Mochuda, as having been distinguished for their
penitential
coun- tenances.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
Patrick Francis Moran's
cap. xxii. , p. 20.
9^ " Clonfert in the Etymology denotes a
Wonderful Den or Lurking Place. "—Sir James Ware's " Commentary of the Prelates of Ireland, from the First Conversion of the Irish Nation to the Christian Faith down to our Times," Fourth Part. Of the Bishops of Clonfert, p. 15. Dublin, 1704, fol.
xxvi. , p. 215.
9* The following statement is made by
Thomas Dempster: " Fuit abbas ordinis S. Benedicti alicubi, ac deinde episcopus, ut ex Joanne Trithemio palam loco priore lauda- to,"—" Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scoto- rum," tomusi. , lib. ii. , num. 143, p. 82.
^^ See the work of Eugene O'Curry, " On
'^ According to Archdall, this Abbey, founded by St. Brendan, was under the in- vocationoftheVirginMary. See"Monas- ticon Hibernicum," p. 278.
s"* See Most Rev. Patrick Francis Moran's "Acta Sancti Brendani," Vita S. Brendani, cap. xii. , p. il.
—
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
around it. " Salute us, O cleric," said the bird. " May God salute thee," said Brenainn. " Who art thou? " said the cleric. " I am Michael, the Arch- angel, whom God hath sent to thee, to address thee, and to make harmony for thee. " " Thanks be to Him," said Brenainn, " thou art welcome to me. " The bird placed its bill behind the feathers of its wing, and sweeter than the musicoftheworldwasthemusicwhichitmade. 9^ Brenainnwaslisteningto it for twenty-four hours, and the angel took his leave of him afterwards. From that hour until his death, Brenainn did not listen to any worldly music what- ever, excepting only one Easter day, when he permitted a clerical student from among his people to play a harp for him. He then gave his blessing to theclericalstudent. Whatheusedtodo,whenheheardanyworldlymusic, was to put two wax balls, which he carried with him, into his ears, so that he might not hear any music, except the music of the heavenly hosts. 99
There can hardly be a doubt, that the celebrity acquired by this holy master of a religious life soon attracted to that place a great number of disciples and inhabitants. During his lifetime, the cathedral of Clonfert—said to have contained seven altars '°°—was built. St. Bren- dan has been regarded as the first bishop over Clonfert ; although, during his lifetime, St. Moena or Moinend is thought to have ruled there as a bishop assistant, or as designed to succeed him in that See. ^°' In the short Treatise, which has been ascribed to St. ^ngus,'°^ dividing the Saints of Ireland, according to the Orders of Bishops, Priests and Deacons, St. Brendan mac hu Alta is classed among the Priests. Yet, in the Book of Genea- logies, belonging to the Franciscan Convent, Merchants' Quay, Dublin, he is expressly called Brenoin Easbacc, or Bishop Brendan. Moreover, St. Brendan is said to have had scarcely an equal, in preaching the Gospel. '°3 He is accre- dited, also, with having the gift of prophecy, as when he predicted the com- ing and acts of St. Carthage or St. Mochudda, Bishop and Abbot of Lismore. '°* The See of Clonfert he afterwards resigned to St. Moena, although some writers seem to regard the latter as its first bishop. '°5 TheAnnalsof Ulster re- late, however, the death of the first bishop over this See, to have taken place A. D. 571;'°^ another account has 572. '"^ Brendan was yet living at this date;'°^ but, very little memory of their successors remains, down to the period of the Anglo-Norman Invasion of Ireland.
the Manners and Customs of the Ancient the Iri. -h Franciscans, Merchants' Quay, Irish," edited by W. K. Sullivan, Ph. D. , Dublin.
vol. ii. , Lect. iv. , p. 76. '°^ Thus, Father Stephen White says,
9^ In a note, the Rev. Dr. Reeves here " vix paiem evangelii pia:dicatorem in-
452
says, "The preceding pait of this legend very much resembles that of St. Mochaoi of Aendruim, which is preserved in the Brussels copy of the Felire of yEngus, at the 23rd of June.
99 See Rev. Drs. Todd's and Reeves' " Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 128 to 131.
'°° According to Sir James Ware, "Famous of Old for her seven Altars was that an- cient cathedral church of St. P>rendan. " "Commentary of ihePrelatesof Ireland, from theFirstConversionof the Irish Nation to the Christian Faith down to our Times. " Fourth Part. Of the Bishops of Clonfert, p. 15.
'°' See Archdall's " Monastic(m Iliberni- cum," p. 278.
'"- This formerly belonged to the Book of Leinster, and it is now in the possession of
vcnias. " See "Apologia pro Hibernia," cap. ii. , p. 15, cap. iv. , p. 38.
'°-' See his Life in the present volume, at the 14th of this month, Art. i. , chap. i.
'"^ See Harris Ware, vol. i. , Bishops of Clonfert, pp. 637, 638.
'°* See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Ilibernicarum Scriptores," tonius iv. An- nales Ultonienses, p. 26.
"'' This is the date set forth for the rest of Moenu, Bishop of Cluain-Fcrta-Brenainii, in William M. Hennessy's " Chronicum Scolo- rum," pp. 58, 59.
'"*' See Sir James Ware's "Commentary of the Prelates of Ireland, from the First Conversion of the Irish Nation to the Chris- tian Faith down to our Times. " Fourth Part. Of the Bishops of Clonfert, p. 15.
ChaptebIV. —' Thereis nonotice taken of these objects, on the Ordnance Survey Maps, nor in Thomas O'Conor's Letter, dated Kenmare, 23rd August, 1841, when describing the Antiquities of Prior Parish, in "Letters containing Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Kerry, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1841," pp. 384 to 417.
* This information has been given to the writer, by Rev. Denis O'Donoghoe, P. P. , of Ardfert.
3 By Heylot.
* A college then existed at this place, as Button avers, and it was much frequented at the time. See "Statistical Survey of the County of Galway," chap, v. , sect. 25, p. 482, n.
5 L'ordre de St. Brendan avoit pour sa
principale Maison I'Abbaie de Port-Pur 131.
dans la ville de Clonfert au Compte de '° At chap. ' xlvii.
Galway en Connacie qui depuis at ete erigee " " On dit qu' un Ange lui dicta la Regie en Cathedrale. "—" Histoire des Ordres qu'il proescrivit a ses Disciples et qu' il en Monastiques, Religieux et Militaires," tome ent deux on trois mille sous sa conduite. " ii. , chap. XX,, p. 145. Heylot's "Histoire des Ordres Monastiques,
*Hisfeastoccurs,onthe29thofNovem- ber, and he died a. d. 571.
? See the Bollandists' "Acta Sancto- rum," tomus iii. , Maii xvi. D. S. Brendano seu Brandano Abbate Cluainfertensi in lii- bernia, cap. i. , num. i, p. 599.
^ See Most Rev. Patrick Francis Moran's "Acta Sancti Brendani," Vita S. Brendani, cap. xii. , p. 10.
9 Cuimin of Condeire's poem relates more- over his virtues, manner of living, and the legend of his Navigation, as follows :
" Brenainn loves constant piety, According to the synod and congrega-
lion
Seven years on a whale's back he
spent;
It was a difficult mode of piety. "
—See Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves' edition
of the "Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 130,
——
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 453
CHAPTER IV.
RELIGIOUS ERECTIONS OF ST. BRENDAN IN IRELAND—HIS MONASTIC RULE—MIRA- CLES OF ST. liRENDAN—HIS PLACES AT INISH-GLOUA AND BRANDON MOUNTAIN- WRITINGS ATTRIBUTED TO ST. BRENDAN—HIS CLOSING DAYS AND DEPARTURE FROM LIFE—HIS BURIAL AT CLONFERT—HIS MEMORIALS IN KALENDARS AND PLACES DEDICATED TO HIM—PILGRIMAGES TO BRANDON MOUNTAIN—CONCLU- SION.
However, this religious coenobium at Clonfert was only one, among St. Brendan's many religious establishments ; for, it is stated, that he founded several schools and monasteries, after returning to his own country. There is an old church and nine bee-hive shaped houses,^ which are supposed to have been built, by St. Brendan, at St. Buanigh, in a glen of the Parish of Prior, near Cahirciveen, in the county of Kerry. ^ After St. Brendan's return to Ireland, it is said,3 likewise, that he was principal over an Abbey, called Port- pure, at Clonfert, in the county of Galvvay;'' or, at least, that this was deemed tobethechiefhouseoftheorder,whichhehadestablished. s However,asSt. Brendan of Birr ^ and St. Brendan of Clonfert lived contemporaneously, it is difficult to say, if their Acts have not have been confounded, by subsequent writers. 7 Hence, it might be, that some of the foundations attibuted to one of them may have been really assignable to the other. After our saint had established his various monasteries, in different parts of Ireland, it is related by her seniors, that no fewer than three thousand monks were subject to his jurisdiction. Many brought gifts to aid in these foundations, and presented them, with themselves, to spend the rest of their days, under his religious rule. It is even stated, that his own father became a monk, and that his mother also was a consecrated matron. ^ The Life of Ciaran, of Cluain, re- lates,9 that the order of Brenainn was one of the eight orders that were in Erin. ^° It is fondly believed, that an Angel dictated the Rule, which Bren- dan is thought to have written, and to have intended for the observance of
454
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
himself and of a very numerous community;" and, furthermore, we are assured, for a long time subsequent to his period," that Rule had been observed by his successors. '3 The O'Clerys have supposed it possible, how- ever, that St. Brenainn of Birra, or some other bearing a similar name, may have been the author of that special order, among the eight orders in Erinn, mentioned in an old Life of St. Ciaran of Clonmacnoise ; but, we deem it to bemostprobable,thatallusionisonlymadetothepresentholyman. St. Brandon '4 is said to have had for his disciple, St. Finian Lobhar,'^ son to Ailild, King of IMunster. The latter holy man established his monastic Rules, afterwards, on tb. e Island of Innisfallen, on the lower Lake of Killarney. '^ In his Metrical List of the Saints of Inisfail, Selbach celebrates St. Brendan and St.
Mochuda, as having been distinguished for their penitential coun- tenances. Again, St. Thomas the Apostle, in manners and life, has been compared to St. Brendan of Clonfert,'? in that ancient Catalogue of Saints, which has been preserved in the Book of Leinster. '^
In the region of IMuscray-tire, and in the province of Munster, a pesti- ferous fire broke out from the earth. Some persons endeavoured to extin- guish it with water, but they could not, while St. Brendan was passing that way. The flames still rising higher, he said to those present : " O miserable men, you see an infernal fire coming from the earth. " The people asked for succour, and he told them to fast for three days, while he should entreat the Almighty on their behalf. After a three days' fast, St. Brendan said to them: " Go to the Virgin of God, St. Chiar,'9 since to her merits and prayer it is
grantedbyGodtoextinguishedthatfire. "^° Then,themostvirtuousvirgin Chiar offered up her prayers to the Almighty, so that the fire might be ex- tinguished. It ceased immediately, and never afterwards re-appeared. ^' At a time, St. Brendan set out to visit holy persons, living in the territory of Midhi, or Meath. During that period, Diarmait Mac Cerbhail,^^ Ring of Ireland, ruled in the city of Themoria, or Tara. In a dream, he saw two Angels, taking a royal torque ^^ from his neck, and giving it to a person un- known to him. The following day, St. Brendan visited that king, who ciied out to his friends, on seeing him: "This is the man, to whom my torque must be given. " Then, the wise men of his council said to the monarch : " Hitherto, the kingdom of Ireland belonged to kings, now, O, king, thy
Religieux et Militaires," tome ii. , chap, xx. , p. 145.
" At least, until the time, when the writer of our saint's old Acts lived.
'3 Archbishop Ussher adds : " Neque alia est ilia Lex Ciarani et Brnidani, cujus am- plificatuni usumad annum DCCXI. III. in An- naiibus Ultoniensibus observavimus. "— " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 476.
'* The Bollandists are in doubt, as to the identity of this Brendan.
'5 See his Life, in the Third Volume of this work, at the i6th of March, Art. i.
'' See " A I'icturesque Tour of Killarney, describing in Twenty Views, the most pleas- ing scenes of that celebrated Lake, accom- jjanied by some general observations and necessary instructions for the use of those who may visit it ; together with a map of the Lake and its environs," engraved in Aquaiinta by Jonathan Fisher, p. 5.
''See the " Martyrology of IJonegal,"
edited by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 130, 131.
'* See edition by Dr. Robert Atkinson, p. 370.
'^ Her festival i. s set down, at the 5th day of January, and her Life is. there treated, in tlie First \'olume of this work, . -^rt. i.
-^ While the death of St. Brendan is set down about . v. n. 576. and that of St. Chiar at A. n. 679, it is difficult to believe they could have been contemporaries.
°' See Most Rev. Patrick Francis Mor. in's "Acta Sancti Brendani," Vita S. Brendani, cap. xxiii. , p. 21.
" Fie began to reign in A. D. 544, accord- ing to the Annals of Ulster, and he was as- sassinated in 564, by Acdh Dubh, who was King of Dalaradia.
-^Broochesofgold,withcr)^stals inserted in them, were regarded as distinctive orna- menlN ft)r the King of the province, or fnr the sons of ihe Kings of Lrin. See the " Seanchus Mor," vol. ii. , p. 148.
May i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
455
kingdom is divided with the saints of Ireland, and this saint shall have a great parish throughout the Island. " This dream and its interpretation reached St. Brendan's ears, and he said to all, who were present : " So shall it be now and for the future to those worshipping God, according to the scripture, 'Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all other goods shall be given to you. ' " Then, the monarch Diarmait gave honour to St. Brendan, for he was a Catholic king, loving justice and rectitude. '"> One day, St. Bren- dan was walking with some of his disciples. A great quantity of snow and hail fell on them, and a bitterly cold wind blew. Some of the brothers re- marked to St. Brendan, that the cold of hell was not greater than what they then endured. ^5 Then, said the saint : " You speak like rustics and foolish men. But,IhaveseenJudas,thebetrayerofourLord,onaSunday,inthe midst of a dreadful ocean, when wailing and weeping on a sharp and slippery rock, with the waves, at one time dashing over him, and again leaving him tar above them. One wave of fire came from the east, and another floe of ice came from the west, terribly torturing Judas, and yet, these excessive pains were even a state of rest to him ; for, the mercy of God allowed him such a comparative respite, on Sundays and Festivals. Wherefore, think ye, what must be the pains of hell. " On hearing this from their venerable superior, the monks poured forth earnest prayers to the Almighty, so that their sins might be pardoned. ^^
We find, from an Irish poem of unknown date,^7 that some bond of alliance is supposed to have been established between Saints Cainnech,"* Barre,^^andBrenand,3° Onacertainday,St. Brendanwaswalkingthrough the woods with his disciples. A great storm raged, and the trees began to fall, owing to its violence. One of the monks said to his companions : " We are here greatly exposed to danger, in these woods. " Then, St. Brendan said: " One night while the monks were sleeping in the ship, I was alone watching, when we drifted by an island, where great perils threatened us. Four feet ex- tending into the deep only sustained that Island overitself, and between these fewfeet,ourshipwentoutundertheIsland. 3' Thus,wepassedthroughwhile sailing,theIslandstandingoverus. Know,brothers,thattheAlmighty,who sustained that Island on four feet, and who made us sail safely under it, can bring us without injury from the falling of these trees. " Having heard such incidents thus related, the monks were greatly strengthened in Christ. 3^
At one period, the King of Munster levied agreat army, with which he marched into the Connaught province to ravage it. 33 However, the people there en-
*'' SeeMostRev. PatrickFrancisMoran's " Acta Sancti Brendani," Vita S. Brendani, cap. xxiv. , pp. 21, 22.
-s This illustrates a mediceval opinion, that the torments of the dumned varied from the extremeofcoldiothegreatestintensityofheat.
"TheunityofCainnechandBarrae And of Brenand, both one and other : Whoever outrages any one of them The miracles of the three (will be)
— avenging him. "
"Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca-
^•^ See Most Rev. Patrick Francis Moran's demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
"Acta Sancti Brendani," Vita S. Brendani, cap. XXV. , p. 22.
^^ It is thus quoted, by the scholiast to the copy of the Fcilire Unguis, in the Leabhar Breac: —
<\er\uu Choinmj \\ bA^A^AAi Ocuf 'biAenAint) •oibbnAib Cipe •pA^AAije)' necVi oib |:e]\cAi in C]\i]\ oca'015aiI.
It is thus translated, into English, by Dr. Whitley Stokes :—
part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. Ixxxvii.
^^ Patron of Kilkenny, venerated at the nth of October.
'^^
Patron of Cork, venerated at the 25th of September.
^o Patron of Clonfert, and Ardfert, vene- rated at the present date.
^i
Acts of St. Brendan, is not very intelligible.
This literal translation, found in the
3^ See Most Rev. Patrick Francis Moran's " Acta Sancti Brendani," Vita S. Brendani, cap. xxvi. , p. 23.
35 It seems difficult to identify this ac- count, with any known record in tlie Irish Annals.
^'^ This miracle is alluded to, also, by John Capgrave, in his " Legenda Sanctorum AnghK," and towards the end of his Life of St. F. rendan.
*3 See Most Rev. Patrick Francis Moran's
"Acta Sancti Brendani," Vita S. Brendani, brensis Eversus," &c. , edited by Rev.
Matthew Kelly, D. D. , vol. i. , cap. ii, pp. 124 to 129.
••3 See Roderick O'Flaherty's " Chorogra- phical Description of West or H-Iar Con- naught," edited by James llardiman, Af. R. I. A. , p. 82.
•'' This is stated by Dr. Pococke, in his "Tour through Ireland, A. D. 1752," which is yet unpublished, and classed among the Manuscripts of Trinity College, Dublin, as ^- 4- 15-
. .
"^ See ihid. , p. 59. There is a curious
communication on this subject, in some ad-
ditional Notes.
39 See an account of it, in Martin •"' This is stated, in the l-eAbh4]\ b^Aedch-
cap. xxvii. , pp. 23, 24.
3^ It is described, on the "Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the County of Mayo," sheets 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 33. It comprises 29. 492a. 3r. I5p.
37 This is the Irisli form of the name Inif jIuAi^e. See " Genealogies, Tribes antl Customs of Hy-Fiachrach," edited by John O'Donovan, p. 492. It is shown, on that Irish Map, prefixed to the work.
3** This small Island —comprising 37a. or.
Ilaverty's " Visit to the Isles of Arran. "
^^ Through mistake, Giraldus Cambrensis seems to refer the tradition here given to the Arran Islands. See " Opera," vol. v. Edited by James F. Dimock, M. A. , " Topogra- ])hiaT-Iibernica," Dist. ii. , cap. vi. , pp. S3,
84.
•' " Ccrnore Inisgloiiii est pelage, quod prospicit Irras
Insula aVos, alavosque solo post fatascpultos
—
Townland Maps lor the County of -Mayo," sheets 9, 16.
28p.
is shown, on the " Ordnance Survey
Effigies servare suas, vegetisque vigere,
Unguibus, atque comis. Hominum caro nulla putrescit. "
—See
Pars iii. , cap. i.
cap. xxii. , p. 20.
9^ " Clonfert in the Etymology denotes a
Wonderful Den or Lurking Place. "—Sir James Ware's " Commentary of the Prelates of Ireland, from the First Conversion of the Irish Nation to the Christian Faith down to our Times," Fourth Part. Of the Bishops of Clonfert, p. 15. Dublin, 1704, fol.
xxvi. , p. 215.
9* The following statement is made by
Thomas Dempster: " Fuit abbas ordinis S. Benedicti alicubi, ac deinde episcopus, ut ex Joanne Trithemio palam loco priore lauda- to,"—" Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scoto- rum," tomusi. , lib. ii. , num. 143, p. 82.
^^ See the work of Eugene O'Curry, " On
'^ According to Archdall, this Abbey, founded by St. Brendan, was under the in- vocationoftheVirginMary. See"Monas- ticon Hibernicum," p. 278.
s"* See Most Rev. Patrick Francis Moran's "Acta Sancti Brendani," Vita S. Brendani, cap. xii. , p. il.
—
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
around it. " Salute us, O cleric," said the bird. " May God salute thee," said Brenainn. " Who art thou? " said the cleric. " I am Michael, the Arch- angel, whom God hath sent to thee, to address thee, and to make harmony for thee. " " Thanks be to Him," said Brenainn, " thou art welcome to me. " The bird placed its bill behind the feathers of its wing, and sweeter than the musicoftheworldwasthemusicwhichitmade. 9^ Brenainnwaslisteningto it for twenty-four hours, and the angel took his leave of him afterwards. From that hour until his death, Brenainn did not listen to any worldly music what- ever, excepting only one Easter day, when he permitted a clerical student from among his people to play a harp for him. He then gave his blessing to theclericalstudent. Whatheusedtodo,whenheheardanyworldlymusic, was to put two wax balls, which he carried with him, into his ears, so that he might not hear any music, except the music of the heavenly hosts. 99
There can hardly be a doubt, that the celebrity acquired by this holy master of a religious life soon attracted to that place a great number of disciples and inhabitants. During his lifetime, the cathedral of Clonfert—said to have contained seven altars '°°—was built. St. Bren- dan has been regarded as the first bishop over Clonfert ; although, during his lifetime, St. Moena or Moinend is thought to have ruled there as a bishop assistant, or as designed to succeed him in that See. ^°' In the short Treatise, which has been ascribed to St. ^ngus,'°^ dividing the Saints of Ireland, according to the Orders of Bishops, Priests and Deacons, St. Brendan mac hu Alta is classed among the Priests. Yet, in the Book of Genea- logies, belonging to the Franciscan Convent, Merchants' Quay, Dublin, he is expressly called Brenoin Easbacc, or Bishop Brendan. Moreover, St. Brendan is said to have had scarcely an equal, in preaching the Gospel. '°3 He is accre- dited, also, with having the gift of prophecy, as when he predicted the com- ing and acts of St. Carthage or St. Mochudda, Bishop and Abbot of Lismore. '°* The See of Clonfert he afterwards resigned to St. Moena, although some writers seem to regard the latter as its first bishop. '°5 TheAnnalsof Ulster re- late, however, the death of the first bishop over this See, to have taken place A. D. 571;'°^ another account has 572. '"^ Brendan was yet living at this date;'°^ but, very little memory of their successors remains, down to the period of the Anglo-Norman Invasion of Ireland.
the Manners and Customs of the Ancient the Iri. -h Franciscans, Merchants' Quay, Irish," edited by W. K. Sullivan, Ph. D. , Dublin.
vol. ii. , Lect. iv. , p. 76. '°^ Thus, Father Stephen White says,
9^ In a note, the Rev. Dr. Reeves here " vix paiem evangelii pia:dicatorem in-
452
says, "The preceding pait of this legend very much resembles that of St. Mochaoi of Aendruim, which is preserved in the Brussels copy of the Felire of yEngus, at the 23rd of June.
99 See Rev. Drs. Todd's and Reeves' " Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 128 to 131.
'°° According to Sir James Ware, "Famous of Old for her seven Altars was that an- cient cathedral church of St. P>rendan. " "Commentary of ihePrelatesof Ireland, from theFirstConversionof the Irish Nation to the Christian Faith down to our Times. " Fourth Part. Of the Bishops of Clonfert, p. 15.
'°' See Archdall's " Monastic(m Iliberni- cum," p. 278.
'"- This formerly belonged to the Book of Leinster, and it is now in the possession of
vcnias. " See "Apologia pro Hibernia," cap. ii. , p. 15, cap. iv. , p. 38.
'°-' See his Life in the present volume, at the 14th of this month, Art. i. , chap. i.
'"^ See Harris Ware, vol. i. , Bishops of Clonfert, pp. 637, 638.
'°* See Rev. Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Ilibernicarum Scriptores," tonius iv. An- nales Ultonienses, p. 26.
"'' This is the date set forth for the rest of Moenu, Bishop of Cluain-Fcrta-Brenainii, in William M. Hennessy's " Chronicum Scolo- rum," pp. 58, 59.
'"*' See Sir James Ware's "Commentary of the Prelates of Ireland, from the First Conversion of the Irish Nation to the Chris- tian Faith down to our Times. " Fourth Part. Of the Bishops of Clonfert, p. 15.
ChaptebIV. —' Thereis nonotice taken of these objects, on the Ordnance Survey Maps, nor in Thomas O'Conor's Letter, dated Kenmare, 23rd August, 1841, when describing the Antiquities of Prior Parish, in "Letters containing Information relative to the Antiquities of the County of Kerry, collected during the Progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1841," pp. 384 to 417.
* This information has been given to the writer, by Rev. Denis O'Donoghoe, P. P. , of Ardfert.
3 By Heylot.
* A college then existed at this place, as Button avers, and it was much frequented at the time. See "Statistical Survey of the County of Galway," chap, v. , sect. 25, p. 482, n.
5 L'ordre de St. Brendan avoit pour sa
principale Maison I'Abbaie de Port-Pur 131.
dans la ville de Clonfert au Compte de '° At chap. ' xlvii.
Galway en Connacie qui depuis at ete erigee " " On dit qu' un Ange lui dicta la Regie en Cathedrale. "—" Histoire des Ordres qu'il proescrivit a ses Disciples et qu' il en Monastiques, Religieux et Militaires," tome ent deux on trois mille sous sa conduite. " ii. , chap. XX,, p. 145. Heylot's "Histoire des Ordres Monastiques,
*Hisfeastoccurs,onthe29thofNovem- ber, and he died a. d. 571.
? See the Bollandists' "Acta Sancto- rum," tomus iii. , Maii xvi. D. S. Brendano seu Brandano Abbate Cluainfertensi in lii- bernia, cap. i. , num. i, p. 599.
^ See Most Rev. Patrick Francis Moran's "Acta Sancti Brendani," Vita S. Brendani, cap. xii. , p. 10.
9 Cuimin of Condeire's poem relates more- over his virtues, manner of living, and the legend of his Navigation, as follows :
" Brenainn loves constant piety, According to the synod and congrega-
lion
Seven years on a whale's back he
spent;
It was a difficult mode of piety. "
—See Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves' edition
of the "Martyrology of Donegal," pp. 130,
——
May 1 6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 453
CHAPTER IV.
RELIGIOUS ERECTIONS OF ST. BRENDAN IN IRELAND—HIS MONASTIC RULE—MIRA- CLES OF ST. liRENDAN—HIS PLACES AT INISH-GLOUA AND BRANDON MOUNTAIN- WRITINGS ATTRIBUTED TO ST. BRENDAN—HIS CLOSING DAYS AND DEPARTURE FROM LIFE—HIS BURIAL AT CLONFERT—HIS MEMORIALS IN KALENDARS AND PLACES DEDICATED TO HIM—PILGRIMAGES TO BRANDON MOUNTAIN—CONCLU- SION.
However, this religious coenobium at Clonfert was only one, among St. Brendan's many religious establishments ; for, it is stated, that he founded several schools and monasteries, after returning to his own country. There is an old church and nine bee-hive shaped houses,^ which are supposed to have been built, by St. Brendan, at St. Buanigh, in a glen of the Parish of Prior, near Cahirciveen, in the county of Kerry. ^ After St. Brendan's return to Ireland, it is said,3 likewise, that he was principal over an Abbey, called Port- pure, at Clonfert, in the county of Galvvay;'' or, at least, that this was deemed tobethechiefhouseoftheorder,whichhehadestablished. s However,asSt. Brendan of Birr ^ and St. Brendan of Clonfert lived contemporaneously, it is difficult to say, if their Acts have not have been confounded, by subsequent writers. 7 Hence, it might be, that some of the foundations attibuted to one of them may have been really assignable to the other. After our saint had established his various monasteries, in different parts of Ireland, it is related by her seniors, that no fewer than three thousand monks were subject to his jurisdiction. Many brought gifts to aid in these foundations, and presented them, with themselves, to spend the rest of their days, under his religious rule. It is even stated, that his own father became a monk, and that his mother also was a consecrated matron. ^ The Life of Ciaran, of Cluain, re- lates,9 that the order of Brenainn was one of the eight orders that were in Erin. ^° It is fondly believed, that an Angel dictated the Rule, which Bren- dan is thought to have written, and to have intended for the observance of
454
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May i6.
himself and of a very numerous community;" and, furthermore, we are assured, for a long time subsequent to his period," that Rule had been observed by his successors. '3 The O'Clerys have supposed it possible, how- ever, that St. Brenainn of Birra, or some other bearing a similar name, may have been the author of that special order, among the eight orders in Erinn, mentioned in an old Life of St. Ciaran of Clonmacnoise ; but, we deem it to bemostprobable,thatallusionisonlymadetothepresentholyman. St. Brandon '4 is said to have had for his disciple, St. Finian Lobhar,'^ son to Ailild, King of IMunster. The latter holy man established his monastic Rules, afterwards, on tb. e Island of Innisfallen, on the lower Lake of Killarney. '^ In his Metrical List of the Saints of Inisfail, Selbach celebrates St. Brendan and St.
Mochuda, as having been distinguished for their penitential coun- tenances. Again, St. Thomas the Apostle, in manners and life, has been compared to St. Brendan of Clonfert,'? in that ancient Catalogue of Saints, which has been preserved in the Book of Leinster. '^
In the region of IMuscray-tire, and in the province of Munster, a pesti- ferous fire broke out from the earth. Some persons endeavoured to extin- guish it with water, but they could not, while St. Brendan was passing that way. The flames still rising higher, he said to those present : " O miserable men, you see an infernal fire coming from the earth. " The people asked for succour, and he told them to fast for three days, while he should entreat the Almighty on their behalf. After a three days' fast, St. Brendan said to them: " Go to the Virgin of God, St. Chiar,'9 since to her merits and prayer it is
grantedbyGodtoextinguishedthatfire. "^° Then,themostvirtuousvirgin Chiar offered up her prayers to the Almighty, so that the fire might be ex- tinguished. It ceased immediately, and never afterwards re-appeared. ^' At a time, St. Brendan set out to visit holy persons, living in the territory of Midhi, or Meath. During that period, Diarmait Mac Cerbhail,^^ Ring of Ireland, ruled in the city of Themoria, or Tara. In a dream, he saw two Angels, taking a royal torque ^^ from his neck, and giving it to a person un- known to him. The following day, St. Brendan visited that king, who ciied out to his friends, on seeing him: "This is the man, to whom my torque must be given. " Then, the wise men of his council said to the monarch : " Hitherto, the kingdom of Ireland belonged to kings, now, O, king, thy
Religieux et Militaires," tome ii. , chap, xx. , p. 145.
" At least, until the time, when the writer of our saint's old Acts lived.
'3 Archbishop Ussher adds : " Neque alia est ilia Lex Ciarani et Brnidani, cujus am- plificatuni usumad annum DCCXI. III. in An- naiibus Ultoniensibus observavimus. "— " Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 476.
'* The Bollandists are in doubt, as to the identity of this Brendan.
'5 See his Life, in the Third Volume of this work, at the i6th of March, Art. i.
'' See " A I'icturesque Tour of Killarney, describing in Twenty Views, the most pleas- ing scenes of that celebrated Lake, accom- jjanied by some general observations and necessary instructions for the use of those who may visit it ; together with a map of the Lake and its environs," engraved in Aquaiinta by Jonathan Fisher, p. 5.
''See the " Martyrology of IJonegal,"
edited by Rev. Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. 130, 131.
'* See edition by Dr. Robert Atkinson, p. 370.
'^ Her festival i. s set down, at the 5th day of January, and her Life is. there treated, in tlie First \'olume of this work, . -^rt. i.
-^ While the death of St. Brendan is set down about . v. n. 576. and that of St. Chiar at A. n. 679, it is difficult to believe they could have been contemporaries.
°' See Most Rev. Patrick Francis Mor. in's "Acta Sancti Brendani," Vita S. Brendani, cap. xxiii. , p. 21.
" Fie began to reign in A. D. 544, accord- ing to the Annals of Ulster, and he was as- sassinated in 564, by Acdh Dubh, who was King of Dalaradia.
-^Broochesofgold,withcr)^stals inserted in them, were regarded as distinctive orna- menlN ft)r the King of the province, or fnr the sons of ihe Kings of Lrin. See the " Seanchus Mor," vol. ii. , p. 148.
May i6. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
455
kingdom is divided with the saints of Ireland, and this saint shall have a great parish throughout the Island. " This dream and its interpretation reached St. Brendan's ears, and he said to all, who were present : " So shall it be now and for the future to those worshipping God, according to the scripture, 'Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all other goods shall be given to you. ' " Then, the monarch Diarmait gave honour to St. Brendan, for he was a Catholic king, loving justice and rectitude. '"> One day, St. Bren- dan was walking with some of his disciples. A great quantity of snow and hail fell on them, and a bitterly cold wind blew. Some of the brothers re- marked to St. Brendan, that the cold of hell was not greater than what they then endured. ^5 Then, said the saint : " You speak like rustics and foolish men. But,IhaveseenJudas,thebetrayerofourLord,onaSunday,inthe midst of a dreadful ocean, when wailing and weeping on a sharp and slippery rock, with the waves, at one time dashing over him, and again leaving him tar above them. One wave of fire came from the east, and another floe of ice came from the west, terribly torturing Judas, and yet, these excessive pains were even a state of rest to him ; for, the mercy of God allowed him such a comparative respite, on Sundays and Festivals. Wherefore, think ye, what must be the pains of hell. " On hearing this from their venerable superior, the monks poured forth earnest prayers to the Almighty, so that their sins might be pardoned. ^^
We find, from an Irish poem of unknown date,^7 that some bond of alliance is supposed to have been established between Saints Cainnech,"* Barre,^^andBrenand,3° Onacertainday,St. Brendanwaswalkingthrough the woods with his disciples. A great storm raged, and the trees began to fall, owing to its violence. One of the monks said to his companions : " We are here greatly exposed to danger, in these woods. " Then, St. Brendan said: " One night while the monks were sleeping in the ship, I was alone watching, when we drifted by an island, where great perils threatened us. Four feet ex- tending into the deep only sustained that Island overitself, and between these fewfeet,ourshipwentoutundertheIsland. 3' Thus,wepassedthroughwhile sailing,theIslandstandingoverus. Know,brothers,thattheAlmighty,who sustained that Island on four feet, and who made us sail safely under it, can bring us without injury from the falling of these trees. " Having heard such incidents thus related, the monks were greatly strengthened in Christ. 3^
At one period, the King of Munster levied agreat army, with which he marched into the Connaught province to ravage it. 33 However, the people there en-
*'' SeeMostRev. PatrickFrancisMoran's " Acta Sancti Brendani," Vita S. Brendani, cap. xxiv. , pp. 21, 22.
-s This illustrates a mediceval opinion, that the torments of the dumned varied from the extremeofcoldiothegreatestintensityofheat.
"TheunityofCainnechandBarrae And of Brenand, both one and other : Whoever outrages any one of them The miracles of the three (will be)
— avenging him. "
"Transactions of the Royal Irish Aca-
^•^ See Most Rev. Patrick Francis Moran's demy," Irish Manuscript Series, vol. i. ,
"Acta Sancti Brendani," Vita S. Brendani, cap. XXV. , p. 22.
^^ It is thus quoted, by the scholiast to the copy of the Fcilire Unguis, in the Leabhar Breac: —
<\er\uu Choinmj \\ bA^A^AAi Ocuf 'biAenAint) •oibbnAib Cipe •pA^AAije)' necVi oib |:e]\cAi in C]\i]\ oca'015aiI.
It is thus translated, into English, by Dr. Whitley Stokes :—
part i. On the Calendar of Oengus, by Whitley Stokes, LL. D. , p. Ixxxvii.
^^ Patron of Kilkenny, venerated at the nth of October.
'^^
Patron of Cork, venerated at the 25th of September.
^o Patron of Clonfert, and Ardfert, vene- rated at the present date.
^i
Acts of St. Brendan, is not very intelligible.
This literal translation, found in the
3^ See Most Rev. Patrick Francis Moran's " Acta Sancti Brendani," Vita S. Brendani, cap. xxvi. , p. 23.
35 It seems difficult to identify this ac- count, with any known record in tlie Irish Annals.
^'^ This miracle is alluded to, also, by John Capgrave, in his " Legenda Sanctorum AnghK," and towards the end of his Life of St. F. rendan.
*3 See Most Rev. Patrick Francis Moran's
"Acta Sancti Brendani," Vita S. Brendani, brensis Eversus," &c. , edited by Rev.
Matthew Kelly, D. D. , vol. i. , cap. ii, pp. 124 to 129.
••3 See Roderick O'Flaherty's " Chorogra- phical Description of West or H-Iar Con- naught," edited by James llardiman, Af. R. I. A. , p. 82.
•'' This is stated by Dr. Pococke, in his "Tour through Ireland, A. D. 1752," which is yet unpublished, and classed among the Manuscripts of Trinity College, Dublin, as ^- 4- 15-
. .
"^ See ihid. , p. 59. There is a curious
communication on this subject, in some ad-
ditional Notes.
39 See an account of it, in Martin •"' This is stated, in the l-eAbh4]\ b^Aedch-
cap. xxvii. , pp. 23, 24.
3^ It is described, on the "Ordnance Sur-
vey Townland Maps for the County of Mayo," sheets 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 33. It comprises 29. 492a. 3r. I5p.
37 This is the Irisli form of the name Inif jIuAi^e. See " Genealogies, Tribes antl Customs of Hy-Fiachrach," edited by John O'Donovan, p. 492. It is shown, on that Irish Map, prefixed to the work.
3** This small Island —comprising 37a. or.
Ilaverty's " Visit to the Isles of Arran. "
^^ Through mistake, Giraldus Cambrensis seems to refer the tradition here given to the Arran Islands. See " Opera," vol. v. Edited by James F. Dimock, M. A. , " Topogra- ])hiaT-Iibernica," Dist. ii. , cap. vi. , pp. S3,
84.
•' " Ccrnore Inisgloiiii est pelage, quod prospicit Irras
Insula aVos, alavosque solo post fatascpultos
—
Townland Maps lor the County of -Mayo," sheets 9, 16.
28p.
is shown, on the " Ordnance Survey
Effigies servare suas, vegetisque vigere,
Unguibus, atque comis. Hominum caro nulla putrescit. "
—See
Pars iii. , cap. i.
