionaries

* Johnston Aut. celto-Scand.

i Bicuil mentions that he had convened with several Irish priests who bad been
stationed in Iceland. From his account it would appear that these missioners, aft«r
having remained for a certain time in the island, were called home and immediately
relieved by others. ^

181

preached in these islands as early as the times of St. Columb-
kill ; and Dicuil who flourished at the close of the eighth cen-
tury states, that in the Hetblandic, that is, the Shetland
Isles, Irish hermits were living since about one hundred years
prior to the time in which he had written**

The character of this century for distinguished Irish mis*-
sionaries equals, if not surpasses that of preceding times. —
Among these apostolical men St. Viroilius Bishop of Saltz-
burgh has justly obtained an high rank. His proper name
was Feargil, and while it is uncertain to what particular
family he belonged, there is no doubt of his having been of
high extraction.t About the year 746 he repaired to Frai^ce^
where he was well received by Pepin, who had afterwards
been, raised to the throne of that realm4 Vilnius soon
after proceeded to Bavaria, and was favoured by Pepin with
a letter of introduction to the Duke Otilo by whom the
government of that territory was then held. Here the learn-
ing and unceasing labours of Virgilius rendered his name
celebrated and the assistance afforded by the Duke gave ad-
ditional effect to the success of his mission. St. Boniface^
Archbishop of Mentz^ was contemporary with Virgilius and
enjoyed at the time jurisdiction over Bavaria as well as over
many other parts of Germany. During the incumbency of
Boniface a circumstance occurred which might have proved
troublesome to Virgilius, had not his superior knowledge
both of theology and of philosophy enabled him to justify
the opinions which he held and the practice which he recom-
mended. It happened that some priest in Virgilius' district,
not having been well versed in latin, had administered the
sacrament of baptism with this form: ^'Baptizo te in nomine
Patria et Filia et Spiritua Sancta." Boniface maintained
that such baptisms were invalid, and ordered Virgilius to re-
baptize these persons. Virgilius on the other hand, justly

* Usher p. 729. 868. f Messingham, Florilegium. t Mabillon Acta. Ben.

182

defended the validity of the baptisms^ and refusing to com-
ply with the orders of Boniface was at length obliged to ad-
dress a letter to Pope Zachary. This correspondence termi-
nated in an admonitory epistle from the Pope to Boniface, in
which he tells him that his orders had been indiscreet, and
that although the latin used by the priest had not been cor-
rect, yet it did not by any means invalidate the sacra-
ment, and that consequently the persons should not be re-

While Virgilius had been completing his education in Ire-
land, he is said to have paid particular attention to the study
of astronomy, His superior scientific knowledge often in-
clined him to discant on the prevailing astronomical doctrines
pf the day with great fteedom and candour, and especially
pn that relative to the antipodes. Espousing the system
which he had been taught in his own country Virgilius de-
fended the sphericity of the earth, and from thence deduced
corollaries and scholiums which proved by no means agree-
able to the taste or opinion of those who still adhered to the
once admired but now exploded hypothesis of the old school.
Among those who considered the theory of Virgilius as false
and worse than eccentric was the good Boniface, Nor is
the epithet when coupled with the name of Boniface misap-
plied; that Prelate was a good and a great man, but fol-
lowing the astronomical elements of the age in which he
lived he felt sincerely convinced that Virgilius was wrong,
and that his principles and bis antipodes should be denounced
as extravagant and mischievous. Accordingly Boniface sent
a communieation to Rome, and among other things accused
Virgilius with having maintained, that there were other men
living under the earth and inhabiting a world altogether dis-
tinct from this. It is not surprising that Zachary should
consider this doctrine both novel and dangerous^ and hence

* Uther Ep. Hib. Syl. No. 16.

183

in his reply be is made to say that ''in case it be proved that
Virgilius had held the doctrine of their being another world,
and oth^ men under the earth, a synod should be convened
and he should be expelled the Church/'* Virgilius, how-
ever, having submitted a correct explanation of his opinion
to Zachary, was pronounced orthodox, and a perfect re-
conciliation was thus happily effected.

About the year 748 Virgilius was appointed Abbot of the
Monastery of St. Peter at Saltzburgh; and in 756 he was
appointed Bishop of that City by Pope Stephen XL, Pepin
having been at the time King of Franccf Virgilius con-
sidered himself unworthy to be raised to this exalted dignity
and continued for two years in his refusal, until at length
being prevailed upon by the Bishops of the province and by
the clergy and people, he submitted to the appointment. —
The accounts which German writers give us of the zeal and
labours of Vii^ilius after his consecration bespeak the vigi-
lance of the prelate and the sanctity of the saint. He con-
secrated a Basilic in that city in honour of St. Stephen, be-
sides the celebrated Abbey of Ottinga which he founded. —
Virgilius also repaired the monastery in which he had been
Abbot, and enlarged the Abbey of St Maximilian and other
establishments. His great and chief work was the Basilic
which he founded and dedicated in the name of St. Rupert,
and ^fler having translated there the remains of the Saint,
he constituted it the Cathedral. Karastus the Sclavonian
Duke of Carinthia and Chetimar his cousin were both con-
verted and baptized by Virgilius; and from the interest which
the saint took in the welfare of the Carinthian Church and the
number of missionaries with which he had supplied it, he was
always considered and is justly styled its Apostle. After a
most useful and holy life, Virgilius died at Saltzburgh on the

« Usher Syl. N. 17. t Mabillon Anna].

184

27th of November, A.D. 786.* A discourse on the anti-
podes and several other tracts are attributed to him^t and
he is to this day held in the highest veneration as Patron of
Saltzburgh and Apostle of Carinthia.

St. RuHOLDy the illustrious Apostle of Mechlin, flourished
about the middle of the eighth century. According to the
Lateran breviary and chronicles of the Church of Mechlin,
**he was of the royal house of Ireland and by right of suc-
cession heir to a throne." After having embraced the eccle-
siastical state, his talents and sanctity had soon become con-
spicuous and he was raised to the episcopacy. Some virriters
have maintained that he had presided over the See of Dublin;
this opinion, however, cannot be easily reconciled with the
authenticated records of that Church.J Rumold, inflamed
with a desire to visit the tombs of the Apostles, repaired to
Rome, and here it is said he was admonished in a vision to
direct his course back to the West.^ Accordingly after hav-
ing obtained the Pope's benediction, he proceeded to Mechlin,
where he was received in a manner the most flattering by the
Count Ado. This Count was a great patron of Rumold, and
having received several favours through the prayers of the
Saint, he in gratitude presented him with a tract of ground
called UlmuSf on which an extensive Monastery was soon
erected. From this establishment St. Rumold supplied that
and the neighbouring districts with missionaries, and so in-
defatigable was he in preaching the Gospel not only at
Mechlin but through the adjacent country, that he has been

* He is named by the German writers " a man the most learned among the
learned." Alcuin in his encomiums on St. Virgilius has these lines :

Egregius prtesul meritis et moribus albas,
Protulit in lucem quem mater Hibemia,
Instituit, docuit, nutrivit,

Sed peregrina petens.

Vir piuset prudens, nuUi pietate secundus.

t Ware, Writers. % See cent, xi. c. 1. $ Brev. Lat.

186

jtistly styled the Apostte of the Mechliniatas. Nbtwithstandt-
ing the great services &nd amiable disposition of the Saint,
two adsai^ins, whom he had reph>ved for their immt^ralityy
(conspire and put him to death on the 24th of Jtin^, A. D.
775.* The remams of St; RumoM were interred in the Ohtirch
at Ulmiis but were afterwards translated by Count Ado to
tile Cathedtal and Metrojiolitan Church of Mechlin^ wher^
they were deposited in a silver shrine^ and it is stated that
several miracles had been wrought at his tomfo.f

About the same period two justly celebrated Irishmen,
Albinus and ClbmbkS, arrived in France; Charlemagne
being at the time sole Sovereign of the whole French Mon^-
archy. These men, if riot the revivers 6f literature in France
and Italy, were at leant mo&t powerfully instrumental in dif-
fusing through these countries a knowledge of philosophy and
of the science^, which had certainly buffered decay from the in-
cursions of the Northern barbarians and the revolutions by
which they were accompanied. The reception which they met
^ith from Charlemagne and the history of their subsequent
transactions are faithfully recorded by a writer of the ninth
tentufy, whom Usher supposed to be the learned Notker
Ball)ulus, a monk of the Abbey of St. Gall in Switzerland*.
The author, in his history of Charlemagne, has the following
tiarratiVe.^: "When the illustrious Charles began to reign
alone in the western parts of the world, and literature was
every where almost forgotten, it happened that two Scots df
Ireland came over with some British merchants to the shores
of France; men incomparably skilled in human learning and
in the holy Scriptures. As they produced no merchandise for

* In the Belgic life written about this period and translated by Domyns, the
year in which St. Ruinold suffered is marked by the equtal letters cotilaiDed in the
following line.

"hIC CossVs CaCIdIt fLUVIo laCtVs rieCe Capta."
t Vita ap J, Domyns. } De gestis Caroli, Caniaii Antiq. — Ware Writers

186

sale, they used to cry out to the crowds flocking to purchase;
If am/ one is desiraus far wisdom, Ut him cams to y$ and ra-
eeivs it; far tse have it to seU* Their reason for saying that
they had it for sale was, that perceiving the people inclined
to deal in saleable articles and not to take anything gra*
tuitOQsly, they might rouse them to the acquisition of wisdom
as well as of objects for which they should gire ralue; or, as
the sequel shewed, that by speaking in that manner they
might excite their wonder and astonishment They repeated
this declaration so often, that an account of them was eon-
yeyed to the King, who, bebg a great admirer of wisdom,
had them conducted with all expedition before him. He
asked them, if they truly possessed wisdom, as had been re-
ported to him? They answeted, that they did, and were
ready in the name of the Lord to communicate it to such as
would seek it worthily. On his inquiring of them what com-
pensation they would expect for it? They replied, that they
required nothing more than convenient situations, ingenious
minds, and, as being in a foreign country, to be supplied with
food and raiment Charles, having heard their proposals
and replete with joy, kept them both with himself for a short
time. After some interval, when obliged to proceed on a
military expedition, he ordered one of them, whose name was
Clemens, to remain in France; intrusting to his care a great
number of boys, not only of the highest noblesse but like-
wise of the middling and lower ranks of society; all of whom
were, by his orders, provided with food and a suitable habita-
tion. The other, by name Albinus, he directed to Italy and
assigned to him the Monastery of St Augustin near Pavia,"*^
that such persons as wished for knowledge might there resort
to him."

* Thit celebrated Monastery was origiaally dedicated to St. Peter. It after*
wards obtaibed tbe title of tbe Abbey of Su Auguttin, in consequence of its con-
taining the remains of the illustrious Bishop of Hippo. Maratori states, that Al-
binus, after havbg received the grant of it, became a member of the Benedictine
institute.

187

While these eminent men had been at the court of Charle-
magne, that great patron of literature was highly pleased
with their conversation, and conceiring that knowledge dif-
fused among his-subjects was likely to form the surest basis of
his rising dominion, he wisely resolved to turn the fortunate
anival o^ these valuable strangers into a source of both indi-
vidual and national advantage^ Vincentius Betlovacensis
and* other writers state, that Clemens, following the directions
of his patron^ kept his school in Paris; while others assuming
an hypothesis no less groundless than improbable maintain
that he had been the founder of its University* That Paris
had been the place appointed for Clemens may be readily ad-
mitted, although it is certain that Charlemagne had not
usually kept his court in that City; but without a glaring
anachronism it cannot be said that he was the founder of its
University; no such establishment having been known in
Paris until about the dose of the eleventh century.* Clemens
continued to teach after the death of Charlemagne, and
besides his grammatical and other tracts he is said to have
written a history of the reign of that Monarch.f Albinns is
described by Muratori and others as the Father and reviver of
learning in Pavia.;]: That literature had at this time been de-
plorably neglected throughout Lombardy is but the natural
result of long contested wars and incessant revolutionary vicis-
situdes. For more than two centuries that fine country had
been rent and distracted; the fury of the Ooth having been
allayed only made way for the vengeance of the Lombard-^
one horde of barbarians was followed by another still more
unsparing and formidable; while social improvement and the
cultivation of letters were generally abandoned and nearly
lost amidst the terror of arms and the constant struggle of an
enterprising, unsettled and desperate people. Lombardy,
however, had about this time been brought under the domin-

* Encyclopedie at Univenritc. t Usher, pre. £p. Ilib. t Aimali at 781.

188

ion of Charlemagne, and among the many other benevolent
qualities of that great Monarchy his zeal for prompting peace
and for disusing knowledge among his subjects w&s not the
least conspicuous. As the foundation of the University of
Paris had beei^ gratuitously attributed to Cleineiis, in lifce
manner Albinus has been mentioned by some as the Parent of
the celebrated University of Pavia. All thisy howeyer, is but
jpaere assertion and clearly repqgnant to histprical authority.
iUbinus taught at Pfivia with great success for mi^ny years,
and several worjcs including epistles apd rhetorical precepts
are attributed to him. The year in vvhich these learned teach-
ers died hfU3 not be^n ascertained; but their exertions in the
cause of morality and of literature were for a long period grater
fully remembered in ^hese countries, and have, been honour-r
ably noticed by m^y of their ancient and most distinguished
writers.

In the meantime tb^ Church of Ireland continued tQ flourish
with additional lustrei a^id while numbers of her ecclesiastics
had been dispersed over the nations of Eurppe her schools
were as usual frequented 1)y fpreigners, and her reputation aa
^ land pf science and of sanctity vras nobly upheld and uni*
Y^rsally admitted. Knowledge, religion and happiness reigned
throughout the land, w)ien, in the year 795, the Sccmdanavian
{idventurers, coQ[imonly called Danes, first invaded the coasts
pf Ireland* and laid waste the sm^ll island of Raghlin in the
County of Antrim, Holmpatrick and other places^f The de-
solation which these barbarians had spread throughout the
kingdom and the sufferbgs whiph the Irish Church had
undergone during the whole period of their invasion shall be
noticed in their proper place; meanwhile, the other ecclesias-
tipal events connected with the eighth century shall, agree-
ably to our original plan, occupy the two foUowmg chapters.

♦ Ware, Antiq. c. 24. t I'lstex Aonals— App. &c.

CHAPTER IL

Successors of Si. Patrich-^Episcopal Sees-^^Iteligioust
Foundations of the Eighth Century.

On the death of Flan Fehhla, Archbishop of Armagh, in
716y SviBHKE OF SwBEMY, SOU of Cronmail was appointed
his successor. This Prelate was a great encourager of learn*
ing, and daring his incumbency several scribes and other
eminent men presided over the schools of Ireland; among
these are recorded Colman sumamed Hua*machensis,i author
of the Acts of St Patrick ; Eochad Mac-Colgan an ancho^.
ret and professor of Armagh; Ferdomnach a learped scribe
and philosopher; Pochumna sumamed Bolga, an ancho*i
ret and teacher of the holy Scriptures, &c. Suibhne having
governed the Archiepiscopal See for fifteen years was sue-,
ceeded by Ck)NGus, a descei^dant of Anmira(:us Mqnarch o(
Ireland. Before Congus had been raised to tl^e episcopacy,
he obtained the title qf scribe, whicbx ^ Colgan observes,
belonged exclusively to men of letters, professors, and parT
ticularly to authors.* This Prelate was well versed in poetry,
and when archbishop addressed a poem to Aidus Ollain,
King of Ireland; recommending that Monarch to punish
Rory King of Ulster, fqr having sacrilegiously plundered
some churches and religious hpiises in the diocess of Armagh.f
Congus presided over Armagh for twenty years and had for
successors Kele-Petrus of Ui*Bressail, now Clan-brassil, in
the County of Armagh; Ferdachrich son of Suibne; anc(

• Tr. Th. p. 294. t Harris' Bishops.

190

Foennelach, son of Moenach.* According to the Psalter of
Cashel this latter Prelate was followed in regular succession
by Dubdaiethe, Arectac, Cudiniscus, and Conmach, whose
incumbency commenced in 791 and continued for sixteen
years. It is to be regretted that the Acts of these Prelates
haye been destroyed, and even as to dates there seem to ex-
ist an apparent diversity and much confusion between the
Psalter of Cashel, the Four Masters, Colgan, and all w$
antiquarian authorities.

It has been observed in the foregoing century that almost
all the episcopal sees which flourish at this day, had been
founded up to that period; the few that remain owe their
origin to subsequent times, and shall be noticed in chronolo-
gical order, together with the history of such unions as had
at diflbrent periods taken place,

The Sbb of Kii,f.A.LOB was founded about the commeaee^
ment of the eighth century by St. Flannan, son of the pious
King Theodorict Some writers assign the foundation of this
See to an earlier period, and maintain that Flannan was a
disciple of St. Molua Lobhar from whom the See derives its
pame, and who flourished about the close of the sixth cen<*
tury. Such, however, could not be the foot, as his fother
Theodoric had not been in Lismore until about the year 700,
St. Flannan might very probably have been a student in the
Monastery of Killaloe, which was founded by St, Molua,
his great grand uncle ; and this it was which most seemingly
gave rise to the opinion of his having been a diaciple of that
Saint. According to Ware, who is followed by Harris and
others, Flannan was consecrated at Rome by John IV. in
639; but as has been already observed, this chronology can-
pot be admitted. Theodoric the father of St. Flannan wis a
munificent benefactor to this See, and endowed it with very
fimple revenues.:): The year of St. Flannan's death is not

« Ware B»bop9. t Vit. Flan.' t Ware Antiq. c« 29.

191

known, but ht^ festival is oUerred on the 18th of Decem-
ber. The chiurcheg and religious establishments of the dio*
cess of Killaloe suffered awfully during the incursions of the
Danes. From the death of the founder to the time of the
learned O'Lonergan Bishop of Killaloe, in 1160, the names
of only five of its prelates have been recorded; after this
period the succession becomes regular and complete, pre*
senting a catalogue of men distingubhed for piety and learn-
ing and by their labours advancing the interest of religion,
particularly in this extensive and celebrated district of the
south of Ireland.

Roscommon was an Episcopal See in the eighth century,
and had for its first Bishop St. Coman or Comman, from
whom it derived its name.* St. Coman before his elevation
to the. episcopacy was the author of a monastic rule which
was held in great veneration, and was exclusively followed
in Connaught and other parts of Ireland. The Acts of this
Saint are very imperfect, and according to the Annals of
Boyle quoted by Ware, he died on the 26th of December,
A.D. 746.

Mayo was likewise an Episcopal See in this age, over
which St. Muredach presided about the year 726.f It is
considered to have taken its origin from the monastery
founded here by St. Colman of Lindisiame, and is ranked
together with that of Roscommon in the diocesan catalogue
of the Council of Kells.:|:

FoBB, in Westmeath, was about the same time the seat
of a bishop, althoij^h it was not in any age a regular Epis-
copal See. St. Suarlech succeeded the Abbot Dubdaboren in
736, and was afterwards raised to the episcopal rank.§ Ac-
cording to the Four Masters, this Saint died on the 27th of
March, A.D. 746. His successor Aedgen enjoyed the same
d^nity, after whom we find no other bishop residing at Fore*

* A. A. S. S. p, 406. t W. p. e05. $ See Cent. XII. c. I. § A, A. S. S. p. 772.

192

Clonbalkin, (Cluain-dolcamO in which a celebrated
monaatery had been founded by St. Cronan Mochua, had a
Bishop St. Ferfugilly who died in 785, and whose festival was
celebrated on the 10th of March.*

St. Sbdulius, who died in 786 is mentioned by Marian
Gorman as Bishop of Ath-Cliath^ now Dublin. It is, how-
ever, conjectured, and with great probability, that SednUus
as well as Suarlech and Ferfugill, had belonged merely to the
chorepiscopal body.

The Chobbpiscofi were in these thnes very numerous in
Ireland, and continued to a later date in the Irish Church
than perhaps in that of any other country. They were re-
gularly ordained or consecrated bishops, without possessing
the canonical episcopal jurisdiction over a see or district. —
Many of them had been stationed in the large monasteries,
some were attached to the Cathedral Church and assisted the
Ordinary in several of his offices, and numbers of them had
the pastoral care of rural districts ; still, however, subject to
the jurisdiction of the Ordinary of the diocess. Agreeably to
the Canons of the Council of Nice three bishops, at leasts
should be present at the episcopal ordination; but it appears
that the Chorepiscopi used to be consecrated by the Bishop,
properly so called, or Ordinary of the diocess, without any
application having been made for the assistance of other
bishops. That this was lawful and customary appears from
the 10th Canon of the Council of Antioch; and Bingham
states that the city-bishops, or ordinaries, were accountable
for the ordination of the country-bishops (Chorepiscopi,) to
a provincial synod.f By the Canons of the Church, the
ordinaries were not allowed, except on some very urgent oc-
casions, to leave the sees to which they had been originally
appointed; whereas, on the contrary, the Chorepiscopi were
not unfrequently removed from one district or province to

• A. A. S. S. p. 677. t Orig. Eccl. B. 12.

193

another, which renloyal serveB very often to indicate whether
the person was an Ordinary or a Chorepiscopus, particularly
in caseA where history observes a prdfoond silence as to the
fact.

The niimber of rel%iou8 (Bstablishments in Ireland, though
yliry considifcrable wad^ m^verthelate) increased during the
li^hth century;

Thb MonAstbrt of ToMQBiirir iii ihe County of Clare,
^vas erected by St; Munchen and claimed an high rank
among th^ religions foundations of the country^ This
Monastery continued to be the nursery di learning even in
the most awfiil times; When in D64 the Banish power aroto
io a firightfttl h^ight> and when neither the habitation of
man or th<& sanctuary itself had b^n secured from the
ravages df tfa^e infidels> the Abbi^ of Tomgrany Was pre-
served by thi^ talented and holy Abbot Cormaeh O'Killeen;
This eminent ecclesiastic is m^ntion^ by all our hi^blogists
with g^i^at rttop^ct^ and is said io havt^ kept lip th^ nAgn of
literature at Ifeast in Hiii own i^tabUshmi^nt^ when it was
thither extinct or on the eve 6f d^trubtidn ih olhl^r and mt>re
ambient plabto; After his deith the church Wits d^molisheft
by the Danes^ but was rebuilt by Brian Bdroimhe. In the
twelfth century this Abbey became numbered among the
ruins of the coiintty;

Thb Mohastbbt of KliLAcHAti in the tk>uUly bf datah,
was established in this cdntury by St. Tigemach^ sdn of St.
Mella of Dabre^melk.f this Saint laid the fdundatidnd tif
siiveral religious hoosM> ^mdng Which shduld b^ notided the
celebrated Monastery ntar the lak^ Melgi^, or Loiigh Melve>
in the County df L^itrim^ Which h^ afterwards resigned Io
his mother and in whibh that hbly Womah> aticompahied bjr
a number of female, spent several years df cSxtraordinary
mortification and piety. The Abbey of Killachad was grciatl jf

•A. A.S.S.p. 332i tW.p.796.

2 B

194

distinguished for its eminent prc^essors, among whom were
Robhertach an eminent scribe and author, who died in
844; Dubtach also a scribe, and the learned O'Kearta, who
flourished at the close of this century.* About the year 1 180
it was plundered by the English and became a ruin.t

The Abbey of Imistiooe, in the County of Kilkenny^
was founded most probably by St. Moelruan, and continued
during this and the following century eminently distinguished
as the retreat of learned and holy men. It had been several
limes plundered by the Danes and was ultimately demolished.
However, in 1210, the Abbey was rebuilt by Thomas, son
of Anthony, Seneschal of Leinster, for Augustinian Canons^
and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and St. ColumbkilL —
Alured, a Canon of Kells, was its first Prior, and the founder
granted to bim and to the Abbey, the Churches of Orenan
and Kilerenath. The last Prior was Miles Baron alias Fitz-
gerald, who at very great expense built a new steeple and ad-
ded an extensive cloister to this priory: he became Bishop
of Ossory in 1527, but held the priory by a dispensation
from the Pope until the suppression of religious houses.;}^ An
inquisition was held in the 10th year of Blizabeth, when the
splendid possessions of this Abbey were seized upon and
granted to Edmund Butler and his heirs, in capite, at an
annual rent of £28 12s.§ The rectory of White Church in
the same County, being parcel of the possessions of this
Priory, was soon after granted to Thomas Earl of Ormond.H

The Monastery of Inismurrat was erected by St.
DichoUa on an island in the great Western Ocean, about
five miles from the main land of the barony of Carbury,

• Tr. Th. p. 633. f Annal. Inisfal. t Ware Annalf.

$ This property was situated in the Counties of Kilkenny, Carlow, and Wexford,
and consisted of various Rectories, Messuages, &c., and aboat 800 acres of arable
and pasture land. — Aud. Gen.

II King, p. 334.

195

County of Sligc* This island is an immense rock rising
with frightful precipices towards the ocean^ but shelving
gently on the opposite side towards the coast^ and contains
about 130 acres of shallow soil. In 807 the Danes effected
a landing and set fire to the Abbey; the ruins of two of the
^bapels ai% still to be seen, one of which has an extraordinary
window, jbhe arch whereof is 01^ immense eliptical rock aU
Viost in its original state»

Thb MpKASTJBgY OF RoscQMMi^N wss fouoded by St. Co«>
9xan about the q^id^le of the eighth century. Besides the
severity of the institate which hfLd been drawn up by the
founder himself, this Abjbey was celebrated for its schools
9iid the number of its learned profei^sors who continued to
teach here until the ye.ar 1 }77, when the English army took
possession of the Abbey in their route from Dublin to the
lyest of Ireland^t Among its learoepi teachers may be no*
ticed the Abbot and Bishop Cormac O'l^illane, in 964; Flani^
gan Roe, and Aidan, two learned professors of the eleventh
century; O'Qmpally, Feargal, and O'Braoin, scribes and
commentators of the twelfth century; and the learned O'Cor-
macan who was Abbot in 1177, when the English came to
Roscommon. Turlogh the Great was a particular benefactor
to this establishment, and in 1156^ after having augmented
its estates, he caused the blessed Sacrament to be cairied
with great solemnity attended by the clergy and religious
from all parts of Ireland and afterwards deposited in this
Abbey, in a tabernacle of immense value prepared for it. J It
was governed by its abbots in succession until the 20th of
Elizabeth, when its possessions consisting of 30 quarters of
lands and various Rectories were granted at an annual rent
to Sir Nicholas Malbye.§ A second inquisition was held un-
der James I., when various other property together with the
Rectories and tithes of eighteen parishes were seized upon
and held from the King in pure and common soccage.||

* Annal. Four Masters. f Aonal. AnnoQ. t O'HoUaran vol. II.

§ Aud. Gen. II Lib. loquUit,

196

To these mi|y l^ subjoined the following abbies whiph owe
ibeir foandfttaon to ibis cenipry.

TojB Abbby pB AcHAD-HVB, or the Qreep4ofrd, in Qssory,
fpunded by St. La^^t^Qi A.D. 7Q0. I>i0Brt?tola, b the
County of ^^BJ^, foi^nded }>y Bt. Tola, A.Q. 720« Kill-
GBLB«<;aBifMT, in the County of lYeatmeathj; founded by St
C!hri8ticola. I^ilfobiiik, in thfi (bounty of Clare, founded
by S^ F)annan. Tallaqh^ in t^^ County pf Dul)lip, foundefif
|>y St. Mofilrnan. Killoiit, in the County of Roscommon^
founded by St. Coman. Ankadufbb, in the County of
lieitrim, founded by St Tigemach. I^foiRB-MsLLB, in the
County of Leitriniy founded l>y St Tigemach. Ikdbnbn, iq
^e territory of Br^ja, near Drogheda, by St Suariach.
Lbgkvaoh, in the Co^nty of M^thj» founded by St. Coe^
man. DisbrttFulartagh, in t^e Queen's County, founded
by St Fulf^rtacb* Kilshankt, in the County of Clare,
founded by St. Comin.

From the«e and the fof^ndatioiui of pre^edipg times, mul-
titudef of ^ealo^s and learned mi^sions^ries came forth and
contributed to the splendour of religion at home, as well as
fo its estabjishmeift in (]|u9fant and unconverted li^nds.

CHAPTER III,

ffeli^iQus and Literary Charactprs^ qf fhe Mi^hth Century-^.
Gfi^eral Observfitions^

III noticing some of tb^ (smiii^nt mfsn of U^is figOi yt^ shaU
pommenpe with Ai>4«[K4n the Iparned Abbot of ^y, Tbi^
flistinguigb^d F^tber of tbe f risb Cburph wimi of tbe race of
%h^ Qprtbqil If i^l4^ and was born in \\ie territory pf Ti^cou-?
ni&l abont tbe year 627.* Tbe history of bis ea|;ly life r&t
mtiins unknpwo, bpt it is generally supposed that h^ receive^
his pdupatioii in the Mpnastery pf Hy, and haying embrace4
Ibe Cplumbian institute b^ sopn after i^tfim^ to his owiv
pomitry. To Adamnan is attnbifted th^ foundation of the
great Abbey of Raphpe^ oyer which bp presided as Abbot;
until thfs year 67P when he was rai^^d tp tbp supr^mp goTemQ
ment of the whole Columbian Qrd^r, both in {rpland ^d ii|
thp Hebrides. T^e lisari^ing find sup^^or q^alitips of thic|
great man bad endearpd him to piany pf the princes, prelates^
and other eminent phi^pt^r^ of t||ese times. Among }x\%
principid admir^ was A^frid^ thp pip]i8 fmd enligbtpppd King
of Northfimbprland, Tl^i^ Prince pn thp d^atb pf ^il ff^ther
Oswin tpok shelter in Irelaqd, whpre, as Bpdp tpsti^es, he
applied hi^nself diligently tp stqdy and pa^ticplarly to that
of the sapred Spriptures} but aftpr thp demise of his brother
Egfrid he was recalled and placed on the throne of Nor-r
thumberland. It appears that Egfrid, displeased at the bosr
pitable reception which his brother Alfrjd had met with ii^
Ireland; was resolyed to yent bi? ragp ph tI)ose ^|ipm Ifp

• Tr.Th.p.480

198

should rather consider as friends.''^ For this purpose he
caused a band of Saxon pirates to proceed to Ireland and in-
fest the entire coast of the ancient Bregia, extending from
Publin to'Drogheda. * Several towns were stormed by these
marauders — terror and dismay spread along the country, and
having thus executed the barbarous commands of their mas-
ter they returned to their vessels laden with plunder and con-
veying away great numbers of the unoffending inhabitants
into captivity. As soon, however, as Alfrid had succeeded
to the throne, Adamnan his particular friend having been
then Abbot of Hy proceeded to Northumberland and waited
on the King. This visit had for its object the recovery of the
property and of the captives, many of whom were still de-
tained in bondage throughout the north of England. In this
mission Adamnan succeeded, and after having remained for
some time at the court of this Prince, he returned to his
cloister and applied himself to the important duties connected
with the government of his order. Nor was this the only
visit which Adamnan had made to the court of Alfrid: about
the year 702 he was again entrusted with an important com-
mission and sent by his countrymen to the King of Northum-
berland. It was on this occasion that he happened to meet
with the Abbot Ceolfrid, and after having conversed with
him aiid other ecclesiastics on the subject of the Roman
Paschal computation he finally resolved to adopt it, and
promised to use his influence in having it received and prac-
tised among his countrymen.^- In this undertaking he suc-
ceeded throughout Ulster, while the members of his institute
at Hy and in the Hebrides adhered to the old Irish Paschal
cycle until some years after his death. Adamnan had been
in Ireland during the Easter of 704 and celebrated that Feast
at the time specified by the Roman calculation; he soon after
returned to Hy, and died on the 23rd of the following Sep-

• Eccl. Hist. L. 4. t Bedc L. 6.

199

tember^ in the 77th year of his age.''^ This distinguished
ecclesiastic has been ranked among the fathers of the Irish
Church, and his memory was held in great veneration par-
ticularly in Tirconnel and in the Western Isles. Among his
writings are classed the following works: a Life of St. Co-
lumba, in three books; afterwards published by Canisius at
Ingolstad; from a manuscript of the Windberg Monastery:
a Treatise on the Holy Land, from which Bede has taken
many extracts: a Life of St Patrick: a Collection of Epistles
and Poems: a Monastic Rule: a Book of Canons, extant
in the Cottonian Library: and a Treatise on the proper cele-
bration of the Feast of the Passover.f

St. CoLOA or Colcus, sumamed the Wise, flourished in the
eighth century. This distinguished man was descended
from the ancient family of Hua-Dunechda and when very
young was placed in the schools of Clonmacnois. From his
intimate acquaintance with the sacred Scriptures and espe-
cially with the Psalter and the writings of St. Paul, he was
considered in those days the most learned man in Ireland,
and was usually styled 'Hhe Scribe, or Doctor of all the
Scots.'^ Colga delitered lectures for many years in the
school of Clonmacnois, and held a correspondence with
several of the most learned men of his time, among whom
was the celebrated Alcuin. One of these important epistles
of Alcuin has been published from two ancient manuscripts
of the Cottonian Library and thence copied by Colgan. It
is headed '^ Albini Magistri ad Colcum lectorem in Scotia,"
and is thus addressed, ^'Benedicto Magistro et pio patri Col-
cu, Al9uine humilis Levita Salutem."j; In this letter the
writer styles Colcus his most holy Father, and calls himself
his son; he then gives him a most satisfactory account of the
state of religion on the Continent, and after alluding to some

• Annals of Ulster— Four Masters. t Ware Writers.

t lTslicrEp.Hib.Syl. No. 18.

200

mMunderstanding which had taken place between Charles of
France and Ofia the Mercian King, he refers to the journey
which he was about to undertake for the purpose of effecting
a reconciliation between these Princes; and concludes hj
sending several presents to Colcu, to the Bishops of Ireland^
and to the Crommtinity of Cionmacnoidy reccfrnmending him-
self at the same iimci to thdir pntyert. Colcu is said to have
written somcl l^ameid annotations On thfe Scripltures and several
valtiable tnicts; oM tif which entitle ''Scopa devdtionis/'
has b^n pmserved; I'hift hol5r and Idamed mitn di^ on thd
20th of February, A,D. 792!;*

St MoBLBUAN, a tont^mpoitLiy of Colcus, was Abbot and
Bishop of Tallagh) about five miles from Dublin. The
Monastery of Tallagh during the goreimment of this Saint
was eminently distingtiished for the number of its learned
men; among whom the hagiolo^ilit Aengus was not th^ leafit
conspicuous. While th^ virttles of its holy Abbot served to
illustratfii the doctrine whiish he dnforCed, his talents and
research enabled him to throw new lights on mtoy obscure
and difficult points of ecclesiastical literature. St Moelruan
has been deservedly ranked among the most learned mto of
the day, and was the principal author of the celebrated
MartyrolOgy of Tallagh (Martyrologium Tamlactense).t —
This Martytx>logy is entitled Martyrologium Aengurii filU
Hua^hUnii et Moelruani, and is considered by antiqua-
rians as the most copious of the kind written in any country
at that period. From the name of Aengus having been
marked in the title it is conjectured by some critics that the
work had been first undertaken by Moelruan and was after-'
wards continued by Aengus. St. Moelruan died on the 7th
of July, A,D. 788.t

St Albuiw or WiTTA, the Apostle of Thuringia, was a
native of Ireland and flourished in this century. Thrithemius

* A. A. S. S. at 20 Tib, f Id. p. 581 . ^ t Four blasters.

201

atHnns that Album embraced the monastic state in Ireland and
afterwards repaired to Germany, where he Converted num-
bers to the faith, and became Bishop about the year 741. —
He entered on the same mission with St. Boniface tod was
appointed by hiln Bishop of Buraburg ne^r Fritzlar, in
Hesse.* Albuin was greatly admired for his knowledge of
the sacked writihgs, and by his preaching and missionary
labours has been venerated a& the Apostle and Patron Saint of
that extensive territory. Although very honourable toentioA
is made of this apostolical man by Arnold Wion and others,
yet the particulars of his eventful mission have not been
handed down to us. Several works have been attributed to
him, the only one of which extant is a book of meditations
addressed to the people of Duringen. The festival of St. Al-
buin is held on the 26th of October.

St. Alto, descended from an illustrious Irish family, arrived
in Bavaria about the same time that Virgilius had been
actively employed on his mission in that country. + With a
determination of leading a life of penance he withdrew to a
forest situated between Augsburg and Munich, and in this
desolate abode Alto spent several years as an ascetic. The
fame of his sanctity soon spread through the neighbouring
tountry, and among the number of his admirers was Pepin,
then King of that territory. This religious Prince, anxious
for the reformation of his people and placing a high value on
the services of the Saint, earnestly entreated him to leave hrs
solitude. At length finding his solicitations ineffectual he
consented to grant him some ground in the heart of the forest
for the purpose of erei^ting thereon a church and a monastery.
This work was undertaken in 750, and the church when
finished was dedicated by St. Boniface; it was called from the
fiaint himself Alto-Muwstbr, or Alt-Muitster, and was
the fruitful nursery of saints and learned men^ St. Alto is

• Fleury, L. 42. A. A, S. S. p. 302.

2 C

202

said to have composed several devotional works; the year of
his death has not been ascertained^ but his memory was
revered on the 9th of Febniary.

DicuiL a learned grammarian and geometrician flourished
at the close of the eighth century^ and was, as he himself
testifies, a native of Ireland. The Acts of this eminent man
have perished amidst the confusion of the Danish wars,
during which period piles of manuscripts and other monu-
ments of antiquity, which would serve to illustrate the annals
of those times, had been wantonly destroyed. Dicuil has
written '^A Greometrical Account of the Provinces of the
Earth, according to the authority of those (to use his own
words) whom Theodosius the Emperor had sent to measure
the same." This work is extant in manuscript. He has
also been the author of a treatise ''On the Ten Questions
in the Art of Grammar."*

Having proceeded thus far, it may not perhaps be considered
irrelevant to examine in this place the character and object
of those ancient monastic institutions, which in this country
owe their origin to the eighth and the preceding centuries. —
In this examination an almost countless variety of topics
present themselves, from among which three principal points
shall be selected. In the first place, the men who composed
these several monastic orders had in view an object above all
others the most sublime and to man the most interesting. —
Secondly, in attaining this object they could not be considered
an incumbrance to any community; and thirdly, so iar from
being an incumbrance they were a national benefit. That their
object had been most interesting is a Christian truth, which
no man acquainted with religion will venture to deny. To
calm the fury of contending passions and to save human
nature from the wreck, a benign providence has prescribed
certain rules, some of which are enforced as precepts, and

♦ Ware Writers.

203

others are recommended as counsels. Among these counsels
are three, which formed an essential component of every
monastic order, and which its members were obliged to ob*
serve by vows the most sacred. These were voluntary
poverty, perpetual chastity, and constant unqualified obe-^
dience. To these were added the observance of certain con-
stitutions, comprehending a variety of duties extremely rigor-
ous, and to which human nature in the innate rankness of its
corruption felt a strong and an intuitive repugnance. These
rules bad been fiuthfully observed by numbers, and while
they conducted man to heaven they served to afford another
triumph to the truths of the Christian Gospel. Again, in
attaining the objects which they had contemplated, these men
were no inconvenience whatever to any portbn of society, —
It is a well known feet, that all thesfe monastic establishments
had beeo foundjed and brought at length to a flourishing con-*
dition by the exclusive industry and perseverance of the
monks themselves. The monasteries of these centuries were,
generally speaking, situated in places origmally barren and
desolate. When the servant of God went in quest of a spot on
which he might erect his establishment, he repaired to the un-*
cultivated mountain or to the dreary forest and oftentimes to the
solitary island around which the ocean billows dashed, but
whose bleak and frightful shore no living creature had ven-
tured to inhabit. On this mountam, and in this forest, and
within this deserted island the monks of the early ages of
the Irish Church settled themselves. Their habitations were,
of course, at the first onset lowly and miserable: in lapse of
time and by unremitted labour they shook the rock from the
mountain, they levelled the forest, they compelled the stony
soil of the island to yield to their industry, they did what
the rest of the inhabitants of the country had neither fortitude
or ingenuity to do; in short, they rendered the mountain a
profitable farm, they transformed the forest into a delightful
garden, and the very island with all its barrenness into a

204

second paradise. Hence it is, that in the acquisition of prc^^
perty these monastic bodies were generally indebted to their
own persevering industry^ It has in the third place been
stated, that the ancient monks of Ireland had been a benefit
to the community. Should this truth require illustration we
need but refer to the history of the last three centuries. —
While these monastic foundations had been suffered to
flourish, the poor of the country knew where to find an
asylum and a home ; in short these religious establishments
were in effect national alms-houses, and at the same time
were no burden or expense to the public. Nor were the ser^
vices of these monastic communities limited to meie acts of
charity ; they contributed in no small degree to advance the
national interest by diffusing among all classes a spirit of in^
dustry and a knowledge of the principles of civilized life;
and it is a well known fact that most of our towns and
ancient cities took their fise from the solitary religious estaln
lishment which in the early ages of our national Church had
been previously erected in those places. But the paramount
utiUty of the monastic orders appeared most conspicuous in
their unremitted exertions towards advsmcing the cause of
literature through the medium of public gratuitous education.
Besides the leading seminaries which have been already
noticed, almost every monastery had a school of education
fittached to iti and in this school were taught the truths of
religion and the literature of the day. The foreigner as well
as the native was received with welcome, and he was not
only educated but supported and furnished with books gra-
tuitously by the pious, the noble-minded, generous monks
of Ireland. The conclusion which must be drawn from these
few observations, may be readily anticipated; if these an-
cient monastic institutions of Ireland had been, as they
really were, a national benefit, it clearly follows that their
suppression must have been, in the strict sense of the word,
a national injury,

NINTH CENTURY.
CHAPTER I.

Sufferings of the Irish Church during the Danish Inposiou"^
Columbian Establishments in the Hebrides pillaged by the
Ostmen-^Translation of the shrine and relics of St. Co*
lumbhill to Ireland — The Irish Clergy exempted Jrom
the obligation of attending Military expeditions — Effects
of the Danish Wars — Increase of Irish Missionaries--^
History of Dungal — Of St. Donatus^-^md of John Sco^
tus Erigena.

That Christianity had been established in Ireland without
having to struggle against the terrors of persecution is a fact
no less true than remarkable. In other nations the Gospel
was preached amidst the violence and uproar of the bigot
and the tyrant, and the storm when abated was soon suc*»
ceeded by the fury of the tempest; not so in Ireland, here
the progress of the Gospel was undisturbed, and it rose like
the sun in the heavens and became resplendent without
scarcely a vapour to scatter its rays or a cloud to darken its
effulgence. Some modem writers have attempted to unravel
and in short to account for this moral phenomenon. But
the reasons which they assign besides being superficial
might, moreover, with great propriety be equally applied to
any other portion of the Christian world. It is most clear
that the Church of Ireland had, in its infancy, been singu-p
lariy cherished, and Providence in its unsearchable ways
allowed it to grow up and strengthen; but it had its night
and its darkness with the storm and the tempest, and since
the foundation of Christianity no other particular Church has

206

passed througb such a crucible — such a frightful ordeal of
woes and sufferings^ both public and private^ individual and
pational. This is a truth which the man of natural sympathy
would consider both melancholy and awful; but the Irish
catholici viewing it through its proper medium, will glory in
it; it is, however, a truth — an undeniable truth which the
subsequent pages of this work may serve to elucidate. It has
been already noticed that the Scandinavians or Danes had
made their appearance on the coast of Ireland about the close
of the foregoing century.* In the the year 807 these North-
men effected a second landing in Ireland, destroyed Ros-
common and laid vr^ste the surrounding country. Encour-
aged by these repeated successes they arrived with a
stronger fleet in 812, but were overcome in two battles and
great slaughter ensued. However, in 821 the Danes made
a still more formidable attack on Ireland and spread univer-
sal terror through the country. At this time they stormed
find laid waste Cork, Lismore, and the Monastery of the
island of Cape Clear. About this period, likewise, the great
]\f onastery of Bangor was plundered and almost levelled to
\he ground. The Abbot and nine hundred of the monks
^ere put to death, while the rich shrine of St. Comgal hav-
ing been broken open, the relics were taken out and scattered
ynth the winds of heaven.f In this manner did they con-

^ Tntttng of these nortbem ftdventuren Usher siyi, " Livonia, extendtng to
the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, is divided into three parts, differing from each
Other in manners and language ; viz., Estia, Lettta, and Curlandia. Tlie province
pf Estit was inhabited by those whom the ancient Greeks denominated Ostiaei and
Ostiooes. By Tacitus in Qermania, they were called ^stii; by Eginhard in th«
)ifeof Charles the Great, Aistij by Sazo Grammaticus, Estones; by us OsUnanni
or Easterliogs. The Easterliogs of Ireland were also called by other names, viz.,
^anet, Norvegiatis, and Kormant, which was a name common to all the people of
Denmark, Norway, Livonia, and the rest of the northrea nations." — (In Voter.
£p. Hib.) According to Glaus Wormius, " piracy was among the Danes accounted
honourable and lawful -, their kings and their children, with the most valiant and
notorious they could find addicted themselves to that sort of life."

t Keating, B. 2.

207

tinue year after year their depredations^ new fleets arriting
and fresh conquests the inevitable result, until 835 when
Turgesius the Dane landed with a powerful army and de-
stroyed all Connaught together with some districts of Lein-
ster and Meath. Ulster shared the same fate — churches and
monasteries were every where demolished — their libraries
consumed, and the sanctuary and the cloister deluged with
the blood of the clergy.* Turgesius entered Armagh and
expelled the Archbishop Faranan together with all the re-
ligious and students of that ancient and celebrated place. —
Ckdgan states, moreover, that in the year 838 the Danes
with a fleet of sixty sail entered the rivers Boyne and Liffey,
and spreading themselves over the plains through which tiiese
rivers flow plundered in all directions churches, monasteries
and the dwellings of all sorts of people. During the sway
of Turgesius, the Danes pillaged Cork, Ferns, Armagh,
Clonfert, Slane, Louth, Birr, Clonmacnois, Saigar, Tirdag-
lass. Mayo, and Taghmon."t In short there had been
scarcely any part of Ireland secured from the ravages of
these unsparing plunderers. About the year 848 Tui^sius
was defeated in battle by Melseachlain (Malachy) King of
Ireland, and falling into the hands of that Monarch was by
his orders drowned in a lake called Loch-uar, near MuUingar.
During the same year Malachy engaged the Danish forces
at Fore and gained a complete victory; in this engagement
seven hundred of the Scandinavians were slain, and before
the end of that year two battles more had been fought in
which one thousand seven hundred of the Danes perished. —
On this occasion Malachy sent ambassadors with presents to
Charley the Bald, King of France, intending thereby to
form a bond of friendship with that Monarch, and obtain
permission to pass through France on his way to Rome.j:
The Danes continued to receive new reinforcements from

* Jocelin Vita. S. Pat. t Annals of lAiusfiUIcn. | Ind. Cbron. A. 848.

208

Norway and Denmark^ and about 851 Dublin^ which was
already in the possession of a body of these Northmen,
called FinrgdU or white foreigners^ was attacked by another
force called Dubh-gab or black foreigners, when an immense
slaughter of the Fin-gals ensued and Dublin was stormed
and plundered. But in 853 Amlave or Auliffe, accompanied
by his two brothers, Sitric and Ivar, and a great fleet of
Norwegians arrived in Ireland and all th^ Northmen in the
kingdom submitted to him. Amlave took possession of Dub-
lin — Limerick was enlarged and governed by Ivar, and Sitric
built Waterford.* From this year until the close of the
ninth century Ireland was one continued scene of engage-
ments and slaughter, in which the Danes and the Irish were
alternately victorious. As if to render this state of affairs
still more calamitous, the Irish princes kept up repeated
contentions among themselves. In some of these engage-
ments the Danish troops were invited to take an active part
and their assistance was solicited particularly by Aidus who
in 863 had been raised to the throne of Ireland by the pow-
erful aid which Amlave had afforded him.f In the midst of
these awful occurrences desolation and terror stalked from
one extremity of the country to the other; while cities^ towns,
churches, and monasteries became a prey to the fury of the
contending parties.

Nor were the religious establishments in the Hebrides and
along the western coast of Scotland secured from the irrup-
tions of these pirates. The great Monastery of Hy appears
to have been selected in a particular manner as the object of
their fury. This establishment although extensive and of
great celebrity, possessed none of those things which might
invite the rapacity of the plunderer. Nevertheless, within
its walls a treasure had been deposited which was esteemed
more valuable by that religious community than all the

* Oeraldas Top. Ilib. L. 3. t Annals of Innisfallen.

209

greatness and wealth of this world. It contained the shrine
and relics q( St. Columba: Diermit was then Abbot of Hy,
and this good man aware of the profanations to which the
sanctuary had been hourly exposed deemed it most advisable
to have the hallowed remains of the Saint removed as speedily
as possible out of that island. Accordingly in 831 the relics .
and shrine of St Columba were removed from the Charch of
Hy and with other sacred memorials of antiquity were trans*
lated to Ireland. The remains of St. Patrick bad, in the
fifth century, been deposited at Down, while those of St.
Bridgid were removed from Kiklare to that place by Kellach,
Abbot of Kildare and Hy, about the year 810; thither also
the remains of St. Columba were conveyed and with great
pomp and solemnity placed in the same shrine with those of
&L Patrick and St. Biidgid.*

Donchad or Donagh, King of all Ireland, after having
devoted the latter years of his life to prayer and penance
died in 797 and had for successor Aldus sumamed Ordnidhe,
son of the King Niell Frassach. During the reign of Aidus,
the Irish clergy obtained an exemption from a duty in it-
self disgraceful and altogether repugnant to the dignity of
the clerical state. It ajqpears that a custom had at that time
prevailed in Ireland of compelling bishops and abbots to at-
tend the kings in. their military expeditions. The people of
Leinster having incurred the displeasure of Aidus, that -
Monarch raised a powerful army from all parts of Ireland and
marched towards the borders of Leinster, with a determina-
tion of reducing that Province to subjection. This army had
been composed of men taken from every rank in society,
comprising likewise a considerable number of ecclesiastics
Among those who accompanied Aidus, were Conmach Arch-
bishop of Armagh and Fothadius, a most learned and holy
lecturer of that city ; when the army had arrived at the frontiers

• Annals of Ulster at 831

2 D

210

of Leinster the clergy in strong tennfi remonstrated with Aidas
on the impropriety of compelling men to take up arms who
by their situation in life ehould be the promotera of peafce. —
Aidus listened with attention to their complaints and left
the matter to the decision ot Fothadius. This learned
ecclesiastic accordingly drew up a document in which he
set forth the scandalous and uncanonical impropriety of
such a custom ; and this statement of Fothadius made such
an impression on the mind of Aidus, that he permitted the
ecclesiastics who had accompanied the expedition to return
home.* From this period that shameful practice fell into
disuse and was afterwards by a positive law totally abolished.
While the domestic and political state of society had been
thus convulsed, it is remarkable with what order the schools
belonging to some of the great establishments, particularly
in the interior of the kingdom, had been conducted. The
seminaries of Clonard, Clonfert, Leighlin, Lismore, and many
others continued their lectures as usual, and although the
great influx of foreigners, for whieh former ages had been
remarkable, could not be expected to have taken place
amidst the confusion of the ninth century, nevertheless, the
ancient spirit of literature was not extinguished, and the halls
of many of our learned institutions were filled vrith numbers
of scholars and of eminently distinguished professors. Con-
sidering, likewise, the awful complexion of the times, eccle-
siastical discipline was regularly enforced and most scrupu-
lously observed in each diocess. But the most singular and
undoubted fact is, that since the establishment of Christi-
anity, no century had produced more illustrious or tal-
ented men. Many of these repaired to the continent of
Europe, partly for the purpose of retirement and study, but
much more from an anxious wish to serve mankind and to
lend their assistance in the general diflusion of the Gospel. —

♦ Four Masters at A. 800.

211

Great numbers remained in Ireland, end according as society
began to assume a more settled aspect and as opportunities
might permit, they impressed the truths of Christianity on
the hearts of the Danes and were the happy instruments in
effecting the conversion of that enterprising and hitherto in-
fidel people. From the catalogue of those who became dis-
tinguished on the Continent a few shall be selected, while a
brief account of the reminder shall be reserved for the third
chapter.

DuNGAL, tiie celebrated opponent of Claudius the Icono-
clast, flourished in this century and was a native of Ireland."*^
According to the most probable account Dungal belonged to
the establishment of Bangor. Having been oompelled to
leave that place in consequence of the cruelty of the Danes,
he retired first to France and afterwards to Italy. During
his abode in France Dungal spent some time as a recluse in
the Monastery of St. Denis. Here he applied himself to
contemplation and study, and composed his learned epistle
on the two solar eclipses of 810, which he dedicated to
Charlemagnct Dungal's talents and information soon ren-
dered him conspicuous, and he became a great favourite of
Charlemagne, who besides his love for military glory was
also an admirer and a patron of learning. Having remained
but a very short time in the Monastery of St. Denis, Dun-
gal was prevailed upon to leave his solitude and was after-
wards employed in delivering lectures on mathematical and
theological subjects in some of the most celebrated schools of
that country. About this period he published his collection
of poems, one of which in praise of Charlemagne has been
particularly admired, and in it he calls himself <zn Irish exile.
Some years after Dungal repaired to Italy where he was ap-
pointed professor at Pavia, and his instructions were attended
by students from Milan, Lodi, Brescia, Bergamo, Tortona,

• Histoin Litteraire, Tom, 4. f D*Achery, Specilegium, Tom. 10.

212

Novaroy Vercellii Acqui, Genoa, Asti, and Como.* The
heresy of the Iconoclasts, which had made its appearance in
the eighth century and was condemned by the second Council
of Nice, had it seems one favourite in this age. Icono*
clasm might with propriety be termed an heretical vapour;
it appeared and disappeared about the same moment. Its
principal object was to oppose the veneration or relative re-
spect which Catholics pay to the images and representations
of Christ and his saints. So repugnant was this heresy not
only to the apostolical practice of the ancient fathers of the
Church but even to the dictates of nature and common
sense, that it was universally condemned, and in a very short
time became literally evanescent However, in the ninth
century Claudius, Bishop of Turin, soon after his promotion
to that See, made a vigorous but fruitless effort to revive it.
This ambitious prelate had resolved to indulge his vanity at
the expense of religion, and knowing that the heresies .of
ancient times had all disappeared without leaving scarcely a
wreck behind, he preferred speculating in one of a more
modem character and attempted to resuscitate Iconoclasm. —
With this view he published a treatise which he called ''An
Apology against Theodimir." In this work Claudius in*
veighed against the respect due to images and to the cross;
and insisted, moreover, that festivals should not be observed
or saints invoked.f The work appeared when Dungal had
been in Italy and it gave rise to a most learned and elaborate
display of scriptural and historical erudition from the pen of
our distinguished countryman. In answer to Claudius, Dun-
gal published a treatise entitled ''Responsa contra perversas
Claiidii Turonensis Episcopi Sententias."| In this work he
demonstrates from reason. Scripture and the universal prac-
tice of mankind, that a proper reverential respect might be
paid not only to an image of Christ, but also to those who

• Maratori, Antiq. Ital. Tom. 3, f Fleury, L. 47. t Bibliofh. Patv. of Lyon*.

213

proved themseWes to be followers of Christ; and not only to
the living members who were the temples of the Holy Ghost,
but even to any lifeless significative object in which the great
event of man's eternal redemption might have been represented.
Treating on the invocation of saints^ Dungal observes^ ''If the
apostles and martyrs while in this world could pray for others^
how much more can they do it after their crowns, victories,
and triumphs?'' In conclusion, Dungal adds, ''How can a
bishop^ who abhors the cross of Jesus Christ, perform the
ecclesiastical functions, baptize, bless the holy chrism, im-
pose hands, give benedictions, or celebrate mass? For, as
St. Augustin observes, none of these functions can be duly
exercised without making the sign of the cross." The learn-
ing which pervades the entire, of this treatise proves most
clearly the deep theological research of its author. Dungal
besides his ecclesiastical informa,tion was gifted with a natural
taste for poetry; but still paramount was his excellent know-
ledge of mathematics and astronomy. Besides his celebrated
work on the eclipses, which in his day was a singular master-
piece of philosophical talent, there are other productions i^
garding the doubling of the cube, which some ancient lovers
of science have attributed to Dungal. He possessed an ex-
tensive collection of rare and rich works, which he bequeathed
to the Monastery of Babbio. It is generally thought that
Dungal died im that Monastery about tine year 834, and agree-
ably to his own wish had never been exalted to an higher
rank in the Church than that of deacon. His death was
greatly lamented, and various eulogiums have been written on
the genius and merits of this learned Irishman,* who, in the
centre of confusion at home and of heresy abroad, stood
forth the banished exile from his country and the learned ad-
vocate of the sacred and ancient religion of his fore&thers.

* Some of tbem have been published bj Mariene, in one of which (Epitaphmn)
we read : " Scripluras promit casto de pectorc sacras. Edocet infirmos et validos
pariter. Lacte rigans puero0| et dat capientibus escam. Hiac lac ut capiant, tode
cibum pariter," &c.

214

Among other holy and enlightened men^ who during the
irruptions of the Danes had fled to the Continent, was St«
DoNATUSy afterwards Bishop of Fiesole in Tuscany. Dona^
tus was a bishop before he left his native country^* and most
probably a Chorepiscopus. On his departure from Ireland
he brought with him a very saintly and learned man named
Andrew, who was afterwards deacon of the Church of Fiesole
and founder of an extensive monastery at the foot of the
Fiesole mountains. Donatus arrived at Rome during the
reign of Louis the Pious, and soon afl;er repaired to Tuscany,
where he employed himself in teaching gratuitously and was
the author of several tracts partly poetical and partly theo-
logical. His great learning and piety soon ranked him
amongst the most distinguished ecclesiastics in that district,
and the Diocess of Fiesole having been at this time vacant,
Donatus was waited upon by the clergy and people, and re-
quested to undertake its government. The year of his pro*
motion is uncertain, but he was undoubtedly bishop there in
844, in which year he was present at the coronation of Lewis
(the son of Lotharius,) as King of Italy. In 861, he was
present at a Lateran Council held under Nicholas I. against
John of Ravenna; after which he governed the See of Fiesole
for twelve years. Besides his profound knowledge of the
Scriptures and his intimate acquaintance with the writings of
the Fathers, Donatus was one of the most eminent poets of
his day. According to Dempster, as quoted by Ware, he
wrote an account of his own travels; also the office of his
church and commentaries on the Holy Scriptures. Donatus
composed a life of St. Bridgid, the prologue of which is ex-
tant and has been prefixed by Colgan to a life said to have
been written by St. Chilien of Iniskeltra. It has been
noticed as an ancient and valuable fragment, while at the
same time it serves to point out the genius, talent, and love
of country for which this Prelate had been distinguished. —

* A. A.S.S. p. 236.

216

St. Donatus died on the 22nd of October, A.D. 873,* and
was interred in his own Cathedral.

Of all the Irishmen who had in those times repaired to the

Continent, the most learned and celebrated was John Scotus

Erigena, or as some ancient manuscripts ha?e it, Eringena,

Erin being the land which gave him birth.t John was not

in holy orders, nor was he a monk, as some writers have with-*

out any authority undertaken to assert. In classical and

philosophical learning John Scotus Erigena stood unrivalled,

but he was by no means deeply read in theological literature,

nor has he during the early part of his life appeared to have

^gl^^made it his study. About the year 840 he removed to

*"^7/ y^Krance, where by his genius, learning and wit he became a

' \^~J^t favourite with the French King, Charles the Bald. — >

3 Monarch took such delight in his conversation, that he

him constantly at court, and did him the honour of re-

ta« h^iix^ng him as a guest at his table. The royal presence was

*Tim fii^ estraint on John, and although he oftentimes indulged

^^g^it^wit at the expense of the King himself, yet his language

CoiuuujuQ.^er gave offence and was not only tolerated but encouraged*

AO'SSiiJfie works of Dionysius the Areopagite were at that time

i, ^* /reatty esteemed in France, in consequence of the prevalent

^ " opinion that they had been the productions of St. Denis the

first Bishop of Paris. John having been well versed in the

* The following epitaph composed by himself, had been engraved on his tomb :
Hie ego Donatus Scotonim Sanguine cretus
Solus in hoc tnmulo, pnlvere, verme, yoror.
Begibus Italicis servivi pluribus annis,
Lothario magno, Ludovico que bono*
Octgnis luttris, septenit imuper annis
Post Fesulana Presul in uibe fui.
Graluita disctpulis dictabam Scripta libellis
Schemata metroram, dicta beata senum.
Farce viator adis, quisquis pro munera Christi
Te modo non pigeat cemere busta roea,
Atque precai-e Deum, residet quiculmina coeli,
Ut mihi concedat regna beata sua.

t Hist. Litteraire, T. V.

216

Greek language was accoi*dingly employed by Charles to
translate into Latin, the four books of Dionysius. This
translation, which has been much admired, appeared in 860,
and was dedicated to the King.* At this time John taught
philosophy in Paris ; his lectures were attended by a great
concourse of scholars and, as Brucker remarks, the system
which he adopted was that of the new Platonists of the
Alexandrian schooL While he had been thus usefully en«
gaged, the writbgs of the Monk Oothescale ga^e rise to
a serious controversy among the French divines on the myste*
rious doctrines of grace and predestination. Gothescale was
supported by Prudentius Bishop of Troies, Remigius Arch-
bishop of Lyons, Florus Archdeacon of the same city and
many others; while he was opposed by numbers, among
whom Hincmar Archbishop of Rheims and Rabanus Arch-
bishop of Mentz were the moat distinguished. On this oc-
casion, John was solicited by Hincmar and his party to com->
pose a treatise on predestination, This work was published
about the year 850; in the composition of it Scotus Erigena
was led astray by placing too great a dependance on Platonic
principles, and he fell into a variety of errors. Among other
absurdities, he advanced that sin and punishment •being
mere privations cannot come under the divine prescience;
that the torments of the damned are only the mere recoUectioa
of their sins; that the damned will at length enjoy the beatific
vision; that the irregular motions of the will may be liable to
punishment, but that our nature itself cannot; and in short?
that human nature is not liable to sin. As soon as this work
which comprised nineteen chapters had made its appearance,
it produced an extraordinary sensation throughout the Oallican
Church, and was ably refuted by Prudentius, Florus and
other divines.f It was formally condemned by the third
Council of Valence in 855, and is represented as a mass of

♦ Usher, Ep. Syll, N. 22. f FIcury, L. 4S, 49.

217

'* impertinent syllogiBms, containing inventions of the devil,
rather than any proposition of fiuth;" The Council of Lan-
gres, held in 859, confirmed this sentence, and in the same
year the work was solemnly condemned by Pope Nicholas I.*
About the same time his work on Natures was published,
and here his philosophy led him into a maze of the most
extravagant errors. This production, which had been written
in form of a dialogue^ was divided into five books. He re-
duces Nature into four classes or divisions:^ 1st, that which
creates and is not created — ^2nd, that which creates and is
created — 3rd, that which does not create and is created —
4th, that which neither creates or is created. After a
tedious and subtle discussion on the three first classes^ John
in his fourth and fifth books attempts to explain how thfe
created natures will at length return into the increated one.
He teaches, that at the general resurrection the body of man
1^11 be transformed into his soul; that the soul will pass into
the primordial causes and these causes at length into God,
and thus a period will arrive when there will be nothing but
the Deity in existence. From these and similar absurdities
an endless chain of the most extravagant errors are deduced,
and among the rest he concludes that the wickedness and
punishments of the damned will at some time have an end. —
His book on the Eucharist was published about the year
861.:}^ This work had been written principally with a view to
impugn the system of Pascasius Radbertus relative to the
mode of Christ's presence in the Eucharist. Neither Pasca-
sius or any other man had then the impiety to question the
real presence of Christ's body and blood in the Sacrament of
the Altar. There had, however, been a controversy between
Pascasius and others relative to the mode or manner of this
presence. Pascasius held that the body of Christ is present
in the blessed Eucharist in the very same form as it had been

• Flewry, L. 49. f F. Paris, dissert., &c. X Hist. Littterair^, T. 5.

2£

218

on earth, and as it Buffered on the cross and rose from th^
dead. Heoce, according to him, the phrase true body
meant a palpable body, such as our Saviour had during his
mission on earth. On the other hand, many learned catholic
divines, in treating on the doctrine of the Eucharist, maia-
tained that the body and blood of Christ, although really
and substantially present in the Sacrament, are not there in
the manner or under the form of a body as understood and
explained by Pascasius. Among the opponents of the Pas-
casian system was John Scotus Erigena. In consequence of
some peculiar teims employed by John in the composition of
his work, and of a singular philosophical process of reason-
ing, many persons had been led to consider the book as
heterodox, and that its author had actually denied the real
presence. But in this opinion they were most probably mis«-
taken. In the first place, the controversy between John and
Pascasius was not about the reality of Christ's body and
blood in the Sacrament: that had been admitted by all. The
question was (quoad modum existentiae) as to the mode or
manner in which Christ was present. . Now this question
.could not be decided nor could the controversy be sustained^
unless both parties had acknowledged the real presence. In
short, the very fact of their arguing on the mode of existence
necessarily implied that they both admitted the existence
itself. It is, therefore, clear that had John Seotus, while
engaged in this controversy, denied the real, substantial
presence of Christ in the Sacrament, he would thereby be
actually and in fact travelling out of the subject altogether,
and his mode of reasoning would be unfair and unphilosophi-
cal. Again, the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament
was the doctrine of the whole Christian world at the time,
and as even Mosheim (a protestant authority) testifies, there
was no second opinion on the subject. Had Scotus, therefore,
ventured to deny this universally believed and universally re-
vered dogma, that moment there would have been a reclama-

219

tion and an outcry and he would have raised up the whole
Christian world against him» As the mode of Christ's real
presence in the Bucfaarist and the phrase true body in the
Pofcoiian iense wene the points at issuey John might on such
an occasion have made use of some of his scholastic, meta*
physical terms, which to readers unacquainted with his style-
of writing or manner of reasoning would appear not only
obscure, but even hereticaL It is also worthy of remark,
that Hincmar> who was the first to reclaim against this work
on the Eucharist and had written to Charles the bald on the
subject^ was unable to produce a single sentence or term
firom it indicative of a denial of the real presence. Hincmai^
was a great ad? ocate for the Pascasian system, and it is by
no means improbable that^ in his overheated zeal for thai
opinion, he might have considered some part of the writings
of his opponent if not heterodox, at least dangerous and
savouring of heresy. At all events, John's previous work on
predestination was calculated to dast a shade of suspicion
on many of his future productions, and particularly on such
as embraced deep and mysterious subjects. But had John
Scotus Erigena even denied the doctrine of the real presence,
it is self-evident that in so doing, he would be advancing an
unheard of novelty — one to which the Christian world was a
stranger, and alike repugnant to the creed of his forefathers
and to the universal belief of the Irish Church at that period.^
This book on the Eucharist was condemned by the Council of
VercelU in 1060, since which time the copies have gradually
ditoppeared and the work is now lost John was also the
author of a variety of other works. He wrote on the im«-
maculate mysteries of the Faith, against infidels — a Treatise
on the vision of God — Paraphrastical tomes for the instruc*
tion of youth— the Opinions of Philosophers — Epistles and
Homilies— *seven Latin Poems intermixed with Greek lines— ^

* See Appendix, I.

220

a book on the Canons of Azachel — the Excerpta among the
writings of Macrobius, touching the differences and agree-
ment of the Greek and Latin Syntax — a translation of the
Greek Scholia of St. Maximus on the difficult passages of St.
Gregory Nazianzen.* Considering the age in which he lived,
John Scotus Erigena was without doubt a man of most ex-
tensive erudition. He was a very superficial theologian, but
his knowledge of Mathematics, Philosophy and the classics
together with his powerful talents and wit rendei'ed him one
of the most learned men and the greatest genius of the age.
He finished his education before he left his native country,
from which circumstance we may readily infer to what an ex-
tent the cause of literature had been carried in Ireland during
the ninth and preceding centuries. The Irish had been con-
sidered, long before this period, as tne most eminent teachers
in Europe^ and ecclesiastical literature being that which waa
principally cultivated, their theological system became gra-
dually digested and methodized, and in process of time
formed the basis of what has been since called scholastic
theology. John became acquainted with the system of this
scholastic divinity in Ireland, and was certainly the first who
blended its principles with the doctrines of mystic theology.
It has been asserted that he was coippelled to leave France
and had taken shelter in England during the reign of Alfred
the Great. This, however, is a misstatement, and besides
the anachronism which it implies, remains unsupported by
any sufficient authority. John Scotus Erigena died in France
during the reign of his patron, Charles the bald, and about
the year 874.t

So great was the number of learned men and of zealous
missionaries who in those times had repaired even to France
alone, that Heric of Auxerre, in a letter which he addressed
to the French King, says: — "Why do I speak of Ireland —

• Hist. Litter.— Ware, Writers.
t Mabilloa Annal, Ben. Tom 3.— UisU Lilter at Eiigena

221

that whole nation almost despising the danger of the sea
repair to our coasts, with a numerous train of philosophers
and holy men ; the most famous of whom bidding adieu to their
native soil account themselved' happy under your favour, as
the servants of the wise Solomon/' Thus it was that the
persecutions of the Danes became an instrument, under Pro^
vidence, for the greater extension of the Gospel; and Irish
ecclesiastics, after having established religion at home, went
forth, the teac^hers and apostles of Qth^r natipns,

CHAPTER IL

SuccusoTi of St. Patrick— Episeopal Seu^Rd^wui
Fcutidationa of the Ifinth Cmtuty.

The Metropolitan See of Armagh had bean governed
during the ninth century by twelve Prelates in unbroken sue*
cession. Conm aoh, whose incumbency continued for sixteen
years, died in 807, and had as successors Forbach and
NuAD, the latter of whom after having made a visitation of
Connaught died in 812, and was succeeded by Flavous son
of LQngsech, This Prelate governed the See for thirteen
years. During the latter part of his incumbency (in 833) he
ftpi^ars to have been assisted by Artrioius or Artry, whom
^ome have ranked as coadjutor to Flangus in the administra-
tion of the Archdiocess of Armagh,* In the year 823 Artri-
gins made a visitation of the Province of Munster, during
which, as the Ulster Annals relate. ''The law of St. Patrick
vms propagated throughout Munster by Feidhlim son of
Crimthan King of Munster and Artrigius Bishop of Armagh."
Owing to the general confusion which accompanied the incur-
sions of the Danes, the metropolitan rights of the See of
Armagh had been in some places disregarded. The enforce-
ment of these rights and the re-establishment of what was
then termed the law of St. Patrick, were the principal objects
of this provincial visitation. About the middle of the eighth
century and during the reign of Hugh OUain, King of all
Ireland, arrangements had been made for augmenting the
revenues belonging to the Metropolitan See of Armf^h, and
a law had been actually passed for that specific purpose.t

• Tr. Th. p. 294.— O'Flaherty. t Keating, B. 2. p. 47.

223

Tirdaglas in Onnond is the place in which this measure is
said to hare been first concerted. Although the primatial
rights of Armagh were indisputably acknowledged over all
Ireland, and the See had long before that period ^oyed
ample possessions, nevertheless, Hugh Ollain, with a view
of advancing the dignity of the- Metropolitan chair, engaged
to have a law passed, according to which each of the four
Provinces were to be taxed and the fund thence arising was
to be applied as a supplemental revenue to the ancient pos^
sessions of the See of Armagh. Accordingly an interview
took place at Tirdaglas between that Monarch and Cathal
Mac Fingin,* King of Munster, and in this conference, at
which likewise many of the clergy and several of the dynasts
had attended, the measures contemplated and proposed by
Hugh Ollain were readily adopted, and were from this time
enfoi'ced as a regular national tributary enactment. This is
the law which Artrigius, in his visitation through Munster,
intended to vindicate, and in ccmsequence of his having been
obliged to employ the cooperation of the King Feidhlim, it
may be easily imagined that the task was, at least in some
places, attended with no very inconsiderable embarrassment*
The enactment of such a. measure was, at all events, a meU
ancholy event for the Church of Ireland — ^it formed a union
pregnant with woe and was the fruitful source of great pub*
lie scandal — of heavy and grievous calamities. Before this
connexion with the temporal power had been thought of, the
Church of Armagh was tranquil and prosperous. While her
Prelates, depending on the liberaUty of the people and satis^
fied with the blessings of a moderate competency, had kept
themselves disengaged from the cares which always follow in
the train of boundless opulence, her aiiairs went on well and
religion was rapidly advancing; but once that See became
inundated with the annual tide of a national revenue, that
moment the wreck commenced — ^the storm rolled on with re-
doubled violence and all her ancient glory and greatness were

224

lost in the darkness and fury of the tempest. The powerful
facts which may serve to illustrate the truth of this obsei-va-
tion are to be found in the succeeding century; nor indeed is
there a necessity for referring to a period so distant, while the
very proceedings of Artrigius himself may be likely to aff<»d
an abundant exemplification. On the death of Flangus in
826, Eugene, Abbot of Armagh, was unanimously elected
his successor and was immediately after Consecrated in the
Cathedral Church.* The promotion of Eugene, besides being
canonical, was moreovel* a subject of great satisfaction to
both clergy and people. Artrigius, however, could not be
prevailed upon to view these proceedings in the same agreeable
light. During his visitation in Munster and the other
Provinces, the valuable revenue which the law provided had
been placed in his hands, and being a man of influence and
intrigue, he soon found means of seizing on the See and of
having Eugene its legitimate Bishop removed. Artrigius en-
joyed the benefits of his unjust usurpation but two years; for
in 828 he was deposed, and Eugene was replaced in the
Archiepiscopal chair.f The incumbency of this Prelate con-
tinued until 834. On his death Farannan was elected and
consecrated Archbishop of Armagh. During the administra-
tion of this Prelate, the Danes made frightful ravages all over
Ireland; Armagh, however, appears to have been marked
out as the principal object of their vengeance. In 849 that
City was taken by storm, the Primate Farannan with many of
his clergy fell into the hands of the Danes, while great num-
bers of the students and of the religious were expelled Armagh
or put to death.l The life of the Primate was, however,
spared, and having been allowed to take with him some few
of his attendants, together with the Church relics, he was
committed to the custody of a strong guard and sent off to
the Danish fleet then lying at Limerick. The Metropolitan

♦ O'Flahcrty ad Tr. Th. p. 294. f Four Masters. t Ind. Chron. -

225

See was not permitted to remain long without a presiding
pastor: immediately after the expulsion of the Primate Faran-
nan^ D^rmit OTigbrnach was consecrated and continued to
direct the ecclesiastical administration of the Archdiocess for
four years. The cause of religion and of morality would
have been considerably promoted under the Primate Dermit,
had his incumbency been attended with any interval of order
or tranquillity. He was a man of literature, a great encour-
iager of learning, and is styled in the Ulster Annals: — '^The
Wisest of all the Doctors in Europe." During his time the
Danes broke into Armagh on Easter Sunday — every thing
both sacred and human became now one scene of desolation —
the temple and the sanctuary as well as the habitations of
tnan were laid waste, while the Primate afflicted at these re-
peated calamities, languished for a time and died the same
year, 862.* The successor of Dermit was Factna, whose
incumbency continued for twenty-two years. Nor was the
administration of this Prelate attended with repose. During
his time, Auliffe the Norwegian sacked and burned Armagh
on which occasion the churches were again plundered and one
thousand persons perished. Factna died in 874, and had as
successors, Akmirb, Cathasach, Mac-Crunnyail and
Mablbrigid, the last of whom was of the royal house of
Niall, and was consecrated A. D. 886.t This Prelate ranked
among the roost distinguished men of those times, and so
great was his reputation for piety and learning, that he has
been called "the head of religion in this countiy,'^ and is
numbered among the saints of Ireland. He died on the 22nd
of February, A. D. 926, after having governed the Metropo-
litan See of Armagh for forty years.J Thus was the succes-
sion preserved in this ancient and venerable See — and alth6ugh
the City of Armagh had been several times plundered and the
kingdom from one extremity to the other had become a con-

* Usher, Ind. Chron. f Psalttr of Cashel. t Ulster AnnaU.

2 F

226

iinued scene of terror and confusion, the chair of St. Patrick
was, nevertheless, regularly filled with zealous and eminent
men — and the same grand and unbroken succession continued
in triumphant order during the subsequent centuries^ as shall
be seen in its proper place.

The catalogue of the episcopal Sees received no augmenta-'
tion in this age: while the bishoprics which had been estab-
lished were directed by an uninterrupted succession of learned
and vigilant pastors. Almost all the acts of these men have
perished amid the continued wars with which the country had,
in those times, been visited; and if we may except the
diocesses of Armagh, Emly and Kildare, the very names of
the incumbents have not been, in any regular order, handed
down to us. In the See of Emly^ the succession has been
faithfully recorded. Emly was not, as some have ground-
lessly asserted^ an Archiepiscopal See, nor did that distinctive
title appertain to any bishopric in Ireland in those times^ save
to that of Armagh. In consequence of its great antiquity
and the high veneration in which the memory of its founder
had been held, Emly obtained a sort of distinctive precedency,
but it cannot be said to have ever enjoyed any thing likQ
canonical archiepiscopal jurisdiction. This See was governed
in 825 by the celebrated Olchobair Mac-Kinede. During his
incumbency, Feidlim the King of Munster died, after having
atoned for the scandalous enormities of his life by a rigorous
course of penance. On the death of this King, Olchobair
put forward his claims to the sceptre of Munster, and being a
man of influence and address he succeeded and found himself
placed on the throne of that warlike Province.* Olchobair is
the first of our Irish princes in whose person we find the
sceptre and the mitre united. This royal Prelate besides his
love of country was of an enterprising and martial disposition;
qualities which the state of the nation and the circumstances

* Annals of Innbfallen.

227

o( the times soon called into action. About the year 848,
the Danes committed frightful destruction all over Munster. —
citiesy towns and villages were stormed and plundered, while
numbers of the inhabitants were put to the sword> without
distinction of age, sex or condition* Olchobair could no
longer remain a passive spectator of such cruelties — he ac-
cordingly summoned his forces and haying been assisted by
Lorcan^ King of Leinster, this Prelate met the Danes and
gave them battle at a place called Sei-naght in the territory of
the Decies. After an obstinate engagement the Irish troops
claimed the victory; the Danes were routed in all directions
and twelve hundred of their bravest men were slain on the
field of battle.* Olchobair encouraged by this signal victory
was determined to pursue the enemy; while the Danes,
recovering from the shock which this signal defeat had occa-
sioned, were reinforced by detachments of their countrymen
from Limerick, Dublin and other quarters. The Irish troops,
headed by the Dalgais, lost no time in coming up to the in-
vaders, and within the space of three days two desperate
engagements took place in which seventeen hundred of the
Danes and many of their leaders were cut off. These repeated
victories spread dismay among the Danish troops, while
Olchobair pursued the disordered and retreating enemy; nor
did he cease until he had finally routed them beyond the
frontiers of his kmgdom. It was most fortunate for the
Momonians that Olchobair had been their Prince at this
crisis — ^had they been governed by a less vigorous or intelli-
gent monarch, the Danes would no doubt have gained a
footing in their country, and the ancient throne of Munster
would ere long be at the mercy and disposal of these invaders.
The reign of Olchobair was but of short continuance. He
died in 850 and was succeeded by Mane-Confelad, who, like
his predecessor, possessed at the same time, both the chair of
Emly and the throne of Munster.f

• Ware's Antiq. f Annals of Innisfallen.

228

In the See of Kildare^ the order of succession is also com-
plete^ but, as has been observed, the acts of these Prelates
have perished* The most eminent men in this catalogue were
^dgen, OTionnachta and Scannal,* the first of whom is
generally styled, scribe, bishop and anchorite of Kildare;
and the latter two are marked as Samts in the Irish calendars.
Among the Prelates of Clonmacnois in those times was the
learned Corbre or Corpreus. T)ie reputation of this Prelate
had been so great that he was universally called, '^the head
of the religious of all the Irish in this age/' His death oc-
curred on the 6th of March, A. D. 900, the annirersary of
which was for many years celebrated as a festival at Clon-
macnois.f The See of Clogher had at the close of the ninth
century been placed under the jurisdiction of Alild, a learned
Prelate. He is marked in the Ulster Annals as scribe. Abbot
and Bishop of Clogher, and died 898. At this period, likewise,
the See of Glendaloch was governed by the learned Dungal
Mac-Baithen; and Ossory by Cormac, who is generally
styled, scribe. Abbot and Bishop of Saigar

The history of the monastic institutions present an exact
coincidence with that of the episcopal sees of the ninth cen-
tury. During the confusion of these times, when both cloister
and sanctuary were profaned, it could not be expected that
any new monastic establishments had been founded. Some
few might have been erected in those sequestered districts into
which the Danish forces had not penetrated, but they were of
minor consequence and were merely cells belonging to the
great foundations of the preceding centuries. The religious
establishments of Ireland had been the leading objects of
attack during these times. From their extent and appearance
the Danes had been led to expect immense booty, but being
afterwards disappointed, and meeting with nothing in the
cloister wherewith to gratify their avarice, they accordingly

* Wai«*8 Bbhops. f A. A. S. S. at 6th March.

229

vented their fury on the altar, the temple and the libraries,
and thus many of the records of the kingdom and other
monuments of antiquity which would serve to throw light on
the history of those ages had been consigned to the flames
and perished for ever. The Monasteries which appear to have
suffered most were Armagh, Kildare, Clonmacnois, Bangor,
Ferns, Louth and Kells. During the course of this century
Armagh had been eleven times pillaged and laid waste, while
in 873 one thousand of the clergy and people were slaughtered
and the city was almost reduced to ashes.* Within the same
space of time the great Monastery of Kildare had been six
times profaned. The greatest destruction seems to have
taken place in 836, when two Danish fleets arrived, one in
the Lifiey and the other in the Boyne. They not only laid
waste every church and abbey within the territories of Magh-
liffe and Magh-Breagh, but also destroyed Kildare with fire
and sword, and carried away the rich shrines of St. Brigid
and St. Conlaeth.f In Bangor, Ferns, Louth and Kells the
same work of destruction had been carried on, while Clon-
xnacnois seemed in a particular manner to have been singled
out as the special object of their vengeance.
. Such were the frightful circumstances in which the religious^
institutions of Ireland had at this time been placed. Provi-
dence, however, had ulterior objects in view, and in the
accomplishment of them, these religious communities (it will
be seen) were the principal and most effectual instruments.

• Tr. Th. p. 296. t O'Hallaran, vol. II.

CHAPTER IIL

Reliffious and Literary Characters of the Ninth Century-^
General Observations.

St. Abkous, the celebrated author of the Festilogiunif
flourished in the commencemeat of the ninth century and was
descended from the illustrious chieftains of Dalaradia. The
Monastery of Cloneni^h had in this age been eminently distin-
guished both for its discipline and the number of learned teach-
ers with which it had been supplied. To this retreat Aengus
repaired, and having embraced its institute he applied himself
with great diligence for several years to the study of the holy
Scriptures. Wishing, however, to avoid the applause which
his learning had now elicited, he withdrew to the Monastery
of Tallagh which at that time had been governed by the pious
and learned Moelruan. Here the merits of Aengus soon be-
came known; he taught the Scriptures for many years in the
schools of that Monastery and assisted Moelruan in com-
pleting the celebrated martyrology of Tallagh. He soon
after published his Festilogium or calendar of the principal
saints written in Irish verse and taken chiefly from the mar-
tyrology.* Aengus, is also the author of the work called Sal-
tuir-na-raan, or Multipartite Psalter, divided into five books.
The first book contains the names of 345 bishops, 299 priests
and abbots and 78 deacons; the second book treats of those
saints who were called by the same name^ and is entitled
" Of Homonymous Saints f the third book or " The Book of
Sons and Daughters/' gives the history of those saints who
had been born of the same parents; the fourth book contains

• A. A. S. S.p. 681.

231

the maternal genealogy of more than 200 Irish saints; and
the fifth comprises a variety of litanies, in which a great num-
ber of saints are invoked, among whom are mentioned several
Italian, Gallic, British, and African saints who had lived
and died in Ireland."* Aengus published likewise a second
Saltuir»na-raan, written in verse and containing a beautiful
history of the Old Testament-f After the death of St. Moel-
ruan^ Aengus removed to Clonenagh and was raised to the
episcopal dignity. He died about the year 819 and his festi-
val was observed on the 11th of March.

St. FiNDAN or Fintan was a native of Leinster, and when a
young man was seized upon by a party of the Danes, who
conveyed him to their vessels and soon after departed from
Ireland. Having arrived at the Orkneys, these pirates were
obliged to put to shore, while Findan by concealing himself
among the rocks escaped out of their hands. At this time
Findan resolved on spending the remainder of his days in
holy pilgrimage. Having encountered a variety of difficulties
he arrived at length in France and proceeded from thence to
Rome and ultijnately to Switzerland. Here he became a
monk in the Monastery of Rhingaw, now Rheinau, and remained
for five years in the most strict observance of its institute^: —
Findan was anxious to embrace a life of still greater austerity.
For this purpose he retired to a cell not far distant, in which
be spent twenty-two years secluded from the society of man;
practising in the mean time the most extraordinary acts of
mortification. It is stated in his acts that this Saint had been
favoured with several visions, especially on the feasts of St.
Patrick and St. Columba, and so profound was the venera-
tion in which he had been held, that the members of the an-
cient establishment of Rheinau adopted him as their patron.§
Findan died in this holy retreat about the year 827, and his
festival is observed on the 15 th of November.

• A. A. S. S. p. 539. t Id. p. 582. t Id. p. 355. $ MabUlon. Anna!.

232

St. Blaithmac was a descendant of the Southern Nialla
and heir to a principality. When a yoong man he felt an
ardent desire of consecrating himself to religion, but his in*
tention was by no means agreeable to the wishes of his pa*
rents. At length, however, he withdrew from the world and
embraced the monastic state. His burning zeal and extra-
ordinary labours were mostly directed to the conversion of the
Danes, and under providence he was the chosen instrument
of collecting great numbers of them to the faith of Christ. —
About the year 820, he repaired to Hy, at which time a party
of the Ostmen had made a descent on the island. Blaith-
mac, already filled with an ardent desire of receiving the
crown of martyrdom, awaited their arrival, and was in the act
of celebrating the sacred mysteries when they had entered the
church. The Danes demanded the shrine which contained
the holy remains of St. Columba, and upon his refusal they
instantly put him to death. The martyrdom of St. Blaithmac
occui!red on the 19th of January, A.D. 824*.

Helias, an Irishman and a disciple of Theodulf, Bishop
of Orleans, distinguished himself in France during the reign
of Charles the Bald, and afterwards became Bishop of An-
gouleme. This eminent Prelate ranked among the learned
men of the age and for many years presided in the schools of
France as professor of the sacred Scriptures. Among his
scholars was the celebrated Heric of Auxerre.f Helias, when
Bishop of Angouleme, assisted in 862 at the Synod of Pistes,
and in 866 at that of Soissons. Helias died on the 22nd of
September, A.D. 876.

MoENGAL or Marcellus, flourished about the middle of the
ninth cenfury. He travelled to Rome in 841 accompanied by
his nephew Marcus, an Irish Bishop, and afterwards visited
the ancient Monastery of St. Grail in Switzerland. This es-
tablishment had been long celebrated for its schools of theol-

• A. A, S. S. at 19lh Jan. t Labbe, Nov. Bib. T. 2.

233

ogy^ and as soon as the learning of Mpengal had become
known to the fathers of the house, they requested him to
remain with them. Here he delivered theological lectures
for many years and among his disciples are reckoned Notker
BalbuluSy Ratpert^ and Tutilo.* He has written a comment-*
ary on the Scriptures and homilies on the lessons of the Gos-
pel.f Moengal died in that Monastery on the 30th of Sep-*
tcmber, but the year has not been recorded.

GiLDAS, whose parents had been Irish, was born in Wales
about the year 820. At an early age he repaired to Ireland,
.where he received his education and according to some writers
he embraced the monastic institute of Bangor. His know-
ledge of the Scriptures and of mystic theology rendered him
one of the most eminent men of the day. According to
Bale, Gildas published a work called the Breviary of Gildas,
with this exordium, "from the beginning of the world to the
flood;" a book on the Wonders of Britain; a book on King
Arthur; a treatise entitled, "De Esse Periculoso;" a book
on his unknown sepulchre. He published likewise a work
entitled '^De Computo," which is in manuscript in the Cot-
tonian Library and consists of ninety-nine chapters. This
work he dedicated to the celebrated monk Raban, afterwards
Bishop of Fulda.:{: The year in which Gildas died is not
known, nor are any of his works extant, save a manuscript
of the last mentioned treatise.

The Abbot Patrick may be ranked among the number of
those ecclesiastics who about the year 850 fled from the fury
of the Danes and retired to England. It is most probable
that Patrick had been a Bishop before he retired from Ireland,
and it has been generally supposed that he was the same as
Moel-Patrick, styled Bishop, Anchorite and Abbot elect of
Armagh. At all events, Patrick on his arrival in Eng-
land repaired to the Abbey of Glastonbury, where he re-

• Mabillon. Acta. Ben. p. 462. f Tlarris' Writers. ^ A. A. S. S. p. 202.

2 G

234

mained until bis death. This circumstance gave rise to the
glaring absurdity of some writers, who confounding this
Patrick with the Apostle of Ireland attempted to maintain
that St. Patrick had died in England, and bad been buried
in Glastonbury. The Abbot Patrick has published a book of
homilies, several religious tracts and some epistles to his
countrymen.*

Besides these eminent characters, there remains a catalogue
of others whose acts have completely perished. Among these
may be noticed Sedulius, Abbot of Kildare in 829, and author
of the Commentaries on the Epistles of St. Paul; Luacharen,
Professor and Scribe of Glonmacnois; Aidus, Scribe of Ros-
common; Martin, Scribe of Devenish; Dubtach, Scribe of
Kill-acbaid, County of Cavan; Robartach, Scribe of Dur-
row and an exact Chronographer; Torpadius, an eminent
Scripturian of Tallagh; O'Kearta, a Philosopher and Scribe
of Kill-achaid; Domnald, Theologian and Professor of Cork;
Moel- Patrick, Scribe of Trevet; Suibhne, Scribe and Pro*
fessor of Clonmacnois and a host of others, whose solitary
names stand recorded m the melancholy annals of these
frightful times.

Considering the repeated attacks which had been made on
the literary institutions of the country, the wonder is, that
even so great a portion of our ancient records have been pre-
served. During these awful times, the plunder of the cloister
was sure to be followed by the profanation of the sanctuary;
the writings and learned monuments of antiquity were con-
signed to the flames, while the professor and the student, al-
ready marked out for destruction, either fell by the sword of
the infidel or were obliged to consult their safety and fly
from the storm. Those venerable monastic foundations of
former days having been once upset, the cultivation of letters
began to decline, ecclesiastical discipline was impaired, in

• Ware Writcr>.

285

shorty every thing human or deriving its source from man
appeared crumbling as it were into one general ruin; while
the Church alone with its sacred deposit remained immove-
able and even majestic amid the darkness of the tempest in
which it had been enveloped. Hence the civil and ecclesias-
tical events of the nmth century afford a powerful moral de-
monstration of the weakness and uncertainty of all those
things which owe their origin to the ingenuity of man. The
sacred founder of the Christian religion drew a broad line of
distinction between the essential doctrines which he himself
had revealed, and those disciplinary usages which eminent
and holy men might in after ages introduce into his Church.
The eternal building itself he erected upon a rock, and we
are assured that even the gates of hell shall never prevail
against it. Schisms and heresies may spring up — persecu-
tions may arise — the sword may be drawn and the reign of
terror commence— whole nations may be invaded — the taber-
nacle polluted — ^the sanctuary plundered, and the temple it-
self levelled to the ground ; nevertheless, in the midst of this
general wreck, and while altar and sanctuary and temple and
kingdom aie involved in one common mass of ruin, the
Church of Christ will stand firm, solid, and unshaken.

There exists, therefore, a very material difference between
the Church with its articles of faith, and mere disciplinary
human institutions. The former can never be destroyed*
whereas the latter is liable both to decay and destruction. —
Now, of this latter class were the monastic foundations: they
had, no doubt, been established upon the maxims and coun-
sels of the Gospel, and their object was to advance the glory
of God and to secure the salvation of man. Nevertheless,
they were human institutions, contemplated, organized, and
perfected by eminent and holy men, sanctioned and confirmed
by the Church, and ultimately recommended both by their
intiinsic merits and by the number of distinguished ecclesias-

236

tics whom they sent forth to instruct the faithful^ or to plant
the Cross of Christ in the land of the distant unbeliever.

While the historical events of the ninth century may
serve to furnish an awful record of the persecutions which
the religious establishments of Ireland had undergone at
that period; it must be recollected, that these bad been
the establishments which for i^es had poured forth such
an host of missionaries over Europe and rendered the name
of their country so justly celebrated. Scarcely had the.
light of Christianity beamed on Ireland, when these apos-
tolic men went forth : the Appenines were blessed by one,*
the Hebrides were hallowed by another ;t while Rumold
planted the cross in Mecklin, the plains of Franconia were
consecrated with the blood of Kilian. Donatus was re-
vered in Tuscany; Virgilius was venerated in Saltzbui^:
Clemens shed the light of knowledge on France, Albinus
lit up the lamp of science in Italy. The desart and the
city, the hamlet and the palace, the mountain and its
caverns, the> valley and its loveliness, the nortli with its
eternal snow, the south with its burning sun — all Europe
was embraced by Irish missionaries. Their learning was
acknowledged — their sanctity was revered — their virtues
were canonized — their patronage was solicited, and their
name and their memory are to this day cherished and
honourably recorded in many of the most distinguished
cities and nations of this vast and powerful Continent. —
With justice, therefore, did Benedict XIV. thus address
the archbishops and bishops of Ireland, in his memorable
epistle to that venerable body, A.D. 1741. ''Recollect
(writes the Pontiff,) the laboui*s of your great Apostle, St*
Patrick, whom our predecessor St. Celestine had sent
amongst you. Let not the exalted virtues of St. Malachy
be forgotten; nor the sanctity and trials of St. Laurence

• Columbanu*. t Columbkili.

237

of Dublin be obliterated from your memory. But should
we be inclined to enumerate all the holy men, Columba-
nusy Kilian^ Virgilius, Rumold, Gallus, and a countless
host of others, who forsaking the land of their birth
planted the Catholic faith in other nations, or served to
render it glorious and triumphant by their blood, we should
certainly encounter a task which would far . exceed the
limits of this epistle. Suffice it, therefore, briefly to point
out those few, in order that ye may the more readily bring
to your recollection the piety, the religion, and the great
and exalted sanctity of your illustrious forefathers."''^

•SeeCtiit.XVIlI.c.1.

TENTH CENTURY.

CHAPTER I.

Congall IL Monarch of Ireland^ repeU the invaders — The
Danes of Dublin embrace the Christian faith — CormaCy
King of Munster and first Bishop of Cashel, slain in the
Battle of Ballymoon — Effects of the Danish Wars — Mo*
nopoly of the See of Armagh — Irishmen teach at Glaston-
bury — Irish Missionaries on the Gmtinent — History of
St. Maccallin and of St. Fingen — Establishments con^
ducted by Irish Ecclesiastics in various parts of Europe.

Notwithstanding the frightful aspect which the affairs of
Ireland had at this period assumed, both from division among
her own people and from the irruptions of the Danes, the
religion of the nation was faithfully and firmly upheld. —
Since the memorable engagement of Tirconnel, A.D. 896, in
which the Danes suffered a dreadful defeat, the Norwegian
power appears to have been gradually declining in Ireland.*
This signal victory was followed by others, still more encour-
aging to the Irish and disastrous to the Danes. In 902 im-
mense slaughter had been made amongst them by the people
of Leinster. Finnian, Prince of Bregh, a territory stretch-
ing from Dublin to Drogheda, marched at the head of his
forces, and after routing the Danes of Dublin, ultimately
expelled them the country; while the Lagenians, under the
command of Carrol, obliged them to quit the southern parts
of that Province. The Danes would never have ventured to
renew their incursions, had the princes of Ireland acted in

* Annals of Innufal.

239

concert with each other. These Irish leaders had been guilty
of a still greater piece o£ impolicy in employing the very
enemy as soldiers in their armies during their unfortqjiiate con-
flicts with each other. Of this the Danes were sufficiently
convinced^ and accordingly^ after having been routed from
Dublin, they repaired without delay to the north of Europe,
for the purpose of acquainting their countrymen with the im-
portance of the enterprize, and of strengthening their ranj^s
by additional reinforcements. They continued year after
year to pour into the country, but particularly in 914, when a
large detachment landed atWaterford, and soon after laid
waste Cork, Lismore, and Aghaboe. From this period down
to the time of Donagh II., King of Ireland in 940, the Danes
having been constantly reinforced from their own country de-
vastated Leighlin, Kells, Armagh, Kildare, Clonmacnois,*
Slane, Down, Clonard, Bangor, Ferns, and Ossory* At
length in 941, the celebrated Callaghan Cashel, at the head of
the forces of Munster, defeated the Danes in two engagements^
one in the country of the Decies and the other in Ossory. —
Congall II. was then King of Ireland: this Monarch witness-
ing the repeated disasters to which the nation had been so
long exposed, raised a powerful army among the people of
Bregh and assisted by Bran Mac-Maolmordha and his Lage-
nians advanced towards Dublin, which City he took by storm.
However, in the following year, upon the reduction of Con-
gall's army, the Danes returned under their King, Blacar,
and once more made themselves masters of Dublin. Con-
gall renewed the attack, and in 948 another desperate en-
gagement took place, in which the Danish King, Blacar, and
a thousand of his men were slain.f Upon the death of Bla-
car, Godfrid, son of Sitric King of Northumberland,, was
appointed ruler of the Northmen* This continued series of
disasters so humbled the Danes of Dublin, that during the

* Annals of lonisfal. t 1«1«

240

remainder of Congali's reign few depredations had been com*
mitted, and it iB, moreover, considered one of the ordinary
means by which the conversion of that people to the Christian
religion had been effected. Oodfrid, their King, had em«
braced Christianity long before he was elevated to any author*
ity by the Danes in Ireland. When his father Sitric had
married Editha, the sister of Athelstan King of England>
oue of the conditions of the marriage was, that he should
become a Christian.* Sitric had three sons, Ranald/ Au*
liffe, and Godfrid, all of whom had been instructed by Edi-
tha in the principles of the Christian religion. It is stated by
Ware and others, upon the authority of the Annals of Innis-
fallen, that the general conversion of the Danes throughout
Ireland took place at this period (948). Such, however, is
not the fact; and it is remarkable, that the annalist in stating
the conversion which occurred in 948 confines himself solely
to the Danes of Dublin; which doubtless he would not have
done had the Northmen in other parts of Ireland become
Christians at that time.f It is certain that the conversion of
that people did not become general until many years after,
and so far was it from having been an instantaneous event,
that it was even a work of much difficulty and of many
years.

The civil as well as the ecclesiastical events connected vrith
the memory of Cormac Mac Culinan, King of Munster and
first Bishop of Cashel, form an interesting portion of the
history of those times. From this celebrated man is dated
the foundation of that Bishopric, and from the circumstance
of the City of Cashel having been the seat of royalty in the
south and the residence of the kings of Munster, it was ex-
alted in the twelfth century to the dignity of an Archiepis-
copal See. Cormac was bom in the year 837, and was of
the Eugenian branch, being lineally descended from ^nguse,

• Murrey, de Col. Scandiscis. f Annal, Innisfal. A. 948.

^41

who had been converted to the faith by the preaching of St.
Patrick. Having received an education suited to the eccle-
siastical state under Snegdus, the learned Abbot of Castle-
dermoty Gormac was «idmitted to holy orders and after a
period was promoted to the episcopacy.* It is conjectured
that he had been Bishop of Lismore before he removed to
Gashel; however^ the probability h, that in consideration of
his learning and extfaordiaary meritSy he was consecrated
originally Bishop of Oashel and «oon after established his
see in that city which had been for so many years the resi*-
dence of his royal ancestors. Kinngeagan, who then swayed
the sceptre of that Province^ having incurred the displeasure
of his subjects^ was deposed in 901; on which occasion Gor^
-mac WW called to the throne by the unanimous voice of the
people^ and thus was he both Bishop of Gashel and King of
Munster. The union of the mitre and sceptre was not un-
usual in those times, particularly among the ancestors of
Cormac. Olchobair who died in S5l and Giufeled in 872^
had been Kings of Munster and Bishops of Emly.

In the very commencement of Cormac's reign, and while h^
was governing his kingdom in peace^ Flan> surnamed Sionmi,
King of all Ireland, together with Cearbhal, King of Leinster>
marched with a powerful army into Munster and laid waste
the whole territory between Gowran and Limerick* Cormac,
who wafi at this time unprepared to resist such an attack,
had been obliged to remain a passive spectator of these
scenes; however, in the following year, he collected together
the forces a( Munster and having been accompanied by Fla-
hertach. Abbot of Inniscatthy, he directed his march towards
the County of Meath, for the purpose of demanding satisfac-
tion for the injuries which his people had sustained and of
preventing a recurrence of such unwarranted proceedings.t
It would have been more fortunate for Cormac, had he paid

* Annal. Innwfal. see c» II, t Wain's Antiq. Four Masters.

2 H

242

less implicit attfention to the advice of Flahertach. This
man was naturally of a bold, enterprizing, military dispo*
sition; and by his counsel Cormac was at length prevailed
upon to come to an engagement with the enemy. Having
arrived with his troops as far as the plains of Magh-leana,
in the now King's County, Cormac gave battle to Flan and
his confederates and defeated them vrith great loss, particu*
larly of the Nialls, among whom Mciolchraobha, King of
Kinel-Eogain (Tyrone) was slain. Reduced by this defeat.
Flan was compelled to submit, while Cormac continued his
route towards Connaught and obliged the Conacians and
some of the Nialls to place hostages in his haqds.* It was
not to be expected that Flan, who besides his un^vemable
temper was also Monarch of the kingdom, could long sub-
mit to this degradation. Accordingly in 908, with the aid of
Cearbhal, King of Leinster, Cathal, King of Connaught,
and the princes of Leath-cuin (the northern half of Ireland),
he raised a formidable army, and notwithstanding the treaty
which he had signed and the hostages which he delivered,
Flan advanced towards the frontiers of Munster, determined
at all hazards upon the subjugaikion and total destruction of
the Momonians. Cormac, who was of a naturally peaceable
disposition, on receiving intelligence of the enemy's approach
was for sending mess^igera and having the matter oomfuro-
mised. But such measures were fieur from being agreeable to
the views of the unbending Flahertach. This Abbot was an
avowed enemy to peace, and by his repeated advice Cormac
was in a manner constrained to lead out his forces and march
towards Leinster for the puipose of meeting the enemy and
of giving them battle. The two armies came within view of
each other at Beallach Mughna (Ballymoon in Idrone,
County of Carlow). The Munster troops were reinforced by
the Ossorians under their various chieftains and by many of

• Four Masters, p. 9:»7.

243

the principal nobility. Nor was Flahertach the only eccle*
siaatic who had accompanied Cormac in this ill-fated expedi-
tion. Mac-Eogan^ Abbot of Cork^ Colman, Abbot of Ken--
nity (in the King's County), and Tiobrinde, Bishop of Emiy
with many oth«9 were present at the engagem^t,* Cormae
had a foreknowledge of his deaths and previously to the
battle made his confession and likewise his will, in which he
bequeathed various sacred ornaments besides divers utensils
of gold axid silver to the Churches^ of CSashel, Lismore, Emly>
Arma^y Kildare, and Glwdaloch. This eiigagement is re-
presented as one of the . most desperate which had taken
place in those times; in it the Bishop of Gashel was slain,
together with the Abboits Mao-Eogan and Colman, Kelly,
Prince of Ossory, Fogarty, Prince of Kerry, and about six
thousand of their troops. Cormac 's body was afterwards
conveyed to Cashel, where it was interred ; although it has
been affirmed by some writers that he had been buried at
Castledermot. This Prelate was the author of the celebrated
work entitled the Psalter of Cashel, in which the ancient
historical events of Ireland are chronologically recorded*-^
He has, likewise, written an Etymological dictionary, or
Irish glossary,, called Sanasan Cormac, and a work on the
genealogies of the Irish saints.f Cormac, after having estab-
lished the See of Cashel, erected a small but beautiful chapel,
on the summit of the rock in that City, the rums of which,
from their bold and lofty position, are strongly calculated to
fill the mind with notions of the piety and grandeur of for-
mer days. This sacred edifice is, however, considered by
some antiquaries as only a capella or chapel attached to the
royal palace which had been erected on the top of the rock
of Cashel; while they conjecture that the cathedral must
have been situated in the city and most probably adjacent to
the base of the rock,

* Aimals oC Innisfal. Keating. t Hwtm' Writers^ A. A« S. S. p. 5.

244

It is natural to suppose, that during these domestie con*
diets aggravated by the incursions of the Danes, the king*
dom must have been in a state of unusual excitement; while
discipline, morality, and the general interest of religion had
been considerably effected. The frequent attacks which the
Ostmen had made on the religious establishments and the
indiscriminate slaughter in which these scenes had iuTariably
terminated obliged the mcmks and other ecclesiastics on many
occasions to take up arms in self-defence. That which
had at first originated from this imperative cause, and which
stands not only justified but even demanded by the very
voice of nature, did in a short time, from habit and the ]Nre*
valence of example, assume the character of a national and
indispensable duty; and for this reason it was that, in the
battle of Ballymoon, such a number of ecclesiastics had been
present, contrary to the discipline and wise regulations of
their pious ancestors.

To the unsettled state of society in those times must be
traced the introduction of that class of persons so generally
known in our annals by the names of Corbes and HrenachiJ^

* Corba or Cnii«rian, in its etymologici} mdm, signiifli a joint-paitoer, and m
dttrived from the Irish words, Omh (ia latin Con) %od forba, a landed estate ', in
an ecclesiastical sense, it means the successor of a person invested with ecclesiastical
dignity. The monastic and other Church property haying been monopoKaed by |

the individuals under whose protection it had been plaeed, the title Comorban or I

Corba was soon after adopted by the same usurpers^ These Corbet were gene-
rally laymen or tonsured clerks ; yet some few among them were in holy orders* |
and this latter description usually presided over those churches which in former I
times had been minor bishoprics. Besides the property which belonged to the
abbies, several of the Corbes possessed lands attached to episcopal sees, out of
which they were bound to pay certain mensat does to the bishop. The Erenaeht
were a somewhat similar desoription of people, but of an inierioi class. The term,
in its original sense, signifies an Archdeacon or econome. In the middle ages the j
office of Archdeacon fell generally info the hands of laymen, and this abuse prevailed |
to a great extent in England, France and the sooth of Germany. In Ireland the
system of lay archdeacons or erenachism became very general. These Erenachs
were universally laymen, with the exception that they usually received the tonsure,
and they were the actual possessors of episcopal lands, out of which they were
bound to pay certain annual contributitos, llie Eienacbs as well as the Corbes

245

During the devastatiotis of the Danes, several of the Irish
prelates and particularly the abbots of the large monasteries
were accustomed to commit their lands to the protection of
some neighbouring prince or dynast. These individuals con-
tinued to hold, as guardians, this ecclesiastical property for
a series of years, but at length they abused the trust which
had with such confidence been placed in their hands ; they in
many instances mcMiopolized the entire of these possessions
and actually annexed them to their own estates. The abuses
which arose from this system were lamentable and became the
source of unprecedented scandal, but particularly in the
-Archdiocess of Armi^h. It has been already noticed that
ihe law of St. Patrick, or tribute intended for the mamtenance
of the Church of Armagh, had in the preceding century been
strictly enforced by several Primates over the Provinces of
•Munster and Connaught. This national revenue, having been
augmented by various other property already attached to that
Church, rendered the See an object worthy the attention of
certain powerful and avaricious aspirants.

On the death of the Primate St. Maelbrigid in 926, an
occurrence took place in this metropolitan See, which must
have been as disedifying to the faithful as it was disgraceful
io those who had taken a shure in it.

In that year the See of Armagh with its temporalities was
usurped by certain dynasts of that territory, and who in all
probability had, under the system of Erenachism, been con-
stituted its guardians. With the specific grounds upon which

were, m ftict, the usurpers of Church property ; and when one of them happened
to die, the sept immediately aasembled and elected another. The only difference
therefore, between the Corbes and Erenachs consisted in this, that the Corbes poe-
aessed a greater extent of property and held lands which belonged to the abbies,
without being in any manner dependant on the bishop : while the Erenachs held
their lands under the bishop and were the perpetual tenants of the Incumbent. —
Some of the lands possessed by these Corbes and Erenachs were called Termoti'landi,
as being exempted from all state taxes, but were charged with ceHain pensions to
be paid yearly to the bishop of the diocese.

246

the usurpers ailempted to justify their proceedings we have
not been made acquainted, but it is gtterally supposed that
these dynasts had been the descendants of Diuie, from whom
St Patrick <d»tained a grant of the site on which the Cathe-
dral of Armi^h had been elected. This powerful family held
possession of the See for about two hundred years; and to
such an excess had this usurpation been carried that no per*
son, excqpt a member of that family, was allowed to fiU the
metropolitan chair. For several years an eoclesiastic appeared
belonging to the sept and he was accordingly consecrated; but
at length, in the eleventh century, mairied laymen were intru-*
ded, took possession of the temporalities and in all their pub*
lic acts signed themselves Archbishops of Armagh and Pii*
mates of Ireland. While these lay-usurpers contented them*
selves with the temporalities of the Church, they at the same
time had taken care to provide the See with regolarly conse-
crated bishops, who acted as suffragans under them, adrni^
nistered the sacraments and performed the necessary daties of
the ministry throughout the diocess. The friends of morality
were grieved at these unprecedented abuses; but remonstrance
was ineffectual, for in those awful times all the l^aws both of
religion and of society appeared to have been under thel Qom*
plete control of mere physical f<»rce and at the capricious' dis*
posal of every domineering dynast.

It has been generally renmrked as a singular featune in the
character of this century> that the cuUivation of letters, which
in other countries had been neglected, was still ardently cher-
ished in many of the ancient schools of Ireland. From these
establishments numbers of learned men came forth, many of
whom retired to other countries and contributed to the gene-
ral diffusion of knowledge and morality.

The important benefits which the English nation had at
this very time derived from Irishmen has been attested by
many of their own writers. Learning had, it appears,
lamentably declined in England after the death of Alfred.

247

That great Monarch undertook the task of restoring the
monastic institutions which had fitUen into decay, and had he
continued to govern that nation for a longer period, he
would, no doubt, hare succeeded in his design. Unfortu-
nately, howerer, for the interest of science, the reign of
Alfred was but of short continuance. His successors neglected
ix> patronize these religious establishments. There were no
public schools throughout the kingdom; education was an
objtet which the nation in general disregarded, and hence to
such an eactent had ignorance preyailed that, it is said, an
ecclesiastic could scarcely be found capable of either writing
or translating a latin letter.* It hi^pened, however, that
about the year 940 a number of Irishmen, distinguished for
talents and deeply versed in every department of literature,
isq[>aired to 01astonbury,t where they undertook to give lee*
tnres and to employ every means in their power for the re-
establishment of knowledge. The labours of these men were
soon i^preciated; their instructions were attended by numbers
of every rank and among their pupils is noticed the learned
and celebrated St. Dunstan. Irishmen had distinguished
themselves here long before this period; it is however an un-
doubted fact, that the Irish teachers who repaired to Glaston-
bury in the tenth century were the principal revivers of liter-
ature in that populous and extensive portion of the Anglo-
Saxon territories.

Nor was it in England alone that the Irish ecclesiastics of
this age became valuable. Numbers of th^n repaired to the

* MabiUon, Aantl. Bened. at A. 940.

t Osbern, in his life of St. ]>«iittan, baa the folliyimigr paasage : '< QaorQm (Hi-
bernonxBi) multi atque illustres Viri, divinis ac secularibus Uteris nobiliter eruditi,
dum relicta Hibernia, in terra Anglorum peregiinaturi venissent, locum habitationis
8ii» OUtUmUm de1egerttnt,....8iucfphiDt filios nobiliun liberalibus studns im-
bvendoa -, ut quod mintu ad usnm loci ubertas eshibevet, eorum quoe docebant liber-
alitate redundaret. Adest ergo nobilissinuu in Christo puer Dunstanns, inter alios
unus, imo pre aliis solus, ubi paalo diligentius quam imbecilla etas ferre posset li-
terarum studio intentus, &c/'

248

Continent and were the founders and abbots of historically
celebrated religious establishments. Among these eminent
men it may be proper to notice the holy and. penit^iitial
Maccallin, first Abbot of the Monastery of WalciodoniSi
now Vassor near the Meuse* Maccallin and eleven other
Irishmen accompanied St. Cadroe to France, where they in-
tended to devote the remainder of their days to the practice
of the most rigid austerities. St. Cadroe had been a British
Scoty and received his education in Armagh. Being gifted
with very superior talents, and having made himself master
of the classics, history, philosophy and other branches of
literature, he returned to Scotland and formed places q£ edu-
cation, which had at the tnne been deplorably wanted in that
country.* Cadroe, however, was determined on leading an
eremetic life and accordingly repaired to the Continent, on
which occasion Maccallin and eleven others associated them-
selves with him. After a perilous voyage they arrived at
Boulogne and from thence proceeded to St. Fnrsey's Monas-
tery in Peronne. By the kindness of Hersendis, a pious and
wealthy matron residing in that neighbourhood, a convenient
site was obtained in a part of the forest called TheorascenHs,
near the river Oise and adjoining a church which had been
dedicated to St. Michael, while their community being now
•formed, Maccallin was, although against his wish, appointed
their superior.f Having spent some time in this retreat
Maccallin and Cadroe embraced the Benedictine institute, the
former at Gorzia, a monastery in the diocess of Metz, and
the latter at the celebrated Monastery of Fleury-sur-Loire.
Eilbert, the husband of Hersendis, had by this time com-
pleted the great Abbey of Walciodorus; Maccallin was ac-
cordingly directed to undertake the government of it, and
thus did he become its first Abbot, still retaining the manage-
ment of the Monastery of St. Michael. The history of this

♦ Mabillon, Anna!.— Vit. Cadroe. t BoUandus, at 2I«l. J6u.

249

ancient and celebrated Abbey presents an interesting and
lengthened detail of the labours of St Maccallin. That ter-
ritory was not yet recovered from the wars and revolutions by
which it had for centuries been agitated. Ignorance and de^
geaeracy of morals had to a frightful extent pervaded all
ranks^ while the clergy themselves harrassed by a severe mis*
sion stood in need of some experienced men to assist them in
the discharge of their numerous duties* On every occasion^
Maccallin was a never-feiling auxiliary, and in consequence
of his extraordinary exertions, his name has been mentioned
with great praise by the writers of those times and in various
tnartyrologies. About the year 960> St. Cadroe> at the
urgent request of Otho King of Germany, undertook the
government of Walciodorus, and was afterwards Abbot of
the Monastery of St. Felix at Metz where he died in 075.
St. Maccallin returned to the Monastery in the forest, in
which retreat he continued until his death which occurred on
the 21st of January, A. D. 978.

STk FiNOBN, a native of Ireland and an eminent master of
a spiritual life, became the immediate successor of St. Cadroe
in the Monastery of Metz.* About the close of this century,
the ancient Abbey of St Symphorian, which had almost be*
come a ruin, was rebuilt by Adalbero II, Bishop of Metz,
and this Prelate having a great esteem for the learning and
sanctity of Fingen caused that Abbey to be forthwith placed
under his direction. Adalbero was a great encourager of
Irish missioners: he obtained from Otho III a confirmation of
the rights and possessions of this establishment, on condition
that none but Irish monks should be allowed into its commu«>
nity ; if however such postulants did not apply, the Abbot
was then at liberty to admit persons of any other nation*
This deed was signed by the Emperor at Frankfort on the
25th of January, A. D. 992. Nor were the labours of

* MabilloD, Annal. Beoed.

250

Fii^en confined to Metz; he founded or at least re-estaln
Iished several monasteries in these districts, to which both
Germany and the north of France had been greatly indebted.
Among these, the Monastery of St. Peter and St. Vitonus,
now St. Vannes at Verdun is particularly mentioned. In this
establishment he placed a community of Irish monks and
took them under his own direction. Soon after its foundation,
Richard, Dean of the diocess of Rheims, and Frederic, Count
of Verdun applied to him for permission to become members
of this house. Fingen had been for some time unwilling to
receive them, conceiving that men of their rank would not so
easily submit to the poverty and rigorous discipline of the'
Monastery. In this, however, he was mistaken, and under
his instruction they became two of the most eminent men of
these times. St. Fingen died in the year 1004 and was suc-
ceeded in the government of the Monastery by Richard, his
zealous and beloved disciple.*

The reputation of Irish ecclesiastics, as teachers of science
and of morality, had in this age become so celebrated
that many of them were invited to retire to the Continent and
were particularly patronized. About the year 974, Warinus,
Archbishop of Colc^e, erected an extensive monastery for
the Irish in an island of the Rhincf Another distinguished^
literary establishment had at this time been conducted by
Irishmen in the diocess of Toul; while Duncan, an Irish
Bishop, taught at the same period, in the Monastery of
Remigius at Rheims.j: This learned Prelate has written, for
the use of his scholars, explanatory observations on the first
book of Pomponius Mela, regarding the situation of the
earth; also, a Commentary on the nine books of Martianus
Capella on the Liberal Arts. Duncan having been thus em-
ployed for many years died at Rheims about the close of the
tenth century.

"• Mabillon, at A. 1004. t Id. at A. 974. i Hist. Littertire.

CHAPTER n.

Succe$$ar$ •f Su Pairich — Episcopal iS^-riZeZt^ocM
Foundations 0/ the Tenth Century.

• The incttmbency of Maelbrigid in the Metropolitan See con*
tinued until 926. His successor was Joseph^ styled in the
Ulster Annals ''Prince of Armagh, a Bishop, a Wise-man,
and an Anchoret."* On the death of Maelbrigid, the sept
of Daire^ as has been aheady noticed, seized upon the tem-
poralities of ^the See of Annagh.t Joseph was the first of
that family who had been advanced to the primatial chair ; he
18 allowed to have received consecration and is represented
as a man of extensive learning. It does not appear that his
electbn had obtained the concurrence of the clergy, nor were
they, it is probable, even consulted, particularly as these
powerful dynasts availing themselves of the national confu-
sion, were determined to make a monopoly of the See in
&vour of their own family. However, on Joseph's accession,
the clergy became reconciled, and he is represented as ''a
good and a wise Bishop.'^ Joseph held the See for nine years
and upon his demise in 936, Moelp^tkick was appointed
his successor. Moelpatrick, although a member of the family
of Daire, is allowed by all our annalists to have been a regu-
larly consecrated Bishop. j: He is likewise styled '^ Prince of
Armagh/' and died after an incumbency of only five months*
Catasagh IL was consecrated soon after the death of Pat-
rick and placed by the same family in the archiepiscopal chair.
This Prelate is styled in the Ulster Annals, son of Dulgan,
and Ciomorban'of St. Patrick. Catasach, having governed

* Ware at Aa&agh. t See chap. I. % Tr. Th, p. 296.

252

the See twenty years died in 957, and upon his demise Mure-
dach^ son of Fei^s, was appointed in the same manner as
his predecessor had been and was soon after consecrated. —
Muredach having held the See for nine years, was, according
to the Psalter of Cashel, deposed in 966. OTlaherty, on the
authority of a manuscript catalogue, states, that he resigned
the See after having governed it for seven years and that he
died in the ninth year of his consecration. The Cashel cata-
logue, however, appears to have been preferably adopted, ac-
cording to which his incumbency has been brought down to
966. DuBDALBTHE II. succeedcd Muredach and was conse-
crated Archbishop of Armagh in 966. In consequence of
his great wisdom, this Prelate had jn 989 been elected by the
Columbians both of Ireland and of North' Britaii^ chief supe*
rior of all their monasteries;* although according to their
primitive institute no person could be superior of that body
unless a simple priest. The incumbency of Dubdalethe con-
tinned thirty*two years, he died in 998 and was succeeded by
MuR£CHAN« This Pi'date, having governed the See for three
years, resigned it in lOOl.f He has been considered by Col-
gan as one of the lay usuipers of the primatial chain This
opinion, however, is not confirmed by the authority of any
sufficient record; the reasons, moreover, by which that writer
endeavours to support it, appear altogether unsatisfactory. It
16 impossible to identify all these eight laymen who styled
themselves Archbishops of this See,j: and it is believed that
their names have been omitted in the Cashel catalogue. The
consecration of Murechan has been generally admitted : he
was succeeded in 1001 by Malmury, the son of Eochad.

The See of Cashel derives its foundation from the tenth
century and had for its first Bishop Cormac Mac-Culinan, in
whom, as has been already observed, the mitre and the seep*
tre were both united .§ Before the time of Cormac, Cashel

* Ti . Th. p. 503. t Psalter of C«hcL t See Cent. XI. j See chap. I.

253

although the residence of the kings of Munstefy liad been
subject to the jurisdiction of the Bishops of Emly; but it
was raised to the'rank of an archiepiscopal see in the Council
of Kellsy A.D. 1162, Cormac erected a cathedral in Cashel,
which, according to the annals of the Priory of the Island of
all Saints, was afterwards rebuilt and consecrated with great
solemnity. The records of this See are veiy imperfect for a
long time after the death of Cormac. Between that Prelate
and the Council of Kells, comprehending a period of 244
years, the names of only four of its Bishops are mentioned,
while their acts as well as those of other eminent ecclesiastics
have been completely destroyed.

The foundation of Thb See of Rapaoe must in all proba*
bility be dated from the tenth century; yet its origin remains
involved in considerable obscurity. An extensive Monastery
had been founded in Raphoe by St Columbkill, and accord*
ing to some authorities the Church of this establishment was
in aftertunes converted into a cathedral by St. Eunan, who is
considered to have been its first Bishop. The time, however,
in which St. Eunan flourished cannot be ascertained.* It is
certain that there had been bishops in Raphoe during the tenth
century. Malduin Mac-Kinnfalaid was Bishop of that dio-
cess in 930,t and after him occurs the name of his successor

* Doctor Lanigan treating of Adamnan as Abbot of Raphoe in the seventh ceD«
tury» seems to think that this distinguished Father of the Irish Church had been the
same person as the St. £unan mentioned by other writers. His words are: "I
strongly suspect that St. Eunan, who is usually called the first Bishop of Raphoe,
was no other than Adamnan ; not that Adamnan was ever a Bishop, for were he so,
he could not have become Abbot of Hy ; but that he was the ancient patron Saint
of that place before it became an episcopal See. Colgan never mentions this St.
Eunan, nor could Ware discover any accout of him. The first Bishop of Raphoe
tbat we meet with was Malduin Mac-Kinnfaiaid who died about 930. These ob-
servations are not indeed su£^ent to shew, that Adamnan has been changed into St*
Eunan ; but it is a very remarkable circumsUnce that the festival of the Saint called
Eunan, is kept on the 23rd of September. Now this was the day on which Adam-
nan died, and on which his memory was revered not only at Raphoe, but in many
other churches."— Vol. III. p. 99. Takhig all these circumstances into account
the conjecture, it must be admitted, is both ingenious and plausible.

t Tr, ITi. p. 509— Ware Bishops.

254

Aengus Uua Lapain, whose death is assigned to 057. From
that period until the incumbency of Gilbert O'Caran in 1172,
even the names of the prelates in this See have not been re-*
corded, owing very probably to the dcTastations committed
by the Danish leader Aulifie, particularly in this warlike dis->
trict of Ulster.

Of all the sees in Ireland, that of Ferns suffered most from
the Danish invasion, during which both churches and libra*
ries had been indiscriminately committed to the flames. This
may account for the silence observed by all our annalists re-
lative to the ancient succession in this diocess. It is a sin«
gular fact, that during the lapse of three hundred and thirty-
four years, that is, between Killen, who was Bishop of Ferns
in 714, and Dermit Hua-Rodachan, who was the incumbent
in 1048, there is mention made of only one prelate in this
See, which had for so many years maintained an honorary
precedence among the bishoprics of Lemster. In Colgan'a
list from the Four Masters, Laidgnen is marked as Comorban
or Bishop of this See and his death is assigned to 938.*-—
Ferns did not at this time possess the archiepiscopal dignity
or rather precedency, which had been conferred on it in the
days of St. Aidan. This ecclesiastical distinction was trans-
ferrred from Ferns to Kildare in the beginning of the ninth
century, after it had been enjoyed by the former for more
than two hundred years.

The history of the monastic foundations presents almost a
continued series of sacril^e and destruction. During the
course of this century, the ancient Abbey of Clonmacnds was
eleven times pillaged by the Danes, in which profanation
some of the Momonians had, on two occasions, assisted.f —
The work of ruin carried on in the foregoing age did not,
however, discourage some religious benefactors from evincing
their respect towards this venerable establishment. In the

* A. A. S. S. p. 223. t Annals of Munster.

255

year 901, Flan, King of Meath, and the Abbot Golman en-
larged the church by the addition of a splendid capella, de-
signated the temple of the kings, and soon after Colman
erected the great church, in which the patron Saint lies in-
terred.* To this century is assigned the foundation of the
Abbey of St. Mary in Dublin.f

When the Danes of Leinster had been satiated with the
plunder of Clonmacnois, they usually passed through Kildare,
and on all these occasions the ancient monastery of that town
appears to have been marked out as the object of their fury.
Kildare, during the tenth century, had been eleven times
stormed by the Danes, and these invaders, after having de-
stroyed the town and the churches, carried away many of the
inhabitants as captives, together with the whole of their most
valuable effects. The depradations committed in 962 even
surpassed any of those which this ancient place had as yet
witnessed: the town was consumed, the inhabitants were put
to the sword, and a great number of ecclesiastics were either
put to death or made captives.^:

While these scenes of terror had been repeated in the Pro-
vince of Leinster, the religious foundations of the south were
not exempt from their share of the national calamity* The
Abbey of Cork had been plundered and consumed three
times in one year; while the monastery and schools of Lis-
more presented the appearance of a place abandoned by man
and given up to desolation.^

The ninth and tenth centuries form one dismal night of
persecution, in which the monastic foundations principally
suffered. The eleventh century, however, presents a brighter
prospect; while in subsequent times, new orders were estab-
lished, and religious retreats were seen rising up and flourish-
ing in every district throughout the country.

* A. A. S. S. p. 407. t See Cent. XII. c. II. t Tr. Th. p. 629. $ Four Masten.

CHAPTER III.

Reliffiaus and Literary Characters of the Tenth Centurjf"^
General Observations.

The Church of Ireland, even amidst the terrors of these
times, had by no means been deficient in learned and saintly
men. Among these may be noticed:

* St. Anatoliits, the patron Saint of the chief collegiate
church of Salins in the diocess of Besancon. This apostolic
man was a native of Ireland, and in the commencement of
this century emigrated to the Continent.* Anatolius had been
a bishop before he departed from his own country, but it does
not appear that he was attached to any see. Having travel-
led to Rome, he continued for some years in that city, where
his extensive acquaintance with the Scriptures and the Fathers
soon brought him into notice, and he was appointed to de-
liver lectures in some of the principal schools. Being, how-
ever, desiroud of leading a retired life, Anatolius left that
city and travelled into France. During his stay in Burgundy,
his labours in preaching the Gospel were incessant; and after
having traversed the greater part of these extensive districts
he at length arrived at the city of Salins, in the diocess of
Besancon.f At a small distance from the city, and at the
toot of a dreary mountain stood an oratory dedicated to St.
Symphorian, Martyr of Autum. Thither Anatolius repaired
and knowing it to be the place which Providence had marked
out for his retreat, he prayed for a time in the oratory and
determined on fixing his abode in this sequestered hermitage.
Here this penitential anchoret soon after closed his mortal

• Bollandus, Yit. f Colgun at 3rd Feb,

257

career^ but not until iiis sanctity had been recognized by the
faithful in Salins and the surrounding country. Several
churches in that diocess have been dedicated to his name, and
particularly one of the four parish churches of the city of
Salins, situated on the mountain, at the south side of which
is the hermitage of St. Anatolius. The body of the Saint
was, in the eleventh century, removed to the principal church
of Salins, while in 1229 Nicholas, Bishop of Besancon, had
it placed in a silver shrine and deposited in the same church.

St. Maimbodus, another Irish ecclesiastic, retired from
his native country early in the tenth century and travelled
through many parts of the Continent, for the purpose of
preaching the Gospel.* His labours had been particularly
directed to the northern districts of Italy and Gaul, and hav*
ing at length arrived in Burgundy he was hospitably enter-
tained by a pious nobleman, who pressed him earnestly to
take up his abode in that territory. Maimbodus, however,
conceiving that his services might be more necessary in other
places, proceeded on his journey and stopped at the small
village of Domnipetra, eight miles from Besancon. On his
departure from this place, and at a small distance from the
village, he was met by robbers, who being disappointed in
their expectation of getting money wounded him in such a
manner that he died on the spot. The body of the Saint was
buried by the faithful in the church of St. Peter in that village,
but was afterwards translated with great solemnity to Mon-*
belliard, by order of Berengarius, Bishop of Besancon. —
The same Prelate decreed that the memory of St. Maimbo-
dus should be celebrated in the diocess of Besancon on the
23rd of January, the anniversary of his death.

The learned and saintly Dunchad O'Braoin flourished
about the middle of the tenth century .f This Saint was of
the illustrious family of the Nialls, and was born in a district

* Colgan at 23rd Jan. t Id* at 16th Jan.

258

of the CouDty of Westmeath, now called the Barony of
Brawny. At an early age he repaired to the Monastery of
Clonmacnoisy where he embraced the monastic state and
made great progress in leaniing and piety. Donchad gave
lectures on the sacred Scriptures in the schools of that estab*
lifihment and was considered the most eminent among the
divines of the Irish Ohurch in this century. The applause
which his learning had now elicited became so great, that
Dunchad formed the determination of retiring for ever from
public life. For this purpose he withdrew to a desert place in
the mountains of Ely O'Carol, where he shut himself up and
lived as an anchonst for many years. On the death, how-
ever, of Tuathal, who had been both Abbot and Bishop of
Glonmacn<H8 in 969, Dunchad was unanimously elected to
succeed him in the abbacy, and having been brought from
his retreat, was reluctantly compelled to undertake the
government of it His love for retirement would not allow
faim to remain long in this exalted situation. He accordingly
resolved to withdraw to some distant part of Ireland, where
he should be altogether secluded from the intercourse of man.
In the year 974 Dunchad removed to Armagh, in which
place he expected to live retired: in this, however, he was
disappointed; his reputation tot learning and holiness was
soon spread throughout that neighbourhood, and so great
was the respect which was paid to him that he at lei^h re-
solved on leaving it. As soon as his determination had been
made known to the inhabitants, a deputation, consisting of
some of the principal persons of that country, waited on the
Saint and' requested that he would stay with them for one
year longer; to which Dunchad with retuctance complied. —
He is said to have wrought many miracles, and among others,
to have restored to life the infant child of a widow. Tiger-
nach, author of the Annals of Clonmacnois, says that Dun-
chad was the last of the Irish saints up to his time through
whose intercession God restored a dead person to life. A

259

year having elapsed^ the Saint waa preparing to depart, when
a similar request was made by the people of Armagh; and it
was r^Matecl year after year, until at length be died in bis
hermitage on the 16th of January, A.D. QS?.**

PnoBus or Cobnachaib, author of the life of St. Patrick^
flourished in the tenth century. This eminent man had been
chief lecturer in the schools of Slane at the time of the great
conflagration in 949. In that year the town of Slane had
been stormed by the Danes; while Probus with many others
fled for shelter into the belfry of the church when they were
consigned to the flamestf The life of St Patrick written by
Probus consists of two books, and is admired as one of the
most circumstantial and correct records which the piety of
ancient times has handed down to us on that interesting sub-
ject

The tenth century produced likewise a great number of
scribes and chronographers who taught in the different
schools of the prorinces, but of whose acts no satisfactory
narrative appears to have been transmitted. In this cata^-
logue, the name of Kineth, Scribe and Professor of Deny,
is honourably recorded ; and of Paulinus, .chief Scribe of
Leth-cuin, to whom Probus addressed his life of St Patrick.
Among other eminent men noticed in this catalogue we find
Colman, lecturer in the schools of Kildare; Flan, professor
in Drumdiffe and a celebrated Irish chronographer; Cron-
mail, lecturer in Tallaght; Mac-Siedul, lecturer in Bangor;
Mac-Feredach, lecturer in Castledermot; O'Flanagan, scribe
of Armagh; O'Huactain of Kelts; Odran of Cionmacnois
and a host of others ; whose solitary names have been re-
corded in our annals, and are occasionally accompanied by
some distinctive term serving to indicate the ecclesiastical
dignity which the individual enjoyed, or the department of
literature in which he excelled.

• AcU. Punch. . t Tr. Tb. p. 219.

260

The eccleMiastical as well as the political history of Ireland
during the tenth century appears to form one uninterrupted
series of both private and national calamities. The invasions
of the Danes and the unprecedented scenes by which they
bad been accompanied might, no doubt, be accounted as so
many temporal visitations. The ways of heaven are, however,
mysterious: Providence has its own grand object in view,
and that object it will attain by instruments simple and ordi-
nary, and even without man being conscious of the work,
which by the dispensations of heaven he is destined to ac-
complish. When the Goths and Vandals in the fifth cen-
tury came down from their forests and broke through the
barriers of the Roman empire and at length became masters
of the capitol, the result was, that although much public
and private calamity had been occasioned, yet all terminated
in one splendid event — in the conversion of a people, who
from their localities, habits, and other circumstances, could
not be ' easily approached by missionaries and most likely
would not in any other way have been visited by the light of
the Gospel. With respect to the Danes in the tenth century,
the case seems to be of a parallel description. We have at
this period the Scandinavians dispersed over a frozen and an
almost impenetrable region — men unacquainted with civilized
life, locked out, as it were, from the rest of their fellow-crea-
tures and given up to the mere impulse of destitute fallen
nature. Conversion with respect to such a people almost sets
, what may be called ordmary power at defiance. It were, in-
deed, less difficult for the Christians of earlier times to con-
vert the Goth and the Vandal ; and whatever might have
been the occasional intercourse between the rude inhabitants
of the German forests and their really civilized and polished
neighbours in the south, no such argument holds good for
the poor Norwegian of the tenth century, seeking for a sub-
sistence on an almost frozen ocean, or the Scandinavian whom
necessity compelled to abandon his trackless forest and join

261

his Norwegian associate in the work of enterprize. Their
object had been, no doubt, a worldly one; but they were
brought from their deserts by the unsearchable ways of Pro-
vidence and for the purpose of having the important truths of
revelation conveyed to their minds. The instruments by
which the Gospel was established have been various and
wonderful; and the light of Christianity has been diffused
not only by missioners visiting the land of the infidel but by
Providence itself leading the very infidel into the country and
into the sanctuary, where his conversion will be inevitably
effected. Now this appears to have been the very case with
the Danes. This unsettled and piratical people, although
frequently repulsed, had at length gained a footing in Ire-
land; they built towns and cities, formed habits of intimacy
with the natives and in process of time became masters of
many of the principal maritime districts of the country. In
the mean time the Christian Gospel, which sometimes makes
its way imperceptably, but at length brilliantly, soon
beamed on these benighted people; the Danes were con*
verted and became the founders of some of the most excel-
lent and magnificent institutions in the country.

The state of literature in the tenth century is another sub*
ject, which might well challenge our consideration; and in
this respect Ireland forms a singularly remarkable contrast
with many of the other nations of Europe. From the man-
ner in which the kingdoms of the Continent had been so long
convulsed, we may be allowed to suppose that literary pur-
suits had been almost abandoned. In this age, however,
many successful efforts had been made by statesmen and
princes, and especially by the Emperor Otho, to repair the
moral ruin which the events of bye-gone days had occasioned*
For this reason it was that Fingen, Duncan and other Irish-
n)ien had been so peculiarly patronized at Rheims, Metz,
Verdun and along the territories of France and Germany. —
Learning had been revived by Irishmen in the imperial city

262

of Ciologne, they taught the claasica and the icJeDcea in the
exten8i¥ediooe8sof Tool; they established schools along the
Rhine; in the Netherlands, Switzerland and the northern
distriots of Italy; in short, the Irish ecclesiastics of the tenth
and preceding centuries were the persons by whose means
the reign of literature had been established in many of the
most distinguished cities and provinces of Europe. If to
these &cts may be added the schoola which had been formed
by Irishmen in Glastonbury and other places, we must be
fiurly allowed to infer that, even in the midst of the Danish
wars, the cultivation of letters had been encouraged and ad-
mirably upheld in this country.

ELEVENTH CENTURY.

CHAPTER L

CSMstianiiy embraced by the Danes tkronghout Ireland-^
The Danes of Dublin governed by a Bishop — Origin and
antiquity of the See of Dublin investigated— The Arch-
Hsk^ of Canterbury ne^er enjoyed jurisdiction over the
Irish Church^Zetters of Lanfranc— Letter of Pope
Gregory Vll^Irish establishments at RaHtinm^State of
Irish literature in th^ eleventh century*

The very caases which urged the Danes to abaDdon the
re^ons of the north and set out in quest of new and more
adrantageous aettlenuents, may, with probability^ be num-
bered among those ordinary means employed by Providence
in efiecting the total oonveision of that people. It has been
already noticed that the Danes of Dublin had^ in the tenth
century, embraced the ikith;' their countrymen^ however,
who had settled in Waterford, Cork, Lhneiick and other
]^acesy were still obstinate pagans; nor does it appear that
they had genenilly embraced the Gospel, until by being
humbled the season for cool reflection ar^ved and the ferocity
of the warrior thus gave way to the meekness and more
kindly feelingB of the Quistian convert From the year 976,
when Brian Boroimhe succeeded his brother Mahon on the
throne <rf Mnnster, the Danish power had been generally
unsuccessful in the field; one defeat was followed by another
still more disastrous, until at length the fatal blow was struck
and their overthrow accomplished by the same renowned
warrior, in the memorable battle of Clontarf, A. D. 1014. —

From this period the Danes ceased to be formidable and

2G4

appear to have been exclusively limited to the few maritime
towns of which they happened at the time to have possession.
It is at such a season and under such circumstances, that
men generally feel inclined to turn their thoughts to the more
serious truths of religion. For this reason we find that these
Northmen, in Limerick, Waterford and other towns, began
rapidly to abandon paganism, so that before the middle of
this century the Danish people throughout Ireland had em-
braced Christianity.

The Danes of Dublin, although converted to the Christian
faith in the tenth century, were nevertheless without a bishop;
when, however, Sitric their King had returned from a pilgrbi-
age which he had undertaken, he used all his influence to
have the Danish town of Dublin erected into a See. Accord- '
ingly Donatus or more properly Dunan was, in 1040, conse-
crated its first Bishop,*

* This statement, although a very general one and resting on
the best authority, has nevertheless been questioned. For the
purpose of giving the See of Dublin a claim to higher anti-
quity, some writers have had recourse to the period in which
St. Rumold flourished; maintaining at the same time that
this Prelate had been the regularly constituted Ordinary of
that See and as such had attended to its administration for
some years antecedent to his missionary labours on the Con-
tinent. Should this doctrine be satisfactorily established, it
vrill follow that DubHn had been an episcopal see in the year
760, and that consequently, as far as antiquity may be in
question, it has gained an accession of nearly three hundred
years. Hence arises the necessity of examining the authori-
ties on which this opinion is made to rest, and of contrasting
them with the documents produced by those who insist, that
the See of Dublin dates its origin, from the year 1040. Those
writers who maintain that St. Rumold had been Bishop of

• Usher, Not. ad Kp. 25. Syl.

265

Dublin as an episcopal See, ground their doctrine principally
on the following authoritiei^: firsts on the Belgian Martyr-
ology; secondly, on the Carthusian Martyrology, edited at
Cologne; thirdly, on the testimony of the Synod of Mech-
lin, held in 1570; fourthly, on the Chronicle of the Bene-
dictine Order; and fifthly, on the Acts of St Rumold, trans-
lated from the Belgian by Joannes Domynsius, in the eleventh
century. The Belgian Martyrology, treating of St. Rumold,
has these words:* ^'St Rumold, Archbishop and Martyr, hav-
ing relinquished his country, his parents, his nobility and his
Archbishopric of DubHn, came to Rome, from that part of
Scotia which is called Ireland (Hibemia), and after having
received the benediction of the Pontiff, he, according to the
apparition of an angel, came to that place where the rivet
Soald disembogues itself into the sea; that is, he came to
Mechlin, where he planted the rudiments of the faith in such
a manner that he is deservedly accounted the apostle of the
Mechlinians/' The words of the Carthusian Martyrology
arerf **The festival of St. Rumold, Bishop and Martyr, son
of the King of Ireland and Archbishop of Dublin." To
these authofities is added the following Ordinance of the
Synod of Mechlin: J ** Whereas, St. Rumold, Archbishop^

* " Sanctua Romoldus Arcbiepiscopuset Martyr, ez ea parte Scotie qa»*Hibenua
dicitur, disertis patria, parentibuB, nobilitate et Archiepiacopatu Dublinieoai,
Romam ivit, et inde habita Pontificis benedictione, juxta Angeli apparitionem eu
pervenit, nbi Scaldis tfuTras in mare se exooerat. . . .hoc est, ad Mechliniam, ub^
sic fidei rudimenta plantavit, ut merito MechliDtensium Apostolus habeatur."

t " Festum Sancti Rumoldi Episcopi et Martyris, filii regis Hiberniae et Arch*
iepiscopi Dubliniensis."

t ** Quoniam Sanctus Rumoldus Archiepiscopus et Martyr, Patronus est Ecclo"
sis Metropolitans Mechliniensis, ideoque per totam prov^iQciain Mechliniensem
merito veDeratus, Ordinat Synodus, ut primo Julii, quo martyrium subiit, per
dvitatem et totam diosccsem tamquam duplex ad iosur festi novem lectionum cele*
brelur."

§ The term. Archbishop, as found in this passage, sigoifiea that St. Rumold was
ia the miads of the Fathers of the Synod. Archbishop of Dublin. It could not

3 I.

266

and Martyr, is the Patron of the Metropolitan Church oC
Mechlin and is, therefore, deservedly to be venerated through-
out the whole province, the Synod ordains, that on the first
of July, the day on which he suffered martyrdom, his festi-
val be celebrated in the city and throughout the entire diocess
as a double, in the same manner as a feast of nine lessons/'
The Benedictine Chronicle, in recording the events of the
year 776, supplies an evidence of a similar description:'* ''This
year the most holy Rumold has consecrated by his martyr-
dom, who, descended of a noble family in Ireland, after hav-
ing resigned the Archiepiscopal See of Dublin, repaired first
to Great Britain and Belgium and from thence to Rome, the
citadel of religion." In short, the Acts of St. Rumold, as
delivered by Domynsius, afford the same testimony; re-
presenting the Martyr, not only as a Bishop, but moreover
as Archbishop of the diocess of Dublin.f

Having thus presented a fair statement of the grounds on
which the advocates for the antiquity of the See of Dublin
undertake to establish their opinion, it now becomes necessary
to place before the reader the aiguments of those who insist
that the See of Dublm had been founded under Sitric in the
year 1040. In confirmation of this fact, these writers refer
to the best of all possible authorities, namely, to the ancient
records of the See itself. In the Black Book (Liber Niger)
of Christ Church in Dublin, is to be seen a recorded docu-
ment in these words: ''Sitricus, King of Dublin, son of
Ableb (Anlaf) Earl of Dublin, gave to the Holy Trinity, and

refer to the Archiepiscopal See of Mechlin, which had not been raised to a metro-
politaa rank until the year 1559, or nearly eight centuries after the death of the
Saint.

* *' Annum hnnc Martyrio suo Sanctissimus Rumoldus consecravit. Qui ia
Hibemia nobili stemmate natos, abdicato Archiepiscopatu Bubliniensi, Britan*
niam magnam primum Belgiumque petivit et inde religionis arcem, Romam."—
Chron. Bened.ap. Ath. Yepres. Tom. III.

t Vide Acta Rumoldi, ap. H. Vardoeum.

267

to Donatus, first Bishop of Dublin^ a place where the arches
or vaults were founded, to build thereon the Church of the
Holy Trinity (now Christ Church), together with the follow-
ing lands: viz., Bealdulek, Rechen, Partrahem, with their
villaioa, cattle and com. He also contributed gold and sil-
ver enough, wherewith to build the church and the whole
court thereof." This docum^nt^ ancient and consistent as it
is, supplies us with an authority which cannot be questioned;
hence it has been followed by Ware, Usher and in fact by all
our most approved antiquarians. With respect to the Belgian
and Carthusian Martyrologies already noticed, it may b^
proper to observe^ that we know not the period in which they
had been written, or who had been their compilers, and abov^t
all we are totally unacquainted with the sources from which
these compilers had drawn their information. These Martyr-
ologies had, in all probability, been composed in the sixteenth
century, and the authors of them might have been misin-
formed; there is, moreover, an important expression contained
m every one of these documents which cannot, with any pro-
priety, be passed by unnoticed: an expression amounting to.
a glaring inaccuracy and in itself sufficient to upset the cre-
dibility of any evidence. In all of them, be it remarked,
St. Rumold is represented not only as Bishop, but even as
Archbishop of Dublin, Now it is beyond all controversy that
the See of Dublin had not been raised to an archiepiscopal
rank until the twelfth century (1152), at which time Cardinal
Paparo arrived in this country and distributed the palliums at
the Council of Kells,* When absurdities of this description
are found mixed up with an important public document what
value can be possibly set upon it? the statement, so far as re-
gards the rank of the individual, must in the judgment of
every impartial critic stand rejected.

Donatus, as has been noticed, was chosen to preside ove

• Sec Cent. XII. chap. I.

268

the' See of Dublin: that be was an Irishman and that he had
been consecrated in Ireland are facts which cannot upon any
grounds be disputed.* He go¥erned the See until 1074,
in which year he died and was buried in his own Cathedral
of the Holy Trinity, at the right band side of the high altar.

The consecration of Donatus forms an erent by means of
which we are enabled to trace the origin of the See of Dub-
lin; while the incumbency of his successor leads us to sub-
jects of a more general extent and in some respects inter-
woven with the character of the Church of Ireland at this
period. On the death of Donatus the clergy and people of
Dublin elected an Irishman named Patrick his successor.f
William the Conqueror had now been seated on the throne of
England; and Lanfranc, who had come over with the Nor-
mans, was Archbishop of Canterbury. The Danes of Dub-
lin, being a colony of Norwegians, looked on the Normans as
their countrymen; and considering the unbounded sway which
these people had at that time enjoyed in Britain, the former
were on that account the more anxious to seize the first op-
portunity of forming a friendly coirespondence with them. —
These had been the reasons which urged Gothric their King
to propose, that Patrick should be sent to Lanfranc for con-
secration. Accordingly Patrick sailed for England, furnished
with a letter from the clergy and people of Dublin, in the
following words :j: '^To the venerable Metropolitan of the holy
Church of Canterbury, Lanfranc, the clergy and the people
of the Church of Dublin offer due obedience. It is known to
your Paternity, that the Church of Dublin, which is the
metropolis of the island of Ireland, is bereft of its pastor and i

destitute of a ruler. We have, therefore, chosen a priest, I

named Patrick, veiy well known to us, of noble birth and
conduct, versed in apostolical and ecclesiastical discipline, in
faith a catholic, cautious as to the meaning of the Scriptures

^ Sec chap. II. t Id. ♦ U.Ikt, Syl. 25.

269

and well trained in ecclesiastical dogmas^ who, we requesti
may be ordained Bishop for us as soon as possible, that un«
der the authority of God, he may be able to pieside over us
r^ularly and be useful to us; and that under his government,
we may be able to combat with ad vantt^e. For the integrity
of superiors constitutes the safety of the subjects, and where,
there is the healthfulness of obedience, there, the form of
instruction is salutary." On the delivery of this letter, Pat*
rick was received by Lanfranc and shortly after was conser
crated by him in St. Paul's Church, London. The profes-
sion of obedience which Patrick made at his consecration was
as follows:* '^Whoever presides over others ought not to
scorn to be subject to others, but rather make it his study to
humbly render, in God's name, to his superiors the obedience
which he* expects from those who are placed under him. On
this account, I Patrick, elected Prelate, to govern Dublin'
the Metropolis of Ireland, do, reverend Father Lanfranc^
Primate of the JBritainsf (Britanniarum) and Archbishop of
the holy Church of Canterbury, offer to thee this charter of
my profession; and I promise to obey thee and thy successors
in all things appertaining to the Christian religion."
- From the tenor of this profession of obedience made by
Patrick, and especially from his having acknowledged Lan-
franc as Primate of Great Britain (in the original Britannia-
rum), some English writers have attempted to maintain, that
Lanfranc and his predecessors had held a metropolitan juris-
diction over the Irish Church.;): To support this opinion the
more forcibly, they have grossly mistranslated the term Bri-
tanniarum by making it signify the British isles, among which,
by adopting modern phraseology, Ireland would of course
be included. If, however, the expression Britanniarum, as it
stands in the original, be considered, it must be acknow-
ledged that it signified in reality Great Britain. It was usual

* Wart's Bishops. t Or, what amounts to the same. Primate of Great Britain,

t Crcs&y, B. 13. Dr. Milncr's Tour, p. 164.

270

with many ancient authors when speaking of Britain to use
the plural number C Britannia J, and in illustration of this
several instances might be adduced from Bede. That vene-
rable writer alluding to the Emperor Claudius says, ''Going
into Britain (BritanniasX he reduced the most part of the
iBlaind under his subjection;"* and after having given the ec-
clesiastical history of every part of Britain, he repeatedly
uses the plural term Britanniarum.')^ The fact is, when the
Romans had conquered Britain, they divided the country into
provinces, and these several provinces went by the names of
Britannia prima, Britannia secunda, ^c, and hence the
whole country from north to south was generally known by
the plural name Britannits, Ireland, however, was at no
period subject to the Romans, nor was it ever considered a
part of Britain. During all this time Ireland had her own
kings, and while Britain was subdued and mutilated, Ire-
land was a free and an independent nation and was known
over Europe by the ancient name of Scotia. The Church of
Ireland also, from the days of her Apostle, had been governed
by her own Primate ; under his metropolitan jurisdiction had
her whole hierarchy been placed, nor can the supporters of
English primatial authority adduce one solitary instance of
the Archbishops of Canterbury having interfered in the eccle-
siastical concerns of Ireland before the consecration of Pat-
rick for the Danish city of Dublin. So iar were the Arch-
bishops of Canterbury from having' metropolitan authority
over the Church of Ireland, that their jurisdiction did not,
in former times, extend even over all Britain* It was ac-
knowledged only in those places which had been subject to
the Anglo-Saxons; the British Scots never recognized it,
while the Northern Picts were, it is well known, always sub-
ject to the Irish Abbot of Hy.

* Claudius BHianniat adiens, plurimam insult, partem in dcMiitionem recepit. —
L. 5. c. 24.

tid.

271

This groundles doctrine was first started durmg the dis-
putes which had taken place between the Sees of York and
Canterbuiy relative to the primacy. In 1072 a council had
been held in Winchester for the purpose of deciding this
question and at which William the Conqueror was present. —
As an argument for supporting the cause of Canterbury, it
was asserted in that Council, that the prelates of Canterbury
had always enjoyed a metropolitan right not only over the
churches of Great Britain, but also over those of Ireland;*
and this assmnption they pretended to establish upon the au-
thority of Bede. It happens, however, that in all the works
of that venerable writer, not one sentence appears in support
of such an assertion. Equally groundless is the opinion of
those who maintain, that Augustine, who came to Britain in
the sixth century, was possessed of at least a legatine juris-
diction over the Irish Church. Augustine never presumed to
exercise such a power, the prelates and ancient annalists of
Ireland knew nothing about it, and even supposing that he
had been invested with such jurisdiction, it by no means fol*
lows that it should descend to his successors. It was indeed
at that time imperatively necessary that Augustine should be
intrusted with legatine authority over Britain,f on account of
the distracted state of religion in that country and the gene-
ral decline of morals and discipline which immediately fol-
lowed the Saxon invasion; but as regards Ireland, no siich
causes existed. The Irish Church was at that period pre-
eminently distinguished for both order and discipline; and for
piety and learning she stood unrivalled among the churches
of the Christian world.

The consecration of Patrick by the Archbishop of Canter-
bury was a proceeding which met at once the general dis-
pleasure of the Irish prelates; however, the matter had been
tolerated merely out of respect for Lanfranc's learning and

• Fleury, L. 61, 51, t W. L. 36. 38.

272

eminent character, and as a still further step by which some
secure and permanent conciliation might be effected between
the native Irish and the Danes.

Patrick remained but a short time in Britain. On his rec-
tum to Ireland he received from Lanfranc the usual testimo^
nials of his consecration together with two letters,'"' one ad-
dressed to Turlogh King of Ireland, and the other to Goth<>
lie, who, although styled King of the Danes, was at the
time but merely a vassal^ having submitted to Turlc^ in
1073. In these letters, and particularly in the one addressed
to Gk)thric, Lanfranc refers to some abuses which, he undei^
stood, had at that time prevailed in Ireland. Instances, he
says, had occurred of men abandoning their lawful wives
without assigning any canonical cause, and of taking to
themselves others who were within the degrees of consangui*-
nity; and that in Dublin it sometimes happened that men
even exchanged their wives.

Had such abominable abuses existed, they certainly must
have been confined to the Danes^f The chaise, however,
cannot 1>e consistently supposed to affect any portion of Tur«-
logh's Irish subjects; particularly when we consider that
they would have been in open violation of the canons of St.
Patrick,:]: and that these canons had been looked upon with ,

almost sacred veneration by the native inhabitants of Ireland* i

•Usher, SyU. No. t6. *

t Usher, in his note on these letters, remarks, that the custom of dismisnng
wives was prevalent among the Anglo-Saxons and in Scotland ; a remnant of it may
be still discerned in England, where wives are to this day sometimes sold in the
public market.

X The fifth Canon ordains: " If the wife of any man should commit adultery, the
injured husband shall not marry another as long as the wife lives ; but should she
turn from her evil ways and repent, he shall receive her, and she shall serve htm as a
handmaid and do penance for a whole year on bread and water -, and that by mea«
sure." And if a woman should attempt to abandon her husband and marry ana-
ther, she was, by the 19th Canon, excommunicated. " The Christian woman, who
shall take a man in holy wedlock, and afterwards leave him and in adultery join ano.
ther, shall for this be ezcommunicated."— 19th of (he Synod of Patrick, Auxilius
and Iserninus.

273

If^ therefore, these abominations had at any time taken place,
they must be known only amongst the Danes, some of whom
might not, even as yet, have totally forsaken their long-
cherished and favourite Scandinavian barbarities. The same
letter took notice of three other practices and condemned them
as repugnant to apostolical authority, to the sacred canons
and to the institutions of all the orthodox Fathers. The
first was, that holy orders had been administered by bishops
for money. The second, that bishops had been consecrated
by only one bishop : and the third, that infants were^ bap-
tized without the consecrated chrism having been used. The
first of these abuses alluded to in this letter, if any such had
taken place, could not by any means be justified. A solitary
instance might possibly have occuiTed, but there is no other
authority for its having been practised except this one letter,
ihe writer of which might have been misinformed. The sub-
ject of the remaining two charges (it may be proper to ob-
serve,) could not in those times be considered an abuse, con-
trary to apostolical authority and to the institutions of the
Fathers. It frequently happened in those days, that bishops
had been consecrated in Ireland by only one bishop; but then
they were the Charepiscopi, not the regular ordinaries of
Siees;* and it was lawful, in virtue of an ancient canon of
the Church, to have the Chorepiscopus consecrated by a
single bishop. Neither could the omission of the chrism in
baptism be properly called an abuse; the application of it
being merely a ceremony and by no means essential to the
validity of the sacitiment. It is well known that in the pri-
mitive ages of the Church, when baptism had been adminis-
tered by bishops, the sacrament of confirmation, to which
chrism was essential, immediately followed. When, how-
ever, the missionary duties had, in after times, devolved on
piests, the use of the chrism was still observed, as a cere-

• See Cent. VIII.

2 M

274

mony io baptism, the priest applying it to the top of the
head, whereas in confirmation the bishop applies it to the
forehead of the person about to be confirmed. It is very re-
markable that Lanfranc had not at that time addressed any
letter to the Primate or to the prelatea of Ireland on these
subjects, as he no doubt would have done had he possessed
either metropolitan or legatine jurisdiction over them. Pat*
rick governed the See of Dublin until 1084, when he was
shipwrecked and drowned on his way from that city to Eng-
land.*

About this time, various efibrts had been made to enforce
the doctrine by which some of the popes endeavoured to
claim a tempoml sovereignty over princes, and to this effect
Turlogh, who was then at the summit of his power, received
an epistle from Pope Gregory Vll.f This letter which had
been dated from Sutri was addressed not only to the Mo-
narch himself, but likewise to the archbishops, bishops, ab«
bots, nobles and to all Christians inhabiting Ireland. That
part of it, in which Gregory insinuates his temporal author-
ity over Ireland, runs in these words: ''The authority of
Christ has founded his holy Church on a solid rock, and has
committed its rights to the blessed Peter, which Church he
has likewise constituted over all the kingdoms of the world.
To this Church be has subjected the principalities, powers
and every thing else which is sublime upon the earth, accord-
ing to the prophet Isaiah, 'They that slandereth thee shall
come and shall worship the steps of thy feet/ Therefore, to
the blessed Peter and bis vicars, among whom by divine dis-
pensation we happen to be numbered, the whole world owes
both obedience and reverence, which with a devout mind ye
shall remember to shew to the holy Roman Church. If,
therefore, any affairs shall take place amongst ye, which may
seem to require our assistance, be careful to apply to us at

• Four Mastcn. t Usher, Syl. No. 29.

275

once, and your just demand, with God's help, ye shall ob-
tain."* It is needless to remark, that this doctrine has no^
thing whatever to do with the tenets of the Catholic faith. It
is merely a school question which had been clamorously agi^
tated at subsequent periods; and indeed from the profound
silence of our annalists as to the result of the letter itself, it
is manifest that no attention had been paid to it in this king^
dom.

That the Church of Ireland had, in every age since its
foundatbn, contributed most amply towards the advance^
ment of religion and of literature has been already abundantly
illustrated. By means of its schools and learned professors
the ancient reputation of the country was still sustained, and
in the eleventh century, we find Irish ecclesiastics repairing,
like their predecessors, to the Continent and becoming the
founders of many valuable and celebrated establishments. —
Among these the ancient literary foundation of Ratisbon,
formed by Marianus Scotus, shall be briefly noticed. Mari*
anus Scotusf (who must not be confounded with the cele*

* *' Hqjus (Chtisd) auctoHtas s&nctam Ccclesiam m solida petra fuadavU, et bealo
P«tro ejus Jura commisit, quam etiam super omnia mundi regua constituit eui
prineipatui, et potestates, et quicquid in secuU sublime videtur esse, subjecit, illo
Isais completo oraculo ; " venient, inquit, ad te qui detrahebant tibi, et adorabunt
▼estigia pedum tuorum." Beato igitur Petro ejusque Ticariis, inter quos dispensatio
diviua noatram quoque sortam annumerari di^Msnit, Gr6ts univereus obedientiam et
reverentiam debet, quam mente devota sancte Romans Ecclesias exbibere reminia-
cimini. Si qua vero negotia pebes vos emerserint, quae nostro digna videantur aux-
ilio, iucunctanter ad nos dirigere atudete, et quod juste postulaveritis, Deo auzili-
ante, impetrabitis*" — Usher, SyUog. No. 29,

t The term Seoti was, up to the tenth century, applied eKclusiyely to the natives
of Ireland. On the overthrow of the Picts and the extinction of their kingdom by
the Albanian Scots about the year 900, North Britain, the ancient Albania, gra-
dually assumed the name of Scotia, yet distinguished from the original Scotia (Ire-
land) by the adjuncts, minor, recentior, Albanetuis &c. However the name
Scotia or the term Scott bad been but very rarely applied to North fiiitein or to its
inhabitauts until the reign of Edgar, King of Albania, in the commencement of the
twelfth century. This Prince, soon after he had ascended the throne, published an
edict, setting forth the extent and boundaries of his kingdom and by virtue of which

276

brated ehronogmpher of that name*) was a native of the
north of Ireland, and in 1068 withdrew to Germany, bring-
ing with him two companiona named John and Candidus.i*
They remained for some time at Ratisbon and afterwards be*
came Benedictine monks in the Monastery of St. Michael's
near Bamberg. Marianus, who besides his sanctity had
been an eloquent and a learned man, obtained soon after a
grant of the Church of St. Peter near Ratisbon for himself
and his companions, which was confirmed by Henry lY. then
King of Germany .j: This Monastery, from the great influx
of Irishmen who had repaired to it, became in a short time
so very celebrated and so well suj^lied, that in the com-
mencemeut of the twelfth century it was found necessary to
erect another in the city of Ratisbon, which second establish-
ment was dedicated to St. James. In this manner did the
ancient foundation of St. Peter become, as it were, the pa*
rent of numberless religious retreats, by which piety and
literature had been cherished for ages in that and the adjoin-
ing territories. This Monastery was particularly celebrated'
for the number of works, both sacred and profane, which
had been transcribed by its monks, among whom it may not
be improper to notice another Marianns, under whom Nicho-
las Brecspere afterwards Adrian IV. had received his educa-
tion.^ Marianus the founder continued to govern the Monas-
tery of St. Peter at Ratisbon, until bis death which occurred
in 1088. Besides the collection of works which he had
transcribed, Marianus has left some valuable commentaries
on the Psalms, deduced, as the preface testifies, from the
writings of the primitive Fathers of the Church. Thes^

that part of Britain wu ia future to be designated by the name of Scotia, Never-
theless the Irish were, for many years after the death of Edgar, known among the
learned by the name of Scott, as appears from St. Bernard, from Mauritius de Portu
(in tit. Script. Oxon.) and others. A learned dissertation on this subject may be
found in the Collectanea Sacra by Fleming, '* Commentaria ad Vit. S. Columbani.^'

* See chap, HI. t Bollandistd at 9th Feb. % Colgan. $ Chron. Ratisbon.

277

monasteries of Ratisbon, together with those of Wurtzbui^,
Nuremberg, Viemia and many others, remained in the hands
of Irish ecclesiastics until they iieere dispossessed by Scotch*
men. After the death of Marianus, several applicants from ,
Scotland had been kindly received by the Irish monks and
admitted into the German monasteries. The number of these
gradually increased, so that in the thirteenth century, when
the term Scotia ceased to be generally used as a name for
Ireland, the ungrateful Scotch availed themselves of the ex-
pression (Scotorum) contained in the original grants, and by
that means became in a short time the possessors of all these
foundations. It is needless to add, that the Irish monks
were, before the close of the thirteenth century, compelled
to quit those very establishments of which their countrymen
had been the founders, and which they had both governed
and adorned for so long a period.'*'

At this time also, the Irish Monastery of Wurtzburg was
justly celebrated, and among its distinguished abbots may
be ranked the learned and venerable Nehemias, who having
resigned his See of Glendaloch, retired to the Monastery of
Wurtzburg, where he died, A.D. lOSfi.f

Meanwhile the reputation of Ireland for learning was still
supported; and to the ancient schools of Armagh numbers
of English students had been indebted for their education.
In 1092, a dreadful conflagration took place in that city, by
which the third division of the town, usually called 7Vim-
Saxan (because inhabited by English students) was reduced
to ashes, j; Many of the other ancient establishments had, as
well as Armagh, been numerously attended; while literature
and civilization began to spread rapidly among the Danes, so
that at the close of the eleventh century, the confusion of
former times was compelled to give way to national order,
and Ireland seemed once more to hail the bright prospects
which were opening upon her.

• Chron. Ratisbon, t Colgao, A, A, Sv S. p. 200. t Tr. Th. p. 299.

CHAPTER n.

Successors of St. Patrick — Episcopal Sees — Religious
Foundations of the JEleventh Century,

The forbearance, with which mere laymen had been allowed
to usurp not only the temporalities but even the title of Arch-
bishop of Armagh in this century, is a matter which cannot
be easily accounted for. The country had no doubt been
distracted by repeated wars between the natives and the
Danes, and in fact between the Irish princes themselves; it
is certain, however, that had Brian survived the victory of
Clontarf these disgraceful abuses, which must have given
such scandal to the nation, would be at once and effectually
checked. It has been already stated, that the Primate Mu-
rechan, after an incumbency of three years, resigned his
see and in 1001 was succeeded by Maelmury, the son of Eo-
chad. Some authors are of opinion that Maelmury had been
one of the lay usurpers. The contrary, however, appears
from the account given of him by the Four Masters.* Ac-
cording to their testimony, Maelmury was styled "the head
of the clergy of Western Europe, the chief of the holy or-
ders of the West, and a most wise Doctor." These and
other high encomiums, by which his character stands sup-
ported, are sufficient to supply the strongest evidence that
Maelmury had not been a layman, but on the contrary that
he had been a regularly ordained bishop. He was greatly
distinguished for his learning and died A.D. 1020.

Amalgaid is marjced as the successor of Maelmury and
is generally supposed to be one of the laymen who usurped

♦Ap.Tr. Tb.p.298.

279

the title of Archbishop of Armagh. Colgan strengthens
this opinion by the fact that two of his successors, Mcehosa
and Dojnnald, are called the sons of Amalgaid,* and it may
moreover be remarked that during his time there resided in
Armagh a regular bishop named Moeltule. This Prelate is
also styled Bishop of that See, and it appears that the usual
episcopal duties had been constantly performed by him.f —
Amalgaid made a visitation over Munster, in which he en-
forced the observance of what was termed the Law of St.
Patrick; an usage which referred solely to the temporalities
of the primatial see. On his decease in 1049

DuBDALETHE III. who had for many years filled the chair
of lecturer in Armagh, became his successor. It cannot be
doubted that Dubdalethe was one of the eight laymen al-
luded to by St. Bernard. Scarcely had he taken the
management of the Archdiocess into his hands, when Hugh
O'Fairreth, who had succeeded him in the professorship, was
consecrated, and was constantly styled Bishop of Armagh
until his death, which occurred in 1056.J: Dubdalethe was
a learned annalist and compiled the annals of the archbishops
of Armagh down to his own time: he. died most penitently
in 1064,§ having some time previously resigned the See to

CuMASACH. This Prelate, who must by no means be con-
founded with the lay usurpers, continued to govern the arch-
diocess but a short time. Not long after the death of Dub-
dalethe, he withdrew from the administration of the diocess,
when it was usurped (as the Ulster Annals express it) by

McELiosA, the^son of Amalgaid.|| From the expression em-
ployed by the annalist, together with the circumstance of hia
being the son of Amalgaid, it is certain that Mceliosa had
been one of the Pseudo-Archbishops.lT In 1068 he made a
circuit through Munster, for the purpose of exacting the
usual revenues, and held the See until his death in 1091.

• Tr. Th. p. 302. t Id. p. 298. J Id. $ Annals of Ulster.

II Ware Bishops, f Tr. Th. p. 31)2.

280

DoMKALDy ttUo the son of Amalgaid, usurped the prima*
tial chair on the death of his brother Mceliosa. He was
certainly one of the lay intruders and appears to have pos-
sessed considerable influence among the princes of Ireland. —
Adopting the example of his predecessor, Domnald made a
visitation of Munster, Tyrone, and other places, the object
of which was, as usual, the temporalities of the See. These
abominable proceedings appear to have at length brought
down on the people the just indignation of heaven; for in

1095, a dreadful plague raged throughout the country, which
swept away such multitudes, that the towns and villi^es be-
came deserted. To appease the wrath of divine justice, a
general fast was proclaimed throughout Ireland in the year

1096, with which both prelates and people strictly complied;*
and about the same time Coemcomirach O'Boil was conse-
crated as Sufiragan or actmg Bishop of Armagh. According
to St. Bernard there had been eight lay usurpers ; four of
these have been already noticed, while the names of the
others are not given in any one of our annals. What the
circumstances were by which this omission had been oc-
casioned we are not able to determine; it may, however, be
remarked, that all those pseudo-archbishops, mentioned by
the annalists, are said to have died great penitents. Dom-
nald, after having evinced deep sorrow, died at Armagh on
the 12th of August, A.D. 1105 and with him tenninated
those enormous abuses by which the Church of Ireland had
been so long and so grievously distracted.

The ecclesiastical sees established in the eleventh century
were those of Dubib and Waterford.

The See of Dublin was established A.D. 1040, under
Sitric, King of the Danes, and, as has been already noticed,
its first Bishop was Donatus, or more correctly Dunan.t —
Donatus was consecrated in Irektnd, and it is strongly con-

* AnDalfl of Jnnisfallen. f See chap. I.

281

jectnred that he had been a Bishop even before he was
selected by Sitric to preside over Dublin. Neither in the
annals of this country or in any other document, is there the
least intimation jthat Donatus had been consecrated in Can*
terbnry, and it is most certain that the Danes of Dublin had
no OQonezion whatever with that metropolitan See until after
the arrival of the Normans in England, A.D. 1066. On this
sol^ect Usher observes,* "The Ostmen, who possessed the
three cities of Dublin, Waterford and Limerick, being a
colony of Norwegians and so countrymen to the Normans,
when they had seen England subdued by the Conqueror and
Normans advanced to the chief archbishopric there, would
needs now assume to themselves the name of Normans also,
and cause their bishops to receive their consecration from no
other Metropolitan but the Archbishop of 'Canterbury. And
forasmuch as they ^ere confined within the walls of their
own city, the bishops whom they made had no other diocess
in which they might exercise their jurisdiction except the bare
circuit of these cities." Thi^ new See of Dublin, as well as
the Danish power itself, was greatly circumscribed; nor did
it extend beyond the walls of the city until some years after
the council of Kells in 1152*

After Donatus had, with the £M»sistance of Sitric, finished
his Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (Christ Church) and a
chapel called St. Michael's, he erected an episcopal palace
near it, on the site where the former Four Courts stood. —
Donatus continued to preside over the See of Dublin until
1074, in which year he died and was buried in his own
Cathedral.

As the events of the See of Dublin become, afl^r thia
period, closely interwoven vrith other portions of our eccle*
siastical history, and are, moreover, intrinsically interesting,
it will be necessary in the future arrangement of this work,

* Discourse on tbe Religion, kc. chap. VIII.

2 N

282

to attend carefully to -Ifae order of episcopal euccessioa in
that See as well as to the leading occurrences connected
with it.

Patrick, or acconding to the Four Masters, Gilla-Pat-
RiCK, the successor of Donatus in 1074 was, as has been al-
ready stated, shipwrecked and drowned on the 10th of Octo-
ber, A.D. 1084 *

Immediately on the death of Patrick, Donat, or Do-
ivouGH O'Haingly, an Irishman, was promoted to the See
of Dublin.f In compliance with the wishes of the Danes,
Donat was sent to England for consecration, having been
furnished with letters from Turlogh, Monarch of Ireland. —
Donat was kindly received by Laniranc and was consecrated
by him in the Cathedral Church of Canterbury* He made
his profession of obedience in the following terms: **I, Do-
natus, Prelate of the Church of Dublin, which ir situated
in Ireland, promise canonical obedience to thee, * Lanfranc,
Archbishop of the holy Church of Canterbury, and to thy
successors." This Prelate continued to govern the See of
Dublin until his death in 1095 and was succeeded by his
nephew, Samuel O'Haingly.

Samuel, on his appointment was (agreeably to the Danish
custom) sent over to Canterbury to be consecrated by Anselm,
who had succeeded Lanfranc in the government of that
Archdiocess. At his consecration Samuel made the following
profession of obedience :;[: ^'I, Samuel, chosen for the
government of the Church of DubUn which is situated in
Ireland, and to be consecrated Bishop by thee, Reverend
Father Anselm, Archbishop of the holy Church of Canter-
bury and Primate of all Britain, do promise that I will ob-
serve canonical obedience in all things to thee and to all thy
successors."

In the early part of Samuel's incumbency, he received

• Sec chap. I. t Ware's Bishopa. j Ap. Uiher, Syl.

283

an epistle from Anselm, in which that Prelate proceeds to
make three very serious complaints: first, that Samuel had
given to strangers the books, vestments and Church orna-
ments which Lanfranc had presented to his uncle Donatus,
for the use of the Chucch of the Holy Trinity in Dtublin.-T-
3econdIy, that he removed the monks who performed the
offices of said Churchy and that he refused to receive those
who were willing to return. And, third^, he adds, *' I have
also heard, that you cause the cross to be carried before you
on the way, which; if true, I cqnunandlyounot to reiterate; for
this privilege Soes not belong to. any one except to an arch^
bishop, who has been confirmed with the pall by the Roman
. Pontic Nor is it fit, that by any presuxnption relative to
an unusual thing, you should appear remarkable or repre-
hensible before men."* This letter was directed to Malchus^
then Bishop of Waterford, with directions to deliver it in
person to Samuel and expostulate with hipi on the impro?
priety of these abuses* The epistle, thus conveyed in fatherly
terms, had the desired efiect, and Samuel presided over the
See of Dublin until his death, which occurred on the 4th of
July, A.D. 1121.+

Tqb Sbe of Watbrford was founded in the eleventh
century, Malchus being elected its first Bishop by the clergy
and people of that city ; which election was approved of by
Murtogh O'Brian, then King of Ireland, by Domnaid,
Bishop of Gashel and by several other prelates, of the king-
dom. According to Eadmer and other contemporary autho-
rities, Malchus was a native of Ireland and had spent several
years as a Benedictine monk at Winchester.;^ Although
Waterford had been founded by the Danes and was still in
the possession of that people, yet it appears to have been at
this time subject to Murtogh. The inhabitants desirous to
follow the example of their countrymen in Dublin, proposed

• Usher, Syl. 39. f Ware's Bishops. t Eadmer's Hist. No\. L. 2.

284

that Malchus should be consecrated in Canterbury; for which
purpose they petitioned Murto^ O'Brian, requesting that he
would unite with them in a letter to that eiect. To this re-
quest Murtogh assented, and in 1096 Malchus repaired to
England bearing with him a letter lor Ansdm, and to which
the King and several bishops had annexed their signatures*
After stating in this epistle the many spiritual disadvantages
under which the people of Waterfonl were placed, in not hav*-
ing a bishop residing amongst them, they conclude in these
words: ''Therefore, we (the clergy and the people of the
town of Waterford) together with our King, Murtogh, the
Bishop Domnald* and Dermod our Duke, brother of the
King, have chosen this priest Malchus, a monk of the Bishop
Walchelin of Winchester, very well known to us, of noble
birth and morals, versed in apostolical and ecclesiastical dis-
cipline and in faith a Oatholic." Accordingly Malchus was
consecrated by Anselm at Canterbury on the 28th of Decem-
ber, 1096, Ralph, Bishop of Chichester and Gundulph Bishop
of Rochester being the assistant Bishops.t His profession
of obedience runs thus: ''I, Malchus, elected for the Church
of Waterford and to be consecrated Bishop by thee. Reverend
Father Anselm, Archbishop of the holy Church of Canter-
bury and Primate of all Britain, do promise that I will ob^
serve canonical obedience in all things to thee and to all thy
successors." Shortly after his consecration Malchus, with
the assistance of the Danes, erected a splendid cathedral in
Waterford and dedicated it to the Holy Trinity. This- cathe-
dral was endowed by King John in the commencement of the
thirtheenth century, at which time also its Dean and Canons
had been instituted; but the possessions expressed in the
charter were not confirmed until the time of Pope Innocent
III, A.D. 1210.$
The Sbe of Ardfert had, according to the annals of

• Bishop of Cuhcl. i Ware Bishops. t Ware Antiq. c. XXIX.

285

Innisiallen, been governed by bishops in tke eleventh <
yet its origin remains involved in great obscarity. >S^e
writers have named Ert, the master of St. Brendan, as hav-
ing presided over it in the sixth century; they have not, how-*
ever, been able to support their opimon, and hence the sub*
ject remains wmpt up in much uncertainty^ Had Ardfert
been established as a permanent See in the days of St. Bren«
dan, it is sii^ularly nnaccounrtable that not even one of its
prelates had been named from that time down to the eleventh
century, indmding a period of about five hundred years. —
There had, in all probability, been some bishc^s residing in
Ardfert during that intermediate time, without having either
a re^lar succession or a permanently established see, as had
been, the case in Swords, Lusk, Glondalkin and ol&er places.
When, however, the Danish people of Dublin and of Water-
ford had procured for themselves a bishop, it may be reason*-
ably supposed that the Irish, who inhabited this extensive
portion of the south, felt considerable solicitude for obtain-
ing a similar advantage. At all events there can be no doubt,
that Ardfert had been placed under the administration of a
bishop at the period of which we are now treating. Dermot
Mac-Mel-Brenain was Bishop of Ardfert about the middle
of the eleventh century. This Prelate governed the See un-
til 1075, in which year he died and was succeeded by Ma-
grath O'Ronan,* whose incumbency continued until 1099
when he was succeeded by Mac-Ronan. This latter Prelate
has been styled Bishop of Kerry and was present at the
Synod of Kells, in 1162.t

Hie history of the monastic establishments presents in
general, during the greater part of the .eleventh century, one
frightful scene of pillage and destruction. In 1016 the
Danes, under their King Sitric, plundered Kildare, Gienda-
loch, Clonard, Swords and Armagh.J The island of Arran

* Annals of Innisfal. A. 1075. t Ware Bishops. } Annals of Innisfal.

386

of the Saints, in which stood the celebrated establishment of
St. Enda, was taken by the Danes of Limerick, and that
ancient Monastery with its church, library and schools, was
lerelled to the ground.* Ardbraccan, Ardfert and lismore
were pillaged three times within the lapse of one year; while
the Monastery of Clonmacnois was plundered and almost de*
molished no less than thirteen times during the eleventh cen->
tury.f Amidst these awfiil scenes, the usual duties of these
institutions must, at least for a time, have been suspended ;
however, many of the other establishments had been suflPered
to continue in comparative tranquillity. When al length
these Northmen had been in a manner humanized by the
influence of religion, and when law and justice b^an to be
known and respected amongst them, these retreats of sanctity
were no longer molested, and the customary instructions
were imparted to students, both natives and foreigners, as
amply as they had been in preceding ages.

* Awuh of Munater. f Tr. Th. p. 639. Foot Maaten.

CHAPTER III.

Religious and Littrafy Characters of the Eleventh CeU"
tury — General Observations.

Notwithstanding the melancholy state of the nation, the
Irish Church had^ in the eleventh century, been distinguished
for enlightened ecclesiastics, and among these shall be
ni^iced, in the first place, the pious and learned Marianus
SooTus, generally styled the Chronographer.

This eminent n^im was a native of Ireland and was bom in
the year 1028.* Being desirous to retire from the world and
to devote himself to study and prayer, Marianus entered the
Monastery of Clonard in 1052, in which celebrated establish-
ment he continued for four years. Influenced by the example
of many of his countrymen, Marianus at length formed the
design of withdrawing for ever from his native country, —
Agreeably to this resolution, he arrived at Col<^e in 1056
and soon after joined the Irish monks of St. Martin in that
city. Here he remained until 1058 about which time, having
been ordained priest at Wurtzbui^b, be removed to Pader-
bom dnd from thence to Fulda.t It is most probable that
this had been the place in which he collected and arranged

* It IB nxhtr amumnnf to witness the gravity with which some Scotch writers pre-
tend to maintain that Marianus Scotns was a British Scot, that is, according to
modem phraseology, a Scotchman. Among these, Mackenrie appears to have
handled the subject with real composure and downright earnestness in his Lives of
iks Wtiun of ths ScoU Niition. However, Florence of Worcester, who was con-
temporary with Marianus, is an authority at once conclusive ; his words are : " Hoc
anno (1028) natus est Marianus Hibemeniit Scotus, cujus studio et labore hoec
chronica pnscellens est de diversis libris coadunata." Dupin, Moreri, Labbe, De
Scriptor. Eccles. afford a similar testimony.

t Florence of Worcester.

288

the materials for his chronicle; a work which, in its kind, far
surpasses any thing which the middle ages have produced. —
For the purpose of completing it he became a rechise for ten
years, and although immured in study and shut out from all
human intercourse, yet the fame of his virtues and of his ex-
traordinary learning made its way beyond the solitary edl,
and among his admirers were many of the most distinguished
prelates of that country. At length this extraordinary man
was brought from his favourite retirment by orders of the
Bishop of Mentz and of the Abbot of F^14l^ and in 1069 he
removed to Mentz, where^ as he himself expresaes it, he was
again shut up, on the 10th of July in. that year. Marimnos
remained in Mentz until 1086, in which year he died and was
buried in the Church of St Martin beyond the walls of that
city."*" Besides his chronicle, which he had brought down to
his own time,, and which has been continued to A.D. 1200 1^
Dodechin, Abbot of St. Deslbod ; Marianus has writtenf
The Hamumy of the Eoang.eUsts, Of the Universal Accoooi,
On the great Paschal Cycle, i\mendments to DionysiuA^ A
Breviaiy on St. Luke, Annotaticsia an the Scriptures, Letters
of Exhortation, Commentaries on the Psalms, Annotations
on all the Epistles of St. Paul, together with a copy of said
Epistles transcribed by himself^ which is extant inthe.im-
peiial library of Vienna* J

While Marianus had been thus employed in Germany,
TiOBRNACH O'Braoin, the distinguished annalist of Ire*
land and Abbot of Clonmacnois, was by his talents and
unwearied research casting new light on the ancient records
of his own country. It is indeed much to be regretted, that
the history of this annalist has not been circumstantially
handed down to us. Tigernach belonged to a sept which
inhabited an eastern part of Connaught, most probably the

* MabilloD, Annal. Ben. t Bale. X Labbe. Com. Bib.

289

now Gounty of Roscommon;* he had for some years been
Abbot of Roscommon and aflerwatds became Abbot of
GlonmaiCnois. It was in this latter monastery he compiled
hia celebrated Annals of Ireland, which he brought down to
the year of hit death, A.D. 1088. Very high and well
nerited encomiums have proceeded from the pen of both
ancient and modem antiquaries on this invaluable work.f-^-
Tigernach died at Clonmacnois, A.D. 1088.

Hblias, the saintly and learned Abbot of St. Martin's at
Cologne, was an Irishman and flourished in this century. —
About the year 1022, he had been at Rome and was the first
who had brought from that city the Roman note or Church
music to Cologne.:!: Before he retired to the Continent
Helias had spent some years in the Monastery of Monagfaan;
(be rigid discipline of which he punctually observed and
afterwards most strictly enforced. The value which this
great man had placed on the virtue of obedience was such,
that when, on one occasion, a member of the community in
Cologne had, without asking permission, transcribed a neat
copy of the Missal for the use of the monastery, Helias con-
signed it to the flames, lest others, by following his example,
should presume-in any manner to infringe on the ancient disH
cipline of the institute.^ Helias was likewise a learned
lecturer; and to him and his community had society been in^-
debted for the transcription of several valuable portions of
both sacred and profane literature. Having spent a life of
mortification and sanctity he died at Cologne, A.D. 1042.

JoHK, the venerable Bishop of Mecklenbui^h and Apostle

* Annals of Innisfal.

t Among others, Mr. D'AUon, m his Ertay on Irkh History, observes : " TBe
pages of this writer (Tigemach) are frequently illustrated by quotations from Latin
«nd Greek authors ; as, V. G. Horace, Virgil, Pliny, Eusebius, Origen, St Jerome»
iulius Africanus, AnatoHus, Bede, &c. , whom he not only quotes with accuracy,
but frequently balances and contrasts their authority with much critical acumen."

t Mabtllon, at A. 1022. § Florence of Worcester.

290

of Sclavonia was a native of Ireland and floamhed hi tbe
middle of the eleventh century.* About the year 1067, he
arrived in Germany and was soon after placed over the See of
Mecklenburgh by Adalbert, Archbishop of Bremen. The
Vandals and the Venuli, who inhabited that part of the an-
cient Sclavonia which lies between the Elbe and tbe Vistula,
were at this time pi^ns; thither, therefore, John went to
preach the Gospel in 1062. After having traversed the
greater part of that trackless region and having visited their
principal towns, in which he converted great multitudes, John
at length suffered martyrdom at Rethre their capital. By the
orders of a pagan governor he was first cast into prison, and
after having endured a variety of torture, was at length be-
headed about the year 1065. Adam of Bremen, Trithemiusf
and other writers make honourable mention of this Martyr,
and he has been always considered the Apostle and Patron
of that ancient and extensive territory.

While these writers bear high testimony to the apostolic
labours and sufferings of John; Surius, Johannes Stabius and
others are equally ardent in praise of his countryman Col-
MAX. This holy man departed from Ireland about the year
1022 for the purpose of visiting Jerusalem*. Having per-
formed his devotions at Mecklin, Saltzburg and other places,
he at length arrived at Stockeran, a small town in the eastern
territory of Norica, now Lower Austria. At that time the
Austrians were at war with the Moravians, and so furious had
been the spirit with which hostilities had been carried on,
that no quarters were given on either side. Colman had
scarcely reached Stockeran, when he was seized as a spy em-
ployed by the Moravian party; and although he persisted in
declaring his innocence and had given a true account of him-
self, he was, nevertheless, cast into prison and afterwards put
to death. Several contemporary chroniclers bear testimony

• Flcury, L. 61 . f Chron. 106&.

291

to the miracles which had been wrought through the interce^
sion of this Saint, and particularly in the place where he
sufiered. About three years after, Henry, Marquis of Austria,
caused the body to be removed to Medlicum (Melck); when
it was found entire and deposited with great solemnity in St.
Peter's Church in that town, on the 7th of October, A.D.
1026.* This Saint has been styled the Patron of Lower
Austria,t and his name occurs in the Roman Martyrology at
the 13th of October.

iThe ancient annals of Ireland furnish a long catalogue of
eminent teachers, who, during the eleventh century, had
given instructions at Clonard, Clonmacnois and other estab-
lishments, j: Of these professors we have nothing recorded
save a lengthened list of names, accompanied by some occa-
sional epithet which serves only to indicate their merit. Im-
perfect, however, and unsatisfactory as this catalogue— this
remnant of former days may appear, it furnishes ample and
undeniable evidence, that the cultivation of letters had, in
this age, been carefully attended to in Ireland; when, as is
well known, it had been disregarded and almost totally
neglected in many of the other kingdoms of Europe.

* MftbUloD, Aniwl Ben. f Colgan, A. A. S. S. p. 10&

X AiduB, Bishop, Scholastic and professor at Armagh, died A. D. 1005. O'FIaa*.
•gan, ChroDOgnpher and Antiqiiaiy of Ireland, died A. D. 1004. Crichen, Bi-
shop and lecturer of Theology at Armagh, died A. D. 1011. Kenfelad, Scribe
and lecturer of Philosophy at Armagh, died A. D. 1012. Dunchad, Scholastic
and professor at Clonmacnois, died A. D. 1005. Cathasach, Philosopher and lec«>
turer at Clonmacnois, died A. D. 1006* Mac-Cethenin, styled the Wisest Doc-
tor of the West, taught at Armagh and died A. D. 1030. Miclodar, Scholastic and
lecturer at Killachid, died A. D. 1032. Corcran, the learned Theologian of lis-
more, taught there and died A.D. 1040. LoDgsech, Theologian and leeturer at CIo**
nard, died A. D. 1042. O'Ballen, Scholastic and professor at Roscrea, died A.D.
1047. Kieran, Scholastic and lecturer of Kells, died A. D. 1061 . Mac-Dorighal,
Scholastic and lecturer of Kildare, died A. D. 1063. O'Clothocain, Scholastic
and professor at Armagh, died A. D. 1071. Conchobran» Scribe and lecturer of
Gleanussen, died A. D. 1082. Mflsliosa O'Brolcan, whom the Annals of Innisfal-
len style " the most venerable man in Ireland -, the most learned of his day in wis*
dom and science," died A. D. 1086.

292

The l^gal ecclesiastical tribute, usually deucmimafted ''the
law of St Patrick/' took its rise from certain political events
connected with the local government of Hugh Ollain, Moor
arch of Ireland in the eighth century. If the observations^
which we have already ventured to offer on that sid>ject^
should seem to require any further illustration,* let the histcMy
of the See of Aimagh dorii^ the eleventh century be pn>*
dueed, and the truth of these positions can be no longer dis-
puted. The union of any ecclesiastical establishment with
temporal power must engender materials, which at (me time
or other will explode; and again, a church overburdened with
riches and arrayed in worldly pomp, instead of b^n^ baiefi-
cial, will be an evil and must at length be the fruitful source
of some dreadful catastrophe. In the fifth, sixth and sev^fith
centuries, when the Church of Ireland was comparatively
poor and d^iended on the voluuitary but sufficient donations
of the fiButhful, we had practical religion, and Ireland was a
land of saints. Scarcely, however, had this same church
been brought into contact with the ruling power — scarcely
had the tide of mammon 'set in, when the frightful inunda-
tion, drifting on its surface every thing sacred and venerable,
soon rose to the treshold of the sanctuary, and the temple of
peace was at once converted into a scene of anarchy and
desolation. The Church of Armagh had her saints in the
days of holy poverty; while in opulence and grandeur she
became a sacrilegious monopoly in the hands of irreligious
and scandalous usurpers. Nor are these direful effects of
overgrown ecclesiastical wealth to be discovered exclusively in
the Church of Ireland: they may be traced in the history of
every nation on earth. What gave rise to Arian blas-
phemies and Greek Schisms? What disfigured Germany
with wars and bloodshed, and disgraced France with infidel-
ity and revolution?— and what brought towering ambitious

• See Cent, IX. chap. 2.

293

spirits iato the sanctuary of mysteries and afterwards trans-
formed them into blasphemers and heresiarchs? The truth
therefore of that general principle, which has been placed at
the head of these brief remariu, rests on undoubted histori-
cal evidence — it becomes in reality a moral axiom, and it is
certain that an ecclesiastical establishment bound up with
state policy or overburdened with wealth, must at length give
rise to some dreadful explosion, in which religion will inevi-
tably suffer, while both individual prosperity and national
independance may, in all probability, be swept away for
ever.

Among the principal interesting objects contemplated in
this analysis of Irish ecclesiastical history, the superior bene^
fits arising from public gratuitoua education have been
pointed out with particular attention. A revision, therefore,
of this most important subject may not be deemed improper
in this place. It may recal to our minds the character of the
ages over which we have travelled, and at the same time it
ynU serve to throw new light on many of the historical events
of succeeding c^turies* In the first place, public gratuitous
education, aided by a priesthood humble and disengaged
from the world, was one of the principal ordinary means by
which the conversion of Ireland had b^en effected. Secondly,
the same gratuitous education filled the monastery with
scholars, supplied the mission with an enlightened clergy,
caused religion to appear in its loveliness, made its counsels
be embraced by multitudes and transformed the country into
a land of penitents and saints. Thirdly, it created a high
national reputation for Ireland — it brought the distant
stranger to our shores — ^it sent him home with a mind en-
lightened by knowledge and a heart warmed with gratitude —
and it elicited many a lofty and well merited panegyric in
favour of our country from some of the most distinguished
writers of Europe. And, fourthly, it emboldened the Irish
ecclesiastic to leave his native land and to encounter the

294

difficttltms of a foreign mission ; it made some of them the
apostles of nations and others the revivers of literature. For
these reasons it was, that the ancient fathers of the Irish
Church had been so very solicitous in upholding the noble
system of public gratuitous education. Hence, likewise,
it was, that each monastery had been a semmary of learning
and that these establishments were cherished and venemted
by all that was g|reat or virtuous in the land. Nor did edu-
cation and literature cease in Ireland even in those angry days,
when the storm rolled in all its fury and when society pre-
sented the appearance of one tottering, crumbling mass of
ruin. During the highest rage of Danish power, the literary
establishments were not totally deserted; many of the ancient
schools of the kingdom were frequented, and we find that
even at the close of the eleventh century, Armagh was still
the great literary rendezvous of foreign students and particu-
larly of Englishmen. Such had been the progress of educa-
tion up to this period: whether it advanced or was suffered
to decline in after times, the reader will be best enabled to
judge from a perusal of the subsequent pages.

TWELFTH CENTURY.
CHAPTER I.

CelsHs Archbishop of Armagh — Synods of Usneach and
Rath'Breastil — SU Malachy Bishop of Connor — tran^
kUed to Armagh — his apostolical labours — Synod of Kelts
— Distribution of the Palliums — Henry II — Means em*
ployed by that Monarch to obtain the Bull of Adrian IV.
English Invasion — Strongbow lands in Ireland — Arrival
of Henry II at Water ford — Synod of Cashel — Cardinal
Vunan and the Synod of Dublin — St. Laurence O* Toole,
Legate Apostolic — John Cumin, Archbishop of Dublin —
Convenes a Synod — Albin O'Mulloy and CRraldus Cam^
brensis — Translation of the remains of Sts. Patrick, Bri-
gid and ColumbhiU — State of the Church of Ireland at
the close of the twelfth century.

The ecclesiastical as well as the political events of the
twelfth century form a new and an important era in the annals
of the Church of Ireland. During the Danish invasions^
comprehending a period of more than two hundred years,
one scene of terror was followed by another in rapid succes-
sion, while the interests of religion, as it is natural to expect,
had been grievously affected; however, in the year 1100 the
darkened storm seemed at length to subside and a prospect
more bright and cheering appears once more to open upon
our view. In the year 1105, Celsus was Archbishop of
Armagh.* This learned and good man, having been the
grandson of Meeliosa of Armagh, was consequently a mem-

• Tr. Th. p. 299.

296

ber of the family by whtcli that See had been so long mono-
polized.* The scandal which these intraders had for so
many years occasioned was a subject of much uneasbess to
Celsus; and accordingly after his consecration on the 23rd
of September in said year he entered on his ministry, with a
firm resolve of putting an end to this system of vile and un-
canonical usurpation. For this purpose he undertook, in
1106| a general visitation of the Province of Ulster, in which
district, as being mote contiguous to Armagh and under the
immediate influence of those pseudo-prelates, a greater laxity
of ecclesiastical discipline had, it seems, prevailed. Here he
catechised, preached and laboured; and the counsels which
he delivered derived new eflicacy from the example of his
ovm charity and disinterestedness. From the north Celsus
directed his course to Munster and Connaught, the entire of
which Provinces he visited,t and then returned to Armagh,
confident that Providence would, in the proper season, crown
all his labom*s with success.

Celsus had, during his visitation, seen the necessity of
two essentially important measures. The fiirst was the con-
vocation of a national Synod, in which the actual state of
the Irish Church might be regularly taken into consideration.
The second was the appointment of an archbishop for the
southern half of Ireland, and who, besides being an assistant
to him, would moreover have the responsible government of
that extensive portion of the country. These measures, ex*-
pedient and salutary as they had been, met at once with the
concurrence not only of the prelates of the kingdom but also
of Murtogh O'Brian, then Monarch of Ireland.

Accordingly in the year 1111, a general national synod waft
held at a place called Fiadh-mac-Aengusa (Usneach), now the
hill of Usney, in the Barony of Rathconrath and County of
Westmeath.:}: At this Synod^ Celsus the Primate attended^

• See Cent, XI. chap. 2. t Tr. Th. p. 299. $ Id. Four Masters.

297

together with Moelmurry O'Dunain Archbishop of Cashel^
and, acc(Hrding to the Annals of lanisfallen, f^fifty other
bishops, three hundred and seventeen priests, one hundred
and sixteen deacons and a vast number of clergy of inferior
degree.'' Murtogh O'Brian, the Monarch was also present,
and all the princes of his kingdom. Besides the revision'
which the existing ecclesiastical di^cipline of Ireland had jiin*
dergone in this Synod and the sanction of new laws for the
reguls^tion of the clergy and people, a most important mea->
sttie had been effectjed, by raising the dipcess of Casbel
to the rank of an archiepiscopal and metropoKtan see; yet
with this condition, that it was to be subordinate to
the primatial one of Armagh.* Donatus O'Heine, the pre-
decessor of Moelnrarry bad enjoyed that title at the close o#
the deventh century. It was still further conArmed in 1101,
when Murtogh made over Cashel, hitherto the royal seat ot
the kings of Muni^r, {to the Church.t Neyertheless, it was
but a mere honorary appellation, a certain mark of prece*-
dency, without having any metrppoHtan authority or canon^
kal jurisdiction annexed to it However, by this act of Cel-
sus and the Synod together with the subsequent confivmation
of Innocent II., Cashel became in reality an archiepiscopaF
See; the archbishop of which was charged with the care of
the south or southern half, while the Primate reserved to him-
self the northern half^ together with the primatial authority
over all Ireland.^: From the decrees passed at this Synod,
the most salutary effects were soon visible, and the Church
of Ireland at length enjoyed repose, while its clergy were
basily employed in repairing those breaches which discipline
and morality had undergone during the distracted affaiis of
the last two centuries.

Celsus was still intent on further improvements. The num-
ber of small or minor sees, to which the usages of former

• St. Bernard, Vit. S. Mai. f Keating, B. 2. t St. Bernard, loc. cit,

2 p

298

years had given rise, was soon found to have been the cause
of much inconvenience. To remedy this, by fonning a re-
gular division of diocesses and marking out the respective
boundaries of each, Celsus convened another synod in 1118
at Rath-Breasail, now Clanbrassil, in the Coimty of Ar-
magh** Gillebert had been Bishop of Limerick since 1106
and some time after was appointed legate apostolic for Ire-
land by Pope Pascal ILf In this capacity he presided at
the Synod, at which were also present Celsus, MoBliosa
Archbishop of Cashel and a number of other bishops and
clergy of various ranks. According to the decrees of this
Synod, the number of diocesses in Ireland vres reduced to
twenty-four, besides Dublin, which was still left subject to
Canterbury. Twelve of these sees were in the northern half,
subject to the Archbishop of Armagh; the remaining twelve
were in the south, subject to the Archbishop of Cashel. The
order in which they are placed, is as follows: In Ulster were
five sees, viz., Clogher, Ardsrath (Ardstraw, County of Ty-
rone), Derry, Connor and Down. In Connaught five, viz.,
Tuam, Clonfert, Cong (m the County of Mayo), Killala and
Ardcarn (in the County of Roscommon). In Meath were
the sees of Duleek and Clonard, and which henceforth were
to be the only permanent sees in that territory. These twelve
sees were placed under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of
Armagh. The twelve subject to Cashel were: In Munster —
Lismore, Waterford, Cork, Rath-maighe, Deisgirt (Ardfert),
Limerick, Killaloe and Emly; and in Leinster — Ossory,^:
Leighlin, Kildare, Glendaloch and Fems.§ It appears, like-
wise, by an act of this Synod, ''that the revenues of the
cleigy and the Church lands were confirmed to the several
bishops of Ireland for the maintenance and support of the
episcopal character; which lands were to be exempted from

• Tr. Th. p. 293. t Sec chap. II.

) In Keatiiig's list the Sec is called KUkenoy. $ Keating, B. 2.

299

tribute, chief I'ents and other public contributions, and to
remain in that state of freedom and independence for CTer/'*
After some other decrees regarding morals and discipline had
been enacted, the Legate closed the Synod by pronouncing a
blessing on those who should observe its ordinances, and on
the other hand a malediction on such as should presume to
infringe upon them.

This latter Synod has brought us to that portion of our
national history, in which the great St Malachy must ne-
cessarily be introduced. Regarding the eventful life of this
holy man, those passages only shall be here noticed, without
which the chain of historical narrative would be unconnected
i^id incomplete; while a more circumstantial account of his
apostolical labours i^all be reserved for a fature chapter.f

After Malachy had been ordained priest by Gelsus about
the year 1120, he repaired to Lismore, for the purpose of
completing those theological studies which he had already
commenced under the pious and learned Imar of Armagh. —
Meanwhile Celsus, whose esteem for Malachy was very
greaty had to contend with many difficulties, which at length
obliged him to write to Lismore, and the return of Malachy
to his native diocess was the consequence. At that time the
Monastery of Bangor was in ruins, and the lands belonging
to it were in the possession of a maternal unde of Malachy ;
thither, therefore, the Saint repaired, fully determined on
re-establishing that venerable retreat of sanctity and learning.
His uncle, who afterwards became a monk in that establish-
ment, listened attentively to his expostulations and at once
resigned the whole concerns into his hands. Malachy, how-
ever, deeming such ample possessions aa inconsistent with
the spirit of sacred poverty, refused to reeeive these lands
and was content with the mere site on which the ancient
monastery stood. In a short time an humble cloister and an

* Keatbg, B. 2. t See chap. III.

300

oratory were oompletedi aad thue did Malacby^ at the bead
of a small comiauaity, ro*e8tafalifth the ancient di8cq)li]ie d
Bangor^ ei^tly ae it bad been in former days.*

The See of Connor had at this time (1127) become yacant.
Malachy^ although unanimously chosen and uigently solicited
to undertake its government, penisted in declining that
honour^ until at Itogth the absolute command of Celsus was
found necessary, and the reasonable orders of the superior
wefe instantly fallowed by the cheerful acquiescence of the
bumble intns^te of Bangor.f Celsus, whose constitution had
been worn down by care and imremitted labour, had pre-
determined on appointing Malachy his successor; which re-
solution he put bto effect in 1129, exactly two years after
Malachy had been consecrated Bishop of Connor. la that
year Celsus died at a place called Ardpatrick, in the now
County t>f Limerick. On his death-bed, he af^inted Ma-
lachy his successor and chaiged the clergy who were present
and the Bang of Munster, in whose house he then rettded,
to see this his last request execnted. On this occasion, also^
he sent to Malabhy his staff or crosier, as a pro<tf of his
most earnest and dying wishes.

The news of the Primate's death had scarcely reached
Annngh, when the same turbulent iaction, re*commencing
the scenes of past times, tozed upon the title and temporal*-
Uies of the Archdiocess and placed Maurice, the son of
Domnald, a lay man, in the metropolitan chair. So great
wad the tiolenee with which this party had then maintained
their sacrilegiously usurped authority, that three years had
ielapsed before the legate apostolic with the bishops of the
province had ventured to insist on the translation of St. Ma-
lachy. The Saint at length complied, yet on this condition,
that he should, when peace was re-established in Armagh,
be allowed to return to his former diocess of Connor, or as

• St. Bernard, Vit. Mai. t Tr. Th. p. 300.

301

he himself expresses it, ^^to his former spouse and to his be-
loved state of poverty. Accordingly in 1132, Malachy re-
moved to Armagh, bat was obliged to reside at some distance
from the city until the death of the usurper, which occurred
about two years afterwards.* It would be impossible to
eater into a minute detail of the trials and sui&rings which
Malachy had undergone during the three years which he spent
in the government of the archiepiscopal See. He had, how-
ever, the consolation bf at length beholding the happy suc-
cess of his labours, in the re-establishment of order, mora*
lity and discipline, and above all in the final extinction of
those hereditary claims and consequent abuses by which that
See had been so long and so grievously distracted. Malachy,
as already stated, had resolved to return at some time to his
former diocess of Connor; wherefore in 1137 he resigned the
See of Armagh and undertook the government of the diocess
of Down, with which at that time the See of Connor had
been united. The person whom, with the consent of the
clergy and pec^le^ he appointed as his successor in Aimagh^
was Gelasiu5, Abbot of Deny and Archdeacon of that dio^
cess.t

Cash^l had been raised by Celsus to the dignity of an
archiepiscopal See, bat that act had not as yet been coa->
finned by the Sovereign Pontiff; neither had that See or the
primatial one of Armagh been honoured with the pallium, by
which in those times metropolitans were usually distinguished*,
For this purpose Malachy undertook a journey to Rome and
on his way visited the celebrated Monastery of Clairvaux,
where he continued for some days. Here he became ac«
quainted with St Bernard, and that friendship commenced
which had never afler been dissolved. When Malachy anived
at Rome, he presented himself to the Sovereign Pontiff,
then Innocent IL, by whom he was received in the most

* SL BeriMird, chap. VIII. t A. A. S. S. at 27th March, see chap. II.

302

gracious manner. His Holiness was pleased to confirm the
act by which the See of Cashel had been raised to an arch-
iepiscopal rank, but to that part of Malachy's request, which
regarded the palliums for Armagh and Cashel, the Pope re«
plied, '^This is a matter which must be transacted with great
solemnity. Do you, first summoning the bishops and clergy
and the chiefs of your country, celebrate a national council,
and, after ye will all have agreed on this point, apply for the
pallium, and it shall be given to you."* He then appointed
Malachy legate apostolic for all Ireland, an office now
vacant by the resignation of Gillebert, and then taking the
mitre off his head the Pontiff placed it on that of Malachy.
In like manner he invested him vnth the stole and maniple
which he used when officiating, and saluting him in the kiss
of peace dismissed him vrith his benediction.

The many arduous duties, which had now devolved on
Malachy in the capacity of Legate, allowed him little leisure
or repose, until at length in 1148 and in the pontificate of
Eugene III. a Synod was held at Holmpatrick, at which
Malachy and Gelasius were present together with fifteen
other bishops, two hundred priests and a great number of
the inferior clergy.f In this Synod it was agreed to make
the regular application for the palliums, and for this purpose
Malachy undertook a second journey to Rome. Having
arrived at Clairvaux, he was received with joy by St. Ber-
nard; however, a few days after, on the festival of St. Luke,
he was seized with a fever and expired in this Monastery on
the 2nd of November, A.D. 1148 and in the 54th year of
his age.j:

The high veneration, in which St. Malachy had been held
by the holy Abbot of Clairvaux, camiot be well described. —
St. Bernard preached the funeral oration on the day of the
interment and delivered a second panegyric on the anniver-

* St. Bernard, chap. XI. t Annals of lunisfal. t St. Bernard, chap. XVI.

303

sary of his death. It is also highly probable that St. Ber*
nard communicated the intelligence of St. Malachy's death
and the nature of his mission to Pope Eugenius, especially as
that Pontiff had been formerly a monk at Clairvaux and had
been well acquainted with the Saint. At all eveutSi Cardinal
Paparo^ accompanied by Christian, Bishop of Lismorci then
l^ate apostolic, arrived in Ireland in the year 1151, bearing
with him four palliums for the metropolitan sees of Armagh,
Cashel, Dublin and Tuam.

That a matter of such importance might be conducted
with becoming solemnity, a national synod was convened at
Kdls (in the County of Meath) on the 9th of March, A.D.
1152. At this Synod, besides the Cardinal, who presided,
and Christian, Bishop of Lismore, then legate apostolic,
there were also present .Gelasius the Primate, Domnald
O'Lonergan, Archbishop of Cashel, Gregory, Bishop of
Dublin, together with the bishops of the following sees:
Glendaloch, Leighlin, Waterford, Kildare, Cork, Clonfert,
Kerry, Limerick, Clonmacnois, Roscommon, Achonry, Con*
macne (Ardagh), Kinel-Eogain (Ardstrftth), Connor and
Down, together with the Vicars General of Emly and Ossory :
a great number of abbots and priors were also present and a
vast multitude of inferior clergy.* When it was known that
palliums had been intended for Dublin and Tuam, many of
the clergy were much dissatisfied, and particularly those who
belonged to the diocesses of Armagh and Down.-f This cir-
cumstance has been considered by some as one of the rea-
sons why the prelates of several sees had been absent.

The council opened by the distribution of the palliums to
the four following sees, in order: Armagh, Cashel, Dub-
lin and Tuam ; on which occasion, the Archbishop of Ar-
magh was declared Primate over the others. This is the

* Accoiding to the Four Masters the namber amounted to 3000.
t Keating, (quoted by Colgan, A. A. S. S. p. 654.

304

Synod in which an attempt was, for the first limey made
of introdacing the notorious tithe system into Ireland.* —
The decides, by which simony and usury had been con-
demnedy passed unanimously^ but when the Cardinal set
forth his favourite yet strange system of tithes, the propo-
sition was instantly rejected; nor do we find that it had met
with the approval of a single ecclesiastic in this national
Synod. The Cardinal then proceeded to the arrangement of
the suffragan sees in the following order: 1. Under Armagh
were the Sees of Connor, Down, Louth or Clogher, Clonard,
Kells, Ardagh, Raphoe, Rathlure (in the County of Tyrone),
Duleek and Derry. 2. Under Cashel were placed, Killaloe,
Limerick, Inniscatthy, Kilfenora, Emly, Roscrea, Waterford,
Lismore, Cloyne, Coil:, Ross and Ardfert. 3. Under Dub-
lb were named, Glenduloch, Ferns, Ossory, Leighiin and
Kildare. 4. Under Tuam were placed Mayo, Killala, Ros-
common, Clonfert, Achonry, Clonmacnois and Kilmac-
duagh.f tt may be proper to remark, that in this list, the
Sees of Elphin and of Dromore are not mentioned, for which
reason it is generally supposed that the former was at this
time united to Roscommon and the latter to Armagh.;}: The
Sees of Louth and of Clogher had been united for many
years prior to this Synod, however, in later times the town of
Louth and other parts of that ancient diocess were annexed
to Armagh.§ The decrees of the Synod of Kelis were con-
fined exclusively to discipline and morals; nothing relative
to fiiith had been discussed, the doctrine of the Irish Church
being at that time, as it is at this day, the very same wiiieh
the Apostle of the nation had introduced, and which had
been consecrated by all that was great or gvand in antiquity
— ^by the learning, the wisdom and the sanctity of ages.

• Keating, Aimalfi of Clooenagh. f Ware Antiq. c. XVI,

t Ware Bishops. § See Cent. XIII.

306

The proceeditijgs of the Synod having been terminated^
Cardinal Paparo remained but a short time in Ireland^ having
on the 24th of the same month set out on his journey to Rome.

This was the memorable period in which Henry II was
placed on the throne of England, and about the same time
(1164) Adrian IV succeeded Eugene III in the chair of St.
Peter. Henry had for years secretly contemplated the con-
quest of Ireland, and that a similar design had engaged the
attention of eome of his predecessors, ever since the subjection
of die See of Dublin to that of Canterbury, is an opinion
amountii^ to more than a mere probability. Henry, who
had artfttHy studied the natural disposition and religious tem-
perament of the Irish, saw distinctly the profound reverence
with which that people were always ready to entertain every
injunction emanating from the holy See: accordingly he re-
solved to procure by all means the solemn sanction of the
Pontiff, before he should venture on so daring and hazardous
an enterprize. An opportunity soon presented itself, and
Henry availed himself of it. Adrian IV (Nicholas Brecspere)
was an Englishman, and to htm did Henry make application
through the agency of John of Salisbury, then chaplain to
Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury. John's request, like
the reasons on which it had been grounded, was no doubt a
precious compound of Christian zeal and disinterestedness.
He prayed that his master might be merely permitted to take
possession of Ireland, for the purpose ''of extending the
boundaries of the Church, of announcing to an unlearned and
rude people the truths of the Christian faith, and of extirpat-
ing the weeds of vice from the field of the Lord."*

Adrian, anxious for the aggrandizement of his country, or
as Cardinal Pole expresses it, induced by the love of his
country ff lost no time in complying with the agent's request.

* Sec Bull of Adrian.

t In his tpeech delivered A. D, 1554, aad quoted by Ubiier, (Syll. Note to
Adiian's Bull.)

306

He accordingly furnished Henry with the celebrated document
or Bull, by which be makes over all Ireland to that Monarch,
requiring only, that the rights of the Church may be preserved
inviolate and that a denarius should be paid annually from
. every house to St. Peter.* That this document is unquestion-
ably authentic cannot be doubted, notwithstanding the opin-
ion of some writers to the contrary. It is published in the
Annals of Baronius, and copied, as that learned author de-
clares, from the Codex Vatican^. John XXII has annexed
it to his celebrated Brief addressed to Edward II, in the

* The fdlowing is a traoslfttion of the Bull of Adrian IV.—" Adrian, Biahop,
Servant of the servants of God, to his most dear son m Christ, the nohle Kiog of
England, sendcth greeting and apostolic henediction. Your magnificence hath
been very carefnl and stn^ons how jroa might enlarge the Church of God here on
earth and increase the number of samts and elect in heaven, in that as a good catho-
lic King you have and do by all means labour and travail to enlarge and increase
God's Church, by teaching the ignorant people the true and Christian religion, and
in abolishing and rooting up the weeds of sin and wickedness. And whereas yo«
have, and do crave, for your better furtherance, the help of the Apostolic See
(wherein yon more speedily and discreetly proceed) the better success, we hope,
God will send ; for all they, which of a fervent xeal and love in religion, do begin
and enterprise any such thing, shall no doubt in the end have a good and pnqier-
ous sncoesss. And as for Ireland, and all other islands, where Christ is known and
the Christian religion received, it is out of all doubt, and your Excellency w^l
knoweth, they do all appertain and belong to the right of St. Peter, and of the
Church of Rome \ and we are so much the more ready, dewrous and willing, to sow
the acceptable seed of God's word, because we know the same in the latter day will
be most severely required at your hands. You have (our well beloved son in CHtrist)
advertixed and signified unto us, that you will enter into the land and realm of Ire-
land, to the end, to bring them to obedience unto law, and under your subjection,
and to root out^ from among them, their foul sins and wickedness; as also to yield
and pay yearly out of every house, a yearly pension of one penny to St. Peter, and
besides alio will defend and keep the rites of those churehes whole and inviokte.
We therefore, well allowing and favouring this your goodly disposition and com-
mendable affection, do accept, ratify, and assent, unto this your petition, and do
grant that you (for the dilating of God's Church, the punishment of sin, the reform-
ing of manners, the planting of virtue, and the increasing of Christian religion) do
enter and possess that land, and there to execute according to your wisdom, what-
soever shall be for the honour of God, and the safety of the realm. And further
also, we do strictly charge and require, that all the people of that land do, with all
humbleness, dutifulness, and honour, receive and accept you as their liege Lord and
Sovereign, reserving and excepting the right of holy church to be inviolably pre-
served, as also the yearly pensien of Peter-pence out of every house, which we re*

307

fourteenth century:* in short, John of Salisbury, m his work
entitled ^'Metalogicus/' actually acknowledges that it was by
his means the King of England had obtained this Bull from
Adrian IV.f

Henry, although having this document in his possession^
was soon sensible that some other pretext must be assigned
for the invasion of Ireland^ besides the pretended reasons al-
luded to in the Bull. Nor was it long until the opportunity,
so ardently wished for, had been afforded him by means of the
perfidious and profligate Dermod MaC'^Morogh, King of Lein*^
8ter4 This detestable tyrant) haying been abandoned by his
▼assals and deposed by Roderic 0*Conor, King of Ireland,
had recourse to Henry II, who was then in Aquitaine, and
casting himself at the feet of that Sorereign swore allegiance
and offered him the supreme dominion of his kingdom, in case
he should be reinstated. The English Monarch, baring been
at that time involved in great difficulties himself, could not
assist him with any considerable force; he, however, caused

quiie to be tnily answered to St. Pater and to the Church of Bomer If, therefore,
you do mind to bring your godly purpose to effect, endeayour to tra? ail to reform the
people to some better order and trade of life, and that also by yourself and by such
others as yon shall think meet, true and honest in their lifo, mann^, and conver-
sation, to the end the Church of God may be beautified, the true Christian religion
sowed and planted, and all other things done, that by any means shall or may be to
God's honour and salvation of men's souls, whereby you may in the end receive of
God's hands the reward of everlasting Ufe, and also m the mean time, and in this
life carry a glorious feme and an honourable report among all nations." — Cod. Vat.
apud Baroni.— Matth. Paris ad. an. 1155.— Fleury, L. 70. This Bull of Adrian
was afterwards confirmed by his successor, Alexander HI, for which confirmatory
Brief, see page 313.

•See Cent. XIV. cl.

t *' Ad preces meas illustri Hegi Anglorum Henrico II, concessit (Adrianus) et
dedit Hibemiam jure hereditario possidendam, $ieut liters ipHus tutantur in hodi-
emum dUnu Nam omnes insuls de jure antique, ex donatione Constantini, qui
earn fundavit et dotavit, dicuntur ad Romanam Ecclesiam pertinere." Metalog. L. 4.

% Giraldus Cambrensis treating of Dermod Mac-Morogh draws the following
character. — " Nobilium oppressor, hnmilium erector, infestus suis, exosus alienis ;
Manus omiuum contra ipsum et ipse contrarius omiiL'' — Ilib. expug. L. !• c. 6.

308

letters patent to be issued, in which he recommends the case
of Dermod to his sabjects and encourages such as might be
inclined to volunteer their services. Dermod proceeded on Ua
journey until he came to Bristol. Here he met and conversed
with Richard^ sumamed Strongbow, Earl of Chepstow or
Striguly who engaged to go over into Ireland the ensnmg
springy upon condition that Dermod should give him in mar-
riage his only daughter Eva and settle upon him the succes-
sion of his whole inheritance in that kingdom. Passing
through Wales, he there negotiated with Robert Fitz-Stephen
and Maurice Fitz-Gerald, both Normans and maternal brothers,
and having promised to reward them amply they readily en-
gaged to espouse his cause.

It was the month of May 1169, when the Anglo-Normann,
for the first time, arrived on the Irish coast.* They landed
near Bannow, in the County of Wexford; their whole force
consisting of only 360 men, under the command of Fitst*
Stephen, Miler Fitz-Henry, Hervey de Monte-Morisco
(Mount-Morres) and several knights. On the next day,
having been joined by Maurice de Prendei^ast and by Der-
mod himself at the head of 500 of his best Leinster troops,
they fell upon Wexford, where they met with a desperate re-
sistance from the Danish inhabitants. The town was soon
after obliged to surrender and was made over by Dermod to
Fitz-Stephen and Fitz-Oerald, according to agreement. The
arrival of Strongbow did not take place until the 23rd of
August 1170, in which year he landed near Waterford
vrith a detachment of 1000 men and 200 knights.t Strongs .
bow, without waiting to be reinforced by the other Norman
troops or by Dermod, made an attack on Waterford: the
city having been taken by storm, a dreadful slaughter of the
inhabitants ensued. They next proceeded to Dublin which
city fell into their hands, and thence marched into Meath

• O'Flaherty'B Ogygi«, Part iii. t Id.— Waw.

30&

and Breffny^ ravaging these territories with aasparing bar-
barity. The atrocities committed by these Normans, not
coming within the scope of this history^ shall be here passed
over. Daring the frightful carnage which had taken place
in Dnblin after the storming of that city, the exertions of ,
St. Laurence 0*Toole, who was then Archbishop of the See,
were unceasing and truly perilous.* At the risk of his life
he attended and comforted the dying and the afflicted, and
with difficulty obtamed that the books, vestments and sacred
chalices, which the Normans had pillaged from the churches,
should be restored.

This invasion, accompanied as it had been by nnheard-of
sacrilege and massacre, was considered by the prelates of
Ireland as a judgment from heaven, in consequence of the
base traffic which had been at that time carried on between
some Irish merchants and the unnatural English. The state*
ment of this notorious fact shall, for obvious reasons, be
taken verbatim from the writings of OiraMus Cambrensis:
^' About this time a general S3rnod of the Irish clergy was
held at Armagh, in which, after much deliberation concern*
ing the arrival of the foreigners in Ireland, it was unaai-^
mously declared, that thu misfortune was a judgment of
Ood on account of the sins of the people, and particularly
because they used to buy English persons from merchants^
robbers and pirates, and reduce them to slavery, and that
it would «appear, that they, in their turn, were to be enslaved
by that nation. For the English people, while their king^
dom was still firm, had, through a common vice of the natioUj
been accustomed to expose their children for sale, and even
before they were in any want or distress scrupled not to sell
their own sons and relatives to the Irish. It might hence be
probably supposed, that for this enormous crime the pur--
chasers deserved the yoke of slavery, in the same manner as

t Sise chap. III.

310

the seUen had been treated already. It was^ therefore, de*
creed and unanimously ordered by the Synod, that all the
English throughout Ireland, who might happen to be in a
Btate of slavery, should be restored to their original liberty."*

Henry 11. who had now become jealous of the progress of
Strongbow, resolved to lose no time in proceeding to Ireland.
He accordingly landed at Waterford, on the 18th of October,
A.D. 1171, with an army consisting of 500 knights and
about 4000 armed followers.t Here he was waited upon by
Dermod Mac-Carthy, King of Desmond, who submitted to
him and put hostages into his hands. From Waterford
Henry marched to Lismore and afterwards to Cashel, in
which latter city Donald O'Brian, King of Thomond, swore
fealty and acknowledged himself his vassaL The example of
these princes was followed by OTelan of the Desies, Mac-
Gilla-Patrick of Ossory and others. Henry next proceeded
to Dublm, where O'Carrol, Prince of Ergal, and O'Ruarc
of Breffhy made submission; while Roderic O'Conor still
continued in his kingdom of Connaught, and the princes of
the northern districts of Ulster refused to acknowledge the
sovereignty of a foreigner.

Henry having been now soverdgn of Leath-Mogha (the
southern half of Ireland) thought it high time to commence
his long boasted reformation of the Irish Church, according
to the terms expressed in the Bull of Adrian IV. For this
purpose, he directed that a Synod should be convened at
Cashel early in the ensuing year, 1172, and that notice in
due form should be given to each of the archbishops and
bishops of the kingdom. At this Synod, neither the Primate
Grelasius or any of the Ulster bishops attended.

Christian, Bishop of Lismore, then legate apostolic pre-
sided; there were present O'HuUican, Archbishop of Cashel,
Laurence OToole of Dublin, and Catholicus of Tuam to-
gether with their sufFvagan bishops and some abbots. —

• Giraldtts, Hibcr-expug. L. 1. chap. XV III, t Ware.— O'Fhherty, Ogy.

311

Henry, on his part, sent to this Synod Ralph, Archdeacon
of Landaff, Nicholas his chaplain and other ecclesiastics. —
In this convocation, the mighty engagements entered into by
Henry were to have been fulfilled and the Church of Ireland
was to be reformed; how effectually all these objects had
been achieved, the following decrees passed in the Synod of
Cashel will best enable us to determine.

It was decreed: '^1. That the fisuthful throughout Ireland
do contract and observe lawful marriages, rejecting those
with their relations either by consanguinity or affinity.* —

2. That infants be catechized before the door of the church,
and baptized in the holy font in the baptismal churches. —

3. That all the faithful do pay the tithes of animals, com,
and other produce to the church, of which they are parish-
ioners. 4. That all ecclesiastical lands and property con-
nected with them be quite exempt from the exactions of all
laymen. And, especially, that neither the petty kings or
counts, or any powerful men in Ireland, or their sons with
their families do exact, as was usual, victuals and hospitality
or entertainments in the ecclesiastical districts, or presume to
extort them by force; and that the detestable food or con-
tributions, which used to be required four times in the year
from the fiurms belonging to churches by the neighbouring
counts, shall not be claimed any more. 6. That, in case of
a murder committed by laymen and of their compounding
for it with theif enemies, clergymen their relations are not to
pay part of the fine, (or Erick) but that, as they were not con-
cerned in the perpetration of the murder, they are to be
exempted from the payment of money. 6. That all the

* By thb decree it was intended to establish in Ireland that portion of the eccle*
siasdcal law, by which, in those times, marriage was prohibited within the seventh
degree of consangiiinity and affinity. This law could not be coDYcniently enforced
in Ireland, in conseqnence of the system of clanship which then prevailed in this
country. It was found to be equally inconvenient in many other parts of the
Western Church and was, on that account, soon after modified and reduced, as it
now is, to the fourth degreCf

312

faiUiful, lying in sickness^ do, in the presence of their con-
fessor and neighbours, make their will with due solemnity,
diyiding, in case they have wives and children (exceptii^
their debts and servants wages), their moveable goods into
three parts, and bequeathing one for the children, another
for the lawful wife, and the third for the funeral obsequies. —
7. That due respect be paid to those who die after a good
confession, by means of masses, vigils and decent burial* —
Likewise, that all divine matters be henceforth conducted
agreeably to the practices of the holy Church, according as
observed by the Anglican Church/'*

Such were the regulations of the Synod of Cashel — such
the mighty reform brought about by Henry IL, and to effect
which, public plunder, rapine and sacrilege had been per-
petrated, while the fitce of the country was deluged with the
blood of the people. These decrees were, however, totally
disregarded by the Irish clei^ and their flocks; the t^idency
of some of them were too perceptible, and having been
furnished already with ample and salutary laws of discipline
confirmed at Kells and in previous councils, to these they
conscientiously adhered. Henry was soon after obliged to
return to England, having brought himself into serious
difficulties by being implicated in the murder of St Thomas
a Becket.

During all this time neither the Bull of Adrian IV. nor the
confirmatory Brief of his successor Alexander HL had been
publicly produced. The English Monait^h had too much
policy not to perceive that the shameless and unfounded as*
persions contained in these documents would but produce
one general burst of indignation from both clergy and peo-
ple; nor did he venture to publish them until three years
afterwards (1175) when the precarious state of his affairs in
Ireland loudly called for some hitherta untried and desperate

• Ciraldus, Hib. expug, chap. XXX IV.

313

eflTort la that year Henry II. sent Nicholas, Prior of Wal-
lingford and William Fitz-Adelm to Ireland with both the
Bull and confirmatory Brief.* They landed at Waterford
andy having summoned a meeting of the bishops, here these
curious documents were for the first time read in Ireland.t —
They had no effect whatever in healing the wounded feelings
of the people, the unsparing rapacity of the invaders having
been such as to place the wretched condition of the natives
beyond the power of all human endurance. At length a
negociation took place at Windsor, betweai the English
Monarch and Roderic O'Connor, in which it was stipulated
that Roderic, as King of Ireland, should continue in full
possession of his ancient hereditary dominions on condition of
his paying to Henry a certain tribute. Roderic's ambassadors
on this occasion were Catholicus, Archbishop of Tuam, Con-
cors. Abbot of Clonfert and Laurence his chancellor, together
with St. Laurence O'Toole who happened to be at that time
engaged on some ecclesiastical business in Bngland*

It was now generally hoped that the Bull of Adrian as
well as the Brief of Alexander would be patiently allowed to
rest in oblivion, or at least that these documents would Hot
be officially enforced; however^ in 1177, Cardinal Vivian,
who had been sent to Ireland as legate apostolic, arrived in

* The following is Uie cuofirmatory Brief of Alexander III : " Alexander^
Bbhop, Servant of the Servants of God, to his dearly beloved son, the noble King
of England, greeting, grace and apostolic benediction* For as auch as things given
and granted upon good reason by our predecessors are to be well allowed of,, ratified
and confirmed ; We, well considering and pondering the grant and privilege for, and
concerning the dominion of the land of Ireland to us appertaining, and lately given
by Adrian our predecessor, and following his steps, do, in like manner, confirn^,
ratify and allow the same ; reserving and saving to St Pete^i and to the Church of
Rome, the yearly pension of one penny out of every house, as well in England as in
Ireland. Provided also, that the barbarous people of Ireland, by your means, be
reformed, and recovered from their filthy life and abominable conversation ; that as
in name, so in life and manners, they may be Christians, and that, as that lude and
disordered Church, by bemg by you reformed, the whole nation may also with the
possession of the name, be in acts and deeds followers of the same."

t Giraldus, L. 2. chap. vi.

314

Dublin and immediately convened a Synod of bisbops and
abbots. In this Synod, the Cardinal maintained Henry's
right to the sovereignty of Ireland, in virtue of the Pope's au-
thority and even insisted on the necessity of Unqualified obe-
dience from all persons under pain of excommunication. He
likewise allowed the invaders liberty to enter tlie churches
and take from thence whatever provisions the people had, for
sake of safety, deposited therein, on condition that a reason-
able price should be paid for them to the pastors of these
churches.* The Cardinal had, it seems, been under some
serious obligations to De Courcey and other adventurers, and
most likely coqsidered all this as a sort of instalment for the
large debt of gratitude which it is certain he had owed to
them. What kind of impression this singular conduct of the
legate had made on the minds of the clei^gy assembled his-
tory has not thought proper to hand down to us; however,
it is certain that the people of Ireland, plundered and out-
raged as they had been, were but little inclined to pay any
attention to this indiscreet exhibition of clerical diplomacy
-and extravagance.

These proceedings together with the publication of the
documents themselves had now created such a ferment in the
public mind, that the measures, contemplated in the late
Synod of Dublin, were censured and condemned by all. It
was well known that Henry's agents had been actively em-
ployed at Rome, and it was equally certain that an imposi*
tion alike gross and mischievous had been practised on the
Pontiff. While some, therefore, inveighed bitterly against
the Cardinal, many were aggrieved at the calumnies which
had been cast on the nation, and all felt indignant at the
baseness and treachery of the minions by whom those mis-
representations had been so artfully and widely circulated.

Such had been the distracted state of the nation, when in

• Girirfdus, Hib. expug. L. 2. chap. XVII.—Ware, Annals at A. 1177.

315

1179, summonses were issued by Alexander III., for the
meeting of the third general Council of Laterau. On this
occasion the following Irish Bishops set out for Rome: Lau-
rence O'Toole of Dublin, Catholicus of Tuam, Constantino
O'Brian of Killaloe, Felix of Lismore, Augustin of Water-
ford and Brictius of Limerick. These Prelates were received
in Rome with marked attention, and particularly Laurence
OToole, whose jurisdiction over the suffragan sees of Glen-
dalocb, Kildare, Ferns, Leighlin and Ossory was at this time
confirmed by Alexander III.* This Pontiff, having now an
opportunity of conversing with some of the heads of the
Irish Church, was at length convinced that, in the con-
firmatory Brief which he had drawn up for Heniy, he had
been grossly imposed upon, and that the terms employed in
that official document were as severe as they had been un-
called for; as a mark, therefore, of his feelings on the sub-
ject, he not only put into the hands of Laurence a Brief con-
firmatory of the above mentioned rights, but moreover ap-
pointed him his legate apostolic throughout Ireland. In the
discharge of the duties belonging to this apostolic legation,
Laurence had to encounter much anxiety and many diffi-
culties. The English ecclesiastics whom Henry II had sent
over, as well to reform ''the rude and disordered Church of
Ireland, as to convert its barbarous ' people from their filthy
life and abominable conversation,"t were, it appears, with
few exceptions, a set of the most incontinent profligates. —
That characters of this description should have anything to
do with the Church of his native country was a heart-rend-
ing reflection to the pure mind of Laurence. Anxious, there-
fore, to remove this crying scandal with which Irishmen had
been hitherto unacquainted and to afford his Holiness himself
an opportunity of witnessing the hopeful manner in which

• Vita S. Laurent, chap. XXIII. t Bull and Brief.

31C

the Church of Ireland was to be reformed by Englishmen,
Laurence sent one hundred and forty of them, who were con-
victed of incontinency, to Rome for absolution, although be
had, at the time, the power of absolving them himself.*

The See of Dublin had been, at this period, richly en-
dowed; the revenues of which Laurence applied to the use of
the poor and afflicted, while he himself led a life of rigorous
austerity. To the Archiepiscopal See of Dublin, in 1180,
belonged Swords, Lusk, Finglass, Clondalkin^ Ireland's Eye,
Tallagh and many other places; also the parish Churches of
St. Thomas, St. Nicholas, St. Werburg and St. Patrick in the
south suburbs of the city. These ample revenues the Saint
employed in works of unbounded charity, and during the
great famine, by which the nation had been then visited for
three years, he is said to have afforded daily relief to no less
than five hundred persons, besides the crowds of applicants
who were constantly pouring in from the country. St. Lau-
rence continued to discharge the duties of his pastoral office
and of his legation until his death, which took place in
France, on the 14th of November, A.D, 1180.+

On the death of St Laurence OToole, Henry II des-
patched Jeffery De la Hay, his chaplain, and a clerk of the
Legate Alexius to Dublin, with orders that the revenues of the
See should be immediately seized on and collected by them
into the Exchequer.;]: Henry had, at this time, an intention
of transferring the dominion of Ireland to his son John. In
order, therefore, to prepare the way for his reception, that
Monarch took care that none but an English ecclesiastic
should be appointed to preside over a See of such rank and
importance. The person whom he recommended was John
Cumin, an Englishman; who besides being learned and
eloquent, had also filled an ecclesiastical situation in the

* ViU S. Laurent, cbap. XXIII. t See chap. III. t Ware Annals, 1180.

317

royal palace for sevei^tl yeai's. He was accordingly elected
at Evesham, in Worcestershire, on the 6th of September,
A.D. 1181, by some of the clergy of DabUn, whom the King
had assembled there for th»t purpose, and the year after was
consecrated at Velletri by Pope Lucius III.* That same
year, John Cumin obtained a Bull from Lucius III, which
conferred some important priyileges on the Archdiocess of
Dublin, and which in aftertimes had occasioned much con-
troversy between the archbishops of that See and the pri-
mates of Armagh.f Four years had now elapsed between
the death of St Laurence OToole and the arrival of his suc-
cessor John Cumin in Dublin; during which time the King's
exchequer, as it is natural to suppose, must have derived no
inconsiderable share of benefit On the following year
(1185) John, Earl of Morton, son of Henry, arrived at
Waterford, accompanied by the famous Grerald Barry (Gir-
aldus Cambrensis) as his tutor and secretary .j: The new
Archbishop, John Cumin, as being the first Englishman who
had ever been placed over an Irish See, considered it now
high time to open his administration by some memorable act
of his pastoral care and solicitude. This he did by causing
a provincial Synod to be held ftbout the middle of the follow-
ing Lent in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (Christ Church),
Dublm. The decrees passed at this Synod were of a ritual,
and disciplinary character; most of them had been already
sanctioned either by long prescribed usage, or by positive
acts juridically ratified in many of the previous synodical
meetmgs of the prelates of Ireland. The 13th Canon is a
publicly recorded and well merited encomium on the high
character of the Irish priesthood: while the 19th, which re-
garded the payment of tithes, had, notwithstanding the de«
cree of the Council of Cashel, continued almost a dead let-
ter; nor were these tithes paid in Ireland except within the

• Ware Bishops. t See chap, II, Dublin. j Ware, Annal. Writers,

318

pale, or that mere fractional portion in which the English
influence bad predominated.*'

The exemplary chastisement, which St. Laurence O'Toole
had been obliged to inflict on numbers of the English clergy
for their incontinengy and scandalous lives, was not after all,
it appears, sufficient to prevent the evil. They still continued
to pour into Ireland; while one party seemed to outstrip the
other in unrestrained licentiousness and open debauchery. —
Such unheard of profligacy could not but call forth the just
reprobation of the Synod. Its proceedings having been gene-
rally opened by a sermon, on the first day the Archbishop
himself preached on the sacraments. On the second day
Alban O'MulIoy, Abbot of Baltinglass and afterwards Bishop
of Ferns, delivered an impressive and powerful lecture on the
subject of clerical continency. In this discourse, the learned
O'MuUoy took occasion to dwell on the unsullied character
of the Irish clergy, and then, in mixed terms of grief and
indignation he inveighed most bitterly against the English
and Welsh clergy who had come into Ireland; upbraiding
them with having polluted the altars of his country by their
filthy and abominable crimes; while in tears of anguish he
assured them, that such crying scandal had never been heard
of in the sanctuary of the Irish Church, until aliens and ad-
venturers had been authorized to come in amongst them. —
This discourse was not without the desired effect. The
learned O'MuUoy had scarcely returned from the pulpit when
these English ecclesiastics began, by mutual recrimination,
to accuse each other, one endeavouring to shew that the
other was more criminal than himself: and thus did they pub-
licly expose themselves to the contemptuous disgust and in->

* The 19th Canon provides, " That tithes be paid to the mother churches, out of
provisions, hay, the young dF animals, flax, wool, gardens, orchards, and out of all
things that grow and renew yearly, under pain of an anathema, after the third moni-
tion; and that those, who remain obstinate in refusing, shall be obliged to pay the
more punctually for the future."

319

dignant scorn of the Irish clergy. Numbei*s of them were,
on this occasion convicted, and accordingly the Archbishop
suspended them from their ecclesiastical functions and the
enjoyment of their benefices.* On the third day, Gerald
Barry, by order of the Archbishop, preached a sermon, or
rather poured forth a torrent of abuse on the Irish clergy and,
in fact, on the whole nation. In this unmeaning tirade, Gir-
aldus made a public display not only of his malevolence,
but even of his utter ignorance of ecclesiastical antiquities
and of the customs and manners of the Irish people. Among
other matters he accused them of being too fond of indulging
themselves over their cups.f With all his prejudices, how-
ever, he was obliged at the stern command of truth to draw
the following admirable character of the Irish clergy: "The
clergy (he says) of this country are very commendable for
religion, and among the divers virtues which distinguish them,
they excel and are pre-eminent in the prerogative of chastity.
Likewise, they attend regularly and vigilantly to their psalms
and hours, to reading and prayer; and remaining within the
precincts of the churches do not absent themselves from the
divine offices, to the celebration of which they have been ap-
pointed. They also pay great attention to abstinence and
sparingness of food, so that the greatest part of them fast
almost every day until dusk and until they have completed
all the canonical offices.''^

The proceedings of this Synod served, in no small degree,
to check the haughty domineering spirit of Giraldus. The

* Fleury, L. 74. — Giraldus de rebus a se gestis.

t The prevailing Celtic custom of enjoyiog some beverage after the principal meal
was observed among the ancient Irish, as in fact it is among then: descendants to this
day. To a person unacquainted with such a national usage, as Giraldus Cambren-
sia actually had been, it might i^pear somewhat singular i he does not, however,
accuse them of inebriety, as is evident from the term potoies, which he thought
proper to employ on the occasion.

t Girald. Top. Hib. D, 3.

320

disgraceful conduct of his countrymen and the public expose^
which had just been made, worked so strongly on his feel*
ings, that he refused the vacant See of Ferns which had
been then offecpd to him by his patron Prince John, and soon
after returned to his own country* It appears that several
of the English ecclesiastics had, by this time, found means
of obtaining a settlement in that diocess; for which reason it
was the anxious wish of the native clergy and indeed of
Archbishop Cumin, that no person but an Irishman of zeal
and firmness should be appointed to preside over it All eyes
were now fixed on Albin O'Mulloy, and having been accord-
ingly consecrated,* this determined and religious Prelate
soon began, by purging his diocess, to teach these new-
fashioned English reformers the practical and proper meaning
of Irish discipline and of Irish morality.

Albin was not, however, equally successful in his legal
proceedings against William, Earl of Pembroke and Earl
Marshal of England* This noble adventurer had, by his
marriage with Isabel, only daugher of Strongbow, acquired
large possessions in Leinster, and these estates became conr
siderably augmented after his appointment as Lord Deputy
in the place of William Petit in 119L In those times eccle-
siastical revenue, like every other species of property, was
insecure, while the most ancient, prescriptive rights had been
oftentimes compelled to give way beneath the pressure of
arbitrary control or military despotism. It appears, that
certain manors, which had, from time immemorial, belonged

* It may be proper to remark, that Albin 0*Mulloy and also his predeceasor
Joseph O'Hethe have been flometimes styled Bishops of Wexford. In the charter
of the Abbey of Dunbrody, to which Joseph had been a witness, be subscribes him-
eelf Bishop of Wexford; and it is certain that in the Ball which John Cumin had
obtained from Lucius III, in 1182, this See is called " Episcopatos Wexfordiensis."
It is probable that they might have had some intention of translating the See thither
in consequence of the rising importance of the town of Wexford at this time ; how.
ever, after the death of Albin O'Mulloy, the prelates of this Diocess were invari!
ably styled Bishops of Ferns,

321

to the See of Ferns and which were usually set apart for the
use of the poor, had been seized upon by this opulent noble*
man and placed on the roll of his already gorgeous estates. —
Against this encroachment on the rights of the poor the
Bishop of Ferns remonstrated;* and although he had ven*
tared to commence a suit on this proceeding of the deputy,
yet the result was a failure; for no tribunal could be found
either able or willing to determine such a case by any fair or
impartial decision. The Earl, however, seems to have soon
after regretted the course which had been pursued, and en-
deavoured to make ample repamtion by becoming the patron
of various religious and charitable foundations. Albin
O'MoUoy continued in the administration of the Diocess of
Ferns until 1222, in which year he died, after an incumbency
of thirty-six years.

In those former angry times, when the fury of the Dane
was not to be appeased even by the profanation of the sanc-
tuary, the sacred remains of St. Patrick, St. Brigid and St.
Columbkill had been removed from their shrines by some of
the fiiithful and deposited in a retired part of the Cathedral of
Down. The place in which they had been concealed was
known but to few, so that after the lapse of many years the
hallowed spot could not be exactly ascertained. Malachy
was Bishop of Down in 1186, having been the third in suc-
cession after the great St. Malachy. This pious Prelate had
been for a long time solicitous to discover the place in which
the sacred treasure lay, and to this effect he ceased not to
pour forth his humble and most fervent supplications to the
Almighty. While in the exercise of one of these acts of de-
votion, his attention was directed in a supernatural manner,
as tradition will have it, to a particular quarter of the
Cathedral, and he lost no time in having it carefully ex-
amined. When the persons employed in removing the earth

• Math€w, Paris, Hist. Maj.^Wtre*s Bishops.

« 2 s

322

had proceeded to a certain depth, they found the relics,
which they immediately took up and reverently placed in
three separate coffins.* John de Couicyi then Liord of Down,
having been made acquainted with the fact and its circum-
stances, it was agreed that a formal application should be
referred to Pope Urban III, for the solemn translation of
those sacred remains. Delegates were accordingly despatched
to Rome, and their memorial having been received and sanc-
tioned by the Pontiff, Vivian, Cardinal Priest of St Stephen
de Monte Coelio, was sent over to Ireland with powers to
preside as legate apostolic on this august occasion. The
ceremony of the translation took place immediately after the
arrival of the legate; and on the 9th of June, the festival of
St. Columba, the hallowed remains of St. Patrick, St. Brigid
and St. Columbkill were removed from the place in which
they had been so long concealed and deposited with great
solemnity in the same monument,t at the right side of the
high altar. This interesting ceremony was attended by
fifteen bishops, besides a great number of abbots, priors,
deans and deacons and a vast concourse of people. On this
occasion, likewise, it was decreed that, henceforth, the an-
niversary of this translation should be celebrated as a solemn
festival throughout Ireland.

At the close of the twelfth century (in 1192) Matthew
O'Heney, Archbishop of Cashel and successor of Maurice,^:
was appointed legate apostolic for Ireland by Pope Celestine
III.

The following eulogy of the illustrious O'Heney is recorded

* O0ice of the Translation, printed in Paris, A. D. 1620.— Messingham, Foril^.

t Hence the following distich, forming the response to the 8th lesson of the office :

" Nunc tres in Duno tumulo tumulantur in uno,

Brigida, Patricias, atque Columba pius/'

X Giraldns Cambrensis in a conversation which he had with this Prelate endea-

TOured to lessen the character of the Irish clergy by observing that none of them

had gained the crown of martyrdom ; to which the Archbishop replied : " It is true

that, although our nation may seem uncultivated and rude, yet they were always

323

in the Annals of St. Mary's Abbey, Dublin, A.D. 1206:
'' Matthew, Archbishop of Cashel, L^te of all Ireland, the
wisest and most religious man of the natives of that country,
having founded many churches, and triumphed over the
enemy of mankind by working many miracles, volimtarily
abandoned all worldly pomp and happily went to rest in the
Abbey of Holy Cross."

The civil history of Ireland, at the close of the twelfth
century, is truly awful, but does not, of course, come within
the scope of this analysis. From the unsettled state of the
nation neither discipline or morality had in this age been in
any manner ameliorated, notwithstanding the number of its
synods and the exertions of its eminent men. During the
last thirty years, the Church of Ireland had, moreover, sus-
tained many and serious injuries, particularly in Leinster. —
These, however, had been partly repaired by the labours of
Archbishop Cumin and of his suffragan bishops, while at the
same time many cathedral churches and several monastic in-
stitutions were founded, which for piety and learning had,
in subsequent times, become deservedly celebrated.

wont to pay great reverence to ecclesiaatical men, and not to stretch their hands on
any occasion against the saints of God. But a people are now come into this king-
dom, who know how and are accustomed to make martyra. Henceforth Ireland
shall, like other countries, have martyrs." — ^I'ypographia Dis. 3. chap» xxxii.

CHAPTER IL

Successors of SL Patrick — Episcopal Sees — ReligiauM
Foundations of the Twelfth Century.

Celsub (Ceallach)y as has been already stated, continued
to govern the Archiepiscopal See of Armagh until bis death in
the year 1129. Notwithstanding the many efforts which liad
been made by Celsus, the work of usurpation was now resumed,
while Mauritius, son of the pseudo-archbishop Domnald,
was elected by the monopolizing family and thrust into the
See. After this usurper had enjoyed the temporalities to-
gether with the primatial title for about three years, St^
Malachy was prevailed upon by the legate Gillebert and
other prelates to remove from the See of Connor to that of
Armagh, So formidable, however, had the power of this
faction become that the Saint could not attempt to enter the
city until after the death of the usurper, which took place in
1134.

Malachy was now conducted into the city of Armagh by
the clergy together with many of the neighbouring princes
and a vast concourse of people; all of whom were deter-
mined to put an end to those abuses by which that ancient
See had been so long distracted. In the mean time, a per-
son named Niel, a brother (as it is supposed) of Celsus, bad
been set up by the faction; but this intruder was soon com-
pelled to leave Armagh, and in his flight he took with him
the text of the Gospels which had belonged to St. Patrick
together with the celebrated staff or crosier of that Apostle,
usually called the Staff of Jesus. After St. Malachy had
presided over the See for five years, he resigned and, as has

325

been already noticed^ repaired to Down, having appointed
as his successor*

Gelasius (Gilla-tnac-Liegt)^ Abbot of Deny and Arch-
deacon of that diocess. Geiasius had been present at the
Synod of Kells, and in 1162 he held a Synod at Clane in the
County of Kildare, at which twenty-six bishops and many
abbots attended. In this Synod several decrees relative to
discipline and morals were passed, and among others it was
unanimously ordered, that henceforth no person should be
appointed as professor of theol<^y in any of the schools of
Ireland, unless he had previously studied for some time at
Armagh. Gelasius died on the 27th of March^ A.D. 1174
and in the 87th year of his age.

Cornelius, Abbot of the Monastery of St. Peter and St«
Paul at Armagh, was on the death of Gelasius promoted to
the archiepiscopal chair. This prelate soon after his conse-
cration set out for Rome, in which city he died on the year
following and was succeeded by

Gilbert O'Caran, Bishop of Raphoe; from which See
he had been translated, after the death of Cornelius. Gil-
bert died A.D. 1180 and had as successor Thomas O'Con-
nor. This Prelate, however, after having presided only four
years, vtrithdrew to his favourite retirement and resigned the
See to

McBLiosA O'Carrol, Bishop of Clogher. The incum-
bency of Mceliosa viras but of short continuance. Soon after
his translation he undertook a journey to Rome and died on
his way thither 1184.

Amlavb O'Murid, his successor, governed the See but
one year, and on his death in 1185

Thomas O'Connor, who had resigned the Arcbdiocess to

• A. A. S. S. at 27th March.
<t Gilla-mac-Lieg ; that is, Gilla son of the Scholar ; his father Roderic being dift«
tinguiflhed in those days as a learned antiquarian. The name has been latinized
Gelasius,

326

McBliosa O'Carrol^ now resumed the government of it —
Thomas continued to preside over the Primatial See for six-
teen years and is styled in the Annals of St. Mary's Abbey,
Dublin, ^'a noble and a religious man." He died in 1201 and
was interred in the Abbey of Mellifont.*

In treating of the episcopal sees we shall commence with
that of

LiHBRiCK. Although the Danish inhabitants of this city
had been converted to the Christian faith in the early part of
the eleventh century, nevertheless they enjoyed not the bene-
fit of a resident prelate until the year 1106, about which
time Gillebert vms unanimously chosen by both cle^y and
people.t Gillebert had been Abbot of Bangor and was
most probably a Bishop before the clergy of Limerick had
invited him to that city. It has been conjectured by some
that he was a Dane, because at that time Limerick had been
a Danish town; such, however, is not the fact. That Gille-*
bert was an Irishman and had received his consecration in
Ireland appears evident from the correspondence which had
taken place between him and St. Anslem, with whom he be-
came acquainted in his travels on the C!ontinent. Gillebert,
during his incumbency, exerted himself in bringing the litur-
gical practices of Ireland into one uniform system; for which
purpose he composed a treatise entitled De usu Ecclesiastieo.
In this tract he tells the prelates and priests of Ireland, that
in compliance with the wishes of many of them, he has en-
deavoured to point out the canonical custom in saying the
hours and in performing the offices of the whole ecclesiastical
order. He has also written another tract, under the title
De Statu EcclesuB^ in which he arranges the different gra-

• Ware — Harris' Bishops.

t According to Ware and some other writerB, St. Munchin had been the first
Bishop of Limerick in the seventh century. The advocates of this opinion have
not» however, beea^le to prodnce a single prelate in the See of Limerick, from the
days of that Saint down to the time of Gillebert in 1 106.»See cent. VIL c. ui.

327

dations of bishops, archbisbops, primates and popes, and
the orders of the ostiarii, lectors, exorcists, acolythes, sub-
deacons, deacons and priests, assigning at the same time
their respective powecs and duties.

It has been already noticed that Gillebert was l^ate apos-
tolic, which office he resigned in 1139, and during the fol*
lowing year was succeeded in the See of Limerick by

Patbick. This Prelate, owing to the influence of the
Danes, was sent to England, where he was consecrated by
Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury. Patrick, at his con-
secration, made the following profession: ^' I Patrick, elected
to the government of the Church of Limerick and now,
through the grace of God, to be consecrated bishop by thee>
most reverend Father Theobald, Archbishop of the holy
Church of Canterbury, and Primate of all Britain, do pro-
mise that I will pay due subjection and canonical obedience
in every respect to thee and to all thy successors, who shall
succeed thee canonically."* Patrick was the only Bishop of
Limerick and the last of any of the Irish bishops who bad
made a profession of obedience to the See of Canterbury. —
His three successors, Harold, Turgese and Brictius had been
Danes, but were consecrated in Ireland. At length

Donald O'Briak, descended from the royal family of the
O' Brians of Thomond, became Bishop of Limerick towards
the close of the twelfth century.

DsRav was in this century raised to the rank of ah Epis-
copal See : Flathbbrt O'Brolchan Abbot of the Monas-
tery of Derry having been appointed its first Bishop.f This

• Ware Bishops— Usher, Syl.

t From this foundation of the See of Derry in 1158 a difficulty arises, which
does not appear to have been as yet satisfoctorily explained. It may be recollected
that, in the list of the episcopal sees drawn up in the Synod of Kells, the See of
Derry is marked as one of the suffragan sees belonging to Armagh. Again, in the
Synod of Bath-Breasail, held thirty.four years prior to that of Kells, the See of
Derry is al:io placed in the catalogue of bishoprics; nevertheless, we find in all our

328

election took place in a synod held at Brigh-Thaig in Meath
(in 1158) and at which Gelasius and Christian, then Bishop
of Lismore and legate apostolic, with twenty-five other
bishops were present.* It has been already noticed that St.
Eugene had, in the sixth century, fixed his see at Ardsrath,
in the now County of Tyrone. This See was afterwards
translated to Moghera, eight miles distant; the bishops of
which were styled Episcopi Rathlurienses, from St Luroch,
whose principal church had been greatly venerated in that
ancient place.f The See of Deny, however, having been now
established, this See of Rathlure was soon after annexed to
it. In 1164 Flathbert with the assistance of Mac-Laughlin,
King of Ireland, founded the Cathedral Church of Derry. —
He died in 1175 and was succeeded by Maurice O'CofFy, a

• Tr. Th. p. 309. f Ware Bisbopt.

aontU the foundatioa of the See of Derry aasig^ned to the Synod of Brigh-Thaig io
1 158. If Derry had oot been a See until 1 158, why was it marked in the list of sees
at KelU in 1152, or in that of Rath-Breasail in 1118? Dr. Lanigan is of opinion,
that Cencius Camerariiis (Ilonoiius III, from whom JKeating^ Ware and others
have taken their list) must have made a mistake in the catalogue of the episcopal
sees which he drew up in his work entitled Censtis CameraUs (chap, xxvii. N. 106).
But how is it probable that this mistake could occur, not only with respect to the
list furnished by the Synod of Kells, but likewise with that which had been drawn
up at the Synod of Rath-Breasail ? It is moreover certain, that Cardinal Paparo
had, on his return to Rome, brought with him a catalogue of the episcopal sees of
Ireland, as determined upon at the Synod of Kells ; and it is equally certain, that
Cencitts Camerarius had access to that authentic, genuine document. The proba-
bility is, that in these Synods of Rath-Breasail and Kells, and particularly in the
latter, it had been agreed upon, to raise Derry to the rank of an Espiscopal See,
altogether distinct and independent of the ancient bishopric of Lathlure (or Ards-
rath), the prelates of which had jurisdiction over the district of Derry and consider-
able influence with the princes of the north of Ireland. Maurice O'CofTy, who
was Bishop of Rathlure (or as it had been also called Kmel-Eogain) at the time of
the Council of Kells, was a Prelate greatly esteemed as well by the same dynasts
as by the clergy of that extensive district. Owing, therefore, to the influence of
these prelates and perhaps to some unavoidable local circumstances, the actual con-
secration of a bishop for Derry might have been postponed until 1 158. Hence we
And that after the resignation of Flathbert, first Bishop of Derry, the See of Rath-
lure was annexed tl^ereto, and the same Maurice O'Coflfy, having removed to
Derry, became in fact the regular and sole Bishop of the union.

3-29

Canon of the order of St. Augustine and heretofore Bishop
of Rathlure-*

The See of Aghadoe in Kerry appears to have been
united to* that of Ardfert about the year USS.f The history
of this See has not been satisfactorily accounted for by any
of our annalists. It is generally supposed to have taken its
rise from the Monastery of Innisfallen. This opinion is ap-
parently confirmed by the fact, that its cathedral had been
dedicated to St. Finian^ from which Saint that Monastery
derived its foundation. In 1158 the gveat church of Agha-
doe was completed by Aulifie-mor^ son of Aengus O'Do-
noughue and Prince of that territory. It appears that the
diocess of Ajdiert comprized the northern part of Kerry,
wJnJe the southern part belonged to that oi* Aghadoe.§

Before the close of the twelfth century, several of the
ni^inor sees had been discontinued and became united to
others. The ancient See of Roscrea was united to that of
Killaloe in 1195; and about the same time the See of Innis-
«atthy became united to that of Limerick, while its posses-
sions were divided between the Sees of Limerick, Killaloe
and Ardfert.|( The Sees of Ardcam, Dumclive, ]^nd Ros-
common were annexed to Elphin. The diocess of Cong be-
came united ito Tuam; while the ancient Sees of Kells, Slane,
Duleek, Ardbraccan, Trim, Skrme, Fore and I)unshaugh-
lin were aU merged in and united to Meath.

Dublin. — On the death of Samuel O'Haipgly in 1121,
Celsus, who was then Archbishop of Armagh, had by the
consent of many of the Irish and Danes of Dublin been
appointed their Bishop.^ This step was taken for the pur-
pose of bringing that See under, the jurisdiction of the Pri-
mate of Ireland, and of putting an end to the authority of

• Ware's Bishops. t Harris* Bbhops. % Smith, Hist, of Kerry, p. 67,

$ Harris' Bishop^?. || Rochfort's Constitutions (up Wilkin's Concilia vol. I.)

f Four Masters,

330

the See of Canterbury. It is probable, however, that Cel-
SQ8 did not undertake the government of the Diocess of
Dublin; for it appears that a great majority of the burgesses
and clergy of the city opposed this appointment and elected
Gbbooht, who was not as yet a deacon, for their Bishop.*
In this election the Danish inhabitants bad been assisted by
Turlogh O'Conor, King of Connaught, to whom Dublin was
at that time subject. According to custom Gr^ry was sent
by the Danish electors to Canterbury, on which occasion he
was furnished with a letter from Turlogh O'Connor to Henry
I, King of England. Gregory, on his arrival, was ordained
Deacon and Priest by Roger, Bishop of Salisbury, and
shortly after was consecrated Bishop by Ralph, Archbishop
of Canterbury. The consecration took place at Lambeth on
the 2nd of October, 1121, at which he made the following
profession of obedience: ''I Gregory, elected to the govern-
ment of the Church of Dublin, which is situated in Ireland,
and to be consecrated by thee. Reverend Father Ralph, Arch-
bishop of the holy Church of Canterbury and Primate of all
Britain, do promise that I will observe, in every respect,
canonical obedience to thee and all thy successors."t Gre-
gory had governed the See for thirty*one years when he re-
ceived the pallium from Cardinal Paparo in the Synod of
Kells, and thus became the first Archbishop of Dublin. —
His death occurred in 1161, in which year be was succeeded
by the holy Abbot of Glendaloch.

Laubevcb OToole. — ^The name of this distinguished Prel-
ate has been here inserted, in order to notice the r^ular
chain of succession, while the history of his administration
as Abbot of Glendaloch and afterwards as Archbishop of
Dublin shall be reserved for the third chapter.

John Cuhin (or Comin), the successor of St. Laurence
OToole, arrived in Dublin on the 8th of September, A.D.

• Tr. Th. p. 309. f Ww, Biahops,

831

1184. This Prelate, after having been consecrated by Lucius
III, obtained from that Pope a Bull dated 13th April, A.D.
1182, by which the Pope decfrees, ^'That no archbishop or
bishop do presume to hold meetings in the Diocess of Dub^-
lin, or to treat of the ecclesiastical causes and affairs of said
diocess, without the consent of the Archbishop of Dublin,
if he (the Archbishop of Dublin) be actually in his bishopric
or see, unless such other prelate be enjoined so to do by the
Roman Pontiffor his legate."* From this Bull of Lucius
III, or rather from the more ample one of Honorius III, in
the thirteenth century, arose the famous controversy regard-
ing the primatial rights which had so long subsisted between
the Sees of Armagh and Dublin. The manifest object of
this Bull was to exempt the See of Dublin from the exercise
of that extensive and in fact arbitrary power which the arch-
bishops of Armagh had, by ancient immemorial usage,
claimed and enjoyed. It appears that, in those former
times when the Primate of Armagh had been the only Arch-
bishop in Ireland, he made a visitation of each diocess of the
kingdom whenever he thought proper, and took into his own
hands the uncontrolled management of their internal concerns;
in short, he enjoyed a more ample plenitude of power and
jurisdiction than the canon law of the twelfth century had
allowed to any primate. This Bull, therefore, protects the
See of Dublin from the extensive jurisdiction of Armagh,
but by no means renders it independent of that See; nor
does it encroach on the primatial privileges established in the
Synod of Kells, and particularly in the case of appeals made
to and to be decided by the^Primate in his ordinary eccle*
siastical court at Armagh.

* The following are the words of the original: "Sacroram quoque canonam
authoritatem sequentes stataimus, at nullos archiepiscopus vel episcopus absque
assensu Dubliniensis archiepiscopi, «t tit episcopatu futrit, in dioeceti Dubliniensi
coaventus oelebrare, cauaas et ecclesiastica negotia ejusdem dioecesis, nisi per
Komanum Pontiiicem vel legatum ejus fueriteideminjunctum, tractare prassamat/'

332

The obvious meaning, therefore, of the Bull of Lucius III
ts, that while there is an archbishop of Dublin actually pre-^
siding over that diocess, no other prelate, not even the Pri-
mate, shall attempt to hold meetings or discuss its affairs
within the Diocess of Dublin except the Pope or his l^ate
shall authorize him so to do ; nevertheless it by no means
follows that such appeals may not be received and juridically
decided by the Archbishop of Armagh or Primate in his owtf
ecclesiastical court. It does not appear, however, that any
of the primates of the twelfth century had remonstrated
against this limitation of their prerogatives; the controversy
on that subject, being of a much later date, emanated from
the more ample exemptions contained in the Bull of Hono-
rius III *

Archbishop Cumin, in 1190, commenced the foundation of
the Church of St. Patrick in Dublin, on the site of the old
parochial church situated at the extremity of the south
suburbs of the city. It' had at that time been constituted a
collegiate church with thirteen prebends annexed to it, which
number was afterwards increased to twenty-two. The charter
of the Archbishop is in these words: "We decree, God wil-
ling, with the approbation of the holy See of Rome and our
Prince John, Earl of Morton, to make St. Patrick's
Church in Dublin a pebendary aiid to institute therein a
college of clerks, of good life and learning, who by their
virtues and conversation may give example to others/'f This
stately edifice was erected into a cathedral during the in-
cumbency of his successor Henry de Loundres.

The fashion of building churches of stone having now be-
come very general in Ireland, several cathedrals date their
foundation from this century* Among these the following
may be briefly noticed:

The Cathedral of St. Patrick in Down had been re-
built 1 137 by St. Malachy, and about forty years afterwards

• Sec Cent. XIII. chap. I. f Ware's Annalb.

333

Was enlarged and beautified by Malachy III, Bishop of
Down, in which work he was munificently assisted by John
De Courcey. In 1183, De Courcey removed the Secular
Canons from the Cathedral and in their place introduced
Benedictine monks, whom he brought from the Abbey of St.
Werburg, in Chester. At that time also, this Church, which
had been before consecrated to the Holy Trinity, was now
dedicated to St. Patrick.

The Cathedral of St. Mary in Tuam was founded
about the year 1152 by Edan O'Hoisin, first Archbishop of
Tuam and Tirdelvac O'Connor, King of Ireland.* Edan was
interred in this Cathedral in 1161 and on his tomb was an
Irish epitaph, in which he is called ^'Comorban, or successor
of St. larlath.'^ Many of his successors had been benefectors
to this Church and particularly Thomas O'Conor, in 1260,
by whom a new choir was erected and the Church was con-
siderably enlarged.

The Cathedral of St. Columba in Derry, called in the
Ulster Annals, the great Church of Derry, was founded in
1164 by Maurice Mac-Laughlin, King of Ireland.f About
that time Maurice O'Cofly, Bishop of Ardstrath, removed to
Derry and afterwards effected a union of both Sees. Flath-
bert O'Brolcan, Bishop of Derry and Abbot of St. Columba
had been a particular benefactor to this Church.

The Cathedral of St. Patrick in Cashel was erected
and endowed by Donald O'Brian, King of North Munster,
about the year 1170. This munificent Prince bestowed large
revenues on the See of Cashel, which were afterwards aug-
mented by the donations of his son Donagh. This spacious,
and splendid Cathedral having been completed, the former
Church of Cormac was converted into a Chapter-house, on
the south side of the choir. Richard O'Heden, Archbishop of
Cashel in 1420, was a munificent benefactor to this Church;

• Ware's Antiq. c. 29. t W.

334

in that year he repaired and beautified the Cathedral, and
erected a hall for the Vicars choral, to whom he made over
the lands of Orange-Connel and Tburles-beg.*

Thx Cathbdral of St. Mary in Liheriok was founded
by Donald O'Brian, King of North Munster, about the year
1170. During the incumbency of Brictius, in 1194, the fol-
lowing charter was granted by the founder. ^'Domnald,
King of Lumneach (Limerick) to all the faithful of God, both
present and to come, greetmg. Know all, that I hare giren
to Brictius, Bishop of Lumrueack^ and to his successors and
to the clei^ of St. Mary's of XtciNfteaci, in free and perpe-
tual alms, the land of Imungran (Mungret) and the land of
Ivamnacham, from the Arch of Imungram to the land of
Imalin, and from the ford of Ceinu to the river iStnan, with
all its appurtenances; and in confirmation hereof I set my
seal, witness Matthew (O'Heney) Archbishop of Cashel and
Ruadri 0'Gradei."t About the close of the twelfth century,
Donagh O'Brian, Bishop of Limerick, appointed Prebends
to the Dean and Chapter, while their number was afterwards
increased by Hubert De Burgo, Bishop of that See in 1250*

The Cathbdral of St. Canice in Kilkenny, This
episcopal See, which had first been at Saigar in Ely O'Carol,
(King's County) was removed to Aghaboe in Upper Ossory
about the middle of the eleventh century, and from thence
was, in 1178, translated to Kilkenny by Felix O'DuUany,
then Bishop of Ossory .f At this period, also, the spacious

♦ Ware*» Antiq. c 29. t Id.

X In aasigning the above date for the translation of this See to Kilkenny the chr«-
Dology of Ware has been followed — Usher, however, refers to a catalogue of bishops
•f Ossory, (Pr. p. 957.) from which a contrary statement appears j the words of this
catalogue are :— " A. D, MCCII. obiit Reverendus Pater Felix O'Dulane Episco-
pus Ossoriensis, cujus Ecciesia Cathedralis tuno trat apud Aghboo in 5uptrt0rt Ot"
soria" Should this document be correct, it would follow that the translation of the
See had not taken place until after the death of Felix O'Dulany ; unless perhaps
that this Prelate might have continued to reside occasionally at Aghaboe, the build-
ing of the Cathedral at Kilkenny not having been at that time completed.

336

and beautiful Cathedral of Kilkenny was founded by that
Prelate and dedicated to the holy Abbot St. Canice.* This
venerable pile, having braved the storms and unsparing fury
of angry times, stands in the nineteenth century an existing
monument of the architectural skill, but much more of the
piety and 2eal of our happy and religious forefathers. The
Cathedral, which is purely gothic, was not, however, finished
until the time of Bishop St. Leger in 1286, and about thirty
years afterwards Richard Ledred, of the order of St. Francis
and Bishop of Ossory, repaired and beautified the interior of
the Church with polished marble and windows of curi&us
workmanship. But that, which renders this Cathedral par-
ticularly admired and not to be equalled by any thing of this
sort in the kingdom, is its grand and lovely situation. It
stands on an eminence of easy and gentle ascent, having its
base washed by the waters of the winding Nore. The ancient
and historically-iamed City of Kilkenny, with its abbies,
towers and castles in ruins, the pride of former days, is dis-
tinctly presented to the view, while the commanding prospect
of the surrounding country, rich and luxuriant as it is, serves
at once to embellish and complete the scene. At a short dis-
tance from the Church, stands one of those round towers, for
which Ireland is remarkable, and which have given rise to so
much discussion among our antiquarians.f

From the twelfth century may likewise be dated the foun-
dation of several splendid monasteries, belonging either to
the Cistercians or to the Canons Regular of St. Augustin.
The former of these monastic communities had been intro-
duced into Ireland by St. Malachy, and the latter either by
that Saint or by Imar his master at Armagh. The Canons
Regular of St Augustin, having united the active with the
contemplative life, approached nearer than any other order to
the ancient monastic institutions of Ireland,^: and hence this

• Ware's Antiq. t See Cent. vi. c. 2. t See Cent. v. p. 29,

336

invaluable body spread most extensively throughout the
kingdom. The following monastic foundations of the twelfth
century may serve to give us some idea of the religious spirit
of those times.

PRIORIBS OF THE CANONS REGULAR OF ST. AUGUSTIN.

The Priort of Sts. Peter and Paul at Armagh was
re-founded by Imar the saintly and learned master of St.
Malachy.* Some authorities, however, ascribe its original
foundation to Imar, and consider it as an institution al-
together distinct from the ancient monastery which had con-
tinued to flourish here since the days of St. Patrick. What-
ever variety of opinion may arise on the subject of its foun-
dation, it is at all events certain that its church having been
erected by Imar was consecrated in 1126, and that it had
been the first establishment in this country into which that
religious community, designated Canons Regular of SL
Avgtistin, had been introduced. In process of time it be-
came amazingly enriched, and among other tokens of patron-
age, it received from the Monarch Roderic O'Conor an an-
nual pension for the purpose of having a public school at-
tached to it. Notwithstanding the furious attacks which on
sundry occasions it had sustained from De Courcey, Fitz-
Adelm, De Lacy and other adventurers, this venerable Priory
was upheld until the era of general confiscation had been
ushered in under Henry VIII. Its possessions, which were
immense and of which a brief outline has been already
given,t were subjected to three formal inquisitions; the first
in 1539 under Henry, the second in 1667 under Elizabeth
and the third under James I in 1603.{ In May 1612, this
Priory and its possessions were granted to Sir Toby Caulfield
at a rent of five pounds Irish.§

• Ware's Antiq. c. XXVI. t See Cent. V. c. II. p. 49. J King, p. 233,333.
§ Lodge, V.III.p. 86,

337

Thb Priory ov Selsker at Wexford, under the invoca- ^'
ti6n of Sts. Peter and Paul, had, according to the most ap-
proved opinion, been founded by the Danes in the early part
of the twelfth century, for Canons Regular of St. Augustin ;
while the Roches (de Rupe) a noble and an influential family,
have been numbered among its most munificent benefactors.*
In subsequent times it had been peculiarly patronized and
especially by Henry IV and by Sir John Talbot, afterwards
Lord Talbot of Fumeval and Wexford. The Prior of Sels-
ker sat as a baron in parliament. The first inquisition taken
in the 31st year of the reign of Henry the VIII found in the
possession of the last prior, John Heygarne, four orchards,
two parks, fifteen messuages with their gardens and the
rectories of St. Patrick, Sts. Peter and Paul and St. Tullogh
in the town of Wexford : two hundred and sixty acres of land
and eighteen capons, together with the rectories of Kilma-
chree, Killane, St. Margaret, Ballynane, Slaney, Killuske
and various others in the County of Wexford. In the first
year of Edward VI, this Priory and the greater part of its
possessions were granted to John Parker, in capite, at the
annual rent of fifteen shillings.+

The Priory of Knock, in the County of Louth, was
founded by Donogh O'Carrol, Prince of Oriel and Edan
O'Kelly, Bishop of Clogher, in 1148, for Canons Regular of
St. Augustin. J Property to a considerable amount had been
bequeathed to this Priory by the founders and by other Irish
benefactors; nevertheless in 1417 the Prior, James Lockard,
was punished by a fine, for having allowed John Mac Ken-
navan, a mere Irishman, to make his profession in this estab-
lishment ;§ an event which, with many others of a similar
import, may enable us to fonn some idea of the anti-national
spirit of those times. An inquisition was instituted in the
31st of Henry VIII, when the possessions were X

• Ware's Mon. t Aud. Gen. t Ware's Mon.

338

consist of one hundred and twenty acres of arable land in
Knock and three hundred and fifty acres in other parts of
the County. These with the tithes of Grange, Castlering
and other townlands were conferred by James I on Sir John
King.*

Thb Priory of Fbrns was founded in the year 116L-—
The ancient Abbey of FemSi after having flourished for more
than five centuries from the date of its erection by St. Aidan,
was set on fire together with the town of Ferns by Dermod
Mac Morogh.t That Prince, desirous of making some pub-
lic atonement for his glaring acts of profanation, caused the
Abbey to be re-built for Canons Regular of St. Augustin
and endowed it with six extensive townlands. Dermod,
after having lived to an advanced age, died in 1171 and was
buried in this Priory. From the munificent grants which
had, at subsequent periods, been conferred on this founda-
tion, it became an invaluable asylum for the poor and conr
tinued its works of charity until the 31st of Henry VIII. In
that year the following lands, parcel of its possessions, be-
came merged in the general confiscation: one hundred and
twenty acres in the town, called Abbot's-garden, one hundred
and twenty acres in Moghane, one hundred and twenty-six
acres in Ballimore, two hundred and twenty acres in Bally-
ntogher and other places, together with the tithes and alter-
ages of the same. In the 26th of Elizabeth, a lease of this
Priory was given to Thomas Masterson at the annual rent of
£16 Is. 2d.J

Thb Priory of All Saints, on Hoggin Green now called
College Green, in Dublin, was founded in 1166 by Dermod
Mac Morogh for Canons Regular of the Congregation of
Aroasia.§ This Priory had been richly endowed by the
founder and by Theobald Butler, Lord Justice of Ireland in
1247. Its priors were lords of Parliament, the last of whom

• King. p. 264. t A. A. S. S. p. 223. $ Aud. Geo. § Harris' Collect.

339

was Walter Handcock. In 1638, a grant of this Priory and
of its possessions, consisting of one thousand seven hundred
acres of arable and pasture land, three hundred acres of
wood and moor with their appurtenances in Rathdrum and
Ballynegannagh, and the rectories of St. Paul| Tachto,
Rathdrum and St. Saviour at Glendaloch, was made to the
City of Dublin, at the annual rent of £4 48.* The Priory of
All Saints was granted in 1590 for an University, and ac-
cordingly the ancient building having been demolished, the
present College was erected on the site thereof.f

The Phiory op St. Thomas (Bbcret) was erected by
William Fitz^Adelm for Canons Regular of the Order of St.
Victor, on the site now called Thomas Court in Dublin,
about the year 1177. This Abbey became m after times
splendidly endowed, the Prior of which was a Lord of Parlia-
ment In 1534, the last Prior, Henry Duffe, made* a sur-
render of the establishment and received an annual pension
of £42. By the second scrutiny instituted in the 31st of
Henry Vill, the Prior was seized of the manor and two
hundred acres of arable land in Kyll, three hundred and
twenty acres m Artherstown and Alliston together with the
tithes of eight townlands, all situated in the County of Kil-
dare. The possessions of this Priory were granted to several
persons and particularly to William Brabazon, ancestor to
the Eari of Meath.j:

The Priort of Kells, in the Barony of Kells and
County of Kilkenny, was founded, under the invocation of
the blessed Virgin Mary, by GeofTry Fitz-Robert, for Canons
Regular of St. Augustin in 1193. This foundation was con-
firmed by Felix O'DuUany, Bishop of Ossory and by various
charters during the reigns of Richard II, Henry IV and
other monarchs.§ The Prior of Kells sat as a Baron in
Parliament. Its last Prior was Philip Holegan, under

* Aud. Gen. t Ware*8 Annals. t Lodge, vol. I. f Dugdale, vol. II.

340

whom, in the 31st of Henry VIII, its possessions had been
surrendered: viz., forty^five messuages and two hundred and
ten acres of arable land in Kells, together with thirty-three
messuages, three water mills and eleven hundred acres of
wood and arable land in Desert, Grange and other parts of
the County of Kilkenny, and the rectories of Kells, Knoc-
topher, Kilmaganey, Bumchurch and twelve others, all sit-*
uated in said county. This Priory and six carucates of land
with the rectory of Kells were granted, in capite, to James,
Earl of Ormond.*

The Priory of Sts. Peter and Paul in Clare, was
erected for Canons Regular by Donald O'Brian. In 1620,
this Priory with nine rectories was granted to Donogh, Earl
of Thomond.t

The Priory op Kilrush, in the County of Kildare, was
founded at the close of the 12th century, for Canons Regu-
lar, by William, Earl of Pembroke. At the suppression it
was granted to the Earl of Ormond.;}:

TnE Priory of Naas, was founded about the same period
by a Baron of Naas, for Canons Regular. This Priory with
its possessions was granted by Elizabeth to Richard Manner-

The Priory of Inisnegananagh, in the Shannon, near
Thomond, had for its founder Donald O'Brian, at the close
of the 12th century. In 1609 a grant of it was made to
Donogh, Earl of Thomond. ||

The Priory of St. Mary in Navan, County of Meath,
was founded for Canons Regular by Joceline de Angulo or
Nangle. This Priory and three hundred and sixty acres of
land were granted at an annual rent to Robert Dillon.^^

The Priory of Colpe, in the County of Meath, had
Hugh De Lacy for its founder. Its property, which consisted

• Aud. Gen. t Rolls. t Aud. Gen. $ Harris' Collect.

11 RolU. f Aud.Geu.

341

mostly of tithes in various couuties, became merged in the
general confiscation.

The Priory op Ballybogan (De Laude Dei) County of
Meathy was founded for Canons Regular by Jordan Comin
at the close of the 12th century. This establishment was
surrendered in the 19th of Henry VIII, when its possessions
were found to consist of five thousand two hundred acres of
arable and pasture land in various counties. The Priory
with various parcels of its possessions was granted to Sir
William Birmingham at an annual rent of £4 3s. 4d.'*^

If to these may be added a considerable number of the
ancient monastic foundations of the kingdom, which about
this period had adopted the rule of the Canons Regular of
St. Augustin, it may be seen to what an extent this learned
body had diffused itself over Ireland, before even the com-
mencement of the thirteenth century.

ABBIES OF THE CISTERCIAN ORDER FOUNDED IN THE
TWELFTH CENTURY.

The Abbey of Mellifont, in the Barony of Ferrard and
County of Louth, was founded for Cistercian monks in 1142
by Donogh O'Carrol, King of Oriel, and was supplied with
monks by St. Bernard from the Abbey of Clairvaux.f Mel-
lifont was the most ancient monastery of the Cistercian
Order in Ireland, having for its first Abbot Christian O'Con-
archy, afterwards Bishop of Lismore and legate apostolic. —
In 1167 a Synod was held here for the purpose of consecrat-
ing the church, and at which, besides the legate, several
princes and bishops of the kingdom attended.^: Among
other offerings made on this occasion was one from the cele-
brated Dervorgill, wife of O'Rouarc, Prince of Breffny. —
She gave sixty ounces of Gold, with a chalice of the same

* And. GcR. t Clynn. AnDaU. t Four Masten.

342

metal for the high altar, and presented furniture for nuie
other altars. The abbots of Mellifont sat as barons in Par*
liament; the last of whom, Richard Gonter, received on its
suppression in 1640, an annual pension of £40 for life. —
According to the last inquisition, the possessions consisted
of one hundred acres, being the demense land, five water
mills, eight messuages and two hundred and fifty-fire acnes
of land in the Sheep-Orange, together with seventy-two
messuages and two thousand acres in the county of Louth.
The property in the County of Meath amounted to one
hundred and eighty-one messuages and two thousand five
hundred and ninety-six acres of arable and pasture land, be-
sides the tithes of various rectories in both counties. These
extensive possessions belonging to the Abbey were granted
to Sir Gerald Moore *

The Abbey of St. Mary in Dublin was erected by the
Danes, but the date of its foundation has not been accurately
ascertained. Some annalists mark it at the year 948, yet
this statement cannot be consistently admitted. It was cer«
tainly in existence in the Ilth century and it is equally un-
deniable that the Cistercians had been introduced here in the
year llSQ.f The Abbot of St. Mary's sat as a Baron in
Parliament, while the establishment, faom the bequests of
princes, prelates and others, became exceedingly rich. —
William Laundy, the last Abbot, received in 1540 an annual
pension of £50, at which period one thousand nine hundred
and forty-eight acres, parcel of its property situated in the
Counties of Dublin and Meath, had been confiscated. A
considerable part of the possessions had been consigned to
Maurice, Earl of Thomond and to James, Earl of Desmond.
In 1543, the Abbey was granted to James, Earl of Kildare,
but on condition that he and his heirs would forfeit it, should
they attempt at any time to confederate with the Irish.j; —

* Harris' tab. t Annal ejusdcm Mon. ^ Lodge, vol. I.

343

This Abbey was^ howevery in the 24th year of Elizabeth,
presented to Thomas, Earl of Ormond, in common soccage,
at the annual rent of five shillings, Irish money.

Thb Abbey of Bectiff, in the Barony of Navan and
County of Meath, was erected in 1146 by 'Mac Laughlin,
King of Meath, for Cistercians. The Abbot of Bectiff was
a Lord of Parliament. In the 34th of Henry VIII, the pos-
sessions, amounting to twenty messuages and one thousand
two hundred acres of arable and pasture land in the County
of Meath, became involved in the common confiscation.*

The Abbey op Baltinglass (de Valle Salutis) in the
Barony of Talbotstown, County of Wicklow, was founded
in 1151 for Cistercian monks, by Dermod Mac Morogh,
King of Leinster.f In the year 1380 it was enacted in Par-
liament, ''that no mere Irishman should be allowed to make
his profession here." The Abbot of Baltinglass sat as a
Baron in Parliament. Its last Abbot was John Galbally in
1536. By an inquisition taken in the 33rd of Henry VIII
the possessions were, forty acres of pasture, one hundred of
wood, a mill and water course in Baltinglass, together with
thirty messuages and seven hundred and twenty acres of
arable and pasture land in various parts of the Counties of
Wicklow and Kildare. This Abbey and its possessions were
granted to Thomas Eustace, Viscount Baltinglass; and by
the 30th of Elizabeth a second grant was made to Sir Henry
Harrington to hold in capite for ever, at the annual rent of
£11 19s. Irish money. j;

The Abbey of Nbnay, in the Barony of Poble O'Brian
and County of Limerick, was founded by Donald O'Brian
for Cistercians, A.D. 1151. The Abbot was a Baron of Par-
liament. At the suppression this Abbey, with nine townlands,
parcel of the possessions, was given to Sir Henry Wallop.^

The Abbey of Odorney (called Kyrie Eleison), in the

• Chief Remem. t Ware's Anliq. t Aud. Gen, $ Id,

344

Barony of Clanmaurice and County of Kerry, was founded
for Cistercians in 1157. The Abbot was a Baron of Parlia-
ment. In 1537 a grant was made of this Abbey to Edmund,
Lord Kerry, then created Baron of Odorney. By the 39th
of Elizabeth a parcel of the possessions was granted to the
Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin.*

The Abbey of Newry (De Viridi Ligno), in the County
of Down, was erected in 1156 for Cistercians by Murtogh
Mac Laughlin, King of Ireland. Edward III seized on the
lands of this Abbey, alledging "that the community had
been mere Irish."f The last Abbot was John Prole. This
Abbey was granted by Edward VI to Sir Nicholas Bagnal.J

The Abbey of Fermoy (De Castro Dei), County of Cork,
dates its foundation from the year 1170. In the 33rd of
Elizabeth this Cistercian Abbey with eighteen townlands on
the south-side of the Blackwater was granted to Sir Richard
Grenville, at a rent of £15 18s. 4d.§

The Abbey op Boyle, in the County of Roscommon. —
The Cistercians of Grelacdinach removed here in 1171. —
Tomultach Mac Dermot was its last Abbot. By the inqui-
sition under Elizabeth, its possessions amounted to two
thousand three hundred and fifty acres in various counties.
Elizabeth made a grant of this Abbey and of its possessions
to Patrick Cusack, In 1G03 a second grant of this Abbey
was made to Sir John King.||

The Abbey of Maur (De Fonte Vivo), at Carigiliky in
the West Carbery, County of Cork, was founded by Der-
mod Mac-Cormac-Mac-Carthy, King of Desmond, for Cis-
tercians, in 1172. This Abbey and fourteen townlands with
several rectories were granted in the 30th of Elizabeth to
Nicholas Walsh, at the annual rent of £28 6s. 6d.f

The Abbey of St. Mary, Monaster-evan (De Rosea

• Chief Remem. t King, p. 135. t Aud, Gen. § Id. || Lodg«, vol. IV.
If Aud. Gen.

345

Valle), in the County of Kildare, was founded for Cistercians
by Dermod O'Dempeey^ Prince of Ophaly, in the year 1178.
In 1297 the Abbot was accused of having received many of
the Irish into this Monastery; he was acquitted by the jury,
but was fined half a marc^ because, as the court stated, ^'he
did not raise the hue and cry against them." The Abbot of
Monasterevan sat as a Baron in Parliament. At the time of
the general suppression, this Abbey was granted to George,
Lord Audley. It was afterwards assigned to Adam Loflus,
Viscount Ely, and finally fell into the possession of the Earl
of Drogheda.*

TflE Abbey of Ashro (De Samario), near Ballyshannon,
County of Donegal, was founded by Roderic O'Canavan,
Prince of Tir-connel, for Cistercians in 1179. In the 31st
of Elizabeth, the possessions amounting to fifly-three quar-
ters of land and the tithes of eleven townlands became
merged in the general confiscation.t

Thb Abbey of Jerpoint, in the Barony of Knoctopher and
County of Kilkenny, was founded for Cistercians in 1180,
by Donald, Prince of Ossory. The founder and Felix
O'DulIany, Bishop of Ossory, were interred in this Abbey.
Although this extensive foundation had been splendidly en-
dowed by Donald and other chieftains of Ossory, it had not,
however, been exempted from the illiberal enactments of the
14th century. In 1380 i{ was ordained by Parliament that
''no mere Irishman should be permitted to make his profes-
sion in this Abbey." The abbots of Jerpoint were lords of
Parliament, the last of whom was Oliver Grace. By an in-
quisition taken in the 31st of Henry VIII, the possessions
consisted of fifteen messuages and two hundred and twenty-
four acres of arable and pasture land in Jerpoint; together
with four water mills, forty-three messuages wd one thousand
three hundred and twenty acres of land in various parts of

•Kin^. p.377. t Id. p. 403.

346

the county: also the rectories of Jerpoint, the Rowre, Biancb-
^rstown and foarteen others, all situated in the County of
Kilkenny. These possessions were granted to James, £arl
of Ormond, to hold in capite, at the annual rent of
£49 38. 9d.»

The Abbey of Middlbtom (De Choro), in the Barony of
Imokilly and County of Cork, dates its foundation from the
year 1160. In the 16th century, this Cistercian Abbey be-
came numbered among the ruins of the country.

Black Abbbt, of St. Andrew de Stokes, in the Ardes,
County of Down, had for its founder John De Courccy, in
1 180. It was a Benedictine Monastery and was granted to-
gether with various townslands by James I, to Viscount
Clandeboys.f

Tns Abbby o^ Iniscourcby, situated in a peninsula in
the County of Down, was erected for Cistercians by John
De Courcey in 1180, immediately after that adventurer had
demolished the ancient Abbey of Carrig. By the enactments
of 1380, ''no mere Irishman had been allowed to make his
profession in this Abbey/' In the 16th century it was given
with deven carucates of land to Gerald, Earl of Kikiarcj:

The Abbby of Holy Cross, in the Barony of Eliogurty
and County of Tipperary, was founded in 1182 by Donald
O'Drian, King of North Munster, in honour of the Holy
Cross, for monks of the Cistercian Order. Its Abbot was
styled Earl of Holy Cross: he was a Lord of Parliament
and Vicar General of the Cistercians in Ireland. The last
Abbot Was AVilIiam O'Dwyre. In the Sth of Elizabeth the
Abbey and two hundred and twenty aeres of land in Holy
Cross, twenty acres in Thurles and one hundred and eighty
acres in other places, parcel of its possessions, were granted
to Gerald, Earl of Ormond.§ The architecture of this
Abbey was uncommonly splendid. The very ruins, which

* Aud. Gen. f Harris' tab. f Aud.Gen, $Id.

347

to this day occupy a conBiderable space, may serve to point
out (he former greatness of this once celebrated establish-
ment Its steeple, supported by an immense Gothic arch
with a display of Ogires springing diagonally from the
angles, has been greatly admired. The choir is forty^nine
feet brdad and fifty-eight feet long with lateral aisles. On
the south-side of the choir are two chapels, intersected by a
double row of Gothic arches; and on the north^side are two
other chapels, finished in the same style as the former* The
river Sttir flows near the base of these eictensive and awfully
magnificent ruins.

Thb Abbbt of Dunbroby (Portus Saacttt Mari^B), in the
Barony of Shelbume and County of Wexfcnrd, was founded
in 1182. Hervey de Monte Morisco, Seneschal of the es*
tates belonging to Strongbow, made a considerable grant of
lands to St. Mary and to St. Benedict, an4 to the monks of
Bildewas in Shropshire, for the purpose of erecting an abbey
here for Cistercians; Felix 0*Dullany, Bishop of Ossory,
being one of the witnesses of the charter* Hervey^ the
founder of this Abbey, became soon after a monk in the
Monastery of the Holy Trinity, io Canterbury. In 1380^ it
was enacted ''that no mere Irishman be suffered to profess in
this Abbey." The Abbot of Dunbrody sat as a Baron in
Parliament Alexander Devereux, the last Abbot, sur-
rendered the establishment in 1639, after having first pro-
vided for his relations by the sacrilegious plunder of its posses-
sions.* By an inquisition taken in the 37tb of Henry VIII
this Abbey was found to possess sixty acres of pasture and
an extensive grange in Dunbrody, one hundred and twenty
acres in Battlestown, eighty acres in Duncannon, sixty acres
in Clonard and eleven hundred and thirty acres of arable and
pasture land in various parts of ilie County of Wexford ; be-
sides immense possessions in Connaught and in the Counties

* Sec Cent. XVI. chap. I.

348

of Limerick and Waierford. In 1546 these possesskmi were
granted to Osborne Itchingham at the annual rent of £3 lOs*
6d.; while in the 20th of Elizabeth, the lands and rectories
belonging to this Abbey in the County of Limerick were
conceded to Robert Callan.*

The ruins of the Abbey of Donbrody, rising in awfiil
grandeur just at the conflux of the rivers Suir and Barrow,
present a truly picturesque and magnificent appearance. —
These ruins, including the cloister and church, are perhaps
the most complete and at the same time the most extensive of
any in the kingdom. At the west-end stood the porch
adorned with filigree open-work cut in stone, while the im-
mense Oothic window, which rises above it, displays an
amazing specimen of curious and splendid architecture. The
chancel and the walls of the church are entire; within it are
three chapels, vaulted and groined; while the aisles are sepa-^
rated from the nave by a double row of arches, witii a mould-
ing which reclines on beautiful consoles. The tower also is
complete, and the arch on which it rests is, for its curious
and expansive curviture, universally admired.

The Abbey of Leix, in the Barony of Cullinagh, Queen's
CJounty, was founded for Cistercians in 1183 by Cnoghor
O'More. By an inquisition taken under Edward VI, the
property consisted of three hundred acres of land in the
town of Abbeyleix and nine hundred acres in various parts
of the county. In the 6th of Elizabeth this Abbey, with
parcel of its possessions, was consigned to Thomas, Earl of
Ormond, at the yearly rent of £6 16s. 8d.t

The Abbey of Ikislaunaugh (Surium), in the Barony of
OfTa and IfFa, County of Tipperary, was founded, or as some
assert, re-founded by Donald O'Brian, King of North Mun-^
ster, for Cistercians in 1184. In the 19th of Elizabeth, the
possessions consisting of one thousand nine hundred acres of

* Aud. Gen. t Chief Rcmem.

349

land^ in the Counties of Tipperary and Waterford^ were
given to Cormac Mac Carthy at an annual rtnt of £24
Iriah,*

The Abbey of Kilcuhin^ in the Barony of Kilnelongurty,
County of Tipperary, was founded for Benedictines, by
Philip of Worcester in 1184. It was a cell to the Bene-
dictine house at Glastonbury and during the reign of Henry
VIII became a ruin.

The Abbey of Knocmoy (De Colle Victorise), in the
Barony of Tiaquin, County of Galway, was founded by
Cathal O'Conor for Cistercians, in 1190. Hugh O'Kelly,
the last Abbot, after having acknowledged the supremacy of
Henry VIII, obtained a grant of it, but enjoyed it only a
very short time when his career on this earth terminated. —
The property, situated in the Counties of Calway and Sligo,
was extensive. In 1620 Valentine Blake held the Abbey
and a considerable part of the possessions-t

Gray Abbey (De Jugo Dei), in the Barony of Ardes and
County of Down, was founded by Africa, wife of John De
Courcey, for Cistercians, in 1193. This Abbey with sixteen
carucates of land, parcel of its possessions, was granted to
Gerald, Earl of Kildare. j:

The A]QBEy of Athlone, to the west of the Shannon, was
founded for Cistercians in the 12th century. At the suppres-
sion it was granted to Sir Richard Bingham.§

The Abbey of Corcumroe (De Petra Fertili), in the
Barony of Burren and County of Clare, was founded for
Cistercians by Donald O'Brian, King of North Munster, in
1194. This Abbey with eleven quarters of land was granted
to Sir Richard Harding.||

From this century likewise must be dated the foundation of
several Commanderies belonging to the Knights Templars
and Hospitallers in Ii-eland.

* Aud. Gen. t Lib. laquisit. X Aud. Gen. § King. p. 256. || And. Gen.

360

Thb Priory op Kilmaikham^* near Dubliiii was founded
Huder the uiTOcation of St. John the Baptist, about the year
1 174, for Knights Templars, by Richard, sumamed Strong*
bow. A circumstantial account of this establishment and of
many others shall be reserved for the 16th century .f

Thb CJokmahdbry of Clontarf, County of Dublin, was
erected during the reign of Henry II for Knights Templars.
Sir John Rawson, Prior of Kilmainham, obtained in 1641
an annual pension paid to him out of the lands of this Com-
mandery.:{:

The CTommakdbrt of St. Johk akd St. Brigid, Wexford,
was founded for Knights Hospitallers, in the 12th century,
by William Mareechal, Earl of Pembroke. Before the sup-
pression of the Templars, this was the grand Gnnmandery of
the Hospitallers in Ireland; a title which was afterwards
transferred to Kilmainham. The possessions of this Pre-
ceptory were confiscated in 1640.

Thb Cohmandbry of Kilsaran, in the Barony of Ardee
and County of Louth, was erected for Knights Templars by
Maud De Lacy, in the 12th century. The possessions were
made oyer to the Crown in 1641.

Thb Commandbry of Killurb, in the B«u*ony of Gual-
tiere and County of Waterford, dates its foundatioQ from the
12th century. In the 26th of Elizabeth it was giunted to
Nicholas Aylmer.

Thb Commandert op Kilbarry, in the Barony of Mid-
dlethird and County of Waterford, was founded about the
same period for Knights Templars. In the 16th century it
became numbered among the general confiscations.

Thb Commandbry of Kilclogan, in the Barony of Shel-
bume and County of Wexford was founded for Knights

• It wu anciently called Kill-Magnend. St Magnend having been Abbot
here in the leventh century.

t S«j Cent. XVI. chap. IL ^ Ware, Antiq.

361

Templars by O'More, in the 12th century. In the 30th of
Elizabeth this Preceptory was granted to Sir Henry Harring-
ton at the annual rent of £35 6s. 8d.*

Ths CoMMANt>ERT OF Ballthack, in the County of Wex*
ford^ dates its erection from the same period. It was subject
to that of Kilclogan and became merged in the same confis-
cation.

The Commandbrt op Tullt^ in the County of Kildare,
was founded for Knights Hospitallers in the 12th century • —
This Preceptory with three hundred acres of land and various
rectories was conceded to Sir Henry Harrington at the annual
rent of £21 6s. Sd.f

Thb Commandbrt of Castle But^ in the Ardeg, County
of Down, was erected for Knights Hospitallers by Hugh
be Lacy^ in the 12th century. During the 16th century it
became a ruin.

The Commanbert of KiLMAmHAis^BBO^ in the Barony of
Kells and County of Meath, was founded in the reign of
Richard I, for Knights Hospitallers^ by Walter De Lacy. —
In the 33rd of Elizabeth this Commandery was granted to
Sir Patrick Bamwall at the annual rent of £63 12s. 2d.:t^

Many of the establishments founded by Irish princes are
placed in this catalc^e^ and abundantly prore^ that in Ire-
land religion had patrons of her own, without seeking for
the aid of foreigners. A great number of monastic founda-
tions had, no doubt, been richly endowed by some of the
English at this period, but the enactments, which in after
times had been passed and particularly under Edward II,
rendered it impossible for Irishmen to derive any benefit from
these establishments. Whatever might have been the
motives which influenced De Lacy, De Courcey, and other
leaders, to signalize themselves in this respect, it is certain
that they were, at the very same time, everywhere enriching

• See Cent. XVI, cbtp. II. t Aud. Geiij t W.

352

themselves with the plunder of Church property. The testi-
mony of Giraldus Cambrensis on this subject shall conclude
this chapter. After having stated that Robert Fitz-Stephen,
Herirey De Monte Morisco and John De Courcey bad not
deserved to enjoy legitimate offspring, Giraldus adds, ''This
is not to be wondered at; for the miserable clergy are re*
duced to beggary in the island. The Cathedral Churches
mourn, having been robbed by the aforesaid persons and by
others along with them, of those lands and .ample estates
which had been formerly granted to them faithfully and de-
voutly. Thus the exalting of the Church has been changed
into the despoiling or plundering of the Church.*'* And
again: ''The greatest disadvantage of all was, that while we
conferred no advantage on the Church of Christ, in our new
principality, we not only did not think it worthy of any im-
portant bounty, or of due honour, but even after having
taken away its possessions, we have employed ourselves adier
in mutilating or in abrogating its former dignities and ancient
privileges, "t

* Proemium to the second edition of " Hibernia ezpugnata,"
t Hiber. expug. L. 2. chap. XXXV.

CHAPTER III.

JUligious and Literary Characters of the Ttoelfth Cenr
tury — General Observations.

Since the days of the early Fathers of the Irish Church,
there has not appeared a greater or a more distinguished sup--
porter of religion than

St. Malacht.* — ^This holy man was of the ^tn^ient and
noble fiatmily of the 0*Morgairs and was bom at Armagh
about the year 1095. At a very early age Malachy formed
the determination of renouncing the world and of conse^
crating himself to the service of religion; for iiirhich purpose
he repaired to Imar, an austere and saintly map, jat that
time residing in a cell near Armagh. The extraordinary pro*
gress which he had made in this school of Christian perfec-
tion soon attracted the notice of Celsus, who was then Pri-
mate of Ireland. Afalaehy was ordained priest by this Prel-
ate, although he had not at the time attained the canonical
agCi and was immediately .after appointed his Vicar with
full powers for effecting such jreforms in morals and dia*-
ripline as the Church of Armagh might at that time seem to
require. With a view to accomplish these important objects
Majachy commenced by establishing the custom of singing
the canonical Hours in all the Churches of the diocess, and
succeeded in substituting the Roman office and liturgy in
place of the one (Cursus Gallorum) generally used by the
Irish clergy.f Before this time the usual mode of contract*

* His original name was Madmaodhog, that is, Servant of Maidoc, or of
St. Aidan, Bishop of Ferns : this name has heen latinized into Malachy.

t See Appendix JIJ.

354

ing marriages in Ireland had been by espousal^ or as theo-
logians express it tponsalia de futttroj and which, attended
with certain conditions, was as valid as the matrimonial con-
tract now used ('de prmsenti)/^ This espousal was accom-
panied by the sacerdotal benediction, and when the time
specified by the parties had elapsed the marriage became
ratified and binding, without their having had recourse to the
contract de prasenti This custom of celebrating^ the mar-
riage contract was not in those days confined to Ireland; it
prevailed very generally in other countries until the time of
the Council of Trent, when it was prohibited as wdl by the
canons of that general council as by the civil laws of several
Christian states Neither was that impediment observed at
this period in Ireland, by which marriage was prohibited
within the seventh degree of consanguinity or affinity. Con-
sidering the system of clanship which then prevailed in this
country and the practice of marrying chiefly within their
septs, this canonical rule could not, without much incon-
venience, be adopted here, and in fiict it had, after some
time, been found so difficult to observe it anywhere, that it
was soon after deemed necessary to have it modified, by
limiting the prohibition within the fourth degrte both of con-
sanguinity and affinity. However, Malachy succeeded in
introducing these canonical impediments all over the dioeess
of Armagh; in like manner the marriage contract de prm--
senti was, at least in that part of Ireland, now substituted
instead of the espousal, which had been usually practised in
preceding times.

In 11^ the Saint repaired to Lismore, for the purpose of

* That this practice was observed in Ireland, even so late as A. 1566, is attested
T;y Good, an English priest. This roan conducted, at that time, a school in Lhn-
erickt where he was hospitahty received and cherished by the inbafaiuaei ; hot
these favours he afterwards repaid with low scurrility and base ingratitude. How«-
ever, on the subject of marriage he says, " Extra oppida raro matrimonia contra-
hunt, nee de prsstnti, sed de futuro promittunt."— Ap. Camden.

355

acquiring a still greater knowledge of the Scriptures and of
ecclesiastical discipline under the venerable Malchus, then
Bishop of that See. It has been already stated, that after
he had been called home from this retreat he was consecrated
by Celsus and placed over the then vacant See of Connor. —
This diocess, being contiguous to Armagh, had, it appears,
suffered more from the scandalous proceedings of the pseudo-
archbishops than any other, and was, when Malachy had
been placed over it, in a state of the most deplorable dis-
order. The ministers of the altar were but few, confessions
were neglected, neither preaching or the other public duties
of the Church had been observed; in short, the sacraments
and all the sacred obligations of religion seemed to have been
almost universally abandoned. A reformation was, however,
soon effected: Malachy went amongst them and admonished
them both publicly and privately; be re-built churches, or-
dained clergymen, had the word of life announced to the
faithful, the confessional was attended, the sacraments were
frequented, and in a very few years he had the consolation of
seeing around him a people orderly and religious, and in
every respect an example for the rest of the community.* It
is generally considered that this is the portion of the Irish
Church to which St Bernard alludes in his life of St.
Malachy, and which that venerable writer represents as
being at the time immerged in a state of actual barbarism. —
It is evident that he could not have applied the terms gene-
rally; for in the rest of Ireland religion was enforced and
practised, while the diffnent sees in each of the provinces
bad been governed by bishops, who for piety and learning
ranked foremost amongst the prelates of the Christian Church
at this period* In 1132, Malachy consented to undertake
the government of the Arcbdiocess of Armagh* Various
were the difficulties to which he had been exposed before he

• S. Bcraard, Vita S. Mai. chap. VI.

d66

succeeded ih rescuing this See out of the hands of those
powerful persons by whom it had been so long usurped. For
the history of these proceedings together with his retiring to
the See of DoWn> his journey to Rome and his return as
legate apostolic to Ireland^ the reader must be referred to the
detail already given in the first chapter.

The responsibility arising out of the yarious duties of this
important and arduous commission had now called forth aH
the zeal and energy of the Saint. He made a visitation of
the provinces, correcting some^ encouraging others and in-^
structing all. These journies were always performed on foot,
and although he had been invited and courted by the great,
he nevertheless preferred to take up bis abode in such of the
monasteries as were most remarkable for poverty and religious
discipline. During his sojourn in these retreats, the Saint
contented himself with the humble hre of the estaUishment
and performed all the duties of the institute so as to edify
and encourage every member of the community.* St Ber-
nard in his circumstantial and beautiful life of St Malachy,
relates an occurrence which had then taken place at Cork, in
nearly the following words : About this time the See of Cork
became vacant^ but the clergy had not yet determined on the
person whom they should select for promotion to the episco-
pal chair of that ancient diocess. When the Saint had ar-
rived in that city, he was consulted on this subject, and the
appointment to the vacant see was now placed exclusively in
his hands. Malachy, however, thought not of selecting any
one of the nobles or of the rich and powerful, all these he
passed over, while, in the presence of the clergy and people,
he presently named a man both poor and humble and a
stranger in that part of the country but with whose merits he
had been already acquainted. Messengers having been im-
mediately despatched, it was soon discovered that this per-

• S. Bcrnwd, Vita, chap. XIL

357

son had been confined to his bed and was in so weak a con-
dition that he could not possibly appear before them unless
he had been carried out by others. ''Let him arise in the
name of the Lord/' observed the Saint^ ''I command him:
by his obedience shall he be restored to health.'^ The hum-
ble individual, deeming himself unworthy to be exalted to
such a station, yet willing to obey the order of the Saint,
made an effort to arise from his bed, when at once be found
his strength returning and was able to walk to the church
with facility and firmness. Having appeared before the as-
sembly, he was placed in the episcopal chair amidst the con-
gratulations of both clei^ and people and was soon after
consecrated Bishop of Cork.* It is generally supposed that
this pious Bishop was Gilla Aeda O'Mugin, who had been
about this time Abbot of St. Finbar's and from whom
that ancient foundation had derived the name of Gill
Abbey. This opinion is strongly confirmed by the fact, that
the Abbey of Finbar had been re-built in this century for
strangers from Connaught, the country of St. Finbar himself,
and it is moreover certain that the newly elected prelate was
a native of that Province; a circumstance explanatory of
and corresponding with the term stranger so distinctly
marked in the text of St. Bernard. While Malachy had
been stationed at Down, his brother, Christian (Gilla^Criost),
Bishop of Clogher, died: this saintly and learned Prelate is
also greatly extolled by St. Bernard, and most honourable
mention has been made of him in almost all our annals.

After the Synod of Holmpatrick, in 1148, Malachy pro^
ceeded on his second journey to Rome, for the purpose of
obtaining the palliums: however, when he had reached
Glairvaux, he was seized with a fever after having celebrated
mass on the festival of St. Luke. St. Bernard and his com-
munity were greatly afiected, and when the brethren^ who

• S. Bernard, Vita, chap. XIII.

358

had accompanied Malachy from Ireland, encouraged him and
prayed that he might not be taken from themi he obaenred:
<< Malachy mnit die this year, behold the day ii approaching,
which, as you wdl know, I always wished should be my
last." In fact the Saint had often expressed a desire of
terminating his mortal career id the Monastery of Clairvaux,
and hence it was, that in his former interview with the Pope,
lie earnestly implored that he might be permitted to resign
his Bishopric in Ireland; a request which could not at th%t
time be granted. On finding the last night of his life apr
proaching, he addressed the brethren with the greatest pos-
sible cheerfulness, and having received the last sacraments
the Saint raised his eyes to heaven and said; '^O Gk>d ! (Mre-
serve them in thy name, and not only these but likewise all
those, who through my ministry have bound themselves tp
thy service." Then, to use the words of St Bernard,
placing his hands on the head of each and blessing them all,
he desired them to go to rest, whereas his hour was not yet
come. About midnight the whole community assembled,
and several abbots were in attendance with St, Bernard and
the brethren to watch his exit Shortly after he expired, in
the 64th year of his age, on the 2nd of November, A.D*
1148, in the place and at the time which he had long ardently
desired. . His death resembled sleep: so placid and cheerful
was his countenance. When the body was conv^ed to the
church, St. Bernard observed a boy one of whose arms had
been withered; he called him forth and desired him to apply
the arm to the hand of St. Malachy; the boy obeyed and
was instantly cured. St. Bernard preached the funenU
oration: in the life already mentioned he has given an au-
thentic account of a number of miracles which had been
wrought by means of our Saint, both during his life and
after his death. St Malachy was canonized by Pope Cle-
ment III, A.D. 1192.*

• Mabilloo, Chron. Bernard, Col. 10.

359

Sl Laursncb OToole (Lorcan OTuathal*) was of the
illustriona house of the O'Tooles, Princes of Imaly, in the
now County of Wicklow. When Laurence had been about
ten years of age, he was given as a hostage by his father to
Dermod Mac-Morogh, then King of Leinster. This wicked
Prinee treated Laurence with great cruelty ; however he was
soon after restored to his parents and committed by them to
the care of the yenerable Bishop of Glendaloch^ for the pur-
pose of being instructed in learning and piety. Laurence
continued under the guidance of this good Prelate and made
such progress in religious acquirements that, at the age of
twettty*fivei he was elected Abbot of the Monastery of Olen^
daloch, which, it must be remarked, had at that time been
distinct from the Bishopric. The wealth of this Abbey,
being then very considerable, was employed by Laurence in
relieving the poor, and particularly during the famine which
had, at that period, raged throughout all this district Some
years after, on the death of the Bishop of Olendaloch, Lau*^
rence was unanimously chosen his successor; this dignity,
he however declined, alledging that he had not yet attained
the age required by the canons. Harris, in treating on this
occurrence says: ''He declined the See, because he could
not have the opportunities of exerting his strong dispositicm
to charity, when Bishop of Olendaloch^ as he had when
Abbot; the revenues of the Bishopric being much inferior to
those of the Abbey."

Upon the death of Gr^ory, Archbishop of Dublin, in
1161, Laurence was chosen by the electors of that Diocess,
but persisted for a long time in refusing to comply with their
entreaties. He was, however, at length prevailed upon to
submit and was accordingly consecrated in Christ Church,
Dublin, by Gelasius the Primate, accompanied by jtmny
bishops and a great number of the clergy.f The ardent

* Four Masun ap Tr. Th. p. 309. Lorcan hai been latinized into Lamtmiviu
t Vita S. Laurent, ehap. X.

360

attachment^ which he had always evinced for regular dis-
cipline, could not even in his present situation be dispensed
with. Accordingly on his accession to the See,' Laurence in*
duced the canons of Christ Churchy who had been at the
time secular canons,* to become canons regular of the congre*
gation of Aroasia. To the observance of all the rules ap*
pertaining to this institute Laurence had most strictly at^
tended; he wore the habit, beneath which he always used a
hair shirt, observed silence at the stated hours, attended
along with his canons at the midnight office and practised
various austerities which were not in any manner enjoined by
the rule. His charity to the poor was unbounded ; amongst
whom he took care to have the greatest portion of the re*
venues of his Church distributed. In 1167, Laurence at-
tended the great convention of the clergy and princes of
Lethcuin, or the northern half of Ireland, when Roderic
O'Conor was recognized as Monarch and several enactments
were passed relative to the political state of the country.

At this eventful crisis, Laurence had been providentially
raised up for the succour of his afflicted countrymen. He
had presided scarcely nine years over the Archiepiscopal See
when Strongbow arrived with his army under the walls of
Dublin. The siege was obstinate and dreadful, but at length
the city was taken by storm. Amidst the indiscriminate
slaughter which ensued the good Bishop exposed himself in
all directions for the safety of his flock, and by his interference
several of the churches had been secured from pilli^e and
sacrilege. During this and the following year (1171), the
excessive cruelties perpetrated by the followers of Strongbow,

* These canona had heen, in all probability, that description of ecclesiastics
known in this age by the name of Culdees or Colidei, that is, persons living in com-
mnnky; CmIU, in Irish, meaning together trnd Dm, a man. The Culdaes were
secular clergymen ; they lived in community and were bound to the observance of
certain rules. In many countries they formed the canons of cathedral churches,
particularly in France and in Scotland ; in which latter kingdom they became a
BumefOHS and an influential body.

361

Raymund le Grose and others^ had enkindled the indignation
of every good and virtuous man. Laurence could no longer
continue an inattentive observer of these atrocities; he there-
fore encouraged Roderic O'Conor and other princes to unite
for the total expulsion of the invadersi and applied also for
assistance to Oodred^ King of Mann. Roderic accordingly
appeared with a powerful army before Dublin, while at the
same time the harbour was blockaded by a fleet of thirty
ships sent by Godred. The siege continued for nearly two
months, during which time Strongbow and his forces hftd
been reduced to such distress that they seemed willing to
capitulate. By the consent of the Irish princes, Laurence
was the person appointed for arranging the terms; accord-^
ingly in the name of the Irish nation, he announced to
Strongbow and to his adherents, that they should surrender
all the places which they had then occupied and depart the
kingdom on a certain determined day.* These terms, as
might be expected, were far from being agreeable, while, in
the meantime, the Irish too confident of success carried on
the siege with great negligence. Thus circumstanced, Strong-^
bow resolved on making a desperate effort. At a moment
when the besiegers were off their guard he made a sudden
and a vigorous sally from the gates with a chosen body of
knights and infantry; the Irish army having been thus taken
unawares were dispersed and routed, while Roderic, who w^as
at the time bathing in the Liffey, had with great difficulty
effected his escape. From this period the English saw the
necessity of acting at least with more policy towards the
people of Dublin.

While Strongbow, by an unexpected turn of fortune, had
thus compelled the Irish troops to raise the siege of Dublin^
his associates were, in some places, far from being similarly
successful. The Castle of Ferry-Carig, a strong fortress

* Leland, B. 1. chap. II

362

situated near the town of Wexford, had been for some time
in the possession of Fitz-Stephen. This fortress, from its
natural position/ had been considered impregnable; it wa»
moreover strongly garrisoned, but from some mismaoage-
ment of the governor, its supply of provisions was too limited
to meet the ex^eneies of a tedious si^e. The Danes of
Wexford, encouraged by the distress to which Strongbow
was reduced, had now come to the resolution of storming
the castle and in this enterprise they were assisted by Donald,
an illegitimate son of Dermod Mac-Morogh. In the mean*
time a report was industriously circulated that Strongbow
had been compelled to capitulate and that Dublin was in the
hands of Roderic O'Connor.* Fitz-Stephen, perceiving that
the rumour of this disaaterous occurrence had made its way
into the garrison, and believing it to be a &ct, immediately
surrendered the castle, which was accordmgly occupied by
the besiegers without striking a blow.f

The following year (1172) Laurence, assisted by Strong-
bow, Fitz-Stephen and Raymund, enlarged Christ Church
and built the choir and belfry, annexing also three new
chapels to the Cathedral. Laurence with other prelates set

•Ware, Annak^at A. 1171.

t The snnender of this Castle has given rise to a piece of borefoced calumiiy
invented by Giraldus Cambrensis, and afterwaids retaUed by some of his interested
imitators. According to this story, Joseph O'Hethe, Bishop of Ferns, and Malachy
O'fiyrne, Bishop of Kildare, came to the fortress and took an oath in the presence
of the Governor that Dublin had been stormed by Roderic O'Conor, and that
Strongbow and his forces had been cut to pieces— Thus, say they, by perjury and
stratagem was Fitz-Stephen prevailed upon to accept the terms of the besiegers and
snriendcr the castle. The reader must remark, that the only antfaorily oo which
this sUtement rests, is that of Giraldus Cambrensis; (Hib.expug. LLC. xxv.)
an authority upon which, as to events of this description, no intelligent man could
set the least value. Hence it is that Ware, whose judgment cannot be questioned,
has passed it by as unworthy of notice : The iact is, Giraldhs was ashamed of the
cowardly manner in which the garrison had' surrendered; he accordingly invented
this story for the purpose of removing the disgrace which (as he had reason to
suppose) might otherwise attach to the character of bis friend Fitz-Stephen and
of hi^ countrymen.

363

out for Rome, in order to attend at the Council of Lateran,
and shortly after returned to Ireland as legate apostolic for
that country: these events together with the moral reforma-
tion which he had made in Dublin have been already noticed
in the first chapter. -<

In the year 1180 Laurence undertook a second jotimey to
England, for the purpose of settling some afiairs between
Roderic 0*Conor and the English Monarch. On this oc-
casion Henry acted the part of a cruel and an undisguised
tyrant ; he not only refused to come upon any terms of ac-
commodation, but had even given orders that Laurence
should not be allowed to return to Ireland. Thus deprived
of liberty, the Saint retired to the Monastery of Abingdon,
where he continued to reside for three weeks. In the mean-
time Henry went over to Normandy, while Laurence was
still anxious to effect a reconciliation between him ahd
Roderic O'Conor. The Saint, accordingly, set out for France,
but when he had reached the frontiers of Normandy, he was
seized with a fever and was obliged to take up his abode in
the Monastery of Augam (now Eo) belonging to the Canons
Regular of St. Victor.* Foreseeing that his end was ap-
proaching, he made his confession and received the hely
Viaticum. Having been admonished by some of the breth-
ren to make a will, he answered: '^God knows that I have
not, at present, as much money as one penny under the sun.''
The holy exile reflected virith sorrow on the calamities of his
native country, and shortly before his death, he lamented
its sad and fallen state, saying, in the Irish language: ''Ah!
foolish and senseless people! what are you now to do? who
will alleviate your misfortunes? who will relieve you?" Soon
after he expired on the 14th of November, A.D. 1180, and
was interred in the Church of Augum; the funeral obsequies
having been attended by great numbers, among whom was

* Vita, S. Laurent, chap. XIX.

364

th9 Pope's Legate, C&rdinal Alexius. St. Lauraice was
canonized by Honorius III, in the year 1226. Some of his
reliques were sent to CbriBt Church, Dublin, and some to
various places in France.*

Marian O'Gorman, the celebrated hagiologist, flourished
about the middle of the twelfth century. Marian was a
Canon Regular of St« Augustin and in 1172 was constituted
Prior of the celebrated estabUshment of Knock, near Louth.
He has written ih Irish verse a Martyrology, comprizing not
only Irbh saints, but also those of other countries. This
work has been greatly admired, both for its accumcy and
the elegance of its diction; a great portion of it, however,
has been extracted from the ancient Martyrology, usually
called that of Aengus. There appears a diversity of opinion
with respect to the date of its publication. Colgan, after
passing some handsome encomiums on this Martyrology, is
of opinion that it had been composed during the incumbency
of Gelasius, Archbishop of Armagh, in 1167; Ware marks
its publication at 1171: it is evident, however, from the
names of certain saints inserted therein, that it must have
been published some time after the year 1174. Marian con-
tinued at the Priory of Knock which he adorned by his vir-
tues as well as his learning. He died A.D. llSl.f

Congan, a Cistercian and Abbot of Inislaunaugh (Surium)
flourished in 1140. This eminent man became in the twelfth
century the reviver of monastic discipline in the south, and
for his learning and exalted virtues obtained a very high
rank among his contemporaries. The opinion, which St.
Bernard had entertained of Congan's talents and acquire-
ments, was very great, and with his assistance, in collecting
materials, that holy writer had been enabled to compile his
comprehensive and much esteemed life of St. Malachy. —
Among other matters, St. Bernard, in the preface to that

• Vito, S. Laurent. HovcUen. f A. A. S. S. p. 737,

3C6

work, obsen'es: ^^lu compliance with your commands, my
reverend brother and sweet friend. Abbot Oongan, and in
obedi^oe to the wishea of the whole Church of Ireland, re«
questing, as appears from your letter, a plain history without
the embellJshmentB of eloquence, I will undertake it and en*
deavonr to be clear and instructive yet not tedious. I am
satisfied as to the truth of the narrative, having received my
mfiKmation from yo^, wh<»n I cannot suspect to relate any-
thing of which you had not certain knowledge." Hence it
appears that the materials for the work had been furnished
by Congan^ and consequently the scandalous abuses allud^
to by SL Bernard must have been those which occurred in
particular districts of Ulster; the congregations in the south
and especially in Congan's locality having be^i at that period
both orderly and edifying. Congan has Ulso published the
Acts of St Bernard and several Epistles addressed to that
Saint* He died about the year 1 162.

It is impossible to contemplate the historical events of the
twelfth century without awakening, at least, some of those
sympathies which our common nature has settled for repose
in the human heart Considering the number of eminent
prelates by whom the Irish Church had been then golrenied
and the many national synods which had been held even
down to the Council of Kells in 1152, it may with great truth
be 9aid» that in the Christian world it would, at that period,
be difficult to find any one national Chnrcb, in which morality
and discipline had been more zealously inculcated than in
the Church of Ireland^ At the very opening of the century,
we find a legate apostolic in Ireland, and this important
office had been confided not to a foreign ecclesiastic but to a
native prelate, Gillebert, Bishop of Limerick. In this com-
mission Gillebert was succeeded by St Malachy and by the
learned Christian, Bishop of Lismore; and so high did the

• Ware*8 Writers.

366

character of the Church of Ireland rank at this time, that
the nuDiber of the archiepiscopal sees was increased and
Cardinal Paparo is despatched by Pope Eogene III with four
paUiums, which in the national Council of Kells he distri-
buted to the four archbishops of Ireland. Strange, howerer,
and indeed almost incredible is the fact, that this Church,
so highly honoured, so pre-eminently supported, was in a few
years after, together with the whole Irish nation, surrendered
into the hands of a stranger. It is moreover remarkable,
that at this very period the Church of Ireland had been
gQYemed by prelates of no ordinary character: by Gehisias
its Primate, by St. Laurence O'Toole, Christian Bishop of
Lismore and legate apostolic, Catholicus of Tuam ; men whose
superiors in piety and learning it would be difficult to find in
any other national Church at this age. It is self-evident,
that Alexander III must have been grossly imposed upon by
the enemies of Ireland; at all events Henry II had scarcely
received the Bull and the Brief into his possession,' when he
began to exhibit splendid proofs of his superior qualifications
as a Church reformer, by encroaching on the ecclesiastical
property of England and by being, at length, implicated in
the cold-blooded murder of St. Thomas (Becket) Archbishc^
of Canterbury.

The regulations ordained in the Synod of Cashel, amount-
iag to eight, have been already noticed; but in vain do we
look among them for any one single decree or even an ex-
pression, indicating that the Irish Church had been then con-
sidered by the prelates assembled, to be either in a rude or a
disordered state. Among these decrees, however, the third,
fourth and fifth are worthy of notice; they serve to mark out
in the clearest light, the ingenious, artful policy of the Eng-
lish Monarch. Henry's grand aim was, to conciliate the
clergy and by all means to bring them over to his interest. —
Accordingly, by the fourth and fifth decrees of the Synod of
Cashel, the possessions of the Church are declared free from

367

femporal exactions^ and the clergy are exempted from what
was termed Eric. While the third decree by which "the
faithfiil were to pay tithea, was inimitable and formed the
climax. But what necessity for recurring to the decrees of
the Synod of Cashel, as specimens of Henry's great solici-
tude for Church reformation? Was he reforming the Church
when he banished St. Laurence OToole from his diocess and
his country? Was he refcnrming the Church when he al-
lowed De Courcey, Fitz- Stephen and others to pollute and
plunder the sanctuaries of Ireland from one extremity of the
country to the other? These are facts^ and they might, did
space permit, be supported by numberless others, deduced
as well from the ecclesiastical as the civil history of those
melancholy times.

It has been asserted by some writers that Ireland had been
brought under subjection to England by means of the Bull
of Adrian IV, and by the influence of the prelates assembled
at Cashel. This, however, is an erroneous opinion; for, as
we have seen, Mac Carthy of Desmond and O'Brian of
Thomond did surrender and deliver up the keys of their re-
spective capitols, Cork and Limerick, to Henry II, shortly
after his landing; while their example was immediately fol-
lowed by Fitz-Patrick, O'Ruarc and other petty princes. —
The &ct is, neither the Bull of Adrian or the Brief of Alex-
ander was read or produced at the Council of Cashel, al-
though Henry had both these documents in his possession
for years previously. That Prince had too much policy to
do an act of such imprudence. The whole tenor of them
and even the very expressions employed, particularly in the
Brief, would have only served to irritate the feelings of both
the prelates and the other ecclesiastics who had attended
that Synod. The subjection of Ireland, therefore, cannot
be attributed to these documents, nor to the influence of the
clergy. The real cause, the self-evident and only cause of
this event was the jealousy and the consequent dissensions

368

which, at that time, subsisted behveen the princes of Ireland
themselves. Henry undeftook ''to reform the rude and dis-
ordered Church," but his vassals, Stiongbow, De Courcey
and the other invaders found out a way of their own for re-
forming ''the barbarous people of Irdand" by robbing them
of their property, by defiling their houses, profaning their
sanctuaries and covering the whole face of the country with
blood. These and similar topics, however, come more im-
mediately within the scope of civil history. The Church of
Ireland has had also her share in these sufferings and has
passed through an ordeal of trials and persecutions, such as
caiuiot be found in the annals of any odier nation. These
and other eedesiastical events the history of subsequent
centuries shall clearly and faithfoUy elucidate.

THIRTEENTH CENTURY.

CHAPTER I.

JEvenis cwmecUd with the admiMi$tratwH of ArchbUkop
Comin — Fautulatian of tie Churekes of St. Amdeon and
St. Werbwf — PromotionofUngliik Ecclesiastics— Henry
JDe Loundresy ArcAhishop of Dublin and Lard Justice of
Ireland— Union of the Sees of DubHn and Olendaloch—
CMsgiate Church of St. Patrick erected into a Cathedral
—Baneful effects of the Tithe System—David^ Bishop of
Waterford, slain — Contention between the Dean and
Chapter of St. PatrieVs and the Prior and Canons of
Christ Church— Stephen De Fulbum, Bishop of Water-
ford and Lord Justice of Ireland — Endeavours to obtain
the benefit of the English Laws for the Irish Nation-
Contributions raised by the Irish Church during the Pon-
tificates of Innocent III and Gregory IX.

John Comin was the first Englishman who had been pro-
moted to an episcopal see in Ireland. When the government
of the Archiepiscopal Diooess of Dublin had, by means of
Henry 11, been placed in the bands of this Prelate, there
were reasonable grounds for presuming, that the rights of
that See would have been respected and its temporalities
secured (rcmi*the rapacity of those who had already made
themselves notorious among the now domineering English ad-
venturers. These expectations were, however, far from being
realized; scarcely had Hamo De Valoniis been appointed
Justiciary of Ireland when the work of plunder commmenced."*^

• novcdcn> ^, 39— Tirrcl, voK II. p. 66'>.

370

This needy and insatiable governor had, in the very outset of
his administration^ cast a longing eye on the rich ecclesias-
tical property attached to the See of Dublin. In defiance of
religion and of all laW| the Governor Hamo seized upon con«
siderable portions of land lying in the direction of Swords
and Finglass, assigning no other reason than his own supreme
will and that the embarrassed state, to which the English
Government was then reduced, had rendered such a step in-
dispensible. Against this injustice Archbishop Comin re-
monstrated, but without effect; one act of oppression was
followed by another, until the Archbishop was at length
obliged to have the vestments, chalices and sacred furniture
removed from the Cathedral and caused the crucifixes in the
Church to be covered with thorns and laid prostrate in the
sanctuary.* The Justiciary, however, was not to be controlled
in his sacrilegious career; while the Archbishop, after having
publicly excommunicated Hamo and all those who had along
with him been concerned in the plunder of the Church, put
the whole Diocess under an interdict and repaired to Eng-
land for the purpose of laying his complaints before the
King. In such a court the influence of the Governor was
sure to be successful, and the Archbishop, after a delay of
some months, returned to Ireland without obtaining redress.
While these acts of oppression, thus suffered with im^
punity, had served only to give a keener edge to the avarice
of Hamo De Valoniis, a new opportunity of adding to his
wealth presented itself soon after in another quarter. The
See of Leighlin having become vacant, the Chapter elected
John, a Cistercian monk, and Abbot of the Monastery of
Monasterevan, which election was confirmed by Matthew
O'Heney, Archbishop of Cashel and at that time legate apos-
tolic for Ireland. The Justiciary, however, interfered and
opposed the consecration of John; in the meantime taking

♦ HoVedcn^Ware Annak. p. 36.

371

into his own possession not only the temporalities of the
Church of Leigblin but even the property of the canons
themselves. In this violent state of affairs^ John was re-
commended by the Legate to proceed without delay to Rome
and submit to Pope Innocent III a full and fiur report of
these unwarrantable proceedings. John accordingly set out
from Ireland^ having been furnished with letters from the
Chapter, from the Archbishops of Armagh and Cashed and
from the Bishops of Kildare, Ferns and Ossory. His re-
ception in Rome was most flattering. The Pope himself con-
secrated him Bishop of Leigblin and on his departure gave
him a letter directed to the Chapter, clei^y and people of
that Diocessy in which he tells them, that having ordained
John their Bishop, he now sends him back to his See and
orders them to obey him. The repeated acts of sacrilege and
plunder, which have been already stated, drew from Inno^
cent III a strong and a severe letter addressed on this oc-
casion to John of England. In this letter his Holiness re-
monstrates in the language of firmness and reproof on the
outrageous conduct of the Justiciary and requires that the
property taken from the Church and Canons of Leigblin
should be instantly restored.* Hamo De Valoniis was soon
after recalled, having first enriched himself by the plunder
and ruin of private families, but much more by his unheard-*
of and repeated invasions on the property of the Church.

Nothing can so clearly depict the spirit of the adventurers,
at this period, as the eager avidity with which they had en-
deavoured to get themselves promoted to the most amply en-^
dowed sees, according as any of them should happen to be-
come vacant. Upon the death of Thomas 0*Conor, Arch-
bishop of Armagh in 1201, no less than three Englishmen
appeared as candidates; every one of whom pretended to
have been duly elected. Simon Rochford, Bishop of Meath

♦ Epist. 361. Edid. Balluawii.

372

and Ralph le Petit, Archdeacon of the same Diooess, main-
tained that they had been canonically elected by the Chapter;
while the third candidate Humphry De Tichnll retted his
claim on the appointment and ganetion of King John.^-*
During this contest, which had been conducted with much
warmth, they appeared to have set little value <m the humble
preteiisions of Eugene, an Irish ecclesiastic, and who was in
reaUty the person regularly and validly elected. There being
but little chance of having the controversy satisfactorily
settled at home, and particularly as the King himself had so
prominently interfered in the business, the whole proceedings
were, of course, referred to the holy See. This hitherto ap-
fiaiently difficult and contested case, having been now sub-
mitted to an unprejudiced tribunal, was almost instantly de-
cided and Eugene was declared by Pope Innocent III to be
the person canonically elected. He was accordingly conse-
erated Archbishop of Amu^h, while directi<ms were given ta
have the possession of the temporalities forthwith placed in
his hands. This decision tended only to irritate still more
the naturally violent disposition of the English Monarch,
and in a moment of excitement he causes letters patent to be
addressed to all the suffragan bishops of Armagh, command-
ing them under pain of his displeasure to shew no kind of
obedience to the newly consecrated Metropolitan.* Nor was
John's anger in the least abated on the death of Tichull, his
favourite candidate, an event which took place soon after;
he still persisted in his opposition to the Primate and pro-
ceeded so far as to confirm the election of Ralph, Archdeacon
of Meath. These unwarrantable proceedings, in which all
order and discipline had been set at defiance, must have led
to the worst consequences, had not the King been obliged to
embark for France, where his dominions were invaded and
his sovereignty in that country reduced by his rival Philip to

• Pryii. vol. 11. p. 240.

373

the very brink of ruin. While John had been in this hum-
bled state, a reconciliation was happily effected between him
and the Primate Eugene, and the See of Armagh was once
more permitted to enjoy some share of repose. Eugene con-
tinued to govern the Primatial See until his death in 1216. —
He died at Rome, the year after the termination of the fourth
Council of Lateran, at which he attended; but his memory
•has been honourably recorded in the Annals of St Mary's
Abbey, near Dublin, in which, agreeably to the concise
language of the annalist, he is styled '^a man of singular
honesty and of a holy life."

Although these English ecclesiastics, who had thus early
aspired to the Primacy of Armagh, had on this occasion met
with disappointment, the same must not be said with re-
ference to other sees. The reader may form some idea of the
readiness with which they had been patronized, from the fact,
ihat scarcely had the first five years of this century passed
over, when there appears not less than eight of the ancient
and most respectable sees of Ireland placed under the ad-
ministration of English prelates. Following the order of
chronology assigned to each respective consecration, these
Sees are : Dublin, Connor, Meath, Ossory, Leighlin, Down,
Waterford and Cork.* Nor must it b«j forgotten, that even
in the very opening of this century, the priors and abbots of
almost all the great monasteries throughout the kingdom
were unezceptionabiy Englishmen.

It is, however, but just and proper to admit, that many
of the prelates already alluded to had been learned and
worthy men, and by their zeal and activity contributed much
to advance the interest of religion in their respective sees. —

* The names of the prelates consecrated for the above Sees are : John Comin
coDfleciated Archbfehop of Dublin 1 182. Reginald, consecrated for Connor 1 16^
Simon Rochfoxd, for Meath 1194. Hugh Kufus, for Ossory U02. Herlewin,
for Leighlin 1102. Ralph, for Down, 1202. David, for Waterford 1*204 and
Reynald for Cork 1205.— Ware Bishops.— Wilktns, vol. II.

374

Among these prelates, may, with great propriety, be noticed
the Bishop of Meath, Simon Rochford (De nipe forti), who
had been advanced to that See (then termed Clonard) and
consecrated in 1194. Simon Rochford soon after his pro-
motion founded a Priory of Regular Canons of the order of
St. Augustin at Newtown near Trim and erected the church
of this Priory into a cathedral, which he dedicated in honour
of Sts. Peter and Paul.*' He then removed the See from
Clonard, in which the former cathedral stood, to Newtown,
and from that period this ancient and extensive diocess was
invariably known by the name of the Diocess of Meath.

Hugh Rufus, who was consecrated Bishop of Ossory in
1202, has been mentioned with great respect by all the Irish
annalists. He was an English Augustinian Canon and the
first Prior of the Abbey of Kells, in the County of Kilkenny.
During the incumbency of this Prelate, which includes a
period of sixteen years, several parochial churches had been
erected throughout the Diocess of Ossory: among these it
may be proper to notice the parish Churches of Oowran,
Rathdowney, Castlecomer, Callan, Bumchurch, Dunmore
and Lisdowney.f By means of this decidedly useful TreU
ate, were likewise founded the Priory of Canons Regular at
Inisteague and the beautiful Abbey of St. John in the City
of Kilkenny.

Herlewin, an English Cistercian and Bishop of Leighlin,
had also been a distinguished promoter of learning and re-
ligion. He was a great benefactor to the celebrated Abbey
of Dunbrothy in the County of Wexford; a considerable
part of which he built, having first endowed it with large
revenues for the poor, and in the Church of which he was
interred, A.D. 1216.

But the most efiicient and eminent Prelate in those times
was John Comin, Archbishop of Dublin. Notwithstanding

* Ware Bishops, at Meatli. t Chart. MS.

376

the infamous conduct of the Justiciary Hamo^ and the an-
noyance to which this good Prelate must have been for so
long a time subjected, his exertions in promoting the welfare
of (he citizens of Dublin as well as the interest of his See
continued unabated. At length, however, Hamo de Valoniis
was recalled and in compensation for the injuries he had done
to the See of Dublin> he made a grant of twenty plough-lands
to the Archbishop and to his successors**

Besides the collegiate Church of St. Patrick, which the
Archbishop himself had caused to be erected,t several new
parish churches had about this time been founded in the City
of Dublin. St. Audeon's was built by the Normans at the
close of the reign of Henry II, and was dedicated by them
to St. Audoenus (Owen), Archbishop of Rouen in Normandy.
The parish Church of St. Werburg seems to have been erected
at a period somewhat later, but however in the commence-
ment of the reign of King John and during the incumbency
of Archbishop Comin. At that time, the City of Dublin
with the adjacent territory was visited by a dreadful pestilence,
in which vast multitudes of the inhabitants had been swept
off, so that Dublin presented the appearance rather of a town
in ruins and deserted by its inhabitants than a city noted for
trade and the metropolis of a kingdom. On this occasion it
was that the English Monarch, John, had brought over two
colonies from Chester and Bristol and caused them to be
placed in Dublin and in some of the neighbouring villages.
These English colonists soon began to make improvements in
the City, and, among other buildings, had taken care that a
new church should be erected on the site of a capella, most
probably that of St. Martin. This Church they dedicated to
St. Werbui^, Virgin and Patroness of the City of Chester.

In repairing and beautifying the Cathedral of the Holy
Trinity (now called Christ Church) Archbishop Comin had

* Allen's Regist. Fol. d41.^Crede mihi, M.S, Fol. 94. t Sec Cent. zii. c. 2.

376

spared no pains. He rebuilt and eulaiged the choir and aug-
mented the number of its Canons. The Nunnery of Oraee-
DieUy about three miles north-west of Swords, was founded
by him; in which he placed Reg^ular Canonesses, following
the rule of St Augustin. He died on the 28th of October,
A« D. 1212, and was buried in Christ Church, on the south
side of the choir. Archbishop Comin was a laboHous and an
useful Prelate, and in the goyermnent of his diocess appears
to have been actuated by the purest principles of justice tem-
pered with clemency and a warm attachment for the real in^
terest of Ireland. To the friendly intercourse which had sub-
sisted between him and the native clergy and to his growing
affection for the Irish people may be traced that ungenerous
and shameless neglect, which he experienced at the hands
both of Henry II and of his son, John. These suflerings,
however, the Archbishop endured with exemplary fortitude,
while by his works of piety and of national benefit, he haft
left behind him living materials and a name by no means un^
worthy the successor of the great St. Laursnce OToole*

At the close of the same year, Henry, usually styled ''De
Loundres,'' Archdeacon of Stafford was chosen and conse*-
crated Archbbhop of Dublin. The tyranny and repeated
excesses of John, King of En^and, had by this time col*
lected around him such a train of misfortunes both from do-
mestic and foreign opponents, that prudence, if not necessity,
obliged him to reckon at least on one friendly and confidential
adviser in the person of the Archbishop of Dublin. He
therefore expressed every mark of sincere satis&ction on the
promotion of the new Archbishop, Henry De Loundres, and
the very next year on the 23rd of July, appointed him justi-
ciary or Lord Justice of Ireland.* That a Christian Prelate,
engaged in the weighty obligations of his ministry, should
thus permit himself to be encumbered with the toil and diffi-

* Hoveden.— War«*d Annaltf, ad A. 1213,

377

cultieg of civil authority, is a question, the propriety of whi^h
cannot be easily established* There is, however, one ground
of justification in the case of Henry, Archbishop of Dublin.
Almost every man, who had, up to this period, been entrusted
with the government of Ireland, seems to have lost sight of
all those qualities which form so essential an ingredient in the
virtues of justice and hiimanity ; each endeavoured to outstrip
his predecessor in acts of the most wanton oppression. Tak-
ing tb«i these circumstances with others arising from the
character of the King himself into account, the acceptance of
such an office might perhaps appear even agreeable, if not to
the wishes of the Archbishop, at least to those of the people
of Ireland over whom he had been authorized to administer
justice. At all events Henry had but litUe time and few
opportunities allowed him for the exercise of the power witli
which he had been invested, when summonses were issued by
Innocent III to the Prelates of the Christian world, requiring
their attendance at the general council which was to have
been held on the following year, 1215, in the Church of St.
John Lateran in Ronie, and generally known by the name of
the fourth Lateran Council. On the part of the Irish Church,
there attended at this Council; the Primate Eugene — Henry,
Archbishop of Dublin — Donatus O'Lonergan, Archbishop of
Cashel, and Cornelius O'Heney, Bishop of Killaloe.*

On the following year, Henry received from Pope Innocent
a confirmation of the Bull of Julius III, regarding the prima-
tial rights, which had been already gmnted to his predecessor
John Comin. This Bull, together with its amplification by
Honorius III, contained, among other matters, the following
remarkable clause-f "Prohibiting moreover, any Arch*
bishop or other Prelat^e of Ireland (except the suffragans of
Dublin and the Pope's Legate) from having the cross carried
before them, holding assemblies (those of the religious orders

• Wiire Bishops. f Lib. Niger, Fol. 123.

378

excepted) or treating of ecclesiastical causes in the Province
of Dublin, without the consent of the Archbishop of Dub-
lin.'" Such was the privilege contained in the Bull of Hono-
rius III, the interesting consequences of which shall be fully
illustrated by the ecclesiastical events of the fourteenth cen-
tury.

The government of the country had been placed in the
hands of the Archbishop for about six years, during which
time he considerably improved the City of Dublin, and
among other buildings had caused the castle of that metro-
polis to be erected at his own cost. He removed the Priory
of Inis-Patrick founded by Sitric to Holm-Patrick, in the
Barony of Balruddery, fourteen miles north of Dublin; hav-
ing at the same time augmented the revenues of the Nunnery
of Grace^Dieu.

The union of the See of Glendaloch with that of Dublin
may be said to have been effected during the incumbency of
Henry Loundres; although that union had been contemplated
and in fact determined upon in the Council of Kells, held
under Cardinal Paparo in 1252.* It was observed in that

* I am ready to admit that this union of the Sees of Dobliu and of Glendaloch
forms a very complicated and difficult portion of the ecclesiastical history of our
country. It is allowed by all our annalists, that the union had been effectually
established in 1214, under the incumbency of HfSaiy, Archbishop of Dublin; and
yet, strange to say, we find in the fifteenth century no less than four bishops actu-
ally promoted to the See of Glendaloch and canouically exercising episcopal func-
tions within that diocess. (See Cent, xv.) The difficulty, then, amounts to this;
how are we to account for the regular appointment and canonical administration of
these four prelates, who in the fifteenth century governed the See of Glendaloch,
after that same See had been permanently united to Dublin two hundred years be-
fore ! My opinion on this subject is, that the union effected in 1*214 by Ueniy de
Loundres was at the time a mere union of the temporalities, and that Glendaloch
was allowed together with other privileges to retain the title of an episcopal see ;
the Bishop whereof was to be a Vicar or occasional assistant to the Archbishop of
Dublin. The whole tenor of the proceedings, even from the time of the Council
of Kells, proves beyond the possibility of doubt, that the comparative temporalities
of the two Sees were the main object contemplated by this perhaps necessary
union. Dublin had been raised to the rank of an Archdiocess, but it was very in-
considerable, while its revenues became, in consequence, proi>ortionably inadequate.

379

Council, that the diocess of Dublin, which had then been
raised to the rank of an Archiepiscopal See, had been alto-
gether too limited. Its bounds towards the north and in the
Western direction were allowed to be considerably fair, while
towards the south it extended no farther than the walls of the
City. On the other hand the ancient diocess of Glendaloch,
comprizing within itself a namber of districts at that time
powerful and comparatively populous, spread itself beyond
the bounds of the now County of Wicklow and came even to
the very walls of Dublin. Qy a decision, therefore, of the
Synod of Kells, a considerable portion of the diocess of
Glendaloch was to have been annexed to the See of Dublin;
the remainder was to be reserved for Gildas, the existing in-
cumbent, upon whose demise the two Sees were to have been
permanently united. This union did not, however, take place
until' 1214, under the incumbency of Henry De Loundres.
During the time of St. Laurence OToole, Ireland was in too
distracted a state for the arrangement of an union of such
importance. John Comin^ who succeeded St. Laurence, had
not been many years placed in the Archiepiscopal chair of
Dublin when Henry II died/ and in fact the whole of John's
incumbency was almost one continued round of annoyance,

H«Dce the Cotmcil of Kells ordained, that a ceitaia portion of the diocess of Glen-
daloch shoald he annexed to the See of Dublin^ and tha%, moreover^ oa the death
of' Gildas, the exuting incumbent, the two Sees should be united. It appears,
that Honorius III in the Bull which he delivered to Henry Loundres, dated the 6th
of October, 1216, actually confirmed the arrangement which Cardinal Paporo and
the Council of Kells had ordained ; and that Henry II and his son John, availing
themselves of a regal privilege, had also ratified the same. The ratification of
John, which clearly supports my opiniou, concludes with these words: — *'So that
the Archbishop of Dublin should hold the two Diocesses (of Dublin and Glenda*
loch) in his possession without any reservation ; and that the Bbhop of Glendalocli
should be Chaplain or Vicar to the Archbii^hop of Dublin/' lliis union had, at
length, been amicably agreed upon during the administration of Henry Loundres,
and effected as well probably by the civil power which the Archbishop had then in
his hands, as by the personal influence which he maintained over the clerjty and
people of Glendaloch. For the four Prelates of Glendaloch above alluded to, see
Cent. XV. c. 1.

380

either from the Deputy who had been placed over Ireland or
from the ineonstancy and overbearing spirit of King John
himself. It appears that John had actually ratified tbe deci-
sion agreed npon at the Council of Kelh, and most probably
it was upon this occasion that Archbishop Comin founded the
Church of St. Patrick outside the walls of the City. It is,
bowever, certam, that no actual union had at that time taken
place, nor was it comj^ed until the period which has been
already specified.

In 1214 and on the death of William Peryn, Bishop of
Glendaloch, Henry Lomidres undertook to unite that See
with the Archiepiscopal one of Dublin. As soon as the Arch-
bishop's intentions had been made known, the clergy of Glen-
daloch aided by tbe difierent powerful septs in the County of
Wicklow strenuously protested against the measure, and their
opposition, linked as they had been with other dynasts,
assumed in a short time all the appearance of one desperately
united national struggle. With great difficulty, however, an
arrangement had been effected, and the two Sees were united,
yet on condition tbat a cathedral church should be erected on
a site within the ancient district df the diocess of Glendaloch.*
Agreeably to this arrangement, the collegiate Church of St.
Patrick, founded by Archbishop Comin and actually situated
within the ancient diocess of Glendaloch, was now erected
into a Cathedral, '' united (to use the words of Archbishop
Allen) with Christ Church under one spouse, saving to the
other Church, the pre-eminence in dignity." Its first Dean
was William Fitz-Guy, and besides Vicars choral, the Arch-
bishop appointed a Chanter, a Chancellor and a Treasurer;
to each of whom he assigned revenues and rectories. The
Cathedral of St. Patrick had on this occasion been enlai^ed

* Doctor Barkei in his " Hibernia Dominican^/' has annexed, as a second con-
dition, that Glendaloch should enjoy a resident Archdeacon. From what has been
stated in a previous note, this might, as a probable consequence, be admitted. —
Sec Hib. Dom. c. 9. p. 186.

381

and considerably beautified; and whereas it stood on the site
of the former Parochial Church of St. Nicholas without the
walb of the City^ a new and splendid capella was fitted up
at the south side of the choir and was soon after with great
solemnity dedicated to that Saint, as Patroa of the Parish.

The administration of Henry De Louodres seems to have
been embittered by an almost continued series of the most
disagreeable events. Among these the conduct of King John,
over whom the Archbishop possessed considerable influence,
and the constant disputes which had been kept up between
himself and his tenantry in the dioeess of Dublin appear to
have been the source of the greatest uneasiness. Attached ag
the Archbishop Henry had been to the paramount interest of
England, and still anxious for its further a^randizement,
nothing could more sensibly wound his feelings than an
attempt to upset or even to weaken that spirit of sovereignty
with which the great mass of his countrymen would seem to
have been at that time actuated. It must, therefore, have
been a painful ceremony for such a man to be the principal
vntness at the execution of the deed by which John reMgned
the kingdoms of England and of Ireland to the Pope, and
consented to hold them as a fief, by the service of one thou-
sand marcs to be paid annually; seven hundred for England
and three hundred for Ireland.* When, however, John did,
on that occasion, do homage to Pandolph the Legate,
Henry, among all the Prelates who were present, was the
only person who ventured to express his indignation, both at
the terms of this contract and at the degradation to which his
Monarch had subjected himself. Throughout the whole of
John's misfortunes, Henry proved himself a sincere and 8tead->
fast friend, and when at length he had attended the congress
of Runnymede together with the few lords who still continued
on the King's side, his honourable sincerity was appreciated

• Math. Paris, p. 227,— Math. Westminster, p. 93.

382

and he was allowed a seat immedialely after the Archbishop
of Canterbary.

The harshness, and if history may be credited, the cruel
injustice with which Henry had, on more than one occatton,
acted towards his own tenantry in Ireland, can add but very
little credit to his character as an English patriot It is said,
that at one time he summoned his tenantry together, and aflter
having received their leases and other documents into his
hands, he instantly and without assigning a reason, cast
Aem all into the fire."* The tenants, most of whom had
been his own countrymen, became enraged and a violent
tumult ensued in which the Archbishop's life was in danger
and he was obliged to fly for safety. The result of these pro-
ceedings proved rather unfavourable to the Archbishop; for
Henry III, then King of. England, on being furnished with
the history of these occurrences had Henry De Loundres re*
moved from his office of Lord Justice, and Maurice Fits-
Oerald was immediately substituted in his place. The remain-
der of Henry's days were devoted to the ordinary duties of his
diocess until 1228, when he died and was buried in a wooden
sepulchre, in the north wall of Christ Church and immediately
opposite the tomb of John Comin.

Even at this early season the working of the tithe system
began to produce its natural effects; it soon became the con-
stant and fruitful source of public contention not only between
the clergy and people, but even between the prelates them-
selves. Richard Fleming having been consecrated Bishop of
Leighlin in 1217 had, as soon as he entered on the adminis-
tration of his diocess, commenced a suit against the Prior of
Conal for certain tithes belonging to Lesse, now part of the
Queen's County. This claim was, however, peaceably ad-
justed, by the Bishop allowing the possessions and tithes to
the Prior, reserving to himself and to his successors a yearly

? Lib. Niger. Fol. 347.

383

pension of tea marcs, to be paid regularly at Leigfaiin. Some
years after a similar case had been litigated between Richard
De la Corner, Bishop of Meath, and the Abbot of St. Mary's
near Dublin. The proceedings in this suit were conducted
with unbecoming violence; at length the question was referred
to William, Bishop of Leighlin and other delegates deputed
by the Pope, when a decision was pronounced in favour of
the Abbey; reserving twenty pounds to be p&id annually to
the Bishop.

But the disputes, which originated between the Bishops of
Waterford and Lisfnore, relative to church property and tithes,
had during a great portion of the thirteenth century given rise
to much angry feeling and even to blood-shed. David,
Bishop of Waterford and a relative of Miler Fitz-Henry, Lord
Justice of Ireland, laid claim to certain lands and their tithes,
situated within the diocess of Lismore. The case was warmly
contested on both sides, and in it OTelan, Prince of the
Decies, aided by his tenantry took an active and a decided
part in favour of the See of Lismore. At length the Arch-
deacon of Cashel together with the Bishops of Cork and of
Killaloe undertook, by directions of Innocent III, to decide
the matter; when the people of the Decies rushing into the
court seemed resolved on carrying their measure by violence,
and in the midst of the scuffle which ensued, David, Bishop
of Waterford, lost his life."* This event, fatal and scandal-
ous as it had been, did not prevent his successor, Robert,
from making a still more unwarrantable encroachment on the
ecclesiastical property attached to the See of Lismore. The
Bishops of Norwich, Clonfert and Enaghdune having been
specially delegated caused a canonical citation to be served on
Robert of Waterford, to which the latter objected and refused
to attend in court, even by his Proctor. Restitution was,
however, adjudged to the Bishop of Lismore, and Robert was

* EpUu Innocent III, — Ware, Bishops.

384

moreover condemoed in a fine of one hundred and sixty marcs*
Fita^Chrutophery Seneschal of Waterford, an influential and
violent partizan, took an active shaire in the litigation and
espoused the interest of his Bishop. Accompanied bj a
numerous train of his dependants, he advanced to Lismore^
seized on the Prelate of that See even in his own Cathedral
and had him conducted to Duogarvan, where he was cast in-
to prison and loaded with irons. This unpardonable outrage^
to which Robert of Waterford was said to have been acces-
sary, could not for a moment be tolerated by the delegates:
they assembled in the Cathedral of Cashel, when the Bishop
of Waterford having again refused to appear, they excommu-
nicated him and his adherents, and by the Pope's authority
commanded the Archbishop to proclaim him excommunicated
throughout his Province. The Pope, moreover, ratified this
sentence without admitting any written appeal and ordered
Robert of Waterford to be summoned before him.* It would
appear, however, that through the mediation of the King,
the censure was soon after removed, and the question itself,
which had occasioned so much scandal, was at leogtli amica-
bly adjusted.

On the death of Henry De Loundres in 1228, Luke, Dean
of St. Martin's Church, London, vras chosen as his successor
in the See of Dublin, on the 13th of December in the same
year. The election having been proved infi[>rmal was rejected
by the Pope; Luke, however, was re-elected, consecrated
and confirmed in the See by Pope Gregory IX, but not until
the year 1230. From this election are to be dated the various
complicated and long contested differences which had for so
many years been kept up between the Dean and Chapter of
St Patrick's and the Prior and Canons of Christ Church.
Each Cathedral claimed to itself the canonical and exclusive
right of electing the archbishop. The Canons of Christ

• Epist. Innoc. III. 6 Kal, July, 1212.~£dlt. Bosquet.

386

Church rested their claim on the principle of antiquity;
Christ Church being in fact, the Mother Cathedral: while the
Deioi and Chapter of St Patrick*8 insisted on the ordinances
of the Council of Kells, on the terms of the union between
the Sees of Glendaloch and of Dublin and on the grant and
pciyileges of King John. After a lengthened controversy on
both sides, the Archbishop Luke decided the question in this
manner: ^^that henceforth the election should take place in
the Chuivh of the Holy Trinity (Christ Church) and that the
Prior and Canons of Christ Church together with the Dean
and Chapter of St Patrick's should there and in no other
fiuce, by united sufFn^es, elect the person roost worthy to
fill the vacant Archiepiscopal See of Dublin." In virtue of
this arrangement, to which all parties had, at least at that
time^ willingly subscribed, the Canons and the Chapter pro*
ceeded to an election, on the demise of Luke in 1226, and
their choice fell on Ralph De Norwich, a Canon of St. Pat-
rick's. Fair and canonical as this election might appear, it
was nevertheless set aside by a decision from Rome, and
Fulk De Sandford, in Oxfordshire, Treasurer of St Paul's
Church in London, was declared Archbishop and consecrated
in July 1266.* Whatever might have been the cause of the
late rejection, and it would appear to have been mixed up
with some privi^ iactbnal intrigue among the canons them-
selves, the union between St Patrick's and Christ Church
was once more dissolved, and each party insisted on their
respective privileges. Fulk De Sandford presided over the
See for fifteen years and was buried in St. Patrick's Church
in a capetla founded by himself and dedicated to the Blessed
Virgin.

Immediately after the death of the Archbishop, the King
granted licence of election,t when the Prior and Canons of

• Matthew, Paris ad A. 1256.
t Soon after the introduction of the Knglish laws into this country the usual
mode of epmcopa) election was in this manner : When a vacancy should happen to

3 c

386

Christ Church chose WiUiam De la Corner, the King^s chap*
kin; while the Dean and Chapter of St. Patrick'^ elected
Fromond De la Bruen, the Pope's- cbaplmn and at that time
Chancellor of Ireland. Each party strenuously maintained
the validity of their respective proceedings and the cootvo-
▼ersy was conducted with great violence on both sidi^; at
length the two elections were set aside by the Pope, and
John of Darlii^ton (in the Dt^opric of Durham) was de-
dared Archbishop and was soon after consecrated in the
Abbey of Waltham by John Peckam, Archbishop of Canter-
bury, This <x)ntroverey, which must have evidently occa-
sioned more trouble than benefit to the Church of Ireland^
was maintained without interruption until the incumbency of
Alexander De Bicknor, in the fourteenth centary, after
which period, it appears, th^t the archbishops of Dublin had
been regularly promoted to that See by provision of the Pope.
During the lapse of the thirteenth century, three important
synods had been held and several ecclesiastical regulations
were devised for the maintenance of discipline. One of
these synods was convened at Wexford by John De St John,
Bishop of Ferns. This Prelate, after having been for a time
treasurer of Ireland, succeeded Alban O'MoUoy in the Dio*
cess of Ferns and was the first Englishman who had been
promoted to that See. In the year 1240, John held a Synod

OGCvr^ eh* Chapter first memeriaUed the King, for a Cmige d*E$lire, that is» a
licence to proceed to election -, after electioa had been made, a regular certificate
thereof was presented to the King and obtained his assent *. the proceedings of the
Chapter being at the same time svbmttted to the Holy See and confirmed* the
Kiog accordingly issaed a writ of restitutioa to the temporalities or episcopal pos-
sessions, which always remained in the hands of the crown until the vacant see
had been filled. Should the Chapter proceed to election without the C&ng9 d'Et^
lire, they became by law subject to seriovs peDaltiea^ while the electioa was de-
dared null and void. These penalties had been generally pardoned by the King ;
yet we have instances in which they had been rigorously enforced. — See Reily's
Placita Parliamentarian p. 296* On particular occasions, when an election should
happen to be contested, the Pope, by the plenitude of his authority, generally in-
terfered and provided for the see.

•387

in the Priory of Selskar, at Wexford * Teiv years after
another Synod was held in Toam, under Florence Mac Plin,
Archbisliop of that Diocess, the decrees of which are not
extant; and in 1262^ a provinciai Synod was held at Drog^
heda by Patrick O'Scanlan, Arohbishopof Amagh.t

It was by no means nnosual in this age to entrust the office
of Loid Justice or of Chief Governor of Ireland to the
management of ecclesiastics. Besides Henry De Loundres^
whoy as has been noticed, was Justiciary in the reign of
King John, two other prelates had been commissioned to
discharge the duties of the same office towards the close of
this century* Stephen De Fulbum, a native of Fulbum in
Cambridgeshire, of the Order ot Hoapttallers and Bishop of
Waterford, was appointed Lord Justice of Ireland by Ed-
ward I in 1281.:j: This Qovemor is represented to have,
during the entire of his administration, earnestly employed
all the influence arising from his office^ with a view of ob-
tainiiag the advantage of the English laws for the people of
Ireland and of inspiring the King with a eoncem for their
interest The native Irish, and especially those who lived
contiguous to the pale, had been now so harrassed that self*-
preservation itself dictated the necessity of making at least
some effort towards changing their former state of tributary
vassalage and of placing themselves under the protection ctf
the laws of England. For this purpose they guaranteed to
pay eight thousand marcs to the King, provided he would
place them under the security of the English laws. With
this request Edward, on his part, seemed not unwilling to
comply; but his answer was grounded on a condition which
at once developes both the policy and the mercenary spirit of
the rulers of Ireland in those times. *^li seems, (replies
Edward,) sufficiently expedient to us and to our council, to
grant them the English laws, provided always, that the geue-

* See WUkins ConcUia, T. I. t See Chap. II. t Ware Annals ad A. 1281.

388

ral consent of our people, or at least of the prelates and
nobles of that land, well affected to us, shall uniformly con-
cur in their behalf. We therefore command you, that having
entered into treaty with these Irish people, and having
agreed between you and them on the higkest fine of money
that you can obtain on tins account, to be paid to us, you,
with the consent of all or at least the greater and sounder
part aforesaid, make such a composition with the said pe<^ple,
in the premises, as you shall judge in your diligence to be
most expedient for our honour and interest."* tt required but
little discernment to foresee that a compliance with this con-
dition was, in the present state of Ireland, absolutely impos-
sible. The Norman barons and the leading English settlers,
who had now determined on cantonizing the country among
themselves, were not likely to subscribe to a measure which
might so effectually upset their favourite views. In fact each
of these marauders began now to consider himself a petty
sovereign and at times appeared disposed to set at defiance
the authority of the English Monarch himself. It is not,
therefore, surprising, that this reasonable boon of the Irish
people should have been rejected. They were refused to be
sheltered in the land of their birth, even by the laws of the
very people who had outrageously stript them of their pro^
perty ; and thus had insurrections and re-action been created,
the English name became deservedly odious, charity as well
as common justice seemed to have forsaken the land, while
the lives and property of the people became a prey to every
unprincipled adventurer and the whole country was at length
brought to the very brink of ruin. In such a state of society
it cannot be supposed that Stephen t)e Fulburn or any other
governor could have it in his power to effect any thmg which

* These directions had been transmitted to Ireland during the administration of
the Justiciary Ufford, the immediate predecessor of Stephen De Fulburn,— See
Holinshed.

389

might be considered of benefit to the people. He held the
office of Lord Justice for six years, during which time he
was allowed a pension of five hundred pounds, to be paid to
him annually out of the Exchequer.* It appears, however,
tlmt after his death in 1287, the King had seized on all his
gcMds and chattels, and even on the vessels and ornaments
ef the Church, for debts due to the crown while this Prdate
had been in office. Nevertheless a writ was soon after issued
lo the treasurer and to the barons of the Exchequer enjoining
them to make r^titution to the Cathedral, by restoring the
CfavYch ornaments Und other property to the Dean and Chap-
ter.i* John Sandfc^, Archbishop of Dublin, was appointed
to succeed Stephen in the office of Chief Governor. This
Prelate, however, continued but a short time Lord Justice
of Ireland. Having been sent by Edward I on an embassy
to the Emperor, John had scarcely returned to England
when he was seised ''with a violent malady (as Westminster
expresses it,) and went the way of all flesh." His remains
were brought to Ireland and deposited in St. Patrick's Church
on the 20th of February, 1294.$

The many and fruitless contests, which had been for so long
a time kept up between Frederic II and the Popes Innocent
III and Gregory IX, have given rise to some events which
may serve to show the attachment of the Irish clergy to the
Holy See; especially when contrasted with the conduct of our
more opulent and powerful neighbours. During these feudal
tames, it veas not unusual for the popes to make an appeal to
the clergy of particular national churches and to call on them
for assistance. Such appeals appeared then almost obligatory
from the fact, that the suppression of abuses had been the
object contemplated on these occasions. In the course of
the thirteenth century, these demands had, at four different
periods been made on the clergy both of England and of

* Pat. 13, Edw. I, M«m. 5. f Id. 17 Edv^. I, Mem. 4. t Ware Bishops.

390

Ireland. Dunng the administration of Maurice Fitzgerald^
Lord Justice of Ireland in 1229^ Stephen, Nuncio to Gregory
IX, came to Ireland with apostolic mandates, by virtue of
which the tenth of all Church temporalities throughout the
kingdom was required for the purpose of defraying the ex-
penses of those painful conflicts to which the simony of the
Emperor Frederic II had given rise. In Ireland the com«>
mission of the Nuncio was successful; among the clergy and
barons of England, the propriety of the demand was vio-
lently contested. Encouraged by the example of Ranulp*
hus, Earl of Chester, the bishops and clergy of that country
persisted for a time in rejecting the claim; dreading, how-
ever, the displeasure of Henry III, they at length consented,
and for this time, at least, was a proportional share of the
rent advanced on the part of the clergy of England and
Wales.* A second demand was made in 1240 by the Legate
Petrus De Supino, on which occasion fifteen hundred marcs
were collected throughout Ireland. In 1247, John Rusus,
Legate to Innocent IV, not daring to venture into England,
repaired to this country and made a third appeal to the Irish
clergy, when six hundred marcs were readily collected; and
a fourth claim having been made in 1270 was attended with:
similar success.

. Against these proceedings the clergy of England loudly
remonstrated, and, by way of supplement, their remonstrance
was artfully fitted up with invectives against a number of
Italian ecclesiastics, who had, it seems, found means at that
time of obtaining benefices in England. Whether the memo-
rialists had been reasonable or not, in urging these complaints,
is scarcely worth the trouble of investigating; at all events
they appear to have forgotten, that almost all the principal
sees together with the rich monasteries of Ireland were, at
the very same time, exclusively in the possession of English
ecclesiastics.

* Ware, Aanals, ad A. 1229 ct passim*

CHAPTER n.

Successors of St. Patrick — Episcopal Sees — Religious
Foundations of the Thirteenth Century.

The Primatial See had, in the commencement of the
thirteenth century, been placed under the government of
EuGBNE Mac Gillividbr,* The incumbency of this Prel-
ate continued until 1216, in ivhich year he died at Rome,
shortly after the termination of the fourth general Council of
Lateran. Immediately on the death of Eugene the Chapter
proceeded to an election, and convened the capitular without
having obtained the usual licence of the King. Luke Nbt-
TsaviLLE, Archdeacon of Armagh, a man of prudence and
learning, was the person elected. He forthwith proceeded to
London, but, as might be expected, the King refused to con-
firm his nomination. This rejection served only to render the
Chapter more united; however, the royal licence being at
length obtained, Luke was re-elected, and having obtained
the King's assent and the confirmation of the Pope, he was
in the same year (1217) consecrated by Stephen Langton,
Archbishop of Canterbury. He presided over the See ^until
1227, in which year he died and was interred, as some au-
thorities will have it, in the Abbey of Mellifont; but accord-
ing to others, in the Dominican Convent at Drogheda, of
which he was the founder and munificent benefactor.f

DoNATus OTiDABRA and Albert styled Coloniensis
governed in succession the Archiepiscopal See, after the death
of the Primate Luke. The fprmer of these prelates was
Bishop of Clogher, from which See he had been translated

• See Chap. I. t MS. S. Palri ad A. 1227.

392

in 1227; and the latter^ after his consecration at Westminster
in 1240> returned to Armagh, but resigned the administration
of the Archdiocess about seven years afterwards and died on
the Continent.* The mercenary proceedings of many of the
chief governors of Ireland, on the demise or resignation of a
bishop, became at this peoiod most reprehensible. To dis-
cover some informality in the acts of the Chapter, or to with-
hold the royal assent were matters of ordinary occurrence,
while the see, for a term of years, was kept vacant and the
revenues were allowed to flow into a channel which neither
the canons of the Church or the law of the realm had ever
thought proper to contemplate. For the purpose of prevent-
ing a repetition of this abuse. Innocent IV, into whose hands
Albert had resigned his Archdiocess, now deemed it necessary
to interfere and immediately proceeded to the consecration of
his successor.

Rbinbr (Reginald), a native of Ireland and a member of
the Order of Preachers, was the person selected by the Pon-
tiff. This ecclesiastic had already distinguished himself by
his apostolical career in various parts of Italy, along the
Rhine and in Switzerland. In the general Chapter of his
Order held at Bononia in 1221, at which the great Patriarch
St Dominick presided, Reginald was one of the twelve nomi-
nated on that occasion, and was soon afler despatched to
England with commissionary powers to lay the foundation of
this new invaluable institute in that kingdom. Having suc-
ceeded to a certain extent in England, he soon after passed
over into his own country, where his services had been most
amply appreciated; afler which he proceeded to England and
from thence to Rome, during the pontificate of Gregory IX.f
Reginald returned to Ireland about the close of the year 1247
and presided over the See of Armagh for nine years: he died
at Rome in 1256 and was succeeded by

• Wwc, Bishope, f Echard, Tom. I.

393

Abraham O'Conellan, Archpriest of the Church of Ar-
magh. This Prelate, immediately after his election, pro-
ceeded to Rome and was invested with the pallium. He pre-
sided, however, but two years after his return from the Con-
tinent, and upon his death in 1260, the King granted to the
Chapter of Armagh the power of electing a successor.

Patrick O'Scanlan, of the Order of Preachers and
Bishop of Raphoe, was unanimously elected by the Chapter
to fill the archiepiscopal chidr. As soon as the decision of
the Chapter had been made known to Henry III, that Mon-
arch, already acquainted with the merits of Patrick, caused
letters in his favour to be directed to Urban IV, and on the
$th of the following November, 1261, the election was con-
firmed and he was promoted to the Metropolitan See. On
the following year (1262) this Prelate convened a provincial
Synod in Drogheda at which all the suffragans of the Pro-
vince assisted and some likewise from the Province of Tuam,
together with the Lord Justice and many of the principal
nobility of the kingdom^ This Synod was convened for the
purpose of asserting the primatial rights of Arpiagh over the
provinces and of considering the claims of Hugh, Bishop of
Meath; that Prelate having for some time insisted on the
right of a canonical exemption from the visitations pf the
Primate. It appears from the Register of Octavian De Pa-
latio. Archbishop of Armagh,* that the privileges of the
Primatial See were in this Synod ratified and published, and
it was decreed ^'that it should be lawful for the Archbishop
of Armagh and his successors, as Primates of Ireland to
visit the Bishop and . clergy of Meath, and to hear causes
therein.*' This right, which regarded conclusively the personal
visitations of the Primate, was in the fifteenth century al-
lowed even to commissioners deputed with visitatory powers
by the Metropolitan See of Armagh .f While the equity

• Fol. 282 t Swain's Heg»»ter, p. 106.

3 D

394

of his administration had been admired in this country,
the zeal and firmness which he displayed on many trying
occasions were honourably appreciated by the Pontiffs Alex-
ander and Urban at Rome. The privileges conferred on
this Prelate by Alexander IV were rather of a personal des-
cription;* but in the month of November 1263 he received
from Urban IV a Bull in which the important question of the
Primacy was involved and from which we shall take the op-
portunity of making the following extract: ''But the Primacy
of all Ireland, which your predecessors are known to have
undoubtedly enjoyed always and up to this time, we follow-
ing the example of Pope Celestine, our predecessor, do, by
apostolical authority, confirm the same to you and to your
successors; ordaining that the archbishops, bishops and other
prelates of Ireland shall at all times show unto you as Pri-
mate and to your successors, both obedience and reverence/'f
The Primate Patrick O'Scanlan, after an incumbency of ten
years, died in the Monastery of St. Leonard at Dundalk and
was buried in a convent of his own order at Drogheda.

Nicholas, styled in the annals Son of Molissa, was elected
his successor and was consecrated in 1272. Under this Prel-
ate, the works already commenced in the Cathedral of Ar^
magh were completed, in a style of such singular beauty that
the like was not to be found in the kingdom. The Primate

* Arch. Apost Lib. A.

t Vide jus primatiale, &b Oliv. Plunkett, A. 1672— et jus Primal, ab H. Mac
Mahon, 1728. Archbishop Talbot and the advocates of the Dublin primacy have
considered this document as inadmissible, and question the authenticity of the Bull
itself, on the following grounds : First, because it is not to be found in the BulU*
Hum Ramcnum, Secondly, it is not to be had in the BuUarium Ordinit Putdica*
forum, to which Order Patrick, Archbishop of Armagh, had belonged ; and thirdly,
it does not appear either in the Vatican Tabulary or in the Apottolical Archives. —
Moreover, they assert, that this document, in itself so decisive, bad not on any oc-
casion been produced by either Patrick or his successors during the controversy on
this question, until at length and for the first time it happened to be promulgated
by Richard Ralphion, Archbishop of Armagh about the middle of the fourteenth
century.— Vide jus Prim. Dub. 1674.

395

Nicholas likewise enriched the church with books, costly
▼estments and a pension of twenty marcs annuallyy to be
paid out of his manor of Temum-Fechin. He presided over
the See thirty-one years and died on the 10th of May, A.D.
1303*

The See of Kilmore, or as it was styled in the thirteenth
century, of Brefihy, appears to have been canonically estab-
lished at thb period; while its prelates were called JEpiscapi
Bre/inienges and sometimes Triburnejises, from Tribuma, a
small village in which they resided. Following the authority
of the Register of Clogher, it would seem that this district
had formerly belonged to the ancient Diocess of Clones, on
Lough Erin, over which St. Tigamac presided, and after him
St. Peidlimid or Felim, the Patron Saint, about the close of
the sixth century. The first Bishop, however, which our annals
present in this See of Tribuma or Breffny, is Florence Ca*-
nacty, in 1231 ;*f softer whom we find a regular succession
until the year 1454, when Andrew Mac Brady, Bishop of
Brefiny, erected the Parish Church of St. Felim into a Ca-
thedral, and henceforth this ecclesiastical district became
universally designated the Diotess of Kilmare.

Besides the union of the Sees of Dublin and Glendaloch,!
as stated in the foregoing chapter, some other unions bad
been effected about this period, which it may be proper to
notice. The union of the ancient Diocess of Louth with that
of Armagh is marked by our annalists as one among the im-
portant events of the thirteenth century. Louth had been

• W»re Bishops. 1 1^

X The events connected with the Archiep»copel See of Dublin having been
necesstfily introdvced in the first chtpter i the succession of its prelates, may, for
the sake of perspicuity, be now briefly inserted. 1. John Comin, Archbishop of
Dublin, consecrated 1181. 2. Henry Loundres, 1213. 3. Luke, 1230. 4. Fulk
De Sandford, 1256. 5. John Derlingtoo, 1279. 6. John De Sandford, brother of
the above mentioned Fulk, 1284. 7. William De Hothum, Provincial of the £ng«
lish Dominicans, 1297. 8. Richard De Ferings, Archdeacon of Canterbury, pro •
vided by the Pope and consecrated in 1299.

396

united to Ologher sioce the year 1044; upon th^ terms cf
which union, Christian^ Bishop of Clogher and brother of
St. Malachy, had afterwards obtained a rescript from Pope
Innocent II. However, during the incumbency of Albert^
Archbishop of Armagh, a visitatory process had been insti-
tuted in the seteral sees of Ulster^* by means of which the
circumscribed limits of the Arohdiocess were ascertained^ and
measures were adopted^ through the agency of Maurice Fitz-
Gerald, Lord Justice of Ireland, for the enlai^ement of its
boundaries^ On this occasion it was, that Henry III, had^
by authority from Rome^ caused letters patent to be issued,
in which^ among other matters, it was ordained '^That in con-
sideration of the poverty of th^ two Sees of Clogher and of
Armagh, he (the Lord Justice) should provide and cause
them to be united."f While the execution of this writ had
been contemplated, Albert died on the Continent; however^
during the infiumbency of his successoi*, Reginald, a new
arrangement was effected, according to which, the Diocess
of LouCh was to be separated from Clogher and annexed to
Armagh together with the thrcie deaneries of Drogheda, Ather-
dee and Dundalk4 About the same time, the Church of
Ardsrath, with a great portion of the territory of Keneleogan
had been taken from Clogher and united to the Diocess of
Deny; while Dromore, which had for centuries been merged
in Armagh, becomes again a distinct See, under the adminis-
tration of its Prelate, Gerald, fonnerly Abbot of Mellifont
and consecrated in April, 1227.

The union of the See of Mayo with the Archdiocess of
'Tuam is to be dated at the year 1210. Celestin O'Dubhay,
the last Bishop of Mayo died about that period, and upon
his demise, Felix, Ardhbishop of Tuam, acting on the au-
thority of the Council of Kells, and with the joint concur-
jrence of the Chapter, entered on the government of the two
Sees, since which time they have continued united.^

^ Record Lond. f Id. t Ware, Bishops of Clogher. j Ware knU<\.

397

Agreeably to the system hitherto observed^ we now pro-
ceed to aa analysis of the priories, abbeys and convents
which had been founded in the thirteenth century; reserving
at the same time the priories or hospitals of the Trinitarians
with other charitable establishments for the history of the
sixteenth century,

PHIORIBS OF TH£ CANONS REDULAB OF ST. AUGU8TIN FOUNDED
IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY.

The Priory of TiIisternagH^ in the Barony of Moy-
goish and County of Westmeath, was founded for Canons
Regular of St. Augustin by Geoffry De Constantine about
the year 1200^ Several of the Nugents> Tuites and Dela-
mars had been priors of this establishment. In 1590, a lease
of this Priory was made to Captain William Piers; while
seven hundred acres of moor, arable and pasture, with forty
messuages were granted to Uobert Harrison.*

The Priory of Great Conall, on the banks of the Lifiey
in the County of Kildare, was founded in 1202 by Meyler
Fitz-Heniy, for Canons Regular of 8u Augustim The Prior
of Great Conall sat as a Baron in Parliament In the 3rd of
Elizabeth, it was granted to Sir Nicholas White.f

The Priory of Inibtiogve, in the Barony of Gowran,
County of Kilkenny, was founded A.D. 1206 by Thomas,
son of Anthony, Seneschal of Leinster, for Canons Regular
of St. Augustin* The last Prior was Miles Baron. By an
inquisition taken in the 31st of Henry VIII its possessions
were found to consist of nine hundved and fifty acres, situated
in the counties <^ Kilkenny, Carlow and Wexford, nine rec*
tories, eighteen burgages and thirty-nine messuages; all of
which, except the rectories, were granted in the 10th of
Elizabeth to Edmund Butler and his heirs, in capite^ at the
yearly rent of £28 12s., Irish money.J

* Aud. Gen. f Id. t Id.

398

Thb Priory of Newtown, sitaated on the north bank of
the Bo3rne, in the County of Meath, was founded in 1206
for Canons Regular of St. Augustin, by Simon Rochford,
Bishop of Meath. The Prior of this house was the third
ecclesiastic in dignity and sat as a Baron in Parliament. —
Laurence White was the last Prior when, in the 29th of
Henry VIII, this Priory with five hundred acres of arable
and pasture land and the rectories of Galtrim, Tillanoge and
Fennor, were granted to Robert Dillon at the annual rent of
£16 5s. 9d. One hundred acres in Moyvalley, part of the
possessions of this Priory, were conferred on Gterald, Earl of
Kildare*

The Priort of Tuam, in the Barony of Dunmore, County
of Gralway, was founded by the family of Buigh, about the
year 1220, for Canons of St. Victor, following the rule of St.
Augustin. In the 20th of Elizabeth, this Priory with part of
its possessions, one hundred acres and two quarters, was
granted together with the Abbey of Mayo to the burgesses
and commonalty of Athenry.f

The Priory of Mullingar (De Domo Dei), in the County
of Westmeath, was founded in 1227 for Canons Regular of
St. Augustin by Ralph le Petit, Bishop of Meath. John
Petit was the last Prior^ An inquisition was held in the 31st
of Henry VIII and a second in the 13th of Elizabeth, when
three hundred and sixty acres arable and pasture, with thirty-
three messuages were granted to Richard Tuite and bis heirs
male, in capite, by knights service at the yearly rent of
£16 6s. lOd.t

The Priory of Aghrim, in the Barony of Kilconnel,
County of Galway, was founded by Theobald Butler in the
thirteenth century for Canons Regular of St. Augustin. At
the suppression, this Priory was granted to Richard Earl of
Clanrickarde.§

* Chief Remem. f Aud. Gen. t Id. § Id.

399

Thb Priory op Ballybeg,* ia the Barony of Orrery and
Kilmore, County of Cork, was founded A.D. 1229 by Wil-
liam De Barry, for Canons Regular of St. Augustin. In the
16th of Elizabeth the possessions were consigned to Sir
Daniel Norton, for the wife of Sir Thomas Norris, President
of Munster.f

ABBIBS OF THB CISTERCIAN ORDER FOUNDED IN THE
THIRTEENTH CENTURY.

The Abbey of Tintern, in the Barony of Shelbume and
County of Wexford, was founded for Cistercians by William
Mareschal, the elder, Earl pf Pembroke, A.D. 12004 This
nobleman, having been in great danger at sea, made a vow
that he would erect a monastery ui that place where he should
first arriye in safety; which obligation he performed by the
foundation of Tintem Abbey, and afterwards supplied it with
monks whom he had brought from tlie Abbey of Tintem in
Monmouthshire. Its first Abbot was John Torrell, and in
process of time it became amazingly enriched. In 1380 it
was enacted that no mere Irishman be permitted to make his
profession in this Abbey. The abbots of Tintern sat as barons
in Parliament, the last of whom was John Power. By an
inquisition taken in the 31st of Henry VIII, the possessions
were found to consist of ninety acres, being the demesne land,
situated in Tintem, and two thousand two hundred acres of
moor, arable and pasture land, together with the rectories of
Banne, Kilmore, Clomines and various others. During the
same year the Saltees with the Rectory of Kilmore were
granted to William St Loo; while in the 18th of Elizabeth,
the Abbey and sixteen townlands, with their tithes and the re*

* For the Priories of Athawal, Nonagh, Eoiuscorthy, St. Wolstan's, Carrick-
on-Suir and St. John's in the City of Kilkenny together with the several Com-
manderies of the Hospitallers, founded at this period, see century XVI, chap. 2.

t Smith, vol. I. t Ware Mon.

400

version of the premises, were granted for ever, in captte, to
Anthony Colclough, at the annual rent of £26 4s.*

The Abbey of Kilbegoan (De Flumine Dei), in the
Barony of Moycashel and County of Westmeath, was founded
for Cistercians A.D. 1200.t Its possessions consisted of
one thousand and twenty acres of wood, arable and pasture
land, three water mills, eighteen messuages and twenty-six
rectories. The last Abbot was Maurice O'Shanahan in the
31st of Henry VI 11, when an inquisition was held and the
property was confiscated. In the 11th of Elizabeth, eight
carucates of this land were granted to Robert Dillon, at the
annual rent of £6 16s., the remainder was parcelled out in
1618 by James I to divers favourites, to be held of the King,
as of the Castle of Dublin, in free and common soccage. j:

The Abbey of Graiokem anaoh (De Valle Salvatoris), in
the Barony of Gowran and County of Kilkenny, was founded
by William Mareschal, the elder, Earl of Pembroke, for Cis-
tercians, A.D. 1204. In 1380, it was enacted that no mere
Irishman should be allowed to profess in this Abbey« The
Abbot of Graignemanagh sat as a Baron in Parliament. —
By an inquisition held in the 9th of Elizabeth, this Abbey
was found to possess six hundred and twenty acres of arable
and pasture land, eight townlands and eleven rectories, with
the tithes and alterages of the same. The last Abbot was
Charles Mac-Morough O'Cavanagh. In the 9th of Elizabeth
this Abbey and eight townlands in the Counties of Carlow
and Wexford with two hundred acres of land in the County
of Kilkenny were granted for ever, at an annual rent of
£41 to James Butler.§

The Abbey op Abbiwgton (Wotheney), in the County of
Limerick, was founded for Cistercians by Theobald Fitz-Wal-
ter. Lord of Carrick, A.D. 1205. The last Abbot was John
O'Mulryan, when in 1540 this Abbey was suppressed, and

* Aud. Gen. t Annals Four Masters. t Lib. Inquis. $ And. Gen.

401

in the 6th of Elizabeth^ deven rectories and fifteen townlands.,
in the Counties of Limerick and Kerry, were granted at an
annual rent to Peter Walsh, who was also by compact obliged
to maintain one horseman on the premises.*

The Abbby of Tracton (De Alba tractu), in the Barony of
Kinalea, County of Cork, was founded by Maurice Mac
Carthy for Cistercians, A.D. 1224. In 1380 it was enacted
that no mere Irishman should be suffered to make his pro-
fession in this Abbey. The Abbot of Tracton sat as a Baron
in Parliament. In 1668 the Abbey and its possessions were
granted by EUzabeth to Sir James Craig, on his paying a
iineof £7 158.; they were afterwards assigned to Richard.
Earl of Cork, who passed a patent for the same in the 7th
of James I.f

Those religious communities, usually designated '' Mendi-
cant Orders," had, during this century, arrived in Ireland,
for whom the following Convents had been established.

CONVENTS OP THE DOMINICAN ORDER FOUNDED IN THE
THIRTEENTH CENTURY.

The Convent of St. Saviour, Dublin, on the north bank
of the Litky and on the site of the present Four Courts, was
founded about the year 1216 by William Mareschal the elder,
Earl of Pembroke, for monks of the Cistercian Order. —
Eight years after this period the Dominicans arrived in Ire-
land, at which time (1224) the Cistercians resigned this es-
tablishment of St. Saviour into their possession; on condition
that on the feast of the Nativity, they should offer a lighted
taper at the Abbey of St. Mary, in acknowledgement that
this Monastery did originally belong to the Cistercian Order.j:
John Decer, Mayor of Dublin in 1380, was one of its prin-
cipal benefactors; he repaired and adorned the ehurch with a

* Aud. Gen. t Smith, vol. I. $ Wars Collect.

402

range of massive pillars and afterwards completed and beau*
tified the high altar. The friars of this house were distin-
guished promoters of literature in those days and in 1421
succeeded in establishing a school of philosophy and of di-
rinity on Usher's Island. On this occasion it was that they
had caused a bridge to be erected across the Liffey, which
has been since known by the name of the "Old Bridge."*
During the thirteenth century there had been three general
chapters held in this Convent and a fourth in 1313. The last
Prior was Patrick Hay, and by an inquisition held in the 33rd
of Henry VIII, the possessions in the County of Meath, con-
sisting of one hundred and twenty acres with six messuages,
were granted to Sir Thomas Gusake; while in the 20th of
Elizabeth, the Convent with divers property in the City of
Dublin, was given to Gerald, Earl of Ormond, for ever, in
free soccage, at the yearly rent of 20s. Irish money .+

The Convent of Drooheda, under the invocation of St.
Mary Magdalen, was founded by Luke Netterville, Arch-
bishop of Armagh, 1224. Richard II and Henry IV were
great benefactors to this Convent. Four general chapters had
been held here, namely: in 1290, 1303, 1347 and 1412. The
last Prior was Peter Lewis, and in the 35th of Henry VIII,
this Fnary with various houses, gardens and twelve acres of
land near Drogheda was granted to Walter Dowdall and
Edward Becke, at the annual rent of 2s. 2d. Irish money.:{:

The Black Abbey in Kilkenny was founded in honour
of the Holy Trinity, for Dominicans, by William Mareschal,
junior. Earl of Pembroke, in the year 1225. This establish-
ment maintained for centuries an high rank in the Order; four
general chapters have been held in it, namely: those of 1281,
1302, 1306 and 1346.§ Its last Prior was Peter Cantwell;
and in the 35th of Henry VIII, an inquisition was held,
when the possessions, consisting of twenty-four houses, six-

• Uib. Dom. f And. Gen. set ccnl. XVIIl, chap. 2. | Id. § Archdall Mon.

403

teen gardens, nineteen acres in Kilkenny with one hjyindred
and twenty acres, nine messuages and the tithes and alterages
of the same, were granted to Walter Archer, the Sovereign^
and to the burgesses and commonalty of Kilkenny, for ever,
at the annual rent of 12s. 4d. Irish money.* This ancient
and beautiful Abbey had been entirely demolished, with the
exception of the tower and the principal south aisle of the
church. During the great national struggle of the nineteenth
century, when millicms in chains insisted on the right of being
free, the numerous influential meetings of the spirited citizens
of Kilkenny held in the Black Abbey should be for ever re-
corded in the annals of Ireland. About the year 1816 the
Abbey was repaired and beautified in a style of superior ele-
gance; while its immense stately window of stained glass and
the other interior decorations, contrasted with the ivy-clad
tower and the massive pile of mouldering ruins which sur-
round it, have decidedly contributed to render the Black
Abbey of Kilkenny one of the most venerable and magni-
ficent remains of antiquity in the kingdom.

The Comvbnt op St. Saviour, Waterford, was founded
for Dominicans by the citizens of Waterford in 1226, and
was usually denominated ''Black Friars."t General chap-
ters had been held in this Convent in the years 1277, 1291
and 1309. The last Prior was William Marten and in the
34th of Henry VIII this Friary with six messuages and
twenty-two acres of land in the Liberties of Waterford was
granted to James White, at the annual rent of 4s. Irish.:{:

The Convent of St. Mary (S. Marice de Insula), in Cork,
was erected on an island called Cross-green, at. the south side
of the City by Philip Barry in the year 1229.| Edward III
and Edmund Mortimer, Earl of Ulster, were its munificent
benefactors. In the 35th of Henry VIII, a grant was made
of the Convent with ten messuages and eighty acres of land
to William Boureman at the annual rent of 6s. 9d. Irish.||

* Aud. Gen. t S^Hb, p. 182. % Aud. Gen. § Hib. Dom.

H Chief RGmeni.--See Cent. XIX, chap. 2.

404

The Convent op Mullinoar was founded in 1237, for
Dominicans, by the family of Nugent General chapters
had been held here in 1278, 1292, 1308 and 1314. In the
8th of Elizabeth, this Convent and one hundted and twenty
acres of land were granted to Walter Hope at the annual rent
of £10.

The Cohvekt of Athenry, in the County of Galway,
was founded in 1241 by Meyler De Bermingham, Baron of
Athenry. General chapters were held here in 1242 and in
1311. In the 16th of Elizabeth, this Convent with thirty
acres of land was granted to the burgesses of the town of
Athenry, at the yearly rent of £1 6s. 4d.*

The Convent of St. Dohinick in Cadkel was foonded by
David Mac Kelly, Archbishop of Cashel in 1243. This was
one of the most beaiitiful Convents of the Dominican Order
in Ireland and general chapters were held in it in the years
1289 and 1307. Edward Brown wes the last Prior, when in
the 35th of Henry VIII it was granted to Walter Fleming at
an annual rent of 2d. 6d.t

The Convent of Tralee, in Kerry, under the invocation
of the Holy Cross, was founded by Lord John Fitz-Thomas
in 1243. It became the general temetry of the Desmond
family and was suppressed in the 31st of Henry VIII.

The Convent of Colebainb, in Derry, was founded in
1244 by the Mac Evelins and dedicated to the Blessed Vir-
gin. Shane O'Boyle was the last Prior, when in 1542, it
was suppressed and its property confiscated to the crown.;];

The Convent of Sligo was founded in 1252 by Maurice
Fitz-Gerald. During the general confiscation it was granted
to Sir William Taaffe.§

The Convent of St. Mary, Roscommon, had for its
founder Felim O'Conor, King of Connaught in 1253. In
1615 this Convent with sixty-eight acres of land was con-
ferred on Francis Viscount Valentia.

• Chief Remdbi. t Aud, Gen. t King, p. 97. i Harris' Ub.

406

The CoifVENT op Athy, in the County of Kildare, was
founded, as it is supposed, by the families of Boiseles and
Hogans in the year 1257. General chapters had been held
in this Convent in 1288, 1295 and 1305. It was granted in
the 35th of Henry VIII, together with fifty acres of pasture
land on the Barrow, to Martin Pelles, at an annual rent of
28. 8d.*

The Convent of St. Mary in Trim, County of Meath,
was erected by Geoffrey De Geneville in 1263. General
chapters had been held here in 1285, 1300 and 1315; and
during the fifteentlx century, three parliaments had been con-
vened in this Convent. In the 31st of Henry VIII, the pro-
perty was confiscated to the crown.

The Convent op Abklow, County of Wicklow, was
founded by Theobald Fitz-Walter in 1264. In the 35th of
Henry VIII, this Friary, together with sixteen acres of land
was given to John Traver8.t

The Convent op Rossbeecan, in the County of Kilkenny,
was founded in 1267. In the 3l8t of Henry VIII, this Con-
vent with sixty acres of land was granted to John Parker.

The Convent of Youghal, was founded by Thomas
Lord Offaly in 1268. In the 23rd of Elizabeth, this Convent
and eleven houses in the town of Youghal were granted to
William Walsh, at the yearly rent of 2s. Irisluj:

The Convent op Loreah, County of Tipperary, was
erected by Walter Burke, Earl of Ulster, A.D. 1269. Ge-
neral chapters had been held here in 1301 and 1688.§ In
the 35th of Henry VIII it was suppressed.

The Convent op Rathbean, in the County of Mayo, had
for its founder Sir William Burgh in 1274. In 1577, this
Convent with six quarters of land was given to Thomas Dex-
ter, at the yearly rent of 2s. Irish.

The Convent of Deeey was founded by O'Donnel, juniori

* Attd. Oen. t H. t Id. j Hib. Dom. p. 279.

406

Prince of Tirconnell in 1274. In the 35th of Henry VIII,
this Convent became a ruin.

The Convent of Kilhallock, in the County of Limerick,
was founded by Gilbert, son of John Lord Offaly, in 1291.
A genei-al Chapter was held here in 1340. In the 36th of
Elizabeth, a grant was made of this Convent to the Sovereign
and commonalty of Kilmallock.*

CONVENTS OF THE FRANCISCAN ORDER FOUNDED IN THE
THIRTEENTH CENTURY.

The Franciscan Convent of Youghal, the parent es-
tablishment of that Order in Ireland, was founded by Mau-
rice Fitz-6eraldy A.D. 1231. The founder was Lord Justice
of Ireland in 1232, after which he retired to this Convent
and embraced the institute of St. Francis.f He died in 1257
and was buried in his Convent of Youghal. This Abbey
continued for many centuries the usual cemetry of the Des-
mond family. Provincial chapters had been held here in
1300, 1312, 1331, 1613 and 1531; while in 1460 the refoi^
mation of the Strict Observants had been received. J During
the terrors of Elizabeth's reign this extensive Convent had
been pillaged and so completely demolished, that not even a
single vestige of its ruins was allowed to remain. Those of
the community, who had escaped the storm, fled for refuge
into the mountains of the County of Waterford, where they
were protected and at length settled in a retired but beautiful
spot called Curragheen, under the patronage of the noble,
patriotic and benevolent family of Dromanagh.

The Convent op Carrickfergus, in the County of An-
trim, had for its founder Hugh De Lacy, A.D. 1232.§ in
' 1497 this Convent was reformed by the Strict Observants and
a provincial Chapter was held here in 1510. It was granted
in the 33rd of Henry VIII to Sir Edmund Fitz-Gerald. ||

• Aud, Geo. t Hamncr, p. 198. | Wadding, Annal. Mid. T. VI. $ Id.

R Harris* tab.

407

The Franciscan doNVENT op Kilkenny was founded for
Conventuals by Richard Mareschal, Earl of Pembroke^ A.D.
1234.* Provincial chapters had been held here in 1267 and
1308. This Convent had been remarkable for its learned
men, among whom may be noticed the celebrated annalist,
John Clynn, in 1348. The last Guardian was Patrick De-
lany, and in the 36th of Henry VIII, the Abbey with its
appurtenances, nine townlands, including Donmore and Kil-
feragh, was granted to the Sovereign, burgesses and com-
monalty of Kilkenny.f This spacious Abbey, delightfully
situated on the banks . of the Nore, did in ancient times oc-
cupy the entire site from the river to the street of Irishtown,
while the venerable ruins which alone have survived the wreck
clearly bespeak its former elegance and grandeur. The great
chancel of the church still remains together with its tower
both light and lofty, and which, for neatness of design and
execution, has been greatly admired. Its halls of philosophy
and of divinity continued to be frequented for a series of
years, while many of the memorable events of the seven-
teenth century form no inconsiderable trait in the historical
records of this once celebrated and beautiful Abbey.

The Convent of St. Francis in Dublin was founded
A.D. 1236, m that part of the City which is now called Fran-
cis-street; Henry III patronizing the building, and Ralph le
Porter having granted an extensive and convenient site for
the erection thereof.^ Besides Henry III and Edward I, this
Convent had numerous benefactors, the most influential of
whom were Bartholomew Creek, an influential citizen, and
John le Decer, Mayor of Dublin in 1308. Le Decer erected
a beautiful chapel in the church of this Convent, which was
dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and in which he was interred.^
In the 24th of Henry VIII, the Convent with its appurte-
nances, four houses in Francis-street and six acres of mea-

* Waddiogt Annal. Min. f Aud. Geo. t Ware Mon. § Pembri^e.

408

(low near dondalkin, was granted to Thomas Stephens, to
be held in capite, for ever, at the annual rent of 2b. Irish.*

Thb Convbnt of Mitltiferkam in the Barony of Corkerj
and County of Westmeatb, was founded for Conventuals by
William Delamar in the year I236.t The reformation of the
Strict Observants had been adopted here in 1460, and in 1529
a provincial Chapter had been held in this Abbey. In the
8th of Henry VIII, the Convent of Multifemam and its ap-
purtenances, a water*mill and thirty acres of arable land,
were granted to Edmund Field, Patrick Clynch and Philip
Pentenoy, at a fine of £80 and the annual rent of 4s.:t^ —
When the fury of the storm, created by Henry and Elizabeth,
had somewhat subsided, this Convent was again placed in the
possession of the Franciscans and continued in their hands
during the reign of Charles I, until it was at length com-
mitted to the flames by the Rochfords, a powerful family in
this country. The -walls of the cloister are still complete,
while the surrounding ruins with the steeple rising from a
small arch to nearly the height of one hundred feet and situ-
ated on the borders of a delightful lake, contribute to render
the whole scene at once picturesque and magnificent. By the
united exertions of a spirited public, this Abbey has been
lately rebuilt, and is now finished in a style altogether
worthy the recollections of its former greatness. The Con-
vent of Multifernam stands and its Abbey flourishes, while
the despoiler and the plunderer have disappeared, both alike
laid low and long since levelled to the dust.

Thb Franciscan Convent of Cork, ^usually called Gray

* And. Gen. — For the re-settlement of the Franciscan Community in DuUtn,
dieir aufferingB in defence of the religion of the country and the erection of their
spacious and splendid church on Merchants' Quajj the reader must be referred to
centuries XVIII and XIX, chap. 2. The same reference (it roust be observed) is
applicable also to various convents of the Dominican, Augustinian and Carmelite
Orders.

t Archdall, Men. t And. Gen. § See Cent. XVIII and XIX chap. 2.

409

Abbey, was founded for Conventual Fi-anciscans by Philip
Prendergast, on the north side of the City, A.D. 1240-* —
Henry III and Edward I were great benefactors to this Con-
vent. A provincial Chapter had been held here in 1291; and
about the close of the fifteenth century, the rule of the
Strict Observants had been adopted. Several illustriouB
members of the house of Desmond had been interred within
the walls of this Abbey, particularly Cormac, King of Des-
mond, in 1247; Dermot in 1275 and Thadeeus in 1413. In
the 8th of Elizabeth, this Convent with its appurtenances,
forty acres and seven gardens, was granted to Andrew Sky-
die and his heirs, in capite, at the annual rent of £2 18s. 8d.
Irish.f

Thb Convent of Droqheda was erected near the north
side of the Boyne by the family of Plunket, for Conventuals
in the year 1240.;]: This foundation is by some writers attri-
buted to the Darcy family from the particular situation of
their tomb, which stood in the centre of the choir. It is cer-
tain^ however, that this family had not arrived in Ireland
until at least the commencement of the fourteenth cen-
tury. The Convent of Drogheda was the head of a Warden-
ship and in 1518 the Observants were placed here. Richard
Molane was the last Ghiardian, when in the 34th of Henry
VIII, this Convent with its appurtenances, six acres of mea-
dow and a messuage in Swords, was granted to Gerald Ayl-
racr, in capite for ever, at the yearly rent of 3s. 6d. Irish •§

The Convent op Watbrford was erected for Conventual
Franciscans in 1240 by Sir Hugh Purcel and at the close of
the same year the founder was interred at the right hand side
of the high altar. Provincial chapters had been held here in
1317 and in 1469. In the 33rd of Henry VIII, John Lynch
. being the last Guardian, this Convent was confiscated and
granted to Patrick Walsh, at the annual rent of 8s. 4d.|| —

* Wadding Anna). Mod. t Aud. Gen. t Wadding. $ Chief Rem. || A«d. Gen.

3 F

410

The Hospital of the Holy Ghost has been erected on a por-
tion of its ruins.

Thb Comvbnt of Ennis, County of Clare, was founded
in 1240 by Donagh Carbrac O'Brian, for Conventual Fran-
ciscans.* Dermod and Matthew O'Brian, Princes of Tho-
mond, had been munificent benefactors, while this Abbey
continued for centuries the usual cemetry of the Thomond
family. In 1577 it was confiscated and reverted to the crown
and in 1621 was ultimately bestowed on a favourite named
William Dongan.f

Thb Convent of Athlonb, situated on the east side of
the Shannon, in the County of Westmeath, was founded for
Conventuals by Cathal Dearg O'Conor, Prince of Connaught,
in 124 l.j: On the death of the founder which occurred
during the same year, the building was completed by Sir
Henry Dillon and in 1242 the great church was consecrated
by Albert, Archbishop of Armagh. Henry III was a muni*
ficent benefactor to this Convent, having among other dona-
tions, granted the sum of £20 payable annually on the feast
of All Saints, for the purpose of providing habits for the
Friars Minors of Athlone, Waterford, Dublin, Cork and Kil-
kenny. In the 31st of Henry VIII, this ancient Convent
was suppressed and confiscated to the crown.

The Convent of Wexford. — According to an ancient and
concurrent tradition, the Conventual Franciscans settled in
Wexford about the middle of the thirteenth century, having
been accommodated and amply assisted by the Knights Hos-
pitallers, who were at the time in possession of an extensive
establishment in that- town. The Conventuals of this house
adopted the more strict reformation of the Observants, A.D.
1486 and it continued regularly in the hands of their suc-
cessors until the 35th of Henry VIII when this Convent with
its appurtenances and eight burgesses in the town of Wex-

• Wadding, Annal. Min. t Rolls. t Ware— Pier's dcacription of Westni«ath.

411

ford valued at 17s. were granted for ever, in capite, to Paul
Turner and James Devereux, at the annual rent of lOd. Irish.*
Daring the storms which blew over the sixteenth and subse-
quent centuries, the members of this establishment remained
unintimidated ; affording such a display of Christian heroism
as might well become the spirit and character of primitive
times. The illustration of this remark shall, however, be re*
served for its proper place, and may be ibund in the history
of the seventeenth century.

The Convent of Limbrick was founded in the reign of
Henry III by Walter De Burgh, Earf of Ulster.f Edwaid I
had been among its principal benefactors. In 1534 this Con-
vent was reformed by the Observants and in the 35th of
Henry VIII it was granted with ten messuages and ten gar-
dens to Edmund Sexton at the annual rent of 28. Irish.;};

The Convent of Cashel, usually called Hacket's Abbey,
was founded in the reign of Henry III by William Hacket
for Conventual Franciscans. The Strict Observants reformed
this Convent in 1538 and in the 30th of Henry VIII it was
granted to Edmund Butler at the annual rent of 2s. lOd.

The Convent qf I>undalr wafr founded in the reign of
Henry III by Lord John De Verdon. A provincial Chapter
was held here in 1282. This Convent with fovr acres of land
and a park was given in the 35th of Henry VIII to James
Brandon.§

The Convent o>f Ardfert, in Kerry^ was founded in
1253 by Thomas, Lord of Kerry, for Conventuals. In the
35th of Henry VIII this Convent became a ruin.

The Convent of Kildare was erected by Lord William
De Vesey in 1260 and was completed by Gerald Fitz-Mauricej
Lord Offaley. The reFormation of the Strict Observants was
received here in 1520. A grant was made of this Convent in
the 3.4th of Henry VIII to Daniel Sutton.||

* Aid Gen, f Wadding, Annal. Min. t Aud. Gen. § Id. || Ohief Remen.

412

The Ck)NV£NT of Clahe, in the County of Kildare, was
founded in 1260 by Gerald Fitz-Maurice, Lord Ofialey.—
A provincial Chapter was held here in 1346 and in the 24th
of Henry VIII it was given to Robert Eustace and John
Trevors at the annual rent of 2s. 4d.

Thb Covvbmt of Armagh had for its founder Patrick
ScsLnlan, Archbishop of Armagh^ in 1263 and in 1518 it was
reformed by the Observants. In the sixteenth century it be-
came involved in the general confiscation.

Thb Convent of Clonmel was founded in 1269 by Otbo
De Grandison for Conventuals and was reformed by the Ob*
servants in 1536.* Robert Travers was the last Guardian,
when in the 34th of Henry VIII a moiety consisting of four
houses and twenty acres of land was granted to the Sovereign
and covmionalty of Clonmel, the other moiety was given tp
James, Earl of Ormond.f

The Convent of Nen agh, in the County of Tipperary, was
erected in the reign of Henry III by the Butler family* A
provincial Chapter was held here in 1344 and in the 30th of
Henry VIII, it was granted to Robert CoUon.

The Convent of Wicelow was founded in the reign of
Henry HI by the O'Byrnes and OTooles. Dermod O'Moore
was the last Guardian, when in the 17th of Elizabeth, it was
consigned to Henry Harrington at a trifling fine.j:

The Convent of Teim, in the County of Meath, was
founded by the family of Plunket. The Strict Observants
had been here in 1325. This Convent, in the 34th of Henry
VIII, was granted to John Wakely at a rent of 2s. 10d.§

The Convent of Clare--Galwat, in the Barony of Clare,
County of Galway, wns founded by John De Cc^an, in the
year 1290. Thomas, Lord Athenry, was one of its most mu**
nificent benefactors. In the 33rd of Henry VIII, it was con-
fiscated to the crown.

• Wadding, Annal. Min. t Aud. Gen. U<2. ild.

413

The Convbkt op Buttevant, in the County of Cork, was
erected by David Oge Barry, Lord Buttevant in 1290. In
1545 it was confiscated to the crown.

The Convent op Galway, was founded in St. Stephen's
Island, beyond the north gate of the town, by Sir William
De Burgo, A.D. 1296.* This Convent continued for many
years the usual cemetry of that and of many other noble
families. Provincial chapters had been held here in the years
1470, 1522 and 1562. In the reign of Elizabeth it became
inyolyed in the general wreck and reverted to the crown.

The Content op iGrALBALLY, in the County of Limerick,
was founded by the O'Brian family at the close of the thir*
teenth century. In the 35th of Henry VIII, it was given to
John of Desmond.

The Convent op Killeigh, in the King's County, was
erected by the O'Conors, in the reign of Edward I. This
Convent was given in 1542 to John Allee.

The Convent op Ross, in the County of Wexford, was
founded by Sir John Bevereux in the reign of Edward I. —
Among other benefactions, the founder granted to this Con-
vent a certain duty on all ships coming into the port of Ross.
A provincial Cluster was held here in 1318. In 1540^ this
Convent was suppressed and granted to James, Earl of Or*
mond-t

CONVENTS OP THE AU6U8TINIAN ORDEE FOUNDED IN THE
THIRTEENTH CENTURY.

The Convent op the Holy Trinity, in Dublin, wag
founded for Friars of the Order of St Augustin and on the
site where Crow*8treet now stands, by a member of the family
of Talbot, A.D. 1259. This Convent was a general college
for the brethren of that Institute in Ireland. In the 34th of

* Waddiog.— Lodge, vol. II. t Harris' tab.

414

Henry VIII, it was granted together with ten houses, three
orchards and ten gardens in the parish of 8t Andrew; four
acres and a park of six acres near College-green; two houses
and gardens in Patrick-street; three houses and three gardens
in the parish of St. Michan and ninety- thite acres in Tobber-
boyne for ever, to Walter Tyrrel, at the annual rent of 6s.
Irish.*

The Convent of Tipperary was founded for Augustinians
in the reign of Henry III. Donatus O'Quirk was the last
Prior and in the 31st of Henry VIII, this Convent with
twenty-three houses, ninety-two acres and a mill in Tippe-
rary was given to Dermod Ryan, at the yearly rent of Sd.f

The Convent op Cork, now called the Red Abbey, on
the south side of the city, was erected in the reign of Ed->
ward I. In the 19th of Elizabeth, a grant was made of this
Abbey with sixteen houses and gardens, to Cormac Teige
Mac Carthy, at an annual rent of 16s. 8d.j:

The Convent of Limerick, situated near Quay-lane, was
founded in the thirteenth century, by O'Brian, a descendant
of the Kings of Thomond. The Prior of this house had the
first voice in the election of the Mayor, batli& and other
officers in the City of Limerick. Stephen Sexton was the last
Prior in 1594, when the commissioners seised on eighteen
houses, sixteen gardens, eighty-six acres and the Rectory
of the Church of St. John in the suburbs, parcel of the pos-
sessions; these with various other property were afterwards
annexed to the crown.§

The Convent of Drogheda was founded in the reign of
Edward I and was afterwards repaired by the family of Bran-
don. A provincial Chapter was held here in 1359. In the
33rd of Henry VIII, this Convent with its appurtenances was
granted to the Mayor and burgesses of Drogheda.||

The Convent of Clonmines, in the County of Wexford^

* Aud G«n. t !<)• t Chief Remem, $ Inqutsit. Ann. || Harris* UK

415

was founded by the family of Kavanagh in the reign of Ed-
ward ly but was considerably enlarged and beautified by
Nicholas Fitz-Nicholas in 1385. This Convent afterwards
passed into the hands of the Dominicans, but in the fifteenth
century was repossessed by the Augustinians. Nicholas
Wadding was the last Prior, and in the 35th of Henry VIII,
this establishment with six messuages, twenty-six acres and
the Dominican Gonyent of Rossbercon was granted for ever,
in capite, to John Parker at the annual rent of 2s. 4d. Irish.*
Thb Comtbnt op Dunoaryan had Thomas, Lord Offaly
for its founder, in 1295. The family of Magrath and the
O'Briens of Cummeragh were among its principal bene-
factors. In the 37th of Elizabeth, it was granted with sixty-
two acres in the vicinity of Dungarvan, and various other
property to Roger Dalton.t

CONVENTS OF THE CARMELITE ORDER FOUNDED IN THE
THIRTEENTH CENTURY.

The Convent of Dublin (White Friars), in the south sub-
burbs of the City, was founded by Sir Robert Bagot, Chief
Justice of the King's Bench, in 1274, on a lot of ground
which he purchased from the Abbey of Baltinglass. Pro*
vincial chapters had been held here in the years 1320 and
1323; and in 1333 a parliament had been convened in the
great hall of this Convent. Among its benefactors were Rich-
ard II, Henry IV and Henry VI, from the last of whom this
house obtained a grant of 100s. annually, to be paid out of
the customs of the City of Dublin. William Kelly was the
last Prior, and in the 34th of Henry VIII, this Convent with
eleven acres, nine houses, gardens and orchards, was granted
to Nicholas Stanihurst, at the annual rent of 2s. 6d. It was
afterwards conceded by Elizabeth to Francis Aungier, created
Baron of Longford, in June 16214

• Aud. Gen. f Id. t Lodge, vol. IV.

416

The Comvbnt of Leighlin Bridge was fomided for Car-*
melites by one of the Carews about the end of the reign of
Henry III. Edward III and Richard II were among its
most munificent benefactors. In the 36th of Henry VIII,
this Convent was annexed to the crown, and was afterwards
converted into a fort, in which a regular garrisson had been
stationed.*

The CoNVBivT op Ardeb, in the County of Louth, was
founded by Ralph Peppard in the reign of Edward I. Pro--
vincial chapters had been held here in the years 1315, 1320
and 1325. Two provincial Synods had been convened here,
the last of which was held in 1504. In the 31st of Henry
VIII, this Convent with eleven messuages, eight gardens;
two parks, a mill and a water-course, was annexed to tiie
crown.f

The Convent of Drogheda, on the Meath side of the
river, was erected for Carmelites by the inhabitants of Drog-
heda in the reign of Edward L It obtained several priviU
eges from Edward III and particularly from the Parliament
of 1468. In the 33rd of Henry VIII, it was confiscated and
reverted to the crown.

The Convent op Galway was founded by the fiimily of
Burgh. This Convent was confiscated in the same Inquisi-
tion with that of Drogheda.

The Convent of Ballynamall, in the County of Mayo,
derived its foundation from the family of Prendergast Its
last Prior was Donatus O'Gormaly, when in the 34th of
Henry VIII, it was granted with two quarters of land and a
water-mill to Sir John King.j:

The Convent of Rathmullin, in the County of Donegal,
was founded for Carmelites in the reign of Edward I. In
the time of Henry VIII it merged into the general confisca-
tions.

* Hooker's Notes. f Chief Reroem. | Harris' tab.

417

Thb Conybnt op Castle Ltons, in the County of Cork,
was founded for Carmelites by the Barry family. In the 3rd
of Elizabeth this Convent was annexed to the crown.

Thb Cokvbnt of Kildarb was erected for CarmeUtes in
the year 1290 by William De Vescy. This Convent was a
general sembary for the Order in Ireland, and among its
teachers may be noticed the learned David O'Buge, usually
styled in the annals of this period, ''the burning light, the
mirror and <»iiament of his country."* In 1540, it became
involved in the general wreck.

The Conybbt of Thublbs, in the County of Tipperary,
was founded for Carmelites by the Butler family about the
dose of the thirteenth century. The last Prior was Donatus
O'Houleghan and in the 31st of Henry VIII, this Convent
vrith fifteen acres of land, five gardens and the Priory of
Athassel, was granted to Thomas Earl of Ormond, to hold
in capite, at a yearly rent. In 1563, Elizabeth confirmed the
same, but remitted the reserved rentf

«S«e C«at. XIV. chtp. HI. t Lodge, vol. II.

3 a

CHAFFER III-

Religious and Literary Characters of the Thirteenth Cett-
turt^ General Observations.

Marian OXaghnan^ Archbishop of Tuam and an eminent
canonist, has been deservedly ranked by our annalists among
the ecclesiastical writers of the thirteenth century. In 1238,
he was elected by the Chapter of Tuam as successor to the
Archbishop Felix O'Ruaden and immediately after proceeded
to Rome, where his election was confirmed by Gregory IX
and he was invested with the pallium. Before this period
Marian undertook a journey to Jerusalem and spent some
years in visiting the several remarkable places recorded in
holy writ. Having departed from Jerusalem he proceeded
through the interior of Palestine, and collected a variety of
materials calculated to throw light on many of the difficult
historical passages of the sacred Scriptures. An accurate
detail of this journey, together with his own elucidations,
had been afterwards published by Marian.''^ He died at
Athlone on the 24th of December, A.D. 1249.

The Author of the Annals of Innisfallen flourished in the
year 1216. It is indeed singular that the name of this writer
has not been preserved, while at the same time it must be
admitted that the work itself forms one of the most valuable
remnants of our ancient national literature. The annalist
commences with the history of the creation and in a brief,
perspicuous manner conducts his reader down to the year of
the Christian era 430. From that period, he confines him-
self particularly to the annals of Ireland, of which he takes

• Ware Writers.

419

an accurate comprehensive view and continues the work re-
gularly to his own time. It was afterwards brought down to
the year 1320 by another anonymous author.*

Pbter, styled Hibernicus, a distinguished philosopher,
theologian and canonist, after having devoted many years to
the advancement of literature in his own country, retired at
length to the Continent where he embraced the Franciscan
Institute and became an eminent professor.f He taught
philosophy at Naples in 1240 and among the number of his
pupils we feel particular pleasure in noticing the name of the
great St. Thomas Aquinas, j: His virtues as well as his learn-
ing had rendered him a great favourite with the Emperor
Frederic II, by whom he was earnestly invited to Naples,
immediately after the celebrated schools of that City had
been re-established. While Peter had been employed in de-
livering lectures at Naples, a number of learned disquisitions
on both philosophical and scriptural subjects proceeded from
his pen. These, it is conjectured, may still be found among
the manuscript copies in the libraries and archives of that
City. His Quodlibeta Theologica has been published; from
which alone an estimate may be formed of the talents and
erudition of this distinguished Irishman.

GoTOFRiD, as the writers of the Bibliotheque of the Do-
minican Order inform us, was a native of the City of Water-
ford and flourished in the thirteenth century.^ He was a
member of that Order and was exceedingly well versed in the
Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French and Arabick languages. For
the purpose of acquiring a competent knowledge of the Ara-
bic, he travelled into the east and spent several years in
digesting its various dialects and in exploring those literary
remains of antiquity, which lie scattered along the vast and
desolate plains of Syria, Asia Minor and Palestine. On his

• Ware Writera. t Wadding ad A. 1270. t Pet. de Vincis Lib. III.

$Tom. 1. p. Af)7.

420

return to hift native country, Gotofrid translated the follow-
ing works from the Latuiy Greek and Arabick into French:
Daretis Phrygii Liber De Bello TrojAno.— Eutropii Roma*
na Hifttoriak^-Arifttotdis ad Alexandiem liber, qui dicitur
Secretum Secretonimy Seu de Regimine Regum. — Libel^
lus Mortalitatum* He has likewise written an expoeiticm of
the articles of fitith and the Lord's prayer, a collection of
sermons and a treatise styled Eleucidarius; th^ authorship
of which has pvexk rise to much contiDversy among tile
learned; some having ascribed it to St Anslem and others to
Honorius of Autqn,*

This Author of the Amials of Multifemam flouiished
about the middle of the thirteenth century. Th^se invaluable
annals have survived the wreck, whUe the name of the au*
tbor has unfortunately perished. They commence with the
year of Christ 4& and are brought down to the year 1274. —
Ware, an excellent authority on subjects of this description,
having first examined the antiquity of the manuscript cha*
racter and afterwards comparing it with certain chronolc^cal
and other circumstances, comes at length to a decision that
the author of these Annals must have been Stephen of
Exeter, It may, however, be advanced, as a very probable
conjecture, that these Annals had not been the work of an in-*
dividual; that, on the contrary, they had been the joint
production of many writers. The andent literary monastic
system, anterior to the invention of printing and the un*
wearied solicitude which these religious had evinced in aug-
menting and perpetuating their conventual archives serve, in
no small degree, to confirm the probability of this opinion.

Thomas Palmer, usually styled Thomas Hibernicus, was
bom at Palmerstown in the County of Kildare, and flourished
about the year 1269. Owing to the wreck of Uterature in his
own country, Thomas, when young, had formed the deter^

* Biblioth. Dom.

421

minatioa of removing to Park; in the schools of which City
he studied for seyeral years and at length became entitled to
the degree of a Doctor (Utriusque Juris). Wadding, the
learned author of the ^'Annales Minonim/' maintains that
Thomas Hibemicus had been a member of the Franciscan
Institute;* while the Dominicans with equal zeal but Mrith
still less authority have thought proper to rank him in the
catalogue of their own writers^f This discrepancy of opinion,
it may be presumed, had at length brought forth that just
Cttisure of the critical authors of the Bibliotheque Dominir
que, by which these writers, upon fair historical grounds,
condemn not less the assertion of their own body than that
of Wadding and very justly conclude that the writer Thomas
Hibemicus was a Fellow of the Sorbonne, of distinguished
eminence in that University and the author of many learned
works4 Thomas Palmer has written: Flores Doctorum
pene Omnium, qui tum in Theologia, turn in Philosophia
hactenus claruerunt — ^Antwerp, 1680,' octavo. Flores Bibli*
cos. — Antwerp, 1568. Promptuarium Morale SacrsB Scrip-
turffi, — Published by Wadding at Rome, in 1624, out of a
manuscript in the AracsBli Library. De Christiana Religione.
< — Lib. I. De Illusionibus Deemonum. — Lib. I. De Tenta*
tione Diaboli. — Lib. I. De Remediis Vitiorum. — Lib. I.§ —
This learned writer died at Aquila in Naples, about the close
of the thirteenth centuiy.

Having placed before the reader a fair and circumstantial
outline of the principal ecclesiastical events of the thirteenth
century, it remains for him to determine what measure of be*
nefit the Church of Ireland has derived from that long*
boasted reformation of discipline and morality which Henry
II and his accredited agents had so confidently anticipated.

It must, indeed, be admitted, that among the number of

• Tera. IV. ad A. 1629. t Burke Uib. Dom. chap. XV. t Tom. I, p. 744.
fWare Writers.

422

those English ecclesiastics, who had^ at this period, been
promoted to church-dignities in this country, there were not
a few, who for learning as well as for sterling virtue, de-
serve to have been placed on honourable record; nevertheless
when the plain historical facts themselves are dispassionately
considered, it requires nothing more than ordinary discern-
ment to arrive at the proper conclusion.

We have set out on the acknowledged principle, that eccle-
siastics of all other description of men in society, should be
completely divested both of over-grown wealth and of every
participation of civil or state authority. With great justice
this principle may be advanced as an axiom. It is the un-
equivocal language of common reason: it is certainly sup-
ported by the authority of the Christian Founder and by the
doctrine and example of His apostles. Scarcely, however,
had an English clergyman arrived in Ireland, when some
civil office of trust and emolument had been placed in his
hands. One became a Lord Treasurer, another a Chancel-
lor and many of them had been constituted the Justiciaries
or Chief Governors of the country. Whether this singular
mode of proceeding could tend to soothe the feelings of an
exaspei-ated people or to exalt the principles of an humble
Gospel, are questions which shall be left to the discretion of
the reader himself.

It is, however, certain that the saintly and illustrious men,
who had guided the helm of the Church of Ireland during
the greater portion of the previous century, had thought
proper to adopt a widely different and more consistent
course. St. Malachy, the leading father, the great moral
reformer of the twelfth century, had neither wealth or politi-
cal station at his command. St. Laurence OToole lived in
greater poverty and seclusion than any member of the in-
stitute attached to his cathedral. Christian the Legate,
Gelasius the Primate, Catholicus of Tuam knew nothing
about opulence or civil power; in fact these men looked

423

down on secular concerns — on the wealth and pride of the
world as altogether beneath the sphere of their grand and
exalted vocation. Hence it is^ that the virtues of many of
them have been canonized; and for the same reason Malachy,
Laurence and other Irish ecclesiastics of the twelfth century
had been fully competent to effect a renovation of both
morals and discipUne without the aid of any foreign eccle-
siastic whatever.

Archbishop Comin, the Prelates of Meath and Ossory, and
other English ecclesiastics have^ it is true^ an undoubted
claim on the gratitude of Irishmen. The parish churches,
the cathedrals and the numerous splendid monasteries, which
they either founded or eodowed, are to this day, even in their
very ruins, so many triumphant testimonials of their piety
and pastoral solicitude. It must, however, be a subject
of deep regret, that in their zeal for religious institutions,
these great men had not evinced a more earnest desire for
perpetuating the literary system of the ancient monastic
foundations of Ireland and particularly that of the Colum-
bian Order. The basis of these inimitable institutions had
been laid in Tours, Lerins and other parts of the Continent,
long before the days of our illustrious Apostle, St. Patrick.
By him were they introduced into Ireland and among their
various but sublime constitutions, that of universal gratuitous
education stood pre-eminently conspicuous. Every monas-
tery was, in fact, a free public seminary; and while virtue
had been practised in the cloister, its halls of literature were
thrown open for the child of genius — the distant stranger as
well as the native student met a kind and a welcome recep-
tion within the hospitable walls of the ancient Irish monastic
establishment. Nor should these remarks be construed into
a censure on those other excellent religious institutions which,
during the thirteenth century, had been so laudably intro-
duced into this country. These learned bodies were, at this
period, making their way rapidly over Europe; and it will

424

be found, that in future ages, when the storm raged loud and
iiirious, when terror and death stalked into the sanctuary^
they were the men, who martyrs-like, braved the danger and
m%df sacrifices the most noble and heroic in defence of the
religion of their country and their fathers. The progress of
religion, therefore, was during the thirteenth century at-
taided with some peculiar advantages, its deficiency on the
score of public gratuitous education and on other matters of
general utility will be better illustrated by subsequent events,
and may form the subject of some future observations.

APPENDIX I.

Arehbhhc^ U$het^» ^^ Diseourse/' an the Religion anciently profe$$€d
by the Irithj^'' analyzed and routed.

Nothing can perhaps more forcibly exhibit the perversity of the human
mind than its constant inclination to oppugn troths already incontestibly
established and which, in many instances, had become even self-evident.
There is scarcely a principle in either natural or revealed religion that
has not at some period been questioned. In modern times, we find
Berkley denying the existence of matter and the infallibility of his own
senses; while among the ancient philosophers, Ph3rrrus raised up the
doctrine of a general doubt; he doubted of every thing, even of his own
existence. Should we be inclined to find out a third character for the
purpose of forming a trio, Doctor James Usher, Protestant Archbishop
of Armagh, might indeed with great propriety be selected. Will it be
believed that this man, celebrated for antiquarian research and for
accuracy likewise, whenever the subject seemed not to clash with his
own temporal interest, had actually undertaken to maintain, that the
religious doctrines of the ancient Irish had been in most respects per-
fectly similar to those professed by protestants at the present day? —
that neither St. Patrick or any one of the ancient Fathers of the Irish
Church had ever recognized such a doctrine as the Supremacy of the
Roman Pontiff, the sacrifice of the Mass, Purgatory, the invocation of
Saints and other tenets, now and at all times so stedfastly embraced by
catholics; and that of course the Christian religion must have been, at
some period antecedent to the sixteenth century, corrupted in this
country. Ledwich, who denied the existence of St. Patrick himself,
may have some claim to our pity, he woe an illiterate bigoty Usher on
the contrary had been deeply read in the antiquities of our country, and
hence the bigotry which has tarnished his character, so far from being
palliated on the score of ignorance, has acquired even an additional hue,
from the downright determined malice with which it must have been ac-
companied. His intolerance during the reign of James I is well known
to every one acquainted with the history of that period; when however

* London edition, 1^1, in Marsh's Library.

426

he had found, that catholicity was not to be root«d out of Ireland by
the sword, he then had recourse to tius last wretched expedient; one
which in all probability he adopted not so much from a hope of success-
ful proselytism as from a desire to wound the feelings of the people, by
misrepresenting and maligning the religion of their forefathers. We
shall, however, in the subsequent sheets, endeavour to follow the argu-
ments of this singular polemic; observing at the same time, that it ia
with great reluctance we devote any portion of our time or paper in at-
tempting to illustrate a subject, which is as solidly established as any
fact recorded in history, and which might with all propriety be pro-
nounced self-evident. Nor need we undertalte the task of analysng hia
arguments; all this has been done, and indeed with great precision, hy
his favourite admirer, Harris.

There are, however, one or two principles, which by way of prelim-
inary, we shall take the liberty of examining. The first of these refers
to the mission and episcopal jurisdiction of St. Patrick. Thai this our
national Apostie had derived his mission and received his jurisdiction
from the Bishop of Rome, is a fact which Usher himself does not deny..
Nevertheless to place it beyond a doubt, we may be permitted to quote
a few unquestionable authorities. In the fourth life of St. Patrick, con-
tained in Colgan^s << Trias Thaumaturge," we read: — ^^^WhoreSare St^
Germanus sent the blessed Patrick to Rome, that with the permissioi^
of the Bishop of the Apostolic See he might go forth to preach, for order
so requireth. But Patrick having arrived at Rome was most honourably
received by the holy P<^, Celestine, and the relics of saints having
been delivered to him he was sent into Ireland by Pope Celestine." —
Again, Eric in his life of St. Germain writes : — ^< Germain directed Pat-
rick to the holy Celestine, Pope of the City of Rome, by means of
Segetius, his priest, who was to give a testiooony of ecclesiastacal pro^
bity for this most excellent man before the holy See ; and having in its
judgment been approved of, .being supported by its autiiority and
strengthened by its benediction, he repaired to the regions of Ireland."
Nennius also states: — '^Ue (Patrick) is sent by Celestine, Po)>e of
Rome, to convert the Scots (liish) to the faith of Christ" To these
might be superadded an host of other aathorities, did the limits of this
appendix permit, or were it in ajiy manner necessary. Hence it is evi-
dent, that the source whence St. Patrick had derived his ecclesiastical
jurisdiction was the head of the Church in the Apostolic See, the Bishop
of Rome. Hence also it is evident, that the discipline and tenets of
Catholic faith, professed and taught by Pope Celestine, were and must
have been ideulically the same as those which Patrick had been sent to

427

aanouice to the Irish nation; a comminion which^ as we have seen, he
afterwards ezecoted with sach anasing triamphant success. Now will
any dlspassiooate man venture to assert, that this great and saintly
Apostle, after having been specially sent by Pope Celestine to preach
certain doctrines to the Irish, had, on his landing in the country,
wrecklessly renounced all his professions and set about teaching a creed
altogether diflferent from that which he had received at the hands of
those by whom he had been originally commissioned? An act of this
description would argue nothing less than downright insanity — an in-
stance of the kind is not to be found in the whole range of history — an
instance of the kind has never occurred. With justice, therefore, we
oonclode that^the very same principles of belief, which had been em-
braced and taught by Pope Celestine at Rome, were in like manner in*
cnloated by St. Patrick, when he had entered on his mission among the
inhabitants of this country. Now either Pope Celestine believed in the
tenets of the Catholic fsith, as they are at this day taught, or he did
not^-either he believed in the sacrifice of the Mass, in private sacra«
mental Confession, in Purgatory, in the Invocation of Saints, Ac., or he
did not; if he did, then it follovrs that St Patrick must ui like manner
have believed in them, and must have taught all these doctrines to our
forefothers; then we see in one view what had been the religion of Ire-
land in the fifth century; bat should it by any possibility be asserted that
Pope Celestine knew nothing about these doctrines, practised none of
these doctrines, taught none of these doctrines: the man who would
attempt to make such a ridiculous assertion, becomes at oAce a public
object of scorn — all the monuments of antiquity are against hiu—- he
migirt as well commence forthwith aod reject all historical evidence ; to
act with consistency he should taka his proper position and join the
ranlcs of Phyrroniam. Snch an assertion, indeed, has never been ad-
vanced ; therefore we again conclude, that the tenets of the Catholic
Caitb, as they are at this day held, were the very identical doctrines
which had been taught to ouf forefathers by the great Apostle of the
Irish nation when he came aoiongst them and converted them to the
Christian &ith in the year 482.

We shall in the next place direct the attention of the reader to anothes
pouit equally true and equally interesting; we allude to that profound,
unshaken veneration which tbe ancient Irish had at ail times evinced,
towards every religious tenet delivered to them by their beloved Apostle,
There never was in any part ol the Christian world a people who had
^nced a more reverential attachment to whatever bad been banded
down to them by their Apostle, than the ancient Irish. Should this

428

truth require any Uluatration, iEinumerable instances could be adduced.
Look, for example, to the Paachal controversy. Here is a question that
has no connection whatever with Catholic faith ; a mere matter of dis-
cipline; and yet before it could be settled — before the Alexandrine
Cycle could be introduced, see what determined opposition had been
raised against it, what an uproar had been created from one extremity
of the Icingdom to the other. Yet in raising this outcry, what argument
had they? Simply this one, that their ancient Paschal Cycle was that
which they had received from St. Patrick, that whatever correq>onded
not with it was a mere novelty, and could not, according to the judg-
ment of this proverbially tenacious people, be admitted as a substitute.
But if instead of discipline, which may and does vary, an attempt had
been made to corrupt the faith of the country, if some dogmatizer had
started up and proposed a new tenet of belief, the reception which such
a character would meet with may be readily anticipated. If they had
raised such a reclamation on the score of discipline, what would they
not have done had the faith itself been in danger?
• Having proceeded thus far with these preliminary principles, let us
now direct our attention to the arguments by which Doctor Usher en-
deavours to maintain that the creed of the ancient Irish was totally dis-
tinct from that of their Catholic successors at the present day. For the
purpose of establishing this singular proposition the Archbishop has
made a favourite selection from among the several articles of Catholic
&ith, he has also condescended to take notice of our discipline. Were
we to believe this disinterested theologian, the ancient Irish knew no-
thing whatever about the Supremacy of the Bishop of Rome, or of the
sacrifice of the Mass, or of the real presence of Christ in the sacra-
ment of the Eucharist — or of prayers for the dead— or of the invocation
of Saints — or of images or reUcs — moreover the use of Chrism was
never practised amongst them, every one was allowed to read the
Scriptures and the clergy (quotes the Doctor) were tolerated to marry.
This without doubt) is a bold, a commanding position; but how, it
may be asked, does he endeavour to maintain it. He attempts to main-
tain it by garbled, isolated extracts taken generally from the mystical
works of some few of our ancient Irish writers, putting his own con-
struction thereon^ and making it, in despite even of common sense, ex-
actly answer his own purpose, while at the same time he industriously
takes care to pass over in silence those clear, conclusive authorities,
which would at once serve to point out to the reader what had been in
reality the fetith as well as the practice of the ancient Church of Ireland.
**l shall quote,^^ he observes, << ancient writers, by which. we must

429

judge whether of both sides hath departed from the religion of our an-
cettor*.'*^^ Let us therefore, patiently and respectfully attend to his
quotations.

On the Supremacy of the Pope.— In treating on this subject
the Archbishop refers to two authorities, namely, to Sedulius and
Claudius.t Sedulius, an Irish ecclesiastic of the ninth century, in his
commentary on this passage of Isaiah '< Behold I lay a stone in Sion
for a foundation," observes, <^ It is certain that by the stone Christ is
signified." Claudius thus expounds the passage: ''On this rock I will
build my Church." That is, '< upon Christ our Saviour, who granted
unto Peter, his faithful lover and confessor, the participation of his
own name ; that from Petra (the rock) he should be called Peter." —
From these passages the Doctor concludes that both Sedulius and
Claudius had taught that the foundation stone laid in Sion and the rock
on which the Church was built is Christ. But, pray, what Catholic
denies it ? That Christ Jesus is the rock, the great comer stone on
which the whole edifice rests, is a truth inculcated by the Catholic
Church; but does it follow from this that Christ, the invisible comer
stone, or if you will, the invisible head, could not or has not appointed
a visible substitute ; a visible head to govern his Church on earth, and
without which visible head the house would soon become divided against
itself: presenting nothing less than an indiscriminate scene of confusion,
a crumbling tottering ruin. Witness, for example, the various sectaries
that have separated from this head ; having no centre of unity, they
soon became divided among themselves, until at length you find even
within the limits of one small island, almost as many religions as there
are inhabitants in the country. The necessity of this visible authority
and the actual appointment of this authority were truths of which
Claudius had been perfectly convinced, and hence he observes that
'' Christ our Saviour granted (not unto John or Thomas or James) but
unto Peter, his faithful lover and confessor, the participation of his own

* Epistle to the Discourse, edition ia Marsh's library.

t There is no sufficient authority for supposmg that Claudius was an Irishman. —
The only grounds on which that supposition rests, is the term ScoH, contained in
the heading of the pre&ce to his Commentary on St. Matthew : '* Claudu Scoti
Fresbyteri ad Justum." This is not, however, considered by antiquarians to have
been the correct text. Mabillon quoting this preface of Claudius omits the word
&ofi and has merely Claudius peceator ; while L'abbe maintains that the author of
both the preface and Commentaries was Claudius of Turin, who accordmg to all
authorities had been a Sptmaid. — See Divent. in Bellarraio* De Scrip. Tom. I. —
Also Flury, Hist. £ccL L. 48—7.

430

name.^^ Or aa it is elsewhere expressed, the participation of Ids own
power, in lliesc words: <<And I will give onto yoa the keys of the
kingdom of Heaven, whatever you bind on earth shall be boand in
heaven and whatever yoa loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven/^ —
Had Claudias said that Christ never granted unto Peter a participation
in his name, or a participation of his authority, then indeed there
might have been just grounds for an objection. This commentator,
however, says quite the contrary. It is, therefore, most clear and cer-
tain that neither Sedulins or Claudius had ever professed or inculcated
any other doctrine, relative to the supremacy of St. Peter and bis suc-
cessors, except that which had been handed down from the days of the
apostles and believed in all ages and nations with such reverence and
fidelity by the CathoUc Church.

The next anthonty, by which the Archbishop endeavours to prove
that the ancient Irish had been unacquainted with the doctrine of St.
Peter^s supremacy, is a solitary quotation taken from a hymn written
by St. Secundinus, in honour of St Patrick, In a part of the hymn
are these words : <' He (Patrick) is constant In the fear of God and im-
moveable in the faith, upon whom the Church is builded as upon Peter^
whose apostleship also he hath obtained from God, and the gates of
hell shall not prevail against him.** This quotation contains three sub-
jects for panegyrism : first, the nature of the apostleship which St
Patrick received; secondly, the stability of this apostleship; and
thirdly, the consequences of that stability. As to the apostleship itself,
we are informed that it was that of St Peter, "whose apostlesiilp also
he hath obtained** (of course) from God. But how or through what
medium had this apostleship of Peter been conmiunicated to Patrick ?
Was it not by his having received ordination in a Church holding com-
munion with the successor of Peter and of having received his mission-
ary jurisdiction from the hands of St Peter*s successor? Uuquestlon^
ably it was; and for this very same substantial reason, Patrick bad re-
course to the chair of Peter, before be had ever entered on the arduoua
duties for which heaven designed him — before he had ever ventured to
embark on the mission of Ireland.

In this manner it was that the blessed Patrick, already invited by an
heavenly call, had obtained the apostleship of Peter; from this aposto-
lic chair he never separated, for "he was immoveable in the fiedth,*'
with this apostolic chair he continued in constant communion; he be-
came as it were incorporated with it, and hence the venerable author
of the hymn in his peculiar poetic diction observes^ thai "upon him the
Church is builded as upon Peter, and the gates of hell shall not prevail

431

against bim/' This extract from the hymn of Secundinas cannot,
therefore, be of any service to the cause of the Archbishop, on the con-
trary it militates powerfully against him. Let us suppose that Patrick
had not received his ordination or his jurisdiction from Pope Celestine,
but that be had recourse for these essentials to some Arian bishop ; in
that case would he be considered by the learned author of the hymn as
having i obtained the apostleship of Peter? He certainly would not:
and for this capital reason, that the source to which he applied had al-
ready been separated from the chair of Peter; because the Arian by
bis heresy as well as by his schism had already cut himself off from all
communion wiUi the apostolic chair. Such being the case, the un-
doubted tact, what then becomes of the priestly jurisdiction of Arch-
bishop Usher? Has he the apostleship of Peter? The Arian had it
not, because he separated himself from it — the Archbishop has done
the same; let us therefore leave him in his proper company — let us link
the two together and continue to offer some further observations on the
subject which is still under discussion.

The quotations already advanced are those by which our great anti-
quarian has endeavoured to prove that the doctrine of St. Peter's Su-
premacy was a thing altogether unlcnown to and never professed by the
ancient Church of Ireland; the same Prelate, however, has industriously
and very un£BLirly secluded altogether from the view of his reader^
the avowed and unequivocal testimony of some of the brightest lumi-
naries of the Irish Church — ^he has designedly passed over many of the
public acts of this same Church, connected with that doctrine, and has
treated with the same indifference some of the most interesting Canons
of her ancient national Synods. Columbanus, who flourished in the
sixth century, and whose learning and sanctity had contributed to shed
a new radiance around the glory of that age, may, with great justice,
be admitted as a competent witness on the subject now before as. In
his fourth Epistie to Pope Boniface, this Father of the Irish Church
thus addresses the Supreme Pontiff. " To the most lovely of all Europe
— to the Head of all the Churches — ^to the beloved Father — ^to the exalted
Prelate — ^to the Pastor of Pastors, ±cJ*^ In the body of the letter he
proceeds to say: — " For we Irish are disciples of St. Peter and of St.
Paul and of all the divinely inspired canonical writers, adhering con-
stantiy to the Evangelical and Apostolical doctrine. Amongst us nei-
ther Jew, heretic or schismatic can be found, but the Catholic faith on-
altered, unshaken, precisely as we have received it from yoUf who are
the successors of the AposUes. For as I have already said, we are at-
tached to the chair of St. Peter, and although Rome is great and re-

432

Downed^ yet with us it is great and illastrious only on account of that
apostolic chair. Through the two Apostles of Christ, you are almost
celestial and Rome is the Head of the Churches of the worlds Here
is straight-forward, conclusire testimony, so conclusive that it would be
folly to employ a single syllable in attempting to illustrate it. Bat let
us proceed to facts — ^when in the subsequent century, tbejcontroversy
connected with the Paschal question had been carried to the utmost
limits of excitement, and when in the national Synod of Old Leigiilin,
the Fathers of the Irish Church could not be prevailed upon to come to
some settled resolution on this subject, what had been the ultimate and
decisive plan proposed by the leading Prelates of the nation and instantiy
adopted by the whole assembly ? It was a regular appeal to the Apos-
tolic See; a proceeding founded not only on the doctrine which they had
received from their predecessors, but also on an express Canon ratified
and handed down to them by St Patrick himself. This we have already
seen when treating on the events of the seventh century, a circumstance
which saves us the trouble of any recapitulation in this place. But to
put the question at rest for ever, to place it beyond the bounds of all
controversy, let us quote the Canon itself, that ancient Irish Constitu-
tion which fifteen hundred years ago had been established by the great
Apostle of this nation, long before either a heretic or a schismatic had
been known in the country ; let this Canon be produced, and then the
dispassionate reader will be enabled to Judge whether 4>r not the ancient
Irish had believed in the supremacy of the Apostolic See. This con<
cise but comprehensive Canon is contained in these words: <<Si quae
qusestiones in hac insula oriautnr, ad sedem Apostolicam referantur.** If
any questions (difficulties on religious subjects) should take place in this
island, let them be referred to the Apostolic See.'* Or, as more fully
expressed in a Canon copied by Usher himself from an ancient book of
the Church of Armagh and paissed in the Synod of Patrick, Auxilius,
Secundinus and Benignus, substantially to the following effect: <<If any
difllcult cause should occur, which cannot be easily decided by the Irish
prelates and the See of Armagh, we have decreed that it shall be re-
ferred to the Apostolic See, that is, to the chair of the Apostle St. Peter,
which hath the authority of the City of Rome.*' The doctrine of the
spiritual authority of the Apostolic See, comprehended in this Canon,
was stedfastly practised by the pastors of the Irish Church at all sub-
sequent periods ; it had been confirmed by the illustrious example of our
national Apostle himself. Had not the supreme authority of the chair
of St Peter been an universally received doctrine, what necessity had
Patrick for having bad recourse to Rome previously to bis entering on

433

the mission of Ireland? Could he not have received bis ordination and
bis missionary powers from St. Germain of Auzerre or from St. Martin
of Tonrs? These were Prelates of aclcnowiedged eminence and the
Sees over which they presided had obtained an high ranlc in the Chris-
tian Chnrchy yet we find that they were the very men who had sent oar
Apostle to PopeCelestine, in order that from that snccessor of St. Peter^
he might receive his ordination together with licit powers to eater on the
sublime enterpriie for which heaven had designed him. This self-same
doctrine he has transmitted to his soccessors; by them has it been
handed down with snored reverence from one generation of pastors to
another, and althongh the sword had been drawn and the storm had
raged anabated for centuries, nevertheless the Catholic Church of Ire-
land has proceeded majestically in her course, never for an instant sepa-
rating herself from the great centre of unity, or from that apostolic
doctrine with which she had been entrusted and which flourishes at this
day as vigorously as it ever had during the lairest and brightest epoch of
her primitive glory.

Thb Sacaipicb op the Mass.— -On this subject as well as on the
resd presence of the body and blood of Christ in the sacrament of the
Eucharist, the Archbishop appears to have been completely puzzled. —
Compelled by the unequivocal testimony of our writers, our liturgies
and our canons, he was obliged to admit that the ancient Irish had been
in the constant practice of offering up the Eucharistic sacrifice, and
that masses, termed Requiem MasseSf used to be daily celebrated. —
Indeed so interwoven is the doctrine of the Eucharistic Sacrifice with
the whole body of our national records, that in order to deny its prac-
Uce, he should necessarily reject the antiquities of the country alto*
gether. Cogitosus in his life of St. Brigid and in his beautiful descrip-
tion of the Church of Kildare, sajrs, << there were two doors leading
into the church; that by one door the bishop together with his clergy
entered, for the purpose of immoMing the saered Lord* eeacrificey and
>t||at by the other the abbess and her nuns entered, that they might en-
joy the banquet of the body and blood of Jesue ChrietJ*^ In the ancient
Acts of St Columbkill written by Adamnan, it is stated that when St.
Cronan had been on a visit at the Monastery of Hy, he was directed by
St. Columba to offer the sacrifice, or as the venerable author expresses
it, << To make according to custom the body qf ChrietJ*^ We read in
the ancient life of St Kieran of Saigir, that on every Christmas night,
the Saint was accustomed to repair to the nunnery of St Cocchea,
<< that there he might offer i^ the body of C^riit.^^ In fine, when ever
any of these ancient Irish writers are treating on this august siibject,

3 I

434

fhe terms which they invariably employ are ^'the Sacrifice of Salvatioii —
the Sacrificial Mystery — the Mysteries of the Sacrifice/* It woald be
an endless task, and would carry as beyond oar intended limits^ were
we to give insertion in this place to an almost coantless mass of aoibo-
rities which could be adduced from the ancient writers and Fathen of
the Irish Church. The canons and liturgies to ^Hiich we shall hereafter
refer, will form another powerful argument In support of our proposition,
while it must be repeated ttiat Usher, unable to resist such a host of
evidence, was compelled to acknowledge that the Sacrifice <^ the Mass
had been a doctrine unlversiJly believed and practised fh>m the earliest
period in the Church of Ireland. Having been thus constrained to
make this important concession, the reader will, no doubt, be some-
what astonished at the reckless struggle which he makes in attempting
to extricate himself from the dilBculty; while at the same tUue he en-
deavours to impose on his readers by pretending that it had been owiy
a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and as such was olTered up for those happy
souls who had been in the possession of eternal bliss, but that it had not
been believed or practised in the ancient Irish Church a# a uteri/ice of
pn^piHatitm, In order to establidi this sweeping propotltkm^ a fow
isolated quotations from Adamoan's life of St Columba are most pom-
pously produced. In one of these the writer saj's, ^that Columbklli
caused all things to be prepared for the Bucharist, when he bad seea
the soul of St. Brendan received by the angels.*' On another occasion,
when the death of Colnmbanus Blehop of Leinster had oomrreA, the
same Saint Is represented as having acted under similar religious feel-
ings. ** For (says he) I must this day celebrate the holy mysteries of
the Eucharist, for the reverence of that soul, which this night, being
carried beyond the starry firmament between the choir* of ang^, as*
cended into paradise." From these passages the good Archbishi^
labours hard to persuade his reader that with the ancient Irish the JBu-
charistlc oblation was always one of thanksgiving and that it sever
forsooth had been an offering of propitiation. But, pray, by what pro-
cess of fair reasoning is he entitled to draw this comprehensive infer-
ence? Where is the man, even, partially acquainted with the prioci*
pies of Catholicity, who does not know that the Catholic Church holds
tlie Sacrifice of the Mass to be a sacrifice both of thanksgiving and of
propitiation? In the cases alluded to in the foregoing extracts, the
sacrifice was certainly offered up by way of thanksgiving, but it does
not fW>m hence follow that it had never been offered as a propitiation.— «
On the contrary this mystical oblation had been always considered by
the ancient Irish as propitiatory, and to demonstrate this truth we shall

435

bare recourse to sutb autharittes as cannot by any possibility be called
into question. Of all the sources, whether moral or physical, by which
the faith or discipline of any national Church can be ascertained, the
sorest and most indisputable is to be found in the public acts of that
Charchy that is, in the existing canons which had been passed at the
national synods, composed of the fathers and guardians of that Chvroh.
Taking our stand on this principle, we shall now have recourse to the
aacieot canons of the Church of Ireland and make it appear as evident
as the sun rolling in the heavens that the EnchariMic oblation had been
cttuidered by the Church of Ireland not only as a sacrifice of thanks-
giving but also of propitiation. In an ancient canon contained in
D*Aohery*s collection^ (L. 2. cap. 80.) the Synod says: ^ The Church
oifers for the souls of the deceased in fonr ways — for the very good the
oblations are simply thanksgivings — for the very bad they become con-
solations to the living — for such as were not very good the oblations are
made in order to obtain fnU remistitm; and for those who were not
f ery bad that their puntMkment may be rendered more tolerable,^'* Here
we have the doctrine of the fiocharistio oblation being a propitiatory
sacrifice in plain unequivocal terms* When it is offered up for souls
that are very good, that are blessed and happy, it is in that case (says
tlie canon) a sacrifice of thanksgiving; and of this description was the
oblation of St. Colomba already noticed: should it be offered for souls
that were very bad in the sight of heaven, even so the foithful on earth
will derive consolation from it. But should the sacrifice be offered for
sueh as were not very good or were not very bad, then the object of it
is, that the ponishment to whioh these sools had been sntjected may
be rendered more tolerable and that they may at length obtain full
pardon* What do you call this but propitiation, and of such a charac-
ter also, that it not only decides our present subject, but moreover es-
tablishes in the clearest manner that the catholic doctrine of praying
for the dead had been a tenet universally believed and practised in the
ancient Church of Ireland. With this important Canon Usher had
been well acquainted, why tiien has he not produced it, why has he
eoBcealedit altogether from the view of his reader? He knew right
well that had this public document, this solemn attestation of the Irish
Church been produced, the whole baseless fabric of his hopeles cause
would soon fall to pieces— the tmth should then come forth — ^it would
bo out of his power to impose any longer on the credulity of the pub*
lie. Bat may we be allowed to ask, when a man undertakes a state-
ment in which the religions character of a whole nation is involved,
. and that be stands notoriously gnilty of a flagrant and wilful suppres-

436

fdon of the truth, what claim can that man have to credibility? It
matt, moreover, be temariced, that the question now before as, Is not
strictly ipeaking a polemical one ; it is not whether the catholic doc-
trine relative to the Sacrifice of the Mass be right or wrong, or whether
the ancient Irish were right or were wrong in believing it to be a sacrt-
fice of propitiation; bat the question is, did they believe it to be pro^
pitiatory ? Hence it is altogether an historical question. Usher under-
takes to delineate the character of the ancient Irish, he represents them
as holding the Eucharistic oblation to be nothing more than a mere
sacrifice of thanksgiving, he represents them as differing ^toto coeto**
from their catholic descendants of the present day; their charactery
therefore, rested in his hands, while honour and justice required thai
he should have dealt with it foirly and candidly. Had he been inclined
to act in an upright manner, he would in the first instance have pro*
duced this Canon, and then let him, if he were able, convince his rea-*
ders that it did not or could not militate against the position en which
he set out. He should do the same with their liturgies, in a word, as
it was an historical subject, he should fairly treat it as such, and not
by obtruding a few garbled isolated extracts, which by-the-bye pnwe
nothing for his cause, endeavour to gain a currency for his own absurd
inventions, and at the same time malign and depreciate the character
of an ancient, a faithful and a stedfastly orthodox people.

To the aforesaid Canon may be added another still more andent. —
It is the 12th among the Canons of the Synod of St Patrick and is en*
titied:— <<0/ the Oblati&n/or the dead;'' in these words; ''Hear the
Apostle saying, there i$ a $in unto deaths I do not euy thmt for it any
one do pray. And the Lord ; Do not give the holy to dogs. For he, who
will not deserve to receive the Sacrifice during his life, how can it help
him after his death ?" From this Canon, it follows that the Sacrifice
was accustomed to be otfered up for the purpose o/ he^ingj and that of
course it was considered propitiatory. The sin unto death, above r^
ferred to, is that of final impenitence. For persons dying In Uus state
that is for impenitent sinners, the Sacrifice was not otfered, and why ?
1)ecause it could not help them. ** For, (says the Canon) be who will not
deserve to receive the Sacrifice during his life, how can it hefy him after
his death ?^^ Hence it is clear that he, who did deserve to receive it
during life, could, according to the Fathers of this Synod, receive he^
from it after death ; in consequence it becomes propitiatory. Now this
Canon of St. Patrick has, in the hands of the ArcfaUdiop, shared the
same fate with the former; he has cushioned them both, while at the
same time he has treated the character of our Apostle, of the Fathers

437

of the Irish Charch and of the najtion at large, in a manner manifestly
unbecoming that of a man of principle or a scholar.

We have already alluded to the ancient liturgies of the Irish Church ;
let us therefore in a brief manner examine one of these and see whether
or not the ancient Irish had believed the sacrifice of the Mass to be one
of propitiation. For this purpose the reader shall be referred to the an^
cient Irish Missal, the Cursus Scotorum. A description of this very
ancient Missal shall be given in a subsequent appendix ; we shall now
have recourse to some of the Orations, or as they are called in the Mis-
saly QmteiiatiaMSf in order to show that the masses contained therein
had been propitiatory. In a Mass for the dead, entitled '^ Pro drftmcti$^^
i« contained the following Oration: '< Grant O Lord to him, thy servant
deceased, the pardon of all his sins, in that secret abode, where there
is no longer room for penance— do yon, O Christ, receive the soul of thy
servant, wliich thou hast given and forgive him his trespasses more
abundantly than he has forgiven those who have trespassed against him.''
This Missal has also a Mass for the living ajod the dead, << Pro vivU et
drfmmeiiSf^ in which we read the following Oration: <* Propitiously
grant, that this sacred oblation may be profitable to the dead in obtain-
ing pardon, and to the living in obtaining salvation — grant to them (the
living and the dead) the full remission of all their sins and that indul-
gence which they have always deserved.''

Were it necessary, we could illustrate the subject by a host of addi*
tional evidence; tlie authorities, however, which have been already ad-
vancedy must in the mind of every fair, impartial reader, be considered
conclusive; they exhibit in the plainest terms what had been the faith
of the ancient Irish on this most important dogma, as well as the folly
of the man who had undertaken to malign their creed and impose on the
public by his extravagant misrepresentations.

Thb Rbal Presence.— In endeavouring to steer his course
through the last subject the Archbishop soon found himself beset with
insurmountable difficulties ; but when he had entered on the doctrine
of the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Sacra-
ment and ventured to show that it had never been numbered
among the religious tenets of the ancient Irish, he was clearly
compelled to abandon the enterprize. If clear and expressive
language be admitted, the universal belief of this Apostolical doc-
trine in the ancient Church of Ireland is as incontestibly established as
the very existence amongst them of Christianity itself. Should every
record have been profoundly silent on the subject, does it not follow, as a
regular corollary from the testimonies which have been already ad-
vanced on the sacrifice of the Mass, that the real presence of Christ in

438

the fiucharlsi bad bden a doctritu; universally believed from the very in-
fancy of our national chur($h ? otherwise what means that strong expres-
sion of St. Columba, ^*to make according to custom tkt body of Christ-*'*
or these words of Cogitosas, that the bishop entered by one door ^ to
immolate the sacred Lord's Sacrifice^'*'' while St. Brigid and her nons
entered by another ^ that thiy might partake of the banquet of the body
and blood of Jesus Christ.'*'* Bat as we shall have occasion to produce
some ftirther testimony in the seqael, let as first attend to the Archbishop
and endeavour to learn on what groands he could so confidently assert
that the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist
was a doctrine with which the ancient Church of Ireland bad been to-
tally unacquainted. Here the reader may, perhaps, expect to find an
overwhelming selection of authorities, or at least some one authority
containing a positive denial of the doctrine. But no such thing appears;
in the several passages which Usher had found scattered throughout the
works of these ancient writers, the Eucharist is distinctly called the
body of the Lord, the body and blood of Christ, the Sacrament of the
most sacred body and blood of the Lord ; expressions perfectly similar
to those used by all catholics at the present day. Unable to redst soeh
obvious language he wanders completely from Htxe enbfect and at length
is compelled to rest the whole merits of his case on an extract selected
firom the writings of SedullQs the Commentator, whom we have alreadjr
had occasion to notice. In his Commentary on St. Paulas first Epistle
to the Corinthians, xi, 84, and on the words << in remembrance of me^^
Sedulius observes ^that Christ has left a memory of himself unto us^
just as if one, that was going on a distant Journey, should leave some
token with him whom he loved; that as often as he beheld it he might
call to his remembrance his benefits and friendship.^^ It would require
an extraordinary mind to discover any thing in this passage which could '
exclude the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament; on the contrary,
his real presence is that wliich makes it an invaluable token of his love.
The Commentator too was speaking the language of catholics when he
said, that Christ has left unto us a memory of himself; for every catholic
acknowledges that this mysterious Sacrament is commemorative of the
sufferings of Christ, although Christ himself be verily and substaaUally
contained therein, yet in a manner not subjected to our senses. The
real presence of Christ under the sacramental species by no means pre*
vents it from being a memorial ; it even makes the memorial more im*
pressive and endearing. There is nothing then in the expressions em«
ployed by Sedulius which could indicate a denial of the real presence \
on the contrary, these very same expressions have been re-echoed by

439

many of the most eminent doctors aad catholic writers of every age. —
St. Thomas of Aquin in a lesson which be had written for the feast of
CotpuM Chrutiy says, << That in the Sacrament is kept up the memory* of
that most excellent charity, which Christ manifested in his passion —
and that in the last supper when having celebrated the Pasch with his
disciples he was abont to pass from this world to his Father, he insti*
tuted this Sacrament a# n perpetual memorial of his passion, and thus
has left a singular consolation to the persons grieved for his absence,^*
Will Archbishop Usher undertake to say that St. Thomas of Aqnin had
not believed in the real presence^ and yet where is the difference between
his language and that which has been already quoted from Sedulins ?
He has, it appears, taken a particular fancy to the evidence of this dis*
tingulshed Commentator, he professes a singular veneration for his name
and sets the highest value on his testimony, but we shall soon see how
nnOeurly, how dishonourably he has dealt with both the writings and the
character of this ancient and learned author. Sedulius, in a passage
immediately antecedent to the one already noUced, while commenting
on the words of Christ as quoted by St. Paul ; ^ Take and eat; thU'u
my body y"* has these words — '^Asif Paul said, beware not to eat thai
body unworthily, whereas it ie the body of Christ,^* Now it must, in
the first place be remarked that this passage has been altogether omitted
by Usher — and secondly while it contains an explicit avowal that the
Eucharist is the body of Christ, it must at the same time serve to illus-
trate the commentator's meaning of the sentence which immediately
follows, and which as we have seen above has been of no use whatever
to the hopeless cause of our uncandid opponent.

In fact the united testimony of our ancient records, the whole chain
of drcamstances connected with ihe history of the Irish Church most
clearly demonstrate the extravagance of the cause which the Doctor
had so gratuitously attempted to establish. It may be recollected that
our Apostle St. Patrick had converted Ethnea and Fethlimia, the
daughters of King Leogaire : the Tripartite life written by St. Evia
gives us the following remarkable account of this event: '^ But when
they had been more and more desirous to behold their spouse, the holy
man (St. Patrick) says to them, * clothed in mortal flesh ye cannot
see the Son of God; but to behold him in the brightness of his majesty
it is necessary to lay aside the corruptible covering of flesh and first
to receive his body and blood lying concealed after an invisible manner
under the form and species of bread and wineJ" On hearing these
words, the virgins, inflamed with more ardent love, instantly begged
to receive the communion of the Sacrament of the body and blood of

440

Chrhf^^ Surely no CaUiolic at the present day coold speak or write
in more clear and expressive language than this. In the fourth life of
Si. Brigid it is stated, that '< St. Nennidh, on hearing that the blesaed
Brigid was sick, went to see her^ and at the hour of her departure she
TGceiveA the body and blood qf our Lord JesutCkristf the Son of ike
living Gody from the most pure hands of the Saint, as she herself had
foretold." In like manner we read/ that *<St Fechin having been
strengthened by the sacrament of the most holy body and blood of the
Lordy resigned his soul to his Creator." St. Columbanusy after hating
in his ** Penitential" enjoined the necessity of confession before Mass,
has these words : ^< For the altar is the tribunal of Christ, and his body
which i$ there with his blood marks out those who approach in an uu-
woHhy state." What language can be plainer than this? << His body
which is there (ou the altar) with his blood," ^., how could it be there
if there was nothing but the figure, how could it be there if it were
absent? Had Columbanus indeed foreseen that such a man as Arch-
bishop Usher would at some distant period start up and make an at-
tempt, by misrepresenting his words, to malign the ancient religion of
that country, of which this great Saint had been the glory and orna-
ment, it is very probable that the above concise but conclusive sentence
would have been accompanied by something else — by a warning, which
it is probable might be disregarded, but would not on that account be
the less awful. The number of similar quotations which could be pro-
duced would comprize a volume in itself, but we deem it unnecesKary
to waste any more time on the subject. Before, however, we put a
close to this paragraph, let us for a moment contemplate the peculiar
circunstances of the Irish Church at this early period. Her mission-
aries, nay her apostles, had been scattered over the surfiuse of Europe :
Columbanus was preaching at Bobbio, Gallus at Constance, Rumold
in Mecklin, Virgiiios in Saltzburg, Donatus in Tuscany; and these
men were all in constant connexion with the Head of the Church and
were held in the highe:it esteem both by the Apostolic See and by ihe
prelates of all the national Churches throughout the western world. —
Would this respect, this veneration have been paid to them had they
denied the real presence of Christ in the sacrament, rejected the Sacri-
fice of the Mass or renounced the Supremacy of the Apostolic Chair,
doctrines which at that time had been professed all over the Christian
Church ? If the doctrine of these apostolic Irishmen had been such
as Usher endeavours to represent it, it must then follow that the same

• Fechin'a life, chap. XLVIII.

441

had been the creed of the Gallican, of the Roman and of the whole western
Church and that consequently the Popes Boniface, Gregory the Great,
Celestine and the other Pontiffs, who had sat in the chair of St. Peter
daring these ages, had neither believed or practised any of the above-
ini^tioned Catholic doctrines — an absurdity which no man, unless be-
reft of all common reason, would seriously venture to put forward. —
Moreover the character of the Irish Church, in consequence of her
schools and the great influx of scholars from all parts of Europe, had
been rapidly and widely circulated; the religious tenets which she pro-
fessed were well know not only to the prelates of Britain but also to
thos^ of Gaul, Germany, Italy and other great national Churches, yet
we find that neither Bede or any other writer of those times has ever
accused her with having denied the doctrine of the real presence, or
any other doctrine emt)raced and inculcated by the Catholic Church. —
We have already proved that the belief of the real presence was that
which had been preached by our great Apostle when he converted the
nation ; if then the idea of a figurative presence had been ever known
amongst them, it must have been introduced at some subsequent
period. We, therefore, require, as we did in the commencement of
this appendix, by whom was it introduced, or when or how did this
innovation take place; let us have a fair historical account of this most
pablic, most important event; let the annalist be mentioned — let the
record be produced. Unfortunately for the cause of the Archbishop,
no such annalist can be discovered — no such record can be found. On
the contrary aH our ancient writers, all the remnants Of our national
antiqnity with one universal testimony proclaini aloud that the doctrine
of the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in tlie sacrament
was tbat which had been believed by the ancient Church of Ireland in
every district and in every age since the< introduction of Christianity
into the country^ We, therefore, with every reason conclude that the
ancient Irish believed in this great sacrament exactly as the Catholic
Charch teaches, and as their Catholic descendants do undividedly and
stedfastly believe at the present day.

Oif Purgatory. — Notwithstanding the clear, stem testimony of
our ancient canons, and the numberless instances of prayers for the
dead, which are to be fomid in almost all the ecclesiastical records of
the country, Archbishop Usher is determined that this doctrine also
shall be sa1>mitted to his impartial observations and roundly asserts
that the practice of praying for departed souls had been i matter al-
tbgether unknown to the ancient Irish. Let us, then, briefly examine
the grounds on which he endeavours to establish this most extravagant

442

proposition. In a tract said to have been written by SL Patrick, and
outitled << Dd Tribas Habitacalis/' we read: « There are three babi-
tatitions under the power of the Almighty: the 6rst^ the lowest and the
middle; the highest of which is called the kingdom of God or heaveziy
the lowest is termed belly and the middle is named the present world or
the circuit of the earth The extremes of these habitations are alto-
gether contrary to each other, but the middle hath some resemblance
to the extremes. For in this world there is a mixture of good and
bad; whereas in the kingdom of God there are none bad but all good;
but in hell there are none good but all bad: and both these places are
supplied out of the middle. Por of the men of this world, some are
exalted to heaven, others are thrust down into hell. For like are
joined unto like, that is to say, good to good and bad to bad— just men
lo angels, transgressors to disobedient angels. The blessed are called
to the kingdom prepared for them from the beginning of the world, and
the wicked are driven into eternal fire, which is prepared for the devil
iind his angels.^' In the first place it must be remarked that there ex-
ists a great diversity of opinion as to the author of the work ^'De
Tribus Uabltaculis.'^ Some ascribe it to St. Patrick, others to St.
Augustin and many to St. Bernard. Secondly, admitting it to be the
work of St. Patrick, it amounts to no more than a mere negative argu-
ment; does it follow because the author is silent as to a place of purga-
\ ion that he did not believe in the existence of any such place ? Thirdly,
:iu account of this state of temporary punishment had nothing to do
>vith the object contemplated by the writer in the aforesaid work. Ui»
object was to give a general description of the three principal states of
liian, that of trial and those of misery and happiness. Now the souls
in purgatory are happy — ^wherever there is hope there is happiness. —
The damned in hell can have no happiness, for they cannot hope — they
never can expect to enjoy the beatific vision. Not so with souls suffer-
isig for venial faults, in that prison where the justice of heaven will de-
iiiand the last farthing, they have hope, they are certain of at length
i;.!holding their God and of becoming partakers of his glory. Hence
I hey are to be m>mbered among the happy, and for this reason the
: iithor was not called upon to enter into any particular description of
tiicir state. Finally, the above quotation evidently proves nothing; the
j rincipal passage of it is contained in these words: ''For of the men of
litis world, some are exalted to heaven, others are thrust down into
i.cll.'' Here the author says, that of the men of this world, some are
( xaltrd to heaven, but he does not say that these souls are exalted to
I. raven immediatety after their death. Mankind is divided by this vTher

443

into Iww classes, namely, the just and the unjust. Now had he stated
that all the just go to heaven immediateiy after their departure from
this world, this indeed might be an argument of some value to Usher,
^t he states no such thing; it is, therefore, most evident that no infer-
ence ean be deduced from the above mentioned quotation which could
in the least prove to us that the Catholic doctrine of purgatory had been
a taoet unknown to the ancient Church of Ireland.

To this he adds a Canon ascribed to an ancient Irish Synod, which
runs thus: "Tbat the soul being separated from the body is presented
before the tribunal of Christ, who renderetfa its own unto it according to
its actions ; and that neither the Archangel can lead it into life until the
Lord judge it, nor can the devil carry it unto pain unless the Lord do
damn it.*^* How this Canon can militate against a belief in purgatory
is a point rather difficult to discover. The Archangel cannot lead the
soul into life until it is first judged and even then the Canon does not
state that the soul is presently introd need into heaven. Besides a transi -
lory state of purgation is life, for the soul therein detained is just hi the
sight of God and consequently has life and will, according to the divine
mercy, become a partaker of the kingdom of heaven. Usher in con-
clusion enters into some unmeaning allusions to St. Patrick^s purgatory
in Lough Derg; but what has this to do with the belief of the ancient
Irish as to tbe Catholic doctrine of purgatory? In fact the man him-
jielf seems to be sensible that in the fruitless attack which h^ had made
on the religion of this ancient people, he had actually to contend
against th^ united testimony of all tbe ecclesiastical records of the
country. The canons and liturgies which we have already placed be-
fore the reader, when treating on the Sacrifice of the Mas8,t are more
than sufficient without the aid of any other evidence, to upset at once
bis absurd chimerical assertion. Wc may, however, by way of con-
clusion, take notice of the following authorities: in* D^Achery^s collec-
tion of the canons of the ancient Irish we find tbe foUowing: ^'Tlm
Church now offers the Sacrifice to Ood in many ways, (for many rea-
sons,) first, for itself; secondly, fgr the commemoration of Jesus Christ ;
and thirdly, for the souls of the depafted.'^'^X Here is an expreis Canon
conveying the belief of tbe whole Irish Church. Let Usher give us
sometbing like this and we shaU be inclined to listen to him. It is

• MS. in BiMioL Cotton. t Sec p. 439, cl Scq.

X Synodus Ait. — Nunc £cclesia mnltiu niotirs ofTcit Domino. Piimo, pro >ci|)5a ;
5ccundo, pro comTnetnorationc Jesu CluUli, qui ili.xit, " Hoc facile in meam coiii-
ncmorationem/' tcriio, pro animabiw tk-functoruw."— Lib. 11. caj>. 9.

444

4at«d in (he life of St. Fulclierius^* that '^he was accostomed to pray
(or the repose of the soul of Ronaiiy a chieftain of Ele^ and that be had
frequently recomqiended the soul of the sane chieftain to the prayers of
the fatthfal/' In a life of SL Brendan, quoted by Usher himself, we
read: <« Tkat the prayer (/ the Iwing doth ftrofit much the dead.'' It
is recorded in the ancient life of St Ita, that ^<she had constantly
prayed for the soul of her uncle, and that alms had been given ^y his
sons*' for the same purpose. Did our space permit, or were it indeed
required, numberless similar autiiorities could be produced; w<, there-
Core, conclude that the doctrine of praying for the dead, or in otiier
words, of purgatory, had b^n universally believed and constantly
practised in the ancient Church of Ireland.

IMAOBS— PRATBRi TO THB SAINTS.— In noticing the obseiratioBs
which Archbishop Usher has thought proper to make on these snlgectsy
we are certainly throwing away both time and paper. He gives us
an extract from Sedulius to the following effect: ^ That it is inqiious
to adore any other besides the Vatlier, the Son and the Holy Ghotty
and that all the soul oweth unto God, if it bestoweth it upon any be-
sides God, it committeth adultery .'*t To this he sut^oins a passage
from the Commentator Claudius, ^ That God doth not dwell in things
made with hands nor in metal or stone.''} What has this to do with
the respect which the ancient Irish paid to the cross and to the images
of Christ and his saints? No Catholic adores the cross, nor does be
believe that any divinity resides in the metal, stone or other material
of which the image is constructed. Moreover, the Doctor was per-
fectly incorrect in introducing Claudius; for as we have seen already
this Commentator was not an Irishman. On the contrary he was in
all probabiUty the Iconoclast Bishop of Turin against whom our
learned countryman Dungal had writtten his celebrated work, ^Re-
sponsa contra perversas Claudii Turonensis episcopi Sententias." The
vei^y writings of Dungal would indeed have been suffident to convince
Usher that the practice of paying a relative veneration to the cross, to
relics and images, and of invoking the intercession of the saints had
been universally observed in the ancient Church of Ireland. Against
the heretic Claudius, Dungal has published the work already mentioned
and in it he shows that, from the most primitive times, the cross of
Christ and the relics and images of the saints had been universally pre-
served in churches, for the purpose of recalling to the minds of the
faithful the sufferings and example of Christ and of his saints, and proves

• Chap. XVIII. t Cemment. on Galat. chap. VI. x Id. on Math. chap. 11.

445

that due respect and veneratiou had beeu always paid to them. Dun-
gsU tli«n eniera on tha dgctrine of the invocation of sainU, in which be
obeerves : " If the apostles and martyrs, while in this world, could pray
fpr others, how much more so can they do It after their crowns, victo-
ries and triumphs?" We meet with the practice of this deviotion in the
recorded acts of all our ancient Irish saints. The metrical life of St.
Brigidy written by St. Brogan in the seventh century, concludes with
these words: ''There are two holy virgins in heaven, who may become
my protectors, Mary and Brigid, on whose patronage let each of us
depend." In like manner St. Livinus, in the epitaph which he had
composed to perpetuate? the memory of St. Bavo at Ghent, thus implores
the prayers of the Saint: '' This church which thou bast founded, may-
est. thou, O.boly Bavo, protect by thy merits." But what necessity
for dwelling longer on this topic; all our ancient liturgies bear an
uaanipious testimony to the belief and practice of this apostolical doc-
trine among our forefathers since the very introduction of Christianity
into the country. There. have been^ as we shall see, in our account
of the Cursus Scotornmi* masses appointed for the festivals of the
Blessed Virgin, for those of the apovtles and of other saints ; while the
collects of all these masses contained the prayers of both priest and
people, imploring the intercession of these saints through the infinite
i^eritsof our Lord Jesu^, Christ. It is, therefore, a most undeniable
truths that these Catholic .doctrmes had been believed and practised in
the ancient Church of Ireland, exactly as {hey had been from the in-
troduction of the Gospel, in all the other national churches of the
Christian world.

Chrism. — When a man undertakes to defend a tottering cause,' and
that at length he finds both himself and his cause on the brink of the
pKcipice, be is glad to lay hold on any thing. This it was .which had
urged the Archbishop to have recourse to a letter addressed by Lan-
franc to Gotbricin the eleventh century, and in. which that Prelate
comi^ains that, among the Irish, chrism had not been used in the ad*
ministration of baptism* Now Usher had known perfectly well that
the application of consecrated chrism had nothing whatever to do with
tke essence of the sacrmment of baptitm; that it was nothing more
than a mere ceremony, and that consequently it was neither opposed to
Catholic Mth or. contrary to the apostolical ^istitutions. ' The Irish
Church, not considering it essentially necessary, bad not, it is probable,
enjoined its observance; bat what objection can begrpunded on this?

* See Appendix III.

446

Various other ceremonies had in many churches been employed in
the administration of the sacrament of baptism, while in lapse of time
they fell into disase ; in short, ceremonies have nothing whatever to do
with faith. An important observation may, however, be drawn from
this letter of Lanfranc. Had the Church of Ireland been such as
Usher would wish to represent it — had the supremacy of the Pope, the
real presence, the Sacrifice of the Mass, and purgatory been doctrines
which the ancient Irish neither practised or believed, why did not Lan-
franc in his letter accuse them of it? why confine himself to the
omission of chrism, a mere ceremony, and pass over the essential
dogmas of the Christian religion? We are well accustomed to hear
persons impudently asserting, even at the present day, that these
tenets, or as they term them, Romish practises, had been introduced
into this country by Henry II and the Normans. Now Lanfranc
was a Norman, and if, for example, the Church of Ireland had in his
time, believed that the blessed Eucharist was only a figure of the body
of Christ, why not make mention of this in his letter? if they had
differed so essentially from him and from the Galilean Church whence
he came, why not reprimand them, why has he passed over all these
great dogmas in profound silence? The reason is evident, because the
Irish people had believed in them as well as himself; they had bdieved
in them and practised them in every age since the light of Christianity
had first beamed on the nation, and the same belief continues to flour-
ish triumphantly to this day notwithstanding the multiplied grinding
oppressions to which this faithful persevering people had been for so
many ages subjected. The letter of Lanfranc, therefore, so far from
being available to the cause of Usher, contributes most clearly and
powerfully to upset his extravagant system altogether.

On the Celibacy of the CLEROY.~The discipline of the ancient
Irish has, it appears, engaged the attention of the Archbishop no less
than the venerable faith which the same people had professed. The
reader must have been already aware that the question relative to the
Celibacy of the catholic clergy is only a mere matter of discipline, it is
purely an ecclesiastical law, and consequently has no connection what-
ever with the principles of the Catholic faith. According to Usher this
law had no existence in the ancient Church of Ireland, and hence he
maintains that the clergy had been permitted to marry. In support of
this, he refers to the sixth Canon of the Synod, called of Patrick, Aux-
ilius and Iseminus, which runs in these words : — ** If any Clerk from the
Ostiarius, or door-keeper up (o the Priest, shall be seen without being
habited in hii tunic, and if his bead be not shorn according to the Roman

447

manner^ and if his wife will wallt out without her head veiled, he shall
be contenmed by the laity and separated from the Church.^^* In the first
place, it is manifest that this Canon cannot be placed among the number
of those ascribed to St. Patrick. It enjoins the observance of the Ro-
man tonsure; now we have seen that this tonsure had not been intro<
duced into Ireland until about the middle of the seventh century; hence
the Canon now quoted must have been framed either at that or at some
subsequent period. Moreover, from this Canon, it cannot with any de-
gree of certainty be inferred that priests had been permitted to marr>'.
It says, ^^ If any Clerk from the Ostiarlus up to the Priest (mque ad
Sacerdotem) shall be seen &c. ;*^ this then may signify the Clerks or
ecclesiastics of the seve^ orders up to priesthood, but not the Priest;
it includes all the orders up to priesthood, but not that order^ and in this
sense the term Priest as it stands in the sentence bears an ejeclusive sig-
nification. Should this Canon be construed so as to admit the marriage
of priests, it would certainly be at variance with many of the most an-
cient constitutions of the Irish Church. In the Penitential of Cummian,
to which reference has been so frequently made, we find a Canon,
which condemns the marriage not only of a Monk, but also of a Clerk.
" If, (says the Canon,) a Clerk or a Monk, after he has devoted himself
to God, shall return to his secular habit or marry a wife, he shall do
penance for t«n years, three of which he shall spend on bread and water,
and shall ever after abstain from the use of matrimony. According to
the Penitential of Columbanus '< ecclesiastics who were married before
they had taken orders, and whose wives were still living, were bound to
abstain from them, under pain of being considered as adulterers.'^ The
twentieth Canon of this Penitential is contained in these words: — <Mf
any Clerk or Deacon or Ecclesiastic of any degree, who was a layman
in the world with sons and daughters, shall aft«r his conversion (to reli-
gion) know his wife, and beget a child, he must know that he has com-
mitted adultery; wherefore he must do penance for seven years on
bread and water.' ^ In like manner the twelfth Canon of the Penitential
attached to the Cursus Scotorum ordains: — ^"If any Clerk, or superior
degree, who had a wife^ and qfter his dignity (his ordination) shall
again know her^ he must be considered as having committed adultery;
if a Clerk, he must do penance on bread and water for four years, if a
Deacon for six, if a Priest for seven and if a Bishop for twelve years.''

* " Quicumqus clericns, ab ostisrio usque ad sacerdotem, sina tunica Visns fuerit,
atque turpitudinem Yenms et nuditatem non tegat ; et si non more Romano capilli
ejus tonti sint, et uxor ejus si non velato capite ambulaverit ; pariter a laicis con*
temnentur, et ab Zcclesia scparentur.*'— Can. 6.

448

From these Cauons it is evident that the eccle«iasiicai law of Celibacy
had been obserred in the ancient Chnrch of Ireland and conseqaently
the explanation which has been given to the first ni<entioned Canon must
be admitted as the most probable and consistent. Tbe Canon already
quoted in the commencement of this paragraph, had been evidelrily
drawn up either in the seventh or in the eighth century; if then the
marriage of priests had been tolerated at tlris period, it may with
every probability be presumed that the same toleration had been al-
lowed in the ages which immediately followed. A practice of thia
description could not have easily fallen into disaae> and hence it muat
have prevailed in the tenth and eleventh centuries. Now we may be
certain that no such toleration had^ existed in the Ghureb of Ireland
daring the eleventh century; if there had, would Lanfiranc, in his letters*
have passed over a matter of such importance in sHence? Neither
did it exist in the twelfth century : Giraldus Cambrensis would have
readily availed himself of such an occurrence in the many and farioos
invectives which he was accustomed to pour foKh against tbe habit«
and character of the Irish clergy, v In all our ancient records we do
not read of one married priest, no such character is to be found, attd
it is most certain that the law of clerical celibacy bad been enlbrced
and observed in Ireland exactiy as it had been in the Roman, GalUcao
and other national churches.

On the Usb op TttB ScrIptvreIi.— We shall, in conclusion,-
briefly take notice of an extract or two which Usher has quoted for
the purpose of showing that the use of the Scriptures had been general
among the ancient Irish, and as it would appear of enlisting thai
people among the biblicals of Ms day! SedoUus observes ^^ Search the
law, in which the will of the Lord is contained,*'* and Bede, bating
of the successors of St. Columba says^ ^^ They observed diligently all
those works of piety and chastity, which they«oald learn in the pro-
phetical, evangelical and apostolical writings; and all who went in
company with Aldan, whether they were shorn or laymen, were obliged
to exercise themselves either in the reading of the Scriptures, or in the
learning of psalms.^'f It requires some study to discover tbe inference
which can be deduced from all this. Surely the Catholic Church doei
not prohibit the use of the Scriptures, provided these sublime and
dilBcalt writings be read with the proper dispositions. It appeats that
all who went in company with St Aidan (of Lindisfam) were in the
habit of exercising themselves in the reading of the ScHptorev. Tmiy
so they might, for in ih^ perusal of these mysterious, obscure books^

• Com. Ephes. v. 17, ^ Eccl. Hist. L. 3, chap. IV.

449

they could not possibly have a better expositor, a safer guide, than Ihe
ve^ man in whose company they were reading. Sedalius says ^ search
the law,^^ but he does not say gi?e your own meaning to the law, or
interpret the law according to your own private judgement and set at
nought the authority of the Church. What a pity it was that Sedulius
and the Fathers of the Irish Church had not some taste for fanaticism,
what a misfortune it was both to religion and to society that they had
not filled the country with bibles and allowed every child and every il-
literate man to take the sacred volume aqd twist and turn it so as to
make it answer his own particular whim and fancy. Notwithstanding
all their missionary labours and all the copies of the sacred text which
they had transcribed, they could never boast of more than one Church,
but Archbishop Usher and his biblical followers can glory in some
thousands, all elegantly disagreeing from each other, and each sturdily
maintaining the orthodoxy of his principles by passages taken from
the most difljcult portion of sacred writ The ancient Fathers of the
Irish Church allowed no man to preach the Gospel until he had been
first qualified by education and by the reception of holy orders, but
now, every man being conipetent to become his own expositor of the
Bible, we have preachers of every rank^ age and sex ; we have even
madmen with their followers in the streets of Canterbury, while the
dupes 0( Southcot know to their cost whether or not that successful im-
l)ostor had profited by the readiQg and private interpretation of the
scriptures.

But is it not a melancholy circumstance to witness the talents and
the research of such a man as Archbishi^p Usher thus literally thrown
away on a controversy so groundless and extravagant, and in which it
is evl()^nthe could never succeed ? He knew right well that the posi-
tion which he had taken was untenable, he was well aware that the
character which he had laboured to fasten on the ancient Church of
this country was in open contradiction to all the records and antiquities
he hafl ever read, it is tben surprising tbat he had made such a bad
use of those rare endowments with which nature had furnished him
for far different purposes. There is one way, and only one, for ex-
plaining this apparently unaccountable circunasiance. He was a bigot,
and an implacable persecutor of his Catholic countrymen — to this
abominable spirit of religious bigotry he became a victim — under its
influence he composed the book which we have briefly reviewed in the
foregoing pages, and by it has he left to posterity an awful exempljfl<|^- «
lion of that bane of society and scourge of mankind, religious Intoler?^
ance.

3 }.

APPENDIX II.

Penitential Canon$ of the ancient Church of Ireland,

Among the ancient Irish, the Penitential Canons, so characteristic of
primitive times, had been most rigorously enforced even down to the
eighth century and would in all probability have been continued were It
not for the confusion which the Danish wars had created throughout Uie
nation. In order to give the reader an idea of the nat^ire of these Peni-
tential Canons, as observed in the Church of Ireland, we shall have re-
course to some of our ancient Penitentials and particularly to that of
Cummlan.* A brief selection may suffice, as an exact enumeration of
all these Canons would carry us beyond our intended limits. In tiie
sixth chapter, on the crime of murder the Canon ordains — ^^ Should a
layman maliciously murder another, he must withdraw from the church
for forty days, and do penance for seven years on bread and water; bat
he is not to be allowed to the holy communion, until placed on his death-
bed. Should he Icill another by accident, he must perform a similar
penance for five years.t If a person should intend to commit murder,
but had not the power of perpetrating it, he was to do penance for three
years.t Should any person in a quarrel, maim or injure another so as
to render him deformed, he was bound to defray the expenses attending
the illness of the injured man and \jo do penance for six months on bread
and water — but should he be unable to meet these expenses, he must
perform the penance for a year.§ The sin of drunlienness was punished
by fasting on bread and water for a week ; if attended with vomiting,
the fast was to be continued for fifteen days.il The crime of adultery
was punished by a penance of three years, during one year of which

* Another celebrated Penitential, observed in those times, was that of Cotunbanu, or m
it is called De PtenitrntUxntm Menmtra taxanda, and which, it must be observed, is alto-
gether a disdnct treatise from his Regula CambialU Hve de QuotidbmiM PcmitmHit Mma-
chomm ; the latter having been intended for his institute, whereas the former was an univer-
sal ecclesiastical canon. — Vide Collect. Sacra, ap. Fleming.

t Si LaicQS alinm occiderit odii meditalione, sepCem annis peeniteat (in pane et aqua) et
qiiadraginta dies abstineat sc ab Ecclesia ; circa exitnm aniem vita commonlone dignos ha-
beatar— qai non voluntarie, scd casn homicidlnm perpetravit, qnlnqnc annis psenileat. — Bx.
cap. vi.

; Si Volnerit et son potucrit, tribns annis pseniteat.

$ Qui per rixam, debilem vel deformem hominem fecerit, reddat impensa* medicis, aegri-
fwUnem restitnat et medium annum psenlteat In pane et aqua ; si non habnerit nnde reddat,
uso pstniffcat.

II Si laicus ftdelis incbriatnr, pspnitcat unam licbdomedara, in pane et aqua : si per ebrie-
tairm vomiinm ftcit, qnindecim dies pseuitcat.— -ex rap. ii.

4ol

Qotbing was allowed but bread and water.* The siu of concupiscence
indulged in thought, was punished by a penance of one year. Im-
modest conversation was subjected to a penance of forty days. For
fornication a penance of two years was to be enjoined.f For the crime
of perjury, a penance of three years was to be enjoined; if the peijury
had been committed in a charch, this penance was to be continued for
eleven years. Should a layman, through a motive of avarice be guilty
of peijory, he was boond to sell all he had and give it to the poor, after •
which retiring into a monastery, he should there serve the Lord during
the remainder of his life. A simple lie unattended with injury, was
punbbed by Jt repetition of thirty psalms or the constant silence of three
days.! Shoald a man be guilty of theft, he was to make immediate
restUution nind fast for 120 days on bread and water — ^had he committed
the crime frequently and was anable to make restitution, he should do
penance on bread and water for two years, and another year for 120
days, after which he was to be reconciled to the Church at Easter.§ He
who indulges an hatred for his brother, so long as he neglects to over-
eome that feeling, mast do penance on bread and water. The person
who through envy is guilty of detraction or who willingly listens to the
detractor, must alike do penance for tliree days on bread and water.lj
Should a man be guilty of usury on any account, he must do penance
for four years, one of these years on bread and water. In fine, whoever
refused to receive guests under his roof, or neglected to exercise hospi-
talky, so long as he thus persevered or did not give alms, he must for an
equal period do penance on bread and water — ^but should he remain ob-
stinate in his avarice, he is to be separated from the faithfuLU

* Si qab Mtttlterian fecerit, id est cam nxorc aliens, ant ipooMm, vel virginem corrnpe-
rit, ant sanctimonialem, tribuB annin psniteat, primo ex hi» in pane et aqna.

i 81 qnis foraicarerit de lafeis, duobns annia paeniteat. Qui concnpiacit incnte fornicari,
8cd mm potnlt, anno peeniteat, maxime io Quadragesima.— Qni tnrptloqaio vel aspecta coin-
quinatos est, qoadraginta dies paeniteat.

I Si quia perjurinm fecerit, Laid tribns annis pseniteant, derici quinque, sobdiaconi sex*
diaeoni septem, presbyteri decern, epiacopi dnodecim. Qai perjurinm fadt io ecclesia, an-
dedm annis paeniteat. Si qnis laicus per capiditatem perjorat, totas res suas vendat et do-
net (Beo) in panperibnv, et conversus in monasterio nsqae ad mortem serviat Deo. Mendax
et non nocalti damnetnr, tribns diebos tacendi, vel triginta paalmos cantet.— ex cap. v.

$ Si laicns lemel ftartnm fecerit, reddat quod ftiravit, et in tribns qnadragesimis cum pane
et aqoa paeniteat. Si saepins fecerit et non liabet nndc reddat, annis duobus in pane et aqua
pmiteat ; et alio anno tribns qnadragesimis, et sic postea in Pascha reconcilietnr.

I Qui odit flratrem suum, qnamdiu non repellit odium, tamdin cum pane et aqua sit. Qui
causa invidiae detraliit, vd libeotur audit detraiientem, tribus diebus in pane et aqaa separe-
tur. — ex cap. ix.

^ Si qnis uanraa undecunqne cxegerit, quatuor annis ptcnitcat, uno ex hb in pane et
aqua. Qulcumqne hoepiies non recepit in domo sua, sicut Dominus praeceptt| quanto tem-
pore lioBpites non recepit, neque elcemosynam fecit, tanto tempore paeniteat in pane et aqna —
permaoen^ autem in avaritia alienetir. — ex rnp. viil.

APPENDIX in.

Cvrsus Seotorumy or Miual^f themneieHt Irish.

The Litargy usaaUy called Cmrnu Seotorwm was thai which bad
been flnt brought to Ireland by St Patrick and was the only one
that had been osed until about the close of the sixth centoiy^ that is,
during the times of the first class of Irish saints. About this period the
Galilean Liturgy (Cursiis Gallorum) was, it is probable, introduced
into this country. The CtarsM Scotorum is supposed to hare been the
Liturgy originally drawn op and used by St. Mark the Evangelist; it
was afterwards followed by Sts. Gregory Naziansen, Basil and other
Greek Fathers, then by Cassian, Uonoratus of Lerins, St. Caesarius
of Arle% St. Lupus of Troiesand St. German of Anxerre; from whom
St. Patrick received it when setting out on his mission io Ireland. A
copy of the Curius Scotorum has been found by MahlUon, in the ancient
Monastery of Bobbioy of which establishment Columbanus was the
founder, and which missal that learned writer believes to have been
written at least one thousand years before his time. The Canon in
this Liturgy is almost the same as that of the Roman Missal; but in
the Communieantes^ after Cosmse et Damiani, it has iiilarii, Martini,
Ambrosii, Augustini, Gregorii, Hieronjrmi, Benedict!. It contains two
masses for the dead; one a general mass, and the other Mitsa Saeer-
dotir D^wictL Among the feasts are the Assumption of the Blessed
Virgin, the Cathedra S. Petri, the Invention of the Holy Cross, the
Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the feasts of Sts. Peter and Paul, of
Sts. James and John, of St. Michael the Archangel, of St. Stephen,
St. Sigismund and St. Martin of Tours. It has a Penitential annexed
to it, and a Credo, the same in substance as that called the Apostles
Creed, but not as forming a part of the mass.

The Cursus Oallorvm had been introduced into Ireland during the
times of the second class of Irish saints. This Liturgy is ascribed to
St. John the Evangelist and vras followed by St. Polycarp, St. Ignatius,
St Irenftus and others. In process of time it contained a great num-
ber of masses for Irish saints and particularly the edition which had
been used by the monks of the Columbian Order. This Cursus con-
tinued until the twelfth century, when the Roman Liturgy and offices
were introduced into Ireland by the Legate GfUeberf, Bishop of Lim-
erick and were universally received about the time of St. Malachv.

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