No More Learning

See " Trias Thaumaturga," Prima Vita S. Patricii, n. 18, p. 8.
s» From amongst the many having this name and cited by Colgan, Baert confesses himself at a loss to discover elsewhere any other, than Caylan, who from being abbot of Nendrum became bishop ofDown, accord- ing to Ussher and Ware. But, anachro- nisms interpose, if we seek to identify the latter Caylan, with him, who is mentioned in the text. Yet, it appears probable, that the writer of our saint's acts meant no other.
this saint must have been a
from Colman Elo, said to have been
Eeorsnonin 516, and whose death is placed in 610.
45 See Harris' Ware, vol. ii. , "Antiqui-
ties of Ireland," chap, xxxviii. , p. 265. '*
50 See Monasticon Hibernicum," p. 10.
5 " See Rev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sect, i. , n. 6, p. 433.
5* Baudrandus tells us, that there is a little city in Ireland, called Dromora, situated within Louth County, province of Leinster, It is a suffragan See to the Archbishopric of Armagh.
Lanigan's
s3 According to Venerable Bede, Dal sig- "
nifies a part or portion. See Historia Ec- clesiastica Gentis Anglorum,"lib. i. , cap. i. , p. 24.
s4 Dal was used to express a race or de- scent, among the Irish ; hence, we often find
very
different
" Ecclesiastical
County.
June 7. } LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 229
further do. His spiritual director told him, to remove a certain rock, which
impededtheprogressofthemonks,whengoingtoreciteMatins. Thisact,
Colman miraculously accomplished, after making over it a sign of the cross. It has been asserted, that St. Caylan was our saint's first master. Accord-
ing to Sir James Ware's testimony, having being at first abbot of Nendrum, he was afterwards made bishop of Down,60 An alternative has been submitted by Baert, that our saint might have been instructed by that bishop, who had formerly been abbot at Nendrum, and that therefore he retained the old title and office; yet, this he considers incongruous, for bishops have usually occu- pations, more nearly appertaining to the glory of God, than those which require
the teaching of letters.
61
Through God's assistance, having performed these
and similar miracles, Colman obtained his master's benediction, and he then
set out on his to visit St. 62 of 03 He was re-
journey, Aylbeus, Bishop Emly.
garded as being a wise and holy man. Colman desired to receive—from him
the rule for a — religious
life. Under this latter instructor saintly
perhaps
With
years.
great docility, he applied to study sacred Scripture, to fasting, to prayer, and to keep assiduous vigils. The Almighty gave him power to work many mira- cles. Having obtained permission from St. Aylbeus, to revisit his native place, Colman returned to the holy fathers, his uncle Bishop Colman, andCaylanhismaster. Withthislatterhemadesomestay,andheexhorted the monks to a better rule of living. He was pointed to, as an examplar of
all virtues. He often visited the holy and venerable bishop Maonyseus 6s of Conor, who, having a prescience concerning his guest's arrival, ordered all
things necessary for him to be prepared. On going to the bishop, he was received with a warm welcome, and he remained with that prelate for a few
days. Then, he consulted that venerable senior, about the possibility of
about a. d. 6* our saint is stated to have remained some 500
founding a religious house.
Dalaradian territory, of which St. Colman had been a native. The O'Clerys gave an alias name to Drum Mor, by calling it after our saint, Drum Mocholmdg, in Ui Eachach Uladh. 68 It is now a very small town, about twenty-five miles eastwards from Armagh, and eighteen from Carrickfergus,
61
that erect a you
and within the bounds of Coba 66 Where- plain. "
Macnissius answered : "It is the will of God,
monastery,
fore, according to the advice of this holy bishop, Colman sought the place indicated. Then, in a valley, and on a spot, formerly designated by St. Patrick, Colman established his dwelling. It was near a river, called Locha,
nowknownas the
6?
This place, which at present is called Dromore, was situated in the
Lagan.
60
Colman's birth. 64 See Rev. Dr.
This happened sixteen years before St. gree of consistency. Lanigan's
" Ecclesiastical This is not so certain an opinion, how- History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sect,
ever, for teaching may have been a neces-
sary part of a primitive bishop's office, or it 6s This name is a compound of Mac and
may have been adopted as a matter of Nisa, which signifies son of Nisa ; for Nisa
choice. We have known several instances, in missionary countries, where bishops and
even archbishops, charged with the most onerous and important duties, nevertheless devoted themselves to the practice of teach- ing, even in seminaries, at certain inter- V£ds-
was his mother's name. He is venerated on
the 3rd of September, where his acts may be
seen, in the present work,
66 This monastery must have been founded
before the death of St. Macnissius. He died in the early part of the sixth century, as will be seen, by referring to his Life, at the 3rd ofSeptember. Hence,itwouldseem,that the See of Dromore boasts a very early foundation, and that St. Colman must have flourished in the earlier part of the sixth
century.
6? This river flows through Dromore.
62
Veneratedatthe12thofSeptember.
63 The Bollandist editor, Baert, remarks, that when the Life of this bishop would be
under consideration, at the 12th of Septem- ber, enquiry should be made as to whether the foregoing statement possessed any de-
i. , p. 432.
230 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 7. towards the south. Its being selected as the seat of a bishop is placed so far
back,
as the fifth
—
9 at
it is thought before the year 514
—
6
century. Here, first,
St. Colmanseemstohaveestab-
70
lished a monastery
died. ? 1 There he trained a number of fervent monks in the
of a religious life. It is said, he wrote a Rule for his Monks,? but this is a question- able statement. However, we find a different statement, that it was at Muck- more, in the county of Antrim, he became the first Abbot over a religious
house, and that he was afterwards chosen to be first Bishop of Dromore. During his lifetime, it is said to have become an episcopal See ; for, this St. Colman, whose feast occurs this day, is regarded as the patron of Dromore church and diocese. ? 3 In a short time, the multitude of his disciples greatly increased. They observed a very strict rule of discipline. However, in all things, our saint set them a perfect example; for, abstinence, prayer, fervent piety, and vigils, altogether chastened his mortified body. 74
To illustrate the great merits and virtues of his biographical subject, and to show how he was favoured from Heaven, the old writer of St. Colman's Acts instanced many stupendous miracles wrought through him. One of these happened at a time, when Diermit, 75 King of Ireland, 76 pitched
hiscampnearthemonasteryofoursaint. Colmantheninducedthismonarch to visit his religious house. Received with great welcome, the king and his retainers were hospitably entertained by this holy bishop. A miraculous event is recorded, in connection with this visit. Colman is said to have for- gotten his Psalter,77 which he left in or near the lake; but, according to tradi- tion, he afterwards found the book, without its having undergone any damage. The saint is said, also, to have restored a female to life, after she had been decapitated by robbers. At one time, when our saint preached to a great multitude, in a certain wood, some importunate rhymers approached, and
demanded a
from him. 78 The saint said to them
" At
present, I have nothing to give you, but God's word. " One of them impiously replied, u Keep the word of God for yourself, and give us something else. " Colman said, " You foolishly reject the best and select the worst of gifts. " Then they urged him to work miracles to gratify an idle and impious curiosity. The
earnestly
68 See " of edited Martyrology Donegal,"
by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 148, 149. 69 See Walter Harris' " Ancient and Pre-
sent State of the County of Down," chap, iii. , sect, viii. , p. 99.
71 This is the date generally assigned for ""
:
been of Dromore, or that he left no bishop
immediate successors in that See. Here, however, he has drawn a wrong conclusion, 74 $ee " Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Junii
7° See Rev. Dr.
History of Ireland," vol. i. , chap, ix. , sect. i. , p. 432.
sect.
i. , sect.
"
early 500, they Quies meicc Nessi—Condeire. [Primi
twenty years.
tory of Ireland," chap, x. , p. 82.
Lanigan's
I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, cap.
1,
it, although the Annates Inisfallenses haveit so asA. D. where
M Diarmaid, son of Feargus Kerval, be- gan his reign, in 538, having succeeded Tuathal Maelgarbh, and he reigned at least
enter,
Episcopi Connerensis. ]" Dr. O'Conor's
? 6
Tara. This story is imaginatively told in the
'* Remin Hibernicaium Scriptores," tomus
ii. , p. 5-
72 See Harris' vol. " Writers of Ware, iii. ,
Ireland," book i. , chap, iv. , p. 26.
73 Owing to changes introduced in refer- ence to his name, from those untrustworthy acts remaining, and from uncertainty re-
novel, A]\x> II15 oeigionac rii CearhriAC, by Eblana.
77 It is very remarkable, that there is a
Salterstown, sometimes written Psalterstown, in the county of Louth, and that this St. Colmoc is patron of the place. Rev. J. K.
gift
" Ecclesiastical
vii.
vius,
2, 3, 4, and notes, pp. 24 to 27.
specting the period at which this holy Markey's letter previously cited.
bishop flourished, as also owing to the cir- cumstance of Dromore episcopal See having been rarely mentioned in old records, before the twelfth century ; the Jesuit writer Baert is of opinion, that either Colman never had
7* Baert tells us, that those persons were Bards or Druids ; or, at least, they derived their practices from such orders, having in no respect improved on the manners of their predecessors.
2
when St. Mac Nisse
Acta S. Colmani, Commentarius Pre-
practices
SeeMartin "His- Haverty's
He was the last king, who resided at
,
June 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 231
power of God was manifested against those incredulous bards, who most pro- bably were pagans. The earth is said to have swallowed them up, as in the caseofDathanandAbiron. AllwhowerepresentadmiredGod'sjudgments in these wonders. Prostrate on their knees before St. Colman, they gave thanks to the Almighty, for those miracles the holy man had wrought. 7' Diarmaidgave thanks to God, likewise, and to his holy servant, through whose power, those wonderful prodigies occurred.
Our saint is stated, to have thrice visited the Apostles' tomb, on the authority of those best qualified to offer a statement on the subject, who, how- ever,areonlythewritersofhisActs. St. Gregory8owasPope,whileononeof those visits, and it is related, that our saint obtained the Episcopal dignity from that Sovereign Pontiff. He returned with some relics of the holy Apostles. On his way home, he visited the house of a king in Britain. It so happened, on the night of his arrival, that the queen gave birth to a dead son, who was no other than St. David of Wales. 81 Through the power of God and the merits of the holy Apostles, whose relics he possessed, St. Colman brought the child to life. 82 Afterwards, Colman fostered and taught him. This child, we are told, in course of time, became the renowned British bishop of Mene-
via. 83 Notwithstandingthestatementsheremade,wearetotallyunacquainted with the date of Colman's accession to the episcopacy, or the place where he had been consecrated ; but, it seems most probable, that he was not obliged to leave his own country for that purpose. We have been unable to discover any bishop of Dromore, named in ancient records, after St. Colman, and before the arrival of the English in this island, with the exception of Mael- brighde, son of Cathasach, Bishop and Abbot of Druim-mor-Mocholmog, who departed this life, a. d. 972,^ or 974, as also another named Rigan, who is said
iioi. 8^ A learned Irish writer 86 that observes,
to had about the died,
year
in the book of Centius Camerarius, afterwards Pope Honorius III. , there is
no record enumerating Dromore See. 8? Therefore, he supposes, in all likeli- hood, it wanted a distinct bishop for several centuries.
Many also held, that Dromore had been united with the Archiepiscopal See of Armagh, during the whole of this dark historic period ; and, as the bishopric itself had been of lesser consequence, as a mat—ter of course, that fe—w particulars had been set
88
down in writing, which refer if any there were to its bishops.
t* The Rev. Dr. Reeves cites this as an instance of a hostile feeling, which prevailed between the ecclesiastical and the bardic orders. See "Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor and Dromore," Appendix, II. , p. 358. —
80 —o whom allu- St. Gregory the Great t
sion seems to have been made obtained his
Pontifical dignity, ouly a. d. 590. See an
account of him in Rev. John Alzog"s
lished at the 1st of March,
83 Thus, it should stand, that Colman re-
ceived his consecration seventy years after St. David's episcopacy.
Dromore," p. 258.
^ Sir James Ware. 8? BeforetheelevationofCamerariustothe
Pontifical dignity, he had compiled a large
volume of statistics, regarding the Roman sect. 153, pp. 28 to 30. Translation by Church. See Ludovicus a S. Carolo, in
"
Manual of Universal Church History,"
vol. ii. , Period 2, Epoch I. , Part i. , chap, i. ,
" Bibliotheca Pontificia," lib. i.
morensis, quasi tunc non extitisset ille. "
" Acta tomus De Sanctorum," ii. , Junii vii.
S. Colmano seu Colmoco, &c. C J. mneiua- Bollandists, in the Acts of . t. David pub- rius Praevius, num. 3, p. 25.
Rev. F. J. Pabisch and Rev. Thomas S. Byrne.
81
Were we to admit the absurdities con- tained in the foregoing narrative, St. David must have been born long previous to the time of Colman's birth, for he was con-
"* " Baert remarks :
secrated A. D. bishop
519.
,3 a different account is the Quite given by
s*
Four Masters," vol. ii. , pp. 696, 697.
See Dr. OTJonovan's "Annals of the
85 " See Harris' Ware, vol. i. ,
Bishops
of
Ibi forte invenerit Waraius enumeratos Episcopatus Hibernise, quotquot initio seculi XIII. juris aliquid pen- debant Romanae, absque ulla mentione Dro—-
232 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 7 .
C H APTER II.
ST. COLMAN OF DROMORE CONFOUNDED WITH ST. COLMAN OF LINDISFARNE—DROMORE AND SOME OF ITS ANCIENT REMAINS—MIRACLES OF THE SAINT—PERIOD OF HIS
DEATH—COMMEMORATION
A notion has been entertained by some writers, that St. Colman of Dromore
IN CALENDARS—CHURCHES AND INSTITUTIONS DEDI- CATED TO HIM—CONCLUSION.
hadbeenalso of bishop
1 The for this grounds
in
opinion are slight, indeed, and they are probably based only on the mistake
2
of a single author. In additions to the Martyrology ofUsuard, by Molanus, our St. Colman appears to have been confounded with him of Lindisfarne. 3 For this opinion, Molanus cites Bede, without any just warrant ; for, the vene- rable English historian only mentions that particular Colman, who contended strenuously for maintaining the Irish rite, in celebrating Easter. The follow- ing considerations, however, occurred to Baert,« as deserving further enquiry. First, that Colman of Lindisfarne, although stated by the Four Masters to have died on the 8th of August, appears to have had no distinct festival day. On this matter, Colgan himself is silent. s Secondly, that the See of Dromore, from St. Colman's time to the twelfth century, seems to have been almost unknown to historians. 6 there is an in Colman of
that St. Colman had been consecrated abroad, and as said, at Rome.
From these circumstances, Baert began to consider, if it might not be an improbable conjecture, that Colman being a monk of Iona at
first, had been subsequently Abbot of Muckmore ; that Finian, Bishop of Lindisfarne, having died in England, Colman might have succeeded him and
occupied this See for three years ; and afterwards, returning to Ireland, hav- ing left his See, that Colman might have constructed two other monasteries, and spent the remainder of his life at Dromore, a small city. Here, he might have permission from the Archbishop of Armagh to exercise the episcopal office, while baptizing, confirming, instructing and preaching to the people. Then, when many years had passed away, the obsolete traditions of the vulgar may have been resolved into a prevailing belief, that Colman had been first bishop of Dromore, having received his consecration in a different place. But, to those mere suppositions, it may be objected, that Mayo was a cele- brated Connaught monastery situated in a county, bearing the same name and that Innisbofinde—separated from the mainland by a small strait—be- longed to this same county. Dromore says the writer belonged to Leinster ;
Chapter U. —' See Les Petits Bollan- far from
distes' " Vies des Saints," tome vi. , viic our
J Mayo.
Lindisfarne,
England.
Thirdly, account,
Dromore's fabulous Acts, apparently borrowed from some old tradition,
any mention regarding a Colman, the founder of 2 At the 7th of June, he states: "In Muckmore, over which he was first Abbot.
de Juin, p. 506.
Hibemia, Colmani, Episcopi & Confessoris,
de quo Beda in Historia gentis suae. " The
former part of this entry has been taken
from the Martyrology of Greven ; but,
whether the latter part had been added, on after giving the "Acta Fabuiosa. " See some different authority, or had been a con-
jecture of Molanus himself, Baert would not undertake to decide. In the margin of his work, he gives as a reference, lib. iii. , cap. 26, and lib. iv. , cap. 4.
3 From Iona, he went to Ireland, where be built two monasteries. The first of these, it is incorrectly said was called Inishbo- tinde, or the Island of the White Cow, not
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Junii vii. De S. Colmano seu Colmoco, SoL, pp. 28, 29.
and the other was called
Iona;
But, in Bede we do not find
We may very properly infer, that Colman of Dromore was a different person from Colman of Lindisfarne.
* He devotes an Appendix to this enquiry,
* See "Trias Thamaturga," Quarta Vita S. Columb. v, n. 10, p, 382.
6
They do not allude to any of Colman's succc. -sors, so that several suppose that the See of Dromore had been united with Armagh, during this whole interval.
;
June 7. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 233
yet, he must rather have meant Ulster. It seems incongruous, that Colman should have left his monks, who followed him from England, to select a rest- ing-place so far removed. However, may it not be supposed, that having built and provided for the government of both monasteries, while he was
bishop, he travelled through different parts of this island, engaged in his aposto- lic labours, and that by some means he rested at Dromore, where he desired to found a monastery? And, must it not be natural to conjecture, that fol- lowing the example of certain renowned missionaries and prelates,? he might have been anxious to found various monasteries, as his journeyings had been undertaken solely to promote the greater honour of God ? If those fore- going conjectures find favour with the reader, we may easily account for the See of Dromore being unrecorded in historic entries until the twelfth century, and that Colman had not any known successor, for so many generations after his death. If they be adopted, it will follow, that Colman of Dromore was born, not in the commencement, but at the close of the sixth or probably at the
of the seventh 8 He must have lived some considerable century.
beginning
time afterwards, supposing he founded two monasteries, and at different inter- vals. 9
A charter was presented to Dromore, by King James the First, in the year 1609. Byhisletterpatent,hegrantedafreemarketoneverySaturday,ina place near the Cathedral of Dromore, w—here the great stone cross stood, and fairs are held every year at the same place viz. , on the feast of St. Philip and St. James,andonthatofSt. Michael,andfortwodaysaftereach. Theancient Cathedral of Dromore, converted to purposes of Protestant worship, with a considerable part of the town, was burned down by the Irish Insurgents, in 1641. It was rebuilt, by Bishop Taylor, after the Restoration. 10 The stone cross either fell or was removed to near the square, and lay for many years,
at the corner of a house. 11 A of the shaft was used as the lower portion
step of a stone stairs outside, at the north-east corner, when the new market house
was built in 1732. About the year 1800, the present stairs were put up inside, and the stone stairs removed, when this portion was placed, with its com-
panions, where they now remain. About this time, Bishop Percy expressed a wish to have it removed to St. Colman's well, in the episcopal demesne, when
he had got that romantic spot beautified by planting, walks, seats, and vistas, also, with statues of the heathen deities. He had thrown it open as a general
promenade for the town and neighbourhood. But, finding the inhabitants would be displeased, by taking away their market cross, he relinquished that
idea. In 1803, a company of the Donegal militia was quartered at Dromore, A number of them proposed to accede to a gentleman's wish in Dromore to
erect the cross for the sum of half a guinea; but, having accomplished their task inaveryshorttime,hewouldonlyallowthem5s. Themenweresoindignant at his conduct, that they again hauled it to the ground, where it lay for a few years, when it suffered profanation by the same gentleman that caused it to be erected. 12 It has been proposed, to collect the parts *3 of this cross now
7 Such as Cokimba, Aidan, and kinian.
sent State of the County of Down, "chap, iii. , sect, viii. , pp. 99, 100.
" Occupied by a Mr. Hammond.
TM He entertained the Gothic idea of placing on this relic of piety the iron stocks, in which for many years criminals were ex- posed to the public gaze. See the " Irish
8
Abbot and Bishop of Lindisfarne.
In the year 664, St. Colman was both
9 To these foregoing remarks, Baert adds,
that suspecting the correctness of an opinion
advanced by Colgan regarding St. Colman,
he could find little more regarding his age
and period. See " Acta Sanctorum," tonius Builder" of April 15th, 1886. Letter of ii. , Junii vii. De S. Colmano seu Colmoco
Episcopo Dromorensis in Hibernia, Appen-
dix, num. 4, pp. 28, 29.
10 " '
See Walter Harris' Ancient and Pre- 3 The fragments discovered consist of the
Thomas Drew to Mr. John Harrison, Chair-
man of Dromore Town Commissoners, pp. 1 1 7, 118.
234 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 7.
remaining, and to set up its exemplar at some public place in Dro- more ;*< near the cathedral having been suggested, 15 as the most suitable
16 site.
Our saint's mother had sent a message, that she desired the privilege of
:
ing me. " On hearing this, she said " I had rather he would speak to me,
on matters pertaining to the welfare of my soul. " Then, both met, but on opposite sides of a tree, and they began to converse with each other, without
being mutually seen. Meantime, by Divine interposition, an opening was made through the tree, and which enabled both to behold each other, without the intervention of any obstacle. Again, we are told, that our saint once found a hind, which had strayed from its dam, and the saint called the animal to him. 1 ? Then, he placed it with some heifers, from which a calf had been stolen. Soon, the heifers began to treat the hind, as if it had been one of their own species. At stated times, it herded with them, until at last, it returned to its own dam. At one time, the brothers of his monastery had nothing left toplaceontheirtable. Forthreedaysandnights,theywereobligedtofast. This filled Colman with surprise, and obliged him to inquire into the cause of such privation. At length, by Divine revelation, he learned, that the keeper of the stores had been guilty of fraud. Immediately, he was deposed from that office, and a more faithful person was appointed in his stead. Thence- forward, the Almighty was pleased to provide for all the wants of Colman's religious community. These incidents form only a summary of his life. ' 8 It remains for us to speak regarding his decease. When about to leave this world, and to receive the reward of his labours from God, corporal infirmities grew upon him, until it was found necessary to administer Extreme Unction, and to strengthen his departure from life, by giving him the Holy Eucharist. 1 ' Then, bidding farewell to his brethren, and with earnest prayer on his lips, his pure spirit fled to the bosom of his Creator. 20
road from Banbridge leads into the town, and divides at the east end of the cathedral, with the sweeps towards the railway station and the town, a triangular space exists, which
speaking to him. But, the servant of Christ returned for answer
take choice of the alternative, either to see me only, or to speak without see-
socketed base stone or podium, a portion of
the lower end of the shaft about 4^ feet
long, and a stone forming the circle and cross
arms of the cross itself, measuring 6 feet 8
inches in length. These are all Mr. Drew is not traversed by the traffic. There is a had been able to find, on which to found a
restoration, although it had been reported, that other fragments exist about the town of Dromore.
** Some years ago, Mr. Thomas Drew gers, as it is usual now to erect in cities,
made a visit under the guidance of a very zealous and remarkable antiquary, well re- membered in Dromore, Mr. Alexander Col- ville Welsh, to several places where frag- ments of the cross were supposed to be. In
where long crossings exist. Here it should
conveniently direct and divide the traffic, instead of forming any obstacle. Mr. Drew
adds that, in his opinion, no more pictures- que situation about the town could be found, by an artistic eye.
the year 1861, this gentleman delivered a ""
learned lecture, on Dromore. " A trans- script of that lecture had been given in MS. to Mr. Drew, who made careful drawings of the stones Mr. Welsh could point out. Whatever these may have been, they cer- tainly never at any time formed any portion of the cross, in the opinion of Mr. Drew.