No More Learning

of the South.
——
May 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 113
the Apostle, was held in the Irish Church. The Scholiast adds, that it was the feast of his nativity. ^ The Bollandists3 have a notice of this Festival, as found in various ancient Martyrologies. 4 In the Roman Martyrology, the feast is entered, at this date, as the Translation of his body at Salernum, wliile his Natalis is referred to the 21st of September.
Article IV. Reputed Festival of Brigidona and Maria, Martyrs. At the 6th of May, the BoUandists ' refer to a Manuscript copy of the Tallagh Martyrology, for the insertion of Brigidona and Maria among the Martyrs; while, they remark, that elsevvhere, they could find no similar notice. To us, it seems likely, this entry has reference to the Saints Maura and Brigid, Virgins and Martyrs, noticed at the previous day, and placed by some error, at this date.
^ebentJ) 2Bai) of i^lap*
ARTICLE I. —ST. BERCHAN, OF DAIRE EACHDROMA.
FROM accessible accounts, it seems difficult to set down any authentic particulars, regarding the present holy man, his place, and his period. At the 7th of May, in the Feilire of St. ^ngus,' a commemoration of two dis- tinct saints, and at the same place, denominated Daire Echdroma, is recorded. These are called MochuarocandBreccan. The commentator on this Metrical
Martyrology of ^ngus remarks, that Daire Ech-Droma is in the north of Dalaradia, and on the border of Dalaradia and Dalriada. ^ It was in the DioceseofDownandConnor,accordingtoColgan. 3 Itseemslikewiseto
Whitley Stokes:—"A man who wrote without stint fair stories of Christ crucified : commemorated by princes is (the) great birth of Matthew (the) magnified. "—Trans- actions of the Royal Irish Academy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. On the Calendar of Oeiigus, p. Ixxviii.
Article i. —' In the " Leabhar Breac" copy, we have the following :
tTloc]^UA]^oc La b)\eccAn OijeixAic AcglAinm CA]\fAc C|\i-pc aj'tdiLui liroGAch 'Oi\oinA 'Oaiimu.
" A Latin comment follows the Irish,
" vel in hoc die occidit Christo [leg. occisus
est pro Christo ? ] See /i^zi/. , p. Ixxxiv. In
the lower margin he adds: " Fer roscrib
7rl. Matha mochta . i. machta . i. ab eo quod loved Christ who is dearest, in Daire Ech-
est mochta [leg. macto] . i. occido uel magis aucta ab eo quod est augeo mathens ad ere- dendum. "
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Mail vi. Among the pretermitted feasts, p. 98.
droma. "—Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. i. , Irish Manuscript Series, p. Ixxviii.
^ See Introduction to the " Book of Obits and Martyrology of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, commonly called Christ Church, Dublin," p. lix , Edited by John
* They write : " Matthsei Apostoli et
Euangelistse natalis in Perside memoratur Clarke Crostvvaite, A. M. , and Rev. James
in apographis Martyrologii Hierony/niani, Lucensi et Corbeiensi Pai-isiis excnsso, into et Epternacensi nomine natalis omisso. "
Henthorn Todd, D. L).
^ ^ee "Acta Sanctorum Hiberni^," xxviii.
Martii. De S. Carnocho Episcopo, nn. 4, 5> p. 783.
• The Rev. William Reeves also observes: " it is reported that stations were formerly
H
Article IV. — ' tomus ii. , Maii vi. saints, p. 96.
See " Acta Sanciorum," Among the pretermitted
It is thus rendered in the English version of Dr. Whitley Stokes: "My Cuavoc with Breccan, two champion? who are purest,
—
114
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 7.
have been denominated Echdruim Brecain. Though the name is now lost, the position corresponds very accurately with that of Deshcart, which is close upon a stream dividing both territories. The spot bears strong marks of remote antiquity. 4 The denomination Echdruim or Eachdruim s is usually AnglicizedAughrim. ^ Atthe7thofMay,theBoUandists? noticethissaint, after the Martyrology of Tallagh, and as referred to by Colgan, but with some inaccuracy. He is believed^ to have been of Ulster descent. St. Berchan, or Breacain, who was venerated at Eachdruim, is said to have been a son to Saran. 9 This chieftain received St. Patrick, in a very rude manner, when the IrishApostlevisitedDalaradia,wherehelived. Forthis,thesaintreproved him, and predicted, that he should be expelled from his place. '° Notwith- standing, he had posterity, remarkable for holiness of life, viz. , Brocan, his son, Atractha," his grand-daughter, and a grand-son called Trenoc. " Another alternative conjecture of the scholiast on St. ^ngus is, that Daire Echdroma was possibly in Mucraime, in the west of Connaught. We are told of it, moreover, that the tree of the church was seen from the plain, and when one went to see it in the oak-wood, it was not to be found ; it is added, that the voice of the bell was heard, and the psalmody there, wliile the church itself
was not found. '3 Elsewhere, Colgan has a conjecture, '•* that the present St. Breccanwasnot distinct from Becan, brother to St. Carnech 'S and toSt. Ronan sons of Saran, son of Colgan, son to Tuathal, son of Felim, son to Fiach Cassan,sonofCoUaDachrioch. '^ ThepublishedMartyrologyofTallagh'7 enters Breccan Echdroma. The Franciscan copy has not a quite similar notice. '^ The Martyrologies of Marianus O'Gorman, of Christ Church Cathe- dral, of Donegal, and of Rev. William Reeves,'9 have noticed this festival to St. Bretan,'-'° or Berchan. *' He must have lived, at a remote period. At the Nones of May, corresponding with the 7th day, the Kalendar of Drummond^'* has placed the two saints, then venerated in Ireland. *3
Article II. St. Mochiarog, or Mochuarog, of Doire Echdroma. The present holy person must have flourished, at an early phase of Irish Church affairs, since we find the insertion of Mo-Cuaroc in the Felire of St. yEngus,composedtowardsthebeginningoftheninthcentury. IntheFran-
held there, though they are now discontinued, On the Calendar of Oengus, by \Yhitley and even the name of the ]iatron saint is Stokes, LL. D. , p. Ixxxiv.
forgotten. " See Rev. William Reeves' '* See ''Acta Sanctorum Hibernise,"
"Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down,
Connor and Dromore," Appendix G. G. , n.
(g), p. 335.
5 It is Anglicized "hovse-hill. "
* There are about twenty places so called
xxviii. Martii. Vita S. Carnechi, nn. I, 4, 5, p. 7S3.
'5 See his Life, at the 28th of March, in the Third Volume of this work, Art. i.
'* Such is the pedigree found, in the in Ireland. See Dr. Patrick W. Joyce's Genealogies of the Irish Saints, at cap. xiii.
"Origin and Histoiy of Irish Names of Places," part iv. , chap, ix. , p. 506.
^ See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Maii vii. Among the pretermitted saints, pp. 131, 132.
» By Rev. Dr. Todd.
9 See Colgan's "Acta . Sanctoium Iliber- niK,"xx. Februarii, Vita S. Olcani, n. 13, p. 378.
'" See ibid. , cap. vii. , p. 376.
" Her Life will be found, at the llth of August.
" His fca^t has been assigned, either to the Slh, or to the 28th, of Ecbruaiy.
'3 See " Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy," vol. i. , Irish Manviscript Series.
"' Edited by Rev. Matthew Kelly, D. D. , p. xxiii.
'^Thus: biAeccAn . 1. ech 0|\omAiT).
"^ See " Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix L. L. , p. 378, and n. (v), ibid.
° So is he called, in the Liber Sancte Tri- nitatis, at Nonas Maii. See '• The Book of Obits and Martyrology of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, commonly called Christ Church, Dublin," Edited by John Clarke Crostwaite, A M. , and by Rev. James Henthorn Todd, p. 113.
'-' This was his name, . as given in the Martyrology of Donegal," edited by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. I20, I2I.
May 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 115
ciscan copy of the Tallagh Martyrology, after the entry of the previous saint's feast, as already set forth, we find it united with that of Mochuaroc. ^ How- ever, in the pubhshed Martyrology of Tallagh,^ at the 7th of May, we find recorded Ciaran, who was identical with Mociaroce. With an evident misunderstanding of this entry, the Bollandists^ quote from the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 7th of May, and with a remark, that among many similar homonymous saints in the Irish Calendars, they feel unable to identify those given, at this date. This saint—who appears to have been a woman—must have flourished, at rather an early date. Ciarog, as we are told, by the 0'Clerys,4 belonged to the race of Fergus, son to Ros, of the race of Ir, son of Milidh, i. e. of the race of Ciar, son to Fergus, son of Ros, son of Rudhraighe. There was a St. Dachiarog, ofErrigal Keeroge,^ near Ballygawly,inthecountyofTyrone. Traditionstates,thataformerchurch was built here by a St. Kieran f nor is it fairly to be inferred, that a record misunderstood ^ is preferable to a specious tradition. ^ This saint is thought to have been identical with the present Mochiarog—Moch and Dach being commutative forms, attaching to Ciarog, or Ciar. 9 By some, this latter is thought to have been a name only applying to a female saint ; the postfix, og, or oig, meaning " virgin. " Now, the derivation of Errigal appears to be from the Irish word Aireagal '°—pronounced arrigle—which means primarily *' a habitation," but in a secondary sense, it was often applied to an oratory,
toahabitation,ortoachurch. " Thus,theChurchofAireagalDachiarog" —now Errigal Keeroge '3—was once a very important establishment, and it is often mentioned in our Annals. It gave name to the parish. Raths and forts are numerous there \ while, on an eminence, in the townland so named, are the ruins of the former parochial church of Errigall-Keeroge.
The walls are now in a very decayed state, nor do they seem to have been originally good or well built. '* The remains of an ancient stone cross were near, and
°^ Thus : " NoriK. Apud Hiberniam Na- tale Sanctorum Confessorum Ciaroc at Bre- cain hoc die celebratur. "
confounded with Ciarog, or Ciar.
^ See ibid. , pp. 137, 138.
' This information has been communicated
to the writer, by Mr. John W. Hanna, in a letter, headed, Saul-street, Downpatrick, 29th December, 1873.
'° " It has been used in Irish from tlie ear- liest times, for it occurs in our oldest MSvS. , as for instance in the Leabhar na hUidhre, where we find it in the form airicul. '^—Dr. Patrick W. Joyce's " Origin and History of
^3 See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of Scottish Saints," p. 12.
Article ii. —' Agui^ nioclniA'poc.
To that entry is added
^ Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xxiii.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Maii vii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 132.
4 See the "Martyrology of Donegal," Irish Names of Places," part iii. , chap, ii. ,
edited by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 120, 121.
p. 309.
" The word is said to have been derived
—as were most Irish w'ords of ecclesiastical use—from the Latin language, and oraculuin was the term usually applied both at home
5 There is an interesting notice. No. vi. ,
Parish of Errigall-Keroge, Diocese of Ar-
magh and County of Tyrone, by the Rev.
John Groves, in William Shaw Mason's and abroad to oratories ; while Errigal and " Statistical Account, or Parochial Survey oraculiun are somewhat similar both in of Ireland," vol. iii. , pp. 137 to 182. A Map sound and form. See Di-. George Petrie's
of the Parish is prefixed.
^ The writer has been informed, in a letter,
dated Bloomfield House, Emyvale, 29th of October, 1884, and written by Rev. Daniel O'Connor, P. P. , of Errigal Truogh, that Errigal Keeroge is now commonly pro- nounced—andevenwritteninthispartofthe country—as Eriigal Kieran.
1 The Rev. Mr. Groves assumes, that the recorded denomination of Errigall-Keeoge, the latter compound differs from Kieran,
"Ecclesiastical Architecture and Round Towers of Ireland," part ii. , sect, iii. , sub- sect, ii. , p. 352.
'^ Rendered in English, "the Church of St. Dachiarog. "
'^ This parish is shown, on the " Ord- nanceSurveyTownlandMapsfortheCounty of Tyrone," sheets 44, 45, 52, 53, 59, 60, The townland proper is set out, on sheets
52, 59.
'' In June, 1878, the writer, in company
ii6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAIATS. [May 7.
also, a well. 's which the Cathohcs considered holy. '^ The modern Protestant churcliyard, and that of the old church, are the only burying places in the parish. In the beginning of this century, the foundations of a round tower were to be seen, near Ballinasaggard or Priestown,'? where a convent of FranciscansoftheThirdOrderformerlystood. '^ Tliisparishisinthediocese of Armagh, and in the Union of Clogher. Some curious local legends are connected with the old'. church,'? and its supposed patron St. Kieran. The surface of this parish—containing some fine scenery—is uneven and
fs=r-=
Errigal Keerogue Old Church.
tumulated. '° Near this place, likewise, Errigal-Truogh is a parish, partly within the barony of Clogher, county of Tyrone ; and, it is, in still greater part, within the barony of Truogh, and county of Monaghan. Errigal-Keeroge and Errigal Truogh comprise the nucleus of what was once an extensive prin- cipality, known as Oirghealla^ and, of this kingdom, it is said, Rathmore,'" near Clogher, was the royal residence. Errigal Truogh is in the diocese of
with Rev. Daniel O'Connor, P. P. , and " Statistical Account of the Parish of Errigal Richard Joseph Cruise, Esq. , G. S. I. , visited Keroge," No. vi. , sect, iv. , pp. 151 to 156. this spot, and took a sketch of the old '7 Here, it is said, Con O'Neal built this church, as it then stood. That illustration house about 1489. See Harris' Ware, vol.
has been drawn on the wood, by William F. Wakemnn, and it has been engraved by Mrs. Millard, as here rcpresen'ed.
's Various miraculous cures are said to have been efiected for pilgrims, who came there to pray.
'* The Rev. Mr. Groves stales that the service of the Roman Catholic Chuich u^ed to be pcrfoinied occasionally at it. See
ii. " Antiquities of Ireland," chap, xxxviii. , p. 281.
'* From the ruins of this friary, the pre- sent Protestant church was built.
'9 One of these is, that the gable shall never fall, until it tumbles down upon and shall have crushed a Mac Mahon under its ruins.
'° See " Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ire-
—"
May 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 117
Clogher. ^' The Blackwater River '3 divides both parislies. According to some accounts, Errigal Trough is called in Irish Aireagal-Triucha, interpreted to be '• the church of (the barony of) l'rough. ^+ The old mail-coach road from Dublin to Londonderry traverses the interior of tliis parish. *5 Within it are also the ruins of an ancient church. We might ask, if it be possible to de- rive this latter denomination from such an original, as Aireagal-Trea—the latter portion of the compound being the name of a holy virgin, ^^ who is venerated in our calendars,^? but her name is not found associated with any particular known locality. The Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman, and the Martyr- orlogy of Donegal ^^ register, on this day, Berchan and Mochiarog, or Moc- huarog,^? of Echdruim-Brecain, on the confines of Dal Araidhe and Dal Riada, or as the O'Clerys state, in Magh Mucraimhe, in the west of Con- nacht. They were venerated, at Doire Echdroma, according to the same authorities. In the Martyrology 3° of Christ's Church, Dublin, at the Nones of May—corresponding with the 9th of this month—we have Ciaroc's festival set down. s^The festival of a St. Kiaran,3' at the ^th of May, is noticed, also, by Father John Colgan. 33 No further accounts of this saint are we able to discover.
Article III. St. Lassak, or Lasre. This saint is mentioned, at the 7thofMay,inthepublishedMartyrologyofTallagh,'asLasre,Virgin. The entry is somewhat varied, in the Franciscan copy. ' On this authority, like wise, the Bollandists 3 mention her, at the 7th day of this month. Also, on this day was venerated Lassar, Virgin, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal.
=2 Edited by the Rev. Dis. Todd and Reeves, pp. 120, 121.
^^ In a note Dr. Todd says : "The more Mac Cartney, M. P. for the county of recent hand has written the following note Tyrone, is that place so named, which figures on this word : —liiTDeAcli 0[\om<i 'OAii\e aj
in the Life of St. Fanchea, at the 1st of p. xXongAif, vbi mocuj. i\occ non tllociA-
land," vol. ii. , pp. 1S9, 190.
^' The Rev. Daniel O Connor states, that
this Rathmore, within the grounds of Mr.
January, of St. Patrick at the 17th ofMarcli, and of St. Endeus at the 21st of this latter month.
'- In the letter of Rev. Daniel O'Connor, P. P. , and already noticed, the writer is in- formed, that a St. Mellan, Abbot, is patron of his parish of Errigal Truogh.
^3 The same most capable investigator of local ecclesiastical antiquities informs me, that it must have been, tbe ford of Errigil was on the Blackwater, at or somewhere near the present village of Augher. where St. Patrick's strong man, St. Mac Cartan, failed in strength, wlien carrying the Irish Apos- tle over tlie ford, while on his journey from Errigal Keeroge to Clogher. There, too, the remarkable dialogue between the saints took place.
-'* See Dr. Patrick W. Joyce's " Origin and History of Irish Names of Places," part iii. , chap, ii. , p. 309.
^5 See " Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ire- land," vol. ii. , p. 190.
'* On referring to her reception by St. Patrick, in our Life, at the 17th of March, vol. iii. , chap, xv. , it will be found, that she must have lived, not very far removed from this district.
=7 Seenoticesofber,atthe8thofJuly.
1\65 uc hic ec Apux) piLuve mAieL ni Ai]\e : sed secundum Tamlacl. Cia^ati i-oeni ec mocoLnioj. Videtur esse niociA^xos sancta. " " Indeach, of Drlum Daire is in the Felire of /Enijus, where we have Mochuarog, not Mochiarog, as here and in the Martyrology of Marianus ; but according to that of Tamlacht, ' Ciaran idem et Moch- olmog. '
3° In Liber Sancte Trinitatis, Dublin, p. "3-
3' See " The Book of Obits and Martyr- ology of the Cathedi'al Church of the Holy Trinity, commordy called Christ Church, Dubli;i," edited by John Clarke Crosthwaite, A. M. , and Re\^. James Henthoru Todd, D. D.
3= Apparently a mistake for Kiaroc.
33 See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernias," xv. Februarii. Vita S. Berachi, n. 8, p. 348.
Article iii. —' Edited by R-v. Dr. Kelly, p. xxiii.
" Thus: LA]'|\Ae. D^a. . b.
3 See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Mali vii. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 132.